Matthew Forcella creator of "One Die Short"

Matthew Forcella grew up in New York where he received his BA in Anthropology. After teaching elementary school for a year, he moved to Phoenix where he began working as an artist, displaying his paintings and illustrations in numerous galleries. From there he moved on to Graduate School in San Francisco where he received an MA in Philosophy and Religion and began teaching middle school. After secondary education, he switched gears again, working as a University Instructor and Scholarship Adviser. It was during this time that he began blogging about Roleplaying games and all things Geek, as well as publishing his weekly D&D Webcomic, One Die Short. Thanks to a successful Kickstarter campaign he is currently in the process of adapting his Webcomic into a live action web series of the same name.

What is One Die Short?

Other than the obvious (a web series about Dungeons & Dragons players), it's about people, friendship and adults learning to how to be adults.  The main intention of the series is to show how roleplaying games, creativity and a healthy fantasy life can actually help a person become confident and successful.

I'm trying to break through the stereotype of the roleplayer and the geek/nerd being a socially awkward and inept person that will be forever doomed to live in their mother's basement.  The show will largely be about each of the characters' individual transformations, and how those transformations are helped along by roleplaying and the friendships forged around the gaming table.

What inspired you to make the webcomic and now the webseries?

The webcomic has existed in one form or another for well over a decade now.  I didn't publicly put it out there until about 3 years ago when I was beginning to reconnect with my geek roots.  Like a lot of geeky teenagers, at some point I found myself straying from all things nerdy because of the many negative stereotypes associated with them.  Some of this was me being insecure, and some of it was a result of the people around me rejecting the things we once shared, and me finding it hard to seek out new friends.

When I finally decided that roleplaying was an integral part of my growth, development, and who I had become as a person, I went full force with it and started a blog and the webcomic.  The web series is the natural progression of the webcomic, and is how I originally envisioned the comic, but at the time I felt I didn't have the know-how or resources for film.

Will you tell us about the actors cast in ODS?

The actors are all local Colorado film and theater actors, mostly from Denver and the surrounding area.  They're all fantastic people (and many of them roleplayers). Aside from writing, producing and directing, I'm also playing the lead role of the Dungeon Master. Though many of the characters might not physically fit their counterparts from the webcomic, we chose everyone based on how much they felt like the characters, and as a result, we've got a really stellar cast that's doing an amazing job of bringing my vision to life. You can learn a lot more about each of the actors on our website: http://onedieshort.com/the-web-series/

What's the key to being a good Dungeon Master?

It took me a long time to figure this out.  When I was younger, being a Dungeon Master was about being in control; crafting a world and a story and sharing it (whether the players liked it or not) with other people.  I held lives in the balance and was responsible for the fate of an entire Universe.  I realize now how terrible I was at the job back then.  To truly be a great Dungeon Master, you need to let go (the same can be said of life in general I think).

Roleplaying is about co-creation and collaborative story-telling.  The Players are in charge as much as you are, and that means a good Dungeon Master needs to be flexible, and be able to recognize what best serves the story, rather than what best serves his or her own needs.

Have you seen The Strong brothers short film "Dungeon Master"?

Unfortunately I haven't yet, though I would like to.  There has been so much great media produced in recent years about roleplaying and the geek world; it's tough to keep up with it all. It's nice to see that most of it is well received if not embraced.  I think what that means for One Die Short is that we've chosen a great time to make our series.

What was it like being interviewed by John over at EatPrayMedia?

It was great!  John's a fantastic guy with a great website.  I often say this, but I'll reiterate it again: one of the best parts of making this web series has been experiencing the outpouring of support from the gaming/nerd/geek world.  It makes me proud to identify with the community.

Is there anything you'd like to add?

It's been a long road, and we've got a lot of hard work ahead of us still, but it's been a very humbling experience to see how much work talented people are willing to do to help make my vision come to life.  So, I would just like to thank everyone that has helped bring One Die Short to life so far: the cast, crew, backers, and of course, all of the fans, old and new.

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Thank you for doing the interview Matt. I strongly suggest readers of this interview check out Matt's interview over at EatPrayMedia. Also, like the "One Die Short" Facebook page.

"Tiger Within" Director Rafal Zielinski

Rafal Zielinski has directed over 20 feature films ranging from award winning independent films (where his heart truly lies) to more mainstream Hollywood projects and television.

His early years were spent in Eastern Europe. While in grade school he was lucky to travel several times around the world and gain a global perspective, an 8mm camera always at his eye. He was schooled in North America, the Middle East and the Orient.

