Category: Director

Paramount takes Jacob Chase's Thrilling Spec Script

7/24/2019

Writer and director, Mr. Jacob Chase, has gotten his spec script purchased by Paramount Pictures. He will also direct the untitled project. Andrew Rona and Alex Heineman will produce the project under The Picture Company. They are the same producer that worked on Jacob Chase's upcoming film titled Larry. So far this untitled project is about a family man who took his family to a trip in order to protect them from something horrific.

Jacob Chase has sold other spec script such as Infinite to Sony( he's also executive producer of numerous project including They Hear It(Legendary) and Whisper(Amblin).

You can check out my past interview that I did with Jacob Chase about his upcoming film Larry by simply clicking here.

Source Material: Deadline.com

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Interview with Mr. Richard Shepard, filmmaker and co-writer of The Perfection

7/4/2019

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Happy 4th of July everybody. I hope you're enjoying this day with your loved ones. Here is an interview from the mind of Mr. Richard Shepard. He has worked on such movies like The Matador, The Hunting Party, I knew it was you, and Dom Hemingway. He also worked on television shows such as Ugly Betty, 30 Rock, Girls, The Twilight Zone,and Sweetbitter. So, read his experience with his latest film The Perfection.

1. What is your favorite Brian De Palma movie? And have you met him in person?

Well, I’m a big fan of Brian De Palma and he was definitely an influence on The Perfection. My favorite Brian De Palma movie is called Dressed to Kill from 1980. It’s a deeply, stylish, incredibly weird, dark movie. I think it’s his best movie.

2. Have you met him in person?

I haven’t though I’m a big fan. Have you?

Me (Interviewee): No, I haven’t.
Mr. Richard Shepard: What’s your favorite De Palma's movie?
Me: Um… I have to say, probably, Carrie.
Mr. Richard Shepard: Have you seen Dressed to Kill?
Me: I’ve seen it on YouTube, clips of it, but I haven’t seen the whole movie.
Mr. Richard Shepard: You should really watch it. It’s pretty cool. It’s a pretty crazy movie.
Me: Awesome. I’ll definitely check it out.

3. Was The Perfection the original title or were there other titles?

That’s a good question. We didn’t have a title for a while when we were writing it. Sometimes it’s hard to come up with a title, but as we were writing it, we used this piece of dialogue in the film when he was talking about The Perfection and then we were like, that would be a good name for the movie. So, we named it The Perfection and then we worked it in the script even more so that it was all sort of tied together. Titles are strange. You never quite sure about the right title until it happens and then you’re like, oh yeah it could be called nothing else but this.

4. If you had to describe The Perfection using three words, it would be…

Um… totally, crazy, bonkers

5. What drew you to direct The Perfection?

Well, I co-wrote the movie. I’m a director and a writer. For me, as I was writing the film I started falling more and more with the possibilities of what we could do with this film. So, by the time the script was done, I was like, oh I have really, really have to make this film. Of course wanting to make a film and getting the movie made are two separate things, because it’s so hard to get a movie made, but I’m very thankful that we were able to put it all together. So, because I wrote it the whole time, I was expected to direct it.

6. What is your writing schedule in general?

When I write a script on my own I try to write five pages a day. It’s not easy. When you’re writing a script with two other people, like I did on The Perfection, with Eric Charemelo and Nicole Snyder, we spend a lot of time breaking the story and figuring out all the twist and turn of the story. Then we wrote the script very, very quickly. We sort of divided it and wrote it. When I do it on my own, it’s five pages a day because I feel like it’s a doable amount, but yet when you put your head down and view it you can have a first draft in a month. It may not be very good but you, at least, have something to work with.

7. Are you a morning writer or night?

I write anything, anyplace, anywhere. I can write in a crazy, crowded coffee shop or absolutely quiet room. I can write in the morning, I can write in the night. Sometimes I’m inspired late at night, sometime I’m inspired in the morning. When I’m trying to do five pages a day I’m motivated to try and get it done as quickly as possible. So I tend to do it in the morning so that I can have the rest of the day free to go to the movies or whatever. In general, I’m a morning writer.

8. What is your favorite line from The Perfection?

That’s a toughie. As a filmmaker I love every single moment of my movies, so it’s hard to pick one in particular. So, it’s just very hard for me to just pick one line of dialogue. This movie is just so filled with twists and turns. It’s like there’s five movies in one movie in a way so it’s hard for me just to pick just one.

9. What has been the best compliment you heard about The Perfection?

The Perfection has been very polarizing. Some people really loved it and some people really hate it. What I’m most proud about is that there are not many people in the middle. I’m very happy with all the nice reviews the movie has gotten and some of the reviews have not been so nice. In general, people seem to have a strong opinion about this film and I think that movies that cause a strong opinion are the ones that actually are the most interesting so that was what I think is the best compliment I’ve gotten.

