(re)Search my Trash

<body> <div align="left"> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" width="800" cellpadding="0" height="100%"> <tr> <td width="100" rowspan="3" background="../stylepix/square.gif" valign="top">  </td> <td width="4" rowspan="3"></td> <td width="592" height="1%" valign="top">  <p align="center"> <a href="../research/resultdirlinks.shtml?Chance Shirley">Films directed by <b>Chance Shirley</b> on (re)Search my Trash</a> <p>  </td> <td width="4" rowspan="3"></td> <td width="100" rowspan="3" background="../stylepix/squareright.gif" valign="top">  </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="592" valign="top" height="99%">  <p> <b>Your film <i><a href="../movies/interplanetary(2008).shtml">Interplanetary</a></i> - in a few words, what is it about?</b> <p>   <p>Monsters and mayhem, 40 million miles from Earth! <p>  <p><b>How would you describe the brand of humour of <i><a href="../movies/interplanetary(2008).shtml">Interplanetary</a></i>, how did you approach the comic aspects of your film while writing it, and how much of the comedy was the result of on-set improvisation?</b> <p>  <table align="right" border="0" cellspacing="0" width="305"> <tr> <td width="100%"><p align="right"><img border="0" src="../stills/chance-boobs.jpg" width="300" height="167"></td> </tr> </table> <p>Though there are a few bloody slapstick (splatstick?) bits in <b><a href="../movies/interplanetary(2008).shtml">Interplanetary</a></b>, most of the humor is character-based. I was going for something along the lines of <b>This Is Spinal Tap</b> or <b>Office Space</b> or <b>Dr. Strangelove</b>. So I tried to come up with well-defined characters, and I tried to find the humor in whatever situations I put them in. </p> <p>Most of the dialog was very close to what was in the screenplay, though I'm sure some bits of improv creeped in occasionally. </p> <p>  <p><b>At least for me, </b><b><i><a href="../movies/interplanetary(2008).shtml">Interplanetary</a></i> is highly reminiscent of all these <i><a href="../movies/alien(1979).shtml">Alien</a></i>-inspired monster-on-a-space-station movies from the 1980's. A comment you can at all live with, and your genre favourites?</b> <p>  <p>I can totally live with that comment! That's exactly what I was trying to do, make a 1980s-style low-budget monster-on-a-space-station movie. </p> <p>My favorites of the genre are <b><a href="../movies/ittheterrorfrombeyondspace(1958).shtml">It: The Terror from Beyond Space</a></b> <i> </i>(which was made in the 50s), <b><a href="../movies/alien(1979).shtml">Alien</a></b> (of course), and John Carpenter's <b>The Thing</b> (no space station, but a scary alien in a remote location). <p> <p><b>Other sources of inspiration when writing </b><b><i><a href="../movies/interplanetary(2008).shtml">Interplanetary</a></i>?</b> <p>  <table align="right" border="0" cellspacing="0" width="205"> <tr> <td width="100%"> <p align="right"><img border="0" src="../stills/chance-shoot.jpg" width="200" height="113"></td> </tr> </table> <p>Other than the comedy and monster movies I already mentioned, I was thinking a lot about <b>2001: A Space Odyssey</b> and the classic <i><a href="../research/resultserieslinks.shtml?Classic Star Trek"><b>Star Trek</b></a></i> and <i><b><a href="../research/resultserieslinks.shtml?Space 1999">Space 1999</a></b></i> television shows when I wrote <b><a href="../movies/interplanetary(2008).shtml">Interplanetary</a></b>. <p> <p><b>How would you describe your directorial approach to your subject matter?</b><p>  <p>The biggest challenge in directing <b><a href="../movies/interplanetary(2008).shtml">Interplanetary</a></b> was trying to make a big (or at least medium-sized) sci-fi movie with such a small budget. I probably spent more time painting set walls and building space helmets than actually directing. </p> <p>Luckily, we had a great cast. All the actors showed up having done their homework, ready and able to direct themselves if I was distracted with something else. </p> <p>All that said, my basic approach to comedy is to have the actors play it straight. Don't oversell anything, and definitely don't wink at the camera.