During high school he was fortunate to attend the prestigious Stowe School in England where he received the Duke of Edinburgh Award enabling him to make his first documentary film about the temples in southern India.

He went on to graduate from M.I.T. with a Bachelor of Science in Art and Design focusing on the new field of art and technology, and studied cinéma vérité documentary filmmaking with veteran Richard Leacock.

As an independent filmmaker Rafal has always generated his own projects either by creating an original story that he was passionate about then collaborating with several screenwriters or adapting works from the theater in collaboration with the respective playwright. On most of the independent films that he directed he also served as his own producer often producing through his own company.

To learn more about Rafal and his films please visit http://www.tigerwithin.info/about/filmaker/

Visit  http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rafal-zielinski/tiger-within-from-the-writer-of-the-princess-diari to learn about "Tiger Within"

What is "Tiger Within" about?

"Tiger Within" is a film about an unlikely friendship between a young skinhead and a Holocaust survivor. Both have lost their families and face the struggle to love and forgive. Samuel has lost his family in the war, and Casey has a broken family who doesn't love her unconditionally. Their circumstances and loss establish a connection between them that they never would have thought existed.

What does forgiveness mean to you?

Forgiveness is a powerful process. If we all learn to fully forgive, there would be an extreme peace that would radiate throughout the world. I believe in its force and in our ability to heal ourselves through forgiveness. However, there are certain types of pain and loss that are nearly impossible to forgive. Samuel has experienced those and Casey has only just begun to know the harshness and reality of the world.

Is there a proper way to grieve and heal after a loss?

Everyone is unique in their grieving process, so it's all relative to that person's emotions. Someone like Samuel has held onto his grief for such a long time that it's interfered with his every day life. Part of his soul was lost with the loss of his daughters, but Casey's appearance in his life brings about a light that he thought was dimmed forever.

Can an elderly person learn something from a teenager (and vice-versa)?

Absolutely. History gets lost from generation to generation. Casey has lived in a bubble surrounded by her own pain, completely unaware of others' life experiences. Samuel has shut himself off, basically preparing to be alone forever. Casey learns about history and true suffering from Samuel. They learn that they aren't alone in their pain, and it's comforting.

Why do you want to make this film?

Writer Gina Wendkos and I have wanted to make this film for over 20 years, since our "spirits melded", as she said in a recent interview. This film's story is timeless, universal and pure: Two individuals from different generations, a homeless punk teen and a war survivor, overcome their pain stemming from loss and "choose" each other as family. We are not all born into a family that is best for us, so sometimes, choosing a new family is necessary, even often life saving.

Why did you choose Kickstarter to finance the film?

I love the idea of crowdfunding, and really believe it to be a superior financing route than than relying on businessmen sitting behind a desk to get funded. It's more inspiring to have everyone be a part of the film who truly believe in the story and want to see it made.

How do you think you experiences from your previous films will help you make this one?

Quite a few of my films have given voices to the rebels, misfits, and outsiders of society. My first film, "Hey Babe", featured an 11 year old Yasmine Bleeth whose character was orphaned. She befriends a homeless man who is played by the legendary Buddy Hackett. My film "Fun", starring Alicia Witt and Renee Humphrey, is based on a true story of two girls who commit a senseless crime. Both girls are from abusive and broken homes, but establish a sisterhood because of their pain. These types of characters breathe much-needed life into film.

Do you have any advice for aspiring filmmakers?

I would suggest researching heavily, as well as envisioning the actors who you'd like to play the part as you write or create. Also, do not give up when trying to get your film made! As I mentioned, this film has been 20 years in the making, and we feel that now is the right time. Luckily, for us, the film's subject is timeless.

Advice to aspiring filmmakers:

https://www.youtube.com/watch…

https://www.youtube.com/watch…

https://www.youtube.com/watch…

https://www.youtube.com/watch…

Is there anything you'd like to add?

Believe in your film..believe in your characters. Keep them close.

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Thank you for doing the interview Rafal. I wish you all the best with "Tiger Within".

The Team Of "Blood Kiss"

MICHAEL REEVES



Michael Reaves has written and produced literally hundreds of scripts for various TV series, including Star Trek: The Next Generation, Twilight Zone, Sliders, The Flash, Father Dowling Mysteries, and Disney's Gargoyles (the only animated TV series ever to be reviewed in The New York Times). He won an Emmy and was nominated for a second Emmy as a story editor and writer on Batman: The Animated Series. He also won a Howie Award for his H.P. Lovecraft-related work in film, as well as the prestigious Hampton's Award.

Why did you write "Blood Kiss"?

