"Primeval"
42 Questions with
Director
Michael Katleman
by Tim Nasson
June 18, 2007
Watch "Primeval" Trailer
In one of the most remote places on earth, a bloodthirsty serial killer - a crocodile? - has claimed over 300 victims, and is still at large to this day. Now, inspired by the true story of the world’s most prolific killer, comes "Primeval," a nail-biting horror-thriller that follows an American news crew determined to capture this terrifying murderer alive. The danger begins as producer Tim Freeman (DOMINIC PURCELL, “Prison Break”), cameraman Steven Johnson (ORLANDO JONES) and their rag-tag team set out on a journey up-river in search of their subject. But the deeper they probe into the mystery of this elusive assassin, the deadlier their trip becomes.
Wild About Movies recently spoke with the film's director.
Q: Was Jaws a big inspiration for how you showed the audience Gustave?
A: JAWS was a huge influence and inspiration. I still remember the first time I saw that film, and I basically grew up in the water surfing all my life, and even I have to admit that I was afraid to get back in the ocean after that film. If I could come close to putting that kind of fear into people, I would consider this a huge success
Q: How did you first hear about Gustave?
A: I first heard about Gustave when I read the script. I was immediately intrigued that this kind of predator could exist in the everyday lives of the people of Burundi.
Q: Talk a bit about the real Gustave?
A: As the myth goes, Gustave has been stalking people for up to 100 years and has killed over 300 people. Obviously, in our film, he is a supercroc, but in reality, once he got the taste of human blood and realized that humans move a lot slower than other animals, I think he simply realized that it would take a lot less effort to snack on humans at will. He has been shot at, stabbed, but it just seems there is no way to take him down. Who knows, maybe he has been dead for a long time, but I for one think it's cool to imagine he's still out there.
Q: What was the most difficult part of this shoot for you?
A: I think the most difficult part of this was shooting out in the jungle. It's a tough place to film. You're at the mercy of nature. But, I also find that the most exciting. I think once all the outside forces become part of the film, it truly takes on its own life.
Q: You have directed some big TV-shows, but nothing close to horror or thriller. Was it a conscious choice to do a horror/thriller as your first big feature film?
A: No, but when I read the script, there was something about it that intrigued me. In a sick way, I began to become excited about figuring out all the different ways that a crocodile can kill a human. This was a new experience for me from what I had done on TV, and it definitely excited me to be doing something different.
Q: How similar is Dominic Purcell to the Tim character in this movie?
A: Dominic is an extremely cool person and a very gifted actor. He is a great person to work with, and I think he could just about tackle any role and make it look natural.
Q: Now that you're completely finished with Primeval, right through DVD, what do you have planned next?
A: I am working with Jon Feldman on a new show for ABC called "Big Shots," while I am also reading and developing other feature projects.
Q: Did the film have any issues with the ratings board or was the R granted without need for additional edits?
A: Yes, we had a very hard time maintaining the R rating. Many of the kills were much more graphic initially. When you are working on a film with so many visual effects and on such a tight time schedule, you often don't see the finished product until the very last minute. The ratings board was very nervous that once the final touches were put on the film with the effects, it would be far too graphic. In the end, I am pleased with what we were able to accomplish and still maintain the R rating.
Q: What was the ratio of CG to practical effects?
A: 100 percent CG. 0 percent practical effects. We started out with an animatronic croc, in hopes of shooting as much with it as possible. But, once we got the animatronic in the water in Africa, it just didn't look that scary or believable, so we made a last minute change to not use it at all. We went 100 percent CG instead, which not only posed some CG challenges, but really affected the film financially.
Q: You mentioned in the commentary utilizing the camera to make daylight look like night shots, did that help you along a great deal?
A: The day to night was more in post production. Once I looked at the film as a whole, it gave me a tremendous amount of control in creating passage of time, creepiness, as well as selling the beauty of Africa. So, while I was filming, I didn't really rely on it, but in post, as I was finishing the film, it became an incredible asset.
