The Digger's Daughter: Interview

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Hello everyone!

Once again, I apologise for my absence here. The last six months, I've been focusing on finishing my new Tomb Raider short film "Athena II: Path to Eden" (which is STILL coming out soon) and writing other projects but anyway, enough about me.

Today, I'm very excited to bring you a new interview! The first in a long time!

Suzanne is a YouTuber from Dublin who has become a valued member of the Tomb Raider community in recent years.

Her channel is one of my personal favourites to watch, as what sets it apart from other gaming channels is the amount of research she does on the history, mythology and architecture of each level she plays.

I'm delighted that she took the time to speak to me about her history with the franchise and how she entered the YouTube space.

TDD: Could you tell us about your history with Lara Croft? How did your love of the franchise come to be?

SR: When I was a very small child, my sister and I used to go around to our cousins’ house to play Sonic the Hedgehog on their SEGA Mega Drive. We had so much fun, all taking turns trying to beat the game, and I fell in love with gaming.

We didn’t have much money growing up, and we didn’t have any consoles of our own, so this time visiting our cousins and getting to play was so special.

Then we moved quite far away, and along with missing our cousins and aunts and uncles, we also did very much miss that gaming console. We asked our parents constantly if we could please get one.

The moment my Dad brought home that PS1, is a moment that I will never forget. This was the biggest event to happen in my six or seven years of life up to that point. I remember my sister and I were dancing around the room while my Dad set up the console, too excited to sit still, and he had this game with him that none of us had ever heard of. It was called Tomb Raider. The man at the shop had recommended the game to my Dad when he was buying the PS1, and he had bought it because it sounded like a fun adventure that we could all play together as a family. And so, this started the family tradition.

On evenings where everyone was free, we would all crowd around the PS1, my sister and I sitting on bean bags of course because it was the 90s, and we would play Tomb Raider together.

We’d all take turns playing and trying to figure the puzzles out. These are some of the happiest memories that I have from my childhood.

I was in awe of Lara Croft. I loved who she was and the things she could do and I wanted to be her. I wanted her capability, her confidence, her sass.

To me she was amazing, and Lara Croft joined the ranks of female characters that I still adore to this day, along with Buffy Summers and Xena. Ever since then, you could say I’ve been obsessed.

My love for Tomb Raider and Lara Croft has never faded. She feels like a fundamental part of who I am.

TDD: How did you start your YouTube channel?

SR: This is always a difficult thing for me to talk about, because I started my YouTube channel at one of the lowest points of my life. We were in the middle of the Covid pandemic and were in lockdown.

I had just been let go from my job as a Communications Executive, a career that I had worked tirelessly for years to build. Frederick (my husband) and I were crammed into our one-bedroom apartment that we rented for a ridiculous amount of money. Everything felt so low, and I fell into a depression, the worst one I’ve ever experienced in my life. I remember that I felt so defeated, and like life hadn’t turned out how I thought it should be. Frederick asked me one day what I would do with my life if I could, and I told him that I would like to play games online, but I didn’t know how to make videos and that I didn’t have any equipment to do that, so therefore I just couldn’t do it. Frederick turned around, walked out of our apartment, and came back 20 minutes later holding a head set with a microphone that he’d just bought in the supermarket. He handed it to me and said, “make a video”.

Frederick has always been an amazing optimist, and that day he changed my life. I made my first video a couple of hours later, screen recording my Tomb Raider gameplay on our laptop, and recording my voiceover using the headset microphone. Was the video good? Not really. But it was a video. And then I made another one, and another one. My confidence and skill grew. I borrowed an old camera from my parents and began to record myself playing. I slowly learned how to make videos, and how to make them better. I grew, and the channel grew.

You don’t have to be good to start. You don’t have to have the best equipment to start. And you won’t grow over night. Four years later, I am just in awe at how my channel has grown, and the community that has developed, and I couldn’t be more grateful. But none of it would have happened if I hadn’t started, if I hadn’t made mistakes, and messed up, and learnt new skills, and embarrassed myself. None of it would have happened if I hadn’t even tried.

Try. Start. Learn. Grow. If I can do it, anyone can.

