(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/resultperslinks.shtml?Victoria Vertuga"><b>Victoria Vertuga</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%">  <table border="0" cellspacing="0" width="255" align="right"> <tr> <td width="100%"> <p align="right"><img border="0" src="../stills/lexi-1.jpg" width="250" height="355"></td> </tr> </table> <p><b>Your new movie <i><a href="../movies/lexi(2022).shtml">Lexi</a></i> - in a few words, what is it about?</b><p>  <p><b><a href="../movies/lexi(2022).shtml">Lexi</a></b> is mockumentary horror feature about an influencer who moves into a new house and soon after goes missing under mysterious circumstances.</p> <p> </p> <p><b>One of the main topics of <i><a href="../movies/lexi(2022).shtml">Lexi</a></i> is internet fame (and the dark side of it) - so your personal thoughts on the topic, and to what extent are they mirrored in your movie?</b><p> <p>I find the concept of social media so interesting. There's all kinds of studies done and how excessive use of social media leads to tons of negative outcomes, including increases in depression and anxiety. There's this thing that happens where everyone only wants to broadcast the most airbrushed, curated version of their life. And so we're all comparing ourselves and our REAL lives against everyone else's highly curated life with all the negatives edited out. And then we see it so often, whenever things go bad for someone in the public eye, <i>especially</i> a famous young woman, there is a definite schadenfreude that happens where people love to watch them spiral. We've seen it with Britney Spears, Brittany Murphy, tons of people over the years. The part of us that's jealous and thinks they have everything loves to watch them fall. So I've always found that piece of human nature interesting, and social media sort of brings that nasty part of us out in a really extreme way.<p> <p><b>Other sources of inspiration when writing <a href="../movies/lexi(2022).shtml"><i>Lexi</i></a>?</b><p> <p>There is this footage of a girl named Elisa Lam (ironically, a <i><a href="../research/resultprodlinks.shtml?Netflix"> Netflix</a></i> docuseries came out during the pandemic about it after we'd already shot <b><a href="../movies/lexi(2022).shtml">Lexi</a></b>) who goes missing at this hotel in Los Angeles called the <i> Cecil Hotel</i>. The hotel has this insane history and the footage of this girl in the hotel lobby having a conversation with someone maybe off camera, or maybe just having a meltdown, is so compelling. Me and Eric have always been fascinated by that footage and wondered why no one had ever made a film using security camera footage. To me there's something inherently unnerving about it because you feel like a voyeur watching something you're not meant to watch. So we were kind of inspired by that nugget of an idea to use security camera footage.<p> </p> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" width="405" align="left"> <tr> <td width="100%"><img border="0" src="../stills/lexi-2.jpg" width="400" height="216"></td> </tr> </table> <p><b>You have written <i><a href="../movies/lexi(2022).shtml">Lexi</a></i> together with Eric Williford - so what can you tell us about him and your collaboration on the script?</b><p> <p>We've been writing together since about 2016, so we have a really easy, fun way of collaborating. We go back and forth on an idea and kind of finetune it, and then we each do passes of the script until we're happy with it. I personally love having a writing partner. Writing can be such a lonely, isolating thing so having someone else to bounce ideas off of and go on the journey with is really fantastic. We're always brainstorming concepts and planning our next moves.<p> <p><b><i><a href="../movies/lexi(2022).shtml">Lexi</a></i> isn't the first time you've worked with Eric Williford - so do talk about your previous collaborations, and how did you two first meet even?</b><p> <p>We met maybe 10 years ago. He hired me to act in a horror project he wrote and directed. We really enjoyed working together but that was kind of that. And then a few years later he called me out of the blue and asked if I'd want to collaborate and write something together. I thought he knew I had started writing, but actually he didn't, he just really enjoyed working with me as an actress. But it was really serendipitious because I had begun taking some screenwriting classes that same year. We brainstormed ideas for a series and worked on a project called <b><i>Tithes</i></b>. It's a half hour dark comedy pilot about two girls who have shit jobs, major money troubles, and can't seem to catch a break. They get this idea to start a scammy church to make some money. It's placed in a bunch of screenwriting competitions, <i>Screencraft</i>, <i> We Screenplay</i>, <i> The Script Lab</i>. We actually wrote the entire 10 episode first season because it was such a fun way to dive into the characters and the world. We also wrote two additional pilots, a horror feature, and a short, and a webseries. We produced the short in 2019 and the webseries in 2020. It's called <b><i><a href="../movies/disgraced(2019).shtml">DisGraced</a></i></b> and it began its festival run last April. It's played at over 30 festivals and piled up 20 award nominations and 10 wins. We have a half hour pilot script we're working on based on the webseries as well. And then last October we produced another horror feature that is in post right now.