<p>  <table align="left" border="0" cellspacing="0" width="255"> <tr> <td width="100%"><img border="0" src="../stills/chance-costumes.jpg" width="250" height="145"></td> </tr> </table> <p><b>What I especially liked about your film were the retro-futuristic sets, props and costumes. How did the look of <i><a href="../movies/interplanetary(2008).shtml">Interplanetary</a></i> come into being?</b> <p>  <p>Given the budget, retro-futuristic was about the best we could do! </p> <p>Actually, that was the plan all along. I knew we'd have limited resources, so the classic <i><a href="../research/resultserieslinks.shtml?Classic Star Trek"><b>Star Trek</b></a></i> sets were probably the biggest influence on our <b><a href="../movies/interplanetary(2008).shtml">Interplanetary</a></b> sets. Our space suits were mostly influenced by old pulp magazine art, with a little <i><b><a href="../research/resultserieslinks.shtml?Space 1999">Space 1999</a></b></i> thrown in there, too. </p> <p>Other than our awesome space guns (designed and created by Michael Wade), most of the props were cobbled together from random junk, specifically a lot of old electronic surveying equipment.<p>  <table align="right" border="0" cellspacing="0" width="205"> <tr> <td width="100%"> <p align="right"><img border="0" src="../stills/chance-effects.jpg" width="200" height="112"></td> </tr> </table> <p><b>A few words about your 100% analog special effects?</b> <p>  <p>In homage to those old 1980s alien-on-a-space-station movies, we tried to make the movie (mostly) with 1980s technology. So we shot on film (Super 16mm) and generally avoided CG. </p> <p>We did cheat a little. There are some digital composites in the movie. We did the editing on a computer (we didn't actually cut film with a razor blade), and we did the titles on a computer. </p> <p>But even in modern movies, I think practical effects look better than CG. CG blood effects are especially annoying. </p> <p>  <table align="left" border="0" cellspacing="0" width="205"> <tr> <td width="100%"><img border="0" src="../stills/chance-exteriors.jpg" width="200" height="113"></td> </tr> </table> <p><b>Where did you shoot your Martian exteriors, and how easy/difficult was it to find and shoot in Mars-like locations down here on earth?</b> <p>  <p>Other than a couple of shots we picked up in a Nevada dry lake bed, we shot the "Martian" exteriors at a rock quarry near Birmingham, Alabama. Because of water and vegetation, only about 20% of the quarry is passable for a desert planet. But, as it is a very large rock quarry, 20% was more than enough.  <p> <p><b>What can you tell us about your cast and crew?</b><p> <p>They're good people and hard workers. We spent many long days on set and on location, both in pre-production and during the actual shoot. And on each of those days, I was impressed with the quality of everyone's work. And I was flattered that all of these talented people continued to show up for very little (or no) money to help me make the movie that I wanted to make.  <p>  <table align="right" border="0" cellspacing="0" width="205"> <tr> <td width="100%"> <p align="right"><img border="0" src="../stills/chance-scifi.jpg" width="200" height="233"></td> </tr> </table> <p><b>With <i><a href="../movies/interplanetary(2008).shtml">Interplanetary</a></i> being a science fiction movie, is this a genre especially dear to you, and why?</b> <p>  <p>Science fiction is especially dear to me. I went crazy for <b>Star Wars</b> <i> </i>(I saw it at the cinema when I was around 7 years old). But I've been in love with the genre for as long as I can remember. Before <b>Star Wars</b>, I was into super-hero comic books and classic <i><a href="../research/resultserieslinks.shtml?Classic Star Trek"><b>Star Trek</b></a></i> television episodes. <p> <p><b>Let's leave the present behind for the moment and move forward into your past: How did you get into filmmaking in the first place, and did you receive any formal education on the subject?</b><p>  <p>I found my way into filmmaking relatively late in life. When I was around 30 years old, my hometown (Birmingham, Alabama) got its first film festival (the <i> Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival</i>). As a fan of movies, I attended the festival. I saw a couple of good short movies and realized that, if I made my own short, <i> Sidewalk</i> might screen it (pre-YouTube, there wasn't much of a market for short movies). </p> <p>I worked on a few shorts with friends, learned a few things about filmmaking, then wrote my first feature screenplay. That screenplay became<b> Hide and Creep</b>, which was a fairly successful movie (it played on basic cable a few times and received some good reviews). </p> <p>I don't have any formal filmmaking education. That's one of the things I love about filmmaking--you can learn so much about the craft by watching good movies and making your own movies.