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Your new movie Lonesome
- in a few words, what is it about?
Lonesome is about that search for the ‘one’ and all of the mental gymnastics
and different psychological tests you put yourself through while you are
on that search.
What were your
sources of inspiration when writing Lonesome,
and is any of it based on personal experiences? Lonesome
isn’t really about any personal experiences but I wanted to convey a
movie about how the person that you are searching for can literally be
right under your nose! The places you visit, the restaurants you enjoy,
and the watering holes you socialize at are all places that very much
affect and make up the person that you are. So, when you are searching for
that important person that can be your match, a person who enjoys your own
corner of the city can very well be the person that is meant to be your
match. You
chose to shoot Lonesome
in black and white - now why is that? I
chose to shoot Lonesome in black and white because I wanted to
demonstrate myself as an artistically minded director. The production of Lonesome was also modeled in certain aspects in the way that
Jean-Luc Godard made Breathless and Kevin Smith made
Clerks. Since these
were such inspirations, I wanted my first feature to be in black and white. What can you tell
us about your overall directorial approach to your story at hand? The
directorial approach was based on many different film theories that I have
developed. I wanted the film to have a loose feel and allow the actors to
have fun in their roles. I wanted to give them leeway in being able to
improv, while still sticking to a very specific setting and story. I
wanted the lines to feel like everyday talk, an almost mumblecore feel. I
wanted the acting to have a very physical presence, and have a silent film
style – as this film was going to be a modern day juxtaposition to
different eras in film. I wanted to shoot with the camera mainly being
handleheld and shooting in natural lighting without any manipulation to
the light around us. I thought that would give the film a fly on the wall,
almost documentary type feel, despite this being a scripted narrative. I
also wanted the film to be able to artistically find itself while it took
its own journey on the film making process – to just be loose with where
things would take us. I also very much wanted this film to be a new wave film and focused on how French
new wave films were known for their reflexive self conscious art form, and impulsive
storytelling.
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Do
talk about Lonesome's
key cast, and why exactly these people? Lonesome’s
casting was very much a mixed bag. It takes years to prepare for finally
being able to make your first feature, and you try to ally yourself with
as many talented people and artists in your area. Several members of the
cast I had known prior to even venturing into filmmaking and had been
friends and colleagues with prior – like Amber DeRuyter and David D.
Vargas. Others, were friends I had made when I had first started helping
others make films and breaking into filmmaking, being on other projects
and sets – like Eric Halverson, Carolyn Lyons, and Benjamin Koenigs.
Many were cast as part of an open casting call which was the case for the
lead Zach McLain and top billed Alexa Peseri. The casting call was clear
that this film was being modeled on a silent film style and the acting
would need to have a very physical presence – so having stage experience
in some capacity was favored. I couldn’t
be happier with ALL of the performances. The leads Zach McLain and Amber
DeRuyter nailed the spirit of the film. All others that were top billed
and cameos also completely understood the feel we were going for. I
can’t give enough thanks to those in front of the camera. Agreeing to do
a film influenced by silent film isn’t necessarily something that is
going to attract a lot of players.
You of course have to talk about the town you shot your film in, Milwaukie, for a bit,
and what was it like filming there? And did you write the movie with
specific Milwaukie locations on your mind from the get-go? Milwaukee
is my hometown and I feel it has a lot of hidden romanticism about it. Lonesome
is very much an every-person and kitchen sink story that can take
place anywhere. However, Milwaukee had everything that I needed to craft
this story. First, is that Lonesome
is a low budget film, so I had
to be able to make film that was near and around where I live. I crafted a
story that would mostly take place at the beach, and inside the main
character’s apartment. After I figured the story was going to heavily
rely on missed connections, it was easy to choose which of the city’s
landmarks I could throw in. Milwaukee is a big city, but also has this
very small town dichotomy. Usually when you meet someone new, you will
find that you know several people in common. One of Milwaukee’s
nicknames is ‘Small-waukee’ so the city perfectly fit the story of two
prospective lovers quite literally continually missing each other.
A
few words about the shoot as such, and the on-set atmosphere? Gosh,
this is a tough question. I would like to think that we all had a blast
and an absolute great time. I was of course extremely nervous and high
strung. Due to our production style there was always a chance that we
weren’t even going to finish the film. We didn’t have a set schedule
and only got together when we could. However, everyone involved seemed
happy that they were working on a project that was very different and in
essence a passion project. There were several stories of some odd things
that happened on set that could go down in filmmaking lore. Like the
cotton candy bum character actor almost got mistaken for an actual bum
trying to peddle home-made cotton candy until security realized we were a
film crew. Also, shooting the first step printing shot under the
observation of secret service due to the building wall we chose had a
private fundraiser going on at the time for the president. Seeing that a
lot of our filming was guerilla style, these stories are better to tell
out loud and not on paper! Anything
you can tell us about audience and critical reception of Lonesome? Audience
and critical reception for Lonesome
has been amazing. Everyone seems
to really like it. And also everyone seems to be forgiving of its low
budget shortcomings. Delightful is the word that is ALWAYS being used. We
have several great critical reviews under our belt. One thing that happens
every festival showing is a multitude of audience members who just gush
over how much they like it, how good it is, how different it is, but they
are also surprised that our film isn’t very well known despite how much
they liked it. We are gradually gaining momentum so that more of the world
finds out about Lonesome.
