Experiencing Interruptions?

Sounds of Nature Dying [The Contract: PROJECT: Waterman] | submission - short film

PLOT OUTLINE: Nature is dying. Early on a Sunday morning, LXRA contractors are conspicuously hacking into the row of majestic cypress trees that have adorned Blackburn’s Morton Park for decades.

PLOT SUMMARY: Nature is dying. Where are the public consultation sessions?

Maybe the Blackburn and District Tree Preservation Society will be able to have their say on behalf of the good residents of Blackburn? Since its inception in 1959, the Tree Society has been active in fighting to preserve and enhance the natural environment in the City of Whitehorse.

WATERMAN’s weekend is spent documenting the works. He reflects on the value of public parks as an amenity and admits to a conflict of interest: he’s a local resident.

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When the safety of local kids in WATERMAN's community is put at risk by train & public transport sector works around a local football oval, the infrastructure consultant must choose between his job and his own moral code.

get the inside view from the industry outsider
Australia’s future – now more than ever – needs public transport infrastructure

SUBMISSION
1 x short film
topics - Decent Work and Economic Growth; responsible industry, Innovation and Infrastructure; Sustainable Cities and Communities; Partnerships and global synergy of ideas and actions.

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WATERMAN is an infrastructure consultant overseeing project timelines for STM Asia Pacific Construction and the Victorian State Government.

When the safety of local kids's in his community is put at risk by train & public transport sector works around a local football oval, WATERMAN's professionalism is tested. His work obligations are gradually eroded by internal corporate politicking and a moral duty to acknowledge his own conflicts of interest: safety, destruction of trees and works around the local train station.

Pressure builds further when WATERMAN reveals a deep personal loss.

An investigative journalist with a folio of glossy A4 photo's confronts WATERMAN, demanding comments about alleged worksite corruption.

Suspecting a whistleblower, WATERMAN is forced to seek answers from a dubious industry source. Corporate espionage. Black Ops. Call it what you want - it's risky. It's his job.

How much danger is WATERMAN prepared to put himself in?

Forget the idea’s economy – it’s garbage. Australia’s future lies within the public transport infrastructure sector. Join WATERMAN’S ‘public relations tour’ for investors and stakeholders around Melbourne’s exploding construction activity for exclusive behind-the-scenes access to some of the biggest train network infrastructure project’s this country has ever seen.

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short film | 2021 PG | Runtime: 0hr10m 20s

MEDIA RELEASE | The Contract: PROJECT: Waterman [season 1] - Landmark Australian Achievement Released For International Audiences
* https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/media-release-contract-project-waterman-season-1-sean-mcintyre-1c

* https://www.wisewords.com.au/episode-list-the-contract-project-waterman-season-1/<br>
* https://www.wisewords.com.au/video/festival-credits/
* https://www.wisewords.com.au/film-producer-bio/
* https://www.wisewords.com.au/project-waterman/
* https://www.wisewords.com.au/about-wise-words-media/callumny-films/
* https://www.wisewords.com.au/about-wise-words-media/ott-vod-svod-aod/
* https://cinando.com/en/Film/the_contract_project_waterman_364252/Detail

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MEDIA RELEASE | Melbourne, Australia - Wednesday 8th February 2023

Global Film Festivals & #OTT Content Streaming Rights For Webseries From Callumny Films & Wise Words Media 

The Contract: PROJECT Waterman [season 1] - a 17 episode webseries - achieved selection as a Finalist & Semi-Finalist during 2022 and 2021.  Pre-production for [season 2] commenced in Feb 2023.

With official selection confirming global recognition at film festivals world-wide, Callumny Films & Wise Words Media announce that Streaming Rights and #OTT distribution are now available for The Contract: PROJECT Waterman [season 1].

Pre-production for The Contract: PROJECT Waterman [season 2] also commenced in Feb 2023. 

For the first time, a new trailer marking these achievements combines footage from The Contract: PROJECT Waterman [season 1] & [season 2]:
'#webseries Surrey Hills/Mont Albert Level Crossing Removal Project 2023 S2T2 | #ott #hd 1080p' 
* https://youtu.be/iY_JAgBv2As 

The Contract: PROJECT Waterman [season 1] | all 17 episodes x 10 mins each
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbH9kG-O9LH4dtLMjybXlWmufHhJFBrse
The locations include: Blackburn Level Crossing Removal Project (2016), Surrey Hills / Mont Albert Level Crossing Removal Project (2023) as well as Melbourne CBD, local and surrounding areas.