Hopefully so that it would get made.

How did you come up with the title?

Honestly don't remember; it's been that long .

Which character do you relate to the most?

I try never to relate to characters; it keeps me from being objective.

Is there anything you'd like to add?

Yes:

THE END

TOM MANDRAKE



Tom Mandrake is a freelance artist and writer. His work in comic books includes Batman, The X-Files 30 Days of Night, Fringe, The Spectre and Swamp Thing for DC Comics. The Punisher, The Hulk Unchained and various X-Men books for Marvel Comics. Tom has also worked on a variety of graphic novels ranging from Shakespeare's Hamlet to Pat Novak For Hire which is based on an old time radio show of the same name.

Tom has illustrated books such as Wild Cards IV, Aces Abroad, GRRM: The George RR Martin RRetrospective and the young adult novel The Forest King: The Woodlarks Shadow.

Why/how did you become involved with the project?

Several years ago Michael contacted me regarding doing a few samples for a Blood Kiss comic book/graphic novel. I produced 1 page of pencils, fell ill with Lyme disease and begged off at that point. Michael was very understanding, it wasn't that I didn't want to do it, I was just struggling to do anything at that point. Jump forward to a few months ago and I got the e-mail, would I like to get involved with Blood Kiss again, a graphic novel tied to a movie as a Kickstarter! Getting a second shot at a great project doesn't happen very often so I said yes!

Can you talk a little about the "Blood Kiss" graphic novel?

An interesting aspect of the graphic novel is that I'll be creating it at the same time the film is being made. That is something I have never tried before, traditionally you create a comic book/graphic novel with an eye towards a movie later or do a graphic novel to follow up a movie release. I like the feeling of uncertainty I get from this, the idea that I'll have to figure out the process as I go!

What are the differences between working on mainstream and independent comics?

When you find yourself working on a mainstream title, Batman, Spider-Man etc. you have some readers that have been with the character for decades, a built-in fan base! Do a good job and they will appreciate it. You may even pick up new readers, fans whose first introduction to a classic character is your work and they may come to regard your vision of that character as the standard. I grew up reading Marvel and DC books and still get a charge out of being able to contribute to the legends! On the other hand, being in on the ground floor of a new, independent title means flying without a net, no built in fan base and no idea if anybody will give a damn about a project you are totally committed to. I've been in both situations with some successes and a couple...not so much, but it's all good. Both paths are well worth the journey!

What's it like to draw character renditions of Amber Benson and Neil Gaiman?

It's always a little intimidating at first, drawing real people who have fans that want to see the likeness. The important thing is to accept that you will blow it a few times, don't get stressed out and over time you will figure out what makes each face unique. Amber and Neil each have very distinctive looks, that always helps when you're trying to key in on the character.

Is there anything you'd like to add?

Please join us on the Blood Kiss journey!

DAVID  RAIKLEN AND DANIELA DI MASE



David Raiklen wrote, directed and scored his first film at age 9. He began studying keyboard and composing at age 5. He attended, then taught at UCLA, USC and CalArts. Among his teachers are John Williams and Mel Powel. He has worked for Fox, Disney and Sprint. David has received numerous awards for his work, including the 2004 American Music Center Award. Dr. Raiklen has composed music and sound design for theater (Death and the Maiden), dance (Russian Ballet), television (Sing Me a Story), cell phone (Spacey Movie), museums (Museum of Tolerance), concert (Violin Sonata ), and film (Appalachian Trail). His compositions have been performed at the Hollywood Bowl and the first Disney Hall. David Raiken is also host of a successful radio program, Classical Fan Club.



Daniela was born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela from an Italian decent. Since a young age she had a passion for acting. Early on, she could tell good and bad performances apart and somehow understood the visceral process involved in acting and performing. However, for many years, she denied herself that passion thinking that it was not a respectable career path. At 15, her family moved to Italy where she started exploring filmmaking and storytelling. Filmmaking was the invisible line that still connected her to acting. When she graduated high school she moved to Paris, to study French language, Civilizations and Culture. During this time she began taking film courses in the Sorbonne University and in UCLA.

When she turned 20 she moved to South Florida where she continued her film studies in the University of Miami and The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale. Daniela loved production and all the elements that went into narrating a well crafted story yet she was always restless because she knew that she was not honoring her Truth. Finally one day, she decided she couldn't deny It anymore, so she went to London to study Meisner at The Actor's Temple. That's where she had an epiphany. "Acting was everything I had hoped it would be. It was the missing piece in my life. I traveled the world, explored many cultures and studied languages and yet I found that acting gave the means to explore the human psyche and emotions that I longed for. More than that, there is no better way to be in "The Now" than when you are acting. When I'm immersed in a scene and emotions surge, they become so real that I understand what it is to "live truthfully in imaginary circumstances."

