INTERVIEW WITH Jeison Hurtado Moreno - Actor
Jeison Hurtado Moreno was born on April 21, 1990 in Cali, Valle del Cauca, Colombia. Jeison is an actor who has studied visual arts at the popular institute of culture in Cali, Colombia and Takeshima studies. Jeison has a great desire to positively influence the world through God and the arts.
Tell us about your background and when did you decide to become an actor?
I had never really thought about being an actor I wanted to be a soccer player since I was a child but I made the bad decision to let myself go from bad friendships and I change everything but one day I left my house and a pass through a street where they were recording a series that was very popular in Colombia and I was curious and approached and one of the photographers of the production he looked at me and I asked him that if they did not need extras and he told me do you see that man that there is the one who drives the extras and I approached to talk to him and he told me Send me a photos to this email and after 2 days I started. God intended that for me and there was a beginning.
Films that inspired you to become an actor?
Scarface.
Who is your biggest influence?
Jesus Christ is my savior and my lord but my acting influence is Paul Newman, Sidney Poitier, and Al Pacino, Jean Claude van Damme.
What were some of the challenges you had to face in making your films?
When I came to the USA and I played my first role in English because I just barely spoke English that was really hard and frustrates.
Do you have a favorite genre to work in? Why is it your favorite?
I like drama and Romance but definitely, my favorite genre to work in action.
What’s your all-time favorite movie and why?
”Heat” is my favorite movie of all time because in that movie was a lot the intensity in acting, even every character in that movie express the intensity of characters.
If you could work with anyone in the world, who would that person be?
If I could work with anyone in the world could be Jean Claude Van Damme or Al Pacino.
Tell us something most people don't know about you.
When I was a child and I was in school, I was very Naughty and everyone said that I would be a bad person Growing up. Thank God today I am struggling to be a positive influence on others.
The one person who has truly believed in you throughout your career.
The persons who always believe in me are my mom, Dad, and my brothers and a few friends.
What was the most important lesson you had to learn as actor?
The most important lesson I learned as an actor is that you always have to be prepared for everything.
Is it harder to get started or to keep going? What was the particular thing that you had to conquer to do either?
It’s clear that it's not easy to start or continue but you have to be strategic always try to analyze with people who have already had their start or that is moving forward and be restless, investigate everything about the world of entertainment and how it moves and how to apply auditions , independent and non-independent and look for events in places How often artists because you never know who you can meet there That will serve as a trampoline to your success.
What keeps you motivated?
It keeps me motivated to think how far I can go with my faith in Jesus and my tireless effort.
How has your style evolved?
My style of acting has evolved in my way of creating the physicality of the character because I used to limit myself to the ideas that propitiate the script and I think it is a mistake to stop creating.
On set, the most important thing is:
On set, the most important thing is to be ready for everything because even in the last minute everything can change.
The project(s) you’re most proud of:
I am very proud of Emotionless because I played the main character and it was a great challenge because I really did sex scenes that looked like real sex, but it was just acting and There was never real sex. They were very well choreographed scenes.
The most challenging project you worked on. And why?
The most challenging project where I worked was Emotionless because it’s not easy starting your career do sex scenes with almost full nudity.
What are your short term and long term career goals?
My short and long term goals are to improve every day as an actor and be in better movies every time until I reach a privileged place.
Your next projects?
My next film project is going to be crazy is called La Misma Maldita historia And The Same Damn Story on his English title.
It will have actors of great relevance and 2 or 3 actors of the most popular in Italy and we will be filming in Cali, Colombia and Mumbai, India.
That will have its launch in 2021, so you can expect it. that will be a fascinating action story and that will leave everyone shocked.
Please share with us where people can find you on social media
IMDb movie profile https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8131782/?mode=desktop
My IMDb profile https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7232637/?mode=desktop
Instagram as @jeisonf7
INTERVIEW WITH Guomingxiang - Actor
Guo Ming Xiang was born on July 16th in Guangzhou, one of China’s most prosperous and modern cities. His family has a rich history in entertainment and athletics. Guo Ming Xiang trained as a gymnast from his early years, initially studying under his father’s guidance before being selected into the Chinese army’s gymnastics program. Because of his natural athleticism and aptitude toward entertainment, Guo was selected to train and perform with the internationally renowned China National Circus. He quickly rose through the ranks of the troupe, going on to win the coveted Golden Clown at the Monte Carlo Circus Festival. After reaching the peaks of the circus world, Guo Ming Xiang decided to follow his passion for performing and pursue his passion for acting. He attended Beijing Film Academy where he studied acting, directing and producing. After graduating at the top of his class, Guo Ming Xiang found instant success in Chinese television and cinema. He quickly became
Tell us about your background and when did you decide to become an Actor?
I was born in Guangzhou, China into a family with long history of circus. I got my first start in the entertainment industry as a circus performer at age 6. When I was 16 I was cast as a circus stunt double in a feature film. This was my first introduction to the film industry. I fell in love with it and decided I wanted to be an actor. I went to go to the Beijing Film Academy where I studied and graduated with a master’s degree in Acting and Directing.
Films that inspired you to become an Actor?
As a teenager, I loved Jackie Chan movies. There was one series of films he starred in called “Police Story” that inspired me and made me feel like I could also be a hero. I remember watching a documentary about the making of “Police Story”. It showed everything that happened behind the cameras and what it takes to actually make a movie. Since I was a circus performer, I thought to myself that I could definitely do what the actors and stuntmen were doing. It felt like a dream that could become a reality.
Who is your biggest influence?
My biggest influence was my Acting Professor at the Beijing Film Academy, Professor Xuyan. She was the person who taught me what it really means to be an actor instead of just chasing fame and trying to become a superstar. In the Chinese film industry, many people are focused on becoming famous rather than becoming great actors. Professor Xuyan taught me to love and respect acting as a craft and approach it as an art form.
What were some of the challenges you had to face in making films?
Every film shoot has its own set of challenges. Sometimes it’s physical exhaustion from long days of Kung Fu action scenes or the awkwardness of shooting a sex scene with a room full of people watching. But I think the experience on my most recent project was probably the most challenging. We were in the middle of production when the Coronavirus outbreak reached its peak in China. We stopped shooting for a couple of weeks and everyone had to go into quarantine. When production started up again, everyone was wearing masks which created a lot of interesting problems. Actors would have indented lines on their faces and in their make-up from the elastic strings that secure the mask to your ears. And I can’t tell you how many times an actor would forget to take off their mask before shooting, extras walking around in the background of a scene wearing a mask or running into a chaotic shooting scene in a mask which fell off during the scene. There were some light and funny moments, but the set had so many people working that it was difficult to socially distance and everyone was worried about getting sick. It was a very intense situation.
Do you have a favorite genre to work in? Why is it your favorite?
Comedy is definitely my favorite genre to work in. Comedy is the most challenging genre for an actor because you have to make people laugh, but you also need to make them feel the deep emotions that go along with happiness as well. You know when something is so funny and happy that it also makes you cry? I think the best comedies also have the ability to make people so full of emotion that they cry and laugh at the same time.
What is your all-time favorite movie and why?
My favorite movie is “Once Upon a Time in America” by Sergio Leone. I love the actors in this movie. I think all the heroes I see in other films somehow remind me of the characters from this movie. This movie was also my first introduction to New York City, a city that has a very special place in my heart. “Once Upon a Time in America” gave me a very realistic and honest look at what life was like in New York City. Not only the romantic side of NYC like the Brooklyn Bridge and Central Park, but also the rich history and culture of violence of the city.
If you could work with anyone in the world, who would that person be and why?
I would love to work with the director Ang Lee. First of all, he has a very deep understanding of both Eastern and Western cultures and his films explore the intricacies of these two very different cultures. Also, he is a master of character development with the actors in his films. He is so precise and detailed when creating and building a character, and I would love to experience that. I think I would learn a lot from him.
Tell us something most people don’t know about you.
I am very bad at remembering names and numbers! I don’t know why, but I have been like this my whole life. It is very difficult for me to memorize lines when they include numbers or names, like an address or something. It’s very interesting and makes for some funny and awkward moments on set.
Who is the one person who has truly believed in you throughout your career?
Actually, I think it is probably my fans that have believed in me the most throughout my career. This is very touching to me. The support they show me when I’m starting a new project gives me the courage to really commit myself to the work. They even continue to love me when a project isn’t my best work. My fans are so important to helping me to continue to believe in myself, to believe in what I do and to inspire me to continue to grow.
What is the most important lesson you had to learn as an actor?
I think the most important lesson I’ve learned as an actor is how to appreciate every moment in life and to fully feel it and remember it. Even bad experiences or difficult moments in life are a great source to draw from as an actor. Characters and emotions that are pulled from real life experiences feel much more authentic on screen.
Is it harder to get started or to keep going? What was the particular thing that you had to conquer to do either?
I think it is definitely harder to keep going. When you first start acting, you are young and fresh and full of energy and passion. I found that after becoming successful in this industry, there is more and more pressure to keep making successful films. I think the way I conquer this is to focus on what is most important to me, making authentic and beautiful films that I believe in. This is one of the reasons I am working very hard to try to produce international films and explore new markets. I guess the most important factor in conquering the difficulties of acting is that you really have to love acting. And I do.
What keeps you motivated?
Change and growth are the most important things to staying motivated for me as an actor. You have to keep learning and growing, and you always have to have a dream!
How has your style evolved?
When I first started acting I was doing mostly big budget, action movies, but now my favorite films to produce or direct or act in are smaller budget art movies.
On set, the most important thing is:
To relax and to focus.
The project(s) you are most proud of:
One of the projects I am most proud of is the short film “Cheat” that we submitted to the Florence Film Awards. This project is very special to me. I was able to produce and act in this film, and to work with one of the most amazing teams I have ever worked with. This film was also an opportunity for me to explore new aspects of myself as an actor and to push myself beyond my comfort zone. I experienced a lot of growth during the process of making “Cheat” and I hope everyone loves the film as much as I do.
What was the most challenging project you worked on and why?
The most challenging project I worked on was the first short film I produced in New York City called “For Better or for Worse”. It was my first experience as a producer and it was much more difficult than I imagined, especially because I didn’t really know New York City very well and I was just beginning to learn English. I’m sure you know that nothing ever goes as planned when shooting a movie! In the end it took almost twice as long to shoot as we had planned, and the film went quite a bit over budget. As challenging as that project was, I learned and grew so much that in the end I’m very thankful I went through all those challenges.
What are your short and long-term career goals?
My short-term goals are to continue writing scripts and creating stories that I love and that I believe in. My long-term goal would be to eventually be able to produce and make these stories into international, full-length feature films.
Your next projects?
My next project is a Chinese action television series based on a very popular role-playing game. It will be similar in style to “The Game of Thrones”. I start shooting this summer and we’re expecting to shoot three seasons of the show. I’m very excited about it!
Please share with us where people can find you on social media
Public social media:
Facebook Personal page :
https://www.facebook.com/guomingxiang0716
Facebook Fans page :
https://www.facebook.com/MingxiamgGuo/
Instagram page :
@mingxiang_guo
Marcus Shenn - Interview
Marcus Shenn is a filmmaker based in Paris. Having made films in Hong Kong and Los Angeles, Marcus aims to further his experience by directing in France. For inspiration, likes to speak with and understand people from all walks of life. He directed the short film, A Whetstone and Mortar, which was selected by a number of film festivals. Marcus also studied at the International Academy of Film and Television and the American Film Institute. Currently, he is working on developing a script for a feature length project.
Tell us about your background and when did you decide to become a filmmaker?
My background is in finance where I worked in the stock markets. That industry doesn’t really have much to do with film but it became less satisfying over time as people started communicating less and less by phone and more by instant messaging. The industry was also in structural decline. Hence I took some time off to think about things. My partner at the time had me help out with a production for an advertisement she was involved with. I was assigned to help out the DP who explained some concepts to me during the shoot. I realized that I really loved being on set. That’s when I caught the film bug.
Films that inspired you to become a filmmaker.
I guess French films really inspired me. One that comes to mind was La Jetée by Chris Marker. That film resonated with me a lot. It didn’t have any special effects but it was so powerful. The Big Blue and Nikita by Luc Besson both inspired me to think about film.
Who is your biggest influence ?
Film-wise, I would say it would be Ridley Scott – from the point of view that he is so prolific and consistently good. All his films are really very good. I find it an amazing fact that someone like himself can consistently come out with great stories considering how difficult filmmaking can be. This consistency is what makes an impression and inspires me.
Secondly, his choice of subject matters ranging from Sci-Fi (Blade Runner, Alien) to period (Gladiator, Kingdom of Heaven) to modern women’s movement (Thelma and Louise) is just staggering. It would be a god-send to explore all these subject matters.
What were some of the challenges you had to face in making your films?
I think some of the hardest films I had to make were in film school whereby students from different disciplines were forced to work with each other under very high pressure and with great conflicts of interest. This sort of environment really forces individuals to learn to collaborate well. The DP / Director relationship, when it is not functioning well, can be very painful. That happened to me once. At the same time, I had multiple problems with budget, location and production design along with issues on the relationship side at all once. Generally, I think at all films are difficult to make especially as you strive for a better production each time. Finding the right people who believe in you and will join you for the journey is also part of the process.
Do you have a favorite genre to work in? Why is it your favorite?
I just made a sci-fi film which was a lot of fun but it pushed my limits and made me learn a lot. Mid-way through the production I kept on asking myself ‘why did I get myself in sci-fi?’ and was quite stressed. But when the results came out and they worked out, I was quite satisfied. People should try to push their comfort boundaries sometimes. That really pushes one to grow, I think. So, I would say anything that would require world-building would be of great interest to me and that would be part of the genre.
What’s your all-time favorite movie and why?
I would have to say that would be the ‘Deer Hunter’ directed by Michael Cimino, 1978. The characters in there have such huge arcs and the emotional pay-off is so grand at the end when the story teller has us invest so much in these people throughout the film. Everything is so well set up from the beginning. The cast is stellar. Moreover this story could have universally happened in any town in the US during the Vietnam war.
If you could work with anyone in the world, who would that person be?
I guess that would be Francis Ford Coppola. The difficulties involved in movie making as a process is of great interest to me. Apocalypse Now was notoriously difficult to make and so it would be an awesome to work with a director who went through that process.
Very often, I look at movies with an all-star cast and wonder how the director was able to manage all these different personas.
Tell us something most people don’t know about you.
I’m a little deeper than people I think, I think.
The one person who has truly believed in you throughout your career.
I guess that would have to be my parents. They believed in me enough to help me out with financing my first forays into film. And they were also good listeners and supporters when I faced many challenges during this process.
What was the most important lesson you had to learn as a filmmaker?
