Category: Interviews

How long have you worked in the film industry? What was your first experience making a movie like?

I have been wanting to make movies for as long as I can remember.  Whether or not I’d be any good at it never really mattered, I just always knew it was something I would do.  Deadly Presence was my first real experience with any aspect of filmmaking and acting is a scary thing, especially when you have NO idea what you’re doing.  After every scene, I always felt like it could have been better but I think that’s something any actor struggles with.  Don’t get me wrong though, acting is also incredibly liberating and when you finally get into a groove, it’s a blast!  Deadly Presence was a huge learning experience for me, since I was also in charge of several other aspects of the film including post production.  The crew consisted of me and the Director and it was up to us to see it through til the end, and we did!

 

You and Shane were Jacks of all trades on this film. How exhausting was it to also be Producing, Sound Editing and supervising the soundtrack? 

We pretty much just had to give up on sleep all together haha.  The soundtrack was probably my favorite part of post production because Music Supervision is something I’ve always been interested in.  We also had a great composer – shout out to H. Anton Riehl for his original work on the film!  Sound was definitely the biggest challenge for us, since majority of the film was shot in our apartment, there was a ton of noise we had no control over such as, people outside, helicopters, air conditioners, traffic, marching bands (okay I exaggerated on the marching band part but it might as well have been) etc.  So with all the noise interruptions, A LOT of sound and audio had to be added in post.  This consisted of Shane and I staying up until 4am and reenacting certain scenes while watching the actual scene from the film on Shane’s monitor.

 

 

Can you tell us a little bit about the character you played?

Andie was an interesting character to play, especially since I don’t think we’re very much alike.  She’s very composed and reserved whereas I would have been like “Okay, this shit is crazy, I’m getting the F#$% out of here!”  But I hope she’s a character that the audience will root for.

 

 

I asked Shane about how Character names were selected and he mentioned that Andie

was your choice. Why did the idea of a male name for a female character intrigue you?

Honestly, I’ve just always loved the idea of guy names for girls.  Shane and I wanted a name that would stand out without it being too weird, and the name “Andie” was strong and subtle.

 

 

You worked on the script as well, did this make you less likely to ad-lib your lines?

Working on the script did allow me the advantage of knowing the scene and my lines really well but when you’re acting and you fall a bit more into character, emotions can sometimes switch up your words a bit.

 

 

I’ve always wondered what exactly a Producer does, can you explain this process for us?

The main job of a Producer is to prep and oversee the making of a film.  Shane and I did everything from location scouting to funding and everything in between.

 

 

There are a few scenes where you’re on a computer, were you actually typing anything?

Not really.  There were a couple of times where I typed something funny for Shane to read!

 

 

Aside from playing the main role, what aspect of making Deadly Presence did you

enjoy the most?

I definitely had the most fun when I got to interact with the other actors since majority of the film was just me acting alone.  Working with Shane was also a really great experience, and he was completely open to letting me sort of just run with my character.  I really learned a lot working with him!

 

 

Do you have any funny stories from the shoot?

There were a ton of funny moments from shooting, especially shooting the opening garage scene because it was the only time all of us girls got to to be together for filming.  We could not stop laughing!  Anything and everything made us laugh and I would say it was probably my favorite scene to shoot.  Sabrina (Julie) and Kathy (Candace) are a blast to work with!  Poor Shane and Robert (Danny) had to put up with us for hours!  There are a couple outtakes from that scene on the behind the scenes footage of the movie 😉

 

 

Are there any frustrating stories from the shoot?

NOISE.  Constantly having to stop mid scene to wait for traffic or people talking outside was exhausting.  We knew how quickly we could have wrapped a scene but it would get dragged out due to interruptions from outside noise.  You never realize how much noise there really is in LA, until you’re counting on it for perfect silence.

 

Thank you for your time.

Thanks so much for having me!

In addition to directing, you were also a writer on Deadly Presence. Is it important that you direct the projects you write? Would it be difficult watching a film that somebody else directed?

 

I would Direct other projects if brought to me, that’s not an issue. I only wrote this because I wanted to direct something I could control 100%.  The entire story was written around what I had access to, since this was a micro-low-low-low budget film. Did I stress low budget enough?  By writing the scenes, I knew I could shoot those exact scenes.

 

What was the writing process like for Deadly Presence, how long did it take for you to have a finished script?

 

Megan (Actress who played ‘Andie’) and I would work on the script in the late evenings during the week and on weekends until it was finished. We also brought in a writer friend of mine to tidy up some scenes and dialog in Deadly Presence

The script took about 2 months to complete.

 

Some of the props used in the film are very intricate, how long did the Diary take to create?

