In 2021 my wife referred me to a call for extras to participate in a movie being filmed in the West Australian seaside town of Esperance. The film was about the experiences of West Australian soldiers in the Great War (1914-1918) on the Western Front. It sounded exciting so I signed up and shipped out to the Front!
"Before Dawn" was touted as the biggest independent movie production undertaken in Western Australia and - surprisingly - this was not hyperbole. Director, Jordan Prince-Wright, had raised the funds through sponsorship and received abundant support from local communities and businesses, as well as military enthusiasts, re-enactors and museums. Arriving on set - a farm outside Esperance - I was amazed at what had been done. Two trench systems had been built across a muddy field. Other fields had been converted into sets, with WW1 tents and buildings constructed. It was like stepping back in time. Every morning - literally before dawn - the extras would arrive at the farm gates, be bused to the set and spend the next several hours dressing in period correct uniforms before being hustled through make-up, we'd have coffee and breakfast and then we'd be marching and drilling. I'm no soldier, but there were a lot of ex-servicemen in the ranks, and I must admit we all quickly became hardened veterans, bound by bonds only achieved via military service. I cannot explain how incredible this experience was.
This looks like a contemporary photograph from 1916, but it highlights the lengths the production team went to for authenticity.
I was a only served a short time on the Front - one week. Others were to serve through the entire campaign - six weeks. It was however, action packed service, including four scenes that would appear in the finished film. Regretably I missed the main attack scene, which was filmed the day after I left.
That was three years ago, now the film has been finished and on Friday 22 March 2024 the world premiere was held in Reading Cinema, Belmont. We attended along with the many hundreds of actors, crew, sponsors, and extras. It was an excellent experience.
The film will be in cinemas in Australia from 4 April 2024. Check out the details for your area here:
https://umbrellaent.com.au/movie/before-dawn/
The story follows the adventures of a young farmhand from Western Australia who joins his mates on the great adventure of the First World War and all its horrors. Check out the promo here:
Carry on chaps!
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