After that revelation, she decided to honor her calling and at 27, she moved to LA where she has continued to study with some of the great acting teachers today such as Janet Alhanti and Ivana Chubbuck. She also continued her studies in Film Production at The Art Institute of California. Currently, she is working on indie projects, balancing herself from behind and in front of the camera.

How/Why did you become involved  the project?

David: A mutual friend told me that Michael was looking into crowdfunding a new film and asked me to consult. At first I consulted a bit to help out. But after a while the project became irresistible with a great story, setting and cast. I wanted to work these amazing people.

What other things do you do besides producing?

David: I'm a virtuoso composer and have scored hundreds of projects with everything from electronics to live orchestra and chorus. I also host a successful podcast on soundtracks, the Hugo winning Starship Sofa.

How do you properly pronounce your last name?

David: RAKE-LEN

What makes the film and" Kickstarter different from others?

David: Golden Age Hollywood with Vampires. Neil Gaiman and Amber Benson. Our videos.

How important is interaction with fans and/or backers when running a campaign?

David: We love all our fans and interact with them every day on Twitter, Facebook, Kickstarter, interviews. This is a new world and fans get to choose what gets made.

What has been the greatest thing you've learned from being part of the
"Blood Kiss" team?

David:  Neil Gaiman, Amber Benson, Michael Reaves, Daniela Di Mase and Tom Mandrake are warm, funny, creative, and inspiring. Every day one of them says or
does something that makes me think, laugh, and do better than I could
before.

What would you do if you ever found vampire living in your basement?

David: Depends- nice and sexy or evil fiend?

Is there anything you'd like to add?

David: Thanks for having us over.

Daniela: Our backers have been amazing. The support for Michael and Blood Kiss has been quiet touching! We want to sincerely thank you all!

"Mile High" webseries Episode 2 "Foos"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRGTt_NzjE8

My likeness is featured in this episode.

Wolfblood Creator and Writer Debbie Moon

Debbie Moon is a film and television writer living in mid-Wales. She has had over fifty short stories published in the UK and US, and her novel, Falling (Honno Press) was shortlisted for Welsh Book Of The Year. She has written for CBBC's The Sparticle Mystery, and is the creator and lead writer of the RTS-award-winning CBBC fantasy drama series Wolfblood. She also has several feature scripts, and a supernatural drama series, in development.

Why do you think the CBBC and Disney promos for "Wolfbood" each give a slightly different perception of the show?

Wolfblood is a show that seems to appeal to a cry wide audience. The stated audience for CBBC is 8 to 12-year-olds, the Disney audience is more like 8 to 14 - and we have quite a lot of adult fans! So it's a question of working out how to market the show to different target audiences. In the end, I'm not sure it matters, because Wolfblood's themes - friendship, loyalty, family, the tension between being different and fitting in, the search for identity -  appeal across all ages.

What are some of your favorite independent films and shows?

'Independent' is a tricky word, especially when applied to television, but… I'm a big fan of intelligent but fun science fiction and supernatural fiction, so things like Pacific Rim, Looper, Source Code, and on the small screen, Being Human and In The Flesh. I'm also a huge fan of The Shield and Leverage, both incredibly underrated shows. And I have an embarrassing weakness for The Fast And The Furious movies...

What sort of things do you study and consider when watching a film or show?

Like most people, if I'm really enjoying a show, I'm too into it to really analyse any thing. Once I've watched it enough times to get down to thinking about, however… Character is the key to everything. Interesting, unpredictable characters who aren't necessarily nice but whom we empathise with. Then a plot that's plausible but unpredictable, the richness of the world the writers are creating, and the balance of action, tension and character scenes.

 What are five things you're thankful for?

I expect most people say the same worthy things here, so just to ring the changes, I'm going to pick some less worthy but very enjoyable things!  Good walking boots. Bakewell tarts. Acting - I'm constantly in awe of what actors do… Computers (I started off writing on a typewriter, and boy, computers are easier…) And the Welsh countryside.

What's the most recent book you've read? Did you enjoy it?

The last book I read was A Cowboy Detective, by Charles Siringo; the true story of the author's exploits as an undercover detective in the Wild West. It wasn't quite as rich and detailed as I would have liked - more a fairly bare record of facts -  but it was a fascinating read, and a whole new perspective on the 'lawless' West.

