Hunted is an upcoming fan film, a collaboration between a group of friends and cosplayers. It's an exciting venture and one I very much recommend following through their Facebook page. Last year I wrote an article with the help of interviews from the awesome cast and crew, as well as photographs from the filming. Extracts of the interviews were used in the piece, and throughout this week, I'll be posting up their full answers. Our final interview is with Anne Roig, the actor portraying Lara in the fan film.
As you're in the middle of production, what are your views on the project? Is it exciting or daunting?
To be perfectly honest, it has been an exciting challenge! When the project was just in its baby stages, and planning had only just begun, we all agreed that we were going to give it the best that we all had, whatever it may be. We are not a professional team, just a bunch of crazy hardcore Tomb Raider fans with a passion to bring Lara to life! We’ve never asked for money or donations, so all of this is coming straight out of our pockets. I feel it is something to be proud of, however, it does cause quite a bit of frustration when you can’t afford the proper equipment. But that’s where the beauty of innovation lies, and we’ve only just begun!
What challenges have you faced so far? And was it something you prepared for at the start?
We certainly prepared as much as we could before everyone arrived for filming. You should have seen Sara; she was the list making queen! However, I believe nothing could have prepared us for the crazy journey that soon took place as everyone was getting ready to meet. Sara, Carla, and Sara’s husband Steven all piled into their car and only made it about 40 miles into the trip before their car broke down in the middle of the highway! They had to pay out of pocket to have it towed back, which was a huge set back. Not only did they use up the rest of their savings, but it also meant we had lost a whole day’s worth of filming. So that day, Shu (the director of the fan film, and also our Mathias!) and I talked and agreed that we were willing to drive states away in order to pick everyone up and bring them to our apartment.
So the next morning, we set out on our eight hour journey to New Hampshire to pick everyone up! When we finally made it back home, we had to juggle finishing up miscellaneous props and costume pieces, take care of my son (who, might I add, is in his terrible two’s!), and get filming equipment ready, etc. (which we had a *TON* of technical failures with boom mics not wanting to work, among other things.). There should have been Benny Hill music playing in the background, because we all looked like chickens with our heads cut off! By the time everything had been finished, the struggle to find a babysitter had been resolved, and we had all gotten into costume and makeup, we loaded the car up with a ridiculous amount of gear and props. We all squished ourselves in like a clown car and headed to location. We got about half way there and realized it was *WAY* too cold to safely film the planned scene. Needless to say, with our hearts crushed, and frustration high, we were still not going to give up, so we did an impromptu photo shoot and called it a day!
So now we had lost two full days worth of filming, and it seemed like fate was completely against us, however it never got us down. Everyone remained positive and the next morning we made sure to have everything ready super early (Thanks to Sara and her ridiculously awesome ability to organize everything with her lists, seriously… I’m super impressed!). We made it on location, and even though it was still dangerous for us to film, we did it anyway! We took all of our props and gear, (which collectively weighed a couple hundred pounds, at least!) and hiked roughly 15 minutes in through the frozen tundra of a forest to get to the perfect location. We literally risked life and limb trying to get the scene filmed, everyone unfortunately got frost nip, and my poor knees suffered almost getting straight up frost bite!
Then, in order to get home, we had to force our frozen bodies to lug all of our gear over a frozen lake, hike up through frozen snow covered hills, and forged our own path through a blizzard! It may sound crazy, but it was totally worth every second to me. I have never seen such a strong willed, dedicated, and crazy passionate group of people before in my life! So despite all of the countless numbers of setbacks, challenges, and complications, we all stuck together as a team and got through it alive! And for that, I’m extremely proud of us!
Photography and Makeup by Shu Pate
What is it about the latest incarnation of Lara and Tomb Raider which has inspired you to create this movie?
Where to even begin? I have been a fan of Lara since the beginning, and to be honest, the newest incarnation of her is my absolute favorite. There’s a certain rawness, or vulnerability I guess you could say, to Lara that no one has ever seen! The raw emotions you hear in her voice, the realness of situations where it’s fight or flight, is so real and captivating (and terrifying at times!). And to be what seems so up close and personal with Lara on her journey of finding out who she is, and seeing her become the badass we recognize today is very inspiring and empowering! My favorite line she says is “I can do this.”, and I find myself in my daily struggles quoting her time and time again!
What has been your favourite or most memorable moment of the project so far?
Definitely our first day of filming, I know it’s something I will never forget. It’s also something that I believe we will reminisce about for a very long time. I’ve learned so many valuable lessons about friendships and teamwork to last a life time! It was definitely an adventure!
What made you want to create a fanfilm?
I’ve lost count of how many years I’ve been friends with Kate, and as far back as I can remember we have always wanted to team up and create a fan film! I’ve been obsessed with cosplay and making films pretty much my whole life. I even went to school for film and animation, and my first official movie I made was a Resident Evil fan film! Sadly, life happens and I ran into a lot of personal problems, so I stopped cosplaying for many years. However, my fiancé Shu had started working with me to help build my confidence back up and get back into it. Because of that, I had met Sara online through her website and was welcomed back into it with loving arms! After getting to know each other better, we realized we lived pretty close, so we planned a Tomb Raider photo shoot, which then turned into the idea of the fan film, and I was floored with excitement! Then, as planning took shape, Carla joined the team, and I was speechless, talk about a dream team! So I’ve jumped on the opportunity, and I haven’t looked back since! I believe it’s been the best decision of my life, I’ve never had something I’ve worked so hard for and have been so proud of!
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