Any
future projects you'd like to share? There
are several future projects I am working on. I am currently helping
produce a not-for-profit fan fiction series written and directed by Lonesome’s lead actor Zach McLain called
Princess Zelda – a fantasy
adventure with both live action and special effects. I also have a small
role and I am silent producer on a film currently being shot in Green Bay, WI –
Room 108: The Clearing,
which is a historical ghost thriller about a 100 years old murder of a
stage actor and the subsequent hauntings from the incident.
Next,
I have several other feature length narrative scripts that I have written
and hope to direct that I am working on getting green-lighted soon. Here
are 2 of them:
1) A thriller called A Fortress of Denial – A young woman who is moving up
the corporate ladder at a green company comes within the cross-hairs of an
eco-terrorist who does not agree with the company’s mission.
2) A roadtrip comedy/drama called Tootsie Lou – A woman in her mid-20’s,
going through a party phase in her life gets mixed up with 2 neighbor
friends who turn out to be small time crooks who take her on a roadtrip
from the Midwest to New Orleans over New Years weekend in the year after
the city opens after Katrina. It is a coming of age story for the woman
who is looking for more meaning to her life.
What got you into
filmmaking to begin with, and did you receive any formal training on the
subject? I
did not receive any formal training for film or attend film school. I do
consider myself a huge movie buff, and once you get to a certain point of
following critically acclaimed films and their directors, you start to
think that, sure, I can make a film too! When I was young, by the age of
13 I had seen every single film that had been nominated for Best Picture,
Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, and Best Screenplay at the
Academy Awards going all the way back to its inception. I eventually got
into film criticism and wrote reviews throughout high school,
college/university, and well into my adulthood. I always veered towards
film that seemed to have a more artistic sensibility about it, and I
started following directors by trying to be a ‘completist’, in which I
have seen every film made by a certain director. This was especially in
regards to a lot of the foreign master directors from all the way back to
the silent age up to present day. I have always felt that the best
preparation to make a film is by seeing as many classics and important
works as possible – knowing your film history as well as being critical
in how you are watching film.
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What can you tell us about your filmwork prior
to Lonesome? The
work that I have done prior to Lonesome includes writing and
directing a short film that is currently unreleased. Also, being on set as
and assistant director, and production assistant on several short films.
Some of these projects should still exist on YouTube. How
would you describe yourself as a director? I’d
like to think that as a director that I am an innovator. Lonesome
is an
extremely stylistic film that meshes many genres and film periods together
in a way that is wholly unique. I also strictly believe in self-reflecting
on the art-form of cinema itself. I would like to think that I am
endlessly artistic, an auteur. Filmmakers
who inspire you?
That’s
going to be a long list! So, I am just going to list directors whom I was
trying to invoke just for Lonesome: Jacques Demy, Wong Kar-Wai, Guy
Maddin, Jean-Luc Godard, Agnes Varda, Eric Rohmer, Jacques Rozier, Robert
Bresson, William Friedkin, Pablo Berger, Paul Fejos, Charlie Chaplin, Fritz
Lang, Woody Allen, Dziga Vertov, Robert Flaherty. Films by all of these
directors were on constant
repeat as inspiration while filming and editing Lonesome. This is by no
means a definitive list of my favorite directors.
Your favourite movies? In
regards to my favorite movies, I do not want to list out nearly 40 or 50
films, lol! Instead, since I am always seeking the artistry in cinema, I
will suggest 6 films that I believe stand on their own as the epitome of
what would be considered an "artfilm". In chronological order:
Man
With A Movie Camera directed by Dziga Vertov (1928, Russia);
Breathless directed by Jean-Luc Godard (1960, France);
The
Umbrellas of Cherbourg directed by Jacques Demy (1964, France)
Chungking
Express directed by Wong Kar-Wai (1994, Hong Kong)
In
The Mood For Love directed by Wong Kar-Wai (2000, Hong Kong)
My
Winnipeg directed by Guy Maddin (2007, Canada)
...
and of course, films you really deplore?
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In regards to films I heavily dislike, I had to think really long and hard.
In my more critical times, it was easy to rip a movie apart and explain
why it doesn’t speak to me, and even why it is "bad". However, now
that I have made a film, I must relent on my criticism. IT IS SO DIFFICULT
TO MAKE A FILM. It is even more difficult to try and get your film seen by
the world after you have made it. I surrender that I can no longer answer
this question.
Your/your movie's website, social media, whatever else?
Website: http://www.lonesomefilmmke.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Lonesome-Film/100073988230103/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lonesomefilmmke/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lonesome2021 Anything
else you're dying to mention and I have merely forgotten to ask?
Lonesome has partnered with the
distribution company Random Media for a streaming release! Please
check back to Lonesome’s website for its streaming release date. We are
anticipating a release date within a few months.
Thanks
for the interview! Michael,
the pleasure is all mine.
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