Selected as Best Web Series and/or TV Pilot, the Film Festivals include: Finalist - 2021 Toronto Independent Film Festival of Cift, Toronto CANADA, Semi-Finalist - 2021 Boden International Film Festival, Boden, Norrbotten SWEDEN, OFFICIAL SELECTION - 2022 Festival RENUAC Santiago, CHILE and OFFICIAL SELECTION - 2022 Lift-Off Filmmaker Sessions by Lift-Off Global Network, London UK.  

The webseries originated and evolved from a TV Pilot - 'THE CONTRACT' - a script by Sean McIntyre. It's first live script reading debuted at 'A Fistful of Scripts' Theatre Works St Kilda, Melbourne Australia in April, 2011.

#OTT content managers and #OTT sales executives can lodge EOI's and direct their queries about content streaming rights and #OTT distribution strategies for The Contract: PROJECT Waterman [season 1] & [season 2] to Sean McIntyre, info AT wisewords.com.au only.

Wise Words Media and Callumny Films also welcome enquiries about commercial partnerships and sponsorships for production, marketing and film festival submission expenses. Advertising and naming rights will also be considered.

Further details - Film Festivals, see below.

Further details - trailer release - The Contract: PROJECT Waterman [season 2], see below.

Further details - The Contract: PROJECT Waterman [season 1] :

MEDIA RELEASE | The Contract: PROJECT: Waterman [season 1] - Landmark Australian Achievement Released For International Audiences
Melbourne, Australia - Monday 7th June 2021
* https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/media-release-contract-project-waterman-season-1-sean-mcintyre-1c/ 

TRAILER
'#webseries Surrey Hills/Mont Albert Level Crossing Removal Project 2023 S2T2 | #ott #hd 1080p'
* https://youtu.be/iY_JAgBv2As 
 
ABOUT | The Contract: PROJECT Waterman [season 1] 

With safety of local kids in WATERMAN's community at risk, the infrastructure consultant must choose: his job or his own moral code?

get the inside view from the industry outsider

Australia’s future – now more than ever – needs public transport infrastructure

wise words media presents a webseries by callumny films

uniquely original concept | landmark achievement 

released for international audiences around the globe

written, produced and directed by sean mcintyre

 

© Wise Words Media and Callumny Films 2010 - 2023

 