10. Could you give an interesting fun fact about working with Allison Williams and Logan Browning?

I asked both of them to learn how to play the cello to do the movie. They both play cellist in the film and I really thought it would be interesting if they play the cello for the movie so that they have a understanding of what it was like to be a professional musician and the amount of work it would take and also they would understand the sort of painful art thing that goes into learning an instrument from your fingers bleeding to your back hurting. So, both actors set out to learn the songs in the movie and they trained several days a week for months until we shot the film. That’s why their scenes where they were playing the cello in the movie were so authentic-looking. We didn’t use hand double or special effect; it’s really the actors playing the instrument.

11. What was your reaction when you first watched the trailer?

Well, I’ve seen the trailer, obviously, because I am the director. Netflix showed me various cuts of the trailers until we found the version that we liked and there was a big question of how many spoilers we would show on the trailer. I have them remove a few shots that I thought would give away too much. We still gave away a little in the trailer, but we have to do that in order to get people interested in the movie. I’ve seen a lot of people on the internet that they don’t watch the trailer and just go in blind. I think you can watch the trailer and still completely enjoy the movie. I’m very proud of it. It’s a very cool trailer for the film.

12. What TV show have you binge-watched lately?

I love Escape at Dannemora which is a ShowTime show that Ben Stiller directed. It’s a true life story about a prison escape that Benicio del Toro was in and Patricia Arquette. I thought it was fantastic.

13. What advice do you wish someone had given you when you were younger about the industry?

This is a tough question. It’s one of those decisions where you really have to be able to endure the ups and downs of it, because you can have real big highs and then real big lows. You have to manage that. You have to understand that there’s going to be times where you may not make any money and work for a period of time and it could get very depressing. Then there are moments when you’re busy all the time and it’s amazing. You have to understand it’s a real marathon and not a sprint. I’ve been basically lucky enough to be working in the business for close to thirty years now. I have my ups and downs without a doubt, but, you know, If I’ve known then that I would’ve survived those down moments it would’ve help get me through them certainly. It’s all about doing the work. I’m a writer as well as a director. And being a writer, I’ve been able to write when no one else would hire me. I could write and that was a big thing that helped me get through the period of time when I wasn’t getting employed. It’s a marathon and you can get through the dark period.

14. If a self-published author is seeking a screenwriter or producer, how would one get you to read his or her story to see if it would make a compelling movie?

It’s very hard to get stuff send to the directors because, in general, we tend to not want to read something that was just send to us in the mail. You never know who might sue you later on. I know that sounds crazy, but if you wrote a book about a kidnapping and then I made a movie ten years from now that has a kidnapping in it. There is a rule where you say, “Yeah, I send you this book and you read it and there are similarity in your movie.” So, in general, it’s very tough to kind of send unsolicited material to directors. Now that said, we are always on the hunt for stuff. So, it’s a double-edged sword in a way. I think it’s always helpful to try and get an agent for your writing so that there’s a buffer between you and the artist you are trying to send it to, because if an agent sends the material to a director then he’s, at least, sort-of protected from a lawsuit. The fact is if a person is a writer and there are writing short stories or books if they keep writing them at a certain point, they would attract attention, because Hollywood is always looking for new stories. It’s sometimes hard to break in, but I always recommend to just keep writing, and at certain point, Hollywood will find you.

15. The movie that you wrote and directed, The Matador, got Mr. Pierce Brosnan nominated for the Golden Globe Award, could you express your experience working with him?

That was amazing experience. He (Pierce Brosnan) had just finished playing James Bond and The Matador was certainly a movie that sort-of rip from the idea of that. He was perfect for him to play that role. It was comedy and it was different from him than stuff he was doing. He was excited to do it. I only had pleasurable memories of doing that film. And, actually, he wrote me after seeing The Perfection to tell me how much he liked it and that was a real thrill. He is still one of my favorite people I’ve worked with.

16. In the memorable scene from The Matador when Pierce Brosnan was walking in his underwear in the hotel, was that in the first draft of your screenplay or after revising it?

There was a version of it, originally, and then I cut it out. Then, when we were at that hotel I said to Pierce, “You remember when we had an idea that he is drunk in the morning. What about the idea that he was walking in the lobby in his underwear?” And he was like, okay I like that idea, but I’ll only give you one take. So, we did it in one shot, and in fact, some of the people in the background were real guests of the hotel. No one knew it was going to happen. He took off all his clothes and just did it in one take. It was really fun to do. It was obviously one of the funniest moments in the movie. You know, that was certainly the situation where—at that point of the process—he trusted me and was willing to do it. It became an iconic shot without a doubt.

17. What was your overall experience directing The Wunderkind episode of The Twilight Zone?

I’m really a fan of The Twilight Zone. It’s one of my favorite TV Shows and I was excited to be able to direct an episode of the new version of it. The finished product is not necessary the episode that I wished it was, but you know, sometimes that happens, because the producers end up re-cutting and turning it into the episode that they want. So, for me, it was not the greatest experience, but I’m still glad that I got to do it.