TDD: What are the challenges of being a YouTuber?

SR: The most challenging part of being a YouTuber for me, is dealing with mean comments.

As someone who has struggled with mental health all my life, it can be so damaging to see the worst things that you think about yourself said to you by other people.

I’ve been called every name under the sun on my channel. I’ve had my appearance insulted, my accent and culture ridiculed, and even my fashion choices mocked. I’ve had people hate me just because I’m a woman and had my gaming ability trashed. I’ve received both threats and childish insults. And do you know how I deal with all of this? I focus on the people who deserve my time.

The 95% amazing people on my channel who love games, love the fun of it all, and want to uplift me and treat me like a human being with feelings. They are the only ones who deserve my time and attention. Everything else will be ignored. Constructive criticism is always welcome on the channel, and I’ve made some amazing changes and learnt a lot from criticism in the past, but insults and just plain being mean, that is something that is ok to ignore, delete, block.

Certain people will always have something bad to say, no matter what you do or say. It’s pointless to fight against it, and equally as pointless to pay it any attention.

TDD: What’s your favourite thing about running your channel?

SR: My viewers, subscribers and members. I’ve been so lucky to have so many amazing and wonderful people join my little community. For the regulars who comment a lot and participate in livestreams, I genuinely feel like these people are my friends. I am so excited every week to stream and catch up with everyone. I check in on my discord and see what everyone is up to and to see pictures of people’s pets. I have so much fun in the comment section chatting and laughing about games. I never expected to form such genuine bonds online, and it’s the thing that I’m most grateful for.

So, if you watch my channel but are afraid to comment or join in the chats, please don’t be. I love meeting you and getting to know new people, and everyone is so very welcome on the channel.

TDD: Do you have a particular favourite Tomb Raider playthrough that you’ve done?

SR: Yes, my Angel of Darkness playthrough. I got so obsessed with the research for that game.

I spent hours and hours pouring over forums and documents and articles, trying to gather as much information as possible. I learnt so much about that game and grew to appreciate it so much more by making those videos. It pains me how much potential that game and planned sequels had, and how much it was squandered due to unrealistic deadlines. I fell in love with AOD when making that playthrough, and it’s the Tomb Raider playthrough that I am most proud of.

TDD: Were there any other YouTubers that inspired you when you were starting out?

SR: In 2019, Frederick and I had been playing a lot of games together after he purchased a gaming laptop. We spent a lot of time hanging out and making jokes and commentary as we played. Frederick had also begun watching "Let’s Plays" of his favourite Dark Souls games on YouTube.

I remember one day he showed me one of the videos and said that I should check these out, because he thought I would be good at doing something similar. The videos were by a creator called Marz, and though I wasn’t hugely interested in the Dark Souls playthroughs, I began watching other games on her channel and loved her style.

I used to think that I couldn’t be a gaming creator, because I’m not loud with a huge personality. I’m generally quite quiet and laid back, except when I get angry, then I curse like a sailor and hit my desk. But in general, I don’t have the extroverted personality that people would usually associate with gaming.

Creators like Marz and Gab Smolders showed me that you don’t have to be loud and over the top to create content, and that there are people like me who want to watch someone just enjoy and react to games.

These creators gave me the confidence to just be myself in my content.

I don’t have a persona, how I am in my videos is how I am in real life. That might not be everyone’s cup of tea (I’ve been called boring and monotone many times) but I feel like I am being true to myself and genuinely enjoying the games that I play and the content that I make.

TDD: Why do you think Lara is still important to so many?

SR: Lara Croft is an icon. She was one of the first female video game characters, and certainly was the first one that was a global sensation.

Lara Croft represents everything a female character should be, confident, funny, capable, intelligent, charismatic and unforgettable. She’s also vulnerable, she messes up, she can be selfish and can lack empathy, and she gets it wrong sometimes. She feels like a real person, and real people are messy. And on top of that, she’s stunningly beautiful and owns her femininity, and while that’s not essential for every female character, it works for Lara.

