Isolated Nyamup takes the lead in WA film crew’s supernatural project

Nyamup Mill Town may soon star in its own TV series if a film shot there over the past few months piques industry interest.

The “supernatural crime thriller” is the passion project of Alucinor Productions’ writer-director Dean Butler and cinematographer Shane Piggott.

Shot on location in Nyamup Mill Town east of Manjimup, the short film is a “proof of concept” for the story and aesthetic of a potential TV series, Mr Butler said.

“The short film is really just a snippet of that (series),” he said.

“It will be a short film in its own right but it also has a bigger role to play in supporting that whole pitching process.”

Mr Butler said he was attracted to Nyamup for its beauty, isolation and “wintry” feel.

“What we needed was a location that felt like it was kind of isolated and in a beautiful area but where, potentially in the story, horrible things could happen and no one would hear or know,” he said.

“The location was perfect — it’s all about being in the winter and the mist and that kind of vibe — Nyamup Mill and just the whole surrounding area provided that for us.”

If the series gets off the ground Mr Butler said the Southern Forests would “absolutely” be his first-choice shooting location, but producer and broadcaster preference would come into play.

The Perth-based production crew will soon begin editing and finalising the short film which is expected to be completed by the end of 2018.