  • Sean McIntyre
    Director
    Sacrifice (2016). Official Selection - 2017 On Vous Mont Mockumentary Film Festival (Lyon, France), 2016 On Vous Mont Mockumentary Film Festival (Lyon, France). LEATHERDADDY (feature) 90 Mins (FILMED JUL/AUG 2017 PARIS, FRANCE ([French, English subtitles]), The Contract: PROJECT: Waterman [webseries - season 1] (2021) Official Selection 2021 - Lift-Off Global Network Sessions (Pinewood Studios, UK), Selected as Best Web Series and/or TV Pilot, the Film Festivals include: Finalist - 2021 Toronto Independent Film Festival of Cift, Toronto CANADA, Semi-Finalist - 2021 Boden International Film Festival, Boden, Norrbotten SWEDEN, OFFICIAL SELECTION - 2022 Festival RENUAC Santiago, CHILE and OFFICIAL SELECTION - 2022 Lift-Off Filmmaker Sessions by Lift-Off Global Network, London UK.  
  • Sean McIntyre
    Writer
    Sacrifice (2016). Official Selection - 2017 On Vous Mont Mockumentary Film Festival (Lyon, France), 2016 On Vous Mont Mockumentary Film Festival (Lyon, France). LEATHERDADDY (feature) 90 Mins (FILMED JUL/AUG 2017 PARIS, FRANCE ([French, English subtitles]), The Contract: PROJECT: Waterman [webseries - season 1] (2021) Official Selection 2021 - Lift-Off Global Network Sessions (Pinewood Studios, UK),Selected as Best Web Series and/or TV Pilot, the Film Festivals include: Finalist - 2021 Toronto Independent Film Festival of Cift, Toronto CANADA, Semi-Finalist - 2021 Boden International Film Festival, Boden, Norrbotten SWEDEN, OFFICIAL SELECTION - 2022 Festival RENUAC Santiago, CHILE and OFFICIAL SELECTION - 2022 Lift-Off Filmmaker Sessions by Lift-Off Global Network, London UK.  
  • Sean McIntyre
    Producer
    Sacrifice (2016). Official Selection - 2017 On Vous Mont Mockumentary Film Festival (Lyon, France), 2016 On Vous Mont Mockumentary Film Festival (Lyon, France). LEATHERDADDY (feature) 90 Mins (FILMED JUL/AUG 2017 PARIS, FRANCE ([French, English subtitles]), The Contract: PROJECT: Waterman [webseries - season 1] (2021) Official Selection 2021 - Lift-Off Global Network Sessions (Pinewood Studios, UK), Selected as Best Web Series and/or TV Pilot, the Film Festivals include: Finalist - 2021 Toronto Independent Film Festival of Cift, Toronto CANADA, Semi-Finalist - 2021 Boden International Film Festival, Boden, Norrbotten SWEDEN, OFFICIAL SELECTION - 2022 Festival RENUAC Santiago, CHILE and OFFICIAL SELECTION - 2022 Lift-Off Filmmaker Sessions by Lift-Off Global Network, London UK.  
  • Sean McIntyre
    Key Cast
    "Waterman"
    Appearing 50 films, as well as TV, TVC's and theatre, Sean McIntyre's professional acting credits demonstrate a diverse range of film roles. His second collaboration with writer/director Daniel Armstrong (Strongman Pictures) - key lead role 'Tarnation' (2016) - achieved a world premiere at MonsterFest 2017 (Melb, Australia). Sean's lead role 'Mayor Jack Whiteman' in Daniel Armstrong's 'SheBorg Massacre' achieved an official screening 2017 SITGES Festival Internacional de Cinema Fantàstic de Catalunya, Spain. Sean was also recently seen in Matthew Holmes' epic Australian western 'The Legend of Ben Hall' as the informant 'McCauley' (executive producer Greg McLean ['Wolf Creek']). Other notable appearances include sci-fi romantic drama 'Time Apart', the award winning 'Monster Pies', Working Dogs 'Any Questions For Ben?', Australian/Ethiopian crime drama 'Found In A Dream' and 'The Three Ages of Sasha'. For two consecutive years, Sean also featured prominently in key lead roles at Melbourne Underground Film Fes, Selected as Best Web Series and/or TV Pilot, the Film Festivals include: Finalist - 2021 Toronto Independent Film Festival of Cift, Toronto CANADA, Semi-Finalist - 2021 Boden International Film Festival, Boden, Norrbotten SWEDEN, OFFICIAL SELECTION - 2022 Festival RENUAC Santiago, CHILE and OFFICIAL SELECTION - 2022 Lift-Off Filmmaker Sessions by Lift-Off Global Network, London UK.  
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Documentary, Mockumentary, Docufiction, drama
  • Runtime:
    10 minutes 20 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    May 17, 2021
  • Production Budget:
    3,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Australia
  • Country of Filming:
    Australia
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    SD
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Lift-Off Global Network Sessions, Pinewood Studios UK
    London
    United Kingdom
    Official Selection (2021)
  • Festival RENUAC
    Santiago,
    Chile
    January 22, 2022
    OFFICIAL SELECTION - Best Web Series and/or TV Pilot
  • Boden International Film Festival
    Boden, Norrbotten
    Sweden
    July 4, 2021
    Semi-Finalist - Best Web Series and/or TV Pilot
  • Toronto Independent Film Festival of Cift
    Toronto
    Canada
    July 17, 2021
    Finalist - Best Web Series and/or TV Pilot
Director Biography - Sean McIntyre

PRODUCER: Screen content - film and cinema. VOD, SVOD, AOD and OTT - online video content marketplace spaces.

Attended American Film Market & Conference, Santa Monica, California Nov, 2017. Callumny Films represents scripts of various genres for international co-productions. Attended Marche du Cannes, 2020.
* https://www.wisewords.com.au/film-producer-bio/

Festival Credits: Sacrifice (2016). Official Selection - 2017 On Vous Mont Mockumentary Film Festival (Lyon, France), 2016 On Vous Mont Mockumentary Film Festival (Lyon, France). in 2015, Sean took on multiple roles behind and in-front of the camera for George Kalpa's music mockumentary docu-fiction drama 'Sacrifice' - an Official Selection - 2016 and 2017 On Vous Mont Mockumentary Film Festival (Lyon, France). In addition to his role as 'Shawn - digital consultant', he wrote the screenplay and also served as Associate Producer. It was his 3rd collaboration with Kalpa.

Released: LEATHERDADDY (feature) 90 Mins (FILMED JUL/AUG 2017 PARIS, FRANCE ([French, English subtitles]). LEATHERDADDY is a debut film from writer/indie director/producer Nicky Murphy. Operating outside studio systems, Nicky is a new, emerging auteur in world cinema with a strong, established career-minded vision.