18. Last question, if you could meet Park Chan-Wook, what would you ask him?

I would be out-of-my-mind excited to be able to meet him, because he is one of my favorite filmmaker of all time. I think I would always be nice to just hear stories as oppose to asking a specific question. So, I would just like to hear him tell me how he came about writing Oldboy and what his experience making that movie was like. Every director goes his or her own challenges making a movie that it’s almost impossible to understand or impossible to ask specific questions. I tend to like to hear directors tell stories about the making of the movie especially something as ambitious as Oldboy. I’m sure he got a lot of interesting stories.

I really like to take this time to thank Mr. Richard Shepard for having the phone interview with me. . I hope everyone is having a fantastic fourth of July and to my international readers I hope you have an amazing day. Thanks for stopping by here and I hope to do so again.

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The Lodge's release date is...

6/28/2019

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Play the YouTube clip to discover the release date for The Lodge.

Plot from imdb: A soon-to-be stepmom is snowed in with her fiance's two children at a remote holiday village. Just as relations begin to thaw between the trio, some strange and frightening events take place.

Directors: Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz. Screenwriters: Sergio Casci, Severin Fiala, and Veronika Franz. Starring: Riley Keough, Alicia Silverstone, Richard Armitage, Jaeden Martell, and Lia McHugh

So, since The Lodge is coming out in November 2019, you can check out my wonderful blog interview with the co-writer of The Lodge, Mr. Sergio Casci, right now by clicking this link: http://novelpro.weebly.com/latest-news/interview-with-mr-sergio-casci-co-writer-of-the-lodge?view=full

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Interview with Mr. Christopher Pinero, director and screenwriter of A Dark Place

4/19/2019

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  How Far Would You Go To Bury A Secret?

Plot of A Dark Place from IMDb:
Alex, is a twenty-something struggling to put his life back together after past, reckless mistakes render his job search hopeless. While pressure at home mounts from his pregnant girlfriend, he runs into an old friend who changes his fortunes. Just when things are looking up, Alex discovers a secret that sends him into a self-destructive, downward spiral and brings his two best friends along with him.

A Dark Place is one intense movie and I had the pleasure of interviewing Mr. Christopher Pinero, the director and screenwriter of this gripping film. Mr. Pinero has also worked on such films as Once Upon a Night and Leaving. You can check out the award-winning short now: Leaving. So, get to know this wonderful director/screenwriter and read how A Dark Place came together.

1.  What is the genesis of A Dark Place?

It started out as a reoccurring nightmare that I would have pretty often. Then I played the what if game, and it became a short film titled “Once Upon a Night”. Of all the short films I had done up to that point, it seemed to resonate with people the most. It took me a couple years and at least fifteen drafts to find the right way of expanding it into a larger canvas.

2. Were there other titles you came up with before A Dark Place? If so what were they?

The feature’s working title was "Dark Patch". A neurologist discovered "where evil lurks" in the brain in violent criminals and all of them had a dark patch in the central lobe. In the end I decided against it because Alex wasn't evil to me, he was just in pain.

3.  What influences (if any) helped you with writing or directing A Dark Place?

My main influences were Hitchcock’s films. I went on a Hitchcock binge before we shot the movie. Mainly Rope, Psycho, and Rear Window. Also, Silence of the Lambs is one of my favorite films and I watched it multiple times beforehand.

4. List three adjectives to describe the lead character Alex? Is he based on anyone you know in real life?

Desperate, Repressed, Self-Destructive
No, he’s not based on anyone in my life in particular. I would say all of the characters in this movie are a sensationalized part of me.

5. A Dark Place is a truly intense movie, was it written this way in the first draft or did the writing progress to what it is now?

Yes, the story always revolved around a death at a party. Through revisions I looked at ways to have the rest of the story, match the intensity of that. Once I got the structure down of where the story would go, I looked at individual moments and tried to see where I could take things up a notch.

6. Did you have any theme in mind for before writing the screenplay or it come to you afterward?

I don’t think about theme too much before writing. It always starts out as people in a situation and then leads to who are these people and how does the situation define them. I don’t like to over intellectualize in telling stories, I just try to be as personal as I can and I know the theme come out of that. I always pay attention to my intuition and what I would be feeling if I was in a theater watching this movie.

7. What is the name of the music that was played toward the end of the movie? And why did you choose that specific music?

The song at the end of the movie is “Lethal Dose of Daylight” by Andrew Deadman. I’m a friend of one of the members of the band and they were kind enough to let us use the song. The song has a sense of sadness that I felt wrapped up what you just experienced with these characters. The song also has a strong theme of reap what you sow, and I felt that wound up being a big part of this story. Every character in the film got what they deserved for better or worse.

