Spirit Photography and Shutter with Rachael Taylor

It's no too common that young up-and-coming actresses get their first major break in a huge Hollywood blockbuster, especially if they haven't been seen by many in the U.S.. But that's exactly what happened to Aussie hottie Rachael Taylor when she was cast in Michael Bay's Transformers. Movies like that change your life and often chart the course for the rest of your career. Since Transformers, Taylor has been highly visible in the film circles and now fans can see her in the remake of the Thai horror film Shutter with Joshua Jackson.

While doing press for Shutter, Rachael Taylor was more than happy to talk about her experience filming in Japan, the topic of spirit photography, her take on the original Thai film, her time with Michael Bay on Transformers, and what it was like to try and understand director Masayuki Ochiai. Luckily The Deadbolt was on hand to get the dirt on the latest Asian remake.

Rachael Taylor on filming in Japan:

"We were there for three and a half months and it was incredible. Tokyo is an amazing city, it’s very contemporary and very urban. I was very esthetically inspired by Tokyo. You know, the architecture, the fashion and the art, it’s all incredible. But at the same time shooting a movie like this in Japan for three and a half months was - it was difficult; it was a very isolating experience as a Westerner. But it was kind of helpful because that’s kind of the character’s journey as well."

Taylor on whether it was important for her character to be American:

"Potentially not, but the choice by the writers and producers was to make her American and I think it helps emphasize the solidarity of the two of them as a couple, which is so important. We really want to believe that they’re in this idyllic, blissfully married state at the start of the movie and then of course it all goes awry."

On acting but then having the horror added into the film later:

"In the case of this movie, there was very little CGI, which was great. Most of it was kept in the camera and we used real trickery rather than CGI stuff. There was a little bit of that, but in a way it’s kind of fun, too. It’s like being six-years-old and playing make believe again and you just have to use your imagination and go with it."

On the topic of spirit photography:

"It’s really interesting. It’s a real phenomenon, which is cool. Like there actually are photographs that have inexplicable images in them. Whether you want to consider them as supernatural images is up to you. But there are photographs that you can’t explain this element in the picture. It’s not a watermark or a light mark or a technical problem, so it’s fascinating. I like what it represents; it’s more about how a supernatural being, I guess, can articulate something that they really need to if the emotion is potent and strong enough. And it’s about them finding a way to get their message across to us and in this case it’s using the medium of photography."

Rachael Taylor on whether she’s experienced anything supernatural:

"No, but I think we all sort of can relate to the experience of walking into a house or a space and feeling like there’s something a bit off. Like there’s something creepy or sinister, or alternately you may get a warm feeling in a particular space. And sometimes other people feel it and sometimes they don’t, and I think that’s just dependant of your degree of openness and how much you’re willing to believe."

Spirit Photography and Shutter with Rachael Taylor Page 2