Please tell us about the projects you worked on before making ‘One Night in Body Shop’. How did you start, and how did you learn to make films?
At first I studied graphic design, after which I realized that static images were not enough for me, I wanted my stories to come to life, but at the same time have the aesthetics of creative graphic design. I started with scripts and comics, because I did not need a team and a budget for this, I drew everything myself. After that, I began to try my first short films, documentaries and finally I got the opportunity, a team and a minimal budget to make "One Night in Body Shop". But of course, I started pre-production when I was sure that the script was strong enough!
Tell us about ‘One Night in Body Shop’. How do you describe it?
I was looking for a genre for a long time. And in the end, my team and I decided to move towards "Modern Dark Fairy Tale". This is not horror in the standard sense, to be honest, we did not try to make the film scary. It is creepy and mysterious, but the message of the film is much more important than a simple "BO" attraction. I liked fairy tales since childhood, this is a lesson that is wrapped in an adventure wrapper. Viewers can learn from the hero's mistakes or empathize with his conclusions.
Please tell us about your favorite filmmakers.
- I've always liked directors-artists who make the entire film themselves, but with the help of "good tools" in the form of cameramen, decorators, actors. For example, Guillermo Del Toro, who, by the way, like me, is a big fan of fairy tales. Any of his films turns out the way he plans because he monitors every aspect of production. I like Robert Eggers' modern approach to horror, his aesthetics in composition, details, images. He and others like him made us forget that until recently the horror genre was associated with something cheap and low-quality.
If you were given a good budget, what would be your ideal project?
Firstly, of course, I would like to make a film with a serious budget, but not a gigantic one at the level of blogbusters, because I always want to have secondary control and the ability to be creative, and not think only about profit. I'd rather make a film for 20 million, which will bring in 200 million. It's not a billion, but I will make a good story that will be watched by those who love it, in the end everyone is happy, everyone has earned a little money and we can shoot the next project. I am a big fan of H. P. Lovecraft and he had very bad luck with adaptations. So I think I could bring some of his stories to the screen. But I always have a few of my original scripts in reserve, so sponsors - contact me!
Describe how you would ensure that production is on schedule. What steps would you take?
Yes, good planning is the key to success. First of all - everything should be done with a reserve. Add more time for the scene, more make-up, a copy of the props. You always need a plan B for everything - in this case, you will never be late and you will always have extra time for an "extra take". In my case, we were limited by the location, because it is a real body shop, which means that most of the day there is work in it, we scheduled all the scenes so that we could fit into the night time and the only day off when the shop was closed. So remember - have a plan B, have a shooting plan and storyboards, have a responsible person who will monitor the progress of production - and you will succeed!
What was the hardest part of making ‘One Night in Body Shop’.
I think the hardest scenes were with the main character's mother. Of course, I separate myself from the character I play. But the film also has a metaphor for immigrant life. And it was hard for me, just like the character, to say goodbye to my metaphorical mother, namely the country I was forced to leave because of the war and those who started it. But most importantly, because of this situation, I hadn't seen my own mother for three years. So when we were filming the ending, it was hard for me not to think about how much I missed what was so dear to me. But for the film, this was only a plus, because I managed to show real sadness. And I hope that thanks to this film, I will be able to get closer to what I need so much, namely, to get the opportunity to travel again and organize a meeting with my mother on neutral territory.
If possible, tell us about your next work. What plans do you have for your future work?
My plan and my task is to just continue! Continue writing scripts, making films with any budget, making art, design. Thanks to the awards for my films, I know that I am doing something that people like, that entertains and inspires them! I will never stop until I reach world-class production. And I know that sooner or later - I will do it, you will see.
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