 

A couple of the props in the film are from past projects. For instance the mask hanging on the wall in the kitchen is from The Mutilation Man (2011)

The diary was something Megan and I put together on our spare time. The sketch book was drawn out by my friend and his wife Ozzie and Amy Ray.

 

How do you come up with Character names?

The Character names were actually something that Megan chose.  Some were names inspired by friends of hers, others were just what felt right for the character.  She also liked the idea of using a guys name for the female lead, and Andie just seemed fitting.

 

How long was the shooting schedule?

 

The shooting schedule was actually pretty long. We shot the film over a span of 7 months. We only shot on weekends and some week nights if we got lucky.  Sometimes we weren’t able to shoot every weekend due to scheduling or outside noise that was out of our control. We’d then wait till the next weekend to capture 6-8 more hours of shooting.

In between shooting, I would edit; color correct and play around with the footage, all on my 2009 imac with final cut pro 7.

 

Can you explain the responsibilities of a Sound Editor? How long is the process?

 

The sound editor’s job is to prep all the background sounds, sound effects, dialog and music for the film.

Since Megan and I were literally 98% of the crew involved in making this entire film, we both played double duty on this. We would stay up late on week nights and record all sound for scenes where we had noise interruption. Like cars honking and random helicopters (lots in Los Angeles) which would fly over and hover, and hover some more.  After all that was recorded, I would then spend the next evening adding it and tweaking it to fit the scene.

H. Anton Riehl composed some scenes for us, and Megan would work with him on perfecting the sound for the scene.  He did a great job with the moody score!

 

Do you have any funny stories from the shoot that you can share?

 

I have a story to share. There is a scene where Megan had to drag a fake body down the exterior staircase. We did this at 4am.  I was tucked away in a spot where nobody could see me, or my camera.  After the take Megan informed me that a neighbor had been watching, and from his perspective he would have only seen Megan dragging what appeared to be a body, down the stairs!

 

Will Deadly Presence be at any Horror film festivals?

 

Unfortunately no. When we finished the project, most of the horror fests were just getting over with.  However, shortly after editing the film, Deadly Presence landed distribution for North America and a second distribution company just picked it up for International!

 

Is there an estimated date for DVD Release?

 

At this moment, we don’t have an exact release date for dvd / vod, but it will be toward the end of 2013.

 

Tell us more about Masked Films, when and why did you start it?

 

I started Masked Films back in 2005 when I started making short films and fan videos for bands that I liked.  Since then, I’ve done some bigger work and got into producing and directing indie micro-budget feature films.

 

Do you have any projects on the go that you can talk about?

 

Actually, I have a script (From David Fite mentioned above) that’s in the works. It’s a feature film project that falls into the thriller/horror genre titled ‘The Face Garden’

Megan and I are also currently working on getting another feature film project off the ground which will actually involve a Producer and bigger crew – Details to come!  In the meantime, you can stay up to date with our projects on Twitter (@MaskedFilms) or my website www.maskedfilms.com

 

 

Thank you for your time.

 

Thank you for having me!

 

 

 

How long have you been writing for?

I started writing when I was in first grade. We had a project and the blank booklet I got was covered in butterflies of all things. So my book was titled Attack of the Butterfly People, and featured my school being torn apart by bloodthirsty insects. Some might say it was my best work.

 

 

How many rejections did you receive before you first became published and how did you stay motivated?

 

I did my research into the traditional publishing world and realized without a lot of spare cash and connections, it wasn’t going to work out so hot for me. I also have a fear of rejection and I think getting too many crappy letters would have made me scratch the whole thing. So I formed my own publishing group, and started from scratch. No deadlines, nobody to answer to, and nobody to share the profits with.

 

 

Favorite Author and book when you were a child?

 

Fantasy was my genre as a kid which meant Tolkien and the Hobbit are still my all time favorites. I devoured basically anything with magic and dragons, including Dragonlance, Forgotten Realms, Ravenloft etc…

 

 

What music do you listen to when you write?

 

Phil Collins. Just kidding. I tried listening to different types of music but my ADD (my wife says that’s what it is) was getting in the way. A box fan going for some white noise seems to help me focus on the task at hand and relaxes me. I do my best writing in my head while daydreaming, so things like mowing the yard and taking a shower often lead to plot twists and new dialogue.

 

 

Any superstitious rituals that you go through when beginning a new story?

 

No superstitions but for Dead Drunk: Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse… One Beer at a Time, I did plenty of “research” at bars and bachelor parties. All strictly business of course.

 

Favorite book released in the last year?

 

With the addition of twin boys to my family,  I haven’t really had much time to read lately. I have been getting more connected with the zombie community as of late, and have several zombie books lined up to read in the near future.