CREATIVE PRODUCER: innovative script reading series 'A Fistful of Scripts', which he created and launched at Theatre Works, St Kilda in July 2010. In August 2010, he completed an intensive 3-week course in Creative Writing at UK's prestigious Oxford University. A frequent contributor to 'The Turl Times' (Oxford, UK), his writing also includes personal essays and short stories.

A Fistful of Scriptsv2.audio - podcast.

During 2012, Sean worked as playwright and executive producer on a unique 'micro theatre' project for Melbourne and international audiences - Lounge Theatre. Sean achieved a 3 star review from 'The Age' during its 2012 Melbourne Fringe Festival season at The Butterfly Club (Melbourne) - a thoroughly deserved reward for an unprecedented run of 19 shows at 3 different venues in 3 months.

Brands - established Wise Words Media Sept 2003, A Fistful of Scripts Jul 2010, Callumny Films Aug 2013, the innovative podcast project A Fistful of Scripts v2.audio Sept 2016, A Fistful of Flicks Sept 2017, A Fistful of Scripts MEETS the filmmakers, featuring... (in development) Sept 2017 and 'this life' series Oct 2020 (video content - #thiswalkinglife, #thispublictransportlife, #thispropertylife, #thisgeneologylife).

Jimmy Flinders Productions - Lounge Theatre (partner, established Nov 2011) - Marco Romero Rodriguez co-founder / director / producer, Sean McIntyre co-founder / writer / producer

WRITER - Produced and written plays performed in Australia, Ireland and the United States.

Festival Credits: Selected for Melbourne Theatre Company's prestigious 2015 NEON Festival, his new work 'KIDS' was inspired by 'Juegos A La Hora De La Siesta', by Polish-born Argentinian playwright Roma Mahieu, a critical, subversive and highly political commentary on the Argentinean dictatorship. It performed to a sold out audience.

In Sept 2015, Sean's full length play KIDS (or Games Before Hometime) was presented at MTC's 2015 NEON Festival in a sold out performance (MTC Connect in partnership with Multicultural Arts Victoria). Told through the eyes of seven children drawn from diverse local and ethnic multicultural backgrounds, KIDS delves into pressing issues facing Australian society: seven children. one middle-class playground. contribute. enrich. integrate. or else.

'A Kind of Destiny' featured as a finalist at Crash Test Drama (March, 2012) and has twice been awarded Best Actor (Judas).

Festival Credits: His short play 'The Pickup' was selected as a top 30 finalist from over 1100 plays for Short and Sweet (Melbourne, 2005 and Sydney, 2006) - the world's largest short play festival.

ACTOR: Appearing 50 films, as well as TV, TVC's and theatre, Sean McIntyre's professional acting credits demonstrate a diverse range of film roles.

His second collaboration with writer/director Daniel Armstrong (Strongman Pictures) - key lead role 'Tarnation' (2016) - achieved a world premiere at MonsterFest 2017 (Melb, Australia). Sean's lead role 'Mayor Jack Whiteman' in Daniel Armstrong's 'SheBorg Massacre' achieved an official screening 2017 SITGES Festival Internacional de Cinema Fantàstic de Catalunya, Spain. Sean was also recently seen in Matthew Holmes' epic Australian western 'The Legend of Ben Hall' as the informant 'McCauley' (executive producer Greg McLean ['Wolf Creek']).

Other notable appearances include sci-fi romantic drama 'Time Apart', the award winning 'Monster Pies', Working Dogs 'Any Questions For Ben?', Australian/Ethiopian crime drama 'Found In A Dream' and 'The Three Ages of Sasha'. For two consecutive years, Sean also featured prominently in key lead roles at Melbourne Underground Film Festival: 'The Side Entrance', winner - Best Short Film, best actor 2013 and 'The Mane Man', winner - Best Short Film, best actor 2014.

Festival screenings include: Melbourne International Film Festival, Melbourne Queer Film Festival ('Monster Pies', winner 2013 - best film), 48 Hour Film Project (winner 2012 - best cinematography, best sound design). Other international film festival screenings include Boston, Los Angeles, Spain, Estonia, Munich and Leeds.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

This episode is presented as a stand alone short film. The entire project was filmed on foot.

There is a clear conflict between creating sustainable public transport systems with cutting edge technology and yet how does society preserve public parks and domains in which a community values the restorative powers of a simple walk through its local park?
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'The Contract: PROJECT Waterman' is a uniquely original concept.

Filmed thoughout 16 weeks during autumn and winter 2016 in Melbourne, Australia, pre-production and location scouting commenced November 2014. The storyline is firmly anchored in a publicly tested script: 'The Contract', written in 2010 as a 10 minute TV pilot.

