It’s 8am on an icy cold July morning. I’m standing in a red gum forest in regional Victoria with a small group of men. We’re all wearing bird masks and white robes. In front of us, a man is dressed in a giant owl costume. He slowly raises his arms and lets out a loud squawking noise. We all squawk back. A cacophony of bird screeches echoes through the trees. A couple of early morning hikers appear, take one look at this pack of human-sized birds, and bolt back the way they came.
“Cut!” We’re filming a scene for the critically-acclaimed Australian horror movie Late Night with the Devil. The bloke in the giant owl costume is Adam White, the former Australian rules footballer who played 44 games for Carlton between 1995-2001. He’s co-producer of the film, but right now he’s the Owl High Priest, because he’s the only one big enough to fit in the costume.
