Spenser Fritz – Referential Filmmaker

Spenser Fritz is a writer, producer and director based in Nashville, TN. He is currently in post-production for his latest feature film, A Matter of Time.

I think Spenser would take his coffee black. No cream, no sugar. He seems like the type of artist who stays up all night creating and would just need the coffee to keep the burning oil going.

DP: How did you get into filmmaking?

SF: I actually fell into it in a sense. I had always excelled at creative writing. Even in elementary school random teachers would come up and tell me how much they loved my writing. When I got to high school I was going to study architecture, but then in my junior year I decided to make a big shift. I got in a TV production class and started making little films and right away everybody was impressed with what I was doing. So I thought I must have a knack for this.

DP: Did you start off as a writer?

SF: During my senior year I had to decide whether I was going to go to a University to write books or go to a film school to write movies. My Dad had instilled a passion in me for film because of his love for cult classics like Tremors and Reservoir Dogs. So I already loved movies, was really good at writing and so decided to go in film direction

DP: What film did you want to make early on?

SF: My earliest big idea was to do something about the damaging effects of meth. I wanted to write the first big meth film and expose people to the world that I had seen in my small town. But then Breaking Bad and Cook County came out. So I moved on from that pretty quickly.

DP: When did you go from wanting to be a writer to becoming a director?

SF: In my first movie I made in film school I decided I wanted to be a writer and director. The process went really well and I could communicate the vision and what I wanted really well. I decided that I could direct what I wrote better than anyone else.

DP: So which part of the film process are you most confident in?

SF: I can really get in the zone when I write dialogue. Then I love communicating with actors as a director. No matter who the actor is or what their background is, they seem to trust me and the vision I am communicating. I just listen and give feedback.

DP: How do you prepare for a film?

SF: A lot of pre-production. I look up to Alfred Hitchcock. He would prepare so much that I think if he didn’t come to set things would still go as planned. I imitate that preparation of planning shots, reading and critiquing the script over and over again.I direct the movie in my head before anything starts. I go through every beat and think through how it needs to be done and why. I picture myself acting each individual part and try to see what small nuances need to be brought to the scene. So with the actors I can clearly communicate what I want and why. I also storyboard every single shot and would never make a feature without doing that. 

DP: How do you balance that preparation with the constant changes of an independent film set?

SF: When it comes to storyboarding, you always want to storyboard with the DP. It will minimize the amount of changes you have to do later. I like to collaborate and trust my DP. If he finds a shot that he loves then I trust his/her instincts. But there is always at least one shot within each scene that I feel that we have to get.

DP: How do you approach assembling a team for an individual project?

SF: I always search for the best person for the job. There are those that I will always have creatively alongside me for any project. But I like finding the best person for a specific job and that changes every time. I look for the person that will add the most to that story.

DP: Which filmmakers are you most influenced by?

SF: I am such a referential filmmaker that I feel like I am always pulling from other directors. But the top four would be: Hitchcock, Fassbinder, Tarantino and the Coen brothers.

DP: How have these directors influenced you?

SF: Hitchcock revolutionized so many aspects of filmmaking. I want to be innovative and remembered for doing new things. Fassbinder because of his track record and the way he does his beats. He was also so prolific and made so many films in such a short amount of time. I would like to have that same drive to create so many films consecutively. Everybody is going to make good and bad movies, but I would love to crank out feature, feature, feature. Just make a lot of films. The Coen brothers because they show such a beauty of emotion and also can do any genre. They can do horror and they can do comedy. I too want to tell stories in all genres of film. Tarantino because he is also such a referential filmmaker.

DP: What film has influenced your style most?

SF: North by Northwest. Its Hitchcock, which most people associate with horror films like Psycho. But it’s a film that fits everything. Its Hitchcock in his prime and it shows the sense of humor that he had that most people don’t know about. I feel like a director who has a great sense of humor in my films that isn’t so easily seen.

DP: What would you consider your style?

SF: If I could sum up my desired style I would say a referential filmmaker with a knack for comedy. Even films that are meant to be totally dramatic should have an element where it makes people laugh. Like It’s a Wonderful Life.

DP: What is your style of comedy?

SF: The unexpected. Tina Fey is one of my comedic idols. She hits you at the perfect moment.

DP: How do you take your coffee?

SF: Regular coffee with extra cream. I think if I went with anything else it would get me all wired up.