What is one thing you wish you could tell your younger self?

Follow your instincts. But I was a pretty bolshie kid, so I probably wouldn't have listened anyway!

Would you ever use crowdfunding to fund a future project?

Crowdfunding is fantastic for producers and directors - the people who enjoy actually getting things done. I'm very much a writer - I want to do the writing, then hand it over to someone who can make it all happen, so I can go off an do more writing! So personally, probably not...

Is there a film or show that you believe everyone must see without question and why?

That's a tough one, because the great stories are so personal - what leaves one viewer cold might touch another person deeply. For anyone interested in storytelling, which on a  screen or in any other form, I'd say The Prestige, which is a superb piece of adaptation, of visual storytelling, of world-building. The way Christopher Nolan uses time, scene order, POV and the withholding of information in the film is extraordinary  (inspired by Christopher Priest's amazing novel, of course).

KARL KENZLER & CHRISTOPHER GERSON of Darwin: The Series

KARL KENZLER is an actor and writer. He co-wrote the comedy pilot A/V CLUB which screened at NYTVF and was described by Mitchell Hurwitz as "an inventive and original piece that mixes Strangers with Candy and Thomas Pynchon's penchant for writing about secret societies." His critically acclaimed one-man show, FIRE IN THE HEAD, helped earn him a prestigious Charles and Eva Fox Fellowship.

As an actor, he can be seen in the recurring role of “Senator Charles Holburn” in the Netflix original series HOUSE OF CARDS and appeared in the recurring role of “Father Denis” on LAW & ORDER: SVU. Other guest appearances include PERSON OF INTEREST, MADE IN JERSEY, THE GOOD WIFE, FRINGE, RESCUE ME, ALL MY CHILDREN, LAW & ORDER, NOW & AGAIN and TRINITY. He lives in Jersey City with his wife and daughter where they have a lovely view of the Manhattan skyline -- without the headache.



CHRISTOPHER GERSON has worked as a producer and editor for the Sundance Film Festival; creating content for Sundance Online. He is an editor and video producer for Trifecta Multimedia and is proud to create video content for the Great River Shakespeare Festival (http://www.youtube.com/user/GreatRiverShakes). He recently edited and acted in the short film FORT GREENE which premiered at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.
As an actor, he has appeared in many theater productions across the country and recently appeared in the New Georges Theatre production of Lynn Rosen's play "GOLDOR $ MYTHICA".

To learn more about "Darwin: The Series" click on the links below:

Kickstarter link:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/370925295/darwin-the-series

Darwin links:
DarwinTheSeries.com

Facebook.com/DarwinTheSeries

Twitter.com/darwinstree

What is "Darwin: The Series" about?

KARL: "Darwin: The Series" is about Leo Darwin -- a life coach whose life is falling apart. He's a guy who appears to have everything. But in reality, he's a train wreck. The story revolves around a love triangle between Leo, his wife Charlie (a former street performer and current kleptomaniac) and his client Michael (a genius inventor and millionaire crippled by social phobias).

Can you explain the symbolism in the series?

KARL: I'm not really sure about the symbolism. But as a writer, I'm very intrigued by how deceptive appearances can be. Most people have a very rich interior life. We all harbor secrets, dreams, fantasies. But you reach a certain point in your life where you realize that those things may never come to pass. And how do you deal with that? That's very much a theme in the series. In a very funny way, these characters are all dealing with the compromises they've made in their lives.

Why do you want to make this series?

CHRIS: The two of us had been talking for years about doing a web series. But our ideas were too big, they were unmanageable.  So we hit on this idea of a life coach who was actually the opposite of everything he was trying to teach. We approached our co-creator, Lynn Rosen, and the three of us immediately hit it off. Lynn has a really unique point of view as a writer. It was a great fit.

KARL: The thing is, we weren't finding the kind of stories that we wanted to see online. Web content is often aimed at a particular audience: gamers, sci-fi fanboys and that sort of thing. And those tend to skew younger. But in the last ten years the online audience has grown up. So there's an appetite out there for stories about what happens later in life: the Big Questions that come up when you're married, when you have a kid, when you're in the midst of your career. My favorite shows are about flawed people who are trying their very best -- even when they don't behave that way. So that's what we tried to write. And we knew it had to be smart, funny, honest storytelling or else people would click away to something else.

Why did you decide to shoot two episodes before launching your campaign?

CHRIS: It was important to me to have something that we could present to an audience. We wanted to be able to say "Hey, we've created something here that's compelling. Come take a look!" We could have just pitched it. Or done a trailer. But if you start telling a good story, people become involved. And from a fundraising point of view, it's then much easier to ask for help in finishing it.

