Last year, a 22-year-old Coledale local in her final year of a Bachelor of Production at the Australian Film, Television and Radio School (AFTRS) used the coronavirus-enforced downtime to write a short film script called Dating Violet. Holly Trenaman’s story won a Screen Illawarra script-writing competition and was filmed in February in Coledale, with the help of Illawarra locals. Holly shared her story with 2515. 

How did growing up in Coledale shape you?

I grew up in Coledale surrounded by my entire family; all my cousins, uncles, aunts and grandparents, and this was a very humbling upbringing. The town has a beautiful sense of community, everyone knows everyone, and that taught me to treat everyone like family and definitely aided my development of character. 

I always knew I was quite lucky to be surrounded by the water, family and a lot of love, however, I couldn’t help but resent the small-town essence of Coledale. It all felt very safe and I always wanted more. Opportunity, new worlds, travel, and, ultimately, filmmaking is what I was lusting for.

What set you on the path to becoming a filmmaker?

In London, I discovered filmmaking was a career. I was writing stories every day, trying to find my passion, and one evening I stumbled upon London Film Festival on my walk home to the tube station, I stayed for a movie premiere, and it clicked that filmmaking is a job and I could tell stories for a living. 

Growing up in Coledale, I’d never seen movie production, and especially not a premiere. It was love at first sight and I attended every day of the London Film Festival. On the last day, it was in the crowd that I thought of the name ‘Dating Violet’, to explore themes of domestic violence. I knew I had to make it, whatever it was.

From there I enrolled in AFTRS and have spent the past three years working alongside incredible filmmakers who have inspired and guided my path.

What inspired you to write 'Dating Violet'?

Dating Violet is an allegory for domestic violence, which explores the impacts of parental abuse on children, while they start to navigate their own romantic relationships. The film explores the pain of heartbreak through Violet’s 17-year-old emotions: her parents are getting a divorce, her boyfriend dumps her, and she gets repetitively dumped in the surf. It highlights the cycle of a small town; relationships, fighting with your parents, the predictability, and the relentless fear of never escaping. 

I have always been interested in the effects of family conflict and the cycle of abuse, which led me to half-complete a Bachelor of Laws at the University of Wollongong. The protagonist Violet is constantly trying to be the opposite of her parents, to not end up with the same loveless fate. 

As well as being the script writer, what other roles did you play in the making of Dating Violet?

I wrote the script always planning to direct it, which I did, and I also ended up co-producing with Madeleine Jurd. The co-producing came together naturally, due to the nature of it being a local production, I was able to secure council permits and local sponsorships easier than a non-local crew, so I took this upon myself to do.

Where did you film in Coledale?

We filmed in Sharkeys car park, on the Coledale Pools toilet block roof, and out in the water of Sharkeys Beach. 

Each spot has been a place of healing for me throughout my upbringing. Sharkeys Beach has been a big part of my life, where us locals paddle out for a surf, but mostly to have a chat. 

This aspect of surfing is important to the film, the characters don’t paddle out to get barrelled, but to merely sit, chat and reap the therapeutic benefits of being in the water. The house locations used to film were also located in Coledale.

You had help from an award-winning casting director – how do you know Anousha Zarkesh and what did you love about working with her? 

Anousha Zarkesh is a family friend that I’ve been lucky to know from a young age due to the nature of the town and going to school with her children. She kindly offered to help, despite being so busy, and this was a huge relief as I knew she was the perfect person to help build this story world with actors. 

Casting is such a daunting process, and she was a rock throughout it. My producer, Maddie Jurd and I, proposed a list of ideas to her, and she came back with her own personalised shortlist for me to approach. Her knowledge of actors, and confidence in decision making, made me feel really confident as we locked in our main cast.

Any other locals involved?

Various local filmmakers helped, such as Ryan Morgan as gaffer, Essi Haukkamaa-Judge and Nick Bolton as Advisory Producers, with Chris Fry and Sid Masters as local lifeguards. 

I’m specifically proud of my collaboration with Production Designer, Eloise Cochrane, who also grew up in Coledale and came on board through Pre-Production. I knew she was the one and only person to ask for the job, as she knows the world inside out and could bring that authenticity to the film. I was very excited when she said yes, and it was a pleasure to have her on the team. She brought a lot of ideas and quirks to the film, which I am excited about and I hope to work with her again in the future.

Annabelle Fingland was our surfer stunt double, local Butch (Anthony O’Neill) helped secure local sponsorships, Christian Power was an extra, and it was special to have these people involved. 

Best part about filming locally?

The best bit about filming locally is the fact I didn’t have to commute, and every shoot location was within walking distance of my house, which in turn functioned as our “Unit Base”. It was an asset to shoot so close that we could walk to set, or travel cast and crew quickly. 

Also, filming outdoors was a treat. The landscape is breathtaking, and we utilised the escarpment and natural elements to build the authenticity of this small-town middle-class suburban world. 

I knew I wanted to use the escarpment, as it adds to the entrapment Violet feels in her small town, which is very much how I felt growing up, like we were trapped in an inescapable bubble. But what did surprise me was how it translated to screen. I was in awe. I definitely fell in love with my hometown over the course of this shoot, ironically while making a film about hating it.

Seeing local friends walk by while I was on set was also very encouraging and inspiring, as they have seen my journey from my lost days at law school. Having family nearby to assist was invaluable too.

Biggest challenge?

The biggest challenge was our water shoot, where we filmed the surf scenes. We needed to ensure the weather and swell conditions were safe, and it was also a sunrise shoot, so we were waking up into unpredictable conditions, ready to shoot, unsure if we could. Luckily, we woke to a great morning, and completed this safely, in the beautiful sunshine. This was our final shoot day, filmed in the Austinmer Boat Ramp and kindly supported and catered by Headlands Hotel.

What was your budget, and how did you make do?

Our budget was $3000, a very low budget for a short film of this complexity, which was predominantly self-funded but also thankfully supported by local sponsorships, such as Beaches Hotel and Headlands Hotel. This financial support went towards equipment hire, meals and expenses. Coledale RSL also provided discounted coffee and meals to assist our catering, and My Little Brasserie within Coledale RSL gave us a discounted meals.

I was very grateful to these businesses for coming on-board to offer their generosity in supporting local film production. We could not have done it without them.

What’s next for you, and for this short film?

Next for me is some sleep. I am just wrapping work on Bondi Rescue Season 16, which I’ve been working on throughout the making of this film. Dating Violet will be completed by June, ready for festival submission. I’ve also curated a pitch bible for a TV Series of the same name, to package with this (somewhat proof-of-concept) short film.