 

Josh Childs – Cannot Not Create

Josh Childs is an actor, writer, producer and director in Nashville, TN. He has just released a new feature called The Nothing, and is working on a Sci-Fi comedy TV show. My coffee beverage of choice for Josh would be a Chai latte with a shot of espresso…because he has unusual tastes, and probably likes the mixture of sweet and spicy with a kick!

When was the moment that you realized that you wanted to be a filmmaker? 

It happened in stages. My brother is an incredibly talented actor, director and writer and therefore I was exposed to that world early on. I would write little 12-page scripts and think, “oh there’s enough material in here for a feature.” And most of those scenarios would involve my friends being vampire hunters on some level. But even though I started acting I never stepped into that space as a writer/director because my brother was there. So when he moved away for a bit I felt like I had the confidence to step into it and make something happen.

Why did you want to become a filmmaker? 

If its in your soul you really don’t have a choice. It always bubbling in there, even with those early 12-page scripts. There was always a deep need to create. I think every person has that need…whether its making scrap books or even someone like my Dad would take cars and fix them up…we all have a need to create.

Which filmmaker are you most influenced by? 

Here is who makes me jealous: Wes Anderson. The way his mind works. Everything he does is so distinctly his. I’m also greatly influenced by Jean-Pierre Jeunet who made Delicatessen, City of Lost Children, Amelie, and Rian Johnson, who made Brick, Brothers Bloom and just recently Looper, which was his breakout feature last year. All three of Johnson’s films are so different and yet so brilliant. Also Ray Harryhausen, who is specifically in special effects. I have really loved watching his stuff recently.

How have these filmmakers influenced you? 

They are able to set themselves apart with their work. Thats why it doesn’t get lost in all the other movies. They don’t play by other’s rules. Tarantino is that way as well. He literally re-writes history in Inglorious Bastards and can get away with it because people know they can expect something different with his work. Thats what I hope I can do with my films.

What would you say your style is? 

I like making movies that tell stories with quirky scenarios. My latest film The Nothing came out of loving disaster and confinement stories as well loving the Twilight Zone. I don’t know if any filmmaker can avoid pouring a piece of themselves into their projects…so my work will always be autobiographical to some degree.

What is your favorite stage of the filmmaking process? 

Being on set. Thats the peak. You feel like you are really making something. But the script writing process is probably the most cathartic for me and its the easiest in the sense that I can do it on my own. I do not like post-production. There are great moments during post-production but when you are doing something low budget it feels like pulling teeth.

What is your favorite responsibility in the filmmaking process and what are you best at? 

Putting together a team for a project as a producer is my favorite. However, there are aspects of a producer that are my least favorite. I’m probably best as an actor but thats probably just because I have done that the most and am most comfortable with it. But I am starting to see that I have a skill at bringing people together for a project and organizing a great team.

What has been the hardest thing of your filmmaking journey? 

Making The Nothing came at a very hard time financially for my family. Everything I was trying to do as far as getting work wasn’t coming through. Going through that was very difficult because I have been broke before in my life, but being broke while trying to provide for a family is different. And it got to me because I felt like I was part of a cliche. But my wife and I are a great team and we got through it.

If you had unlimited time, budget and had no consequences to reputation or career, what film would you make? 

I am in a very Sci-Fi fantasy place right now. And I’m especially wanting to do a Sci-Fi fantasy comedy. The Watch was really close to what I would want to make right now. Or something like Young Frankenstein. I don’t know what the story would be but it would be in that realm.

If you weren’t a filmmaker what would you be doing? 

I love telling stories, talking, and gathering people together. So something that involved one of those. But I think my brain kicked in a while back that I wouldn’t do anything outside of film, so its hard to think outside of that.

How do you get better at your craft? 

I watch a lot of films and associate with people that are more experienced than I am. Someone like Drew Langer, who is a Nashville filmmaker, and is very talented and has worked on so many sets and productions. I love to go and spend time with him and pick his brain on how to do things.

I also like to study and track trends within film. I want to understand where things have come from and what the progression was from film to film or person to person. For example I am really looking at how Harryhousen has influenced the development of so many streams of special effects within film. His spectrum of work is incredible. Or looking at comedy actors and tracking the trends of where they come from and how far it goes back. Ultimately you start to see things in a new light and the older “classics” become much more vibrant and powerful.

What is your coffee beverage of choice? 

Coffee black with one exception…during the holidays I will get a pumpkin spice latte.

 

 

Jennifer Bonior – Genre Blender

Jennifer Bonior is a writer and producer and co-runs Untrademarked Productions in Nashville, TN. Her new feature film, Worm, is set for release in 2013.

