Your new movie A Date
with Ghosts - in a few words, what is it about?
A Date
with Ghosts
is about a bunch of people getting trapped by unknown forces, in a
haunted Abbey, with the devils using the monks to find the perfect soul to
walk the earth.
What were your inspirations when writing A
Date with Ghosts? And since I have likened your movie to both
Amando de Ossorio's Blind
Dead movies and Lucio Fulci's Gothic
Trilogy, did they influence you at all when dreaming up the movie? No,
I had not even seen Tombs
of the Blind Dead, watched it the other day. I can see the
connection there, what a great 70s movie. What
can you tell us about your directorial approach to your story at hand? I
wanted to try anv do something a little different and not just do something
that's been done lots of times like zombie films, so I got the actors to
say lines and improvise, so they try and come across more natural in
the scenes. You
also play one of the leads in A
Date with Ghosts - so did you at all write Jack with yourself in
mind, and what did you draw upon to bring your character to life?
I
couldn't find a male actor for the part, I didn't want to be in it
at all, haha. I just wanted to get the film rolling, so just put myself in
the role, having studied acting for two years, and gave it my best
shot. I just tried to bring a real person to the part thats trapped in the
abbey. What
can you tell us about the rest of your cast, and why exactly these people? Sadie
Kime acted with me at college, so I knew her from that, and everyone else
had some sort of acting background too, they all just wanted to be in the
film and help out. I
think one of the major assets of your movie was your great location - so
do talk about it for a bit, and about the advantages and also challenges filming there ... and how
did you find it even? Most of the places you see in the
film are 30 minute walk from my house, some even closer, plus I know the
vicar, so he let us use the churches, which was great! Plus a lot of these
places
are also meant to be haunted, even the church. Lots of ghost stories about
these locations. What can you tell us about the
shoot as such, and the on-set atmosphere?
Well it was a
tricky shoot, we had to work around people's day jobs and shoot when we
could. It was always creepy filming at these places with real ghost
stories attached to them. A few words
about audience and critical reception of your movie so far? People
like it. Seems they appreciate the effort and time gone into it, which I
am extremely happy about. Any
future projects you'd like to share?
Dark Vale, a script I did years ago but
never had the money or time to do it. Finally I have started production on
it -
https://www.facebook.com/DarkVale2015?ref=hl
What got you into
filmmaking to begin with, and did you receive any formal training on the
subject? No I never went to film school, I had the passion
to learn and just kept making short films and now moved into features. It
seem like the only way into it, by making films.
What can you tell us about your filmwork prior
to A Date with Ghosts? I
won awards for short films by submitting them to festivals, and just tried
to get good at telling stories. It has led to me getting a mentor from
Hollywood and get me noticed a little by making films, and keeping doing it. Your
movies are mostly of the horror variety - so is that a genre you're at all
fond of, and why (not)? I did gangster films for short
films, I am very interested in doing a treasure hunt film in the future, I
think I will try something new for my 3rd film. How would you describe yourself
as a director? I am not the best filmmaker, I think passion
and drive for wanting to get into the business keeps me going, it seems to
work for me. Just trying to get good at it. Filmmakers who inspire you? John
Carpenter, Robert Rodriguez, Shane Meadows, James Cameron. Your
favourite movies?
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The Fog, The
Shining, Goonies, Lost Boys, Terminator 2, Sin
City, Demons, lots more. ... and of course, films you really
deplore?
I think some filmmakers just want to make money, I
want to try and make good films. It's never been about just money for me. I
don't think most filmmakers set out to make bad films, not sure off the top
of my head what films are "bad", but you can see the passionate filmmakers
and the bad ones. Your/your movie's website, Facebook, whatever
else?
https://www.facebook.com/DarkVale2015?ref=hl
https://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Date-With-Ghosts/197033006988888?ref=hl
http://www.nottinghampost.com/Hollywood-calls-budding-filmmaker/story-20881792-detail/story.html
Anything else you are dying to mention and I have
merely forgotten to ask? Keep a eye out for A Date with Ghosts!
Best Buy, Amazon, Midtown Comics! Thank you so much! Thanks for the interview!
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