Karen And David Of Filmcourage

[caption id="attachment_1434" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Photo Credit: John Keating"][/caption]

Karen Worden

Born in Washington, D.C., Karen Worden grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and left for LA when she was 18. A full-time film lover and part-time actress having worked on independent films such as Night Before the Wedding, Mind Over Matter Man and Goodbye Promise. Karen Worden is a co-host/co-producer of the Noon (Pacific) Sunday radio show Film Courage on LA Talk Radio.com, co-owner of FilmCourage.com (along with husband filmmaker David Branin), and actress. Each Sunday, Karen and David interview filmmakers and content creators from around the globe on surviving and thriving the entertainment industry. Karen, David and their three cats live in Los Angeles, California. Follow them both on www.FilmCourage.com, @FilmCourage, @DavidBranin and @KarenWorden.

David Branin

Writer/Director David Branin grew up near Hartford, Connecticut and it wasn't until his college career was almost over that the dream of making a major motion-picture burst into his head. David and three of his closest friends wrote an original screenplay together and moved to Los Angeles in 2000 to pursue their own Hollywood ending. His pursuit of that dream continues to this day. He is the Director /Writer/Producer of Night Before the Wedding and Goodbye Promise as well as Co-Host of Film Courage with his wife Karen Worden.

What is the current project you are working on?

Karen - The radio show, Film Courage Interactive, and website (www.filmcourage.com) are mainly what my days consists of. This entails finding filmmakers to contribute articles, booking guests on the show/putting the show together with David, presenting articles on the site, and lining up the screening details. I recently shot a couple episodes of a webseries entitled Partners in Pretension by Claire Wasmund and Fernando Noor. David and I recently got a new camera to take photos at our monthly film screenings in Los Angeles. I liked what Lucas McNelly of A Year Without Rent was doing, volunteering on film sets. So Dave suggested I contact our friends Brian Durkin and Todd Cattell (also in Goodbye Promise) and ask if they needed a set photographer for their short ‘The Terrain.’ The photos I took from three shoots on The Terrain resulted in a post on Lucas’s site A Year Without Rent. (http://www.ayearwithoutrent.com/2011/07/brian-durkins-terrain.html)

David - In addition to what we do with our Film Courage radio show and website, we are in the final stages of finishing our second feature film “Goodbye Promise” which is an improv feature film starring Gregor Collins as an actor living out his last week in Los Angeles. The film also stars Karen, Brian Durkin, Todd Cattell, Jud Bogard and a number of talented actors I was fortunate to work with.

Did you always want to be a filmmaker?

Karen - Sort of, but I’m not sure I realized it. I remember seeing a video recorder in a Sears’ catalog when I was about 12 and dreaming about making movies with it. I used to set up imaginary shots during my day. Life got in the way and I never followed through. Then after stops and start of getting into acting and not following through with it, but still loving films, the idea sparked inside me. Watching David with a camera renewed my interest.

David - No, I didn’t grow up with any desire to be filmmaker. Often times I wonder how I got to where I am now. Many years ago I had the zany idea to write a screenplay. I persuaded three close friends to help me write a personal story of mine into a script. We moved to Los Angeles in our attempt to turn this script into a movie. When we came up short on making our collective dream happen, I turned to the craft of screenwriting. After a couple of years as a ‘screenwriter’ with no credits, I felt like I was spinning my wheels. I rallied some friends together to make an improv short film shot on my friend Daniel Sol’s Mini-DV camera. I wanted to test if my ideas had any merit. Yes, it’s pretty silly and almost embarrassing (http://www.spike.com/video-clips/7vb8od/pugnacious-assembly) but it helped begin this whole adventure. I have worked to improve ever since.

What inspired you to become involved in the independent film industry?

Karen - I’ve always been drawn to off-beat, quirky films with an ending that’s not always so perfect. I like beautiful images with non-traditional stories. I watched independent films for years, scouring the neighborhood Blockbuster video for some obscure movie, while everyone else rented from the shelves with 20 of the same title (well, sometimes I did, too). I wanted to act, but the rejection was not fun. I wavered between day jobs and submitting for roles, never committing to either world. Being on the other side, creating seemed more interesting. I’d helped David behind the scenes with his short films, did a ton of extra work, and then David and I created the opportunity to do Film Courage (the radio show) together. Things changed for me.

David - A good number of folks believe that Hollywood is going to discover their talent. I am not one of those people. All I know how to do is to create works to the best of my ability with the talent and resources I have available to me.

What is the best thing having your own talk show?

Karen - The fact that I get to do this show with David makes me an incredibly lucky woman. I also love hearing everyone’s stories. I like to hear the nuggets about weird odd jobs people have held to sustain them or times when something almost didn’t happen, but the direction changed and things took off.

David - What matters most to me above all is that I get to do this with Karen.

What is the worst thing about having your own talk show?

Karen - The only negative is the time commitment, not being able to schedule everyone who asks and still finding a balance in our own lives. We live what we do, whether it’s attending events, scheduling guests, preparing for the show, etc. We have very few ‘down’ days where nothing is going on.