8. Did you know how A Dark Place would end or did it come to you while writing the story?

The beginning of the story and the ending was something I struggled with for a long time and I couldn’t figure it out. I sent the script to a friend of mine, Ben Scharf, who wound up being a story consultant on the film and he suggested how Alex’s story should end. And it all made sense, everything clicked. As soon as that came about, then I knew exactly how it should start and how this story would end for everyone.

9. Jason Darcy (a.k.a Jay Eftimoski) and Christopher Donnellon gave such a superb performance as Alex’s close friends, what was your experience with them and how were you able to bring out the best in their performance?

Chris bartended at a restaurant I used to frequent and I thought his personality was perfect for this. I knew he could bring things to the movie that weren’t in the script. Jay on the other-hand, I cast in the original short film and was impressed with what he brought to the role so I didn’t consider anyone else. With both Chris and Jay, we met a few times prior to filming and discussed their characters. I was able to provide clarity to moments in the story and more importantly help develop their understanding of who these characters were. From there, when the camera starts rolling the best thing I could do was give them the space and freedom to perform. I set the right atmosphere to let them discover.

10.  What message would you want A Dark Place say to the audience?
I wanted to convey that you never know what battle someone is fighting. Some people, like the main character Alex, keep their issues bottled up and bear the burden of them alone. Life is difficult, but it can be a little less so if we share in its hurts and pains. It sounds a little cheesy, but check in on your loved ones every once in awhile.

11.  What is your writing schedule in general?

I find it easier to think at night because I feel that there's less static than during the day. I generally like to write sequences and will wait until the arc of that sequence is done before I call it a day. I'll try to get a draft done as fast as I can so I have a better look at the story and see where it lags and where it feels rushed.

12. If a self-published author is seeking a screenwriter, how would one get you or any experience screenwriter to read his or her story to see if it would make a compelling movie?

There's a lot of avenues online and through social media where you can find contact information, whether it be filmmaker's representation or them directly. If I were to receive a novel, the first thing I would look for is the characters and how well I relate to them. I was sent a short story a few years ago that was incomplete but the character was filled with one of my biggest fears, regret. It was so palpable I had no choice but to adapt it and find a way to give the story a proper structure.

13. Which filmmakers/screenwriters do you admire growing up?

Steven Spielberg, Christopher Nolan, Eric Roth, David Fincher, Alfred Hitchcock, Martin Scorsese, Paul Thomas Anderson, Kathryn Bigelow, Stephen King

14. What piece of advice do you have for screenwriters/directors starting out?

Always look to create your own opportunities. If you're a writer, write as many novels/screenplays as you can. If you're a Director, make as many films as you can and never focus on the results. Find the love in writing or directing and the results will come. Always tell stories out of need rather than want.

15.   Last question, what’s your favorite material object that you already own?

My movie collection.

Greatly appreciate Mr. Christopher Pinero for taking his time to answer those questions. A Dark Place is a unique gem that should be watch. Did I mention that it was the Official Selection of the Hoboken International Film Festival 2018 and Official Selection of the Manhattan Film Festival 2018? Furthermore, it won for Best Supporting Actor and Best Editing, winner of Best Thriller Film Award, and Accolade Global Film Competition Award Winner. I hope you keep an eye for this film as it comes out around August 2019 on VOD platforms through Gravitas Ventures.

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Interview with Ms. Kendall Goldberg, director and co-writer of When Jeff Tried to Save The World

3/6/2019

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At a young age of twenty-three, Kendall is making her presence known as a triple threat: Writer, Director, and Producer. In college, Ms. Kendall Goldberg was mentored by Producer of Pulp Fiction and The Hateful Eight, Mr. Richard Gladstein. Her thesis film, Gloria Talks Funny, won several awards including Best Short Film. It also made the finalist list in the American Pavilion Emerging Filmmaker Showcase at the Cannes Film Festival. She has directed videos for Walgreen and Second City works. She has directed music video for a Chicago hip-hop artist and has, so far, has directed three feature films.

Her latest film, When Jeff Tried to Save the World, stars Jon Heder (Napoleon Dynamite) and Jim O' Heir (Park & Recreation). It has been seen at over fifteen festivals and was awarded Best Directorial Debut at the Heartland Film Festival. The lead of her film also won an award for Breakthrough Performance Award at Twin Cities Film Festival. You can currently watch When Jeff Tried to Save the World on any VOD platform( Google Play, Amazon, YouTube, iTunes, Vudu, etc). Before you do watch it, read this interview and get to know her and her experience making the film.

1.     What is the genesis of your movie When Jeff Tried to Save The World?

The movie started with an inkling of an idea to write a film in a bowling alley. I am heavily inspired by locations, and sometimes I can just pick a place — and think about who comes and goes, who lives there, who works there, etc. -- and all of a sudden I have a story! It started as a movie about the manager of a bowling alley, someone who feels like they have full control of a simple establishment, until they don't. I wrote some of my feelings, fears, anxieties, and concerns into the vessel that is Jeff, and it became a story about a routine-obsessed bowling alley manager trying to save a place he's come to call home when he believes that's all he has.