 

 

Favorite book released in the last 10 years?

 

I would be lying if I didn’t say my own, as cheesy as it is.

 

 

Favorite quote from a book that is not your own?

 

“In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.”

 

Favorite quote from one of your own works?

 

The first line of Dead Drunk: Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse… One Beer at a Time, spoken by the main character, Charlie Campbell.  “Hope you like sitting through first grade again, motherfucker.”

 

 

 

Advice for new writers who are struggling with character creation? 

 

Never stop thinking about your book, even if you are grocery shopping, watching television, on the phone, whatever. It needs to become a living, breathing part of your life.  And don’t be afraid of going overboard on a character. Just let loose and see what happens. The world has enough safe and boring characters so even if something seems over the top, that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

 

 

E-Reader or Physical copy?

 

I can read both but to really enjoy a book, I like to hold it in my hands.

 

What first inspired you to become a writer?

 

I watch pretty much every zombie movie that comes out and honestly 90% blow. I definitely enjoy them, but still, they suck. So I decided I could write a better zombie story, from a different perspective, than what was out there. This was my first real attempt, and five years later (there is that ADD again) here we are.

 

Tell us your favorite joke.

 

“I’ll tell ya, my wife and I, we don’t think alike. She donates money to the homeless, and I donate money to the topless!”  Rodney Dangerfield

 

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Richard Johnson is the author of Dead Drunk: Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse One Beer At A Time.

You can find that book here : http://www.amazon.com/Dead-Drunk-Surviving-Zombie-Apocalypse/dp/0615764827

 

You can find him on twitter through @Dead__Drunk

 

 

 

How long have you been writing for?

Forever… well, at least since I could hold a crayon. My elementary school librarian was so impressed with my stories she would bind them for me. They were only a few pages long, written and illustrated on college ruled notebook paper but adding that slim plastic rung meant the world to me. I felt like a real published writer.

 

How many rejections did you receive before you first became published and how did you stay motivated?

I’ve lost count of how many rejection letters I’ve collected for various projects over the years, but for my first published book I only received one. The letter was hateful and came from a small press reviewer who admitted he only read the first few pages. It irritated me enough to self publish.

 

Favorite Author and book when you were a child?

Easy one, The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe. C. S. Lewis was a brilliant writer, I also enjoyed his Screwtape Letters.

 

 

What music do you listen to when you write?

I don’t often listen to music when I write. When the weather is nice I’ll crack a window and listen to wildlife. Nothing signifies summer in Georgia more than the chorus of cicadas. Though, when I do listen to music I prefer hard rock and metal.

 

 

Any superstitious rituals that you go through when beginning a new story?

I’m not a superstitious person, but I do have a ritual I must go through every time I sit down at my dining room table to write: The Gator Ritual. Gator is my orange tabby. He completely and honestly believes that he belongs with me at all times. So when I first sit down to write, I must first negotiate with Gator. He’s sweet but clumsy, and his twenty-three toes are a bit of a work hazard. It takes anywhere from five to thirty minutes to find a place where he’s happy, while still leaving me the ability to move my arms and hands.

 

 

 Favorite book released in the last year?

            I go through books like I go through water, but my favorite from last year was No Easy Day by Mark Owen. It’s a firsthand account of the Osama Bin Laden mission. It was a very insightful read.

I have eclectic tastes in books—mostly I’m looking for something new and exciting. A tome that takes me someplace I’ve never been, or will likely never see.

 

 

Favorite book released in the last 10 years?

I could never choose a book, but my favorite series published in the last ten years is Demonata by Darren Shan. The Cirque Du Freak series was great, but Demonata hits one out of the park! It starts with Lord Loss and only gets better. It is a young adult, but they certainly didn’t do young adult horror like that when I was a kid.

 

 

Favorite quote from a book that is not your own?

“If the real world were a book, it would never find a publisher. Overlong, detailed to the point of distraction-and ultimately, without a major resolution.” It’s from Something Rotten Jasper Fforde. His Thursday Next series is a fun read, but I’m still waiting for the sequel to his Shades of Grey. (Note this is Jasper Fforde’s Shades of Grey, which was released a full two years before the other, over-hyped, similarly titled one).

 

 

Favorite quote from one of your own works?

This was a really tough one! Most of my favorite quotes would give the whole story away… but I do like this one: “I was now trapped, stuck at some backwoods, hillbilly church waiting for Gmork to break out and go on a killing rampage.”

 

 

Advice for new writers who are struggling with character creation?

Always make sure that the character you create actually stays in character. Meaning that it’s important to make sure that each character has some motivating factor for his or her actions.