David - Karen touched on the scheduling, often times it is the fact that we only do one show a week and that we cannot accommodate the number of filmmakers who request an interview. We hate having to say no to folks or having them wait for such a long period of time before they come on.

What is the interview process like?

Karen - We do a lot of research on the guest beforehand. We love to bring in guest co-hosts because it infuses new life into the show. A guest host will think of an angle that we didn’t realize to ask. Once we are in the studio, the time flies by. Most shows are left with questions from us still on the table. In rare instances we have to abandon our questions because the guest takes the show in another direction. We can hear in their voice if passion takes us down another road. We often love happy accidents from live radio.

David - By the time the interview comes around, that is the fun part. Karen and I typically put in a minimum of 8 hours of research into each interview we do. When Sunday’s come around, we finally get to sit down with our peers and pick their brain on how they got to where they are now. Even with all the interviews we have done, we can still nervous beforehand. Anything can happen when you go LIVE and we have had our share of memorable moments.

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

David - Not sure, depends what qualifies as a project in this instance. I would say between completed works and uncompleted film projects projects, probably 100+. And with Film Courage, Karen and I have conducted 300+ interviews in two years between our LIVE radio show and our shorter interviews you can find on our YouTube channel.

Karen - I don’t know. I would say over 100 also. In addition to ourinterviews, we are now up to our 20th Film Courage Interactive which is a monthly screening series we host at the Downtown Independent in Los Angeles.

Who is your favorite filmmaker?

Karen - I like filmmakers Joyce Chopra Oates, Bruce Beresford, John Sayles, Terrence Malick, Steven Spielberg, Jamin Winans, Gary King, Gregory Bayne, Darren Aronofsky, and Cameron Crowe.

David - Right now it is probably Christopher Nolan. Also love Terrence Malick, Steven Spielberg, David Fincher, Tod Lancaster, Matt Krentz, Thomas McCarthy, Kyle Patrick Alvarez, Jim Sheridan & Ken Burns to name a few.

How has your life changed since you became the host of your own show?

Karen - It’s made me believe in the creation of ideas and the practice of implementing them. This is easier said than done. I’ve had so many ideas that I jotted down, which never took off. It’s taught me about follow through. I’ve learned that if you want something, you have to want it no matter what people say to you, do to you, and minus any fruit it might bear.

David - We’ve connected with people we would have never thought we would ever been able to speak with. We remember seeing “Garden Party” at the Laemmle Theaters here in Los Angeles and then speaking with director Jason Freeland within that year. Same with “In Search Of A Midnight Kiss” and Alex Holdridge. From there to speak with Lynn Shelton, Ted Hope, Mark Duplass, Julia Cameron, Troy Duffy, & John Sayles, etc. are things we thought would never happen. The show has given us hope at a time when we have needed it. We’d like to think that those who discover our program need it just as much as we do.

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

Karen - I saw this written once ‘Surround yourself with positive people; don’t listen to the nay-sayers.’ I would probably add to this have extremely thick skin (which is hard since we are all sensitive artistic types), laugh at your own ego, and when times look bleak ask yourself if there is anything else you’d rather be doing. If the answer is no, get a good night’s rest and try it again in the morning. And one more thing, limit your time surfing the net and watching tv if it’s not ‘research.’ This is a tough one!

David - Seek the advice from those who have succeeded in the industry and listen to what they have to say. That means don’t put too much stock into what I am saying here.

Beyond that, I would say that you really have to love it. You are going no where if it’s not deeply rooted in your core. You have to be able to endure and the only way that will happen is if you love it. That goes for anything, not just the movie business.

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

Karen - White Oleander, Wake Up, The Philosopher Kings, Matchstick Men, The Shawshank Redemption, Forrest Gump, Tree of Life, Ink, Dying to Do Letterman, Good Will Hunting, Ride the Divide, The Waterhole, Paradise Recovered, Men Don’t Leave, Denial, and the recent A Better Life.

David - The Shawshank Redemption, Forrest Gump, Tree of Life, Life is Beautiful, Ink, Dying to Do Letterman, Slumdog Millionaire, Shooting April, The Goonies, A Christmas Story, City of God, Pulp Fiction, Memento, The Scenesters, Saving Private Ryan, A Better Life, Inception, Die Hard, Good Will Hunting, Up, Knuckle Draggers, Streetballers, Borne Identity, Scarface, Maria Full of Grace, Irreversible.

How would you describe your film education?

Karen - Watching films, reading articles, and listening to interviews. I’m still learning.

David - From the ground up. Reading. Writing. Filming. Producing. Connecting. Distributing. Observing. Watching. Studying. Over and over.

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

Karen - The film scene in LA is exciting, competitive, disheartening at times, and never dull.

David - We live in the mecca of the film industry. It’s almost impossible to go anywhere, whether it be a friend’s barbecue, the local coffee shop, or jogging down the street and not have someone be connected to the film industry in one way or another.

How has social media changed the independent film industry?

