Andrew Traucki

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{{Infobox person

| name = Andrew Traucki

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| occupation = Film director, screenwriter, cinematographer

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| notable_works = {{hlist|Black Water (2007)|The Reef (2010)|The Jungle (2013)|Black Water Abyss (2020)|The Reef: Stalked (2022)}}

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Andrew Traucki is an Australian film producer, writer, and director.{{Cite news |last=Felperin |first=Leslie |date=2022-07-26 |title=The Reef: Stalked review – water-phobic kayaker battles shark chomping |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/jul/26/the-reef-stalked-review-shark-horror-andrew-traucki |access-date=2024-12-08 |work=The Guardian |issn=0261-3077}} He is best known for directing the films Black Water (2007), The Reef (2010), The Jungle (2013), Black Water Abyss (2020),{{Cite web |title=Black Water: Abyss |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt7978672/ |access-date=2024-12-08 |website=Box Office Mojo}} and The Reef: Stalked (2022).{{Cite web |title=The Reef: Stalked |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt12735282/credits/?ref_=bo_tt_tab#tabs |access-date=2024-12-08 |website=Box Office Mojo}}{{Cite journal |last=Ryan |first=Mark David |title=Australian cinema's dark sun: the boom in Australian horror film production |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1386/sac.4.1.23_1 |journal=Studies in Australasian Cinema |language=en |volume=4 |issue=1 |pages=23–41 |doi=10.1386/sac.4.1.23_1 |issn=1750-3175}}

Early life and career

Traucki developed an early interest in film and photography during his twenties, which led him to pursue a career in the film industry.{{Cite web |title=Portrait of Phillip Adams, chairman, Australian Film Commission [picture]. |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-136538690/view |access-date=2024-12-08 |website=Trove}}{{better source needed|date=December 2024}}

Before becoming a feature filmmaker, Traucki was involved in a project of the reimagining of the 1950s radio play Rocky Star into a television series.{{Cite web |title=Rocky Star (1992) - The Screen Guide - Screen Australia |url=https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/the-screen-guide/t/rocky-star-1992/4596 |access-date=2024-12-08 |website=www.screenaustralia.gov.au}} Alongside Stephen Harrop and Steve Fearnley, Traucki edited 12 hours of radio play audio into 20 five-minute episodes. The series featured actors such as Kerry Fox lip-syncing to pre-recorded audio. Following this, Traucki worked at the Australian Film Commission (now Screen Australia), where he reviewed and assessed scripts.

Traucki's career as a filmmaker began with his debut feature film, Black Water (2007), which he wrote, directed, and co-produced.{{Cite web |last=Shone |first=Tom |date=2020-07-11 |title=Film reviews: Bad Education; Black Water: Abyss; Greyhound |url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/film-reviews-bad-education-black-water-abyss-greyhound-lcw93l9vm?region=global |access-date=2024-12-08 |website=The Times}}{{Cite web |last=Hodgkinson |first=Jade Cuttle {{!}} Ed Potton {{!}} Neil Fisher {{!}} Will |date=2020-07-02 |title=A culture lover’s guide: live arts, films and exhibitions to see this summer |url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/1f070544-bc6a-11ea-84a6-a03a9956ea0a |access-date=2024-12-08 |website=The Times}} Following the success of Black Water, Traucki continued to explore survival thrillers with The Reef (2010), a film he also wrote, directed, and co-produced.{{Cite web |date=2021-06-10 |title=The Reef: Stalked heads into production |url=https://cinemaaustralia.com.au/2021/06/10/the-reef-stalked-heads-into-production/ |access-date=2024-12-08 |website=Cinema Australia}}{{Cite web |last=Squires |first=John |date=2020-11-23 |title=Killer Shark Movie ‘The Reef’ Getting a Sequel With ‘The Reef: Stalked’ from Returning Director Andrew Traucki! |url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/movie/3642422/killer-shark-movie-reef-getting-sequel-reef-stalked-returning-director-andrew-traucki/ |access-date=2024-12-08 |website=Bloody Disgusting! |language=en-US}} In 2012, Traucki wrote, directed, and co-produced The Jungle.{{Cite web |last=Team |first=The IF |date=2012-08-31 |title=Andrew Traucki on The Jungle |url=https://if.com.au/andrew-traucki-on-the-jungle/ |access-date=2024-12-08 |website=IF Magazine |language=en-AU}}

Traucki returned to the Black Water franchise with Black Water Abyss (2020), a spiritual sequel that he directed.{{Cite web |last=Haar |first=Pete Vonder |title=Reviews For The Uneasily Quarantined: Black Water: Abyss |url=https://www.houstonpress.com/arts/things-to-watch-dark-water-abyss-11486985 |access-date=2024-12-08 |website=Houston Press}}{{Cite web |last=Groves |first=Don |date=2018-03-08 |title=International buyers take the plunge on Andrew Traucki’s 'Black Water: The Abyss' |url=https://if.com.au/international-buyers-take-the-plunge-on-andrew-trauckis-black-water-the-abyss/ |access-date=2024-12-08 |website=IF Magazine |language=en-AU}} The film centers on a group of friends exploring an underground river system, where they become trapped and pursued by unseen threats. Later in 2022, he wrote, directed, and co-produced the Reef Stalked, a sequel to The Reef that blends survival horror with themes of trauma and domestic violence.{{Cite web |last=Nash |first=Anthony |date=2022-05-10 |title=RLJE Films Acquires The Reef: Stalked, Sets Release Date |url=https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/1221327-the-reef-stalked-release-date |access-date=2024-12-08 |website=ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More |language=en-US}}

A feature that distinguishes Traucki’s films is in his quest for realism. To help achieve this he uses real animals in his films, rather than 3D models or animatronics. Traucki's films create suspenseful and terrifying atmospheres, often utilizing natural settings and minimal dialogue to heighten the horror experience.{{Cite web |last=Collins |first=Chad |date=2022-07-26 |title=Andrew Traucki's Career Is Full Of Creature Feature Bliss |url=https://www.dreadcentral.com/editorials/433283/andrew-trauckis-career-is-full-of-creature-feature-bliss/ |access-date=2024-12-14 |website=Dread Central |language=en-US}} His work delves into themes of survival, isolation, and the dangers posed by the natural world.