*How did you get into making films?
I loved, King Kong, the original. I got a job after school, bought a camera. Did a bunch of horror shorts with my friends. Went to film school. Got a job as an editor. Not until I had a steady income, was I willing to resume, making films. Some docs, more horror shorts, an animated feature and finally, Three Dramas.
*What inspired you to make your movie?
I wanted to work with material by great writers. I was hoping as a filmmaker it would help me better understand the subtle art of communication. As well, I hoped that really good stories would attract talented actors, looking for something to sink their teeth into.
*How has your style evolved?
I’ve always been very detail oriented. Liking effects movies and Hitchcock. At first I was shooting directing and editing. Carefully planning but for the most part shooting in sequence. Then I started using two cameras. I think the idea came from Luca’s discussions with Kurosawa, about shooting dramatic sequences with two or three cameras. I was still doing horror shorts, but two cameras was a good idea, got twice as much done in the same amount of time. And finally with Three Dramas, shooting entirely out of sequence, with two cameras, pretty much the way U.S. TV shows were shot in the fifities. And carefully choosing on camera talent.
*Tell us any strange or funny stories while making the film?
This is neither funny or strange, just a chapter in the making of Three Dramas. After shooting and editing the Eugene O’Neill, I set out to shoot a John Galsworthy story. Not A Woman With a Past and a Present, which is in Three Dramas, but another John Galsworthy story. After the first day’s shooting I realized, the lead I had chosen was wrong for the part. As well, I was not happy with the crew. I decided to cancel the rest of the shoot. Forget about the money I lost on the first day and find a new story.
*The Misrule Film Movement & Pink8 manifesto bring what to mind?
I had to Google Misrule and Pink8. There has always been this weird insistence, that movies must be shot on film. I have always maintained that you could shoot on toilet paper, that what the movie is shot on is not what makes it great. I think any reason people use to communicate, via media, using iPhones, head cams, security footage, or whatever raw source used, assembled and presented, can have a deep cultural impact, for current or future generations.
*What can we expect from your next film?
Good stories are hard to find. Something that speaks to both the heart and the mind. I’m looking for that story. And when I find it, I’ll try and do it.
