Dwyz is one of the creators behind the upcoming fan film, Tomb Raider: Reboot. Following the success of his fantastic Hitman inspired film, Hitman: Chimera, he has embarked on crafting another movie dedicated to the Lara Croft series. You can follow the production of his film and check out his previous projects through his website. Read our interview with him below...
What inspired you to make a Tomb Raider fan film?
I think it was the challenge, it's quite a scary franchise to take on. Once I'd put the idea out there to our team, it was inevitable that we were gonna do it, because it's good to do things that are a hard, that scare you slightly. I'd originally suggested the idea straight after we'd finished our Hitman film last October but it seemed a little unachievable. After the New Year I contacted Dan Brand (partner in crime) and we met for a coffee and I said if were interested in doing this, we need to decide right now as there wasn't much time, later that day we left with 50% of the script written, locations scouted and actors cast.
Why did you want to do a film dedicated to the reboot opposed to the classic Tomb Raiders or Crystal's previous games?
It's more of a dedication to Lara Croft, and celebrating her continued evolution. We've tried to mix in elements of the franchises history, we build slowly then reach a climax, just like 1996 - 2013's Lara, we love Lara basically.
Your two Laras look incredible! How did you go about trying to find your leading ladies?
I completely agree, were so happy with Teya and Alexandra.Teyas Lara is based on the one from Tomb Raider Legends. We had originally already cast Clare Gregory in that role, who is actually our hair and makeup, but Clare thought that Teya was a better recommendation and suggested I think about it, a few hours later I bumped into Teya whilst looking for props on the streets of Nottingham, that odd bit of fate/coincidence sealed it.
Alexandra, who plays our new Lara, we have worked together before, she is very conscientious and reliable, she was always in the mix but I wasn't 100% she would sell the look, until she sent me a pic of the clothes she'd put together for the part, and then when Kym Chapman had done her hair and makeup on shoot day we were all flabbergasted at the transformation. It's now rocketed my appreciation of what casting and character design brings to the film making process.
From what we've seen so far in your teasers the locations are fantastic...very cold...but fantastic! What research did you do to find these locations?
Ha, yes cold, if your gonna film in England in January then you shouldn't really be basing your premise around being shipwrecked on a tropical island haha. Not only was it cold but it snowed every day we shot, so it was a challenge trying to hide all the white stuff. Sourcing the locations was difficult and we had to tweak the script as we went along to accommodate what we had access too, but no matter where you live, if you think about it for long enough you'll discover exciting places to shoot, just be imaginative and explore :-)
What has been the most challenging thing about filming Tomb Raider : Reboot?
I guess the fact we didn't give ourselves much time, about 6 weeks from initial inception to finished film ready to show Laras fans. In some ways that has actually driven us forward though and provided its own motivation, I'd do it again but I'm not blind to the fact that I think we have been quite lucky, especially with casting, but as Dan Brand said recently in an interview when asked for advice, 'believe in what your doing, drive forward, stay positive and don't let the criticisms bother you.'
Now that the filming is completed, how do you feel about the project?
I've been through the whole 'paranoid artist doubting the validity of his creation' for the last couple of weeks but I'm beginning to feel really pleased with it now, I definitely felt the pressure of dabbling with such a beloved character, and that was magnified once I realised how much of a cult figure Lara is, especially with fans like yourself Jaden, who keep her valid and present. I didn't want to let anyone down, this is for the fans of the games.
What more do you need to do to the project before you feel ready to release it?
I actually finished the edit yesterday, so now have till the 20th (your birthday?) to work on its soundtrack and audio score and tweak all the films colours for an attractive look. Our FX guy, Steve Askey now has his parts and he's working on the CGI. Don't worry, he's amazing and subtle, no lurking combat robots in this film :-)
Thank you for the interview Dwyz!
What inspired you to make a Tomb Raider fan film?
I think it was the challenge, it's quite a scary franchise to take on. Once I'd put the idea out there to our team, it was inevitable that we were gonna do it, because it's good to do things that are a hard, that scare you slightly. I'd originally suggested the idea straight after we'd finished our Hitman film last October but it seemed a little unachievable. After the New Year I contacted Dan Brand (partner in crime) and we met for a coffee and I said if were interested in doing this, we need to decide right now as there wasn't much time, later that day we left with 50% of the script written, locations scouted and actors cast.
Why did you want to do a film dedicated to the reboot opposed to the classic Tomb Raiders or Crystal's previous games?
It's more of a dedication to Lara Croft, and celebrating her continued evolution. We've tried to mix in elements of the franchises history, we build slowly then reach a climax, just like 1996 - 2013's Lara, we love Lara basically.
Your two Laras look incredible! How did you go about trying to find your leading ladies?
I completely agree, were so happy with Teya and Alexandra.Teyas Lara is based on the one from Tomb Raider Legends. We had originally already cast Clare Gregory in that role, who is actually our hair and makeup, but Clare thought that Teya was a better recommendation and suggested I think about it, a few hours later I bumped into Teya whilst looking for props on the streets of Nottingham, that odd bit of fate/coincidence sealed it.
 | ||
| The two actors protraying Lara Croft in the fan film. From left to right: Alexandra Lyon and Teya Simone. |
Alexandra, who plays our new Lara, we have worked together before, she is very conscientious and reliable, she was always in the mix but I wasn't 100% she would sell the look, until she sent me a pic of the clothes she'd put together for the part, and then when Kym Chapman had done her hair and makeup on shoot day we were all flabbergasted at the transformation. It's now rocketed my appreciation of what casting and character design brings to the film making process.
From what we've seen so far in your teasers the locations are fantastic...very cold...but fantastic! What research did you do to find these locations?
Ha, yes cold, if your gonna film in England in January then you shouldn't really be basing your premise around being shipwrecked on a tropical island haha. Not only was it cold but it snowed every day we shot, so it was a challenge trying to hide all the white stuff. Sourcing the locations was difficult and we had to tweak the script as we went along to accommodate what we had access too, but no matter where you live, if you think about it for long enough you'll discover exciting places to shoot, just be imaginative and explore :-)
What has been the most challenging thing about filming Tomb Raider : Reboot?
I guess the fact we didn't give ourselves much time, about 6 weeks from initial inception to finished film ready to show Laras fans. In some ways that has actually driven us forward though and provided its own motivation, I'd do it again but I'm not blind to the fact that I think we have been quite lucky, especially with casting, but as Dan Brand said recently in an interview when asked for advice, 'believe in what your doing, drive forward, stay positive and don't let the criticisms bother you.'
Now that the filming is completed, how do you feel about the project?
I've been through the whole 'paranoid artist doubting the validity of his creation' for the last couple of weeks but I'm beginning to feel really pleased with it now, I definitely felt the pressure of dabbling with such a beloved character, and that was magnified once I realised how much of a cult figure Lara is, especially with fans like yourself Jaden, who keep her valid and present. I didn't want to let anyone down, this is for the fans of the games.
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| Exclusive screenshot from the upcoming fan film! |
What more do you need to do to the project before you feel ready to release it?
I actually finished the edit yesterday, so now have till the 20th (your birthday?) to work on its soundtrack and audio score and tweak all the films colours for an attractive look. Our FX guy, Steve Askey now has his parts and he's working on the CGI. Don't worry, he's amazing and subtle, no lurking combat robots in this film :-)
Thank you for the interview Dwyz!
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