Paul Best, the owner of Wolf’s Head Productions, has been working in theatre and film for over 45 years as a Lighting Designer, Art Director, Prop Master, Fight Choreographer, Director of Photography, Screen Writer and Director. A partial list of credits include the Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Theatre Royal Windsor, Mercedes Edwards Theater, Farstar Films with Oscar winner Gordon Ecker, Vista Street Productions with Director Phillip Jones, and Renaissance Films with Director Sam Rami. IMDB listing: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm4243982/
As a former Green Beret he served with the 1st Special Forces Group during Vietnam and currently is a community partner and guest lecturer with the Buchanan Fine Arts Academy. In 2005 he wrote his first historical fiction titled “Over the Fence in the Land of Oz”. Based on fact, it is an account of the Hmong and U.S. defense of Lima Site 85 in Laos during Viet Nam.
Wolf’s Head Productions has been in business in Central California since 1992 providing theatrical and film production services to local theaters, schools and businesses. The award-winning “Border Guardians of Akcernon – This Ain’t Kansas” produced in 2010 is their first full length narrative fiction project.
What is the current project you are working on?
First let me thank you for the opportunity to chat with you and your readers. I’ll see if I can’t dredge up a few kernels of wisdom.
Beginning in January, 2010 and continuing to the present I have been working on a combination project called “Border Guardians of Ackernon”. The project in its entirety is a fantasy genre project in the spirit of shows like Narnia or perhaps Merlin. Kind of an old fashion linear story told in episodic format following the archetypal fantasy characters as defined by Joseph Campbell. Good vs evil, heroic characters and a few villains, limited magic ..fairly standard fantasy fair. What is different is we are also incorporating some modern elements like smart phones that provide our “modern” characters with access to “magic” … and you thought your apps were useful. Additionally we wanted to correct what I consider to be a flaw in many fantasy stories… we wanted some strong three-dimensional female characters as leads. The 2010 project was a 1 hour TV pilot format that we trotted around to a few traditional film festivals. After getting some awards and feedback we began production on a web series in 2011 that will incorporate the pilot episode with 6 new episodes that provide some prequel information on the universe. We released Episode 1 on July 19 and are still finishing up scoring and some details. At the moment we are staying about 2 weeks ahead of our release schedule so it keeps us busy.
How do you handle rejection?
That’s kind of a tough question for me to answer because I don’t really feel I have ever faced rejection. A project succeeds of fails for so many reasons. Timing, subject, execution, marketing, distribution…endless list…but none of them are personal. I have always attempted to do the best job possible in any endeavor given the limitations of budget and time. A positive response from the audience is the ultimate goal but you will drive yourself crazy if you go chasing after every sway in public opinion. When it all boils down, 90% of what I do I do for myself. By that I mean, if I feel I have given it my best effort and am pleased with the outcome then what critics have to say really doesn’t affect me much. It may affect the bottom line but not me personally. The flip side of that is I don’t get giddy when people fawn over a project either. I guess I take kind of a Zen approach…Maybe good…Maybe bad…who knows.
Did you always want to be a filmmaker?
I have been doing film or theater for the best part of 45 years. When I first got started in the entertainment industry, landing a job in film or professional theater meant you had to be part of the union. In my case IATSE. Back then, if you didn’t know someone in the union it was difficult if not impossible to get in. I started out in theater and never really considered film as much of an option because of that. I landed a few minor uncredited flunky jobs on film from time to time. My first was on the Alex Cord version of Stagecoach in the 60’s. As the influence of the unions relaxed a bit and there were more non-union shoots happening I landed a few decent jobs with large productions. I did some Art Direction, some sound work, odds and ends. The most well-known production I worked on was the Evil Dead 3 – Army of Darkness production. That was 1992 I believe. Then I got tired of living in hotels and took a 14 year stint as a lighting designer at a 750 seat theater. It wasn’t until digital filmmaking became a viable reality that I decided to move back into film and that was 6 years ago.
What inspired you to become filmmaker?
