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<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?David Sumner">Films directed by <b>David Sumner</b> on (re)Search my Trash</a><p align="center">  </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 new movie <a href="../movies/reset(2022).shtml"><i>ReSet</i></a> - in a few words, what is it about?</b> <p>   <p>The movie is about a young college student named Danielle who gets kidnapped by a disturbed man named Edgar. Edgar has serious issues with women rejecting him and has been driven murderous by his inability to connect with others. Danielle fortunately does have a magic artifact that allows her to “reset” and try different ways of escaping Edgar’s fortified cabin.</p> <p>  <p><b>What were your sources of inspiration when writing </b> <b> <a href="../movies/reset(2022).shtml"><i>ReSet</i></a>?</b> <p> <p>The genesis of this movie came to me from watching other thrillers and thinking, would I survive, or would a person really survive that situation? Being in the military for so long I find myself constantly evaluating movies on a tactical level, like what are the advantages and disadvantages. Looking at this situation, a young woman held hostage by a serial killer in the middle of nowhere with no special training, she’s totally going to die. So how do I let her die and still somehow have a chance? <p> <p><b>With a time loop being the centerpiece of </b><b><a href="../movies/reset(2022).shtml"><i>ReSet</i></a>, how easy or hard is it not to not lose the plot in this loop as a writer? And how much fun is it to write that many variations on the same scene?</b><p>  <p>So, I knew I was going to have very little money for this film so I wrote a script that could be shot in a few locations with few actors but would hopefully still be interesting. This plot allowed me to save effort on the location and still have variety in terms of events. In many ways, once I mapped out the logical progression of Danielle’s character, the script became easier to write because I could start each scene at the important part. One of the hardest things about writing is beginning the scene and ending the scene. We walk into a room and talk and hang out for 20 minutes with the family member in the room and then leave in real life but in a movie the scene can only last a minute, and for me it can be so hard and time consuming to write the character walking in and leaving the room and make it feel organic. The time loop allowed me to skip to just the important part of the scene.</p> <p> </p> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" width="405" align="right"> <tr> <td width="100%"> <p align="right"><img border="0" src="../stills/reset-1.jpg" width="400" height="200"></td> </tr> </table> <p><b>What can you tell us about </b> <b> <a href="../movies/reset(2022).shtml"><i>ReSet</i></a>'s approach to the thriller genre?</b><p> <p>I wanted to go for realism. This was the most realistic progression of events that I could think of. Hopefully people can’t find too many plot holes in it.<p> <p><b>With </b> <b> <a href="../movies/reset(2022).shtml"><i>ReSet</i></a> being limited to (mostly) just one location, what were some of your techniques to keep things visually interesting throughout?</b><p> <p>I put a lot of thought into shot selection and how it would affect the story. I figured that I would have to use the budget through the most creative ways I could think of. I wanted to make different locations visually different but still maintain continuity. If I had a bigger budget I would have been able to have her destroying a lot more of the set.<p> <p><b>A few words about your overall directorial approach to your story at hand?</b><p> <p>Trying to squeeze every ounce of tension and drama from each second. I’m particularly fond of the close up shots when Danielle realizing how dangerous the situation is when she first wakes up in Edgar’s house.<p> </p> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" width="405" align="left"> <tr> <td width="100%"><img border="0" src="../stills/reset-2.jpg" width="400" height="224"></td> </tr> </table> <p><b>Do talk about <a href="../movies/reset(2022).shtml"><i>ReSet</i></a>'s cast, and why exactly these people? </b> <p> <p>They were simply the best fit for the two main characters. I loved the height difference between her and him, it really helped stack the deck against her. The supporting actors were local. Ben Barlow and Alyssa Corella were so good and they worked really well with each other. <p> <p><b>What can you tell us about the shoot as such, and the on-set atmosphere?</b><p> <p>I definitely learned a lot of lessons about how to manage a shoot. I feel embarrassed to admit this but one of the biggest mistakes I made was trying to house cast and crew in the shooting location. Fellow filmmakers, <i> Don’t Do That!