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Your new movie The Unearthing
- in a few words, what is it about?
The Unearthing
follows a trio of friends as they spend their summer unearthing
a secret. There’s the surface plot going on involving learning about a ghost
they encountered, but the true soul of the story is the relationship between
the kids and the secret one of them holds in.
What were your inspirations when writing The
Unearthing, and was any of the movie based on personal experience
(apart from the ghost/demon thing I hope)?
I lived in
Stillwater and developed the story surrounded by the town. I used to have a
lot of adventures with my friends there but not quite like what’s in the
film. I think the most personal experiences that are in the story would be an
essence of Parker’s struggles and qualities.
You were only 16 years old when you directed The
Unearthing - so how did the project fall together in the first place?
I had a series
of ideas that ended up leading to what the film ended up being. Once I came up
with Parker’s plot point and his confession to Autumn, the story seemed to
come together a lot easier. I talked Sean Pallas, who manages the Warden’s
House Museum among other important things, early on about the story taking
place in conjunction to Stillwater history. You can catch him in the film as
the curator, who unknowingly gives the kids some trouble when they sneak into
somewhere they maybe shouldn’t be.
What can you tell us about your overall directorial approach to
your story at hand?
I’ve been developing more and more
and can’t recall exactly how
The Unearthing
was made. I had some, what I
think to be now, stupid ideas about my shot selection. I tried to keep
things more basic and that when moments needed to stand out they would. I
try to let the story feel and flow naturally in my mind, experiencing it
myself, and then translate that into the production. With The
Unearthing being (among other things) a horror movie, is that a
genre at all dear to you, and why (not)? I don’t watch a
lot of horror movies these days but I did when I was younger. I think
The Unearthing
has some horror elements to it but is mostly a coming of age
drama film. Let’s be honest, I don’t think the horror moments in my
film were very scary. I really like films of any genre if the story is
dramatic and gripping. What can you
tell us about your cast, and why exactly these people? I am
very satisfied and proud of the cast members. The youth cast did fantastic
jobs especially for their experience levels and same with the adult actors
as well. Everyone really pitched in by volunteering and gave fantastic
performances and I hope to compensate them for that someday.
You
also have to talk about your locations for a bit, and what was it like
filming there?
We
shot everything on location in Stillwater, Minnesota. Other movies I’ve
seen filmed in Stilly just cut together scenes with random areas, you can
see someone walking down a street then they cut to the character on the
other side of town. I didn’t want to do that with my film, the places
the kids go are all real and are geographically correct in real life.
The
house that Autumn moves to in the film is owned by a couple named Tom and
Tina, and they really opened up their lives to us and let us film for many
days at their house. I’m very appreciative of that. Chicago Dogs is one
of my favorite places to eat at in town and the owner was cool with us
shooting there, as was the owner of Victoriano’s Pizza. We were very
lucky to shoot at the Stillwater Public Library and Washington County
Historical Society locations such as the Warden’s House and the
Carriage House. I wouldn’t have been able to make this without their special
permissions.
What can you tell us about the shoot as
such, and the on-set atmosphere? It was very casual, on an
average day the trio actors (Riley Yeary, Angelina Masciopinto, Kaleb
Miller) would show up at my place along with my two friends on crew (Max
Friedrich, Tanner Call) and the makeup artist (Lauren Friedrich) who
I was close to at the time. We sometimes would start shooting at 7am and
end later in the evening at 12pm or later. I would rush like crazy to get
the shots done and keep everything together including myself. I’m sure
if you ask everyone else they’d have a different and interesting
perspective on the shoots.
Anything you can tell
us about audience and critical reception of The
Unearthing yet? The
critic reviews are almost all positive with consideration to my
amateurism. I have a lot to learn and can’t wait to move forward until
I’ve mastered my craft. Some people fell in love with the characters and
really reacted to the movie. I love it when that happens! Any future projects you'd like
to share? Yes!
I’m nearing completing the 43 minute final cut of a new film called
Freedom and Isolation. I’m looking at it right now and I feel like
it’s too boring and needs more work. It was selected to screen at the
Minneapolis Saint Paul International Film Festival but I didn’t bring in
the cut when they wanted so it was pulled. There’s a whole ordeal around
that situation with the fest I don’t want to go into here and now. I
recently acted as a featured German soldier extra in Steven Luke’s Wunderland WW2 film and got to die 8 times. According to the
cinematographer I’ve got the best German death in the movie (look for me
shooting an MP40 and screaming sterben before getting nailed)! Also,
there’s a film by my friend, Colton Fosson, finishing later this summer
called The 4th that follows a group of recently graduated high
school students that become independent from their dependencies. It’s a
fantastic film and I play a minor character named Kyle. I am in the early
stages of a follow up to The
Unearthing starring Parker, and a couple
bigger, exciting films I’m excited to tell right.
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What got you into filmmaking in the first
place, and did you receive any formal training on the subject? I’ve
always loved movies. I remember I used to film random action movies and
stop motion Lego videos. I decided to make a short when I was 14 called 4:02, also filmed in Stillwater. The local cable station
Valley Access
Channels were the biggest part of my start, they provided all the
equipment, editing suite, and everyone there helped me grow through the
creative process. I didn’t receive any formal filmmaking training and
learned most of everything through the internet and firsthand experience. What
can you tell us about your filmwork prior to The
Unearthing? The only other work I’ve got under my
belt besides The
Unearthing would be my first short 4:02, the unreleased
Incite film, and over a dozen acting credits. How
would you describe yourself as a director? A complete
asshole dictator. I’m kidding but it’s probably true sometimes.
Filmmakers
who inspire you? There’s a lot of filmmakers whose work
has inspired and entertained me. I really can’t get a list together of
all of them. Your favourite movies? Movies
that I have enjoyed most are Mr Nobody (that was an experience of a
movie), The Raid, Lord of the Rings, Braveheart, Kick-Ass. My favorite
live action shows will have to be Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul, Vikings,
and Lost (old but gold). I’m really into animated shows though too and I
love Attack on Titan, South Park, Dragonball and Family Guy. ...
and of course, films you really deplore? I don’t really
deplore any movies, although I feel like the trend productions of
mainstream film/TV are often pretty shitty. Your/your
movie's website, Facebook, whatever else?
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Our
Facebook page is
www.facebook.com/TheUnearthingMovie
Our IMDb is here:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4096810/
And our trailer is here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cJCdZrfBOY
Anything else
you're dying to mention and I have merely forgotten to ask? There’s
one thing I’d like to say. There’s a huge opportunity and world of
possibilities for independent artists now. That’s filmmakers, musicians,
authors, ASMR video makers, etc. The connections are being made for anyone
to be able to reach and build their audience while generating income from
it. I’m really excited to see what the coming years have in store for
myself and the rest for the indie art community as a whole. Thanks
for the interview!
You’re
welcome and thank you for the interview! I love getting a chance to talk
about my work.
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