<p> <p><b>A few words about your production company <i><a href="../research/resultprodlinks.shtml?Crewless Productions">Crewless Productions</a></i>, and your partner-in-crime Chuck Hartsell?</b><p>  <p>Not much to say about <i><a href="../research/resultprodlinks.shtml?Crewless Productions">Crewless</a></i>. As you might guess from the company's name, it's a very small operation. Chuck and I came up with the name when we made our first short, <b>The Seven Year Switch</b>. It's a play on "clueless" (because we didn't know what we were doing at the time) and a tip of the hat to director Robert Rodriguez (who wrote the book <i>Rebel Without a Crew</i> about his first indie film). </p> <p>My wife Stacey (she was my girlfriend at the time) came on board when we made <b>Hide and Creep</b>--she handles the legal and accounting side of producing while Chuck and I deal with the creative aspects of producing. </p> <p>As for Chuck, I wish we had more time to make movies together--we both have day jobs and other responsibilities that cut into filmmaking time. But it's always fun when we work together. And I think we do good work when we get together. We have complimentary skills and seem to bring out the best in each other.<p> <p><b>At the beginning of your career, you have made quite a few shorts. Why don't you talk about those for a bit?</b><p>  <p>Chuck and I made four shorts before <b>Hide and Creep</b>… </p> <p><b>The Seven Year Switch</b> is a comedy about a guy who is trying to build a time machine. I wrote the script and co-directed it with Chuck. We shot it on video and converted it to black and white--it was our version of an episode of <i><b><a href="../research/resultserieslinks.shtml?Twilight Zone">The Twilight Zone</a></b></i> or <i><b><a href="../research/resultserieslinks.shtml?Outer Limits">The Outer Limits</a></b>. </i></p> <p><b>Tit for Tat</b> is a little one-minute short based on an idea of Chuck's. It's basically a camera test (we were trying out a 16mm Arri camera) that we edited into a little movie.<i> </i></p> <p><b>Reciprocity</b> is a comedy about a family rivalry that gets out of hand. Chuck wrote and directed it, and I produced it. <b>Reciprocity</b> is the first proper movie we ever shot on 16mm film. </p> <p><b>Birthday Call</b> is probably our most popular short and was part of the inspiration for <b>Hide and Creep</b>. We shot and edited <b>Birthday Call</b> in just a few hours, as it was conceived as a gift for a friend's birthday, and we had to rush to get it done so we could send it to him on his actual birthday. Directed by Chuck and me, and I wrote the screenplay (well, what there is of a screenplay). </p> <p>In the spirit of <b>Birthday Call</b>, Chuck and I (and several of our friends) recently made a short called <b>Bait</b> as part of a local 48-hour film festival (where all the movies shown were conceived, shot, and edited in 48 hours). It came out pretty good, I think. Hopefully, we'll get it posted online sometime soon.<i> </i></p> <p>   <p><b>What can you tell us about your first feature film <i>Hide and Creep</i>?</b> <p>  <p>It was a great learning experience. And I'm proud of the finished movie. It really came out any better than it had any right to, considering that we barely knew what we were doing when we started it. <p><b>Hide and Creep</b> was also quite successful in its way. We made enough money to pay all of the expenses involved in making the movie and to pay off most of the deferred fees. And the movie played on the <a href="../research/resultprodlinks.shtml?Syfy"><i> SyFy</i></a> (then <i> Sci Fi</i>) channel several times, which was a huge deal for us as first-time feature filmmakers.<p> <p><b>Any other films of yours you'd like to talk about, any future projects?