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Your new movie Driftwood
- in a few words, what's it about?
Driftwood follows Anne as she enters an experimental marriage therapy treatment to
create a shared subconscious with her estranged husband. When a mysterious
presence sabotages the system, she must navigate a labyrinth of nightmares
to save her husband and escape.
Beneath its thriller plot and sci-fi premise, Driftwood
is a story about love, grief, memory, and the healing power of dreams.
What were your sources of inspiration when writing Driftwood? A
few months into the pandemic, I started chasing a vague but nagging idea:
What if the subconscious could serve as a no-man’s-land of connectivity?
The more I wrote, the more I realized Driftwood
was a way to address the alienation and need for connection that so many people were experiencing
at that time. I wrote Driftwood
in something of a fever dream, out of a determination not to lose momentum or miss the window in which we could
make it. With Driftwood following
dream logic, how easy or hard was it to not literally lose your plot
telling your story this way? When people hear the film is set almost entirely in the subconscious, they tend
to expect absurdist sight gags, surrealist landscapes, and a story without
any binding consequence. We worked hard to make every moment and detail in
Driftwood serve the lead character’s journey of discovery. The
dreamscape she is trapped in functions like an interconnected tunnel
system through her memories and fears. So that ended up being our North
Star to guide us through the dream logic. Just like writing a film
grounded in reality, it’s easy to get lost in the plot unless you stay
true to your character and their journey. What can you tell us about
your overall directorial approach to your story at hand? Since
I DPed and edited the film as well, I had to have a very clear vision
of how all the little puzzle pieces would connect. Wearing so many hats on
set actually helped to keep things loose. I encouraged actors to play with
the dialogue, to find their own wording when appropriate. My two main
collaborators, Monte Light and Greg Schmittel, were also indispensable in
brainstorming with me when I couldn’t quite crack a shot or figure out a
transition. As a director, you’re only as good as the cast and crew
around you. Do talk about Driftwood's
cast, and why exactly these people?
As
soon as I started writing Anne, I knew Jen Kuhn was the only choice to
bring her to life. She invested herself fully in this role and delivered a
spellbinding performance. Then I turned to talented friends that I had
collaborated with before: Justin Michael Terry, Kevin Knight, Damien D.
Smith, and Deborah Lee Smith. Everyone brought their own unique energies
and sensibilities to the film, making our cinematic dreamscape feel like a
fully inhabited world. From there, I worked with Jen and our Casting
Director, Blair Franklin, to cast the remaining roles. Gina Cunningham,
Thomas W. Ashworth, and Percy Coiro were all amazing additions to our team
and I’m already planning when I can work with them again. A few words about
the shoot as such, and the on-set atmosphere? Principal
photography was 19 days during the pandemic. We tested, masked, distanced,
and denied ourselves the fun of hanging out off-set (mostly). We had a
very small crew of amazing creatives, and everyone had multiple
responsibilities. Take away one of their contributions for a single day
and the whole film would fall apart. After extensive scouting and
rehearsals, I created a detailed shot list so that we could move quickly
on the shoot days. We actually could have finished in less than 19 days,
if not for all of the locations: The Salton Sea, Mormon Rocks, the LA
River in Frogtown, the beach at Nicholas Canyon, a back alley in
Chinatown, and more. Despite shuttling around town in masks, we all bonded
pretty quickly and had a fun time. I think making this film during such
uncertain times really gave us all a sense of purpose when we needed it
the most. The $64-question of course, where can Driftwood
be seen? Driftwood
is available to rent or purchase via Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, DirectTV, and
more. Luckily, it’s available for much less than $64.
Anything you can tell us about audience and
critical reception of Driftwood? Last
year, we were fortunate enough to have Driftwood
premiere at the TCL Chinese Theatre as an official selection of The Golden State Film
Festival. As amazing as it was seeing our film play at such an iconic
venue, it was even more rewarding to see the audience’s reaction. The
crowd was energized, and many shared how the film brought them to tears.
We’ve received the same feedback now that the film’s been released
digitally. People really seem engaged by the constant plot twists and
tonal shifts, while also moved by the emotional core of the film. Any
future projects you'd like to share? I’m
in the fundraising and development stage for a documentary short called
The Forgotten Angels, which follows several unhoused children in Los
Angeles on their journey to gaining education and permanent shelter. I’m
also prepping my next narrative feature, a psychological thriller/horror about doppelgangers. What got you into
filmmaking in the first place, and did you receive any formal training on the subject? When
I was two years old, my parents took me to a theatrical re-release of Pinocchio, and it absolutely floored me. Growing up, I was obsessed with
storytelling, and films in particular, but didn’t realize that could
even be a viable career until high school. I went on to study film at La
Salle University in Philly, and started directing and producing movies in
my spare time. Once I moved to LA, I kept on that path while also shooting
and producing for various reality and reenactment series. To me, the best
training is always informal. You learn by doing.
What can you tell us about your filmwork
prior to Driftwood? Before
Driftwood, I directed several shorts and DP’ed two features. For my main
source of income, I also shoot and produce a lot of documentary and
non-scripted programming, which really hones your instincts and teaches
you how to work creatively with modest resources. How
would you describe yourself as a director? For me, collaboration is the best part of filmmaking. I love drawing
inspiration from everyone around me, and am always amazed at what the
actors in particular might suggest to improve a scene or character. Even
though I’m a very visually-minded director, story and character always
take precedence. I like to prepare and plan meticulously so that I can
change everything up as needed with the confidence to know it’ll still
work. Filmmakers who inspire you? I’m inspired by anyone who can create a film with limited resources that
elicits a genuine response from its audience, be it laughter, fear,
surprise, or tears. Your favourite movies? Too
many to mention here, but Magnolia is always at the top of my list. I love
how he crafted a deeply personal story with bold, operatic choices. I
didn’t realize until I was halfway through editing DRIFTWOOD that I had
attempted something similar. Just as Paul Thomas Anderson wrote Magnolia
as a means of processing his father’s death from cancer, I made my film
as a way to process losing my Mom to Alzheimer’s. Art can be the best therapy.
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... and of course, films you really deplore? Any
film that doesn’t respect its audience. Your/your
movie's website, social media, whatever else?
driftwoodfilm.net
Instagram: @driftwood_film
nealtylerworkshop.com
Instagram: @nealtylerworkshop
Anything else you're dying to mention and I have merely forgotten to ask? All
good! Thanks for taking the time to talk about our film! Thanks
for the interview!
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