Sow will screen at the Straight Jacket Guerrilla Film Festival
How did you get into making films?
In seventh grade English class, I was partnered with my best friend (my assistant director on Sow) to teach the class about pronouns in a creative manner, we decided to video a puppet show lesson. Since then, he and I have made films together.
What inspired you to make your movie?
A plethora of things. Beautiful nature and my home county were incredible influences on showcasing the world within the film. My friends and our mutual respect for cinema. Particularly, for my film Sow, something that was a high inspiration, was my four sisters, who are thanked in the credits.
How has your style evolved?
Every project I have encountered I like to experiment with. Maybe things don't work, but I'll learn that as I go. And each project I hone toward a better masterpiece. Even throughout production, we as a team experiment often, desire to try something different, or have a vision unattainable, so we utilised resources. Attempting and growing through film has always made me smile.
Tell us any strange or funny stories while making the film.
While trespassing an abandoned fuel station, we spent too many minutes long. The police were called multiple times by drivers-by who noticed peculiar activity at a known ghost station. The film's sequence asks the male lead to drive off at a squeal. Perfect timing, the police showed up, my male lead (not noticing them) squeals off. With his hand hovering over his holster, the officer finally got the vehicle to cease movement and asked all actors to step out, and we crew joined them. After explaining our situation as filmmakers, they gaily remarked on one another being "stars" and if we ever should need police officers, we know who to go to. They were cheeky. The sergeant came simply to view the excitement. At the end, we asked them if we could remain to finish the shoot, they allowed and left, waving.
Upon watching the dailies, I noticed the reflections of our production crew in the windows of the vehicle in each shot. Even after all of this, we had to re-shoot this sequence. We re-shot in a wholly different location. Which I find to have been a much better looking shot, and even our actors performed better than before.
The MIsrule Film Movement & Pink8 manifesto bring what to mind?
Straightjacket Guerrilla Film Festival
What can we expect from your next film?
The fantasy world Sow takes place in is a broad one. There are many towns throughout this world, each at the mercy of a dragon. My next film is working-title Eager, production this winter. It is a winter's fantasy world about individuals who are setting off come morning to slay dragons in the towns over. But today, they prepare. We learn of citizens' lives and how they are affected by this impending change. The facebook page for this upcoming production is facebook.com/eagercatalyst.
