Inspiration

With most of my work, there is typically a nostalgic source of inspiration that drives the tone and atmosphere; usually movies from the 80s and 90s. Exceptions to the rule often, if not always, pay homage to earlier movies and television shows. Anyone that grew up through the 80s and 90s, and immersed themselves in American movies as kids and have since watched Stranger Things, will undoubtedly notice the myriad of references to movies from that period. Stand by Me (1986) being one example, with a group of friends travelling by foot along a railroad.

There’s something about wandering along an old track that encapsulates simple childhood adventures. Maybe it’s something about the notion of travel and the potential escapism it might offer, but also being somewhere you shouldn’t really be. I, too, was partial to such railroad wandering back in my home town when I was younger. That said, it has also been known in my adulthood.

Whilst we’re on the subject of train-related adventures, another reference point that helped guide my imagination included Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989). Namely the train scene at the beginning. The scene is relatively short, and only gives a little Indie backstory, but I’ve always really liked it. Probably because it was set in a somewhat bygone era, and now the movie itself is essentially from a bygone era. Initially, I was intending to create a fairly generic boxcar, then I wanted to use “Doctor Fantasy's Magic Caboose“ directly in my scene, or at least include a subtle nod to it. In the end I opted for a non-magical caboose; sorry Doctor Fantasy.

When it came to general aesthetics, my previous project (The Street) was the catalyst. I’d created a little shack/structure using wood and corrugated steel sheets to shelter (possibly poorly) a television set. I go into more detail in that project, but the idea of creating something a little more rustic and cobbled together was something I wanted to pursue further in this scene.