(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?Harry Waldman">Films directed by <b>Harry Waldman</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/entertheroom-poster.jpg" width="250" height="375"></td> </tr> </table> <p><b>Your new movie <i><a href="../movies/entertheroom(2022).shtml">Enter the Room</a></i> - in a few words, what's it about?</b><p>  <p>It's about two brothers, who have both been greatly affected by a tragic past incident, with opposite personalities clashing inside of a tight living space.<p>  <p><b>What were your sources of inspiration when writing <a href="../movies/entertheroom(2022).shtml"><i>Enter the Room</i></a>, and is any of this based on personal experience?</b><p>  <p>My relationship with my roommate during my freshman year of college is what gave me the idea for <b><a href="../movies/entertheroom(2022).shtml">Enter the Room</a></b>. Almost all of the various things that Brian gets on Jeremy's case about were actual things that my roommate accused me of. And there were other things he said/did to me that I wasn't able to fit into the film.<p>  <p>Living with him was a very unpleasant experience for me, and I felt that I needed to get this story off of my chest. In addition to Brian being based on my college roommate, I added a disturbing and tragic backstory about him and came to the conclusion that Brian and Jetemy being brothers would make for a more interesting narrative. I also took pieces of myself (I can be a bit uptight at times) and injected them into Brian in order to make him more layered. In general, I believe that creating complex characters often requires giving them flaws that can sometimes make them unlikeable, and I always do my best to try to walk in the shoes of the anti-hero or villain in order to portray them in a more genuine manner.<p> <p><b>Do talk about your movie's approach to horror!</b><p> <p>While many horror films out there focus on the visual aspects of horror, <b><a href="../movies/entertheroom(2022).shtml">Enter the Room</a> </b>is more focused on the psychological side of the genre. I believe that what the film lacks from a visual standpoint, it makes up for with a tense atmosphere, up-tempo script and strong performances, leading to a film that is more <i>real life horror</i> than <i>horror</i>.<p> <p><b>At least to me, there are also moments of comedy in <i><a href="../movies/entertheroom(2022).shtml">Enter the Room</a></i>, especially in the first act - so would you at all agree, and if so, do talk about your movie's brand of comedy for a bit?</b><p> <p>I definitely agree! I initially didn't think that some viewers would find it to be funny, but I also didn't really focus on making it <i>funny</i> or <i>scary</i>. I just had a story that I wanted to tell and I hoped for it to challenge the audience intellectually and emotionally. After screening it at some festivals, the film has received a handful of laughs. After making a few short films, I have come to learn that I have a distinct writing style that hovers in pitch black comedy quite often, particularly with at least one of my characters. (Usually the one who is the most unhinged, as is the case with Brian in <b><a href="../movies/entertheroom(2022).shtml">Enter the Room</a></b>.)<p> </p> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" width="405" align="left"> <tr> <td width="100%"><img border="0" src="../stills/entertheroom-1.jpg" width="400" height="205"></td> </tr> </table> <p><b>What can you tell us about your directorial approach to your story at hand? And given you only had limited locations and a cast of two, what were some of your techniques to keep things interesting throughout?</b><p> <p>This is my first professional film, and I didn't want to get too ambitious with the setting. So I decided that it would make it easier for me to write a script that could be shot in my apartment. Due to the limited setting and lower budget, I knew that this film was going to rely heavily on the script and actors. I was fortunate enough to have two individuals on the team, Lance and Mo, who both really helped me with casting, which was key for this film. Peter Mastne and Rich Holton really shined in their respective roles, and ultimately, that is the reason why I think the film works. I also chose static close-up shots for most of the film to convey a claustrophobic feel, used heavy blue, green and red colors during certain scenes to enhance certain moods, and spent a lot of time researching music in order to further elevate the film.<p> <p><b>Do talk about <i><a href="../movies/entertheroom(2022).shtml">Enter the Room</a></i>'s cast, and why exactly these two?