<p> </p> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" width="455" align="right"> <tr> <td width="100%"> <p align="right"><img border="0" src="../stills/lexi-3.jpg" width="450" height="265"></td> </tr> </table> <p><b>You've chosen to go the mockumentary route with </b><b><i><a href="../movies/lexi(2022).shtml">Lexi</a></i> - so why this approach, and was it intended from the beginning or did it just grow out of the material ... or out of necessity, really?</b><p> <p>It was really out of necessity due to the limitations of <b><a href="../movies/lexi(2022).shtml">Lexi</a></b>. <b><a href="../movies/lexi(2022).shtml">Lexi</a></b> was born out of Covid. Like everyone else our plans were completely waylaid by the pandemic. So we were trying to think of something we could write and shoot during lockdown and the early part of the pandemic when things were very much closed down. We knew it would have to largely be me in my house because that's what was available to us. So first it was like, why is she stuck in her house? Why are we seeing what we're seeing? Etc. Once we came up with the concept we felt like we wanted a way to open up the world. So that's when we came up with the idea to do it in a mockumentary format and incorporate the videos from her fans and haters just to open it up a little bit and help tell the story with those other elements. We really had to lean into its limitations which was a very interesting exercise both on the writing side and producing side of things.<p> <p><b>What can you tell us about your overall directorial approach to your story at hand?</b><p> <p>Since so much of this is just me in my house, I had to direct, again, out of necessity. This was a very interesting project because we found a lot of it during the shooting process. There were a lot of things in the script that were really hard to achieve in practice that we ended up cutting, and likewise a lot of random ideas that we had on the fly that we just tried to see if we liked it. So many of the elements in it were just decisions I made because of what was available to us and the unique limitations of our story. I have 3 dogs, and so I decided rather than trying to film around them I would just make Lexi have 3 dogs. My husband was working from home during this time (again, pandemic), so I had to film around his schedule and my other projects. It was a very interesting process. It took a lot longer than a normal film would, but we also had a lot of flexibility because so much of it was just me doing whatever. Okay, let's try this gag with the Roomba tonight and see if we like it.<p> </p> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" width="205" align="left"> <tr> <td width="100%"><img border="0" src="../stills/lexi-maya.jpg" width="200" height="229"> <p align="center"><i>Maya Zapata</i></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="100%"><img border="0" src="../stills/phantom5x5.gif" width="5" height="5"></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="100%"><img border="0" src="../stills/lexi-thomas.jpg" width="200" height="252"> <p align="center"><i>Thomas Hobson</i></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="100%"><img border="0" src="../stills/phantom5x5.gif" width="5" height="5"></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="100%"><img border="0" src="../stills/lexi-susan.jpg" width="200" height="224"> <p align="center"><i> Susan Louise O'Connor</i></td> </tr> </table> <p><b>You also play the lead in <a href="../movies/lexi(2022).shtml"><i>Lexi</i></a> - so what can you tell us about your character, what did you draw upon to bring her to life, and did you write her with yourself in mind from the get-go?</b><p> <p>This project was conceived as something for me to produce during the pandemic so I always knew that I would be Lexi. We came up with the idea of her being an "influencer" as a way to tell the story through her own footage, her vlogs, her social media posts, etc. I watched a bunch of random "positivity/life advice" type YouTubers to get a feel for what they talk about and their general vibe.<p> <p><b>Do talk about the rest of your cast, and why exactly these people?