I enjoy helping people feel something, passion, love, laughter, happiness, excitement…anything. I was attracted to the profession of lighting design because the subtle nuisance of lighting, movement and color can have a major affect on the emotional response of the viewer if done properly. Musicals are my favorite because once you add in music you might be able to really reach into the heart and soul of the audience. With film, you have all those options available to you…light, story, acting and music. Unlike theater, in film you have much more control on the infinitely small details of light and shadow, how loud or soft something is, not just what color but what shade of what color. You can truly mold the final product into a fine edge that, if you are lucky, with the help of a compelling story, will allow the viewer to not just watch but be part of the story.
What is the best thing about being one?
In all my years in theater there was only one cue that I felt was the perfect cue. It was a combination of the show, the singer, the set and the cue running at the absolute perfect time to support the emotion of the moment. It happened once and is now gone for ever. Once you have captured the hopefully perfect image it lasts for ever.
What is the worst thing about being one?
You better not have anything else going on in your life because it will be ignored if you are doing your best for the project. In the world of indie film making, you have to wear an incredible number of hats and every job is a full-time profession. 14 hour days are very common and 6 hours of sleep is the norm for me. During production, I am probably planning shots or checking the location hours before the cast shows up and looking at dailies or checking sound hours, or cleaning up the previous set after the rest of the cast and crew go out to party. But the worst thing…once you have captured the shot that is screwed up and you have to use it because you screwed up and the producer says there is no more money, it lasts for ever. Strong motivation for me.
What is the estimated number of projects you have worked on?
Third party films, by that I mean projects I was not in charge of, probably 10. A few major projects but mostly smallish, low-budget feature films by professional companies. Projects that my company has been contracted to provide production services for? …perhaps 15 to 20, mostly live stage events recorded in a film type format, CU, multiple cameras. Film projects I have been in charge of from beginning to end?…again probably about 10. Number of theatrical performances I have designed lights for?…hundreds.
Who is your favorite filmmaker?
It’s a toss-up depending on my mood but if I had to pick just one filmmaker to be trapped on a desert island with I guess it would have to be Ron Howard. I can almost always be assured of an entertaining experience with a Ron Howard film and every one is different. And that is after all why I go to see a film…to be entertained by an original, engaging story told by actors who aren’t “acting”.
How has your life changed since you became a filmmaker?
I don’t think it really has changed or if it has, I just don’t remember the how. It hasn’t made me rich yet that’s for sure. I take that back. Recently I have been spending way more time on social media than I have on filmmaking so that is a definite change.
What is one piece of advice you can give to someone who also wants to make it in the movie business?
My one piece of advice is actually a piece of advice from Michael Caine. He said “If you can imagine yourself doing anything other than film, than you probably should.” Seriously, if you are going to “make it” in the entertainment industry it has to be the most important thing in your life that you cannot imagine living without. You feel the passion every morning when you get up and sleep is an unavoidable interruption. If you don’t have that level of drive and determination for the art you may get a job but not a career. I know you asked for just one piece but here are a couple of other comments free of charge.
Filmmaking is like a constant “Odyssey of the Mind” competition or working at NASA to get Apollo 13 home. There is one creative problem solving opportunity after another. Therefore, there is almost no skill that goes wasted. Fortunately when you start out working in entertainment, you are either unemployed or about to be and have lots of opportunity to take lots of different jobs. J You can learn something valuable from each and every one. I lecture from time to time at a local Fine Arts Academy and one of the games I play is betting students they can’t name a job that I have not been at least tangentially aligned with. I won’t bore your readers with a list but it is quite long and varied and all of them provided me with something I use today.
Lastly, something else I mention when asked to lecture on the biz…”You are just dirt and there are millions more just like you.” Meaning, if you give a director, producer, or anyone any excuse not to hire you or God forbid fire you, you can probably be replaced before you leave the room. For some strange reason, everyone sees filmmaking as a glamorous, exciting, fame and money producing profession. Some of us know different but the point is there is a lot of competition for your job. Always be absolutely professional in behavior and spend every moment you have learning your craft be it acting or tech. Stay in constant contact with your email, cell phone and any other method people might use to contact you and never, ever be late or unprepared for anything.
