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Courage
in the face of adversity.
God
loves a trier.
What
happens when you lose everything? You start again. You start over again.
Pick
your platitude, but when Derek Franson had the rug pulled from under him
on his first day of filming on a £1.7 million budget, his patience must
have been tested. But come back he did, and is now proudly showing his
first ever feature Comforting Skin,
round the festival circuit.
First
of all, tell us about your background, and your role in the movie?
Well, I’m originally from the prairies of Canada.
I lived in the country, but we didn’t farm so when I wasn’t
chopping wood and shelling peas I spent a lot of time drawing and reading
sci-fi novels and comics. I
have a degree in English and have always been a connoisseur of fine
storytelling. As far as the
film goes, I’m the writer/director of the film, plus one of the
producers alongside Justin James and Andrew Webster.
What
was the inspiration for the movie? Did you get a bad tattoo sometime?
No, no ‘horrific tattoo experience’ to report.
I’ve actually had no ‘direct’ tattoo exposure at all.
And contrary to what one may think, this movie is not about,
nor does it comment on the tattoo culture.
Additionally my inspiration wasn’t the visual of a moving tattoo
on someone’s body (something I deem a gimmick and whose concept alone
wouldn’t have sustained my interest in the decade it’s taken to
complete the film.) Instead my
inspiration came after I created the main character for the film.
Her complex mix of narcissism, feistiness, and vulnerability
captivated me. I was driven to
see her struggle for survival make it to screen.
How
long have you been trying, and what did it take, to get this project of
the ground?
I wrote the first draft of the film in 1995 and we have been
battling in one way or another to get the film made ever since.
Within that seventeen year period we had one ill-fated start: we
shot one day in 1999 on a 1.7 million dollar version of the film before it
imploded around us. After that
drama I shelved the script, only to return to it eight years later
determined to finish what I started. We
reduced the budget heavily, and I massively overhauled the script.
Finding Victoria Bidewell for the character of Koffie was a major
catalyst in getting the film made for two reasons: not only was it
essential to find an actor of her talent for the challenging lead role,
but her agent Andrew Webster came on as producer and invested a sizable
amount of the 95 thousand dollar shooting budget.
And while the remainder of the money came from relatives, friends,
and acquaintances, we pulled all the favours we could. Particularly our
visual effects supervisor Ollie Rankin shepherded our relationship with
CIS/method and the talented company came on to do most of the tattoo
FX. Finally, post-production
of this film was possible due to the generosity of Telefilm Canada.
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What
problems did you have to overcome in the making of this film?
Everything. No money.
No time. We had five
phases to our main character’s descent, so makeup-wise we were always
yanking her in and out of the chair. We
also had to deal with a 2D character living atop a 3D surface.
Who
are your influences?
Film-wise it’s the usual suspects:
Kubrick, Spielberg, and Hitchcock.
Then throw in a whole lot of: Scott, McTiernan, Carpenter, Fincher,
the Coens, and Weir.
Outside of film I’m presently influenced by the design
aesthetic of Daniel Simon, the artistic genius of Andy Goldsworthy, and
the primal narrative and thematic instincts of one ‘Stephen King’.
Do
you think this is the genre you will stick with, or do you want to explore
other things in your next film?
For certain I’ll be exploring other genres in the future.
Wherever the stories feel like existing I’ll go.
Would
you like to say a few words about your cast and crew?
A few words will never cut it.
Without my crew, many of whom invested much more than required (and
I did demand a lot!), the film would not be finished yet nor ever look and
sound as good as it does. As
far as my cast goes, the primary reason this film is accessible to the
viewer is because of their brilliance.
Take away their courageous, brave, honest, and humorous
performances and this film would have fallen flat.
Have
you seen any movies recently that really impressed you?
Drive was fantastic. Shame
was compelling. And I have a
whole lotta love for How to Train Your Dragon.
Given
a bigger budget, is there anything you’d have done differently with this
film?
I would have taken a bit more time technically.
There is a lack of precision and refinement in the film, due to our
equipment and 15 day shooting schedule. Certainly, with a bigger budget I
would have attempted more challenging shots.
That said I wouldn’t have done anything else performance-wise
other than give my actors more of an arena to explore.
What
are your ambitions for this movie? What would you like to achieve with it?
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My ambition for this film is for it to find its audience!
This film isn’t for everyone, but those that will love this tale
are out there and we will find them. As
for what I wish to achieve? My
ambitions are for the film to be a starting point in my career; that the
film serve as an indication of abilities.
I’m more than proud to say Comforting Skin
is my first film - but
it won’t be my last!
What
would your advice be to someone who is thinking of making an independent
movie?
First - find a good story. Then
make it better. Then?
Make it even better. Then,
only then - if the story is truly
that good, and it has the potential rise above the endless hiss of
crap out there, should you even consider it. Be ruthless. Prepare
for failure as it will only fuel you.
And most importantly: have stamina.
Then go for it. If the
film means that much to you, you will find a way to finish it.
Time for a kooky question. UFOs, ghosts and God. Do you believe in any of the
above?
What
I do believe in is the power of one’s imagination and that sometimes the
mind’s canvass ends up being high in the clouds, down a dark hallway
(and even an odd-looking potato chip).
Anything else you want to plug?
Hmm.
Watch out for a film called Smartparts.
It’ll be a riot…
Thanks for the interview!
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amazon.com
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eThaiCD.com
find Derek Franson at adultvideouniverse.com
