In this episode of the No Film School Podcast, GG Hawkins talks with BAFTA-winning director Mark Munden about directing the new Netflix adaptation. Lord of the FliesWritten by Jack Thorne.
Munden discusses revisiting William Golding’s novel, shaping the visual language of the series, filming on a remote island in Malaysia, working with 36 young actors, and how the limitations of the child actors’ schedule helped inspire the show’s hallucinatory nighttime look.
In this episode we To discuss:
- Why was there initially controversy about Mundan’s adaptation? Lord of the Flies again
- How Jack Thorne structured a four-part series around Piggy, Jack, Simon and Ralph
- Using the rainforest as an alien, living ecosystem that mirrors the boys’ crumbling society
- How production restrictions led Mundane to develop an infrared-inspired visual approach to night scenes
- Rehearsed for five weeks with 36 child actors before shooting.
- Guiding young performers toward natural behavior rather than “performance”
- How Mundane uses analog production books filled with references, sketches, script pages and notes
- Why post-production became a continuation of the quest, including iPhone footage and developed portrait sequences
- Munden’s advice for budding filmmakers: Make movies, learn to write, be kind, and keep learning from others
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