</i> Things were starting to get a bit stressed towards the end but overall everyone stayed motivated and brought it home. Also, the cinematographer’s brother is a really good cook. He cooked some meals for the cast and crew.<p> <p><b>Anything you can tell us about audience and critical reception of </b> <b> <a href="../movies/reset(2022).shtml"><i>ReSet</i></a>?</b> <p> <p>So far more people like the movie than not which makes it worth having been made. Hopefully the movie makes enough money to pay off the loans I took to make it and I can make my next movie. <p> <p><b>Any future projects you'd like to share?</b><p> </p> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" width="455" align="right"> <tr> <td width="100%"> <p align="right"><img border="0" src="../stills/reset-3.jpg" width="450" height="262"></td> </tr> </table> <p>I am currently working on the production packet for my next feature. Once I pay off <b><a href="../movies/reset(2022).shtml">ReSet</a> </b> I will start raising funding for the next project. I’m going to keep the plot tightly under wraps until it’s time to advertise.</p> <p> <p><b>What got you into filmmaking to begin with?</b><p> <p>I have these stories scratching around in my head and it’s so important to me to be able to make them so that they don’t drive me crazy. I’ve loved the way that movies have been able to make me feel and I hope to create those feelings in others.<p> <p><b>What can you tell us about your filmwork prior to </b> <b> <a href="../movies/reset(2022).shtml"><i>ReSet</i></a>?</b> <p> <p>This is my first job as a filmmaker. I graduated from the <i> New York Film Academy</i> in 2016. I wanted to get a job in the industry but unfortunately, realistically, unless you know somebody you basically must be able to work for free for a few years until you build enough contacts. I couldn’t do that, so I came back into the Army and decided to just self-finance. <p> <p><b>How would you describe yourself as a director?</b><p> <p>I like the ability to manipulate reality, to create a whole universe from my mind. I’m very active and hands on. I hate writing things or sitting down. I love to act out scenes. Also, I slate all of my own shots.<p> </p> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" width="455" align="left"> <tr> <td width="100%"><img border="0" src="../stills/reset-4.jpg" width="450" height="243"></td> </tr> </table> <p><b>Filmmakers who inspire you?</b><p> <p>The ones that inspire me right now are the ones that can do the best with the lowest budget. Kevin Smith showed with <b> Clerks</b> that a great script can make a microbudget film good. John Carpenter showed with <b><a href="../movies/halloween(1978).shtml"> Halloween</a></b> that meticulous direction can make a schlocky premise into a modern classic. Robert Rodriguez showed with <b> El Mariachi</b> that you can make a compelling action thriller with essentially film processing money if you’re a bit crazy.<p> <p><b>Your favourite movies?</b><p> <p>I want to say that seeing <b> Independence Day</b> as a kid in the theaters really solidified my desire to tell stories and feel the power of storytelling. I will strongly defend that movie till my last day.<p> <p><b>... and of course, films you really deplore?</b><p>  <p>Some movies are bad because they are really badly made on a technical level, some have ridiculous plot holes, some have characters who make baffling decisions, some are offensive or ugly. But some movies are terrible simply because there is nothing good about them. <b> Mulan</b> (2020) was the worst movie I sat through that year because there was not one minute where anything interesting happened, not one interesting character, not one quotable line of dialogue, and not one visually arresting moment. I am not kidding, I would rather watch <b><a href="../movies/samuraicop(1989).shtml"> Samurai Cop</a></b>, <b><a href="../movies/room(2003).shtml"> The Room</a></b>, <b> Battlefield Earth</b>, or <b> Pluto Nash</b> than rewatch the live action <b>Mulan</b>.<p>   <p><b>Your/your movie's website, social media, whatever else?</b><p>  <p><b><a href="https://midnightreleasing.com/filmcatalog/reset/" target="_blank">midnightreleasing.com/filmcatalog/reset/</a></b></p> <p><b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ResetMovie" target="_blank">facebook.com/ResetMovie</a></b></p> <p><b><a href="http://Davidsumnerfilm.com" target="_blank">Davidsumnerfilm.com</a></b></p> <p> <p><b>Anything else you're dying to mention and I have merely forgotten to ask?</b><p>  <p>Buy my movie and all of your wildest dreams will come true!</p> <p> <p><b>Thanks for the interview!</b><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>