I guess balancing both collaboration and compromise against keeping your vision has been the most important thing to learn and continue to learn. Giving each collaborator a certain margin of creativity and independence whilst telling the story the way you see it – that’s something to learn. Staying positive all the time, no matter what is also really important for maintaining the right personal energy that is essential to mov things forward.
Is it harder to get started or to keep going?
What was the particular thing that you had to conquer to either?
That’s a very interesting question and really shows how people can have different approaches. Definitely the act of getting started is harder than to keep going, in my case. In particular, I have to overcome emotional resistance or discomfort to get certain important things done. But I’ve found that getting things done is ultimately less painful than procrastinating.
Not allowing my to-do list get too long keeps me sane! Once something has started though, I don’t usually have a problem in terms of persistence to see a project or goal finished.
What keeps you motivated?
I suppose it’s quite satisfying if the movie works the way it’s supposed to work and people feel a certain way when they watch it. It’s that satisfaction that’s quite important, I feel. The other thing is being on set. Being on set is like a high-octane experience that I’m sure many people love.
Secondly, the idea that one can take an idea hatched in a bar somewhere and bring it into reality on the screen. That’s a magical feeling when that happens.
How has your style evolved?
Well, I would say that I went from making movies about people in very depressed situations to experimenting with a sci-fi romance. I think my subject matters may have evolved from heavier narratives to lighter and more current subjects. Also, I’m less interested in art for art’s sake and more interested in trying to make something people would like without sacrificing too much artistic expression. Visually, I would also say that the more productions I make, the more inclined to have more camera movement and stay away from using the tripod by itself.
On the set, the most important thing is:
The most important thing is a good ambience and collaboration. I go to great lengths to make sure there is no drama on the set and vet each division head very carefully when assembling the crew. If someone is amazing at what they do but are a diva, I cannot hire them. Sometimes screening out all the bad apples is not possible for different reasons we might have to be stuck with them for the duration of the production but that’s filmmaking.
The project(s)you’re most proud of:
I would say that the two films I made in Asia prior to attending graduate film school in the US were satisfying as they were able to deliver emotionally. Though those projects involved hard work, the processes of production was quite smooth for both of them. I’ve made films that were very difficult to make but the stories have been less fluid.
The most challenging project you worked on? And why?
The most challenging project I worked was a project at graduate film school. The collaboration was very poor due to a host of reasons and
What are your short term and long-term career goals?
Right now, I am looking make a few more shorts about a number of different subjects. I’ve made films in the US and Asia. Now it would be great to make films in Europe / France. If I can turn out a good enough feature length spec script and have it made, that would be
Your next projects?
My collaborators and I are in the middle of developing a short movie that explores the subject of dating and meeting people through electronic applications. Another is a feature script in development is set in Japan which is set in the 80’s.
Please share with us where people can you on social media, so our readers could keep track of your career.
I’m in the middle of building an IMDB page for a sci-fi short ‘A Week With Rebecca’.
I’ll also have a personal website up soon.
The social media links to the short are on Facebook and Instagram respectively:
https://www.facebook.com/aweekwithrebecca/
Instagram: incognito.et.veritas
Laura Barbato - Interview
Laura “L.A” Barbato is an award-winning American producer, director, screenwriter, and the owner of Twelve 83 Entertainment. Laura is known for her original screenplays consisting of mind-blowing plot twists with realistic yet surreal storylines. She is most inspired by screenwriter and producer Rod Serling, screenwriter and director M. Night Shyamalan, director Alfred Hitchcock, and by the works of both Edgar Allan Poe and Ernest Hemingway. Laura is best known for writing and producing the award-winning short film titled “The Man Who Sold The World”, starring Giancarlo Carmona and Meilin Gray. Laura is also the creator, writer, producer and director of the anthology series “The Unorthodox Series”, a one-of-a-kind, chilling yet symbolic, storytelling adventure captured from first person point of view. Laura is studying Screenwriting at the New York Film Academy in New York, New York.
Tell us about your background and when did you decide to become a filmmaker?
I have a unique background story when it comes to film. I can’t say I’m one of those people that dreamed of being a filmmaker since I was really young. When I was younger, I was into writing stories, drawing, music production, and DJing. I had a little “studio”, and I’m using that word extremely loosely, in my mom’s basement where my friends and I would record music. I DJed in New York City and in Long Island New York in my early twenties. By the age of twenty-three, I was a police officer for the New York City Police Department. Although I was a cop, I still wrote stories and had my music projects on the side. It wasn’t really until we started shooting music videos for my artists that I really saw how amazing filming is. The whole concept of creating, planning, and executing these music video that were almost like short stories to me became extremely fascinating. That was just so eye opening for me, and here we are now!
Films that inspired you to become a filmmaker?
I love a story with an unexpected twist at the end. Any film that can make me feel like I need to watch it again just to pick up on the subtle hints throughout is influential to me. A film that really caught my eye was M. Night Shyamalan’s “The Sixth Sense”. I was just starting high school when the film was released in theaters. I remember watching it and thinking how well put together the film was in terms of successfully executing the twist at the very end. It definitely gave me that “wow!” effect and I definitely have watched it several times since then. I have also studied the film script in the past, and I love it!
Who is your biggest influence?
I grew up watching the black and white reruns of “The Twilight Zone” hosted by Rod Serling and can remember being so intrigued by each story. Rod Serling’s ability to tell us a simple story, give us realistic and likeable characters, and finally hit us with an unexpected ending is like no other. His unique writing style has inspired and influenced the majority of my short stories, screenplays, and film ideas.
What were some of the challenges you had to face in making your films?
In between the days we were scheduled to film “The Man Who Sold The World”, I was involved in a near fatal accident while working on-duty as a police sergeant for the NYPD. I was pinned to a cement wall by a car, which broke my hips and did some serious damage to my right arm. I remember waking up in the hospital and seeing my director, George, standing in the room. Before anything, I had asked him if the crew knew we might not be filming within the next few days? It had already been several days past our scheduled film date by then, and he had already let the cast and crew know that we were holding up on things. I was in the hospital and in rehab for some time, then needed another surgery on my arm. It was a little bit of a mess for a bit, but after a good year we finally picked it back up and completed “The Man Who Sold The World”, which has been doing incredible in the Indie film world.
Do you have a favorite genre to work in? Why is it your favorite?
I’m a Thriller type-of-girl. If I was to narrow that down, Psychological Thriller would be my favorite genre to work in. I love the human mind and love the way different people perceive things because it’s not always the same way of thinking. A person can never be one hundred percent “right” or “wrong” when discussing a Psychological Thriller film.
What’s your all-time favorite movie and why?
I have a few favorite movies, for different reasons and from different time periods, but I love Alfred Hitchcock films. I love suspense and he was the Master of it! If I had to pick one of his films, it would be “Psycho”. The storyline is just so peculiar and well executed for its time.
If you could work with anyone in the world, who would that person be?
M. Night Shyamalan
Tell us something most people don't know about you.
I’m a “Foodie”. I love the colors and the arrangements of nicely plated food, as weird as that may sound. It doesn’t necessarily need to be from a high-end restaurant. Anything that is enticing enough for me to want to take a picture of it is what I’m referring to. I think I might have more pictures of food in my phone than what would be considered “normal.”
The one person who has truly believed in you throughout your career?
My family is a tremendous support system. Especially my mom, Joanne, who is always rooting for me. I also have a tight group of friends that are always there, front row both figuratively and literally, cheering me on and I love them for that. Narrowing it down to one person, it would be my partner, Marleny. She has definitely been my rock through some difficult challenges in my life. When pertaining to my film career, she’s been there through the madness of computer crashes and audio dilemmas, to seeing me in my element both on set and buried in my computer on Final Draft, all the way to traveling with me to my film screenings around the country. She’s read all of my scripts and stories, heard my all of my bizarre ideas, and even after that I can always count on her for an honest opinion. Marleny just has a calming way about her and always keeps things realistic and positive.
What was the most important lesson you had to learn as a filmmaker?
Not everyone is going to like your content, and you can’t make everyone happy. You can pour weeks, months, years, blood, sweat and tears into a project that you think is so spectacular, but some people just won’t agree with you on that one, and that’s ok! The most important part is getting it out there for people to see. There’s no point in investing yourself so deeply into a project to just have great content siting in external hard drives around your house.
Is it harder to get started or to keep going? What was the particular thing that you had to conquer to do either?
It was harder for me to get started. I had a lot of hiccups along the way through my first film, especially with the accident happening in between filming dates, plus a few discouraging technical issues in post-production. We had a small problem with some audio and several sound effects in post; it was just one of those situations where I really felt like I was being tested. However, I kept at it until the project was completed and I was satisfied. Now, I just want to keep going!
What keeps you motivated?
I love to screen write before anything else. I feel more creative when I write because I’m not overly worried about any time limitations or blowing through a budget. There’s just something about spending time writing a great script, creating characters on paper, then seeing them come to life that just amazes me and keeps me motivated to push my stories out to the world.
How has your style evolved?
I read a lot of scripts, old, new, and on topic to my particular favorite genre to write. I pick out what I like and weed out what I don’t like, and incorporate it into my own style. I also listen to a lot of different interviews with screenwriters and directors that I admire. Just being humble enough to read, listen, absorb, and utilize great advice has evolved my style over the years. I’m more confident and unapologetic in my writing now.
On set, the most important thing is?
Organization is so important. Make sure everyone is on the same page, prior, and keep it moving. Watch your time. Time management is essential on set, too.
The project(s) you’re most proud of?
“The Man Who Sold The World” will always be special. It’s more than just a short film to me. It shows strength, determination, and persistence and represents success after overcoming challenges.
The most challenging project you worked on? And why?
Starting “The Unorthodox Series” was challenging for me because it was the first time that I was calling all of the shots. I’ve worked with my director, George Rodriguez, on a bunch of other projects and music videos prior to “The Unorthodox Series”, but this time around it was at my direction. The idea behind the series is a little abstract and can be uncomfortable for the audience as well, so I needed a crew that was on board with me to help execute it properly. I spoke to both George and John about my ideas for the series, and there were no hesitations. “Let’s do it!” was the response I got.
What are your short term and long term career goals?
Short term, I still have many ideas for “The Unorthodox Series”. We have another episode of the series in preproduction. A lot has been put on hold with this COVID-19 pandemic, but we will be back at it soon enough. In the future, I really want to start pushing my screenplays. I have a thriller script that I’m finishing up, titled “Fish In Water”, that I think will definitely push some serious boundaries. I won’t go into the details, but there’s certainly an unexpected twist at the end!
Your next projects?
Scripts. Scripts. And more scripts. My passion is writing, so you’ll be seeing more short and feature length scripts from me. I also have an unpublished book of short stories and poems that I have been working on for years that I may end up publishing in the future. In fact, “The Man Who Sold The World” is a short story that you can find in that book.
Please share with us where people can find you on social media, so our readers could keep track of your career.
You can find me on Facebook at “Laura Six” or on Instagram at “laurasixfigures”. You can also check out my company’s website at www.twelve83entertainment.com and send any questions or comments to info@twelve83entertainment.com. I can also be found on IMDb under “Laura “L.A.” Barbato” for filmography, awards, and contact information.
INTERVIEW WITH Hisaaki Takeuchi - Actor, Producer
Hisaaki Takeuchi is an actor and producer, known for Immortal Hero (2019).
Tell us about your background and when did you decide to become a producer and actor?
My main mission is to bring happiness to many people as a religious person in Happy Science. That is my life work, but I also started to work in entertainment business since 2008. As a producer, I got involved in several projects and as an actor, this is my second film. This is my first film as a leading actor.
Films that inspired you to become an actor and producer?
I think many of us have an experience of empathizing the characters and cry like babies because the film touches our heart. Films give very big impacts on each one of us. Therefore, I want to produce films which make people happy, and films which God wishes for. I keep challenging myself that.
My all time inspiration is “Spiderman”. Like I did, I assume many people are encouraged by how Spiderman struggles against himself to be a hero, and stands up from loneliness.
Who is your biggest influence?
It’s the executive producer, Ryuho Okawa. He is my teacher and this film is based on this person’s true story. The cause of the reason why I began to think I want to create films is because of his teachings. By producing films, I want to help other people by healing their sadness and sufferings, and make them happier. And also I want to grasp the unhappiness happening in the world and do something for that.
What were some of the challenges you had to face in making your films?
It was difficult to portray the inner “hero-ness” of the main character. What if the Savior appears in the modern world, gets sick suddenly, and about to die, what would he think and act? I read all the biographies of great men, starting from bible and Buddhist scripts and I researched about “hero-ness” penetrates through them thoroughly. I found them putting everything on their missions despite of everything else. In the time of decision in life, can you leave behind family, work, or something very important to you and stake your own life for the country or the world? That was the mindset I had to carry inside of me and it was challenging.
Do you have a favorite genre to work in? Why is it your favorite?
Live action films. Numbers of staff including director and actors fight for one movie on set. I believe films are generalized art form, so all the staff’s passion and desire decide the quality of its project and it touches the audience. The biggest happiness for me is when we finish a project and hear from the audience how they are touched.
What’s your all-time favorite movie and why?
“Spiderman”(2002). I feel the origin of hero in his life-steps. How he chooses his life for the people in NY as a hero not for his girlfriend.
If you could work with anyone in the world, who would that person be?
Great leaders of the world like Lincoln and George Washinton. And also Steven Spielberg.
Tell us something most people don't know about you.
I practice spiritual trailing and I can channel spirits as a spiritual expert. Only when the master, Saniwa, is there though. (Saniwa: One who has the ability to examine if the possessing status is done by high spirits and a good deity)
The one person who has truly believed in you throughout your career.
This film’s director, Mr. Akabane. He watched over me putting all my life acting as a starring. Also, he exploited my potential and gave me the courage to be the leading actor.
What was the most important lesson you had to learn as actor and producer?
The film was not made by one person. Almost thousands staff put their love to it. As a general producer and leading actor, I tried to be the most passionate one. That burning desire spread to staff and all the casts, and the quality of the film went up. Therefore, I think it’s important to know one person’s passion can be the source of everything and can motivate everybody else in the team.
Is it harder to get started or to keep going? What was the particular thing that you had to conquer to do either?
I think it’s harder to get started. I had to overcome my feeling of unsure-ness whether I have enough acting ability or I am influential enough as a leading actor since I started acting last year.
What keeps you motivated?
Belief in God. I am a priest and I live for the love of God and happiness of the people in the world.
How has your style evolved?
I worked as a secretary of Ryuho Okawa for ten years, and then I started to expand my work as a producer, screenwriter, actor, and singer. My motto is the words from Japanese man, Yuzan Uesugi, “You can accomplish anything if you do it. Nothing will be accomplished unless you do it.”