</b><p> <p>My cast is amazing! All 3 of them are friends that I've worked with on other projects. Since this was shot during the pandemic before the vaccine, etc, I just felt more comfortable working with people I know. In general I always try to cast people I have relationships with if at all possible. It just makes it so much more relaxed on set, you trust each other, you know what to expect, you have a shorthand, etc. All 3 of them are in my webseries <b><i><a href="../movies/disgraced(2019).shtml"> DisGraced</a></i></b> and amazing in it. So we wrote the characters with them in mind. Maya Zapata plays Camille, Lexi's "frenemy". Maya is so dry and awesome in roles like this so I knew she would be perfect. Tommy (Thomas) Hobson plays Nate. Tommy is a friggin' force. He's on this show that just came out on <i><a href="../research/resultprodlinks.shtml?Netflix"> Netflix</a></i> called <b> <i> That Girl Lay Lay</i></b>, and he's hilarious in it. He's also about to be in a horror feature called <b> Ghosts of the Ozark</b>. So he's just killing it right now. He is one of my absolute favorite people to work with because he operates very much like I do as an actress on set. He's able to snap into character super quickly and give an amazing performance while still being so much fun on set. And Susan Louise O'Connor, who plays Elara, I've known from acting class for years. She's worked with us on tons of our projects and always has such a unique take on things. I just love working with her.<p> <p><b>A few words about the shoot as such, and the on-set atmosphere?</b><p> <p>Like I mentioned before, most of it was me and my poor husband (it's really hard to be married to an artist) helping me work things out in my house. My dogs were so hilarious. As you can probably tell from the movie, they're really chill, and so they were completely unimpressed and unphased by all the shenanigans. If they reacted at all to anything it would only be the first take, so we had to nail something on take 1 if we wanted any reaction from them. But it was a very experimental process with all the security camera footage components. For the expert interviews, we filmed them one at a time and just knocked out all of their parts. We did it that way so that everyone could get tested beforehand, it was just me, the DP, and the actor. It was a really short, easy, laid back day of filming for each of them, so honestly it was really fun. I enjoyed it so much, because it allowed me to really work with the actors as a director in a really stripped down way where it was just me and them.  <p> <p><b>Any future projects you'd like to share?</b><p> <p>Yes! We shot another horror feature in October called <b> Cold Blows the Wind</b>. It's a much more traditional format than <b><a href="../movies/lexi(2022).shtml">Lexi</a></b>. It should be coming out later this year.<p> <p><b>What got you into acting in the first place, and did you receive any formal training on the subject?</b><p> <p>I have a theatre minor from USC and have studied with some amazing acting coaches since college. It's like any other skill, you have to practice and put your 10,000 hours in. I treat class like the gym, so I'm always in class whenever my schedule permits. I love to keep my skills sharp and watch other people work. As far as what got me into it, I've always loved performing. I love storytelling and being part of the creative process. My grandparents used to put on these insane talent shows every summer and we'd all have to do a musical number and all of the grandkids would be cast in a play. I think the first one I did was<i> Alice in Wonderland</i>. So you can say that's how I got my start :P<p> </p> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" width="455" align="right"> <tr> <td width="100%"> <p align="right"><img border="0" src="../stills/lexi-4.jpg" width="450" height="272"></td> </tr> </table> <p><b>In recent years you've also moved behind the camera on several occasions - so why is that, and which side of the camera do you enjoy more, actually?</b><p> <p>I basically got sick of the opportunities that were being offered to me, if you can believe that. There's only so many "hot blonde", "dumb blonde" and "hot dumb blonde" roles you can go out for before it starts to feel a wee bit unsatisfying. So I started writing out of a desire to create complex and interesting characters for myself. And then I just fell in love with the process of filmmaking. I think the more you know about how every other role works, the better it makes you at whatever you do. Writing made me a better actress, directing made me a better writer, editing made me a better director, and so on and so on. The more I learn about all the different components that go into creating a film, the better artist and collaborator it makes me. It's all just different aspects of the same storytelling process. I also love being able to set the tone on my sets. It's wonderful to be able to treat people the way I always want to be treated on a set and do nice things for my cast and crew, put together an awesome group of people and create a really fun atmosphere where the joy of filmmaking is front and center. I think it's so important to remember that this is FUN and we are so lucky to be able to do this, so despite all the things that inevitably go wrong in a production I try my hardest to keep that at the forefront of my mind always.