The adventures that we go on in Tomb Raider are great and fun, but that’s not what keeps everyone coming back to the games. Its Lara. It’s always been Lara. She sticks in our brains because she is magnetic. Every cutscene in a game, I always just wanted to see and hear more of Lara Croft.

She’s a fantasy for most of us. No, not that kind of fantasy, although I know at times her marketing was very sexualised, but she’s a fantasy of who most of us want to be. A fearless woman who spends her life chasing adventure. A woman who has no limits and no shortage of smart remarks. A woman so in love with tombs and relics that she turned her back on her entire life.

There is a passion and a fire burning in Lara, and we are drawn to it, and drawn to her. And of course, who wouldn’t also fantasise about being a rich aristocrat and living in Croft Manor?

Lara is our escapism, and for many people like me who spent countless hours playing the games growing up, she feels like a friend.

TDD: Would you have any advice for others who want to start a YouTube channel and do you have any handy tips?

SR: As I said above, just start. Your first video will more than likely suck, and that’s ok. None of us have the money to buy an entire fancy filming and editing set up straight away. And none of us will have the confidence or experience to talk to the camera well at first. It’s all about practice and slowly building your skills and buying extra equipment when you can.

I still don’t have particularly amazing or high-quality equipment, and you don’t need it. You just need to start. Uploading consistently is also your friend. I don’t know how the YouTube algorithm works, I don’t think many people do, but I do know that uploading at least once or twice a week is key to getting YouTube to push out your videos. Also, you need patience, because it’s going to take a long time. I was making videos consistently for a whole year before I hit 100 subscribers.

It’s very difficult to grow on YouTube, and it’s a long and slow slog, but if it’s something that you really want, you have to stick with it. It’s also a little bit of luck. Having a video on a trending topic and catching the algorithm can make your channel balloon so quickly, but there is no science to this, and you just have to try different things until something works.

The main thing is to be consistent and look honestly and critically at the content that you produce. Ask yourself if this is content that you would choose to watch? And if not, why not? What would you change?These can be difficult things to ask ourselves, but it can be very helpful in changing and improving your content.

I wish everyone who is trying to grow their YouTube channel the best of luck. I’m still trying my best to grow mine.

Thank you so much to Suzanne for agreeing to do this interview!

You can follow Suzanne on Instagram and be sure to check out her latest Tomb Raider video below...

We’re back in the Cosplay Corner with a new guest!

Meet Amel from France who has been cosplaying as Lara Croft since 2015. I always love seeing her new pictures when they appear in my timeline so I’m glad she agreed to do this interview today.

Kate: When did you first discover Lara Croft?

Amel: I discovered Lara I think when I was in the car with my dad. I had heard about a game where the heroine was on an island in Japan. I liked the idea so I asked him to buy it for me but he [ordered] the wrong one, so I played Tomb Raider Underworld and I loved it! Then Tomb Raider Reborn came the next day and I doubly loved it!

Kate: What made you decide to start cosplaying?

Amel: Just playing Tomb Raider Reborn, I found her outfit quite nice at the time (yes, even with the blood) so I searched and I found some Cosplay. That's when I decided to try to make her Cosplay!

Amel on stage at ANIMEST 2018 in her “Shadow of the Tomb Raiderr” costume. Photo by Lionel Erpelding.

Kate: What does Lara’s character mean to you?

Amel: Lara in general is a strong and courageous woman who is not afraid of anything. I had complications from an accident when I was younger, so I kind of clung to this idea of a strong, courageous woman to get through it. And then, since I was immobilised at home, I could only play [video games] to pass the time and especially to forget [reality for a moment], she was there without being there at the same time.

Kate: Favourite Lara Croft costume you’ve made?

My favourite Lara costume is probably the one when she gets out of the prison in “Rise of the Tomb Raider”. It's simple but it's the one I wear most often when I have the chance to wear it! Simple and effective!

Amel as Lara Croft from “Rise of the Tomb Raider”. Photo by Arnaud Buchholzer.

Amel: Though I'm currently working on a “Rise of the Tomb Raider” costume that will require a lot of patience and skill! Since I saw it and acquired it [in the game] I wanted to do a costume and so I finally started it this year to release it next year for a special occasion! Stay tuned!

