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Your new movie Velma
- in a few words, what's it about?
Velma is
a 1960s visual feast that follows our main character on a psychological
journey of shame and sexuality, and invites us to examine our societal views of both!
What were your
sources of inspiration when writing Velma?
Velma is
inspired by feminine internalized shame. When people ask and I say it out
loud it actually makes me laugh to put it in those words, but I do think
it explains the inspiration really well. For centuries women have been
shamed or ridiculed for being either too sexual or not sexual enough, and
I think unfortunately for many that shame becomes intrinsic and
internalized. Writing this story through the lens of a character who
experiences this shame so deeply and specifically was really what inspired
the entire concept. I think one of the key aspects of Velma
is its costume and set design - so what were your outlines there, and to
what extent were you involved in the actual creation of these? The
look of the film is very purposeful on my end. I love to set my stories in
highly stylized worlds, as I think it's a really fun juxtaposition to put
a difficult story in a beautiful setting. When it comes to execution, it's
so important to build a team of people who I trust to execute the vision
that I've set out to create. Chaine Leyendecker is the costume designer on
Velma, and
is an incredible talent who I have collaborated with on nearly all of my
films. She fully understood the world of Velma
and sourced costumes that perfectly expressed the character's insane inner
world. Charlotte Long, our set designer, is another wonderfully talented
artist who really understood what I was hoping to achieve with Velma's
environment and also executed it beautifully. The house that I sourced as
our location to serve as Velma's home came decorated as it appears in the
film, so I feel like that was a huge gift from the universe in the film's
creation. A recurring element in Velma
is the Andy Williams song Moon River - so why that song, and what
does it mean to you personally? When I create and then play a character, I usually make a playlist for said
character that I listen to on set to get me into their mood and their
world. Moon River was on the playlist for Velma, and because
we shot the film MOS, I was able to play her playlist out loud. The first
time I danced to that song with one of Velma's dates, I knew it was THE
song for the film. It also has some personal significance to me as it was
one of my paternal grandmother Thelma's favorite songs.
A few words about your
directorial approach to your story at hand? My
directorial approach for Velma
was I think very much to allow the
juxtaposition between her inner world and her outer world to speak loudly
to the audience. I think it helped to create a palpable discomfort. From
the food to the clothing to the set dressing, there is a near-surreal
glamour that pervades. Giving it a dream-like look helped drive forward
the nightmare that is what is actually happening. You also
play the titular character in Vlema
- so what can you tell us about her, what did you draw upon to bring her
to life, and how much Scarlet Moreno can we actually find in Velma? I
love this question as it's actually pretty difficult to answer but also a
little bit fun. Is Velma autobiographical? No. Is there a hint
of Velma in all women who have experienced the difficult feelings
that come with being a sexual object or having to learn to weaponize our
own sexuality? Maybe. Was Velma more than a little bit cathartic for
Scarlet Moreno to play? Definitely. Do talk about your co-star Zach Tinker, and what made him perfect for the
job? Zach is a star. He is also a friend of mine and the kindest human. When he
walks into a room his energy glows, so I think that close-up shot of
him when he is introduced as "The Special One", where he is
literally almost glowing really personifies his radiant energy as an actor
and a person. A few words about the shoot as such, and the on-set
atmosphere?
The on-set atmosphere was pretty wonderful. I worked with a very small crew. I
believe there were no more than 12 people on set at once. We were all
walking around this beautiful strange house, listening to "Moon
River" on repeat, so I'd say there was a definite dreamy quality to
it. The $64-question of course, where can Velma
be seen? Velma
goes public March 26th and is premiering via Geek Tyrant but will
ultimately be available on Vimeo! Anything you can tell us about audience and
critical reception of Velma? Throughout
Velma's
journey on the festival circuit, I really loved being able to share this
film with people in person and experience their reactions to it in
theatres. I think as a director, you of course hope that your film and
your message is received as was intended, and that isn't always the case,
for better or worse. With Velma
though, it really was
received how I hoped it would be, and that has been such a wonderful
reward and a wonderful feeling. Any future projects you'd like to share? Absolutely!
My latest project, a short called Little Lucha
and The Big Deal,
will hopefully begin its festival circuit this year! I co-directed
and co-wrote this film with Josh Stifter, who I met on the show Rebel
Without a Crew, where we were both selected filmmakers. It's a
wonderful tale of the underdog and how far an artist (or in this case, an
80s semi-pro wrestler) is willing to go to make their dreams come true.
Look out for the trailer coming soon!
What got you into
the filmworld in the first place, and did you receive any formal training
on the subject? As a child I always knew I wanted to perform or act in some capacity. I also
always loved film and was extremely inspired by directors like Wes
Anderson and Tarantino. The worlds they built and the characters that
inhabited them always spoke really loudly to me. Out of highschool, I went
to NYU and got my BFA in Theatre. Then, I began writing and directing
short films so that I could act in them. That's where I fell in love with
directing as an artform. Although I never received formal training in
filmmaking, I would say my acting training really helped me as a director. You seem to be as comfortable in front
of the camera as behind it - so which side do you actually prefer, and
why? Acting will always be my first love, but I have found that the magic is in the
storytelling, which you can do on both sides of the camera. I truly love
bringing characters and stories to life, whether it's in front of or
behind it. Your filmwork prior to Velma,
in whatever position? Prior to Velma I have directed and acted in three of my own
short films as well as my first feature, Phaedra, which
I made under the guidance of director Robert Rodriguez on his show Rebel
Without a Crew. The catch on that show was that we had to make our
features in two weeks with a budget of only $7000, which is how Rodriguez
made his first feature, El Mariachi. I call that experience
the most difficult thing I'd ever done and simultaneously the most fun I'd
ever had. I also love to direct music videos for independent artists and
do some costume design and styling every once in a while!
How would you describe yourself as an actress, and how as a director?
As an actress, I would describe myself as a vessel through which to drive
forward a larger narrative, a voice to tell stories for those who maybe
feel they can't, hopefully a malleable artist who is able to leave my
audience with new perspectives or even just new feelings. As a director, I
would describe myself as one who builds wild and beautiful worlds within
which to tell sometimes difficult truths. Actresses,
filmmakers, whoever else who inspire you? Actresses
like Chloe Sevigny, Jennifer Coolidge, Reese Witherspoon, Winona Ryder,
and Juliette Lewis among so many. Filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino, Sofia
Coppola, Wes Anderson, John Waters, Dario Argento, Hitchcock and Fellini,
among many others. Your favourite movies? Inglourious Basterds, Valley of the
Dolls, Texas Chainsaw
Massacre, Suspiria,
The Royal Tenenbaums. ... and of course, films you really deplore? This
is such a funny and difficult question I really have to think about. Ok I
officially thought very hard about this and this answer might be so
annoying, but I can find the good in maybe any movie. I truly think a
movie being made is an actual miracle, so I tend to see the good even in
the objectively bad ones. I am also notorious for watching ANY horror
movie, whether it's bad or good, and fully enjoying it. Perhaps not the
answer you were looking for but there she is. Your/your
movie's website, social media, whatever else?
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You can find me @scarletinni on Instagram, and more info about me and my
other work at www.scarletmoreno.com Anything
else you're dying to mention and I have merely forgotten to ask? I
just want to give a big shout out to Velma's DP Justin Moore,
who truly understood the assignment when it came to creating Velma,
and
had a huge hand in its feeling and execution, as well as my friend and
collaborator Matias Piegari, who was the sound designer and created the
original score for Velma and is just such an all around
genius. Thanks for the interview! Thank you so much for having me!
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