Interview with Gracie Otto

Actress and model, Gracie Otto has been making waves at home and overseas with her blossoming film making career. So how did she do it? Check out what Gracie had to say when we interviewed her about getting into the business, without the help of her family’s acting pedigree.

RESCU: You’ve had such a diverse career at a young age encompassing filmmaking, writing, directing, acting, modeling, and ambassador duties – what’s been your proudest professional accomplishment thus far?
Gracie Otto: I am proud of so many moments. The first time one of my films was selected for a festival it was for Flickerfest in Sydney – I was living in Paris and it brought me home. There is no greater festival or festival location than Flickerfest in Bondi in summertime. And then my dual role as lead actress and editor on the award winning feature film Three Blind Mice was a major highlight. It was my first serious acting role and I was working with a cast of amazing actors – my first day’s shooting was a scene with Jacki Weaver and the late Bud Tingwell. When I was entrusted to edit the film as well I felt that I had made the grade as a professional filmmaker.

RESCU: You recently won the People’s Choice Award in the Film & Video category for the Qantas Spirit of Youth Awards, why was this so important to you and how do you feel now that you’ve finally won?
Gracie Otto: I’ve entered SOYA a few times and been a finalist twice. Winning the People’s Choice this year was particularly gratifying because it was for my body of work – five short films and a number of web films made in Australia and France. I am so happy that people liked my work – it gives me so much confidence and determination to keep working hard in a difficult industry.

RESCU: You’re quite the all rounder having also been highly successful in sport at school. Did you always want to pursue film making as a career? When was the moment you realised this is what you wanted to do with your life?

Gracie Otto: Even though I came from a family of actors I was totally obsessed with sport during my school life and played high level soccer, netball and softball. I was fortunate that a teacher at Burwood Girls, Jenny Harding, offered a unit in Film Production with the use of some old editing machines. I made a film Kill Blondes for my HSC and when I got top marks as an anonymous candidate, not an Otto, I thought I might have a future as a filmmaker.

RESCU: What projects are you currently working on now?
Gracie Otto: For the past 2 years (whenever I’ve been able to get together some money to travel) I have been making a feature documentary Chalky on British impresario Michael White, producer of 100s of plays and films from Rocky Horror and Monty Python to A Chorus Line and Oh Calcutta. I met Michael at a party at Cannes – he was 75 and on a walking stick – but he was absolutely enigmatic, the centre of attention in a room full of celebrities. I’ve interviewed over 60 of his friends now including Yoko Ono, Kate Moss, John Cleese, Naomi Watts and Anna Wintour – in fact I could spend the rest of my life travelling the world talking to people because as somebody said “everybody knows and everybody loves Chalky”. But I’m starting the edit now because I want Michael to see the film next year – it would be great to screen it at Cannes which he has visited for over 45 years. I’ve also got three features in various stages of development – Rue De Tournon about the adventures of two Aussie girls in Paris; Girls in Hotels which is a series of stories in a simultaneous timeframe about beautiful girls in hotels around the world which I am currently shooting in chapters – I’ve done Hong Kong at 7pm, London at 10am, Paris at midday and New York at 6am; and a David Lynch inspired noir film Blonde v Brunette which I want to shoot in LA.

RESCU: What are your main inspirations and what process do you go through to you come up with the ideas behind your critically acclaimed short films?

Gracie Otto: People say I have a European sensibility in my films, maybe from my time living in Paris, but I have many influences. I love the films of Wong Kar Wai, Pedro Almodovar and Lars Von Triers, but equally I am influenced by David Lynch, Quentin Tarantino and Sofia Coppola. I am very much a visual artist – I would rather create a storyboard with images than write a script. And music plays a big part in conceiving an idea – I love to drive and listen to music and let the images come to me before the storyline.

RESCU: Who would be your ideal person to work with and why?

Gracie Otto: Almost all my work has been made with the collaboration of cinematographer Denson Baker and composer Michael Yezerski and I hope to continue these relationships in the future. It is so much easier to be creative and brave when I am working with friends.

RESCU: What advice would you give to other young filmmakers hoping to make it in the industry?
Gracie Otto: I have tried to keep developing my features while shooting short films at every opportunity. I learn something new from every experience, whether it is my own work or working for love or money on other people’s projects. My advice is to try to keep working – in any capacity – just to be around other filmmakers and meanwhile immerse yourself in festivals like Flickerfest so that you can be inspired by the best short films from around the world.

RESCU: Where do you see yourself in five years time? What do you hope to achieve in the near future?

Gracie Otto: My immediate ambition is to finish Chalky and have it screen at a major festival with Michael White in the audience! This is such a hard industry so I will be ecstatic if I have secured funding to make maybe two of the other films I have in development within five years. That would be amazing!!

RESCU: What is the one thing you love most about your line of work?
Gracie Otto: The travel. All of my films have screened internationally which has given me tremendous opportunities to participate in festivals including Paris, Berlin, London, Tokyo, Palm Springs, Thessaloniki – I have also met some fantastic filmmakers who are now great friends and collaborators. 10. You’re based here in Sydney but what’s it like traveling all over the world for your work, do you find it challenging at times? Last year I won the In Style & Audi Scholarship which enabled me to buy a very good professional camera – since then I have been able to travel and make films as a one-woman film crew. It might sound glamorous but carrying tripods and equipment in freezing conditions on the London tube, criss-crossing the city to do 4 interviews in one day, is evidence of just how hard I am prepared to work. But then again I am not going to complain about my life – I love it!