<p> <p><b>What can you tell us about your filmwork prior to <a href="../movies/lexi(2022).shtml"><i>Lexi</i></a>, in whatever position?</b><p> </p> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" width="305" align="left"> <tr> <td width="100%"><img border="0" src="../stills/disgraced-poster.jpg" width="300" height="338"></td> </tr> </table> <p>As far as projects that I've written and produced, we have a comedy horror short called <b> We Accept Cash</b>. We're actually working on making a pilot with those characters as well. Then we have <b><i><a href="../movies/disgraced(2019).shtml"> DisGraced</a></i></b>, it's an 8 episode webseries. It's a dark comedy that satires the sexism and ageism in Hollywood based on a lot of the most ridiculous situations I've found myself in as an actress.<p>  <p><b>Filmmakers, actresses, whoever else who inspire you?</b><p> <p>I'm extremely inspired by writer/creator/stars. I absolutely love Michaela Coel's series <b><i>I May Destroy You</i></b>. It was one of the most interesting and thought provoking series I've seen in a long time. I love Phoebe Waller Bridge and Issa Rae. Pamela Adlon. Rachel Bloom. Anyone who is out there taking things into their own hands and creating opportunities for themselves. As far as directors, I love directors with a really strong visual style. Edgar Wright, Taika Waititi, Sam Esmail, Janicza Bravo, Hiro Murai. I'm always watching for whose episodes of TV are really interesting and awesome. I try to keep tabs on all of them.<p> <p><b>How would you describe yourself as an actress, and how as a director?</b><p> <p>I feel like I'm definitely still finding myself as a director. It's still very new to me and I'm learning every time I'm on set and with every project. As an actress, I'm drawn to things that are messy. I love moral ambiguity, gray areas between right and wrong, good and bad. I love complex, complicated characters. My absolute favorite place to work is dark comedy or drama with humor. I love comedy, the rhythm of it, the technicality and skill required to execute, but I love it in a dark, grounded way best of all.<p> <p><b>Your favourite movies?</b><p> </p> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" width="205" align="right"> <tr> <td width="100%"> <p align="right"><img border="0" src="../stills/victoriavertuga-1.jpg" width="200" height="292"></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="100%"><img border="0" src="../stills/phantom5x5.gif" width="5" height="5"></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="100%">  </td> </tr> </table> <p><b> Hunt for the Wilderpeople</b>. This was the movie Taika did right before <b><a href="../movies/jojorabbit(2019).shtml"> JoJo Rabbit</a></b> (which I also love). It just has that mix of humor and heartwarming that I absolutely love. <b><a href="../movies/silenceofthelambs(1991).shtml"> Silence of the Lambs</a></b>. Such an excellent thriller. I love anything about serial killers and cults and weird dark creepy shit. And then on the other end of the spectrum, <b> Bad Boys II</b>. I love Will Smith and it's just such a feel good summer action flick.<p> <p><b>... and of course, films you really deplore?</b><p>  <p>Oh man. Romcoms. Sorry. Just not my jam. Or honestly anything that is completely cliché or has completely one dimensional characters. But as my aunt always says, "everybody's different, honey" and that's what makes it all so fun. What I love another person may hate. There's space for all of us and all of our visions.<p>  <p><b>Your/your movie's website, social media, whatever else?</b><p>  <p><a href="http://www.victoriavertuga.com/" target="_blank"><b>www.victoriavertuga.com</b></a> <p><a href="http://www.instagram.com/victoriavertuga" target="_blank"><b>www.instagram.com/victoriavertuga</b></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.twitter.com/victoriavertuga" target="_blank"><b>www.twitter.com/victoriavertuga</b></a> </p> <p>You can check <b><a href="../movies/lexi(2022).shtml">Lexi</a></b> out at <a href="http://www.vimeo.com/ondemand/lexi" target="_blank"><b>www.vimeo.com/ondemand/lexi</b></a> <p><a href="http://www.twitter.com/lexifilm" target="_blank"><b>www.twitter.com/lexifilm</b></a> <p> <p><b>Anything else you're dying to mention and I have merely forgotten to ask?</b><p> <p>I don't think so! Thanks so much for having me!!!!!!<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>