Underdog Entertainment, the award winning cross-media entertainment content producers announced at Sithengi that their first feature film Pressure will begin principle photography in February 2001.
A contemporary urban fairytale and character drama with startling touches of dark humour, Pressure explores issues of identity, sexuality and the boundaries of friendship. It’s the story of three friends whose lives are torn apart by a secret that they are determined to keep, no matter the cost. Underdog has been developing Pressure for over five years.
“It’s been a struggle to find financing for any feature film over the last few years in South Africa. The local film industry has been in a depressed state for some time. Now we’re happy to announce that Pressure will finally come to fruition,” says Pressure producer Marc Schwinges. “While we have sufficient financing to shoot Pressure we still hope to pick up further completion financing here at Sithengi. It may well be the last chance for other partners to get on board this project before it is completed, as we still own all equity,” adds Schwinges.
Another factor that has made the production of Pressure is the possibility to shoot on cheaper digital formats and then transfer these projects to film for theatrical distribution. “The growing acceptance of digital filmmaking on the global stage ties in with my own desire to work in the digital realm with Pressure. The format has an immediacy and grittiness to it that will serve the project well. Working on a digital format isn’t a compromise – it’s a stylistic and creative opportunity” says Luiz DeBarros, director of Pressure (and Underdog’s Head of Development).
This is borne out by Underdog’s latest documentary Metamorphosis: The Remarkable Journey of Granny Lee, (filmed entirely on digital formats), being awarded a Silver for cinematography at the recent South African Society of Cinematographer’s Visible Spectrum Awards 2000.
Pressure website: http://www.underdog.co.za/pressure