Kate: What was the most difficult piece to create?

Amel: The most difficult piece that took me the longest was probably the quiver and bow I carried on a photo shoot. The bow took me a good three months to make with pvc while the quiver took me a good while to make, I wanted this one to be as close as possible to the one in the game so well... When you're meticulous it takes time and then, the final result was pretty good that's probably why I'm planning to make it again!

Amel in the Remnant Jacket outfit from “Rise of the Tomb Raider”.

Kate: Favourite memory while cosplaying Lara?

Amel: My best day was the day when, at Paris Games Week, we made the [Guinness] world record [for the most people dressed as Lara Croft in one place]. I was recovering from a heavy operation so I was on crutches, of course I had asked my doctor if I could before! I remember, Meagan Marie [Crystal Dynamics Director of Community] was not far away, my sister was behind me to accompany me in Cosplay also as Lara, and it was a man in the public who had started to applaud me followed by others encouraging me and shouting "It is a real Lara, bravo!” I will remember this moment for the rest of my life because I had stood for more than 6 hours on crutches, leaning weakly on my leg to walk. I could never thank this gentleman enough for these words because even today it’s still with me.

Kate: I’ve seen that you’ve done quite a lot of stage performances at conventions.

Do you enjoy it and do you ever feel nervous?

Amel: Indeed! I do a lot of stage work, I really enjoy showing some quality of performance when I get on stage! I go there mostly for the knowledge and to improve myself, it's always nice to learn more about our costumes with help! And if not, I’m rarely nervous before going on stage. I'm there to have fun!

Amel performing on stage at Geek Days 2016 in her “Tomb Raider: Legend” costume. Photo by Nicolas Bayart.

Kate: Are you planning any new Lara cosplays?

Amel: Very good question! Yes, I even have two scheduled, including one for something quite important and that will require a lot of concentration, as I will be in a group with a Sofia (Rise of the Tomb Raider)! The other one is a little secret, it will not be linked to the future games unfortunately! I'm waiting like everyone else for an announcement! But a lot of old!

Thank you to Amel for doing this interview! You can find more of her work on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter!

Original photo by Kami Renee

Happy International Women’s Day, everyone!

Today, I’m happy to introduce my next Cosplay Corner guest, Bára Krossteig!

Bára is a longtime Tomb Raider fan and cosplayer and in 2016, she was chosen to be Denmark’s official Lara Croft Cosplay Ambassador for the 20th anniversary celebrations.

Welcome, Bára!

TDD: How did you first discover Lara Croft?

BK: I watched my brother play one of the first Tomb Raider games, I don't remember which one specifically, and I was in awe of Lara's courage and acrobatics. She was so cool! My second encounter was with the 2013 reboot and I fell in love all over again, with a very different character, though she was still courageous and acrobatic!

TDD: What does the character and franchise mean to you?

BK: Lara is a badass leading lady in a video game, which back when I played the game, was quite rare. She's also vulnerable, which can be a bit tough to balance. She's an icon within my favourite media, and she has also brought me friends from all over the world!

Photography: Julie Rønberg.

TDD: Favourite Tomb Raider game?

BK: The 2013 reboot or Underworld!

TDD: Favourite outfit Lara wears?

BK: I think her jacket in Rise of The Tomb Raider has a special place in my heart!

TDD: How did you assemble your Lara costumes?

BK: For the 2013 reboot outfit, I made the trousers from a pattern I had lying around, then I bought a white cotton tank top and dyed it. Both trousers and top were weathered and bloodied once they were done. For the Rise of The Tomb Raider outfit, I found some lovely green fabric on sale and made the jacket from a t-shirt pattern I always used back then. I added buttons, a hood and weathered it. Fun fact: I never got around to make button holes for the jacket, since it's held together by a belt. I made the belt out of craft foam and pleather and reused my 2013 reboot trousers.

Photography: Julie Rønberg

TDD: What was the most difficult piece to make?

BK: I think the trousers back in the day. I had never made any trousers with a functioning zipper.

Now, it would be easier for me, but I'm so proud of how they turned out based on my skill set back then.

TDD: How was your experience as a cosplay ambassador?

