Writing from the heart: Craig Boreham on Teenage Kicks

July 24, 2017

Writing from the heart is something director Craig Boreham has always been adamant about and his feature Teenage Kicks is testament to that.

The lack of relatable characters on screens is a major motivator for Craig in his writing process. “I tend to draw upon my own personal experiences as much as I can whenever you’re trying to find the truth of a situation … the story is definitely a fiction, it’s not my story, but I know there’s elements of things that I’ve experienced in it, or things my friends have experienced or things that I’ve been told, that flesh it out.”

Securing a solid cast, some of whom Craig had worked with previously like lead actor Miles Szanto, as well as previous collaborator Bonnie Elliot behind the lens, Craig was able to form a cohesive and well-rounded team to work with. He was also fortunate enough to secure the perfect location for the film, an abandoned house that was part of a deceased estate, allowing the cast and crew to set up there during the production and provided a rehearsal space as well as a finely decorated set, thanks to production designer Virginia Mesiti, in the one location.

Teenage Kicks Trailer:

As the budget wasn’t conductive to complicated setups, the crew made the best use of natural light in the house allowing the cast to own their space and become immersed in their environment. Craig’s organic approach to directing the action encouraged that immersion even more, allowing the characters to act the scenes and run through the set intuitively as though it were theatre, chasing them with the camera instead of a more textbook approach. “The more we did that the more we got into a real swing of working that way and it became a really freeing, fun way to work. I loved it, I really enjoyed working that way and I’d probably do it again.”

Writer Director Craig Borham on Teenage Kicks:

If Craig isn’t writing about something he’s passionate about then it’s impossible to stick with it over the months or years it takes to write a film. He argues however, that style is equally important as substance because film is a visual medium, and as such you are able to say something without speaking. “I think a lot of filmmakers, especially young filmmakers, forget about aesthetics or forget about using all those wonderful things film has at it’s disposal to give people an emotional response.”

Craig’s focus on both style and substance has led to a film that hits home emotionally for a large portion of its audience, creating not only an authentic landscape for it’s characters to exist in but a heartfelt story exploring issues people deal with every day. When you write from the heart, it’s impossible not to find the truth.

Teenage Kicks Behind The Scenes:

Teenage Kicks has been nominated for an AACTA Award for Best Musical Score, selected for the Sydney Film Festival (2016), selected for MiFo LGBT Film Festival in Miami (2016) and selected for Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival in Estonia (2016).