What do you like to do besides filmmaking?
What? There is something else? Oh right, I do have a life outside of filmmaking. I’m an avid airsoft player…sort of like paint ball but hard little plastic BB’s instead of paint. I don’t do it as often any more but I used to do quite a bit of whitewater rafting and kayaking, technical rock climbing and skiing. I still get together with friends and spar with rapier and dagger occasionally and when the rare down time hits, I am a FPS junkie on the Xbox. I have been a fan of table role-playing games since the advent of D&D, (although I favor the GURPS format) and have been playing what we used to call “Live Games”, now known as LARP I think, before it had a name.
Have you had any other jobs before you decided to become a filmmaker?
OK. I guess I should have read the whole test before I started to answer it. Rather than giving you a resume, why don’t I just list some of the job titles in no particular order before, during, and after deciding to become a filmmaker?
Sgt. 1st Special Forces Group, 1st Special Forces (ABN) – Okinawa/Viet Nam
Chocker setter on a high lead logging operation - Oregon
Log skidder with a horse team - Colorado
EMT with an ambulance - Colorado
Firefighter - Florida
Engine Company Fire Captain - California
Certified rescue, first aid, and hazmat instructor - California
Paralegal/investigator for a law firm - California
Outdoor Recreation Professor - CSUS
Whitewater, skiing and climbing instructor
Chauffer
Security Guard and Security Dog trainer
Janitor
Maintenance man at a spa/hotel
Masseuse
Looks like a George Plmpton list now that I look at it. Ah, that’s enough to make everyone either bored or think I’m full of something.
What are some of your favorite American films? Foreign films? Television shows?
Wow. There are so many wonderful films over such a broad range that narrowing the list down is somewhat challenging but here goes.
Some big name American films without delving into the careers of David Lean etal would include LOTR obviously, Willow, Star Wars, We Were Soldiers, and Indiana Jones. Some less well-known films would include Memento, All the Usual Suspects, Blade Runner and What Dreams May Come.
Regarding foreign films, probably one of my favorite purely foreign films is the 2001 Bollywood production “Lagann”. I don’t know if a BBC production really qualifies as foreign but “Mrs. Henderson Presents” would be on my short list.
Recent television…Band of Brothers hands down, Firefly, Burn Notice, Warehouse 13, Stargate, Merlin, and if I had cable, Game of Thrones.
How would you describe your film education?
I have had quite a bit of formal education in Theater but not really any formal training in film. Everything I know or think I know has come from either on the job training or reading. I have had some great teachers and I read a lot.
How would you describe the film "scene" where you live?
When discussing the “film scene” you can look at it from a number of view points. My view-point has nothing to do with festivals, web sites, and the arts community which is fairly active. It has to do with locally (read as in I don’t have to pay for housing) available talent and technicians and from that stand point I would describe it as overall fairly amateur and lacking in numbers and experience. Obviously California has a plethora of talent, film festivals, and services supporting the film industry but where I have chosen to set up shop people don’t have much access locally to training programs or professional projects to gain experience. We have to conduct a lot of workshops and training for both our actors and technicians and occasionally import talent and crew to fill vital roles. That’s a big burden for an already exploding budget required for a fantasy film.
How has social media changed the independent film industry?
Social media has had the same affect on the film industry as everywhere else in modern life I would guess. On the one hand we have an almost limitless supply of choices for communicating with people and on the other hand it seems to be getting more and more difficult to communicate with people. Things like Skype make it possible for me to have a publisher who lives in Canada. Email, twitter, and web sites make it possible for me to quickly pass out information, call sheet revisions, notes to department heads, script updates…but the recipient actually has to check their email, Facebook, twitter etc for it to do any good. People seem to be ignoring email the way some people used to ignore their answering machine.
