“The film is beautiful and desolate and unique and exotic, and most importantly something new.”
There are three things you’re guaranteed to get with any radhaggis video: mad schemes, beautiful cinematography, and a great storyline. The trailer for Ewan McIntosh’s latest film Where is Grant Maxwell, featuring radio static, bleak Scottish mountains, and a car winding its way amongst them, certainly suggests the presence of all these key elements.
“The current trailer is nothing more than a teaser – a tiny glimpse into a world we know nothing about yet. I wanted people to come out of those brief 40 seconds with a million more questions than they went in with. I want people to want to know more,” says Ewan.
Here at TenEighty, our interests were certainly piqued, so we took the opportunity to chat with him to find out all…
“The film follows the story of Hunter and Kirsten – two teenagers who live in Glasgow – as they embark on a road trip across the highlands of Scotland in search of their missing best friend,” says Ewan. “Their friend – Grant Maxwell – disappeared two weeks before the film begins and, despite police enquiries and public searches, there are no real leads on his whereabouts.
“All this changes when one morning Hunter receives a message from Grant, claiming he has run away from home to start a new life in the far north of Scotland,” he adds. “Dropping everything and telling no-one, they set off to find their friend and bring him home.”
To film a story as ambitious as this was no mean feat. “Most movies made by creators such as myself tend follow a few people and their adventures through their flat, and possibly the nearby park if they’re lucky. This is with good reason. Even where compromises are made and corners are cut at every possible turn, short films are bloody expensive to make. It’s far cheaper, and far easier logistically, to create something using one or two accessible locations within whatever town the director happens to live in,” Ewan says.
But filming it all in 4K, using high-end camera equipment, and employing a huge crew of people – three times the number that worked on his previous film Rubix – Ewan wanted to push the boundaries of what we consider possible for independent filmmakers.
“I chose to shoot [my film] in the far reaches of a country I no longer live in with a crew that come from all over the UK, following the story of two teenagers on a roadtrip, in a car. I’m sure my wonderful producer Millie thinks I’ve lost my mind but I cannot wait for a sense of awe to be drummed up in people when they see it as they wonder, ‘How did they make that?’”
As well as the technical elements, Ewan is eager to see how people will react to the narrative. “I’m most excited for people to get engrossed in the story I’ve created. This movie is an adventure-thriller, and I really think it’s the sort of film that you feel like you’re a part of when watching it.”
Ewan himself is eagerly awaiting its release: “I’m so excited to finally have shared a small piece of this project with the world. It’s something I’ve been editing since September, but working on since around April, and having to keep all of it to myself up until now has been a task and a half.
“I’m also looking forward to people finally seeing my progression as a director since my previous films,” he adds. “It’s been too long since I’ve brought something like this to life and it’s thrilling to be back at the helm.
“It’s very, very exciting for everyone involved. Right now, the rollercoaster is just leaving the station.”
Here at TenEighty, we can’t wait to watch it!
Want more?
If you love films on YouTube just as much as we do, here’s ten creators of short films you should be watching, or check out our interview with Sam Saffold-Geri about his new short film A Welcoming Place.
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