Back in November, the co-directors of Shadows of a Stranger, Chris and Rich, recorded a commentary for the film. The final checks are now being made but it is hoped that the commentary version of the film will be available on Amazon very soon. This one is more than just a simple commentary video as it also includes various bonus material in the form of behind the scenes footage and photographs, clips of deleted scenes, and various oddments that were discovered when Chris and Rich raided the Shadows of a Stranger archives.
The commentary video also features the ‘blue screen edit’ for a few scenes, so you are able to see what they looked like before the visual effects were created, and to see the different elements that went in to the composition of the individual shots.
A trailer has been published for the commentary video, and it borrows some clips from interviews of Chris and Rich that were recorded at the time of the main production, way back in 2010. But this gives a flavour of what to expect in the commentary as the directors talk about such things as: how they brought about this ambitious micro-budget feature film, the dramas and tragedies and coincidences they had along the way, the risks they took, what it was like working with the different cast members, their inspirations to embark on such a project, and also the deeper meanings behind the film. It is sure to be a valuable insight into the world of low budget, indie filmmaking.
The commentary video should appear some time in April. In the meantime, you can listen to an interview that Rich recorded with Extra Features Podcast, where he talked in depth about making Shadows of a Stranger, again providing some insight into the process that saw this project come about, along with some lighthearted talk about favourite films and what he likes to eat when he goes to the cinema. Please give it a listen and stay tuned for the Directors’ Commentary!