</b><p> <p>My producer Lance Eliot Adams helped me post a casting notice online. With Peter and Rich, it was pretty apparent that both of them were great fits for their roles when they came in for their auditions. I also decided to hold 3 rehearsals before the shoot to make sure that we could all work out the kinks and be fully prepared for the shoot.<p> <p><b>A few words about the shoot as such, and the on-set atmosphere?</b><p> <p>It was nerve-wrecking for sure, especially considering that I had never directed a film before and don't have a film background. But the actors were prepared and performed well, Mo kept things on time as the assistant director and the rest of the team did a really good job overall, so we ended up finishing our scheduled 4 day shoot in just 2 1/2 days.<p> </p> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" width="405" align="right"> <tr> <td width="100%"> <p align="right"><img border="0" src="../stills/entertheroom-2.jpg" width="400" height="211"></td> </tr> </table> <p><b>The $64-question of course, where can <i><a href="../movies/entertheroom(2022).shtml">Enter the Room</a></i> be seen?</b><p> <p><b><a href="../movies/entertheroom(2022).shtml">Enter the Room</a></b> is currently on its festival run which is likely to end in the fall of 2025. I don't have specific distribution plans as of now, but the plan is to have the film stream online after its festival run. For more updates, please feel free to follow/subscribe to my YouTube and Vimeo pages for updates in the future.<p>  <p>Harry's YouTube channel: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsZ2cMMN2wCYoC5IptbvemQ" target="_blank"><b>https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsZ2cMMN2wCYoC5IptbvemQ</b></a> . <p>Harry's Vimeo page: <a href="https://vimeo.com/harrywaldman" target="_blank"><b>https://vimeo.com/harrywaldman</b></a> <p> <p><b>Anything you can tell us about audience and critical reception of <i><a href="../movies/entertheroom(2022).shtml">Enter the Room</a></i>?</b><p> <p>It's definitely not for everyone, but the overall reactions have been pretty positive. <b><a href="../movies/entertheroom(2022).shtml">Enter the Room</a></b> has screened at a number of festivals and I have received plenty of compliments from others about the film. The production values leave a lot of room for improvement, but I already feel that I have improved on that front since I have made <b><a href="../movies/entertheroom(2022).shtml">Enter the Room</a></b> and hope to continue to do so in the future. And overall, it seems that many people who have watched the film seem to forgive the technical flaws because they became engaged in the characters and the story, which has been a huge relief for me, as that was the main focus of the film.<p> <p><b>Any future projects you'd like to share?</b><p> <p>I have another short film, <b>Bay For Blood</b>, that is in the middle of its festival run. <b>The Corridor Crossing</b>, my debut feature film, is currently in post-production. I am working on color correction and hope to hire a composer for the final score in the near future. I have another feature film, <b>Incautious</b>. The outline is complete and I am currently writing the script for that one. I hope to put that film into production next fall. And my dad and I are also working on an animated short film called <b>Slivered</b>. We are currently storyboarding for that one.<p> </p> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" width="455" align="left"> <tr> <td width="100%"><img border="0" src="../stills/entertheroom-3.jpg" width="450" height="200"></td> </tr> </table> <p><b>What got you into filmmaking in the first place, and did you receive any formal training on the subject?</b><p>  <p>I have loved movies for as long as I can remember. Some of my earliest memories involve me watching movies when I was just a couple years old. While I have loved watching films forever, I was always someone who was a bit too "practical" when it came to my career, despite the fact that my dad had been a successful artist since I was young. I assumed that you were supposed to graduate college and then work at a job that you weren't passionate about in order to pay the bills. The thought really depressed me, so I tried not to think about it too often and focused on my hobbies, which included watching movies, playing video games, sports, listening to music and hanging out with friends.</p><p> </p> <p>I studied business in college, which ultimately taught me how to be a good leader as a film director/producer, but the actual content didn't interest me much. I assumed that I would get some business marketing job out of college that I wouldn't really be passionate about. I started to have these fantasies about finding myself working a marketing gig on a film production during my junior year of college, and while the fantasy excited me, it also depressed me because it didn't seem realistic considering my situation.