Exclusive Interview: Darryl “Dizzy” Westrup (Lurking Woods)
What made you want to get involved in the film industry?
My good friend Rod Manikam and I were playing at a dart tournament one weekend when he asked me if I’d like to act in his new movie “Wild Justice”. Before this I had never acted before, and after doing it, I instantly fell in love with acting and other facets of film making.
You wrote, co-produced and acted in Lurking Woods, how do you maintain a balance?
At times it can be difficult, we were on a tight schedule with Lurking Woods, and taking the time to learn my lines as well as coordinate everything certainly took it’s toll. Averaging 2 hours sleep per night and one minute sorting a set and then the next minute acting, was certainly difficult, but enjoyable at the same time.
Which aspect of filmmaking is most gratifying?
This is hard question, as I enjoy all facets of making a film. If I’ve written the script, plus produced, plus acted, then the best part is seeing the audience reactions at the first viewing. Seeing the final cut on the big screen is so rewarding.
What does your writing process look like?
Ideas for my writing get thrashed around in my head, visualising the movie from start to finish, all the action, emotions, dialogue and settings, if time permits, this can go on for months. Once I feel I’m ready, I then transfer my thoughts to paper/screen and go from there.
When acting – do you have any tips for getting emerged in your character?
As an acting coach, I always tell my students to understand the story, and then understand your character. Read the script again and again, specifically around your character’s role, and then use your imagination to how you see your character, and then become them 100%.
What was your most rewarding scene from Lurking Woods?
I had but a few scenes in Lurking Woods, and without giving any spoilers, I would say my final scene. To understand what I mean, you’ll just have to watch it, haha.
Do you take in consideration budget while writing a screenplay?
Depends on the production company. As we know, most indie films are always on a tight budget, and in saying that, you don’t always need to have a giant budget to produce a quality movie. But, if I have an open budget, I don’t worry too much about the script, however, if it’s a tight budget, then a lot of factors come into play, and therefore I write to suit.
What is your favorite horror decade and why?
Horror has been around basically since the birth of film, as corny as some of the movies are compared to today, the original Frankenstein & Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde were quite good for there time and equipment that was available to them at the time.
Who inspires your creativity?
One thing I despise in movies is copycatting, too many movies are alike, it’s frustrating. I like to write with uniqueness, try and bring something to the movie that hadn’t been done before (Which is certainly not easy). Try to make the audience guess as to what is going to happen next, give them twists and turns through out the movie, allow them to leave talking positive about the movie.
What was your most difficult task while making Lurking Woods?
Lurking Woods was on an extremely tight time schedule, we didn’t have a buffer for reshoots, so adhering to the schedule was paramount. With 90% of the shooting being outdoors we were at the mercy of mother nature also, as well as the main location was a few hours drive from the city into the bush. Scheduling would have to have been the most difficult task. Thankfully we had an awesome cast and crew that made everything run smooth with very few hickups, and mother nature only upset us with one day of rain.
What’s next in your career?
I have no idea, haha. I love the film industry, I may one day try my hand at directing or producing, or bite the bullet and direct and act in my own movie haha. I like seeing my script come to life, and it’s even better when I get to act in the movie also. It’s an awesome feeling. As they say, the world is my oyster. So who knows what is next, but one thing is for certain, you’ll see me out there somewhere, again and again. I want to act well into old age, it’s just too much fun.