I think the jury is still out whether it is possible to gain a sufficient following via social media to financially support the industry. I think it will happen eventually but isn’t there yet. I am amused when I hear people say they have produced a successful web series…that never made any money. In my definition, any model that is not self-sustaining isn’t successful. Social media has demonstrated an ability to gain followers but not pay for production.
What's your opinion on crowdfunding?
I personally have never tried it and don’t know that I really support the concept. I once read what I thought was an amusing tweet from someone on the subject that said “It’s call show business, not show compassion.” I think that pretty much sums up my feeling. I know that some productions have been very successful at raising money in this manner. According to industry sources, our production costs are quite a bit larger than the average web series and I understand that reduces the chances of success in a crowdfunding campaign. We have 278 fans on Facebook. Not the largest number to be sure but we recently asked how many would consider giving money to this or any production. 3 people said they would. We may have to try it for season two if we have sufficient support to go there, but we will probably do something like selling T-shirts or DVD’s or something in exchange for money rather than holding our sign on the street corner. Fans can support a project by being active viewers, buying merchandise, and being buzz builders. Other production companies should be investing in their own projects, not mine.
What is the casting process like?
Wolf’s Head maintains a database on our company website for people to submit online resumes, upload head shots, etc. In the past we have relied on this database and cattle calls for our casting. For the web series, we went to a casting director and I think that paid off for us. The process remained the same. The first day is interviews, headshots and monologues. We see about 250 people for a typical first day audition. After the first day we go through the headshots and audition notes and do call backs with sides for specific parts. Because of the nature of the shows we do, we also have movement auditions. Once the field is narrowed down we do screen tests pairing up prospective actors. We usually cast leads with a one on one meeting prior to the auditions but they are never set in stone and we expect them to show up at call backs. We have been surprised more than once by an unexpected talent showing up.
How does independent film differ from the mainstream?
Well, the obvious first things are budget, marketing and distribution. Everything from a graphics art department, legal department, transportation department…you see the word department a lot in mainstream. Independent film is like the old days of aviation where pretty much all your flying is done by the seat of your pants in an airplane held together with bailing wire. It is certainly more exciting, more free wielding, more camaraderie, more fun, but horrendously time-consuming, risky, and challenging. The biggest difference in my mind is because of all the limitations in budget, Indie films have to focus on story and can afford to cater to very small markets instead of cranking out another sequel or relying on CGI, car chases and explosions.
You could go back in time and see any classic film being made. Which film would it be and why?
I have a great deal of respect for the likes of David Lean or DeMille who created crowd scenes with real crowds. As a director, I have a hard time wrapping my head around the organization and execution of some of these scenes. If I had to pick one I guess it might be the “Ten Commandments” or one of that ilk.
What's your favorite movie quote and why?
I don’t have one that springs to mind at the moment. There are so many iconic lines that have made there way into our lexicon over the years. Most tend to come and go pretty quickly but some stick around for ever and some I just like because they were delivered well. “I’ll be back”, “The Russians are coming”, “Curse your inevitable betrayal”…I don’t know but they all tend to be funny even if that was not the writers intent.
What is your opinion on movie remakes and sequels?
There I go again addressing an issue before I get to it. I hope I’m not getting graded on this. You pretty much already know my answer. I am sick to death of sequels and generally do not view them. As far as remakes. If the original was good enough to warrant a remake do you think somehow you are going to do it better? And if it wasn’t that good to begin with, there is probably a good reason. I don’t believe in remakes with few exceptions.
What is your opinion on book to movie adaptions?
Some are great, some suck canal water. Obviously one of the most recent and best ones for me was LOTR. One of the more disappointing in recent past was “Dune”. In the case of “The Postman” I liked the film better than the book. It all depends.
Is there anything else you would like to add
I think I have already said more than anyone not suffering from insomnia wants to read. I would just like to thank you for this gabfest and invite your readers to check out our series and please, let us know what you think, good, bad or indifferent.
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