</p><p> </p> <p>During the second semester of my senior year of college, shortly after watching <b>The Social Network</b>, which is one of my favorite films of all time, and which I believe had an influence on what I have written below, I had a dream that I was going to a prestigious film school, taking various filmmaking courses, collaborating with other students to work on film projects, etc. Near the end of the dream, I met a psychic who told me that one of my closest friends (Inspired by Mark Zuckerberg stabbing Eduardo Saverin in the back) would steal my film idea, but despite this awful fact, I would become a successful filmmaker.</p><p> </p> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" width="455" align="left"> <tr> <td width="100%"><img border="0" src="../stills/entertheroom-4.jpg" width="450" height="264"></td> </tr> </table> <p>While I believe that I get along pretty well with most people, I can be a vengeful person if I feel that I was wronged. What truly shocked me about this dream was that I was so excited about the prospect of being a successful filmmaker, that it completely overshadowed my distress over having my film idea stolen by my best friend.</p><p> </p><p>Suddenly, I woke up, jumped out of my bed, grabbed my backpack and jacket and ran to the front door of my apartment, getting ready to go to one of my "film classes". Then, I realized that it was 12:10 p.m. on a Saturday; that I had just been at a bar the previous night with friends; and that I wasn't a film student at a prestigious film school, but a marketing student at a business school; and I would graduate college and find some job that I hated; and that would be the rest of my life... this was the single most depressing moment of my entire life.</p><p>  <p>I stared at my bedroom wall in horror for about 20 minutes and then a lightbulb suddenly popped on inside my head. I told myself, "So you finally figured out your passion as you're graduating college. That's unfortunate, but you're still only 21 years old. You have plenty of time." I immediately came up with a plan for my filmmaking career. I would graduate college with my business marketing degree and find a decent paying job in business after college during the day while pursuing my filmmaking career during the evenings and weekends. This plan launched the beginning of my exciting filmmaking journey, from watching YouTube videos on filmmaking and working as a production assistant on film sets while working in insurance to pay the bills to being able to direct and produce my own films as my main passion, while working for a post-production company, handling video editing and video ingest.<p> <p><b>What can you tell us about your filmwork prior to <i><a href="../movies/entertheroom(2022).shtml">Enter the Room</a></i>?</b><p> <p><b><a href="../movies/entertheroom(2022).shtml">Enter the Room</a></b> is my first professional film. I did make one amateur film called <b>515</b> before <b><a href="../movies/entertheroom(2022).shtml">Enter the Room</a></b>. I bought a cheap camera at <i> Best Buy</i>, a tripod and made the entire film by myself. It was a challenge for sure, but I had a blast doing it, and the film turned out better than I initially anticipated it would. This was such an important milestone for me because not only did I want to continue to make films after working on this project; I learned how much I liked editing from making <b>515</b>, something that I thought I would hate before I ever tried it.<p> </p> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" width="455" align="left"> <tr> <td width="100%"><img border="0" src="../stills/entertheroom-5.jpg" width="450" height="272"></td> </tr> </table> <p><b>How would you describe yourself as a director?</b><p> <p>I would call myself a writers'/actors' director as those are my main two focuses. I tend to have a very specific attention to detail with my scripts and characters, which is one of the reasons why I spend so much time on casting and rehearsing. And while I value those aspects of filmmaking so much, I have also learned of the importance of all aspects of filmmaking. Editing and music are two areas of the subject that I have really been focusing on lately, and while my understanding of cinematography was lacking when I began filmmaking, it is also an area that I have really focused on improving at recently.<p> <p><b>Filmmakers who inspire you?