On set, the most important thing is:
As a leading actor, I think it’s important to know the purpose of each scene precisely. If the main actor gets lost its purpose or meaning, the project dies.
The project(s) you’re most proud of:
Our previous feature animation film, The Laws of the Universe - Part I.
The most challenging project you worked on. And why?
The most challenging project I worked on was this film. Since this story is based on the executive producer, Ryuho Okawa’s true story, I wanted to create it as energetic as possible. I pursued the best from acting, producing, music, and other things thoroughly to make the true story of a man whose heart stops moving because of edema of lungs and heart failure, revived from life, and accomplishes his mission to inspire and save the lives of millions.
What are your short term and long term career goals?
My short term goal is to make this film hit to millions in the world and get No.1 in the weekend box office in Japan. My long term goal is to get the Academy Awards in live-action or animation films as a general producer. This is a big goal, but I won’t give up.
Your next projects?
We are already working on the next project, which will start filming this October. Also, we are working on animation film, which will be released in Japan in 2021.
Please share with us where people can find you on social media, so our readers could keep track of your career.
Currently, I don’t have my personal website, but please follow the official website and social medias of Immortal Hero!
Official Website ⇒ http://www.immortal-hero.com/
Facebook ⇒ https://www.facebook.com/hsproductionsww/
Twitter ⇒ https://twitter.com/HSproductionsWW
Instagram ⇒ https://www.instagram.com/_hsproductions/
YouTube Channel ⇒ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpKOIR9s8MchXDSAVLEUZEQ
INTERVIEW WITH Dimitri Abdul Nour - FILMMAKER, ACTOR
Dimitri Abdul Nour was born in Lebanon in 1997. When he moved to Canada in 2006, he got a Collegial Studies Diploma in Cinema from the Cegep de l'Outaouais and a Bachelors Specialisation in theatre from the University of Ottawa. He is an actor known for his prestation in the short film ''The Silencer" where he was nominated for "Best Actor in a leading role" at the Moscow Indie film festival and winning the platinum award for "Best Male Actor" at the L.A. Shorts Awards. He is now touching on the directing side as well with his new short horror film called SCREECH and many projects that are coming soon.
Tell us about your background and when did you decide to become a filmmaker?
I come from Lebanon and theatre was part of my curriculum in school since I was 3 years old from religious plays to stories of the 1001 Arabian nights. (I even played baby Jesus which was my biggest role yet!) I came to Canada in 2006 to visit my grand mother, but due to the dangerous situation in Lebanon at the time, my family decided to stay in Canada. It has been 14 years that I’m in my home away from home and in that time frame, I saw plays in primary school, I acted and hosted shows in high school. The first play that I’ve seen in Canada that changed me was Romeo and Juliette at La Salle Odyssée in Gatineau, Québec. The charisma of the actors/actresses on stage inspired me to change the way I act on stage; to have fun on stage and to not be afraid to elevate myself. My drama professor saw that and he encouraged me to pursue this as a career! When I want to College, I studied cinema to see what goes behind the camera and the front of it and I went on to study in theatre at the University of Ottawa. Seeing other people making theatre or cinema projects, having the courage to release them into the world and receiving all kinds of encouragement pushed me to have a bit of perspective on myself: I want to tell cool stories too. That’s why I started writing, I started to collaborate with other local filmmakers in their projects as an actor and finally decided to do something for myself as a director with SCREECH.
Films that inspired you to become a filmmaker?
It’s a tough one, because the play Romeo and Juliette inspired me to become a better actor, but if I have to pick a movie it would be either Serpico (1973) or Scarface (1983), because Al Pacino’s performance in both of these movies were gold and influenced me as an actor. I say that “James Bond: The Man with the golden gun (1974)” is a movie that inspired me to become a filmmaker, because of how it is filmed and the theatricality of its set is so amazing! Capernaum (2018) by Lebanese filmmaker Nadine Labaké is so good and heartbreaking from the first frame you see from the movie. The way that it’s filmed with the hand held camera makes you feel like you are not watching a movie and the subject matter of it is so real it’s sad; there is a reason why it was nominated at the Oscars!
Who is your biggest influence?
My parents, because they worked so hard to give me the comfortable life that I have and to let me do what I love. My father liked and still listens to plays from Ziad Al Rahbani that he grew up with and his love for this art grew on me.
What were some of the challenges you had to face in making your films?
The biggest challenges that I had to face in making films was to work with people. My first short film was very simple, it was just a karate man and a ninja fighting off gangsters…it took me a YEAR to finish it, because my actors were dropping left and right, I had to change the story, there was problems with the editing and in the end, I just gave demo reel footage to my one and only co-actor. They say your first short film is always the hardest and its true! My second one wasn’t too bad, it was a music video done professionally for a relative who sings in a Lebanese choir in Toronto, it was just promoting it on TV or online that was a challenge I struggle with to this day. I was glad that with SCREECH, we shot everything within 4 hours, we had lots of fun, the editing was great and we got recognized for it! I am grateful that all went so well!
Do you have a favorite genre to work in? Why is it your favorite?
Technically my favorite genre is comedy, but I haven’t really done anything with it yet. I like comedy, because you can experience different things with it. You can laugh at a situation that could be very dramatic and it shows you how human the situation can be. Vice-versa, a funny situation can become very dramatic. You see it in the case of SCREECH where the couple is having intercourse and all of a sudden after the tv screech, you see the same act, that is supposed to generate happiness and pleasure, seen as a tool to give pain to someone else.
What’s your all-time favorite movie and why?
There is a lot of movies that I love, but one that has a special place in my heart would be Zorro (2003), because the action and the fight scenes were so cool and plus I remember watching it when I was a kid in the big cinema of Beirut in Lebanon’s capital. Ever since that day, I couldn’t help but love fighting in films. It got to the point, I would find a quiet space in my house to let my brain imagine fight scenes between fictional characters and acting them as if they were real…My family still thinks I’m crazy when they catch me in the act! In conclusion, this is how my love for writing fight scenes and coordinating them came about.
If you could work with anyone in the world, who would that person be?
There is multiple people I would like to work with :
- Al Pacino, Denzel Washington and Will Smith because of their experience, their will to give 100% to their craft to make sure that the movie looks great and plus I love these actors. Plus a lot of people say I look like a young version of Al Pacino!
- Toby Maguire is the original Spider-Man I grew up with and a fantastic actor so I would like to work with him.
- Steve Martin because of his experience and his sense of humor, the father of the bride is gold!
- Nicole Kidman and Viola Davis are both beautiful and tremendous actresses that have range in the characters they play.
- Alexandra Daddario is my celebrity crush, she is gorgeous and I feel we would have a very good vibe working together.
- Peter Dinklage is an awesome actor with an amazing voice that I would love to work with!
- For directors, I would like to work with Ziad Doueiri (The Insult, 2017) and Nadine Labaké (Capernaum, 2018) both Lebanese native, who both made two Oscar nominated movies and I would love to learn from these two awesome people.
Tell us something most people don't know about you.
I beatbox even though it has been a long time, I’m a black belt in karate and I draw!
The one person who has truly believed in you throughout your career.
There is many people who encourage me to pursue my passion, but if I have to say one person it would be God himself. I wouldn’t have the resources, the passion and the will to put in the work if it wasn’t for God.
What was the most important lesson you had to learn as filmmaker?
That every experience, good or bad, on a film set, in front of a laptop writing or just in life, will shape your knowledge on how to become the best version of yourself.
Is it harder to get started or to keep going? What was the particular thing that you had to conquer to do either?
These two things are both equally as hard. I was guilty of giving myself the satisfaction of saying what I want to do to other people and when time came to do it, my brain already got the satisfaction and I said to myself: what’s the point of doing anything at all? The thing that I had to conquer and, that I am still struggling with, is letting my ego or procrastination get the best of me and not letting me do anything. What sucks as well is that there is a lot of ways to deal with a problem, especially in acting or filmmaking, you just have to find the ones you like by trying and failing; what works for me doesn’t necessarily work for other people. At some point you are going to get impatient and frustrated, because of that, but I feel like if you trust the process, if you are patient enough and if you break down the project into steps, its more clear and you are able to do it!
What keeps you motivated?
- Each new day is full of possibilities.
- That I have an objective that I want to accomplish at a specific point in time and that I need to work at it to hopefully achieve it.
- That I have someone who cares about me and who wants what’s best for me.
How has your style evolved?
I think my style evolved by knowing clearly WHAT I want and HOW I want to tell a specific story through cinematography, lighting and sound, but also to not be afraid to try things on the fly.
On set, the most important thing is: Communication.
The project(s) you’re most proud of:
- The Silencer (2017) by Julian Thomas Bate-Vergette is a project that I am proud of, because I bonded with the crew and cast so much and it put the whole team on the map! I never thought in a million years that I would be nominated, let alone win an award for my acting and it happened! The short film got accepted to so many film festivals as well! With this project, I was proud of myself, of the cast and the crew!
- The music video about the Virgin Mary that I did for a family relative. It was professionally done with an experienced director and I’m glad it went super well. My sister played in it! So this would be a nice story to tell, if I end up having kids in the near future!
The most challenging project you worked on. And why? It was a short film called Catharsis (2018) directed by Julian as well! I was playing a very small part which was Alex, a young teenager who committed suicide and in the scene I had to cry for the first time! I was worried about it not feeling natural so I was a lot in my head, but as time went on in my acting training, I realized that just doing it without thinking works just as well!
What are your short term and long term career goals? Well, with our current situation with the COVID-19 virus, its really hard to tell what’s going to happen, but I would like to continue writing and acting as much as possible. Maybe professionalize myself as an actor, investing in one of my finished scripts and hopefully bring them to the screen professionally, maybe booking a professional opportunity as an actor in the near future.
Your next projects?
- Currently polishing a drama script for another short film and getting the opinion of producers on it.
- An idea for a thriller short film put on paper that I have to expand on.
- Reading more, listening to classes on various subjects in acting, filmmaking and learning as much as I can.
Please share with us where people can find you on social media, so our readers could keep track of your career:
People can find me on Instagram at @abouacting and on Vimeo at https://vimeo.com/user105005527
INTERVIEW WITH Dale Fabrigar - Director
Dale is a multi-disciplinary creative and has long been using his imagination and visual sensibilities to communicate and tell stories in a visual way. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Dale studied at the Art Center College of Design. As an honored graduate, Dale began his creative role as a young, award winning Art Director/Designer while pursuing his passion as a filmmaker. Dale’s formal training in art and design eventually helped pave the way for him as a visual storyteller. His transition from design to directing was a natural and swift evolution. Dale has produced and directed numerous award-winning films and projects over his ever evolving creative career. His most recent project is co-writing, directing and editing, “D-RAILED” (2018), which is currently making it’s rounds on the film festival circuit and has garnered numerous awards. Dale currently reside's in LA working as a freelance director and is developing a number of film and tv projects.
Tell us about your background and when did you decide to become a filmmaker?
I’ve been making movies ever since I was a young child. However, I wasn’t raised in a family that went to the theater or to the movies. But I always pursued my passion for art and continued my path as a visual artist. I originally began my professional career as a Graphic Designer at a creative firm but never lost my desire to tell stories through film. I continued to make movies as a hobby whenever I could, until my official transition to directing in 2006. I haven't looked back since. I directing my first first feature in 2012.
Films that inspired you to become a filmmaker?
Television was a pivotal influence for me growing up. I loved anthology series like "Twilight Zone" and "Alfred Hitchcock Presents." They were a variety of short, potent movies that challenged my brain at every viewing. Always different and darkly intriguing. I learned to gravitate to those types of stories. But in 1978, when I went to the iconic Mann's Chinese Theater in Hollywood and saw SUPERMAN (Christopher Reeve) take flight on the big screen...I knew, knew, knew at that moment that I wanted to make movies the rest of my life. I knew in my heart that I wanted to be a part of creating movie magic to entertain and affect audiences in an emotional way. Films like THE THING, RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, THE MATRIX, ALIEN, TRUE ROMANCE, RESERVOIR DOGS are films that excited and inspired me as a developing filmmaker finding his own voice.
Who is your biggest influence?
Growing up as a “TV Kid,” Rod Serling and Alfred Hitchcock most influenced me. But John Carpenter, Steven Spielberg, The Coen Brothers, Paul Thomas Anderson, Ridley & Tony Scott and Tarantino are my current heroes. Yes, I'm all over the place.
What were some of the challenges you had to face in making your films?
Budget was (and is) continually a challenge. It many times dictates the types of movies you can make and at what level. As technology developed, it became much easier to produce the stories and ideas in my head.
Do you have a favorite genre to work in? Why is it your favorite?
I tend to gravitate toward darker tales. My favorite is working in the Action/Horror/Suspense/Thriller genre. Wow, that's a mouthful.
What’s your all-time favorite movie and why?
I hate this question, because it is so difficult to answer. But if I only had one movie to watch over and over again, it would be between John Carpenter's, THE THING and Tony Scott's, TRUE ROMANCE. These films are wildly different, but both contain unique visuals, tone and style mixed with incredible actors and exciting storylines.
If you could work with anyone in the world, who would that person be?
At the moment, that would be Jason Blum at Blumhouse Productions. He is a powerhouse in producing high-quality micro-budget genre films. This is a world that I am familiar with. He also supports the creative visions of his directors - A rare quality, difficult to find in this town. I am currently developing my franchise passion project, a unique genre story that I know would be a great fit for that studio and all involved. Partnering up with him would be a dream-come-true.
Tell us something most people don't know about you.
I am Filipino/American and love vintage toys and playing paintball. Now you know the truth. I truly am a kid-at-heart-adrenaline-junkie.
The one person who has truly believed in you throughout your career.
The one person who has been my strongest supporter of my hopes and dreams throughout my career has been my wife. Making movies is a very difficult business with much of it outside of your control. I am very lucky to have a support system that truly believes in me, even through the toughest and leanest of times.
What was the most important lesson you had to learn as filmmaker?
I learned that you can't please everyone. It is a painful lesson and one that I continue to learn on a daily basis.
Is it harder to get started or to keep going? What was the particular thing that you had to conquer to do either?
It's definitely more difficult to keep going. Anyone can pick up a camera and be creative. I encourage that. But at some point, we are faced with the realities of life and business. We do what you have to do to keep our dreams alive and survive. Sometimes, those choices pull us away from the very dream we were working so hard to pursue. For me, I worked on as many different types of projects with as many different people as I could. This broadened my creative circle while always keeping me tethered to my dreams.
What keeps you motivated?
Motivation comes from so many places. But I think I've always had an internal motivational machine to create. This desire to fulfill that creative need and my "I can do that" attitude is what keeps me going.
How has your style evolved?