My coffee beverage for Ms. Bonior is a Mocha with double the espresso…because she always seems to have energy (so she must be getting extra caffeine) and probably likes chocolate.

When was the moment that you wanted to be a filmmaker? 

I was a sophomore in high school. I remember the moment very clearly. We were going through a bunch of Shakespeare plays and I was given an assignment to make a video that had something to do with one of his plays. I just remember going crazy with it. It was very elementary, but I remember saying to myself while filming, “this is the way life should be.” And it got even better in post-production. It was the camaraderie that made it so invigorating.

At that moment what kind of filmmaker did you want to become? 

I didn’t fully understand what a filmmaker was until I started film school. But early on I really admired Tim Burton. His films were so whimsical and fun. It was those types of films that I wanted to make.

What was it about Tim Burton’s films that you loved?

He is able to do something that I still try and do with my films – blend genres. Burton is perfect at that. He mixes the cute and the endearing with the horrific. Beetlejuice was one of those first films that did that. It was so crazy and weird, yet so cute at the same time.

Which filmmaker inspires you most now? 

I feel like I always have a bad answer for that because I am always influenced in the moment. Whatever I am watching at the time is usually what is influencing me then. I am like a teenage girl – I fall in love with who’s hottest at that moment. For instance right now its Sofia Coppola because I just did a study of Lost in Translation. I really try and watch a film and learn something from it, not just be entertained.

How do you study a film? 

I watch it once while I am falling asleep and just let it wash over me. Then I go back watch it carefully. I’ll rewind to specific parts and stare at what they are doing, or focus on a line of dialogue. Sometimes I will even transcribe a scene. If something struck me I try and find out what it was and how it was done. I usually try and focus on the acting and dialogue. One film that I always go back to is William Friedkin’s Bug. And there were moments in PT Anderson’s The Master that were incredible.

What has been the hardest part of your journey as a filmmaker? 

Staying inspired and not getting discouraged. Its easy to go and watch a film and get extremely depressed. You see this great piece of art and then go sit at your computer and try to write and you don’t feel like its as good as you would want it to be.

How do you push through that? 

I go back and read things that have inspired me. I am a short story person. I especially like Stephen King’s short stories. I can’t tell how many times I have stolen one little element from them and created an entire script.

What is the most embarrassing moment you have had as a filmmaker? 

A short film that I produced was being screened at a festival and the projectionist stopped the film after the opening sequence because he thought the film was over.

What style would you say your films are? 

I really try and be a genre blender and have a different fee to every film I make. I try and mix comedy, romance and horror. Not gore though. Psychological horror. There is just something great about combining the cute and the macabre.

What is your favorite component of the filmmaking process? 

I love every component when I am in it.

Is there one that you like least of all? 

Production actually. There are just so many extreme pressures on set. Its the only stage where you can’t have off days. In a way it is the most limited from a creative standpoint because you are stuck within specific parameters.

What is your favorite role in making a film? And what are you best at? 

My favorite is to be a creative producer and be paired with a director that allows me to have creative input into a project. Like the Cohen brothers. But I am probably best at being a regular, “normal” producer.

If you weren’t a filmmaker what would you be doing? 

Teaching. I don’t know what, but I know that I would be a teacher. I was always good at school. I like doing assignments and excelling so I would love to teach.

If you had unlimited financing, unlimited time and no consequences to reputation…what film would you make? 

Probably some sort of heavy handed film about women. It would be so therapeutic to be able to tell a story about the things that women deal with. The things that I deal with. Like its not easy being a white woman. People think we have it easy, but I constantly deal with sexism and feel pressure to prove myself.

What is your coffee beverage of choice? 

A vanilla soy latte. That is the perfect drink. Nice and sweet.

I WAS SURE WRONG ABOUT THAT COFFEE BEVERAGE! 

Breven Warren – Pulse of Independent Film

Breven Angaelica Warren is a producer, director, actress and programmer for independent film festivals such as Sundance, San Francisco, Miami, AFI and a host of others. My coffee drink for Ms. Warren would be “Zebra” (black and white mocha) at Starbucks. Thats because I would think she likes sweet, chocolaty things…but also wants something NOT on the menu.

 

What was the moment that you knew you wanted to become a filmmaker? 