KARL: Also, a trailer or pitch would never have worked because it's not a high concept sell. No one's fighting zombies or living in a post-apocalyptic wasteland here. No one's saving the world or solving crimes. It's a character-driven story and what draws people in is the way it's told.

How did you come up with such interesting update videos for your Kickstarter?

KARL: We really just started doing those for us!

CHRIS: It's true, we've had a lot of fun with the updates! We throw out some ideas to each other on the phone, then go meet up and shoot it. Karl will write a brief outline -- talking points and a few of the jokes -- and then we just riff on that. We'll feed each other a lot.

KARL: Shooting it's a lot of fun but I think the real brilliance is in Chris' editing. That's where the funny comes from.

CHRIS: But that's already in the footage. Really, the update videos are pretty easy because we have a history. We've known each other since college. We used to make movies with one of those three-hundred pound VHS cameras. This is the same thing really, just with a purpose.

KARL: And the camera's lighter.

Please talk about the people involved with "Darwin".

CHRIS: We couldn't have done this without the help of so many people. Carrie Preston is so smart and creative. As an editor I've worked with a lot of directors that have far more opinions than they do ideas.  Although Carrie has plenty of strong opinions she has far more ideas. Good ideas. I really love how she's able to take the script and translate it into a visual language that matches the tone perfectly. She puts the viewer squarely into the world that Karl and Lynn have written.

KARL: That's right! And while we're mentioning her, the truth is, without Lynn Rosen we wouldn't have a Charlie. She's brought her sharp perspective to this project. There's a madness in her writing that is so funny and raw and real. It's indispensable.

CHRIS: Our production team is fantastic. Our amazing DP, Matt Bucy, and our hardworking and patient crew. Producers Greg Ivan Smith and Kate Fonville.

KARL: And our newest member of the family, producer Kim Sherrell. Kim actually came on board after discovering "Darwin" through our Kickstarter campaign! She's been incredibly helpful in getting the word out!

CHRIS: We're also very lucky to have such a talented cast. And they all have such great "day jobs"! Celia Keenan-Bolger (Charlie) is appearing right now in Broadway's "Glass Menagerie". Joel de la Fuente (Qui-Na) is back as the "Hemlock Grove" resident mad scientist. Bill Heck (Jansen) is known to indie audiences from his movies "Pit Stop", "Nonames" and the upcoming "Happy Baby".

KARL: I have to say, our real find is Tarah Flanagan as Gaye. Tarah did us a favor and came in for a casual writers' read-through and she just crushed it. We left the room and everyone immediately said "She's perfect for this!" It was like we were writing for her before we even knew it.

Is there anything you'd like to add?

CHRIS: Yeah, we're just a few days away from finishing our Kickstarter campaign. So please check out our page and watch the first two episodes!

KARL: And if you like it, join us. Come help us finish the story of "Darwin"!

CHRIS: Thanks!

The Blaine Brothers

The Blaine Brothers

Renowned for their award-winning comic short films, the Blaine Brothers are currently in post production on their feature debut “Nina Forever”, a magic realist tale of grief and sex with a darkly comic undertone.

Previously they have featured in Screen International’s “Stars of Tomorrow”, been nominated for a BIFA and at the Edinburgh Film Festival, shortlisted by BAFTA three times, mentored on the prestigious Guiding Lights scheme and the London Short Film Festival has held a retrospective of their work at the ICA.

For more information please visit www.blainebrothers.co.uk or follow @blainebrothers

What is "Nina Forever"?

BEN: Nina Forever is a feature film about a guy called Rob whose dead girlfriend Nina returns from beyond the grave every time he makes love with his new girlfriend Holly; it also follows Holly's attempts to make this unconventional relationship work.

Can people truly "be fixed"?

BEN: Holly hopes so, I think you may have to watch the film to get our opinion.

Would you mind explaining the symbolism behind the film?

BEN: Most things in the story have a symbolic aspect, I guess the biggest one is Nina herself. She appears naked throughout, her body blood splattered and twisted. There are times when this has an erotic element to it but actually, mostly, her bloody physicality is just a massive inconvience for the others. We were keen that Nina embodied an element of chaos which was something we felt was central to the experience of grief. An etheral ghost is quite easy to ignore in a way that a bleeding naked woman isn't, especially when she's also doing her best to wind you up.

