Mon, Jan 21st, 12:30pm
Wed, Jan 23rd, 7pm
Three first-time filmmakers, Justin, Dana and John, set out to make a documentary about the hardships of inner-city Brooklyn. As filming progresses, violence and emotion get in the way of the trio’s objectivity and what was once an ambitious idea deteriorates as stories merge, relationships corrode and the filmmakers become participants in the inner city world they set out to document.
How do you feel about playing Slamdance? When and where did you hear you had been accepted?Very excited. There are a lot of great films that have been accepted in the festival's past, so I'm honored to be recognized by an establishment I respect. My producer
Tim Duff interrupted me while editing with what I assumed was a complaint of some kind, but he instead told me about theacceptance to the festival. We followed up the good news with a few drinks.
What gave you the impetus to make a film about a set of novice filmmakers who get in over their heads? When I moved to New York I wanted to make a movie about inner-city life. When I would try to talk to different people about race, class and media, I was often met with the "who the fuck do you think you are" kind of look. After multiple threats and a gun in my face I realized I had been living what I was trying to write about.
How did you put together the cast and financing?When I first set out to make
The Project I knew I would have to keep a small budget in mind, because significant financing is hard to come by. At the time I was working as a locations manager on the film
Goodbye Baby (dir
Daniel Schechter), where I met
Tim Duff, the producer of my film. Based on past experience I knew that a solid business plan is vital to get someone to provide financial backing for a film. One thing I wanted to avoid was the long drawn out process of putting offers out to name actors in hopes that they would be in the film. I have seen other filmmakers struggle through this process and have to make last minute casting decisions. One thing that always seemed like a catch twenty two in regards to independent film is that filmmakers need actors to get financing and actors often won¹t sign on unless the money is in place. I avoided this headache all-together by casting a rap artist (
Juelz Santana) with a rabid fan base. His presence alone would garner more attention and return on investment then most "name" actors could ever do. By attaching the film to the Diplomats brand, (a Harlem based rap super-group with an extensive and loyal following) I gave an investor a viable case that a return of his investment could and would be made if we kept the production costs down.
Once the funding was established one of the first things we did was hire casting director,
Erica Palgon. Erica worked tirelessly to find the best actors for each role; she loved the script and believed in the film from the onset so I was very fortunate to have found such a great casting director. The best thing about not going for "name" actors is that we were able to cast based solely on talent and the irony of that is we wound up casting
Michael Stahl-David as and he got cast in
Cloverfield after we wrapped
The Project.
You've worked with a number of your collaborators since your days at Emerson College. How have those relationships shaped your approach to filmmaking? I often read about other filmmakers that say film school isn't necessary for success in the film industry. I disagree. For me, keeping in touch with college alumni has been an integral part in my active participation in the industry. But it's also more than that for me. I'm fortunate enough to be able to work with people I respect and trust. One person can't make a film alone so why not do it with people that you know have your back.
Was the film inspired by any other films dealing with the filmmaking process?I couldn't say that there was anything that was a direct inspiration but one film that I enjoyed and often used as a reference point is
Mail Order Wife. It¹s this great indeed that¹s makes documentaries feel fresh and really influenced my shooting style because; it maintained the ability to have an extremely realistic tone throughout.
What was the biggest challenge when constructing the film in post production?The most difficult part of post production was constantly re-evaluating the viewer's perspective the tighter the editing became. I was so inside the film that I often need to step away for a while and gain a better perspective on the overall structure. Test audiences help, but in the end of the day it was a process that needed to come full circle and the only I was really able to do that is by making sure that I stayed true to the themes that inspired me to write the script in the first place.
Any other projects down the pipeline?I am currently writing my new screenplay while still working with Renart Films. I am looking forward to producing Renart's next.
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posted by Brandon Harris @ 1/20/2008 04:22:00 PM
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