Wednesday 27 December 2017

Interview with Tracey Birdsall - Preview of “The Time War”


The Time War, which reunites Tracey Birdsall with her Rogue Warrior : Robot Fighter director Neil Johnson, will also star William Kircher, Stephen Manley, Aaron Jacques, and Daniel Logan. The late Christopher Lee recorded narration for the film shortly before his death.

During World War 2, the Nazis were alleged to be experimenting with Time Travel Technology.  What if they were successful?

The Time War shows the consequences of Adolf Hitler traveling through time and re-writing history.  Rather than taking a campy-cartoony stance on the notion, The Time War takes a more serious, scientific-based approach to the consequences of time travel and the theoretical multi-verse.  As Adolf Hitler starts to re-write his genetics, he learns that cause and effect are not as simple as it may seem on paper.  After dealing with multiple versions of himself, his greatest nemesis is his own daughter Dijanne (played by Tracey Birdsall) who takes on his legacy of empire building and creates an army of one, from various versions of herself from across a billion different time lines.

The resulting Time War spans thousands of years and lays waste to the earth following a devastating atomic war.  Time travel and rewriting history are heavily complex notions, and Dijanne, daughter of Adolf Hitler, discovers that she is the center of the universal destruction that threatens to extinguish all life from planet earth.

Film is currently in production USA and UK and due out sometime in 2018.


How does it feel to be playing a kick-ass lead?

It’s exhilarating for sure, but it’s also very hard work!


Is this dissimilar from your roles you've played before?

It’s really completely different, although most roles are. It’s definitely the hardest role emotionally, physically and intellectually I had lived – at least all at once. Most roles use various tools that you’ve acquired over the years, and skill sets. This one used everything I had, and many things I had to find within myself.


Did you find it an exhausting shoot – mentally or physically speaking?

Physically, I’ve never burned so many calories, but that’s taking into consideration how many takes and angles the action scenes were – and the fact that I didn’t want a stunt double.

Mentally it was excruciating, as the places Sienna (my character) had to go on her emotional discoveries were quite dark and difficult to live.  Additional scenes and re-shoots were equally as brutal, but it’s all worth it in the end.


In terms of training for the role, did Neil Johnson insist on any fighting or weapons lessons?

I’ve had a lot of fight training all the way back to my youth, but yes additional fight training, strength training and choreography was all part of this project.


How was he to work with? 

I adore working with Neil, but it’s only because he really pushes me to the extreme over and over. He likes to wear an actor out until their emotion is just so raw. Sometimes it’s excruciating, but it’s also what some of us thrive on to do great work.


Do the yanks and the Brits work any differently? 

Clever question, but I think it’s more individual than that! I have worked with so many different types and styles of directors… It’s more of a skill and talent thing – just like actors. Sure, there’s “cookie cutter” directors, we’ve all worked with those. It’s the highly skilled passionate hands on directors that are the most fun to work with, and Neil is one of those.


Did you know any of your co-stars before filming?

I knew two of the supporting actors prior to filming, and they were both perfect for the roles they were cast in. Neither of them were known names, but they were both exactly what we needed, and well trained.  Marc Hawes was The Scourge, and we had a particularly poignant scene together. Rhianna was played by Ashley Park. All of the other actors were cast in the traditional manner.


Do you have a favorite moment in the movie? Maybe a fight scene?

Anything where the character was running or as I call “in high adrenaline mode” was the most fun, but I think the most memorable moment was the scene where she gets Blister in a head lock as she “loses it” while he gives the narrative of her past. That scene is quite long, and a turning point in the film… whilst also one of my favorites.


Big props to the sfx effects guys on this movie – everything looks so great. How were they to collaborate with?

Thank you! Everyone was quite a joy to work with. Our only hiccups in this film were in dealing with the elements – which were quite harsh at times. Although we knew it would look great in the finished project, filming in heat waves and windstorms in the desert is extremely difficult. However, it did add to the realism of the nature of the film.