BK: It was incredible! The people at the Square Enix booth were so nice and after the event, I got to go to Paris for the Guinness world record attempt for the most people dressed as Lara Croft in one place!

Bára assisting at Paris Games Week 2016 for the successful record attempt alongside French Official Cosplay Ambassadors Kara Cosplay (middle) and Max TRS Cosplay (right)

TDD: Favourite moment while cosplaying?

BK: I think when a mother daughter duo came up to me and the mother told me about how her daughter was the outdoorsy type, who loved archeology. I could just see the next Tomb Raider come to life before me, it was so nice!

TTD: Would you cosplay Lara Croft again in the future?

BK: I have big plans to play Shadow of The Tomb Raider when I have more time and get over my fear of fictional enemies in fictional water, haha! I'd love to check out some of Lara's outfits from that game!

Photography: Julie Rønberg

Thank you so much to Bára for taking the time to answer these questions!

If you’d like to see more of her cosplays, you can follow her on Instagram @hadleythebadger

Original photo by JérômePhoto.

Happy New Year, everyone! Hope you all enjoyed the holidays, however you celebrate!

I apologise for the lack of content as of late but life got in the way.

That being said, I’m starting 2023 by welcoming a new guest to the Cosplay Corner.

I’ve been following her work for a number of years now and her photos never disappoint!

I’m delighted to introduce Isa Malice!

Photo and edit by Yohann Franco

TDD: When did you first discover Tomb Raider?

IM: I don't know exactly when I discovered Tomb Raider, it was in the 90's, but I remember I fell in love with Lara Croft at first sight. I watched my little cousin playing Tomb Raider in the 90's because I didn't have a PlayStation. I played TR for the first time many years later with TR Underworld.

TDD: How did you get into cosplay?

IM: I started cosplaying in 2013. It was my little sister who introduced me to cosplay and conventions.

I started cosplaying Lara in 2015 because people mistook me for Lara when I cosplayed Alice from the Resident Evil movies. 😅

Cosplaying Lara was a big challenge for me because she's so beautiful, sexy and badass! I didn't trust myself when I decided to cosplay her…but when I heard people’s great reactions at cons when I cosplayed her for the 1st time, it was really nice and encouraging for me to continue.

Photo and edit by Alaska Green

TDD: What does Lara’s character mean to you?

IM: Whatever generation of Lara, she represents strength, courage, intelligence and beauty.

TDD: You’ve recreated quite a few of Lara’s outfits. Which is your favourite?

IM: Underworld obviously! And the Tokyo Dress is my 2nd choice. 😀

Photo and edit by Dakota Photography

TDD: Most difficult costume to make?

IM: It was the Shadow of the Tomb raider outfit: the top was so difficult to sew (I'll sew another one later because I don't like my 1st attempt), and there's so many props now! I don't have the time to craft the bow for now.

Photo by Lyah Cosplay

TDD: Any memorable experiences while cosplaying?

IM: I participated in the [Shadow of the Tomb Raider] Mud Day [in Paris] as Lara for the photobooth. It was awesome! I was so nervous and excited at the same time. I didn't know how people would react when they saw me... but when I heard “Wahoo it's really Lara Croft!” I was really over the moon. 🤗🤗

TDD: What’s your next project?

IM: I have to repair my classic backpack for a photoshoot and craft the SOTTR bow too…but for now, I haven’t planned another Lara outfit, even though many outfits have caught my eye. 😉 I'm waiting for a new game to cosplay her...

Lara joins Assassins Creed! Photo by Christophe Perez.

Thank you so much to Isa for taking the time to talk to me!

You can follow her on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

A couple of weeks ago, the new video from US based filmmaker and YouTuber, Devin Graham was released. In the first three days, the views rocketed to 63K. It now sits at over 255K!

Known for his ambitious stunt and travel videos, Devin set out to make a tribute to three iconic fictional adventurers. This would be the first time they would appear together on screen.

With the stunning Uzbekistan as it’s backdrop, the film’s story centres around Timur Tamerlane, a prominent figure in the country’s history who was a ruthless conqueror up until the early 1400s.