As a counterpoint to Nina's messy and persistant presence we also concentrate a lot on empty spaces. It actually proved quite hard when designing the shots to work out the best way of drawing the audience's attention to things that are missing from the frame. A space on a shelf can sing out to you like a missing tooth but an empty chair in a room is often not something you naturally read. The importance of things and people who aren't there is central to the film and it's something we've tried to mirror in the structure of the story as well. Characters go missing at times when normally they wouldn't be allowed to and much of Holly's investigations into Nina end with her actually finding out nothing. With Nina too there's a big missing element, normally with a character like hers there's a reason for the return, a quest or something to resolve but we were keen to create Nina as a character with no goal or story arc. She's dead so she wants nothing and learns nothing. It does make the film feel odd, there are often gaps where you expect story to be but that felt like the right way of expressing the real meaning of the story.

There are also a lot of boxes in the film, but I think that metaphor speaks for itself. Less expected was the adoration of pylons. We kept finding power lines in the locations we were using and kept wanting to use them in shots. They are amazing structures that generally we just ignore. They surround us like steel castles but you just get into the habit of ignoring them. That also felt appropriate for a film about grief. It's a massive distorting ball of emotions but it hangs around for so long you just get used to it, you live around it like it's always been there. We were very keen to set the film in a super normal suburban setting - putting an impossible awful magical thing in the middle of this mundanity felt like that sensation of having to continue your life whilst this raging chaos rattles away in your skull.

How do the character's in the film handle grief?

BEN: By making mistakes. We spend a fair amount of time with Nina's parents, Sally and Dan who are two really heartbreaking characters. They're really lovely people but losing their daughter has left them both exposed and beneath a very normal exterior they're both flailing around in craziness searching for something to make sense of the mess. In different ways they've both latched onto Rob, Nina's boyfriend, for some emotional crutch. All three of them depend heavily on each other, which was probably essential when Nina died but, this far on, is a dependency that is keeping them all locked in their grief. Breaking the bonds between them, good and bad, is a key part of the story of how they all continue living.

So yeah, I think generally speaking they handle their grief badly and messily and by making big bold decisions that they don't mean and can't stick to. Then, just when it seems like this hopelessness is going to destroy them all, well, we hope there's enough of a spark of hope in the end of the film to be true. Grief is something that changes you but it doesn't destroy you. It's just not something you often cope with in the way you imagine you are going to.

What's it like working with your brother?

CHRIS: It's a fairly calm collaboration. We've got our own tastes but a shared central core of stuff we both love that is only enhanced by our differences. We work by thinking about intent - it's not the words on the page or the pixels on the screen that matter, it's what you're hoping they'll do to an audience. As soon as you're thinking about that, it's a lot easier to realise that something isn't working or could be better. In terms of the nuts and bolts, we write, direct and edit together, which means working closely throughout. We use two laptops and share screens so we can both see the words being written at the same time, which usually means one of us can be talking more, thinking more or researching more whilst the other types (and often goes with the flow of creativity that it can bring). On set we don't really delineate our roles but if we're up against it Ben will talk with the actors and Chris will talk with the crew. Usually it's better when we're both closer to everyone, it makes it a much more collaborative and creative process, which is why we like to keep the numbers small if we can. In post we both edit, each taking up the next sequence available when they've finished the previous, then we'll take sections to smooth. Ben does more on the audio side, Chris more on the pictures.

How do you balance your personal and professional lives?

BEN: Making a film like this there is very little balance between the two. You pour yourself into it and just hope that if you give it all honestly then somehow the end result will be honest too. It was tough. There were times when we really went to the bare bones with the cast, sharing the roots of the idea, the deaths we've experienced. That leaves you pretty raw but I think being so close and working on the film together was one of the things that helped us get through it.

But yeah, I don't think there's much of a divide between personal and professional in filmmaking. You can point at things and you always have to be aware of when something is the wrong emotion for the story, but these are fairly flimsy walls. You make a film about sex and death it needs to be personal.

What was the casting process like?

BEN: Rigorous. There are no easy parts in the film and we've been very lucky that even the minor characters are played by some pretty superb actors. There's a guy called David who's in one scene dumping Holly. He's just a kid in a car trying to end a relationship but it's the third scene in the film and it tells you a lot about her as a character. It's also quite a specific character, he's sort of a bad kid but no where near as bad as he thinks he is and we had a very specific voice in mind when we wrote him. Javan Hirst who plays him actually auditioned for the lead and he was amazing but way too young for the part but it's great that he was so into the project he was happy to come and be in a single scene.