Q: Dominic Purcell looks like he could wrestle a croc bare handed! Is that all acting, or is he a bit of a tough guy in real life?
A: Dom is definitely a tough guy in real life. In fact, in the first week of shooting, when he was running from the truck as it was chasing him down in the grass, he dove under a tree and actually separated his shoulder. Without missing a beat, he kept on filming, finished the day out, went to the hospital, had it wrapped, and came back to work the next day, still begging to do his own stunts.
Q: How much did the script evolve during the shoot? I’m sure it was strong to begin with (Ferris and Brancato are no slouches, I think they wrote The Game) but did it change much?
A: The script went through quite a few re-writes, with Brancato and Ferris involved at every step of the way. A lot of the re-writes were motivated by our financial constraints, because a film like this can easily spin out of control. On set, there were quite a few changes made, just from working with the actors, especially Orlando Jones, who I think is an incredibly talented improvisational actor. He would just come up with funnier and funnier stuff.
Q: As a director, how difficult is it to put together a big action scene and make sure you've got all the shots you need, especially as they so important to the finished film?
A: It's actually not difficult. It's a lot of fun. You basically just imagine in your mind what you'd like to see, what makes it more exciting, what would make people jump - what YOU would want to see as a viewer.
Q: Was there a wildlife expert on-set throughout the shoot?
A: There wasn't a wildlife expert per se, but there was a ranger there to protect us in case we were attacked by the animals that were around us during the shoot.
Q: What are your thoughts on digital filming versus shooting on film?
A: I think digital filming is definitely the wave of the future. I don't think it's quite there yet, but I think it's pretty close. There is a tremendous amount of freedom with digital with being able to shoot as much as you want and having the kind of latitude that you are given with the digital format. But, there is something really sexy about film that I'm not ready to give up. I guess I felt the same way about LPs and CDs.
Q: In your research, did you ever have a Gustave sighting?
A: No, I actually wasn't in Burundi. We shot the film in South Africa, in Cape Town and Durban, but I did see many a crocodile, not even close to the size of Gustave. They scared the hell out of me.
Q: Some of the scenery shots are amazing. How much of that was down to the cinematographer, and how much to Africa's natural beauty?
A: My cinematographer, Ed Pei, is incredible. He is very talented. In conjunction with the natural beauty of Africa, it was hard not to capture it on film.
Q: Was there anything you really wanted to do in the film, but couldn't because of budget or time restrictions?
A: Yeah, lots. As a filmmaker, you are never satisfied. Part of the challenge is trying to make it all fit with the means that you are given. Believe me, if I had been given twice the money, I would have found a way to spend it.
Q: Has Primeval inspired or discouraged you in doing feature films?
A: Definitely inspiring. I don't think I've ever had a better experience in my life. I look forward to making many more films in my life.
Q: During its theatrical release, what did you think of the decision to bill the movie as a "serial killer" theme, rather than a killer croc?
A: I'll be honest, I wasn't crazy about it. In a film like this, the croc is the star, and I think that the fans of films of this genre want to know going into it that they are going to see a killer croc movie. Unfortunately, it caused a lot of frustration with the fans, and at the end of the day, they felt deceived.
Q: Would you be interested in making a sequel?
A: Not at this moment. Not that I don't love Gustave, but I think I would like to dabble in other arenas.
Q: How much creative leeway / artistic license did you allow yourselves in terms of the croc's movements etc?
A: We started out trying to stick to the actual movements that crocodiles make. But, at the end of the day, I just wanted it to be cool, so if it didn't look cool, we changed it.
Q: When the film was released theatrically, did you go see it with an audience? Did the film have an extensive test screening process?
A: Unfortunately, we didn't have an extensive test screening process because we had a short turnaround. We had two screenings, but very little time to make changes in between.
Q: What are your thoughts about providing behind-the-scenes material on DVD?
