He Loves Me Not

Tam Sainsbury Director’s Statement - He Loves Me Not

He Loves Me Not is an authentic Australian romantic comedy, set in the state of Queensland on the beautiful Fraser Island K’Gari. It is a delight to have the opportunity to direct something which has appeal to a global audience but can be shot regionally and showcase the beauty of Queensland to the world.

I visualised He Loves Me Not as a traditional romantic comedy with a modern twist. It is traditional in the sense that it has all the typical rom com beats and usual loveable characters; something I have found a joy to direct in the past. Even though the rom com format is predictable, it is what an audience expects when they choose to watch one and I will ensure that viewers of He Loves Me Not will be delivered exactly what they expect; with a modern day twist.

I have a strong vision for this film and this is partly due to the fact that I worked with the writer to construct and build the story and the characters. I believe that together we have created a truly captivating film with interesting and engaging characters to uplift and excite rom com audiences all around the world. This will be especially so for women viewers as we have a strong female protagonist as the lead character (Holiday). She is tenacious and capable and will stand up for herself and not compromise her beliefs. Holiday is extremely passionate about her career and determined to do what it takes to succeed.

One of the motivations for me behind directing this film is that I strongly identify with Holiday and these character traits. I understand her situation and driving passion. She is a young single woman, trying to succeed in a very difficult industry and finding herself taking time out to travel and see the world but still wanting to find a way to advance her career. I understand this having encountered the same situation in my twenties and even at times in later years. Along with her strength Holiday has insecurities and self doubts like a lot of women have, no matter how strong we are and I want to use this understanding and connection with the character to work with the actor who will play Holiday to create truth through the comedy and the drama. Holiday, instinctively wants to find love but wants to stay true to herself and not compromise her beliefs. I want to bring the drama, conflict and emotion Holiday must go through to find love while finding the right balance (as I have with rom com in the past) of the drama and heartache combined with the romance and comedy.

The themes portrayed in He Loves Me Not revolve around love, friendship, relationships, passion, ambition and the need for self-belief. I used a creative and collaborative process, as I always do, of developing the characters in this film with the actors; to work on how they evolve through these themes and discover more about themselves and what they need to be happy within themselves and their lives. Even though there are beats which are delivered through comedy, it was important to find the meaning of the true struggles life throws at each of the characters and I worked with the actors to help them find the drama and emotion in these, to bring the truth.

The storyworld in He Loves Me Not is an important element to the overall narrative and my vision for this world revolved around Fraser Island K’gari, where the film is set. The main location is the resort where Holiday is working as a waitress and also the villa she is living in. There are also scenes set at various beauty spots on the Island such as Lake McKenzie, the beaches and the native bush and these settings are vital to constructing the beauty and allurement of the world the characters live in. For a lot of the scenes on the Island I used wide shots to show the entire setting but I also used inserts of scenery detail to emphasis the charm and uniqueness of this incredible sand island. My vision for this world is one of beauty and potential, which draws Holiday into the reality show and the potential of love with Adam as the plot moves forward. It is wonderful having He Loves Me Not set on the Fraser Coast K’Gari as the locations are stunning and I will showcase a large amount of the island and coastline through the use of aerial shots as establishers. There are also scenes in various areas of Hervey Bay such as the markets, shops and cafes and these will add to the storyworld; one in which the audience wants to be a part of. The sparkling white beach with inviting blue seas is where beautiful people spend their days frolicking, flirting and enjoying the alluring Fraser Coast lifestyle.

With it being a rom com I have kept the overall look as natural as possible, with the addition of bright and appealing colouring to emphasis the beauty of the setting and the light comedy side of the story. I intend to add a soundtrack which mixes composed music with particular songs to emphasis important moments in the story. Music is important to almost any film but I have found in the past that it serves a special purpose in rom coms. As the characters fall in and out of love I like to use the soundtrack to track characters crumbling or blossoming relationships. I also love having the lead characters to have their own special composed tunes that run through the overall composition.