But yeah, the leads were hard. They are three difficult parts and they need to work together as a three as well. We worked with a superb casting director, Emily Tillelli and she was amazing. She was fearless in approaching actors of all standing within the industry, no small thing with a budget as small as ours, but never blind to new talent. She also really encouraged us to run the auditions like part of a rehearsal process. Sometimes it can be an awful cattle call but with Emily it was always the first steps in helping the actor find the character.

So yeah, it took a long time but the real key was when Fiona O'Shaughnessy came on board. Nina is a very difficult part to play and she knew that and was actually quite scared initially. Emily had seen her in Utopia on Channel 4 and thought she'd be perfect as Nina and made the approach and at first Fiona turned it down. Then Emily convinced her to have a phone cal with us so we talked through her concerns about the project and we all seemed to get on so she jumped on a plane from Dublin and came and auditioned. She was perfect, I think having those fears about the part was key actually - she really understood what the role required and we were so lucky that she was brave enough to comit to it and go there. Once we had Fiona the others fell into place. Cian and Abi had auditioned before her but we felt like we couldn't make a decision until we knew who Nina was. That's probably self delusion to be honest as, looking back, all that happened was that we cast the two people we wanted to cast anyway but with the best will in the world you don't aways see the blindingly obvious til its over.

Interestingly they're very different performers though. Emily knew nothing about Abi and just called her in after getting a good feeling about her headshot. She's a very instinctive performer and was just so perfect for Holly, I remember the hairs on the back of my neck standing up the moment she started her audition. That said, though she seems so natural and always in the moment we found out later how hard she worked to get there. She used to read the script in full every day and was always comma perfect.

Cian was Emily's first suggestion for the role of Rob and his first audition was amazing but he's a different sort of actor to Abi. He's nothing like Rob in real life and in his recall he was much more relaxed. We were expecting this brooding troubled guy that we met in the first audition but instead this delightful puppy bounded into the room. He's hilarious and charming and he stays himself until the camera rolls. First couple of scenes that was quite scary, you'd be setting for this shot and thinking "what the hell is he doing?" and then you'd call action and suddenly this performance would appear.

We've been very lucky.

What is the key to a successful crowdfunding campaign?

BEN: Engagement and passion are essential. You have to be able to convey why you want to make the film. It's also good to show the world that you're not expecting them to do the hard bit for you. In our case we raised £18k which was mainly just to shoot a specific sequence in the film that was, on its own, way too expensive for our budget. This felt good as it meant we weren't saying "oh please we'd like to make a film can you fund it for us…" we were saying "we're making a film, come and join in."

The real turning point for us though was when we released the teaser. I think this worked on two levels. We'd cut a couple of minutes of footage from film to a track by Amanda Palmer and asked her if we could use the track for the duration of the Kickstarter campaign. She saw it, loved it, said yes and began tweeting about it. Obviously when someone with her online following starts pointing eyeballs towards your work that has a great impact. We raised £7k in the final three days, all after the teaser was released. What's great about this though is that, when you look at the stats, this wasn't just Amanda's fan base getting involved, the money came from all over the place - a lot of it was people who'd been following the campaign from the start but hadn't felt convinced by us talking about the project. As a filmmaker it's great to find that people respond better to seeing a bit of the film than they do to hearing you talk about it!

It's another reason why I think our approach of not trying to fund the entire project paid off. Being able to actually show people what their money was going into was the real turning point for us.

What is the indie film scene like where you live?

CHRIS: Mostly we think of films in Britain working in a system of patronage. You go cap in hand to one of a few sources of money and the chosen few get to make their films. There are obviously lots of folks trying for this so its easy to become not one of the chosen ones as there's only a small pot of money there. And if you don't get money from one of the BFI, FIlm4 or BBC Films then you're dead in the water. That's the story that puts a downer on everything. However there's lots of money sloshing around London and ways of finding investors. There's a burgeoning number of exciting films being made for not very much money, though if these can be a source of a continuing income is to be seen - people like Ben Wheatley are making it work, which is very inspiring to see.

When I think of an indie film scene I always think of filmmakers all working together, critiquing each other's work and working on each other's films when they happen, drinking and watching films together and talking into the wee hours in coffee shops. This isn't necessarily how life is in London, I don't know. There are definitely signs of it - we are in a great scriptwriting group with some brilliant writers, we know a lot of folks who have just made or are about to make their first feature, and we love to help others with their projects in whatever way we can. However we're also not the most sociable - we like to work (hence the writing, directing, editing) which doesn't leave much time for hanging with the cool kids.

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 Thanks for doing the interview guys. I wish you all the best with "Nina Forever" and future projects. If your ever in Boston, let me know. Maybe we can talk indie film.