I have always been passionate about film. I was actively making films in University (Florida State University) for fun and for my own personal art, but I never took a film class and never imagined it as a career. After graduating, I was familiar with the entertainment industry in South Florida. My first time on a studio film was walking around as an ethnographer, to learn about the machine, or community rather than as a film set. While on set I had lots of various conversations with different departments. But it was a teamster who hooked me by saying, “You have to like traveling all of the time. Never knowing when your next job is gonna be. Having to work with different people on every project. Always doing something different…” I was in awe. Someone actually pays people for a job like that? It sounded like a dream. I was in.

Which filmmaker(s) have influenced you most? 

I am constantly influenced by filmmakers. I am continually on the festival circuit being surprised and delighted by new and upcoming talent. I am always excited when I see something I haven’t seen before. And I love when film affects and challenges me.

What is your favorite film and why? 

The impossible question. I love films that I can watch again and again and laugh each time. I also love films that break my heart and make me sick to my stomach because they are so emotionally painful.

What is the hardest thing you have experienced in your journey? 

Because I am constantly working on my own passion projects, funding is the greatest source of stress. I am always putting myself in debt over projects that I believe in. It’s a terrible business model, but I’d rather be creating with what I have than waiting for someone to help. It is both a strength and a weakness.

What is the most embarrassing experience you have had in your career? 

Unfortunately, it is the same as my stress. Most of my projects are delayed due to lack of resources for post production. I feel terrible for everyone who helps create the film with us and has to wait. But, when I literally don’t have the funds for completion, the projects have to wait on the shelf. It’s an embarrassing feeling to let fellow artists down when it can often take so long. But I do believe each project deserves to be completed properly and to its fullest potential. And that takes time and most often money.

What is your favorite stage of the filmmaking process and why?

I love finding new material. I read an enormous amount of scripts looking for material that interests me. I love development and organizing a project that I have found and starting to plan a future for it. The concept of helping it come to its full potential while figuring out the details in pre-production is exciting.

Nothing is actually more fun than production itself. I look at production as though I am hosting a party. Each of my talented guests are extraordinary crew and cast members who are ideal for the role and are guests I want to host. Not only are we coming together for an intense short period where we all have a great time, at the end of the day we will be making a piece of art that can be shared. Making a sharable piece of art that can be shared is incredible.

What would you consider your style? 

I am not sure if I have a specific style. Each of my projects are pieces onto themselves. You can’t really compare them. I have worked on documentaries both serious and whimsical. I have made experimental films and music video style pieces. And I create narratives with dark tones and comedies alike. I believe in good storytelling. I want to make films I think people would enjoy.

If you were not working in the film industry, what would you be doing? 

I imagine I would be hosting other events. I love bringing people together. And I am passionate about the arts.

How would you advise others in your specialty to get better? 

Keep making films. If you have a story to tell, simply start making it. You will learn something with each production no matter the size, just keep creating.

What is your coffee beverage of choice?   

I love coffee. I can appreciate the effects separately than the taste depending on the circumstances. Coffee is ultimately best when you are in another country or culture and you are experiencing it the way they make it.

Bill Cornelius – Filmmaking at 8

BIll Cornelius is a writer, director, editor, director of photography, and owner of Lavorsia Pictures Entertainment. (www.Lavorsia.com)

My coffee beverage for Mr. Cornelius is: Starbucks Caramel Macchiato. Because even though he is a serious man…there is still a little boy that likes sweet things.

 

What was the moment when you knew that you wanted to be a filmmaker?

I was 8 years old. Growing up my parents had basic cable and HBO, and in the 80s movies like Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and E.T. would show on HBO.That was my first introduction to how magical the world of movies and storytelling was. At age eight I decided to borrow my parent’s big VHS video camera to see if I could tell my own stories and produce that same magic. Immediately it was like a drug. There was Instant satisfaction at being able to tell a story and pull so many elements together. Then to share that end product with people and see their faces react. It was very exciting. I was hooked.

Which filmmakers have influenced you most?

Throughout my career it has been Steven Spielberg. Even the animated stuff that he did with Don Bluth like American Tale, and The Land Before Time. Bluth is someone that has had a great imapct on me and its a shame that he hasn’t made a film since 2000 because he can’t get funding. People don’t give him enough credit. I was also influenced by the early works of Robert Zemeckis and how he would take ordinary people and put them in extraordinary and imaginative circumstances. Some contemporary influences would be Christopher Nolan and J.J Abrams.

What is the first thing about a film that you notice and are drawn to? 