2.     What was the writing process for you and Ms. Rachel Borgo when working on When Jeff Tried to Save The World?

We were living across the country from one another — I was in school in LA and she was in Chicago. We would skype and talk on the phone constantly. We formed the story and outline and character together, then used the software Writer Duet to collaborate on a script. There was lots of back and forth, skypeing and working on it togetherr at the same time, breaking off and working separately, reconvening and discussing, etc. It was an ongoing process for several years.

3.     List three adjectives to describe your writing partner Rachel Borgo?

Intelligent, sympathetic, hard-working.

4.     Did you have writer’s block on When Jeff Tried to Save The World screenplay? If so, how did you get over it?

Of course. All the time. But it helps to have such a creative writing partner. And you get through those blocks over time. I was lucky to also have four short films to work on throught the five years of trying to get JEFF made. So being able to take my focus and turn it to other projects in the midst of working hard on JEFF was a blessing in disguise.

5.     What is your favorite line from When Jeff Tried to Save The World?

Hmm, great question. I have lots, but I think one of my favorite comedic improvised lines is:
Frank (played by Steve Berg) says to Jeff" "You don't need a band. Just give me some turntables, some Norweigian death metal, and a line of cocaine and BAM!"

6.     Do you have a favorite memory or story about your time working with Jon Heder and/or Jim O’ Heir?

One of my favorite memories with Jon actually happened off set. The bowling alley we shot at was down the street from my house, so after set, he'd usually come over for a dinner and a movie or board games. We watched BLADES OF GLORY with him giving live commentary, and that was prettty epic.

Working with Jim O'Heir was always a blast, as well. I think my favorite moment with him happened on his last day of shooting. We had about 150 extras as bowlers for a big scene with lots of moving parts. In between shots, Jim got on the intercom system and told jokes and entertained all of the extras. It was pretty hilarious to watch him take over like that. He eats that up.

7.     What challenges did you face while making When Jeff Tried to Save The World?

Oh boy. Lots. Finding financing, for one. But who doesn't face that challenge? If you're a filmmaker and you don't have problems finding money, please let me in on your secrets. A big challenge was shooting the film in such a short amount of time — 18 days. From the outside perspective, that might seem like a lot, but it is not a lot of time by any means. We had to move extremely fast, with little room for mistakes. What rreally helped us was we had our editor back in LA editing scenes after we shot them. We'd get them sent back and I was able to watch and see what worked and what didn't. If we ran into any problems, we had the ability to do a few reshoots because we shot 2 out of the 3 weeks in that same bowling alley location. Again, not a lot of time to do so, but it was a great luxury to have just in case.

8.     In one word how would you sum up your overall experience with When Jeff Tried to Save The World?

The-best-18-days-of-my-life. That's one word, right?

9.     Which director/s inspired you to make films?

Many. The Coen Brothers, Joe Swanberg, Wes Anderson, and Edgar Wright, to name a few.

10.What was your experience being mentored by Producer Richard Gladstein?

Richard was my mentor during my last semester at Chapman University. They do this amazing program called the Filmmaker-in-Residence where they find a working industry person and bring them to campus to mentor chosen students. It happened at a perfect time for me. I was working on finishing my senior thesis film GLORIA TALKS FUNNY and going through final casting stages / prep for JEFF. Richard was there to offer unfiltered, no-bullshit advice, and I am so grateful for what I learned from him.

11. Are you willing to adapt a novel/novella/short story into a screenplay? If so, what type of genre would you be interesting in doing?

Yes, very much so! I have a book that I (hope) plan to adapt in the near future! I'm open to any and all genres, but I almost always am attracted to something with a good sense of humor -- even if it's not a straight up comedy.

12. Could you give us an interesting fun fact about making the music video Lady Sunshineby Appleby?

The artist, Appleby, cameos in the music video as a jogger!

13. If a self-published author is seeking a screenwriter, how would one get you or any experience screenwriter to read his or her story to see if it would make a compelling movie?

Reach out over email! It's the best way to be taken seriously. Keep it short and sweet, and don't ask for much. Specifically, don't ask for someone to read a long piece of work. A short sample, sure. Maybe ask for a 15 minute call? Keep the asks to a minimum, and instead try to entice the screenwriter with what you could offer them or help them with. Mention why your work is interesting and why that person, specifically, would like it. Do your research.

14.   If you could be a “fly on the wall” anywhere at any time, where would you like to be?

Wow, great question. I'll go with the first thing that came to mind — a local candy shop during the summer in the 1950's. I'm sure there are way better choices, but that's what came to mind!

15. Last question, what is your favorite Sundae topping?

Hot fudge!!

Thank you very much to Ms Kendall Goldberg for taking her time to answer those questions. If you want to get to know this lovely person and her works just visit her website: http://www.kendallgoldbergfilms.com/about. Go see When Jeff Tried to Save the World right now as it's now available. There's no excuse to skip this one since you don't have to wait to watch it. So, take care and have a great day. Thank you for stopping by to read another blog post of mine.

