Shannon
Young
(Shannon
James Young)
b. December 25, 1975, Melbourne, Australia.
BIOGRAPHY:
Shannon Young began his filmmaking
career by producing feature length VHS horror movies and directing
large-scale stage productions at his suburban high school, where
he received several awards. He was subsequently accepted to the
Bachelor of Arts in Media Arts at RMIT where he co-directed his
first 16mm feature, the low budget action-horror film Stygian
with James Wan (of Saw fame, where Stygian is actually
referenced during the film). Stygian became an award winner
and screened at local and international film festivals, including
Dead By Dawn in Scotland.
Shannon went
on to direct the controversial independent Melbourne feature film
Razor Eaters, which was highly publicised after becoming
the subject of a full police investigation over its subject matter.
Razor Eaters has since received five star reviews, some
theatrical exposure in Australia and overseas, and won a number
of major awards at film festivals. Shannon has now secured representation
in the United States with Concept Entertainment, Los Angeles where
he has a new horror script in development. He has also guest-lectured
on independent filmmaking at local and international universities
and had articles published on the debate over violent cinema.
CRITICAL
OVERVIEW:
As a writer/director, my work has
and will continue to be concerned with the dark motivations of
the human psyche. Everywhere from domestic disputes in the home
up to full-scale wars between nations, man's propensity for and
fascination with violence is an ever-present beast in our society
and history. It is essential for authors, artists and filmmakers
to continually raise, question and analyse this phenomenon.
My current
feature film Razor Eaters probes the issue of the dangerous
relationship between the media and violent impulse criminals.
Razor Eaters has been recognised in reviews and with awards
as not just an entertaining and energetic film but also as "a
cinematically important film and a politically important statement
of our times" (Michael Davidson, Fearless Tales Film Festival
director) and "thought provoking and mind blowing.a distressing
picture of the state of society in present day Australia"
(Film Threat review). Despite its low budget, the film
has been variously compared to such big budget mainstream releases
as Fight Club, Natural Born Killers, Taxi Driver,
The Usual Suspects and Reservoir Dogs.
I am presently
engaged in writing several screenplays that continue to explore
these topics. I have also commented on the issue of violent cinema
in film and television in published articles and will continue
to be a dissenting voice against censorship and advocate of bolder
freedom of expression for artists.
Shannon
Young, April 2005.
EDITOR'S NOTE - Shannon Young has seemingly been inactive since writing the above notes. - Bill Mousoulis, December 2017.
Stygian
(1999, 80 mins, 16mm, Colour)
Also producer and writer, Co-director James Wan
Razor
Eaters (2003, 96 mins, Super 16mm & digital video,
Colour)
Also
writer and actor
Additional
credits:
A Bullet
in the Arse(Pyrotechnic effects assistant, 1999-2000)
Radio
Samurai (Assistant director, 2000)
Scam
(Pyrotechnic effects assistant, 2001)
AWARDS:
Razor
Eaters 'Best
Film', Fearless Tales Film Festival, San Francisco, USA
'Best
Editing', Fearless Tales FF
'Best
Film', Sanctuary Cove Independent Film Festival, Australia
'Best
Script', Sanctuary Cove IFF
'Special
Jury Prize', Melbourne Underground Film Festival
Official
Selection, Victorian Independent Film Festival, Canada
IF
Magazine 'Independent Spirit Award' finalist, Australia
Stygian 'Best
Use of the Guerilla Aesthetic', Melbourne Underground Film Festival
2000
Official
selection, Dead By Dawn Horror Film Festival, Scotland 2000
Melbourne
Fringe Festival 1999, 2000
SELECT
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Articles
by Shannon Young:
"A Dangerous
Thing: The Debate Over TV Violence" - AustralianScreen
Education,Issue # 36, Spring 2004 edition.
"Police
and Pyromania: The Making of Razor Eaters" - Metro
Magazine, Issue # 42, January 2003 edition.
"Tas-Mania
- Movies and The Port Arthur Massacre" - Fangoria Magazine
USA, Issue # 156, June 1996
Articles about Shannon Young's films:
"Stygian"
- Fangoria Magazine USA, Issue # 192, May 2000
"Stygian
- Independent's Day" - Total
Film UK, Issue # 44, September 2000
"Where
are they now? - Independent's Day" - Total Film UK,
Special Issue # 50, March 2001
"Police
call cut on violent film" - by Georgina Safe, The Australian
Newspaper, Pg 3 Thursday July 18 2002
"Edgy
movie fires up US" - by Nui Te Koha, Herald Sun Newspaper,
Pg.17 Tuesday November 2 2004
"Razor
Eaters" - Review by Jim Schembri, The Age EG Newspaper,
Pg.10 Friday November 5 2004