My style has only been limited by my budget and equipment. I have an eclectic body of work and visually approach each film individually. My directorial style hasn't changed. But through the evolution of technology, new tools are now available to tell my story in a dynamic way. When I first started, I kept things very simple. I didn't have much of a choice. Today, more is possible and I enjoy pushing those visual boundaries to tell a compelling story.
On set, the most important thing is:
Safety is #1. After that, remembering to keep things FUN. Indie filmmaking can be a harrowing grind, especially when you have a limited schedule and budget. But I strive to keep perspective and remember that I have been given the opportunity to do what I love. That is a gift. Having a good attitude trickles down to my cast and crew. Hopefully, they are there doing what they love as well. There is enough make-believe and manufactured drama on set, I don't need it behind-the-scenes. I enjoy having fun and working with other happy people.
The project(s) you’re most proud of:
I am very proud of D-RAILED (2019), because it is one of the first films that I had a hand in writing. Audiences that understand and appreciate the twists and turns of this unusual genre-mashing-creature story really enjoy the film. LONELY BOY (2012) is an early indie drama that I directed that I love and am still very proud of. Not many people have seen it. No car chases, exciting shoot-outs or explosions. Produced on a shoestring budget, it's a simple L.A. story with strong emotional drama and fantastic acting performances. If you enjoy indie dramas like "Lars and the Real Girl" or "The Good Girl," you may enjoy it. Both films have special flavors and stories that linger after the closing credits. Pop some popcorn and check them out.
The most challenging project you worked on. And why?
D-RAILED. Every low-budget movie shoot has its own set of challenges. However, this ambitious film had multiple period elements, a real vintage train, a water-filled “wet” set physically angled at 25°, a practical creature, and a demanding night shoot schedule. But thanks to the passionate commitment and extraordinary talented cast and crew, we overcame these challenges together. Some things we hit, some we missed, but in the end, it all came together.
What are your short term and long term career goals?
My plans are to eventually fulfill my directorial passion project and continue toward making higher quality, bigger budget films. I would also love a shot at directing an episodic series if that opportunity ever arises.
Your next projects?
As I mentioned earlier, my genre passion project, "LULLABY" is currently in development as well as "TRIANGLE," a historic period piece is also in the creative hopper of things to come.
Please share with us where people can find you on social media, so our readers could keep track of your career.
Website: DaleFabrigar.com
Instagram: @dalefabrigar
Twitter: @dalefabrigar
INTERVIEW WITH Dequan Rose - Actor
Dequan Rose was born in the Bronx NY, moved to he Poconos, Pa when he was 9 years old and lived there to he graduated high school. He went to slippery rock university and took parts in plays every semester. He got degree for criminal justice and a minor in theatre. He now reside in Baltimore, MD as a correction officer while he also pursue my career in acting.
Tell us about your background and when did you decide to become an actor?
I decided I wanted to become an actor after auditioning for a film that my history teacher was directing in high school. I had my kfc uniform on because I had work right after and I remember everything just feeling natural anytime I was given a direction to follow. I got the role, and I would go around my house trying to portray the character. Prior to that my acting skills were mostly limited to short films we made when I was younger, and me imitating movie scenes. I just felt comfortable enough that I knew this was something I would want to make a living doing.
Films that inspired you to become an actor?
Films that inspired me to be an actor: This is a tough one cause I’m a movie geek, but growing up I watched movies that were prob not for my age like The Godfather, Scarface, menace to society lol. The Godfather definitely had an impact on me, watching Al Pacino portraying Michel Corleone and going from the war hero that wants nothing to do with the family business to eventually running the business was fascinating and I’ve probably watch it more times to remember. To me it was inspiring because he had such a twisted character arc, which is something I can compare to Bryan Cranston on “Breaking Bad” and as an audience you believed it, that’s acting at is finest.
Who is your biggest influence?
I would have to say one of my biggest influences is Al Pacino, the studio did not think he was the best choice to play Micheal Corleone in the “The Godfather” but ultimately his subtleness help get him the role and it is one of his most famous/best role, he didn’t let the negativity stop him from reaching his goal, even though most people were against him. Sometimes it just takes the right person to see your potential.
What were some of the challenges you had to face in making your films?
Some of the challenges I had as a film actor is learning to be smaller and more Intimate while I am performing .
Coming from a theatre background I was use to performing for an audience. In film you don’t have to be as expressive, it comes across phoney. I also had to get use to little to no rehearsal time. In the theatre world rehearsal is major, you get to test new things out and get real familiar with your scenes and acting partners. When it came to film acting I was normally meeting my cast mates the day of and having to build some type of relationship that would show realistic in the final production.
Do you have a favorite genre to work in? Why is it your favorite?
My favorite genre to work in is drama, I like acting in intense scenes where I’m emotional drained by the time we are done. It gives me the confidence to know that the audience will be impacted by my characters decisions and that the point of acting.
What’s your all-time favorite movie and why?
My all time favorite movie is prob the “The Dark Knight” I loved all the little quirks and details that was put into Heath ledgers joker, plus I do a mean joker impression, I’m also big fan of good music scores and the music in that movie gets me invested and you really feel the emotion.
If you could work with anyone in the world, who would that person be?
My all time favorite person to work with would be Quentin Tarantino, his dialogue on his movies seems like it would be a lot of fun to work with, and not to mention how he always has some big gory finish to most his movies, just seems like it would be a lot of fun to be apart of is cast and crew, and I feel like I would learn a lot because of his love for movies.
Tell us something most people don't know about you.
Something that most people don’t know bout me is that I was actually pretty shy and only opened up more when I went to college, some people now think I’m cocky lol
The one person who has truly believed in you throughout your career.
I have to group this together, but my dad and my mom have always been supportive for my acting career way before I knew I had any skills, my mom signed me up for YMCA acting classes, my dad constantly gives me motivational talks and advice on how he thinks I can succeed more. His favorite saying for anything I do is “Nothing but Greatness!”
What was the most important lesson you had to learn as actor?
The most important thing I learned as an actor is whatever choice you want to pick for your character, to be fully committed to it because your insecurities will show on film and unless that’s what you want for your character it won’t transition good for the audience.
Is it harder to get started or to keep going? What was the particular thing that you had to conquer to do either?
I think it is harder to get started. Honestly it is overwhelming as an actor when you look at the prices of headshots, trying to figure out how to find auditions, getting a video reel, feeling like everyone is so much steps ahead of you and just not knowing if your actually good or not to even try, it’s a lot. For me once I got my headshots things starting to start rolling a little more. Once I started to get more roles I put together a video reel, and that has been a major part of how I have booked some of my roles.
What keeps you motivated?
The thing that keeps me motivated, is that I know this is what I want to do and no matter what job or career I get it’s never goin to be as fulfilling as making a living in doing what
I love to do. I just feel like if I don’t try, I’ll be stuck in a limbo.
How has your style evolved?
The way my style has evolved is that I have loosened up a bit on how I rehearse on delivering lines and because of that I feel like my performances are a lot more natural since I’m not so focused on saying things in a specific way, that may not match my scene partners delivery.
On set, the most important thing is:
On set the most important thing I have learned is to trust the director and crew and knowing that at the end of the day every one just wants a good quality finished project.
The project(s) you’re most proud of:
The project that I am most proud about is a play called “Streamers” that I did in slippery rock university. It was my first big play and it was a role that allowed me to flex my acting muscles and see if I was any good. I ended up getting nominated for Irene Ryan award.
The most challenging project you worked on. And why?
The most challenging project I worked on was “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson” it was my first musical, so there was lot of new things I had to learn during the rehearsal process. Learning the different songs and dance moves while also trying to establish my character, was a bit of a challenge but the end result turned out good.
we had a really nice run.
What are your short term and long term career goals?
My short term goal in acting, is to get some representation so that I can get some more opportunities that I may not have access to myself.
My long term goal is to be able to pay my bills by doing what I live doin acting. I also would eventually like to get into directing and producing, and just helping coming up with new projects to put out.
Your next projects?
Future project I have right now is a feature film by Lovestar entertainment called “The Stoop” and I’m always auditioning and looking for other projects so I’m sure I’ll have more coming up soon!
Please share with us where people can find you on social media
Ig: jroseactor91
Ig: da_punisher1991
FB: dequan rose
INTERVIEW WITH David Luck - Actor, Producer, Director
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David Luck is an actor, producer and director, known for Brunch before Baptism (2018) and Last Will and Testicle (2016).
Tell us about your background and when did you decide to become a filmmaker, producer, actor and screenwriter?
When I was 4-years old and saw the variety television show “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In. I knew immediately that I wanted to make people laugh by storytelling.
Films that inspired you to become a filmmaker?
Escapism.
Who is your biggest influence?
Lily Tomlin .
What were some of the challenges you had to face in making your films?
The weather and rejection.
Do you have a favorite genre to work in? Why is it your favorite?
Comedy – One cannot live in this crazy would without a sense of humor.
What’s your all-time favorite movie and why?
It’s a tie between Nashville and The Player. Both movies are directed by Robert Altman. He was an incredible filmmaker who allowed the actors free-range of the characters.
If you could work with anyone in the world, who would that person be?
Lily Tomlin .
Tell us something most people don't know about you.
My cousin is Andrew Luck, the quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the NFL.
The one person who has truly believed in you throughout your career.
I’m extremely fortunate to have family and many friends who are behind 100 percent.
What was the most important lesson you had to learn as filmmaker?
Accept criticism without changing my vision.
Is it harder to get started or to keep going? What was the particular thing that you had to conquer to do either?
Own my own creativity.
What keeps you motivated?
Laughter and support.
How has your style evolved?
It get to the point a lot faster and my scripts have become tight.
On set, the most important thing is:
To listen and be respectful.
The project(s) you’re most proud of:
Brunch before Baptism (my movie) and Southern Fried Life (my 2nd novel).
The most challenging project you worked on. And why?
This would have to be my 1st novel. I should have hired a professional editor instead I went for instant gratification and now, I cringe when I read it and see the errors I made. But you live and learn.
What are your short term and long term career goals?
Short term - would be to enjoy the ride at all the film festivals. Long term would be to continue to make films that make people laugh.
Your next projects?
Working on two comedies!
Please share with us where people can find you on social media, so our readers could keep track of your career.
You can follow me on Facebook. There are not too many David Lucks – so I should be easy to find.
INTERVIEW WITH Moeez Alrammah - Director, Actor, Writer
Moeez Alrammah is an Award-winning, multilingual, multi-talented media professional with proven track record directing, editing and producing Films, Anime, Documentaries, and TV series. Out-of-the-box thinker, passionate about bringing the most imaginative concepts to life. Utilize understanding of psychology to ensure film achieves rhythm and balance. Deliver media of the highest standard of excellence while simultaneously laser focusing on upholding client’s brand and reputation. Lately launched Virtualizer LLC, an animation and film production company located in Culver City, CA, his first CGI animated short film The Legend Of Um Elmagareen (chapter 1), produced in 2019, while in the same lucky year produced and accomplished with another artistic animated short film "A Hollywood Night with Shakalama", both of them are already out for film festivals after the first one “The Legend Of Um Elmagareen” nailed it with a multi award winning from several film festivals, and still will be
Tell us about your background and when did you decide to become a filmmaker?
"Everyone is destined for a mission in life." I love this quote; it reflects what happened to me. I was just seven years old when the world of computers invaded me and started to become my passion. I loved anything related to computers, and from that point on, I made a great history (Video editor, Sound editor, 3D animator, and writer) then I became director and producer. You can say I started to be a filmmaker in 2004.
Films that inspired you to become a filmmaker?
There are lots of films that inspired me especially the hardest ones of making such as from the 70s The message By Moustapha Akkad, and of course, Gesù di Nazareth By Franco Zeffirelli, RIP his soul, he just passed away two months ago.
Who is your biggest influence?
Steven Spielberg, M. Night Shyamalan, Darren Aronofsky, Moustapha Akkad.
What were some of the challenges you had to face in making your films?
I liked that you asked me this question because when I look back today to all the challenges I passed in this field, I can say today that challenges and problems are the real filmmakers behind the scene because without them you will never learn the right way to make films. One of my biggest challenges is to create a movie with a meager budget to come up in the end with a good movie, and the audience enjoy it like they watch something made of great production!
Do you have a favorite genre to work in? Why is it your favorite?
I prefer Fantasy, Sci-fi, Drama (bot not the boring ones), Epic, and Historical., actually I like most of the genres, as long as the filmmaker knows how to craft a piece of art, and he brings me a new way of telling a story in films form.
What’s your all-time favorite movie and why?
Braveheart (1995), By Mel Gibson. He, as a director, brought all the elements of great movies and put it together in great shape, as he did in Braveheart! He made me feel as if I lived really in that era with all incidences and feelings!
If you could work with anyone in the world, who would that person be?
Anyone who can treat his job as the best shot in his life, and manage the project as his baby, who he wishes to raise him, to be great.
Tell us something most people don't know about you.
I can't count myself as a religious person, but I feel like I am inviting God to see my project after I finish it as my first viewer. Yes, I do!
The one person who has truly believed in you throughout your career.
They are so many, but in my opinion, the most important one between all of them genuinely believed in me, is myself.
What was the most important lesson you had to learn as filmmaker/actor/screenwriter?
As a filmmaker, I learned to imitate the way God created everything.
As an actor, I learned that the most important thing is to read a lot about your role whether it is a historical figure or a fictional character, then I have to dig some researches about this character and how to build it inside my inner self.
As a writer, I learned that if you could gather with your friends and play a role-play and be the character of your own story, the flow that comes alive out from it will help a lot in finishing the script in the best and fast way.
What keeps you motivated?
To deserve a living full of life, you need to be always motivated! To be motivated for anything necessary to feed your existence.
How has your style evolved?
I perform a mixture of a lot of things that I've learned in film, music, and media industries, to come up with my formula, which allows me to save on budget and time.
On set, the most important thing is:
For me, because I do several roles onset, I have to be aware of everything, and of course, the most important thing is respecting your time and your team time as well.
The project(s) you’re most proud of:
The Legend of Um El Magareen, A Hollywood Night with Shakalama, and Dreams I never Had By Iyad Hajjaj.
The most challenging project you worked on. And why?
So many projects were challengable for me! The Legend of Um Elmagareen is one of them as an example, I had to deal with "First Time Acting" (FTA) people, which is most of them even don't know how to do normal things like communicating with the coordinators and refer what to whom, but it was super fun since they are talented and have the motivation to learn fast and to organize themselves!
What are your short term and long term career goals?
Short term to have my film/episodes The Legend of Um Elmagareen on Netflix, Hulu, Disney, etc.
