GRADUATE LAUREN TEIKO-BAYLISS PREMIERES HER FEATURE DOCO
Life in Vitro is a personal and intimate story about Lauren’s determination to help a couple in their last chance to have their own child. It is a story of bond, courage, endurance and generosity, about three unique people who all share a common goal, and the power relationships have to overcome all adversities.
The film is screening as part of the inaugural Antenna! International Documentary Film Festival at the Chauvel Cinema (Sydney) on Sunday Oct 9 at 4:30pm!
Bellow you can read an interview with Lauren about her debut feature length film and documentary filmmaking in general.
SFS: Lauren, could you tell us a bit about Life in Vitro? What is it about?
Lauren: Life In Vitro is a feature length documentary that follows a couple and their egg donor (me) over 18months as they attempt to become pregnant using In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF). More than that it's a film about desire, consequence, individual strength and the fragility of human relationships.
SFS: How come you’ve decided to document your decision to become an egg donor?
Lauren: It started with my search for information about becoming an egg donor. I wanted to know what to expect. And I wanted to hear it from an egg donor's perspective. When I couldn't find one from someone that wasn't in the 'selling eggs/embryo' industry, I decided I needed to document my own experience for future donors.
SFS: The process you went through is quite an intimate one. How did you feel about it being exposed and recorded on cameras?
Lauren: The IVF process is the most emotionally and psychologically challenging thing I had been through. Having the cameras turned on us wasn't the hard part. We all knew the value in sharing our experience - so that people could know the behind the scene's story, the one not mentioned in the brochure.
SFS: Did this experience benefit you as a director in any way?
Lauren: I had been elected Director of both the Cert IV and Diploma films whilst I was at SFS in 2004. After graduating, I headed off down the path of Producing and hadn't come back to Directing till Life in Vitro. So, I guess the benefit of this film was in bringing me back to Directing.
SFS: How do you feel about others seeing the doco?
Lauren: The final stage of filmmaking is giving your film an audience. I can't wait for it to premiere. The few test screenings that we have done have ended with lengthy discussions about the human story, nothing was mentioned about our technical choices, to me that is a successful screening.
SFS: How would you describe the film stylistically? Were you focused on the subject matter mainly or on style as well? Is there some well-known doco you would say your film is stylistically similar to?
Lauren: 'Shoot everything, it's digital', were the first words of advice given to me by my Producer. I'm a nuts and bolts production girl. At the time I had just finished managing a network television series. So I needed a refresher course on how to shoot, light, check sound and digitise tapes. I didn't have a style of shooting, nor did I have a prior interest in documentary making, I just had a story to tell.
SFS: Where/How did you get funds to make the film?
Lauren: The film was a collaboration. My business partner, Hayden Topperwien of Motion Pictures Militia, gave his time to Edit the doco as an in-kind contribution. Media Farm, the production company I just finished managing a TVS for, lent me a kit; P2 camera, Kino Flo, radio mics, a C-Stand and a couple of shoties, while between seasons of their flagship program. They later came on as Executive Producers and once I finished the primary filming one of the partners, Rami Fischler, offered to Produce the film for me.
SFS: Were other SFS grads working on the film with you?
Lauren: Nate Martin. Same graduating year as me, 2004, helped me familiarise myself with the equipment and later came on as cinematographer for the opening titles (the sexy 5D footage) and a couple of the interviews.
SFS: How long did it take to make the film?
Lauren: Filming happened over April 2009 - Oct 2010 (19 mths). Editing took Mar 2010 - July 2011 (16 mths). Distribution is ongoing.
SFS: Could you please reflect on the ups and downs of the process? Biggest challenge/s? Most rewarding aspects?
Lauren: Filming the IVF process helped me immensely, the camera became like a friend that I could talk to; the video diary area was setup in my room the whole time I was going through the treatment. The biggest challenge was interviewing the recipients. I didn't like turning the camera on them, but oddly enough they liked talking through the process as much as I did. Hardest was having no crew when filming ie lugging the camera gear to the doctors every other day and guesstimating focus when you are the subject in front of the camera. Best thing was having a talented and patient Editor to work with me through the months of postproduction.
SFS: Lessons learned?
Lauren: If you're making a documentary you need to be prepared to share everything. You'll need a tough layer of skin when people are not only critiquing your film but your personal life decisions. I've had people tell me I'm an idiot for what I did and others that praise my gesture. You are putting it all out there to be judged by doing a project like this.
SFS: How would you define the social message of this film, if there is one?
Lauren: The use of IVF treatment is a moral and ethical topic that is still hotly debated (even though 1 in 30 children born these days is IVF aided). We avoided stating our pro-stance explicitly but the fact that I decided to help a woman aged 50, that I'd never met before, have a child late in life sends a message. There are also quite a few other issues surrounding the social message of this film, but you will need to watch the film to learn about those.
SFS: Is this a film about social justice?
Lauren: There is an element of social justice that underpins the film, but it's not the focus of this documentary.
SFS: What are the distribution plans? Where can we see the doco beside at the Antenna (both locally and internationally)?
Lauren: Media Farm as the film’s EPs have contracted the rights to sell/distribute the documentary until 2013. They have taken the documentary to ABC and SBS but are yet to explore the PAYTV channels. We are hoping the festival route will gain us more traction for the sale of the film. Life in Vitro is scheduled to be entered in 15 selected international and domestic festivals. The film is currently being pitched at MIP in Cannes, France and we are researching the possibilities of online distribution.
SFS: What else have you been up to since graduating SFS? This was your first feature film directing experience, right?
Lauren: As I mentioned before my experience since leaving SFS has mostly been in the Production side of things. I've worked as a Field Producer for National Geographic and Shine. As a Prod Manger & First AD for Channel Seven, Disney Playhouse, Nickelodeon, Sony Music Australia, Universal Music. I have also worked as a VTR Assistant on Tomorrow When The War Began. Motion Pictures Militia, my partnership, has worked with; Oglivy, QANTAS and Sony Music.
SFS: What would you say is the main difference between making a short doco and a feature length one?
Lauren: The difference is how big your story is. If you have a lot to say then you need time to say it, but if you are able to summarise and get straight to the point, then do that. Don't ever put in filler to make a certain time requirement. Go and shoot more if you have to, but everything in a documentary needs to be giving you more information.
SFS: Is documentary making a career you plan to pursue?
Lauren: I have four projects in various stages of development/production, two of those are documentary. I also 1stAD because I love it and I think a good part of my future will be in helping other people's projects come to light.
SFS: Can you define for us what makes a good documentary? And, what makes a documentary a good film?
Lauren: I think really good docos challenge people's status quo, they introduce you to lifestyles, attitudes, values and world views that you might not have otherwise been exposed to. When I walk away from a documentary, I want to have learnt something about how other people exist in this world. What makes a documentary a good film? A strong level of human interest in the story you're telling. Ask yourself, who would be interested in my story. Think of your audience first not last.
LIFE IN VITRO
SYDNEY PREMIERE
Sun, October 9 - 4:30 pm
Cinema 2, Chauvel Cinema
For tickets click here
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