The music. A lot of filmmakers can’t watch a movie without analyzing everything. But for some reason I can watch something and suspend all my criticisms and just enjoy it. I don’t like picking a film a part. But I love when directors use music effectively. For example when they assign themes or motifs to different characters. It can either suck me right in or it can push me away. If there is a perfect marriage between the visual and the music it creates a beautiful film. It affects people deeper than they realize.

What filmmaker and film would you say uses music most effectively? 

Steven Spielberg is the master of this. His incredible collaboration with John Williams is something that I’m envious of. The perfect example of this is E.T. The score works so perfectly with that film that its…its amazing and beautiful. Spielberg and Williams approach the scoring perfectly in sync. I want to meet a composer that I can have that same approach and relationship with.

What motivates you to be a filmmaker and artist? 

My main motivating factor is to reach people in a positive way. I told my mom recently that the moment that I know I’ve “made it” as a filmmaker is the moment that someone from the next generation comes up to me and tells me that they are doing what they want to do because of my work. Thats what drives me to keep creating.

What has been the hardest part of your journey as a filmmaker? 

My first few years out of film school. It was such a struggle. I had no demo real and it was really hard to get work. I had to do projects and commercials that I never want people to see. I would never even admit to doing them.

For you, what is the most difficult hurdle as a filmmaker? 

Getting financing for projects. I can come up with a million ideas but the challenge is getting them funded. My perfect world is to have financing appear out of nowhere. But on a serious note, I don’t ever let money stop me from making the films I want. Oftentimes I just go broke investing my own money into making projects a reality.

What “hat” or role do you most enjoy wearing and doing? 

Its hard to choose just one, so I’ll choose two: Director and Writer. Maybe director barely winning out.

What stage of the filmmaking process is your favorite? 

Thats tough because each part has its own enjoyable and non-enjoyable elements. But I love the production process. Seeing everything unfold and figuring out how to toggle the many elements is amazing. And if I had to choose something within production it would have to be the camera and lighting component. I am an extremely visual artist and when I see the shadows, color and lighting coming together to tell the story I get very excited. Its like looking at a book with pictures and just getting excited about the pictures.

If you had unlimited time and budget, and had no consequences to reputation or career what film would you make? 

The feature length version of my short film Lavorsia. Not only is it a personal story; its a stylish, interesting and engaging story that I’ve always wanted to tell in the proper way. Movies are like meals. If I don’t feel like I’ve been satisfied like a good meal at the end of a movie I feel bad. I like to make films that are like a full, satisfying meal. Lavorsia is a film that would be like that. With a dessert at the end.

What would you consider your style of filmmaking? 

Some filmmakers have a very distinct style. For example, people see Tim Burton’s films and they immediately know that its him. And sometimes it feels like directors try forcing a style. I have always had a battle within me between styles. On one hand I have a very warm, imaginative, 80s filmmaking style. On the other side I have a darker, bluer, almost MTVish style. So its a constant battle between those two. I am getting closer to fusing them together to make something though.

What advice would you give aspiring filmmakers? 

Go to film school. Film school allows you to make mistakes and learn how to do and not do things in a way that the real world doesn’t give grace for. Have a passion for what you do. Don’t be pessimistic and negative about yourself and your work. Its a long, hard road and optimism and hope is what will carry you through.

What coffee drink is your drink of choice?

I don’t drink coffee. How about lemonade?

 

 

 

 

Paul Skidmore – Man of the Renaissance

Paul Skidmore is a director, writer, and producer and founder of his production company Parabolos.

The coffee beverage that I would assign to Paul: large black coffee, straight up.

 

When did you know you wanted to become a filmmaker?

Movies were something that I always loved as a kid. At age 6 I wrote down a list of around 30 occupations that I thought I could do. It was a ridiculously long list. But I’ve always loved movies and wanted to make them but I didn’t know how. I would see these really nerdy pictures of Steven Spielberg, Robert Zemeckis and George Lucas and I’d say to myself, “ I can do that. I am at least a little less nerdy than they are.”

It was in college that I realized that I really wanted to do this. I was sitting in an “Intro to Film” class,, and we were watching Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing. (Even though I don’t usually like Spike Lee films) There were parts of that film that were so different than any film I’d ever seen. He stepped outside the traditional form and I knew that there was a reason that he was doing it. I didn’t know the reasons why he was doing them like I know now, but it was in that moment that I knew I had to make movies. I knew I could do it. I just needed to learn how (Skidmore went on to earn a degree in Filmmaking with an emphasis in Producing from the University of North Carolina).

 

Why did you feel the urge to make movies? 

