Andrew Seaton on the set of Astronots.

In Andrew Seaton’s new comedy short, Astronots, the world is about to end and mars is humanities only hope. 

The mission is handed to two astronauts – Collins, played by Adam Dunn, and Adams, played by Aaron Glenane. 

They sit on the launchpad about to launch when suddenly Adams admits to Collins that he’s fluked his way through training and has no idea what he’s doing. 

The two must grapple with the idea of taking off anyway and risking their lives, or delaying their mission and dooming earth forever.

Cinema Australia recently grabbed a few moments with Andrew Seaton to find out more about the making of Astronots ahead of the film’s screening at Stellar Short Film Festival on March 1.

You can find details about that screening here. 

Adam Dunn on the set of Astronots.

“I had to keep myself from laughing out loud whilst watching on at the monitors to ensure I didn’t ruin takes. It was wonderful getting to watch the world come to life in the hands of two really well seasoned actors.”

Interview by Matthew Eeles

How did the Astronots script find itself to you?

I was looking for another short film to make whilst I was working on some longer form projects. I knew it needed to be contained so that it was affordable to make but I also wanted something funny and punchy. Our good mate Adam Dunn pitched us a bunch of great ideas but none fit the bill. However, on the way out the door he mentioned that he had this script he was working on with Aaron Glenane – two astronauts about to take off, one turns to the other and admits he’s fluked his way through training. We immediately loved it. It felt contained and ripe with comedic potential so we took it from there. Little did we know we’d end up custom 3D printing helmets, building a cockpit and managing over 100 VFX shots. The simple little short was a bit more complex than we first anticipated.

Aaron Glenane and Adam Dunn are two highly-regarded and established actors. Is there extra pressure as a director when you’re also directing the scriptwriters?

It’s the first time I’ve directed the talent who also happen to be the scriptwriters, but it was fantastic. They both had such an intimate knowledge of the script and characters that it allowed us to basically shoot the film from cover-to-cover like a stage play. It was great for them as they could ride the ebb and flow of the dynamic between the two characters more naturally. It also meant that we could make changes to the script, or improvise freely which lead to some really priceless moments.

Aaron Glenane on the set of AstroNots.

What was it like to watch these two bounce off each other while performing?

Adam and Aaron have such a great chemistry, it was great to watch on set. They understand each other’s timing and style so well. Both are great comedic performers and natural improvisers so it meant we got to get some hilarious unscripted moments. At times I feel they were trying hard to make each other break which was fun to watch too. I had to keep myself from laughing out loud whilst watching on at the monitors to ensure I didn’t ruin takes. It was wonderful getting to watch the world come to life in the hands of two really well seasoned actors. What is interesting is that Aaron historically plays the “straight man”, and Adam the bigger “comedic character” in this their roles were reversed but they both nailed it beautifully.

How would you say the three of you complimented each other on this shoot?

I like to think we worked pretty seamlessly on the shoot. It felt like a real team effort. Because we were doing long takes I didn’t want to give the guys too much detailed direction and throw them off their rhythm. Instead before each take I discussed with them where I wanted the performance and emotion to go and then left it in their capable hands to get to that point. Both are such fantastic actors that it made my job really easy on set. Both were up for anything too, they were keen to push the emotion and comedy as far as possible whilst still staying true to what we set out to achieve together.

Cast and crew on the set of AstroNots. 

The film is mostly a two-hander shot in one location. Can you talk us through working in such a small space and the limitations of that, if any?

From the outset I knew I wanted the cockpit to be practical. I’d seen other short films that did a full digital green screen cockpit and it didn’t feel authentic or real. I wanted our cockpit to feel familiar, to feel tangible so that the stakes felt real and then the situational comedy could really sing. We ended up working with the legends at GregSets in Sydney, who, having worked on everything from Star Wars to Furiosa and Thor: Love and Thunder were experts in making our little shuttle set. The small set did limit us in what coverage we could practically get. For example the front console of the shuttle is a CGI build and as such we only show the cockpit from behind the guys once in the film. But the tightness of the set made us think about how we use coverage in economical ways. For example, when the guys are arguing they are seen more in close ups, with space between them. But when they begin to agree, we introduce more two shots with both of them in the same frame, illustrating how they are starting to be on the same page. Little techniques like this helped turn the limitations into opportunities to think more creatively about how we use our coverage.

You have a few short films and a series to your name so far. Is there a feature film on the horizon? 

There are a few feature films in the works at the moment but it’s all still early days. They span a few different genres and there’s also chats about how we can extend the characters in AstroNots into something more long form too which is exciting.

Astronots will screen at the Stellar Short Film Festival on March 1. Details here.

If you enjoy Cinema Australia as much as I loved publishing it, please consider supporting Cinema Australia’s commitment to the Australian screen industry via a donation below.

I strive to shine a light on Australian movies, giving voice to emerging talent and established artists.

This important work is made possible through the support of Cinema Australia readers.

Without corporate interests or paywalls, Cinema Australia is committed to remaining free to read, watch and listen to, always.

If you can, please consider making a contribution. It takes less than a minute, and your support will make a significant impact in sustaining Cinema Australia as the much-loved publication that it is.

Thank you.

Matthew Eeles
Founder and Editor.

Make a donation here.