On July 26th, 2013, The Follower, a documentary-style feature film based around the online urban legend of The Slender Man, was released by Adelaide based, independent filmmaker Tom Goodall and crew.
The Follower opened at the Mercury Cinema in Adelaide to a packed, 200-seater audience who all revelled in the experience. The film’s combination of documentary style conversations, and the menacing tones and mood created by the horror genre content seemed to be a big hit with the audience, and it has continued to impress after the film’s online release at www.thefollowerfilm.com.
Upon the film’s release, the website had 4000 hits in the first 48 hours, with 500 views of the film on the first day, a level of success which, according to Goodall, was completely unexpected and made the experience entirely worthwhile.
“To get 500 views of a 90-minute video in such a short time seems impossible. The rate people are sharing it is incredible [and] we’re also showing people who know nothing about Slender Man what all the fuss is about!”
The Follower is still available to view online, and the discussion it has caused has set Slender Nation forums ablaze with chat and development of other projects, all encouraged by the success of this local production.
The film has received a number of generous donations that are helping to offset the costs of this venture. Goodall himself is in production for his next project, The Distance, scheduled for completion in October this year.
Just as Goodall prepares for his next project and ultimate cross-continent trip to the best film school in the world, the University of Southern California in LA, the rest of the cast are also all doing well for themselves. Kyle Kaczmarczyk, the eyepiece of The Follower’s story, is studying at the National Institute of Dramatic Arts (NIDA). Dave Daradan, the emotive and heartbreaking actor who portrayed the lead role of Jason Ashman, is currently running acting workshops teaching the Stellar Adler acting technique, and Melissa Jade Pengilly, the beautiful and captivating young actress cast as the leading lady Erica, is shooting several music videos, short films, and is currently in talks with the local production, ANZAC Girls.
The Follower was a project designed to stretch the legs of all those involved with the production, but in the end it has been a much more rewarding and successful experiment for all involved.
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