Directing / acting working style adheres to that of UK's Mike Leigh ('Vera Drake' - Eddie Marsan, Imelda Staunton and Daniel Mays). As filmmakers, our style/outlook borrows from Clint Eastwood's 'El Paso' productions, Lars Von Trier's 'Dogma' collective, Blue-Tongue Films (Joel Edgerton, Nash Edgerton, David Michod, Kieran Darcey-Smith), Rolf de Heer, Peter Jackson and David Lynch.

The Contract: PROJECT Waterman' is a mockumentary webseries. It specifically references another original script by SEAN McINTYRE - 'The Contract' – which had its public debut at A Fistful of Scripts, a script reading series, in April, 2011 (Theatre Works, St Kilda Melbourne Australia).

Essentially, 'The Contract: PROJECT Waterman' is a ‘spin-off’ of 'The Contract'.

It has been created specifically by Wise Words Media & Callumny Films for global distribution partners in online content marketplace spaces for VOD, SVOD, AOD and OTT markets. This approach desiged to meet acclerated global demand and consumption by online audiences due to the COVid-19 pandemic.
* https://www.wisewords.com.au/about-wise-words-media/ott-vod-svod-aod/

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NOTES:
EQUIPMENT / CREW
* Olympus VG 160
* footage: SD
* 1 x single handheld digital camera only
* one person - myself
* dressed in corporate/smart casual or high-vis vest

While not ideal, the Olympus VG 160 afforded flexibility and quick set-up. It was employed with director/producer/writer Nicholas Myer in mind (Star Trek II & III), who in 2011 implored filmakers at Melbourne screen conference to produce and dictsribute their own work by any means available.

FILMING
Raw footage approx 40 to 45 hours worth stored for publication and distribution. Total raw footage material on hand:
* stills: location scouting, approx 4000 to 6000
* footage, 1724 files approx 10 mins each
* plus footage shot around CBD and other local area

FILMING LOCATIONS
Around 62 locations were used (perhaps as many as 80), many on multiple days.

Although the primary location was Blackburn Level Removal Project, locations also included: Melbourne CBD, Melbourne inner suburbs and surrounding areas such as Box Hill, Laburnum, Heatherdale and RIngwood.

An entire day was also spent walking from Ringwood Train Station to Blackburn Train Station as 'WATERMAN' commented on property development in Melbourne's eastern suburbs.

EDITING
Attention to detail in post-production was crucial to craft and refine the story's visual and verbal elements, marrying both so that the story could be a succinct and compact as possible within an episodic 10 minute format.

* footage: SD processed to HDR: H.264, 1920 x 1080p, 10Mbs, 60 fps
* sound: sound sample rate 48kHz, audio quality 320kbps

ACTING STYLE
Although referencing a script, the performance was heavily improvised. Monologues and other pieces were filmed almost always in a single take.

Directing / acting working style adheres to that of UK's Mike Leigh ('Vera Drake' - Eddie Marsan, Imelda Staunton and Daniel Mays).

SCRIPT
Prior to and during filming, much research into the public transport infrastructure sector was undertaken. This continued throughout filming.

As it evolved to become a crucial bedrock of the series, the 'risk to local kids' was carefully plotted as a storyline in a pre-production format/approach at the start and end of each day's filming.

Careful planning throughout the last 3 to 4 days of filming was required to make best use of locations, sunlight and evolving circumstances favourable to the finished product. All done with an eye towards how it would be shaped and refined in the edit process.

MEDIA
A landmark achievement has been released for international audiences around the globe by Wise Words Media and Callumny Films: 'The Contract: PROJECT Waterman' .

Added to the recent launch of a new, highly innovative digital series 'this life', Wise Words Media and Callumny Films are making an impact statement on the undeniable economic importance of Australia's digital and infrastructure sectors.

A Fistful of Scripts is an innovative script development incubator produced by Wise Words Media in association with Callumny Films.

Consulting, content licensing and distribution queries welcome.

MEDIA RELEASE
* https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/media-release-contract-project-waterman-season-1-sean-mcintyre-1c/

FURTHER READING
* https://www.wisewords.com.au/episode-list-the-contract-project-waterman-season-1/
* https://www.wisewords.com.au/video/festival-credits/
* https://www.wisewords.com.au/film-producer-bio/
* https://www.wisewords.com.au/project-waterman/
* https://www.wisewords.com.au/about-wise-words-media/callumny-films/
* https://www.wisewords.com.au/about-wise-words-media/ott-vod-svod-aod/
* https://cinando.com/en/Film/the_contract_project_waterman_364252/Detail