Long term, to give the ability for disabled filmmakers to make films from their homes, by using my new technique of making films (Virtualizer). I know you are going to ask me, "what Virtualizer is? I will reveal the method after I finish the first season of Um Elmagareen, because it needs lots of work to describe it in details.
Your next projects?
My second project "A Hollywood Night with Shakalama" already completed this month, so we completed two projects in the same year “Touch Wood", The third project (Chapter2) of "The Legend of Um Elmagareen”, it’s in the half way of the production, and three other projects still in the writing and pre production phases.
Please share with us where people can find you on social media, so our readers could keep track of your career.
IMDB personal:
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5009725
IMDB Title:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10452528
“Um Elmagareen” Facebook fan page:
https://www.facebook.com/UmElmagareen
Personal Facebook fan page:
https://www.facebook.com/m.alrammah
“Um Elmagareen” Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/umelmagareen
Virtualizer LinkedIn:
INTERVIEW WITH Sergei Safiullin -Filmmaker
Tell us about your background and when did you decide to become a filmmaker?
I was born in the USSR in 1979 in a small town called Izhevsk which had a restricted access due to Cold War Era policies. Growing "in a box" pushed me to develop my imagination and seek his freedom in art, poetry and theater where I first played on stage at the age of 7.
My sincere curiosity in people and strong desire to break through walls to discover the world, took me to study all around the world: Spain, Germany, India, China, South Korea, Israel and the US what made me I believe a true global citizen.
In the past 5 years my focus was mainly on contemporary art. I have lunched a few international art flashmob events and successfully accomplished two heavy budget photo art projects.
Turning 40 made me to rethink my career as an artist, and pushed me into a new field of filmmaking.
Films that inspired you to become a filmmaker?
A sci-fi drama “Interstellar” directed by Christopher Nolan, historical drama “Brave Heart” directed by Mel Gibson, and crime comedy “Snatch” directed by Guy Ritchie are among top movies that inspired me most to be a filmmaker.
Who is your biggest influence?
I am a big fan of Guy Ritchie’s director’s approach.
What were some of the challenges you had to face in making your films?
The main challenge was to find the right talent for your movie. It is hard to compromise the importance of the voices who about to tell you story.
Do you have a favorite genre to work in? Why is it your favorite?
I think I am okay to work in genre as long as the story promises a fascinating and unpredictable character life transformation journey.
What’s your all-time favorite movie and why?
A sci-fi drama “Interstellar” directed by Christopher Nolan is probably my all-time favorite movie because it made me really feel the hardship of main character’s choices as they could actually be mine. I love this movie because it shows how hard to be a good father and save a world without sacrificing one another.
If you could work with anyone in the world, who would that person be?
I wish to work with Matthew McConoughey on one of my movies one day. He is a really talented actor.
Tell us something most people don't know about you.
I am also know as Mr. Nomade.
The one person who has truly believed in you throughout your career.
That would be my wife Evgeniya, who strongly believes in my talent and who always supported me in every step of my career as an artist.
What was the most important lesson you had to learn as filmmaker?
Don’t start shooting a film before all needed funds are secured.
Is it harder to get started or to keep going? What was the particular thing that you had to conquer to do either?
The hardest part is to finish the project on time, which is hard when you find so many things you wish you could done differently, and so many things to add up to look it better, but you need to let it go and move on to finish the project.
What keeps you motivated?
So many beautiful stories that are not being told and so many amazing people who could make this stories come to cinema life in an absolutely new and innovative ways.
How has your style evolved?
I think i am still in the beginning process so it is not evolving it is emerging))
On set, the most important thing is:
Have all the scenes to be carefully planned out ahead. Be in a postage mood and share only positive vibes with a crew.
The project(s) you’re most proud of:
There is not much to pick from - but I definitely proud of my first short film Bite Me!
The most challenging project you worked on. And why?
Shooting a photo art project #MadQnA with 50 models involved in one shot.
What are your short term and long term career goals?
My short term goal would be to shoot a short film in every cinema genre in order to polish my director’s signature style and get ready for my long term projects of 8 narrative films that I have in mind.
Your next projects?
Reality TV Show - “Divas Drive”; TV series - “Ms. USSR"; Drama - Hurricane Proof; Historic Drama - “Nutcracker’s Soul”; Sport Drama - “Go OVI”; Sc-fi movie - “Mushroom”; Mystique movie - “Office on the 13 Floor”; Animated movie “Romeo and Juliet” and many more.
Please share with us where people can find you on social media, so our readers could keep track of your career.
www.facebook.com/mrnomadeofficial
Twitter: @madartprod
Instagram: @mrnomade
INTERVIEW WITH Sara Alessandrini-Filmmaker
Sara Alessandrini is an Italian filmmaker, now based in Los Angeles. She has been the director of different music videos that have been viewed by international audience in the various film festival around the world. She also works as manager of the historic Egyptian Theatre in Los Angeles, keeping her two passions for management and filmmaking running at the same time. Her true love is with feature movies, but she enjoys making music videos because she has the freedom to display stories of human beings and their struggle in a non linear way.
Tell us about your background and when did you decide to become a filmmaker?
I developed a passion for movies when I was very young, and as a kid, I was so obsessed with movies that I was always trying to reproduce the scenes in it. Being raised in a small town, I never thought I could make my dreams come true, but one day a teacher of mine told me that I was born to become a filmmaker, and from that moment I could not stop thinking about it. At first, I got scared and tried to push it back. Since my academic background was very technical, I decided to study Electronic Engineering and forget about being a filmmaker. But I was not happy, so I decided to take my destiny in my hands and move to Rome to start my career in Filmmaking.
Films that inspired you to become a filmmaker?Many are the films that made me desire to become a filmmaker, but the triggering point came with The Lord of the Rings. I was so impressed on how much effort, life time and passion people can put in something as simple as the making of a movie. I was amazed that because of a movie people had to change their life completely, spend most of their time in a new country, learning a new way of life, learning new skills, and creating new long lasting relationships. I loved the idea that just because of a movie, the people involved gained so much more experience in their life, that they would not have achieved otherwise.
Who is your biggest influence?That’s a tough question. I never felt I had a specific person influencing or inspiring me. I like to get a little from everybody.
What were some of the challenges you had to face in making your films?
Definitely finding the right people to work with. Very often I found people that either expected me to tell them everything they had to do in their job, or people that wanted to take over my job. Finding the right people to work with is key, and very often I prefer to work with people that are not professionals, because they have a genuineness and passion that very often professionals have lost.
Do you have a favorite genre to work in? Why is it your favorite?
I don’t have a favorite genre to work in. When I approach a project, I do it with the intention to explore a specific theme, and talk about something that is important to me. Some themes that are recurrent in my projects are the relationship between human beings and our disconnection to ourselves and others; the connection between past, present and future; dreams and delusions; and the analysis of the solitude that affect all of us indiscriminately.
What’s your all-time favorite movie and why?
It is hard to pick only one, but maybe I would say Rear Window. I love movies with a mystery to solve, but that also do a deep analysis of us as human beings. That movie is full of symbolism and everything that happen on the screen is extremely connected to the inner journey that the main character is constantly going through. What I love of that movie is that in the surface it seems a very simple movie, but the more you analyze it, the more complex it becomes.
If you could work with anyone in the world, who would that person be?I don’t like the idea of working with people that are recognized and already successful. I think that having famous people in a movie can very often take away the audience from the story. People in the audience would constantly expect that movie to be something specific because of the previous career of that actor. I don’t want that. I want my audience to be raw and not to expect anything from my movie. If I could work with anyone in the world, I would like to work with someone that is genuinely passioned about moviemaking and willing to experiment and grow.
Tell us something most people don't know about you.
Most people see me as an extrovert person, who make jokes about everything and that cannot be serious about anything. Careless many would say. But I am actually very reflective, focused and I think more than I say. I am very sensitive but I try to keep it a secret most of the time.
The one person who has truly believed in you throughout your career.
That would be my cousin Valentina. She always supported me and my desire to become a filmmaker and she was there with me when I went to Rome the first time to see my future movie academy. We also did a music video together where she was the dancer performer, a video that talks about becoming adults and the difficulties of making dreams come true.
What was the most important lesson you had to learn as filmmaker?
The most important lesson that I learnt as a filmmaker is that being prepared and alert in life and on set is the most important quality someone could ever learn. If you are not prepared on set, you will have delays, and these delays will necessarily burn through money. But also no one wants to waste hours doing nothing because you didn’t do your homework, so if you want to keep good relationships with your coworkers, you need to be prepared and know what you are doing.
Is it harder to get started or to keep going? What was the particular thing that you had to conquer to do either?I think the most difficult thing is to get started, but sometimes to keep the passion alive and keep going is hard too. For me, it definitely was more difficult to start. I had to leave all my family and friends, and had to start a new career in a place where I didn’t know anyone and the only person supporting my decisions was my cousin. But when I was living in Rome I found it hard too to keep going and maintaining my passion alive as well. Rome is a city that can drain you, and after few years I was left with a lot of questions of why I was doing what I was doing. Because of that, I decided to move to Australia to start again from scratch and in few days I found my answers again.
What keeps you motivated?Now I live in Los Angeles and I work as a facility manager of an historic movie theatre with a lot of premieres and events. Challenges is what keeps me motivated, and in my job there are many. Doing this job and seeing the passion that the audience people have, keeps me motivated not only as a manager, but also as a filmmaker. Being a manager in such important venue keeps reminding me why it is important what I am doing, and knowing to make a difference in the life of people is priceless.
How has your style evolved?I am not sure I can talk about evolution in my style. Definitely my technique got better. And, especially thanks to the experience that I earned as a manager, I learnt how to choose more wisely the people working with me and how to direct them more confidently. My two careers as a manager and as a filmmaker go hand in hand, I learn from one and practice in the other one, and vice versa. But I feel that all my videos, even the very first ones, share a common style and theme.
On set, the most important thing is:Being focused and definitely being on track. I don’t like being late on my schedule, I prefer to shoot less and being on time, then having more footage for me to use and not meeting the deadline, and have everybody angry with me. I also feel, as a director, that the best shots are the first ones, because they are more genuine. Every time I shoot a scene multiple times, trying to get the best performance ever, I think I get it in the last shots, and then in editing I realize that actually the best one was one of the first, so now I rarely shoot more than 3 times a scene. The project(s) you’re most proud of:The project I am most proud of is the one I shot with my cousin, the music video "Safe in the Storm” by Little Galaxies. I shot that music video in a failure time of my life, and because my cousin was experiencing the same, we decided to shoot a video, that would eventually become a music video. The idea was to film whatever we thought we had to film, and then, after finishing the editing, to find someone to make the music. After few musicians that fell through, I found online this song by Little Galaxies and I fell in love with it. I wrote to them asking if they wanted my video to become the official music video of their song, and they agreed. I didn’t even had to change any frame of the editing, just adding a minute at the end, it was simply meant to be. The most challenging project you worked on. And why?Definitely it was a cover music video that I did for Jameson Tabor. It was one of our first projects together and everything went just wrong. We had everything ready, and once we started shooting, we got kicked out of the location and couldn’t find another one on the same day. Once we found the location, we lost our main actor. Once we found the actor, we lost our DP. When we finally managed to shoot the music video, the SD card where the files were saved got corrupted and we have lost half of the footage. That project was simply cursed!
What are your short term and long term career goals?My short and long term career goals is definitely to continue my career in the movie exhibition business as a manager and find more ways to showcase new talents on the big screen, and also to make my first feature movie as a director. As a long term project I also want to open my own movie theatre and open a museum of movies in Rome. Your next projects?I just released my last music video for the Little Galaxies called “It’s Natural”, and another one for Jameson Tabor called “Black Dust”. I will now send these out to various festivals and I am also writing my first feature movie. Your social media account:Instagram @lasava.alessandrini
INTERVIEW WITH HECTOR SALGADO - DIRECTOR
Hector Salgado is a Wildlife Documentary Director and Cinematographer.
Tell us about your background and when did you decide to become a filmmaker?
When i was 14-15 i start to have a felling , but at 23 years old was when i decide to film
Films that inspired you to become a filmmaker?
Titanic all the way.
Who is your biggest influence?
My Family
What were some of the challenges you had to face in making your films?
Don't see my Family , Wife and daughter , for trying to follow my dreams , she always understand my life and support me all the way.
Do you have a favorite genre to work in? Why is it your favorite?
YES Documentary, wildlife and environmental films, social anthropology films , be in touch with the nature and be the voice with your camera and feelings and connection with you heart is the best felling. the community people is the best.
What’s your all-time favorite movie and why?
the series of BBC EARTH AND OCEANS .
If you could work with anyone in the world, who would that person be?
Werner herzog
Tell us something most people don't know about you:
Im super organized and the people mmm, maybe think im very very a disaster , hahahaha
The one person who has truly believed in you throughout your career.
My Wife and my dad and mom
What was the most important lesson you had to learn as filmmaker?
Be a leadership with your crew and everybody wins to wins , respect and have fun
Is it harder to get started or to keep going?
What was the particular thing that you had to conquer to do either? Nothing is easy , i think the key is make a good team with respect and values and creative , and the word trust has a big play role , leadership with your team.
What keeps you motivated?
My Family
How has your style evolved?
Watching a lot of documentaries and observing the way of thinking of the directors and the ways they express , because im in the two position one time , and taking the risk to always believe in me and my team.
On set, the most important thing is:
Respect and focus
The project(s) you’re most proud of:
African Drivers and Franky in NY a beautiful story about a homeless in Brooklyn ,NY and shark week for discovery channel
The most challenging project you worked on. And why?
Africa always is hard, but Tiburones sharks of cuba for shark week discovery channel, was really hard and traveling and filming and diving , i was U/W camera role, amazing experience.
What are your short term and long term career goals?
For now African drivers promotion and festivals, and film some shorts projects, but my career goals is to build a Wildlife Film School in Africa and make workshops with the top wildlife cinematographers fro the world and the industrie, and live the experience, Im really working on that really hard.
Your next projects?
Amazonas, and Africa , and im still filming one in México since 3 years to the present, maybe that took me 2 years more.
Social media:
IG: Madafaker
Facebook: Hector Salgado
IG: African drivers
facebook: African drivers
INTERVIEW WITH Chadaporn Mitinunwong - FILMMAKER
Chadaporn Mitinunwong, Bangkok native. At the time she were deeply interested in 3D design and artistry, primarily cinematographic effects. She had a 10 year tenure as an understudy of a renowned director of animation. Under his tutelage she learned to understand not only the cinematics, but how they can be used to tell a story of each character arc and was attuned to the approaches of the different directors. To this end, she moved to California to continue studies of modern Film and Television. She were fascinated by it, and determined to dedicate her talent to this path, eventually culminating in reaching her dream of becoming a filmmaker.