Karen - Social media has enabled us to create our own audience and keep in touch with them. We can connect with like minds all over the world without needing an ad agency. We are all almost like mini-publicists. The trick is not drowning in the sea of updates everyone receives. But if we find those with similar interests and exchange ideas, then maybe our message will be given a look.

David - The Social Media Tools that are in place right now, give content creators the full power to distribute their work without any middle men. We have barely scratched the surface of where all this is going.

As I write this, G+ has just gone over 10 million users.

Our pals Joke and Biagio have just raised $40,000 in their first 7 days on Kickstarter for an Oscar push for their film Dying to do Letterman. It’s extraordinary. Most likely they have made more in that one week on their own than they would have made over the lifetime of any distribution deal they could have gotten. And it is because of social media.

We are still not all the way there yet. But we are getting closer. The final hurdle is distribution. Social Media helps us build awareness and helps us spread the word. Platforms like Kickstarter and IndieGogo are helping us with funding.

But we will not see the full impact of social media until the channels of distribution open up all the way. Audiences still have to grow comfortable with the emerging ways of consuming media. Wait until the internet and television truly become one. We are going to see some extraordinary successes in the very near future.

How does independent film differ from the mainstream?

Karen - Independent film rarely uses a filter to protect its audience. Independent film shows a single mother in a messy apartment with kids screaming and bills piling up. It shows a well off person who’s clinically depressed and finds little joy despite their wealth. It takes real lives that are incredibly fascinating but which the mainstream doesn’t want to view because it hits too close and they want an escape. It’s that stranger you see walking down the street who is so fascinating and you can’t help to stare. This person looks a little off (but functional) and you want to know why. An independent film would show you this person and their disfunction.

David - Mainstream films force their way into our consciousness with their multi-million dollar marketing campaigns and their product placement tie-ins. Those films find you.

Independent film you have to discover. They are often going to hide from you. You have to seek them.

Content-wise, independent films will not dazzle you with CGI and special effects, but they can move you with their heart and intellect. Successful independent films are those that take risks that you will not find in mainstream movies. They are unconventional and they aren’t so cookie-cutter where you know the ending 10 minutes in.

Mainstream would clean them up after they’ve met a savior, with a powerhouse rock ballad at the end.

You could go back in time and see any classic film being made. Whichfilm would it be and why?

Karen - Cat on a Hot Tin Roof or Streetcar Named Desire. Things were more polite then. Yes, there was a lot of judgment about peoples’ social strata and lot in life. However, it was all so pretty, polite, and very clean. It seemed unreal, probably because it was.

David - Citizen Kane. The movie was decades ahead of it’s time. Orson Welles was a complete genius. Would love to absorb how he was able to pull off such a feat at such a young age.

What do you think about sequels?

Karen - Not sure I have an appropriate opinion on them. I usually don’t watch the original film in the first place.

David - Story-wise they are often rushed and do not satisfy the audience in the way the original usually does. Business-wise, they are hard to ignore. Sales and interest on the original go up and they tend to perform better at the box office because of the familiarity from the original fans along with the fans who were gained along the way.

What's your opinion on crowdfunding?

Karen - Crowdfunding is miraculous. Happy that it is around and hope it stays.

David - It’s life-changing. It’s certainly changed my life and I can only imagine the thousands of lives who have already been impacted in positive fashion.

I do get frustrated by the many people I see who are launching campaigns without any pre-planning, thought, or preparation.

One rule at the top of the list, if you do not have a personalized pitch video then you are not ready to crowd-fund.

Cannot tell you how often we receive emails from filmmakers who are in their final week of crowd-funding who are in desperation mode, over 80% away from their goal, and want to know if we can help them.

Being able to use platforms like Kickstarter and IndieGogo is a blessing. It’s sacred. You may only get one chance at it. So when you decide to use them, make sure your business is together. Treat the opportunity with respect. Put the time in before you seek money from your peers, friends, and family.

You could be any animal. Which would you be and why?

Karen - Probably a Koala Bear. They seem so calm and observant.

David - Probably either an eagle or a dolphin. The option of soaring the skies or swimming the ocean.

You could have any super power. What would it be?

Karen - Time travel. I was just speaking with David about this the other night. I would love to visit the 20’s all the way to present day. Possibly I’d only want to visit certain years for a short time, like just peek into what the Depression era was like, or attend Woodstock for the night (or two). I wish a DeLorean could really do all this.

David - I was going to say the power to grant anyone one wish. Then as I mediate on that, I realize it may come with too much responsibility. So I will go with the ability to infinitely teleport myself anywhere in the world.

Is there anything else you'd like to add?

Karen - John, thank you so much for asking us these insightful questions. Thank you for putting together an amazing site and caring about artists in the way that you do. We have no doubt it will gather more incredible names. We appreciate your time!

David - John, I concur. We’d like to thank you for your time and energy. It’s an impressive database of interviews you have done thus far and we’re proud to join your archives. We look forward to seeing this grow. And for anyone looking to connect with Karen and I, you can do so through FilmCourage.com

Thank you both for doing the interview. I learned a lot about the folks behind such a great show. I'll be sure to tell any filmmakers I interview about your show.