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Interview with Mr. Santiago Menghini, filmmaker and screenwriter of horror short "Milk"

2/22/2019

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1. How did you come up with the story for the short film Milk?

A few years ago, I was visiting my parents in Brazil during the Christmas holidays. At the time, I had several siblings that couldn't be there with us.
One evening late at night, I went down to the kitchen for a glass of water. I thought I was alone, but it turned out my mother was there too, sitting in the dark and whispering into a telephone. The sight spooked me and helped trigger the idea. My mother was feeling melancholic that the other children couldn't be with her for the holidays; we all grew up and moved out.
These two factors - led me to Milk.

2. How long did it take to film Milk?

It was a two day 'Night shoot' over the course of one weekend. We also had an extra day of ‘prep’ at the location the night before.

3. What was the most difficult thing about writing the short film Milk?

If I had to pin-point an element, it would be the ending. I wanted to reveal the 'creature' and linger with it; not cut away the instant we saw it. I wanted to stay with the 'monster' and feel uncomfortable in its presence. Writing this sequence was particularly hard considering it goes against proven convention - "don't show the monster". I spend a lot of time reworking the end and it was the most difficult to write.

4. Congrats on winning Midnight Shorts Grand Jury Award for Milk, could you describe how you felt when you won this award?

It was a fantastic experience. SXSW is an amazing festival. I almost missed the opportunity to attend but thankfully I went and had to privilege of having the film recognized by the jury. I also got to see many other great short films at the festival, which was very inspiring.

5. What was your very first short film? What were the challenges you face and how did you overcome them?

This is a great question and hard to answer. I used to make short films with my brothers when I was younger. I think our very first short was an attempt at making a stop animation film with a VHS camcorder. We spent hours recording and pausing the tape; frame by frame. What is hilarious now but horrifying at the time, was that the camera required a second or two to start rolling. Which resulted in having much of what we shot – never being recorded. Essentially, we would press record and stop too quickly; the camera never at a chance to film anything.
I still remember rewinding the tape and hoping to see the fruits of our labor only to realize – we had nothing. I laugh thinking about it now, but we were quite disappointed.
Next time around we learned to respect the limits of our equipment.

6. What’s your favorite childhood memory about developing your craft?

My favorite childhood memory is my first time behind the camera as a director. It was a time when I decided to do everything on my own. Put a team together and shoot to my vision without limits. Really diving deep and learning as a go. It was a form a self-education that was wondrous. Everything felt new and fresh. Everything from simple camera moves to acting directions – felt like a discovery. I’ve been pursuing that feeling since.

7. How did you get involved in special effects?

The most basic explanation is that I wanted to be able create anything I envisioned visually without compromise. If I had an idea, I did not want to feel limited to my means. Visual effects were an outlet for creativity and problem solving.
I was also just fascinated by the craft itself. Like drawing or painting – visual effect incorporates a high degree of creativity and ingenuity.
At first, it started small with simple effects and slowly grew along with my filmmaking. Over time, it developed into a profession to make ends meet while I worked on my directing (which takes longer to establish).

8. What’s your favorite line from your favorite movie?

     I have two.
     “The way of the future.” – The Aviator.
     “I have to return some videotapes.” – American Psycho.

9. What do you wish you had known when you were starting your career?

     Keep going.

10.        From Ohm, Maria Augusta, Cadavre Exquis 2010, Glide, Glimpscapes, Intruders, Voyagers, De Facto by K-72, and Milk, which one, so far, holds a special place in your heart and why?

Intruders holds a special place in my heart because it was a film that came out of a deep desire to make something for myself. I was hungry to direct a short after two years of working in VFX. I wanted to do something simple and within my means. Thankfully, I managed to get the right people around me and pushed forward even at my own expense. It was film that surprisingly took a long time to edit and to do ‘post’. But once done, I was genially proud that I made something unique. Also, it was the first film that revealed that my work had an audience.

11.         Were there anytime during short film Milk you experience time schedule or project plan issues by unforeseen circumstances? If so, how did you overcome it?

Yes, we got delayed twice because we could not lock our location. It was extremely difficult to find the right house we needed for the film. This made it painful when it came to coordinate our team schedule. But I am thankful we took the time before settling.

12.        Who do you admire the most in the movie industry?

The people and the diversity of the profession. I met so many great people working in film, I can genially say, many individuals that I admire and learned to respect.
As for the diversity of the profession – I could be one week in Lebanon filming a religious ceremony up in the mountains and the following week filming a monster film with two talented actors. The range of what is possible in the industry is both exhilarating and daunting. It is an easy profession to admire.

13.        What is your favorite thing about directing?

Hard to say one thing but I do love the design element to directing. By design I mean the overall approach and principle given to a film by the director. Like an architect you can put together many detailed elements and then must execute them. I love preparing for a shoot and then going into production ready to adapted and make changes.