It was similar to Plato’s Cave illustration. When I had my “Aha” moment watching Do the Right Thing, it was such a great feeling. I now wanted to see other people have that same feeling. So I guess it was a little narcissistic at first. I wanted to create something that could create a moment for people just like I had. There’s something about film that is revelatory, and I wanted to be a part of that. I wanted to do much more than just entertain people.

 

Which filmmakers do you aspire to be like? 

Those that I aspire to be like are not necessarily in film. Film is actually a very young art form. It’s still an infant. As I’ve gotten older I want to be a part of a greater trajectory that has longevity. So I look to people that have done things that have that type of longevity. People like Michelangelo. One of the last things he wrote was, “Ancora Imparo (Still I learn).” He invented to create, worked passionately and thoroughly. He did things that are “technically” wrong, like the hands and head of his Davidor the proportional sizes of Mary and Jesus in his Pieta, but these became masterpieces because of the reasons behind them those decisions. People like Rachmaninov and Buddy Rich are those I aspire to be like. I’m also influenced by people outside of the classical arts. People like Steve Jobs, or even those that worked in NASA during the 50s and 60s. Look at their work ethic and attention to detail. I have more technology and resources in my iPhone and I use it to go to Facebook.

 

If you were not a Filmmaker, what would you be doing? 

I went to College for Music Education. I love teaching. So probably that.

 

What has been the hardest part about your journey as an artist? 

There’s always been a battle between the wisdom of man (which seeks to know everything) and the wisdom of God (which puts the truly important things first). So the hardest thing has been realizing that I can’t conquer or know everything, and embracing what is truly important and putting that above all else.

 

What is the most embarrassing/worst moment you have had as a filmmaker?

When I think about my life, it’s a series of boneheaded mistakes or failures. But if I had to choose one thing, it’d probably be not taking the time to sit down and learn from the mistakes that I’ve made in the past.

 

What is your favorite component/part of the filmmaking process? 

I’ll give two answers. The first is seeing someone have an  “Aha” moment when they see one of my films. The second is more technical. I love everything entailed with directing. The beauty of that is that with the way I direct it’s not confined to being on set. My style involves a lot of pre-planning and writing/drawing every little thing out before it ever gets to the set. So I can direct even before a project has financing and no one is around.

 

Which role in filmmaking do you like most and of which are you best? 

This is an easy one for me. Directing for sure. Especially when there is a strong team in place that can execute all of their respective responsibilities and I can really focus on directing. But others would probably say producing. I‘ve also become a better writer over the years.

 

What film has influenced you the most? 

Because of the films that I grew up with, the great epics of the 80s have a special place in my heart. Films like E.T., Indiana Jones, Star Wars, Back to the Future. I always saw myself as Eliot (E.T.), or Marty Mcfly (Back to the Future), or Luke Skywalker (Star Wars). The films of Zemeckis and Lucas have influenced me a lot.

One in particular is Cast Away, which has one of the most well crafted endings of any film I’ve ever seen. The way Zemeckis puts the final shot (with the crossroads) on the audience is brilliant. Mel Gibson’s Passion is another one that I believe is masterfully well done. A film that made a huge impact on me that most people have not heard of is Claude Lelouch’s Les Miserables (1995). I can’t even get it on DVD, but it’s a beautiful French film that has shaped my storytelling style.    

 

If you had no limitations to budget, time or reputation what film would you make right now?

Not to avoid the answer, but I’d probably make the films that I’m trying to make right now: Stirring (Short) and Gentleman’s Club (Feature). But if there were no limitations to budget or time and I wanted to do something fun, then I’d make the Sci-Fi futuristic thriller that I mapped out when I was in college (due to the sensitivity of the plot we’ll just have to leave it at that).

 

What is your coffee beverage of choice (with money not being an issue)? 

Quad tall (12oz) ristretto breve latte with honey and light foam.

What is this?

Welcome to my new interview blog. Each week I will post an interview with a different filmmaker around the world. These will be extremely interesting and diverse people ranging from Directors, Writers, Producers, Actors, and so on.

Each of them will be asked the same 10 questions and we will hear where they come from and where they are going.

I will also assign a coffee drink that I think best describes them ahead of time and then they will be asked what their drink of choice is. We will see how accurate or inaccurate I am in defining them with a cup of coffee.

It will be a fascinating glimpse into what has made these artists who they are and what they hope to inspire in their world through their art.

I hope that you enjoy it and check in each week for a story about film with coffee.