‘How to Save Us’ Tallay Wickham Interview

The new film, How to Save Us is in post production but you can check out previews and cool behind the scenes shots at the Indiegogo campaign and the Facebook page. We had the chance to interview lead actress, Tallay Wickham this past week.

Project-Nerd: Tallay Wickham is on cast for How to Save Us The story behind this intense post-apocalyptic ghost flick has been spoiler-free and kept well under wraps. Tallay, how much are you willing to divulge about your role in the Tasmanian/Australian film? 

Tallay: I am happy to divulge, without giving too much away, it is post apocalyptic after all, so there’s a lot of suspense! But I play Jason and Coy’s sister, Molly, who is trying to get her two brothers back following the death of their parents. From Molly’s perspective this story is a story of three siblings who are not close because of the traumatic events of their abusive childhood, and the way they have all tried to deal with that led to them going their separate ways. But then the apocalypse hits, so the stakes are definitely raised for all three of us in attempt to both save the world, and our family. However, Molly is definitely trying to save her family, as opposed to the world.

Tallay Wickham

PN: The images online and video we’ve seen through Facebook, Vimeo, and Indiegogo provide a thrilling perspective that appears to be dramatic and cathartic. Can you describe what it was like emotionally to work on this?

Tallay: It was definitely a cathartic experience for me. Child abuse is extremely common throughout the world, and all too often adults get away with some pretty appalling behavior. Drawing attention to this issue is something I am very passionate about. Childhood isn’t necessarily a safe place, you are extremely vulnerable, and so by comparison, sometimes spirits and ghosts aren’t so scary, as they provide an escape. 

PN: When you talk about a post-apocalyptic/ghost film, it leaves a lot of room for interpretation; would you call it scary?

Tallay: The story is suspenseful. Then again, I wasn’t in the scary scenes…

 PN: What were some of the biggest challenges of filming? Anything crazy exciting happen?

Tallay: I missed out on the Tasmania portion of filming, but it is an extremely haunted place, and has a very dark history. The worst convicts were sent there, and they massacred almost the entire island of Indigenous Australians. The crew filmed on one of the most haunted islands, where I have been before, and I know one of the actors was quite affected during that stage of filming. 

PN: According to IMDB,had your first film major role in a short film titled, Kill Her, and How to Save Us appears to be your first full feature. What’s the experience been like?

Tallay: Coming from a theatre background, I would be lying if I didn’t admit to being a little nervous about my first feature film! But then again, acting in any medium is what I want to continue to do, and Jason had a lot of faith in me. The on-set environment was extremely close and supportive, and it was a truly informative, challenging and rewarding experience.

PN: As a popular theatre actress in Australia, what’s your experience been like moving from theatre to film?

Tallay: Australia has provided me with so many opportunities, I have been in over 30 shows here. Early on I did musical theatre with Mia Wasikowska, who is now an incredible leading actor, and I admire her work. Moving into plays has provided me with the opportunity to work with many other well-known actors here in Australia. I have to say I love the stage, and the challenges of performing in that medium, but I am looking forward to making the transition to film, and How to Save Us, has provided me with the first steps to do so.

PN: Jason Trost says he actually found out about your work from a short of a sci-fi web series, Machete Girl, what was it like working on set with Jason Trost?

Tallay: It was a very easy process. Jason is a very strong director who has a very clear idea of what he wants from his actors, and his overall vision for the film is always at the forefront of his mind. But we also had a lot of fun, running around Australia.

How To Save Us
PN: Do you think you would like to work on more films with Jason? If so, are there other projects we might look forward to in the future?

Tallay: Definitely. Jason’s films, which he also writes, tell stories that appeal to me. He creates strong female characters, and working with him both as an actor and as a director was a very natural process. He also brings an amazing crew to his projects. Phil Miller, his cinematographer, is extremely dedicated – some of the beach shots took over an hour to shoot, as he would wait for the perfect light from a sunset. His sister, Sarah Trost is an amazing production designer who also did all the costumes for the film. Hopefully if scheduling works out I’ll be in the sequel to All Superheroes Must Die.

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