The stunts lifted the production quality even higher performed by some of Hollywood’s best. Michaela McAllister, who plays the rebooted Lara Croft (with the character’s voice provided by Fiona Iredu), can be seen as the stunt double for Yelena in Marvel’s film “Black Widow” and the “Hawkeye” series on Disney+. Her husband Braxton plays Nathan Drake from the “Uncharted” games and Braxton’s brother Corbett plays the OG himself, Indiana Jones!

It’s the crossover we’ve all wanted to see and I had the pleasure of speaking to Devin about his experiences on the shoot.

TDD: Hi Devin, thanks for taking the time to speak to me! Firstly, you have made history by bringing all these characters together on screen. What made you decide to do this project?

DG: I'm a huge fan of all 3 characters, and I had never seen it done before. I run the YouTube channel Devinsupertramp and on that channel it's all about creating content that's unique. We do a ton of video game stuff in real life, and I always approach it with trying to create something I'm genuinely excited about. As a fan of these characters, I tried to think of something fun I would want to see as a fan of all of them.

TDD: What drew you to Uzbekistan?

DG: I actually filmed another video in the country a few years ago, our Aladdin Parkour video. One of the locals out there, Bekruz, is a fan of our channel and he had reached out to us 4 years ago or so, and said he would love to produce/make anything we wanted to happen out there. I had actually never heard of the country, so when he reached out I had to google it and found out that it was truly this amazing country with incredible history. Bekruz helped make this entire project happen. I told him what we needed, and he figured out a way to make it happen.

TDD: Were there any particular challenges you faced prior to or during the shoot?

DG: Everything was pretty straightforward with this. We were filming 4 videos out there though in a two week time span, the Tomb Raider project, an Assassin's Creed Parkour video, a Prince of Persia video, and a Sonic The Hedgehog video. So biggest challenge was trying to balance my time for all 4 videos in the short window we had. And we filmed this the first two weeks in December where it was freezing. In the scene with Lara and Indy, in a few of the shots at the start, you'll see it snowing/raining. Out in below freezing in a tanktop, not ideal.

TDD: You have an incredible cast! Tell us how you decided on your actors.

DG: The cast we had were all amazing. They're all hollywood stunt men/woman in Hollywood. Michaela and Braxton who played Nathan and Lara are actually a married couple as well, so that helps. And Corbett, who played Indiana Jones is actually Braxtons brother. I've worked with all these people over a long period of time, so we're all friends. At the end of the film the credit that pops up says its a film by a bunch of friends, and that's exactly what it was. But they're all true professionals.

Michaela and Braxton performing one of their bigger stunts.

TDD: How were your costumes and props created?

DG: All the costumes were made by Allison Dredge. We went to film school together and she makes most of the costumes for our film shoots. And the Prince of Persia Dagger was hand made by Fitz who makes most of our props. Any other props we used we gathered while in Uzbekistan.

TDD: Favourite memories that stick out in your mind?

DG: I love the country of Uzbekistan. Everyone is so friendly and does everything they can to help. When Lara and Nathan fall from the building, we had the table structure they fall on built by locals. They made it happen so fast. Just the hospitality was on another level I've never experienced.

TDD: Might there be a sequel on the horizon and can you tease anything?

DG: We would love to make a sequel. With these passion projects, they're pretty expensive to make since they're fully self funded, so the hope is the video can get a lot of attention and that we can make another sequel, we already have the locations and some of the events in mind if we're able to make it happen, all I can say about it for now is it would be somewhere tropical :)

Thank you to Devin for doing this interview! Check out the film and behind the scenes video below…

Everyone meet Kate! She is an award nominated actress who has been in the profession for 20 years.

Her newest projects include “Out of Mecca”, an innovative sci-fi short by Stephen Reynolds, “Sequestration”, a short thriller filmed entirely via video call during the first lockdown, “The Lockdown Hauntings” with Tony Todd and upcoming action comedy short, “Choose Your Weapon”, which shines a light on postnatal anxiety.

When not kicking butt on screen or coaching fitness, Kate spends her free time cosplaying one of her favourite characters, Lara Croft.