14.         Do you express yourself creatively in any other ways?

I like to draw and play piano. Sadly, a bit less and less over the years but it certainly an outlet that can be meditative and fun.

15.        What would you like to do, in filmmaking, that you haven’t yet done?

     A ‘period’ film.

16.        Do you like attending screenings of your own work?

When the film is finished, I do like attending screenings of my work. I observe reactions to my material and compare it to my expectations; usually I am surprised by people’s reactions.
When it comes to screening a work-in-progress, that is a lot more difficult. People are naturally more adversarial and not everyone can provide constructive criticism. Additionally, it is hard to accept criticism – period; I’m still learning this.

17.        What kind of routines do you tend to have writing or filmmaking? How does a typical day (for you) begin?

I review my notes before arriving on set. That includes script, mood board, storyboard, etc. I like to refresh my mind with my planned goal; have it as a foundation to orient yourself – because things change and will change.
As for other routines – it is hard to say – I could spend hours responding to this point.

18.        What was the last great film you saw? What was the last great book you read?

This is a very hard question. There are many great films but here are two that comes to mind.
I was a big fan of Michael Kohlaas (2013) by Arnaud des Pallières.
  And more recently, Burning (2018) by Lee Chang-dong.
As for book, The Killer of Little Shepherds by Douglas Starr is absolutely amazing.

19.        What are you currently working on?

I am very fortunate to say – I am currently working on the feature adaptation of my short film Milk.
I am also finalizing another short film I shot earlier this year and hope to release at the beginning of next year.

20.        Congrats on James Wan producing the full-length film of Milk, have you met with James Wan yet? If so, how was the experience?

The whole experience has been thrilling and on-going. It's all extremely encouraging as an emerging filmmaker, it is hard to describe.

21.        What are your thoughts on Ben Collins and Luke Piotrowski writing the screenplay of Milk?

I could not have asked for a better or more talented writing team. I am really excited to be working with them. I am also a big fan of their film "Super Dark Times" directed by Kevin Phillips.

22.        Last question, what is your favorite dessert and why?

Alfajores! Because they are dulce de leche filled greatness! Also, my go-to when visiting family in Argentina.

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Interview with Mr. Justin McConnell, director and screenwriter of Lifechanger

2/9/2019

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"A murderous shape-shifter sets out on a blood-soaked mission to make things right with the woman he loves."

Here is the synopsis to Mr. Justin McConnell's thrilling horror feature:
Drew has to shape-shift, or face painful death. He has to find someone and make a copy. He becomes them, and they die horribly. Enter Julia, the object of Drew's affection. How can he make things right when he's never the same person for very long? LIFECHANGER follows one shape-shifter's twisted quest to repair the damage he's caused, while leaving a trail of bodies in his wake.

1.     Could you tell us a bit about yourself?

This is a pretty general question to begin with. I'm not sure I have enough self-awareness to accurately describe myself, outside the obvious: I love film, I work in as many roles in the industry as I can, and outside that the rest would start to sound like a dating profile. I definitely believe in the entrepreneurial approach to the business, and life.

2.     How did you get the idea for Lifechanger?

I was trying to come up with an idea I could do for whatever tiny budget I could put together, and gradually the concept came to me organically in 2014. It came from both influences I had growing up, and the mind-set I was in at the time, which was not particularly happy. I'd spent a couple years being really introspective and kind of depressed, trying to figure my place in the world. That informed the tone the film has.

3.     Were there other titles you came up with before Lifechanger? If so what were they?

No. Lifechanger was the first title. And the only title, in my mind.

4.     What research did you do when writing Lifechanger?

I didn't research very much for this project, overall. It's a story very much driven by life experience and existential thought, so was one of those scripts where the first draft kind of just poured out of me. But it isn't a film about medical procedures, or history, or a topic that needs a ton of research. It needed influences, and time for the sub-conscious to construct the narrative, etc.

5.     What was your writing schedule when you wrote Lifechanger?

I generally don't keep a writing schedule, exactly. As in I don't force myself to sit and write in a regimented kind of way. I believe you need to write frequently, but I wait until I feel the spark and that I have something meaningful to add to a given work before I sit down to write it. A lot of the writing happens in my own head first. But with anything, I generally write a character breakdown, loose story flow, and then treatment first, before I go on to first draft. Then over the 3 year period it took to get the film financed, it went through numerous rewrites, when I had the time or something hit me that had to be added or subtracted. The script went through a lot of work before camera, an in my mind was in the best shape it could be by the time we started shooting. But hindsight is of course a different thing, so now removed from finishing the film, I'm sure there was more work left to do. But that's true of any film, I think. You have to abandon it at some point, or it never gets done, if you hav an analytical mind.

6.     Did you know how Lifechanger would end or did it come to you while writing the story?

It came to me in the second or third draft. It ended at a more abrupt, slightly earlier point in the story in the first draft.

