Interview Sid Kali and Wayne Daniells

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Sid Kali (Slice Of Americana Films) teamed up with  filmmaker Wayne Daniells (LiarDice Productions) and visual artist Paul While (Graphic Delusions) to create "PSORO" (http://psorothemovie.com/). Enjoy the interview.

What is the current project you are working on?

Sid: I’m one of the writers and producers of a “mental horror gore” featurette called PSORO. I threw in with UK filmmaker Wayne Daniells and visual artist Paul While on this project. Now viewers are going to get an intense story with the UK as a backdrop and a small mix of Southern California flavor. Using real makeup and prosthetics to pay homage to 80’s horror films with a modern slant is more interesting than doing it with CGI.

Wayne: Intense horror gore featurette titles Psoro (latin for ITCH)

Did you always want to be a filmmaker?

Sid: No. I wanted to make a living is a shorty story writer. I had a high school creative writing teacher that really dug one of my stories. My Pops and friends always liked what I wrote, but it’s always different hearing it from an outside opinion.

Wayne: Ever since I was able to operate a camera I wanted to be a visual story teller

What inspired you to become filmmaker?

Sid: Watching Menace II Society from the Hughes Brothers made me think. Great filmmakers off that one movie. Coming up with good people around me I related to the story they wanted to tell from the outside looking in. I wanted to tell a story from the inside looking out.

Wayne: My father was a great inspiration to me. Always making me watch the makings of movies and studying the film techniques and formulas. This lead to me wanting to bring stories to visual life and entertaining audiences.

What is the best thing about being one?

Sid: The gamble. You invest and hope it pays off.

Wayne: Being able to entertain the masses and reach out to the world

What is the worst thing about being one?

Sid: Paying for health insurance for a family as a self-employed person is an expensive choice.

Wayne: Raising the budget!

What is the estimated number of projects you have worked on?

Sid: The projects that have had meaningful movie distribution are America’s Wildest Bachelor Parties reality series, Consignment, In with Thieves, Fantasy Striptease Private Shows. I still like a short film I did with childhood friend Hollywood Ruben Navarro and Supermodel Joanna Krupa.

Wayne: 10 projects of which consisted of films, music videos, corporate media and art installations

Who is is your favorite filmmaker?

Sid: I have two. Russ Meyer (I like the honesty) and Robert Rodriguez.

Wayne: Hard question, as it would depend on genre, but my respect goes to Robert Rodriguez as he is one of the modern day auteur.

How has your life changed since you became a filmmaker?

Sid: I’m addicted to thinking about scripts I can shoot.

Wayne: Life has stayed the same, although it feels a lot more complete and fulfilling. Nothing better than making something that can be shown forever in time

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What is one piece of advice you can give to someone who also wants to make it in the movie business?

Sid: Kill your ego. Your ego will kill you at the indie film level.

Wayne: Study the greats and learn from them, but form your own style. Stick to the formula and language of film but once you know that, remember you can bend it to fit your needs

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What do you like to do besides filmmaking?

Sid: I am a book junkie that likes to gamble on the horses and play roulette at the MGM GRAND. The host that takes care of things is a rock star in my eyes.

Wayne: Being a devoted father and husband, reading comics and enjoying life

What are some of your favorite American films? Foreign films? Television
 shows?

Wayne: Surprisingly I don’t watch TV. Most of the films I like tend to be British but I guess funded with American studios, Dark Knight, Easy Rider, The Graduate, all Coen Brothers films. Foreign cinema I love french films ie. Delicatessen and City of the lost children. And Mid 1990’s Hong Kong action cinema such as The Killer and Bullet in the Head. Plus of course the true master of film Akira Kurasawa’s films.

How would you describe your film education?

Wayne: Everything I learned I taught myself. I studies movies in depth with the sound off sometimes, watched makings of and also read a lot of cinematography and lighting techniques. I believe the best way to learn is throw yourself in the deep end and a style of your own will form.

How would you describe the film "scene" where you live?

Sid: I live in the Inland Empire outside of Los Angeles. As cinematographer Royce Dudley told me…oh shit I can’t say his great line here or people will get pissed.

How has social media changed the independent film industry?

Sid: It’s made PSORO interesting. I’m working with two UK based creative souls. I call Wayne my UK amigo, we will make more movies and Paul is a real master of gore. Wayne and Paul could have went CGI, but these two UK wild men want to go old school blood and gore. Hell yeah!

What's your opinion on crowdfunding and recent crowdfunding scandals?

Sid: Not against any other indie filmmakers that go this path. I know money is tight. Slice of Americana Films will never go down that road only to avoid a future fight. The big punch indie filmmakers might not see coming is the crowd fund donations, even for a dollar, some might think they own a part of the movie and you as a filmmaker. There are supporters that want nothing but to see you make your movie.

This could happen. What if your movie was the next hot thing? Every donator would expect something. Crowd funding to me is like Avon. If you have a good movie go to investors, if they don’t bite, then put your own money into it.

What is the casting process like?

Sid: Always act like your one of the PA crew in the waiting room to see how an actor is. When they think you’re a PA see how they treat you. I had one actor with a nasty ego tell the PA they had been there 5 minutes. I apologized for the wait and offered them water. I went to take a piss on that note and asked the casting director on my way not to cast them. In indie filmmaking actors lose their gigs in the waiting room over ego.

How does independent film differ from the mainstream?

Sid: Nobody to answer to. You can take risks on making a movie with the resources you have.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Sid: Yeah. John if PSORO does not deliver on the visual bang I will have director Wayne Daniells send you a couple of free shirts from the movie. I forgot. SHAAAAAAAW! (inside joke we use)

Thanks Sid and Wayne for doing interview. I hope I can see PSORO sometime. It's an interesting concept. I like how you guys are  going "old school" with the makeup and FX.