You may also recognise her for playing Lara later in life in our Tomb Raider fan film, “Athena”.

I’ve known her for a number of years now and so I thought it was about time I invited her to the Cosplay Corner!

Check out her video interview below.

EXCLUSIVE: Some cast and crew of the upcoming fan film "Tomb Raider: Voice From Beyond".

Hello raiders!

It's been a very long time since my last post, a year in fact. 2020 has been strange and frightening for us all in many different ways. The whole world has been at a stand still and with it, the arts have taken a massive hit. As a new filmmaker, it's hugely important to me that we keep the spirit alive and show support for these projects at a time when escapism is needed the most.

That is why I'm so pleased to have had the chance recently to talk to the makers of a new fan film which only just wrapped filming days before the pandemic hit. Last night, they finally released their first teaser trailer.

We have Adam Thede, the writer/director and Rama Montakhabi, a Persian-American actress, writer, and freehand artist who portrays a classic inspired Lara Croft.

TDD: How did this project first come about?

AT: I worked with Jennifer Grimes (our Amanda) on an earlier project, and one of us made a joke about doing a Lara Croft fan film. As sometimes happens to me with off-the-wall ideas, it stuck to the back of my mind, and I finally decided to just sit down and see what kind of story I could come up with. What ended up on the page seemed to encapsulate a lot of what I enjoy about a film project, and since I was itching to direct again anyway, this seemed like good fun.

TDD: What made you choose to set your story in the classic universe?

AT: I’m actually a huge fan of the reboot games; I’ve never seen the Angelina Jolie films, and my exposure to classic Lara was very limited prior to starting work on this film. As I looked harder at the classic franchise, what fascinated me was the cultural conversation between whether she’s a manufactured sex symbol or a strong female hero. As much as I love the new Lara, I wanted to pay tribute to classic Lara and comment on her value in culture. Also, the costuming is more fun.

EXCLUSIVE: Writer/director, Adam Thede applies SFX make-up to lead actress, Rama Montakhabi (Lara Croft)

TDD: How did you assemble your crew?

AT: I wanted to keep things small and light (and cheap), so I only approached a few people I’d worked with before, like Edmond Manpanty, our sound engineer. I met Michael Padilla, our DP and Steadicam operator, at just the right time for us to work on this film together, and Evan, his son, assisted him. I met Christina Sittser during the casting process, and she ended up being the costume designer and PA I didn’t even know we needed.

EXCLUSIVE: From left to right: Edmond Manpanty (sound), Adam Thede (writer/director), Jennifer Grimes (Amanda Evert) Ernest Keith Walker (Shayne) and Raquel Vilarino (Nikita)

EXCLUSIVE: Edmond Manpanty (sound) and Michael Padilla (Director of Photography/steadicam)

EXCLUSIVE: Costume designer and PA, Christina Sittser helps set up one of Jennifer Grimes' (Amanda's) scenes.

TDD: How did you go about casting your actors?

AT: I posted an open call on LA Casting and reached out to a some actors I already knew to invite them to audition. As I mentioned, I had worked with Jenni before, and she was part of the genesis of the project, so it was great fun having her aboard. Rama, Raquel, and Ernest simply submitted impressive audition tapes.

RM: I was on LA Casting submitting myself for parts when I came across the audition for Lara Croft. I was really familiar with Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft in "Tomb Raider" [2001] and loved her bad ass character so I was excited to audition. Wasn’t too familiar with the game so I learned a few things about her while on set.

TDD: How did you prepare for the role?

RM: I prepared for the role mainly by working out & practicing my lines. Ironically, I had played around with the British accent for years and would actually go out some nights in full character never breaking my accent so for me the dialect was the best part! Felt like a natural delivering my lines.

TDD: What was it like working with the rest of the cast and crew?

RM: The cast and crew were AMAZING! They were so professional and so much fun to work with! All my costars made it super easy to bring this vision to life. It was magical. Can’t believe we were able to fit everything in a 2 day shoot.

EXCLUSIVE: Lead actresses, Rama Montakhabi (Lara Croft) and Jennifer Grimes (Amanda Evert) rehearse lines while Michael Padilla (Director of Photography) and his son Evan unload the gear.

