Your film Chatter - has it been released yet? And what
is this film about?
Chatter has not yet been released. We are making the festival
rounds and are currently in negotiations with several distributors.
Chatter is a new kind of tech-horror-thriller in which most of the
action takes place on video chat and is being seen through the eyes of an
NSA agent.
The
simple storyline is: While monitoring Internet traffic for the
Department of Homeland Security, agent Martin Takagi comes across the
intimate video chats of a couple, temporarily living in different parts
of the world, who begin to discover their new home is haunted.
It was shown at LA Thriller Film
Fest recently?
Yes, back in April! Chatter won Best Experimental Feature at the LA Thriller Film Fest!
It was very exciting. We did a Q&A afterwards and the feedback
from the audience was that they were in suspense the whole time and were
very intrigued by the realistic way in which it was shot.
Do you anticipate showings at
similar fests?
Yes! We were just notified that we are an official selection of SHRIEKFEST! We are the
night #1 headliner - friday night October
2nd at 10:45pm. Chatter and Shriekfest will be at Raleigh Studios
in Los Angeles.
Where might the film be ordered
by the general public, not attending these festivals?
Currently, we are not open to the public. However, if you visit
our website www.FollowTheChatter.com
or our Facebook page facebook.com/chattermovie, you can get all the updates and be notified when the movie will be
available. Just make sure and like the page and/or enter your
email on the website.
What is your own personal film
background?
It's pretty funny. My background is actually in music. I was
in several high profile bands in Los Angeles many years ago. From
there, I got into composing for movies and trailers. I found my way into acting, quite by
accident - "acting" as a musician in
a number of music videos for artists such as Anastasia, Ronan Keating,
Alanis Morrissette and others. I started working in casting to pay
the bills, got really good at directing actors, began writing... and here
I am.
Do you have any interesting
behind the scenes stories surrounding the making of this project?
Well, two come to mind. First,
the whole way this movie was shot had not been done before. We had
the actors in separate locations using Skype or iChat to act off of each
other in real time. Their performances were captured by HD
Camcorders (which really helped to simulate web-cameras). We
seemed to always be racing against signal drops and that sort of thing.
It took a lot of focus and concentration to keep everyone in the moment.
The second thing is that all of David's
character's scenes were shot in my apartment. My apartment was the
base-camp and so I bought all the food to feed everyone and kept in in
my refrigerator. The first day of shooting, the refrigerator
broke! And we ended up buying a whole lot of ice that week to keep
the food from going bad.
Do you have any other films
planned as of now?
I have Chatter 2 in the works, there is a monster in the
forest script I have in my back pocket, and I am working on a
social drama as well.
Have you been surprised by some
of the favorable feedback you have received, as indie films do not
always seem to get he press they deserve?
I am always extremely moved and grateful whenever we get positive
feedback. My intention with whatever I am doing is to make a
difference for people... to move people in some way. Knowing that
this movie affected someone enough to reach out to me is really
gratifying. Also, being accepted to Shriekfest (one of the most
prestigious horror festivals), winning Best Experimental at LA Thriller
Film Fest, being accepted to Innovative... all of that is amazing!
Are there any independent
actresses or actors out there who in your opinion, really stand out?
Well, I gotta say, everyone in Chatter is a stand out. They are
really amazing talented actors and great people to work with. I have
known Brady Smith (my lead actor) for at least 15 years and have seen him
do amazing work all over the place. Sarena Khan (my lead actress) is
really amazing as well. I met her when I edited her acting
reel. I knew I needed to find a way to work with her. Pete
Capella, who plays David's friend Ted, gets really great responses from
audiences every time we screen the movie. And for that matter,
Richard Hatch (who was in Battlestar Galactica) is a huge supporter of
indie film. Alison Haislip too. All really talented and really great
people.
On the same hand, what do you
feel makes a quality actor or actress?
Just being able to be in the moment. Be with anything going on in
the moment. You can't really teach that, you know? The actor
has to discover that for themselves. A good director, teacher,
etc, creates a space for them to find their truth in their performance.
Would you agree or disagree that
there are just as many quality actors on the indie scene as in the
mainstream?
I'd say there are more quality actors on the indie scene. And I
say this only because such a small percentage actually get to
"play" in the mainstream. There are so many actors out
there, in the trenches, working their butts off... they all deserve to
have their shot.
What would be, in your opinion,
essentials for making a quality indie film, either short or feature?
The story. That's it really. Without a solid story and good
script, you got nothing.
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Do you have any other means of
social media such as a Facebook or the like, for keeping in touch with
fans?
I am all over social media, haha, yes:
Facebook:
facebook.com/matthewsolomonfilms
facebook.com/chattermovie
Twitter: @mattytheglue
Website:
www.KungFuManFilms.com
www.FollowTheChatter.com
Do you have anything else you
would like to include in this interview?
Just thank you for having a platform that promotes independent artists.
Thank you for what you do. And thank you to everyone reading this
and supporting indie filmmakers.
Closing comments?
If you are in Los Angeles on October
2nd, come and see Chatter @ Shriekfest!
www.Shriekfest.com
and tell your friends. And, follow us on Facebook so we can be
connected.
Thanks for the interview!
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