What is the Traversers Book of Riddles?

Let me tell you about my latest project ....

Make the content you have always wanted to see. That has been my rationale. I loved the British comic strip heroines of the 30's and 40's so I made the Top Secret Adventures of Clara Chapman (2018) . I grew up with fantasy/barbarian films ands would rent the tapes out till they were tethered and stretched,so I made Quest for Steel (to be released on Blu Ray and streamed on platforms soon!).I am know putting all my loves together and making a 10 part sci-fi riddle based serial called the Traversers Book of Riddles.

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Well, what is the Traversers Book of Riddles?

Traversers are time travellers and time travellers are essentially villains as they alter the past and disrupt the whole-space/time continuum (I take it you have seen enough movies for that to be abundantly clear). Thus, early 20th Century a TimeWar office was set up to foil these time travellers. Each episode will be a unique story about catching them (you will need to solve certain riddles) and because I am an independent filmmaker, I do not have to have happy endings, meaning some plans will be foiled and some won't, now doesn't that make more of an interesting drama, Hollywood? Rather than the Predator always being bested or the Alien?

I put it to you, you won't solve these riddles.

The clues are there, often right in front of you, but have you that much of a deductive mind?

I love riddles and this was a complete joy to write. There was of course a riddle in Quest for Steel driving the narrative and it is such a joy to sit amongst people and have them see if they can solve it (they often do not).

So where did this love of riddles come from?

My favourite types of drama are riddle based. I love endings. That is why I am such a connoisseur of Agatha Christie and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and love films where the ending is king like the Night Visitor (1972) the Usual Suspects (1995), the Prestige (2006) and the Dr Who episode Blink! (2007) I collect these stories and subscribe to the rational that the payoff at the end is what makes drama tick. So you can imagine my chagrin when I studied writing at UTS in Sydney and I heard the writing teacher declare never work to a conclusion always let your characters dictate the story. Now that sounds sophisticated and impressive in theory but I saw students slavishly adopt this narrative to produce facile and one note stories, not the elaborate scheme-based plots I had been enjoying.

But of course, riddles are only one of the elements I wish to see on the screen.

The other of course, is my trademark dedication to beauty and sensuality, something that has departed our screens for decades now. Why??

When do you see romance? When do you see feminine beauty and sensuality? It has been very much booed off our screens because of a twisted academic notion that such concepts had a time and place. Well, I don't hold that notion. My very first work was in the fashion industry. I sold dresses for an elite Sydney boutique and the very first customer I fitted was Kylie Minogue. I went on to fit many a glamorous lady and have always appreciated feminine beauty. My first foray into making films was for fashion labels, whether it was behind the scenes, catwalk or mini-films and this love of a striking female is ingrained in me.

I tend to stray from modern drama because there seems to be such conflict between the sexes these days and instead immerse myself in the films of the 20's, 30, 40,s all the way up to the 90's because I am a student of beauty. That is why there will always be a beautiful female lead in my movies.

Besides a bevy of academics and expert conversationalists, some of my friends are makeup artists and fashion designers and I like to showcase what they have on offer. I also enjoy styling as well and love scouring op shops and antique stores for costume and pieces to put in my films. I aim to have a wardobe spanning the v20th century for this.

My love is eras. Anything but the now - or this millennium in my book. Wherever I am, my eyes will stray to the vintage, whether it is a building, a cup or a doorstop, my eye will fix upon it. I guess that is because I am an artist longing for the era of craftsmen. Today everything seems cut on a CNC machine. The first episode will be set in London, 1953, and I am already developing sets and backdrops.

I also love working with traditional theatre trained actors, thespians with voice and grandeur. I take casting very seriously and gather a cast that is top notch. Expect to see actors that have been selected for their theatrical prowess rather than their digital influence. Celluloid is for life; Tick Tock is for seconds.

So expect to see beauty, theatrics and the most original and fantastic riddles you won't want to stray your concentration from. I will be posting a lot as I move from pre-production into post, so be forewarned.

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