Tell us about your background and when did you decide to become a filmmaker?
My first job after graduation from the King Mongkut's Institute Of Technology Ladkrabang University, Fine Arts was a production coordinator, with the Animation Studio. As with every first job, you gain some insight on where you really want to go. My interests leaned more and more towards the art of Visual StoryTelling, how to demonstrate ideas visually, and the movements of each story or arc.
At the time, I was working closely with the director who gave me great insight into the process and engendered many questions, likewise it was an inspirational factor for me to see all the possibilities and states of each story. This insight and my deep curiosity gave me the inspiration to pursue a career in Film and Television.
Films that inspired you to become a filmmaker?
What was my inspiration? I think many of my favorites have told me something about life and the human condition. The Pursuit of Happiness was one of the most inspiring, moving films of my life. The stuggles, and hardships of the father, showed me that some aspects of life, and it’s pursuit, can be arduous but the journey and outcome can be beautiful.
Who is your biggest influence?
I love Drama, SciFi, and Thriller movies. The most influential aspect of cinematography to me is the set and decoration design. Art and Design are the heart of the audience's attention. I want to do the best visual telling through composition and design.
I draw a great deal of inspiration from Director Baz Luhrmann inspirational works. The first time I saw his movie Moulin Rouge (2001). I was so fascinated by the music and story movement that were constantly so well coordinated with the camera movement, color and set decorations. I am also a big fan of director Tom Hooper. I am so in love with his historical drama movies such as The King’s Speech or Caral.
What were some of the challenges you had to face in making your films?
Every process of Filming has challenged me. All departments have unique interpretations. As a new filmmaker, I personally feel like selling the idea and getting people involved are honestly the most challenging because it’s the first hurdle to overcome. I can’t film a movie by myself. Ergo I really know this won’t change that fact.
Do you have a favorite genre to work in? Why is it your favorite?
Drama has always been one of my favorite genres. There are certain movies that move me, but Drama has the most impact on me. I like to watch drama movies because most of the time, I learn something from that more than simple entertainment. It also reminds me to be aware of life. What if I have met the same situation? What If I did something wrong, what does a person do? The interpretation has certain ways which lead to subjective opinion, with no right or wrong answer. .
What’s your all-time favorite movie and why?
This is a hard question to answer. It actually depends on the mood, and setting. If I am alone in a house, I like to watch classic movies, sort of drama but has a sense of family or love. Julie and Julia is one of my favorite movies. I love how two different characters pursue their love. The King’s Speech is also another movie that I love. There is some part of the protagonist that reflects on myself.
If you could work with anyone in the world, who would that person be?
I would love to work with James Cameron, Tom Hooper or Baz Luhrmann.
Tell us something most people don't know about you.
I was a painter artist when I was young, drawing and painting are parts of my life. It was like the step by step, studying certain things from art student, web design, 3D animation to find myself and future life. After my first degree of Fine Art, I decided to learn more about the animation.
Back at that time around the turn of the century. The 3D animation industry was very new. It was basically advanced step cartoon and animation. There are few places that had openings for the 3D private classes, so I took a chance without hesitating, became a 3D artist for quite 10 years.
Having well experiences on 3D Animation, I was invited to a well known University and tough student about the new media and 3D surface which it is hoping to encourage the technology and so on to give them the alternative future choices to go.
The one person who has truly believed in you throughout your career.
My father. He doesn’t really know about Film and Television honestly, but he believes on me. I think many new Filmmaker who have leave family, love, countries to pursue the dream like me know how hard it is to get attention. It’s really hard to market yourself. Having someone who truly believe in you throughout your career is the magic power-bank. Whenever you seem to give up, you know you there is people behind who were waiting to see your success. I’m lucky to have my father who supports me.
What was the most important lesson you had to learn as filmmaker?
Learn to be patient and believe in yourself.
Is it harder to get started or to keep going? What was the particular thing that you had to conquer to do either?
Too keep going. I wasn’t easy to keep projects going.
What keeps you motivated?
I don’t want my life to end up centered around money and financial gain, just to keep a status quo and lifestyle. I want to do something that I love, am passionate about, and if I'm lucky, has good salary as well. This is motivation enough, to find a career you love.
How has your style evolved?
I used to be shy. It wasn’t good at all. I learn to speak up, changing my self and building my confidence to speak. Since became a filmmaker, my personality has changed, and my style has evolved with it.
On set, the most important thing is:
Be prepared. By this I mean it to every position you are on the set either you are Director, Ad, DP, Grip or PA, you must be prepared. On set anything can happen. It can be good or bad, according to this answer, I am more on the negative side. Making a film requires a gigantic state of teamwork, energy and money behind. When things seem not to go according to your plan, an actor doesn’t show up, bad weather, even unpredictable disasters can ruin your project, your time and money. So the most important thing here is to be prepared and adapt to change.
The project(s) you’re most proud of:
The Gifted Ones, Short Film that I am proud of myself. It is the first short film of my life that was originated from a short story. This project was essentially made for the Thesis Project of my master degree. It took me 2.5 years to complete the project because I honestly had a low budget, no connections, lack of experiences. Spending my day and night to do research, how to sell the idea, how to get crew, how to direct, there were long roads which I didn’t really know where is the right direction. I just tried different ways which I know I can turn back.
The project recently received 8 Awards and certain Nominations this year 2019.
The most challenging project you worked on. And why?
Of course it’s the project The Gifted Ones that I direct. Being a director is tough. It honestly takes so many things, time, experiences and moreover, personal sacrifice myself to complete it.
What are your short term and long term career goals?
I have another Crime and Mysterious short film coming next.
For the long term goal I want to direct another short films that I write a script.
Your next projects?
I have a mysterious and thriller short film of my friend that already starts on pre production. It’s completely be challenging to me because I have never done of Thriller movie before. I’m super exciting.
Please share with us where people can find you on social media, so our readers could keep track of your career
linkedin.com/in/chadaporn-mitinunwong-06982a75
https://www.instagram.com/tantan_i_am/
INTERVIEW WITH Clément de Dadelsen - Director, Writer
Clément de Dadelsen is a French director, playwright, screenwriter and actor, working between Paris, London and Lisbon. He directed and toured more than ten shows with his company, La Flibuste, and wrote and produced three screenplays and seven plays, in French and in English. Untitled (Sans Titre) is his first film as a director.
Tell us about your background and when did you decide to become a filmmaker/actor/screenwriter?
I started studying drama at the tender age of eight, because I was too shy at the time to speak to the other children. I loved theatre and movies because for once dreaming was not only a hobby, it was a real job, and you could learn how to dream professionally. I became serious about being an actor before realizing that what I loved the most was writing and directing others.
Films that inspired you to become a filmmaker/actor/screenwriter?
I guess I value the eighties-nineties not only because it was my childhood but also because it is a very under-appreciated era for cinema. So many great movies, especially American and British : Dead Poet Society, all the Spielbergs, Gandy, Out of Africa...
Who is your biggest influence?
My two drama teachers who were old masters of French theatre. They taught me how to use storytelling to talk about universal human issues. They also taught me the ethics of this job.
What were some of the challenges you had to face in making your films?
It's always the technical issues that are the worst : getting an authorization to use a place or a particular music, replacing a prop at the last minute... Anytime there is film involved, some people want to ask something from you as if you were working in Hollywood.
Do you have a favorite genre to work in? Why is it your favorite?
Comedy is definitely the most difficult and the most interesting genre, and I believe it is what everyone needs the most, especially right now. It is way more interesting to talk about serious things using comedy rather than drama.
What’s your all-time favorite movie and why?
I guess it's Eve, directed by Mankiewicz, with Bette Davis. Best screenplay and best cast ever.
If you could work with anyone in the world, who would that person be?
Woody Allen. He's a genius writer and probably the cleverest screenwriter in the world with Aaron Sorkin. I was lucky enough to meet him once.
Tell us something most people don't know about you.
Most of the time, I prefer non-fiction to fiction. In another life, I could have been a journalist.
The one person who has truly believed in you throughout your career.
Actors I've been working with for ten years. Of course, we're all friends now and we genuinely support each other a lot. They're here for me and I'm here for them. They are great actors and great people (it often goes together).
What was the most important lesson you had to learn as filmmaker/actor/screenwriter?
There's no time to waist with bad stories.
Is it harder to get started or to keep going? What was the particular thing that you had to conquer to do either?
Everyone will tell you that to keep going is harder. You've got to learn how to fight your demons : laziness, fear, lack of trust, depression, doubt, being tempted by the comfort of living a more conventional happiness...
What keeps you motivated?
The pleasure to see my stories coming to life.
How has your style evolved?
Has it ? I don't really know what style is... Most of the time, it's just a marketing tool to sell an artist's work. I guess you may build your own style by working under the shadow of the great artists you admire.
On set, the most important thing is:
The weather. You can always control the rest.
The project(s) you’re most proud of:
I co-directed a Shakespeare play in London, Twelfth Night, when my English was terrible. I didn't think I could make it but I worked a lot and thanks to a wonderful team of actors and technicians, it went very well.
The most challenging project you worked on. And why?
I translated and produced Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream in French and toured it as an outdoor show in several castles and parks all around France. It was
a real challenge but it really was worth it.
What are your short term and long term career goals?
I guess we all have the same goals : getting produced, release our work, pleasing people, making another film/play. Not original but bloody difficult to get.
Your next projects?
I just wrote a play about dementia inspired by the atmosphere of Alice in Wonderland. I like to think it has potential.
INTERVIEW WITH Brandon Stark - Screenwriter
Brandon Stark’s passion for screenwriting started at an early age. Like most young filmmakers, Brandon explored by watching all kinds of films and making home movies with friends and family. Brandon attended Illinois State University to receive a Bachelor of Arts in English Studies, minoring in Creative Writing. Brandon was one of a handful of students selected by Dr. Hilary Justice to be part of special course where the class studied early drafts and original works by writer Ernest Hemingway. The class pushed Brandon’s drive with the goal of becoming a writer himself. Along with a Screenwriting course taught by Dr. John McHale, it was here where his strength for story telling in screenwriting began to form. After a few years of working full time, Brandon applied and was accepted to Boston University’s MFA Screenwriting Program, one of the most prestigious Screenwriting programs in the United States. Brandon was one of eleven accepted into the program.
Tell us about your background and when did you decide to become a screenwriter?
My parents were the ones who opened the doors to Filmmaking for me at an early age. They showed me all kinds of movies from Disney’s Pinocchio to Predator. My mom would show me the classics while my dad focused on sci-fi, horror and action films.
I remember watching Terminator 2: Judgment Day with my dad and brother and crying when Arnold’s character (The T-800) sacrificed himself at the end of the film. Afterwards, I remember my dad telling me someone wrote that movie because it was their job. That was the moment I knew I wanted to be a screenwriter. When I found out people could this for a living I knew there was no turning back.
Films that inspired you to become a screenwriter?
The first films that made the initial impact were the original Alien (I first saw the original Alien when I was four years old) and Star Wars. Those films showed me there was no limit to what kind of stories someone could tell. You could write anything about anything.
Films like The Dark Crystal and Batman: Mask of the Phantasm allowed me to see the emotional depths stories could take but still be so beautiful and inspiring at the same time.
As I got older, films like Casablanca, Midnight in Paris, The Shawshank Redemption, The King’s Speech and Wolfgang Petersen’s Das Boot confirmed my inspiration and drove me to actually begin writing full length feature screenplays and short stories.
Who is your biggest influence?
I have a long list and it varies with whatever project I’m working on or moment in my life.
That being said, Stanley Kubrick will always be up there for me. Kubrick changed the definition of Film. He opened doors we never knew existed. He’s one of those rare filmmakers when you sit down and watch one of his movies you’re actually transported into another world. Very few have that ability when it comes to storytelling. Everything he made is genuinely perfect.
I keep the lessons he taught us regarding storytelling with every project I work on. He knew what film really was and we need to be grateful for that.
What are some of the challenges you face in writing your own scripts?
Constantly questioning or critiquing myself. Always asking if this story is worth telling or why am I interested in making this into a script. It’s beneficial when I’m going through a rewrite but it’s more harmful if I have that mindset before I even begin writing.
Do you have a favorite genre to work in? Why is it your favorite?
Drama. There’s something about taking real life experiences and creating characters to react to those situations. It’s always a learning experience because each character is going to do something even I can’t expect. I do enjoy dabbling with science fiction or fantasy but there’s something about drama right now that I can jump into and do something different with.
What’s your all-time favorite movie and why?
I have a top ten list that changes a lot but Alien will always remain on that list. It’s a film I revisit every year and still find something new to be fascinated with. I think it’s the world and sense of isolation along with the cast and crew who brought Dan O'Bannon’s original vision to life.
I’ll never stop arguing how Alien has some of the best acting of all time. The chemistry between the performers is so natural.
The film has some of the most incredible practical effects ever produced that sadly aren’t used in a lot of media in this day and age.
If you could work with anyone in the world, who would that person be?
I have that dream list of Directors, Producers and Actors and Actresses every filmmaker has the goal to work with at some point in their career. I would say at this point it would be incredible to work with Eva Green.
She’s been in some incredible films and television shows and each piece she’s in is so different from the last. I’m excited to see her new film, Proxima.
I think she could bring some amazing ideas to the table that would only strengthen a script’s goals with story and character.
Tell us something most people don't know about you.
I try to practice American Sign Language daily.
The one person who has truly believed in you throughout your career.
There’s two people actually, my mom and dad. There were points where I wanted to give up and stop and they were the only ones who believed in me when I couldn’t even believe in myself. They pushed me forward during some tough spots. I wouldn’t be who I am today if it wasn’t for them.
What was the most important lesson you had to learn as screenwriter?
The most important lesson I just recently learned was to believe in myself as a writer in order to tell a great story. I use to be very hard on myself which reflected on the quality of my work. It was a constant struggle of always underestimating my abilities and what I could do.
Once I overcame that barrier, my writing drastically improved and what I wanted to say came out the right way on the page. Now I write pieces I’m proud of and can see that they resonate and connect with an audience from the recognition I’ve been receiving.
Is it harder to get started or to keep going? What was the particular thing that you had to conquer to do either?
I would say keep going. When you go down certain roads in life, obstacles get in the way or you make excuses to stop what you’re doing because it isn’t “logical”. I think those moments are great for reflection.
What keeps you motivated?
I’m always reading books, writing scripts or stories, watching films and spending time with friends and family. I think everyone needs a healthy balance of input and output. One can’t dominate over the other.
How has your style evolved?
Early on I was too focused on world building as well as hitting story beats at the right moments. Now, I focus on the characters and their journeys as well as their emotional struggles.
