Superficially, Vault was Inspired by ‘progressive eclecticism’ of the architecture of the Old Museum Building. Vault is also drew inspiration from Patricia Mather’s “A Time for a Museum: The History of the Queensland Museum 1862 – 1886”, specifically some of the people/ characters who worked there. The cast themselves become relics of the space, passing by each other sharing memories of the space them inhabit.
In 1983 I remember my Dad dropping me to the Old Museum after a ballet exam to catch up with my primary school class excursion. I got lost finding my class, and the sense of exploring the building is layered into the abstract narrative of Vault.
In 1983 I remember being fascinated a painting of a dinosaur on a wall. It wasn’t a graffiti job, but rather looked like a painting by child. I wondered why it was on the wall of the museum. Filming Vault in 2012, I was keen to see if the dinosaur painting was still there. It was!! Furthermore, I noticed that it was signed by M.Oakden. The name Margaret Oakden appeared in Mather’s “A Time for a Museum”. I was able to get in touch with Margaret Oakden and ask her about the painting. Margaret Oakden worked at the museum from 1972- 1980 as a staff artist who would prepare prints for marketing by the museum. Margaret informed that that in her son had won a drawing competition and was invited to do the dinosaur mural. Mystery solved.
Some behind the scene images of the Vault shoot by Gemma Blake and Frances Hannaway:
Cast: Michelle Barnett, Jake Kuzma, Frances Hannaway, Matthew Overberg
Cinematographer: Kevin Holloway
Director: Piia Wirsu
Edit: Claire Marshall
Score: Jason Chin
Lighting: Simon Cool and Daniel Endicott
Some stills from frame:
