Please tell us about the projects you worked on before making ‘The Bag’. How did you start, and how did you learn to make films?
I started as a lighting and sound designer for live entertainment. This taught me what things needed to look and sound like. In 2010, I started working backwards to learn what cameras could do. I made a feature length documentary titled “yHomeless”, a live action short titled “Lydia”, a TV show pilot called “Musical Robot TV”, and various commercial and music videos. “We Should Do This Again” from Ken Newman is an award-winning music video I produced and directed.
Tell us about ‘The Bag’. How do you describe it?
The Bag is a story that explores the anxieties people have when they have no place safe for their property. It also focuses on the interactions those people have with the ‘regular’ community. It is a story I wanted to tell to attempt to soften the views the audience may have towards homeless people.
Please tell us about your favorite filmmakers.
I enjoy filmmakers that let actors tell the story. I don’t enjoy heavy handed editing or camera work. I think that that comes from my theatrical background as a lighting and sound designer, I would call any heavy-handed effects work ‘flash and trash’. I realize that I’m saying this while submitting an animated film short and I built all of the characters and visual performances. But, I tried to support the great vocal performances of my actors rather than to overshadow or to reinvent them.
If you were given a good budget, what would be your ideal project?
I have a live action narrative feature in development that I have been working to secure funding for. “Deuce” is based on the life of my friend who grew up basically a criminal in Chicago. Through the people he met, he figured out his life was worth both living and working on. You can see the storyboard trailer on my website.
Describe how you would ensure that production is on schedule. What steps would you take?
Theatre taught me great time management skills. In live performance, you start with a show date and venue and work backwards from there. I have been a production manager and producer for all kinds of entertainments. You are always balancing the needs of the production with a deadline (and budget). For The Bag, my deadline became World Homeless Day (Oct 10), but that was only after I felt confident in the animation software I was using. For Deuce, I hired a line producer to run a budget and schedule.
What was the hardest part of making ‘The Bag’.
Learning the animation software was like going to graduate school again. Fortunately, I had the time. But, when I was working for five hours in order to create 3 seconds of the film, I got pretty dejected.
If possible, tell us about your next work. What plans do you have for your future work?
As an entrepreneur, I have several things going. I produce a storytelling event (FRANK: Honest Stories. No Rules.) and that has a video component to it. I produce a vodcast (Difficult Questions With Glen Dunzweiler) and I’m working to increase my episode output. I need to finish the novel I have a 1st draft of. And, I would love to figure out funding for Deuce.
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