Quarantine Content: ‘The Fourth Element’

Actors, filmmakers and creatives all over Australia are still practicing their art and creating content during lockdowns all over the country. Quarantine Content celebrates the tenacity of actors who are creating their own content while the industry is in hiatus.

This year, the 48 Hour Film Competition restricted the number of cast and crew permitted to work on each of their entries to 2. While this would have put off many people, Suzanne Webcke and Mike Zarate did not let it stop them! Not only did they create a film in 48 hours for the 48HFC with the key line 'May the Fourth be with you', but afterward, they re-edited it to fit the requirements for QIFF: "I have listened  to many, spoken to few, but I think Ive found the one".

In Suzanne’s Words
Film Championships gave us the line “May the Fourth be with You” which had to be used in the film.  The film also had to be 3 minutes or less including title and credits and it had to be written, produced and delivered within 48 hours of kickoff.

I thought about the line for 12 hours.  I knew it was from Star Wars and I knew that a lot of people would have a Star Wars theme to their films.  Also, I back onto a forest which had given me some inspiration for the desired feeling for the short which was eerie and a little mysterious (just like the feelings I experienced during lockdown).  I thought, what if I incorporate the feel of Star Wars (the hoods and the master) but essentially make it about lockdown and the elements required for that.  And I decided the “Fourth” would be the fourth element and instead of making the line a statement, I’d make it a question to the master so "May the fourth be with you?”, was essentially, Do you have the fourth element I need?  

The first three elements were a face mask, hand sanitiser and a roll of toilet paper.  Then we had the challenge of what to make the fourth element.  It was Mike that suggested deodorant which turned out to be prophetic as I read recently that sales of deodorant had fallen during lockdown.  So the master was telling me that I needed deodorant which adds a comical element to the film as well.

Suzanne Webcke
Suzanne holds an Advanced Diploma in Screen & Media from the Australian Performing Arts Conservatory, Brisbane.  She also has a Bachelor of Laws Degree from QUT.  Suzanne has written, produced and directed a number of short films and two pilot web series since graduating from APAC in 2017. Suzanne completed the Actor’s Breakthrough Programme at the Factory Acting Studio in March 2019.  Since then, she has attended numerous casting workshops and has recently worked with acting coach Kristina Sexton and directors Mairi Cameron and Stephen Lance. 

Mike Zarate
Located in Brisbane, Mike was recently nominated for Best Actor at the St Kilda Film Festival 2020 for Watch Out for Australians!!  Mike has performed in a number of musicals and was nominated for a Gold Palm Theatre Award for his role as Ali Hakim in Oklahoma. The Fourth Element is Mike's third entry into the Quarantine International Film Festival and he is very grateful to have worked with his friend Suzanne, on this project.