A: I think that behind-the-scenes material is invaluable. It's a great way to see how the film was shot, and hear all the great stories from the shoot. It's a great way to learn how to make films.
Q: Typically, movies about real-life killers are made after the killer has been caught or passed away. Did you have any qualms about making a movie about a killer that is still at large?
A: No. It actually made it more exciting for me knowing that this animal is still out there, and real. But, obviously, we took a tremendous amount of creative license.
Q: As a former musician, did you place special emphasis on things like sound design and editing? Does it bother you that most viewers won't get to experience the audio as you intended?
A: Absolutely. I really wish that everyone had the opportunity to not only view this on the big screen, but hear it in the theater, as it was intended. We put a tremendous amount of work into the sound design and the music. But, having said this, it is pretty damn cool that we can watch a movie on our computer, don't you think?
Q: Since the horror genre has been overflooded with zombies, vampires and ghosts do you think it is time studios started going back to some big monster/animal features?
A: I think that if it's a cool story, you should tell it, regardless of who or what is in it.
Q: Is the design of the creature based on actual footage of the croc?
A: Yes. The jumping off point was Gustave. From that point, I set out to create a leaner, meaner croc. When you look at the real Gustave, he is sort of big and fat. I tried to make a scarier version of this killing machine.
Q: How do you quantify the validity of truth behind the story since there many legendary cases of giant crocs, sea monsters, etc...?
A: The only true part of this story is that Gustave has been killing people for between 80 to 100 years, and they estimate he has killed up to 300.
Q: Between this and Prison Break, I am curious: is Dominic Purcell capable of buttoning his shirt?
A: It was actually in his contract that it had to be unbuttoned, so I'm not sure what comes next for him.
Q: At which point of the production did you think about the DVD extras?
A: We actually started thinking about it on our first surveys to Africa. We started filming some behind-the-scenes footage of Africa, of the making of the animatronic, basically the entire process.
Q: Do you think having PRIMEVAL out there will inspire more crews to head out and try to capture Gustave?
A: No, I think if anything, if they saw the documentary, they might want to go capture Gustave, but I think people realize that this is a Hollywood film, loosely based on facts.
Q: What's scarier, a rhino or a studio exec with notes on your dailies footage?
A: Definitely the studio exec.
Q: How do you market a film like this based on a true story so someone doesn't look at it and say, "Oh this is like one of those SCI-FI Channel original films they show every Saturday or films like it released on video every few weeks?
A: You just have to put the cool parts in the trailer, and hope people want to see it.
Q: Did any of the people involved with the real killings have any part in the development of the script and/or filming?
A: No, not in person. Obviously we read about all their stories, so they did have a huge impact.
Q: Who did the makeup effects?
A: They were all done by the local make-up artists in South Africa.
Q: Was there ever a feeling that this film and "Rogue" (from the "Wolf Creek" guys) would step on the toes of one another, in promotion and in audience?
A: That is actually what influenced our decision on rushing our post schedule, we really wanted to beat that film out of the gate to be the first croc movie, not the other croc movie.
Q: What are some of the other extras on the DVD?
A: I believe they are the same. From what I understand, there is Crocumentary, Deleted Scenes, and Commentary from myself and Paul Linden (our visual effects supervisor).
Q: Jaws triggered a massive shark industry that's now endangering several species. Are you worried about villifying the crocodile?
A: I hope this film is taken purely at an entertainment level.
Q: Why "Primeval" and not "Gustave" for the title - what does the name "Primeval" dictate or require?
A: To be honest, it was titled "Gustave" for a very long time, but nobody really knew what that was or what it meant.
Q: Was there ever an ending where Gustave was killed?
A: No, because he is alive, and we did want to stay true to that part of the story.
Q: What are you hoping people take away with them when the credits roll?
A: That they had a fun ride, and for the hour and thirty minutes, were able to forget about the outside world.