7.     What has been the best compliment you heard about Lifechanger?

It's more what I've seen. I've witnessed several people actually cry when the film ended. Considering it's a horror film, that reaction was the last thing I ever expected. But people seem to like it in general. There are definitely those who don't, but that's the beauty of film: everyone has their own opinions, and you can't make a movie that pleases absolutely everybody. So I'm happy with the response we've had so far.

8.     What was your favorite scene to direct in Lifechanger and why?

Probably any of the bar conversation stuff, where I got to really work with the actors and find the moments for each segment. It's a joy to work with talented and intelligent people when the combined efforts make something that feels authentic, to me. After that, the FX sequences, because I'm a prosthetic loving kid at heart.

9. Could you give an interesting, fun fact about working with the actors/actresses on this movie?

Jack Foley, who plays Robert, was Fashion Santa in 2017 while we were shooting. He worked for Yorkdale Mall in Toronto, and every year they hire someone to be 'Fashion Santa', which is basically a hipster Santa Clause for teens and others to line up and get their photo taken with. So, the day before his appearance at the mall, we were shooting a scene where he was cutting a body up in a bathtub with a hacksaw.

10. What was your very first short film? What were the challenges you face and how did you overcome them?

My very first film was probably a really rudimentary stop-motion thing shot on an 8mm video camera (at a whopping 4-frames a second), using Ninja Turtles and Beetlejuice toys. I think I built a tower building out of paper and lined the inside with match-heads, to make an explosion. I was probably 12 or 13. My first actual narrative short film was this serial killer thing I did in high school called 'Retribution of the Meek'. And my first feature was also in high school, a karma-loop crime-thriller anthology film called 'Strata'. I learned a ton in my teenage years making what were ultimately complicated home movies: the beginnings of how to shoot, edit, move the camera, make fake blood, you name it…. I learned a lot by doing, and I continue to.

11. Do you write scripts for yourself or you have your viewers in mind?

Depends on the script. But mostly it's a mix of the two.

12. On average, how many draft scripts do you find yourself writing until you are happy and satisfied with your work?

It's hard to give an average, because it depends on the project and how long I've got. But anything between four and ten.

13. What’s your favorite horror movie growing up? What is your favorite now?

I'm not a fan of this question, because I don't have one. Either then or now. I watch too many movies, so we'd be here all day listing stuff I love. But I can say the movie that got me truly interested in making movies: The Monster Squad. As for favorite horror film currently…. there's too many to choose from. I also program for Toronto After Dark, so I watch so much a year as a job that is of high quality and really enjoyable, beyond all the stuff in regular release, that I couldn't narrow it down.

14. Which filmmakers/screenwriters do you admire or inspire your work?

Another one of those way too loaded questions. It's a long list. But in terms of consistently interesting genre-related writing, I really like the ones who think outside the box and make really unique films where the audience finds them, they don't try to find the audience. A few examples of that would be Larry Cohen, Frank Henenlotter, George A. Romero, etc.

15.  If a self-published author is seeking a screenwriter, how would one get you or any experience screenwriter to read his or her story to see if it would make a compelling movie?

In 2018, the internet is your gateway to everything. You are likely able to find contact info for anyone online nowadays, or find someone who can get you that contact info. Reach out and ask, it doesn't hurt.

16. What’s the best advice you have ever received about writing?

"Nobody knows anything" - William Goldman. It applies to the business, and it applies to writing. Yes, you can use the style guides, and Save the Cat, and use structure like it's your bible. You can try to think you know everything about writing, that you've done the reading, you know everyone's opinion, that you have it all on lock. You could go into a career in Script Coverage, and get paid for analysis, and grow to believe your opinion matters more than most other people. But the key word there is 'opinion'. The business is full of people saying "that doesn't work" or "that's just bad writing" for films that turn into massive hits, beloved classics, and are remembered decades later as strong examples of quality of a given time. Plenty of people are well educated in film, literature and story structure, but nobody can 100% accurately be right in their judgement of a piece of art 100% of the time. Everything is just opinion, writing is malleable and can be experimented with, and ultimately, "nobody knows anything". Which is part of what makes film, writing and art so damned exciting and alive.

17. Last question, what was your favorite toy when you were a kid?

My Construx. It was a building toy, like lego, but based on connectors, beams and joints. You could make anything you wanted and it would look like this cool mechanical device. With the same pieces you could make a spaceship, a tank, some future-looking car, or a chain-fed machine-gun. Really helped let the imagination soar.

This film is so innovative and the ending of it is quite remarkable. I won't say any more than that. You should check out Lifechanger on Amazon (by clicking the title itself) and tell others about it as well. I would like to express my gratitude to Mr. Justin McConnell for accepting my interview with him. If you want to keep up with what his production company,Unstable Ground, has in store or their previous movie project just click this link: unstableground.net Last but not least, i hope you enjoy viewing the stills and behind the scenes photos below this. Take care and thank you for visiting. See you again soon.

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