A writer needs to create characters readers can relate to and connect with naturally. If you don’t have that or you try forcing themes, ideas or agendas on to the reader or viewer, no one will care about your story.
The project(s) you’re most proud of:
I’m currently excited with the recognition and nominations The Lost Track is currently getting. It’s a good small step forward in my career.
This was a tough project to land but thanks to classes and my professors from Boston University, specifically Professor Marc Weinberg, I was able to tell the story right.
The most challenging project you worked on. And why?
There’s a recent feature script I just finished that was one of the most painful scripts to write. Strangely enough, it was one of the fastest scripts I’ve written as well. I can’t talk about the plot but it sadly reflects what a growing number of people in society are facing each year.
What’s keeping me going with the story is the overall message. Yes, these characters are put through Hell and back but in the end the overall journey makes them stronger as well as helping others in similar situations.
What are your short term and long term career goals?
Short term, I would like to have my short script, The Lost Track, produced into a short film. It would be a nice step forward if I can find the right Director and production team to bring the story to life.
There are certain features I’ve written that I would love to be picked up and produced. If I can have one of my scripts made into a feature film I would truly be grateful.
I also wish to publish a book of short stories in the future. It’s been a little project I’ve worked on over the years and hopefully one day something can come out of it.
Your next projects?
There’s a script I’m working on with my co-writer from Boston University, Bayleigh Von Schneider. She’s out in LA while I’m in Chicago. It started out as an idea she had that grew into a full outline after a three hour meeting of us talking and laying out the story. I’m excited to see where it goes.
I have a TV Pilot Script I’ve been getting assistance with from attorneys to make sure it’s accurate as well as compelling for readers and viewers.
Lastly, I just finished feature script but as any writer knows, there’s always rewrites. The writing never stops.
Find Brandon on social media to keep track of his career:
INTERVIEW WITH Molotov Mitchell - FILMMAKER, ACTOR, writer
Tell us about your background and when did you decide to become a filmmaker/actor/screenwriter?
I’m not sure when I knew that I wanted to be a filmmaker, but I know when I wanted to make action pieces. Before I ever produced a narrative film, I produced commercials, and later political ads and video commentary of a Libertarian nature. I directed the documentary, “Dark Planet: Visions of America,” as well as some short docs about the Southern border and the proposed 9/11 Mosque for WND-TV. Years of that kind of work gave me the chops I needed to produce bigger creative projects. That’s my background. And my inspirations? Gosh. I guess the first time I saw “Seven Samurai” is a big moment. That’s when I knew that I just had to tell stories like that. Because there’s such a purity to hand-to-hand combat, you know? It’s both literal and symbolic. It embodies the conflict we all face in living versus dying, success versus failure, day in and day out. Now, this was many years before I started producing films or even knew Krav Maga, real “badassery,” right? But (the director) Kurosawa’s swordplay storytelling really resonated with me. I loved the hard edge of truth I saw in the plight of seven men standing up for the oppressed villagers. Back then, I was a punk rocker; I romanticized resistance. And vocationally, I still do. I turned 40 this year, so even though I’m what could pass for an old fart these days, I still love fighting. I own a combat training center in North Carolina called Triangle Krav Maga. Every day, we fight because that’s how you stay sharp. That’s the resistance I love, the art of staying dangerous. For me, that’s part of being an American.
Films that inspired you to become a filmmaker/actor/screenwriter?
“Oldboy,” the older Korean film, has this insane one-shot, continuous action scene where the protagonist fights off, like, an entire hallway full of thugs with just his fists, his feet and a hammer. It’s shocking because it’s so realistic and utterly savage. Oh Dae-Su (the hero) gets knocked down, he gets kicked, beaten to shit, at one point even plays dead! But then he pops up swinging! Flailing, really. He just won’t give up. And this is really ugly fighting but it’s still got geometry to it, like Krav Maga does. It’s nothing like the buttery-smooth ballet of run-of-the-mill martial arts films where the hero stays pretty. That hammer fight was a mosh pit, man. Just like real life. The guy (Oh Dae-Su) gets knocked around, but keeps hammering through feet, knees, arms and anything else that gets near him, ‘til he’s the last man standing. In the late nineties, I lived on the street for a year to study the homeless, and as you might imagine, I saw some violence. I’ve been in group fights before and it’s just like what you see in “Oldboy.” Total chaos. You’ve gotta kick, bite, and rip anything you can to stay on your feet, or you’ll end up on your back, and that’s the last place to be in a fight with multiple attackers. Another film that inspired me was “Hanna.” There were several moments in the film that were pretty real, like when the big skinhead is fighting Eric (the actor Eric Bana, who played Hanna’s father in the film), and he does a defensive front kick from Krav Maga. Just boots him. Then he winds up for a finisher, a real haymaker, and Eric does this beautiful 360 simultaneous counter with a heel strike. That’s when you block the wide attack with one hand and strike directly to the face with other. Perfect execution. And totally real! The exact same thing I’ve taught civilians, police and Spec Ops units for the past ten years. But it was the first time I’d ever seen Krav Maga used in a motion picture like that. Since then, elements of Krav have popped up in films like “The Debt,” “Alex Cross” and at least one of the “Bourne Identity” films, among others. But until we came along, movies didn’t really showcase authentic, gritty Krav Maga techniques. Oh! It has been done in one video game, however, if any readers would like to see Krav in that genre. The game is “Splinter Cell: Conviction.” I know we’re supposed to be talking film, but let me geek out for just one minute? Every single one of Sam Fisher’s (the game’s protagonist) moves are legit Krav Maga takedowns and finishers. Its so amazing. We even did a workshop weekend where we did nothing but train those takedowns. Epic! Okay, I’m ready to move on. So! Where were we? Inspiration, yes. So after I'd seen Krav ignored in films, I decided to to do something about it. In 2014, we released the world’s first film that only utilized Krav Maga techniques throughout it, and that was “Krav Maga Compendium.” That went viral, but we never put it to the festival circuit. It was meant to be a visual textbook to Krav moves; people can see it at thisiskravmaga.com, by the way. Each technique’s title flies on and offscreen in Hebrew and English, each time it’s used, so it wasn’t as wild or creative as a narrative piece. So this year, we set out to do just that. “WASTERS” is the first film to feature Krav Maga in an artistically, stylistically wild universe while retaining the true movements and principles of our fighting system.
Who is your biggest influence?
George Miller and Robert Rodriguez are probably my two greatest influences for “WASTERS.” But in the broader sense, I really look up to Akira Kurosawa and Michael Mann for “Seven Samurai” and “Heat,” respectively. Decades later, those films are still extremely powerful.
What were some of the challenges you had to face in making your films?
As with every indie, financing was always a bear (laughs). It’s been a tremendous hurdle up until “WASTERS,” but not this time around. With this film, the greatest challenge was making sure that our actors could execute the fighting techniques, flawlessly. Many, many hours of practice, weekends of training and numerous takes really took a toll on the cast, especially my wife (Greer Mitchell, who plays Molotov’s co-lead “Sawyer”). With Fight Dub (Triangle Krav Maga’s fight team), we do our own stunts, so what you see in the film is what you get. Or what we got, actually. We got beaten up, kicked around and thrown out of windows nine feet high, for real. Nobody got injured, but we may have hurt somebody’s feelings once or twice (laughs). It was demanding, but we kept working, bleeding and even crying at times, until the final shot was right. And I’m very proud of the cast for it. Fight Dub is world class, and the final result really reflects that.
Do you have a favorite genre to work in? Why is it your favorite?
At this point, I’m more inclined toward action than anything else. I know it, I can do it. One of the accolades I treasure most is my Best Stuntman Award, from the Oniros Film Awards in Italy. That was a great honor to receive, given my line of work. And though I’m a huge fan of intangible things like classical literature or political science, the grounded, corporeal nature of physical conflict inspires me on many levels. I think that’s why Hemingway loved his pugilism and other physical challenges, despite being known as America’s most brilliant author. These days, there’s way more emphasis on feelings than on facts. I mean, that’s how people still push socialism, for example. Any nation that identifies as a socialist state restricts basic human rights and is extremely poor. We all know that. Even though millions starve in China, they have a lot of debtors around the world and use sweatshops to pump out car parts and electronics so their economy’s stronger than, say, Cuba. China’s adopted capitalism, but still identifies as a socialist state because they’re too embarrassed to admit that socialism didn’t work. If it had, they wouldn’t have adopted capitalism! They wouldn’t be working with Apple and Ray Ban! They make über-capitalist products for us. Even all-American products like American Girl Dolls and Radio Flyer wagons are actually manufactured by supposedly-socialist China. The point is, they practice capitalism, minus basic human rights, of course. And when you see this, it’s obvious that feelings are what drive people’s dedication to socialism, because the facts say that it’s a failure. In cinema, it’s the same. Just like in the real world, fists are facts. There’s no debate about what works when you get thrown through a glass table, right? There’s no ambiguity about a fist through your jaw. Fighting’s symbolic of cold, hard reality, just like the cold, hard, economic depression of Cuba. And taking matters into your own hands separates what works from what doesn’t, feelings be damned. It reflects or calculates all of your past experiences, all of your worldviews and passions, adds them all together and reveals a life-defining sum in one ruthless instant. You live or you don’t. Fighting reveals who you are more than what party you support or what politician you vote for. It exposes what you are, deep down. Are you a hero, a fool or a coward that runs at the first sign of physical danger?
What’s your all-time favorite movie and why?
Easy.
“Braveheart” is easily the greatest movie of all time for me, because it showed the world what true courage looked like. It pushed an entire generation toward real courage and independence, which we could really use more of these days. And technically, it was also the first film to throw terrified film crews and delicate equipment into the dumpster fire of muddy, medieval warfare and the first to actually show blood hitting the camera lens. Braveheart’s battles made you feel fear, as the camera lurched when struck by a horse or a falling soldier. It was intense! Before then, as the audience, we were used to seeing heroes and villains kicking each other’s asses. Braveheart was the first film to kick ours, too.
If you could work with anyone in the world, who would that person be?
Mel Gibson. He’s one of the greatest actors and filmmakers of all time. “Braveheart.” Full stop.
Tell us something most people don't know about you.
I’ve died and come back to life more than once.
The one person who has truly believed in you throughout your career.
I have so many great people supporting me today, especially my wife Greer. She’s amazing, beautiful and supportive. She’s the best. But long before I met her, nearly two decades ago, when making films or opening a combat training were just dreams, my ex-wife Patricia, she believed in me and supported me in every way that she could. Having someone who loves an idea that would sound outrageous to the average person is the greatest gift a visionary could ask for. So, I’m thankful to her for that and always will be. But as I said, today, Greer provides support and critical opinion. Having a partner to challenge and hone your ideas is also invaluable. I’m very lucky to have her in my corner.
What was the most important lesson you had to learn as filmmaker/actor/screenwriter?
Lighting. And I’m still learning it! The biggest lesson I’ve learned in that area was that it’s better to underlight than to overdo it. In post, you can possibly brighten low-lit footage, but when a scene is blown out, there’s nothing you can do.
Is it harder to get started or to keep going? What was the particular thing that you had to conquer to do either?
I love to start projects, but wrapping them up takes a lot more self-control and time management. Having date-sensitive goals and intentionally setting them up so that other people depend on their completion is the key. I’m borrowing from the great Adam Smith here, who was probably the first person to ever observe that we often do our worst for ourselves and our loved ones but perform at our very best when strangers are involved. And I must say, after years of thinking about it, Mr. Smith is absolutely right. I honestly don’t respect myself as much as my staff or associates. It’s so easy to let myself down, but others? Oh, no. Not gonna happen. Not unless something crazy is going on. So, I set it up so that I’d be letting other team members down if I don’t get my work done on time. It forces me to be excellent.
What keeps you motivated?
Time. You’ll never get it back, man! So make every moment count!
How has your style evolved?
I used to be all about documentary work. I was pretty didactic, pushing the truth out, confronting viewers with reality. These days, I’m more interested in making fiction that reflects reality.
On set, the most important thing is:
A strong director. Even if and when things go wrong, an assertive director can steer the ship back on course. But if the director’s soft or even too easygoing, they won’t command the respect of their cast and crew. And there goes your time management, powerful performances and any technical excellence. The director has to set the tone and inspire an atmosphere of excellence. That’s not an easy thing to do! I think that most people aren’t equipped for it.
The project(s) you’re most proud of:
Honestly, I’m most proud of WASTERS. It’s a giant leap for Krav Maga! And it was a blast to make. I love the people I work with. They’re all top drawer, all the way. Especially my staff. Shout-out Caryn, Jason, Erik, Greer, everybody at TKM. Love you three thousand!
The most challenging project you worked on. And why?
Oh, wow. I think that would have to be when I was sent to the Southern border to see if it was secure or porous. It’s porous, in case anyone’s wondering (laughs). I interviewed law enforcement, border patrol, even militia members. At the time, the cartels supposedly had a bounty out on any American militia members near the Arizona border, which is where I was. So I had to wear Level 4 body armor just to roll with the militia to see what they’re doing out there. A couple times there were spotters that could have been snipers, and everybody had to take cover. Both times, the spotters took off. One time, I saw the gleam off of one of their binoculars or scopes, I couldn’t tell. They weren’t snipers, but it was still really scary, man. And then we had to stay in an abandoned mine, which they’d converted into their headquarters. There was no cell service out there, so my family and friends were freaking out the whole time I was there. And then, one night, a swarm of bats flew over me. Let me tell you, that is a seriously awful thing to wake up to. And I couldn’t see anything because the genny (power generator) had gone down, but I felt them flying right over me, squealing and shrieking. Holy cow. I’m PTSD’ing right now! I rolled over and covered my head, yelling at the top of my lungs. I honestly didn’t know what was going on, man! When I turned on my headlamp, there was guano like, everywhere, including my sleeping bag. Thankfully, none got on my body, but yeah. That was literally batshit crazy (laughs).
What are your short term and long term career goals?
With Krav Maga, my long term goal is to continue training and certifying instructors through our federation, Atlas Krav Maga. In terms of film, I’d love to make either WASTERS 2 or a full-length WASTERS, proper. So far, WASTERS has won over 30 awards and nominations, internationally, so that only improves the odds of that happening. No matter what, we’ll keep promoting our savage system in creative ways and winning awards along the way.
Your next projects?
Well, in addition to a WASTERS follow-up, we recently finished building out an all-new training facility in Durham, NC. So we’re doing all kinds of things there. It’s really amazing, the new place. Huge. Also, we’ll be making more Krav Maga instructional videos to help people stay dangerous. As I often say, nobody can guarantee your safety. But you can control your level of dangerous.
Please share with us where people can find you on social media, so our readers could keep track of your career.