</b><p> <p>Christopher Nolan was the first film director who I specifically followed. I first watched one of his earlier films, <b>Memento</b> at a friend's house in 7th grade. It was actually his parents' recommendation, and I was a rebellious kid, so I was skeptical. I was quickly proven wrong, and while I was confused by the twist ending, I was also very intrigued and immediately wanted to watch it again. I forgot about the film for some time, and about 2 years later, I stumbled into it at a <i>Blockbuster</i>. I became so obsessed with the movie that I watched it 5 nights in a row, learning something new every time as Christopher Nolan dropped so many Easter eggs throughout the film. In general, I really prefer to watch new films and I often get tired of repetition, but <b>Memento</b> is one of the few films that I can revisit over and over without ever becoming even slightly bored with it. Due to the ingenious plot structuring, smart script, incredibly complex characters and insane twist ending, <b>Memento</b> is the first film that I became obsessed with and is still my favorite film to this day. When I saw <a href="../movies/batmanbegins(2005).shtml"><b>Batman Begins</b></a> in theaters a few years later, I was blown away by the darker, more serious tone that the film went with and saw Christopher’s name in the credits as the director shortly after the film ended. That was the moment that I learned of the influence that a director can have on a film, and I have followed Nolan closely ever since.<p> </p> <p>There are so many other directors who I follow, but I would say that some of the others who have definitely had an influence on my work include Danny Boyle, David Fincher, Gaspar Noe, Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick, David Lynch, Akira Kurosawa, John Carpenter, Satoshi Kon, Michael Mann, Brian De Palma, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. I have had a number of family, friends and acquaintances compare my filmmaking style to David Lynch after watching <b><a href="../movies/entertheroom(2022).shtml">Enter the Room</a></b>, which I take as a gigantic compliment</p><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/bayforblood-poster200.jpg" width="200" height="283"></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>There are so many. <b>Memento</b> is the first film I truly became obsessed with. Some of my favorite blockbusters from my childhood include <b><a href="../movies/darkknight(2008).shtml">The Dark Knight</a></b>, the <b><i>Lord of the Rings</i></b> trilogy, the <b><i>Star Wars</i></b> trilogy, <b><a href="../movies/alien(1979).shtml">Alien</a></b>, <b>Terminator 2: Judgment Day</b>, <b>Jurassic Park</b>, etc. I have expanded my tastes over the years and some of my other favorites include <b>Ex Machina</b>, <b>Hereditary</b>, <b>127 Hours</b>, <b>Collateral</b>, <b>Annihilation</b> and so many more. I have also become quite obsessed with animation and have really enjoyed a handful of the classic <i><a href="../research/resultprodlinks.shtml?Pixar"> Pixar</a></i> films, many Japanese animated films, and I recently watched <b>Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse</b>, which absolutely blew me away.<p> <p><b>... and of course, films you really deplore?</b><p> <p>While there are plenty of films that aren't necessarily for me, I try to be positive and find something redeeming in each one I see. Unfortunately, with <a href="../research/resultprodlinks.shtml?Hallmark Entertainment"><i> Hallmark</i></a> Christmas/romance films I can't find anything. I understand that many people watch movies for comfort, but I just find these types of films to be so cheesy and formulaic. And regarding comfort, there are an endless number of "comfort" films out there that do more for me than those types of films.<p> <p><b>Your/your movie's website, social media, whatever else?</b><p>   <p>Here are links to my website and a few of my social media handles: <p>Official website: <a href="https://edgewaterfilmproduction.com/" target="_blank"><b>https://edgewaterfilmproduction.com/</b></a>  <p>Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/harry.waldo.3/" target="_blank"><b>https://www.facebook.com/harry.waldo.3/</b></a> <p>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/hwaldman18/" target="_blank"><b>https://www.instagram.com/hwaldman18/</b></a> <p>Filmfreeway: <a href="https://filmfreeway.com/HarryWaldman" target="_blank"><b>https://filmfreeway.com/HarryWaldman</b></a> <p>Harry's YouTube channel: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsZ2cMMN2wCYoC5IptbvemQ" target="_blank"><b>https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsZ2cMMN2wCYoC5IptbvemQ</b></a> . <p>Harry's Vimeo page: <a href="https://vimeo.com/harrywaldman" target="_blank"><b>https://vimeo.com/harrywaldman</b></a> <p> <p><b>Anything else you're dying to mention and I have merely forgotten to ask?</b><p>  <p>I think that covers it! It's been great chatting with you about <a href="../movies/entertheroom(2022).shtml"><b>Enter the Room</b></a> and my filmmaking career!!!<p> <p><b>Thanks for theinterview!</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>