TDD: Tell us about the costumes.

AT: A quick shout out to my friends at Enchanted Characters for letting us cannibalize their Black Widow costume for Lara’s boot covers and Nikita’s gloves, as well as loaning us a Kylo Ren cloak for Shayne. The rest were a combination of various thrift store finds, actors’ own wardrobes, and Amazon Prime items that Christina and I found. I wanted Lara to be instantly recognizable from her wardrobe, which I believe we accomplished. I copied Amanda’s look in part from the Legend game, but we tweaked it so she could have a physical transformation at the climax of the film (spoiler alert). I wanted Shayne to appear like a classic cult leader, but a simple robe is boring, so we cobbled together a few different items to give him some color and texture. Nikita’s main role is to be physically threatening, and since Raquel is highly athletic, we just tried to highlight her physique. Christina modified and distressed the clothing just before the shoot and gave it all a perfectly weathered look.

EXCLUSIVE: Jennifer Grimes (Amanda Evert) and Rama Montakhabi (Lara Croft)

EXCLUSIVE: Ernest Keith Walker as mysterious sorcerer, Shayne.

EXCLUSIVE: Raquel Vilarino (Nikita), Rama Montakhabi (Lara Croft) and Ernest Keith Walker (Shayne)

TDD: So far, has there been any difficulties with the production that stick out in your mind?

AT: Every production has its surprises and challenges, and this one was no exception. Lara’s costume came together at the last minute when we had trouble finding Airsoft guns in stores that looked realistic enough (I had to paint over the orange parts by hand) and a backpack that would work. We had great weather, thankfully, but we were shooting in a public area with noise from hikers, bikers, families, etc. Did you know that most people will quiet down right away if Lara Croft herself asks them nicely?

RM: The funniest moment on set would have to have been when I yelled “quiet on the set” to some people nearby in the woods making noise, then ran over (in full costume) to tell them in person. It wasn’t until they saw me in my costume that they actually stopped making noise and wanted to know more info about the movie. The cast & crew got a real kick out of my “Lara Croft” attitude. 🤪

EXCLUSIVE: Director of Photography, Michael Padilla films a close-up of Rama Montakhabi (Lara Croft).

AT: Our biggest problem ended up being batteries, which we were going through like crazy since we couldn’t plug anything in. On top of that, our second and last filming day got off to a late start for a variety of reasons, so we were racing the sun at the same time. Then, a few days after we wrapped filming, the entire country shut down due to the global pandemic, which basically paused our entire postproduction process. We’re very close to a final cut though, and I’ll be submitting it to film festivals soon.

TDD: How long will the film be?

AT: It’s shaping up to be about 9 minutes before credits, which is exactly the number of pages in the script.

TDD: Have to ask. Will there be a sequel?

AT: Michael jokingly brought up the idea of an Indiana Jones film, and now I want to do a crossover. But these projects are a lot of work to pull together for something that can’t be monetized. However, inspired by working on this project with fit, sexy, badass women, I have developed an original series concept that I expect will be coming soon in some form or another.

TDD: Would you play the role again if asked?

RM: I am truly honored to have been given the opportunity to bring Lara to life and I would absolutely do it again in a heartbeat!

TDD: After this pandemic is over, what’s next for you?

RM: I had a small part on a feature film for Lifetime that we filmed earlier this year that should be coming out at the end of the year called “Sinister Sister” so look out for me there. I also have a few projects that I’m excited to begin working on once things open back up, as well as a movie that I am writing myself. The pandemic actually gave me the time to write it so for that, I am thankful.

TDD: Finally, what was the most rewarding part?

RM: Pretty much everything about being a part of this project was rewarding for me. Portraying such a strong and powerful character was the most rewarding part. Being told that I was “made for this role” was another rewarding part.

AT: The dedication and hard work of our little team was humbling to watch. Despite our time constraints, we had a wonderful, organic, loose vibe on set, which I love to see as a director. The film looks like dynamite, too; it was shot in 4K on a Steadicam, and Michael did incredible work giving us a smooth but kinetic feel throughout.