</b><p>  <p>I have a few ideas for movies brewing at the time, but nothing concrete yet. I'm proud of <b><a href="../movies/interplanetary(2008).shtml">Interplanetary</a></b>, but it was a tough movie to finish and took a lot out of me. I can't see myself directing another movie before 2013. </p> <p>I will be doing cinematography on a movie next year for my friend Shane "Trap" Traffanstedt (he played the monster in <b><a href="../movies/interplanetary(2008).shtml">Interplanetary</a></b>) called <b>High Falls</b>. </p> <p>And I play drums in a few bands, including <i> Delicate Cutters</i>. The <i> Cutters</i> released an album earlier this year (called <i>Some Creatures</i>), and we're already working on another album that we're going to try to release around March 2012. <p> <p><b>Filmmakers who inspire you?</b><p> <p>Stanley Kubrick is my favorite director. John Carpenter might be my second favorite. I also like Orson Welles, Hitchcock, and Spielberg. Tarantino never fails to entertain me. Neither do the Coen Brothers. Brad Bird has made three amazing animated films. Wes Anderson is great. I like David Fincher and Steven Soderbergh a lot--both of those guys make entertaining movies and aren't afraid to experiment with new ideas and/or new technology. And Guillermo Del Toro is some kind of mad genius. <p>  <p><b>Your favourite movies?</b> <p>   <p><b>Dr. Strangelove</b> is at the top of my list--so funny, so bleak. John Carpenter's <b> The Thing</b> is also funny and bleak. But more of the latter. Those two movies probably affect my filmmaking decisions more than any others. A few other favorites: <b> Touch of Evil</b>, <b> North by Northwest</b>, <b> 2001: A Space Odyssey</b>, <b> Planet of the Apes</b>, <b>Jaws</b>, <b> The Empire Strikes Back</b>, <b> Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan</b>, <b> Raiders of the Lost Ark</b>, <b> Fight Club</b>, <b> Out of Sight</b>, <b> State and Main</b>, <b><a href="../movies/lostintranslation(2003).shtml"> Lost in Translation</a></b>, <b> The Life Aquatic</b>, <b> The Incredibles</b>, <b><a href="../movies/panslabyrinth(2006).shtml"> Pan's Labyrinth</a></b>, and <b> Inglourious Basterds</b>. <p> <p><b>... and of course, films you really deplore?</b><p>  <p>Well, since you asked, I did see three really terrible movies relatively recently… </p> <p><b>The Spirit</b><i> </i> is one of the worst movies I've ever seen. It fails on nearly every conceivable level. And it fails fast. I had to turn it off after twenty minutes or so. </p> <p>I couldn't finish <b>The Green Hornet</b>, either. It is a movie with no reason to exist. Michel Gondry should know better. So bad. </p> <p>The only reason I finished <b>Transformers: Dark of the Moon</b> is that I'd paid to see it in IMAX 3-D. The picture and sound quality were top-notch, really impressive. Everything else was awful. Unlikeable characters involved in a nonsensical plot. And it seems like the movie is seven hours long.<p> <p><b>Your website, Facebook, whatever else?</b><p>  <p>My websites are rarely up-to-date, but my <i>Tacos and Beer</i> blog (<a href="http://chanceshirley.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><b>http://chanceshirley.wordpress.com</b></a>) is sometimes up-to-date. I'm not a Facebook fan, but I love Twitter and can be followed @crewless. </p> <p>If anyone wants to check out my band <i> Delicate Cutters</i>, our website is <a href="http://www.delicatecutters.com" target="_blank"><b>http://www.delicatecutters.com</b></a><p>  <p><b>Anything else you are dying to mention and I have merely forgotten to ask?</b><p> <p><b><a href="../movies/interplanetary(2008).shtml">Interplanetary</a></b><i> </i> and <b>Hide and Creep</b> are both available at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect-home/researmytras-20" target="_blank"><b>amazon.com</b></a>. And they're both cheap! And both make good holiday presents for horror and/or sci-fi fans!<p> <p><b>Thanks for the interview!</b> <p> <p>You're very welcome! <p>   </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="592" valign="top" height="1%">  <SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JavaScript"> currentyear = "2010"; </SCRIPT> <SCRIPT language="JavaScript" src="../scripts/endcreditsart.js"></SCRIPT> <SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JavaScript"> dosworsdonn(); </SCRIPT> </td> </tr> </table> </div> </body>