Your new movie Orangutan
- in a few words, what is it about?
A
vivacious aspiring social worker brings together five peculiar strangers
to help solve their existential problems but finds herself in way over her
head.
What were your sources of inspiration when writing Orangutan?
And did you ever find yourself in a group-situation even remotely similar
to that depicted in your movie? There
weren't any direct sources of inspiration I can think of, and there isn't a
similar group situation I've been in I can recall. But I think maybe it's
the idea of all these different online apps becoming available all the
time that connect people and strangers. Orangutan
is a fictional app that
connects people. To what extent could you
actually identify with your lead character Siara - and with any of the
other characters for that matter? I
think when you write something you can end up in your characters in ways
you don't even realize, if even only a little. I aimed to make all the
characters have their own unique voices and worldview without really
myself in mind. That said, it's hard to say. Orangutan
is limited to mostly just one location - so what were some of your
techniques to keep things visually interesting throughout? It
was shot on a handheld camera rig because I wanted the imagery to have a
little movement so the shoot didn't feel too static. I had taken a lot of
footage and gotten a lot of shot variety so things could be edited in a
way that it would keep moving. Not letting the characters remain seated
for too long at a given time. I purposely kept an eye on this while
writing the script to again avoid it feeling too static. A large location
so there would be depth in the shots. Keeping it visually interesting is
something that was definitely on my mind.
A
few words about your overall directorial approach to your story at hand? First,
it was about getting the script to a position where I was happy with it
and felt nothing else could be done to improve it. After that, it was a
matter of bringing it to life. Do
talk about Orangutan's
key cast, and why exactly these people? I
picked these cast members because I thought they fit the role well, I
liked their acting, and felt their vibe was in line with the project.
That's in a nutshell. What can you
tell us about the shoot as such, and the on-set atmosphere? Overall,
the atmosphere was pretty good. You'd think a one location shoot like this
would be pretty simple, but there were definitely a lot of challenges. In
the end, it came together. Anything
you can tell us about audience and critical reception of Orangutan?
There
hasn't been a great number of responses so far, so it's not possible to get
an overall accurate gauge I think. But positive for the most part so
far.
Any
future projects you'd like to share? Nothing
really at the moment. I'm currently working on a feature spec script that
is a comedy drama as well. What got you into
filmmaking in the first place, and did you receive any formal training on
the subject?
I
really like the power and possibilities of the medium. My interest was
first in screenwriting, and that's really still where my interest lies. I
had done a one year intensive screenwriting program around fifteen years
ago. Whatever it's worth. The thing with screenwriting is it's something
you learn and teach yourself, really. For filmmaking, from watching
movies, learning on my own. I have experience working in the industry
across various positions and learned a lot of the hands on that way. I
also own a DSLR camera I use off and on which helps. What can you tell us about your filmwork
prior to Orangutan?
Prior
to this film, I made three short films. They can all be seen on my website
at this link:
https://googoogaddo.com/films/
How
would you describe yourself as a director? I
try and do as much prep work as I can prior to the shoot and stay flexible
through the entire process to adapt to whatever circumstances if
necessary/beneficial. Filmmakers
who inspire you? Billy
Wilder, John Hughes, Frank Capra, Howard Hawks. Your favourite movies?
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Million
Dollar Baby, Vertigo, The Graduate, Il Posto, Ball of
Fire. There are
others too. I don't really have an official list but these are some. ...
and of course, films you really deplore? I'm
going to pass on this one. Your/your
movie's website, social media, whatever else?
More
info about the film can currently be found on the homepage of my site: https://googoogaddo.com/. I
can't say how long I'll keep it up there.
Anything
else you're dying to mention and I have merely forgotten to ask? No,
this is good. Thanks
for the interview!
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