Sure! They can follow Triangle Krav Maga at
https://www.facebook.com/TriangleKM/
and my page is Molotov Mitchell at
INTERVIEW WITH Prabhu Selvaraj - FILMMAKER
Prabhu Selvaraj grew up watching films as a child, watched thousands of them even before his college. While he played the duties of a son of a smalltime grocer, husband and a father of two wonderful children, he kept his passion for films bloom and glow as bright as the sun itself. By profession, he was into software by 2001 in Mumbai, then moved to Germany for couple of years and eventually to USA. In Germany, by 2007, Prabhu decided to pursue film making full-time and make it his life's true goal. During his 9 years of stay in USA, he worked in plenty of features, music videos, shorts, and stage dramas. The height of his career was, working with Microsoft at a senior position, but for his true love and passion for cinema, he had let go off his job in 2015 and move to India to pursue film making full-time.
Tell us about your background and when did you decide to become a filmmaker?
I grew up watching films. My life took me away from my hometown and family for my higher graduation and work took me further away to other countries. Movies were my only resort. I find the characters true and coming alive anytime I watch such great films. I laugh and cry with them and that’s how I lived almost all my life. After a certain point, I started to understand how the film must have been made, while watching the films. Eventually wanted to tell great stories myself and started to work on that. I worked in IT Industry for over 15 years and for around 12 years I prepared in parallel to become a fulltime filmmaker. And now I’m living my dream as a fulltime film maker.
Films that inspired you to become a filmmaker?
I used to head home for lunch breaks when I was in my 4th STD at school and watch films during those breaks. And those films used to be black and white ones during the 1985’s. Films were part of my life that early ON. All great films were a true Inspiration and they all collectively worked inside out to bring the filmmaker in me. Initially, my interest was mostly in the Indian movies, and once I developed interest for movies in general, the great doors of world cinema opened and since
then, it’s been a wonderful journey watching world cinema and be inspired. Be it the Hitchcock’s Psycho or Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai or Spielberg’s Schindler’s List or Bresson’s Pickpocket or Vittorio De Sica’s Bicycle Thieves and thousand more films, they all continue to inspire to be a filmmaker.
Who is your biggest influence?
Akira Kurosawa, Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick, Robert Bresson, Francois Truffat and Andrei Tarkovsky
What were some of the challenges you had to face in making your films?
Everyone listens to an established filmmaker. When not, starting from light man to a dub artist will have opinion on what good films are like and how a scene must be and how it must be done. To have them all dance to your tunes and really bring your vision out is the greatest challenge. When you are steadfast and stubborn on your vision, they eventually give up and listen to you. Guess that nature is the very reason only a few evolve to be a filmmaker and the rest choose other easier roles. Even masters like Kubrick had to fight these commoners to get to the state of a master.
Do you have a favorite genre to work in? Why is it your favorite?
Suspense and Mystery are my favorite genre. My life has been mostly suspenseful and mysterious at most times. I left my hometown when I was 17 and returned when I turned 35. Almost half my life I lived alone outside and travelled to multiple countries being exposed to various situations and people and race. Films helped me understand and categorize people better. I have a natural pull towards suspense and mystery in both life and in cinema.
What’s your all-time favorite movie and why?
Honestly there must be hundreds of them. If I would name just one film, it would be un-just for the other.
Seven Samurai – It depicts the lifestyle of the ancient Japan, captures the beauty of the landscape, showcases the Integrity and courage of the Samurai, the fear and cunningness of the Villagers, the deep rooted sorrow of the Seventh Samurai, the planning, the execution, the sacrifice, and great film making and storytelling as such.
Childrens of Heaven - This film is a work of God himself. The innocent children, their sacrifice, them lifting their share of family’s burden, the city they live in, the poverty, father being both funny and stubborn and the seamless presence of the storyteller.
Bicycle Thieves – This film captures the poor livelihood of the family and what they must do to survive and get more work and earn money, capturing the lifestyle, time of the story in a beautiful way.
I can write an entire book with my favorite films and still will not be able to stop it.
If you could work with anyone in the world, who would that person be?
Akira Kurosawa
Tell us something most people don't know about you.
I’m 40 yrs old and I would have watched around 50000 films so far in my life. It’s almost half my lifetime. I’ve cried more for the great characters in films than for myself in real life.
The one person who has truly believed in you throughout your career.
My Wife.
What was the most important lesson you had to learn as filmmaker?
Never fear to kick a cast or crew out of the project if they will not perform or deliver. There’s no room for any favors in filmmaking. If no hard stance is taken during production, it shows in the film!
Is it harder to get started or to keep going? What was the particular thing that you had to conquer to do either?
It’s hard to get started and even more difficult to keep it going. I kept this idea of becoming a filmmaker on for over 12 years and only my wife knew about this. I worked in multiple projects part time and gained experience. And at one point I let go of my paying job and pursued filmmaking fulltime with my hard-earned money. Neither your family, nor the cast/crew really understands your passion for great story telling. Once you overcome that and go complete your first film and get festival recognitions, everyone now wants to ride along! It’s a crazy world! Conquer these point less people and leave them behind chasing your vision, you are sure to create impact in the world of cinema.
What keeps you motivated?
Good Films.
How has your style evolved?
My understanding on Life and People evolved over the years. And this defines my style. My stories
are deep rooted in human characters and pose them with tough situations and even tougher choices they must make to survive.
On set, the most important thing is:
I believe in a Hitchcockian way of shooting a film. In my debut film Red-Handed, I wrote about 39 drafts and took over a month to do the script breakdown with complete shot lists. The most important thing on set is to keep your cool in check and help guide the talented cast and crew deliver to what is in plan. Keeping cool and sticking to the plan is the most important thing on set!
The project(s) you’re most proud of:
Red-Handed. I never made a short film before and the very first project I ever wrote, directed and produced is Red-Handed and it’s a hour long movie. It would always be a special film throughout my career.
The most challenging project you worked on. And why?
My next one. It captures the life journey of an orphaned little boy; whose life’s only true ambition is to have a family of his own. And to make that happen, he must travel to multiple countries, be separated from his wife and yet unborn child, and stay separated for over 12 years and find them at last with the immigrant laws of the land posing a threat to separate them yet again. I’m exploring on innovative ways of narrative and it’s really challenging.
What are your short term and long term career goals?
In the long term, I would love to be recognized as a global auteur in cinema. I would love to be able to tell great stories from parts of world, that I may not even know of, but the great lives and great stories from those regions must be told and if I can grow up to that level, it would be just awesome. And to really get there, in the short term, I’m working on scripts that would deal with people of different race and religion and stories travelling across continents for my next projects. This should eventually help me get to the global arena.
Your next projects?
I lived and worked in Germany and USA. I’m working on scripts that deal with genuine migrants and how situations turn them from legal to un-documented and eventually to even illegal immigrants under the views of the governments. But still all the lead characters are ever wanting is just a simple normal life. But they face with hurdles and are painted dark and grey by the government and their policies. But still how these characters survive and what happens would be a great story to watch.
Please share with us where people can find you on social media, so our readers could keep track of your career
INTERVIEW WITH Barbara Becker Holstein - FILMMAKER
In private practice in Long Branch, New Jersey, as a licensed psychologist, I'm also deeply immersed in filmmaking. In the last four years I have made a series of selfie film, based on one nameless 'girl' as we watch her come of age with different problems and solutions as she moves through her teens. These films are based on my two books: The Truth, Diary of a Gutsy Tween and Secrets, Diary of a Gutsy Teen. An innovator in film work, I have made a specialty of combining smart phone technology with conventional film crews. I'm thrilled to add to the film work not only a new way of asking actors to act, but also being able to share psychological wisdom and education with audiences via good drama.
Tell us about your background and when did you decide to become a filmmaker?
I started out as an elementary school teacher. I went back for my Doctorate in Education and then became a learning consultant, then a school psychologist and then a clinician in private practice with my husband, Dr. Russell M. Holstein. Four years ago I had the chance to make a short film based on one of the books I have written for girls: The Truth, Diary of a Gutsy Tween. The film 'The Truth, A Short Film' ended up being the turning point in my career. I was so happy making the film and so thrilled with the results. I knew my life was entering a new stage as a filmmaker!
Films that inspired you to become a filmmaker?
I've always enjoyed films and found myself mesmerized again and again. But what really inspired me were not typical films but the 'Selfies' that one could now do a smart phone. Suddenly, it seemed like what I had waited for all my life was here. Now anyone could make a video! When I asked Cassidy Terracciano to make her own videos of each of the 18 scenes in 'The Truth, A Short Film' using my script and directions as the base, I was amazed to see what a teen given freedom in developing a character could produce. I knew I was on the cusp of something very new in filmmaking and that eventually selfies as film would be another angle of art form in film making.
Who is your biggest influence?
My biggest influence has been the two teen girls, Cassidy and Megan Brown who have been my stars in my selfie films. They have proved to me again and again that if you give kids a chance amazing art can be created.
What were some of the challenges you had to face in making your films?
At first my films were criticized by some film festivals for not always having the best lighting or sound control. I was very saddened that they didn't understand what I was doing to bring coming of age issues into films that had depth and meaning and could be so valuable as educational and psychological experiences. I think my press releases, website: Selfiesasfilm.com, my major website: Enchantedself.com and other efforts to explain my films have been successful. My films have been selected or won awards at over 80 festivals and competitions as of now. I'm so excited !
Do you have a favorite genre to work in? Why is it your favorite?
A combination of Selfie filming on smart phones, by the actors and/or crew/ combined with crews using traditional cameras.
What’s your all-time favorite movie and why?
Probably 'The Man Who Knew Too Much'. Hitchcock was a genius. I loved this film, saw it twice and never forgot the excitement I felt watching it.
If you could work with anyone in the world, who would that person be?
Stephen Spielberg
Tell us something most people don't know about you.
Magic fascinates me. I saw a magician cut up someone's tie and then give him back his tie in perfect shape. How did he do that?
The one person who has truly believed in you throughout your career.
My dad Dr. Harry A. Becker, who passed away, but always believed in me. I just wish he could have seen my films. I know he would be pleased.
What was the most important lesson you had to learn as filmmaker?
It's a learning curve. Be gracious about it.
Is it harder to get started or to keep going? What was the particular thing that you had to conquer to do either?
I think the hardest thing is finding a way to bring my films to the public. That's where the discouragement can set. So for me, I had to conquer not taking personally disappointments and just to keep going. I even started doing Podcasts to make people aware of what I am doing with psychology and filmmaking.
What keeps you motivated?
All the plots in my head and the excitement of bringing characters to life that have such important messages to share! I get a rush of emotion that stimulates and humbles me as I see what I and the cast, crew, producer, editor create!
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How has your style evolved?
I'm more sure of myself as I realize I can bring all of my skills as an educator and psychologist and author into this knew amazing setting!
On set, the most important thing is:
Manners, staying good natured, and cheering everyone on.
The project(s) you’re most proud of:
I'm really equally proud of all my Selfie films. That said, I fell in love with two of them, they are: 'Falling in Love, A Coming of Age, Selfie Film' and its companion film: 'Secrets, A Coming of Age, Selfie Film'. And of course I am thrilled with my latest film, 'Truth can be Stranger Than Fiction, A Coming of Age, Selfie Film'.
The most challenging project you worked on. And why?
'The Truth, A Short Film' as I didn't know anything about film work and only the thrill that one actress, and one camera person were willing to work with me, kept me going in the beginning.
What are your short term and long term career goals?
My short term goal is my next film: 'Life is Complicated' in which the girl in the last few films is now in her 30's in a bad marriage and it is her selfies that help her remember her true self and to have the courage to work on her marriage. My long term career goal is to continue filmmaking into the sunset of my life! Also continue writing the books that will often be the backbone of the films.
Your next projects?
As mentioned above
Please share with us where people can find you on social media, so our readers could keep track of your career
Barbara.Holstein@gmail.com, enchantedself.com selfiesasfilm.com thetruthforgirls.com on Facebook: Barbara Becker Holstein Instagram: Enchantedself twitter: drbholstein
INTERVIEW WITH Jana Angelova - FILMMAKER
Jana Angelova is an Artist and documentary maker. Born in Bulgaria, based in London, UK. Education: BA Bulgarian and English language; BSc Open degree with major Psychology and social sciences.
Tell us about your background and when did you decide to become a filmmaker?
I have always been involved in the arts, in many of its forms, since childhood.
My filmmaker debut was a result of my love for photography, nature and travel. That combined with writing/storytelling, which is another passion of mine, led to my first documentary short film.
Films that inspired you to become a filmmaker?
In relation to my current projects, what inspired me are the many National Geographic and Discovery channel documentaries I have seen, as well as BBC documentaries.
Who is your biggest influence?
I try to admire all, but be authentic.
What were some of the challenges you had to face in making your films?
I am perhaps yet to face my biggest challenges, but by far, that has been the lack of time to complete everything.
Do you have a favorite genre to work in? Why is it your favorite?
I am currently working on travel/nature documentary shorts, and I love it. This is in part because. as an author of the projects, I am involved in everything, from start to finish.
What’s your all-time favorite movie and why?
They are many, in different genres.
If you could work with anyone in the world, who would that person be?
I would like to work with inspirational, intellectual, professional people with a vision.
Tell us something most people don't know about you.
My parents both hold black belts in Japanese martial arts. My late father - in Karate Do. My mother - in Judo. My grandfather is a retired Colonel and hobby writer - currently writing poems.
The one person who has truly believed in you throughout your career.
They are more than one, and I am grateful to them. Always a special thanks to my mother.
What was the most important lesson you had to learn as filmmaker?
It is hard work, but it is worth it.
Is it harder to get started or to keep going? What was the particular thing that you had to conquer to do either?
I found it difficult to prioritize time for the project, over other events and projects in life.
What keeps you motivated?
Sometimes I am self motivated, sometimes motivation comes from outside!
How has your style evolved?
Probably that is yet to happen with the next projects.
On set, the most important thing is:
To keep calm and focused, and not allow nerves to get on the way.
The project(s) you’re most proud of:
"My travels" short films; The projects I have been involved with in all areas, as I have always been selective; Art works (paintings and drawings).
The most challenging project you worked on. And why?
All projects have their challenges, minor or major.
What are your short term and long term career goals?
Short term - I look forward to completing the next documentary short. Long term - I believe events unfold for the best.
Your next projects?
I am currently working on "My travels Part 2 - London through my eyes". Later, I look forward to start work on "My travels Part 3 - Mumbai", which will complete "My travels" documentary short series.
Please share with us where people can find you on social media, so our readers could keep track of your career:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janaangelovapage/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janaangelovaa/
"My Travels" on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mytravels.shortfilm/
Art page: https://www.facebook.com/janaAartpage/ Official website: www.jana-angelova.com