To be completely honest, I sometimes put my characters through those goofy internet personality tests to see if the outcome matches the character I’m trying to create. I seriously doubt I’m the only writer who does this, though I might be one of the few to admit it. I also made my own character worksheet. I fill one out for each primary character, and maybe a few important secondary ones. (I’ve attached my personal character worksheet)

 

E-Reader or Physical copy?

I prefer physical copies. They don’t take batteries and I don’t have to turn them off until I’m above 10,000 feet. I’m also rough on things, and it’s a lot cheaper to replace a book than an e-reader.

Though I will admit, as a writer, an e-reader copy is immensely helpful, especially when you’re in a bit of a reader wasteland. It’s wonderfully helpful to be able to send my best friend, who lives a state away, a copy through email instead of trying to print and mail her a hard copy.

But if I like the book, I always want a hard copy.

 

 

What first inspired you to become a writer?

I have no idea. I was the kid who always got in trouble because my book reports were over the maximum length. Writing is the only occupation I’ve ever wanted.

 

 

Tell us your favorite joke.

Two guys walked into a bar, the third one ducked.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Character Worksheet Charity has included her Character Worksheet. Simply right click and choose “Save link as” to download.

 

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Charity Langley is the author of Wicked Intentions which you can buy here

http://www.amazon.com/Wicked-Intentions-The-Abattoir-Volume/dp/1484803205

 

You can find her Goodreads profile here

http://www.amazon.com/Wicked-Intentions-The-Abattoir-Volume/dp/1484803205

You can find her on twitter @Charity_Langley

How long have you been writing for?

Since my Master’s in screenwriting, about 8 years ago. It started with scripts, obviously, but then I wrote a short story and preferred to hold the complete control over the finished piece. Oh, and then I started writing novels and I was gone for good. No more making films for me, no sir.

 

 

How many rejections did you receive before you first became published and how did you stay motivated?

So many I’ve lost count – and I mean it. I’ve been trying to land an agent for my screenplays and then my novels for years before the publishing world took one sharp turn and things changed drastically. But it’s the dream, you know: you walk into a store and see your book right there in the hardcover section… That might be what kept me going. Now, it’s just this want and need to tell a good story.

 

 

Favorite Author and book when you were a child?

As a tiny girl, I loved ‘Un Conte pour Chaque Soir’ from Jean Karel – each night a different story with cute drawings and a penchant for darkness. So yeah, I did grow up knowing there was always something hiding under the bed, and sometimes they smile back.

 

 

What music do you listen to when you write?

Depending on the story. For Girls & Aliens, VAST played throughout. Don’t ask me why, it’s not remotedly ufo-ish sounding, but the beats were just right. For Girls & Ghosts, I’m planing some Skinny Puppy-Sisters of Mercy-Bauhaus-Nine Inch Nails mix. I’ll probably throw in a little The Cure, too.

 

 

Any superstitious rituals that you go through when beginning a new story?

Besides outlining, I sacrifice a virgin on a full moon, drink the blood while dancing naked under the stars.

 

Favorite book released in the last year?

Toughie… Micheal Grant’s GONE amazingly disturbing series ends in Light, which was pretty amazing and sad and creepy and lovely – as every book should be.

 

 

Favorite book released in the last 10 years?

It’s a tie: The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters and Let the Rigth One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist. Equally entralling and dark, both have the perfect amount of spook and realism without falling into the predictable. I would die without those books, I read them every year, they are my friends.

 

 

Favorite quote from a book that is not your own?

Elizabeth Bennet, Pride & Prejudice  by Jane Austen: “The more I see of the world, the less inclined I am to think well of it.”

 

Favorite quote from one of your own works?

It’s more of a moment, at the end of ‘Misery of Me’ published in Tatterred Souls volume 2 by Cutting Block Press: “Her eternal flame died in a single, brilliant burst of light, with which she blinded him for one last time, if only for a second or two.”

 

Advice for new writers who are struggling with character creation?

Do the exact opposite of what people expect you to do: with you characters, your stories, your twists and endings.

 

E-Reader or Physical copy?

Both, I’m not e-racist.

 

 What first inspired you to become a writer?

I just fell in love: the pounding of the keyboard, the voices in my head, the stories taking live before me… everything about it makes me want to write more. Like right now, I’m thinking about it. Oh yes, baby, one more chapter.

 

 

Tell us your favorite joke.

Dracula walks into a bar and sees the Twilight ‘vampires’. He kills them all. The end.

 

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Anne Michaud is the author of Girls and Monsters, you can also find her work in “Flesh and Bone: Rise of the Necromancers”, “City of Hell Chronicles vol 1”, “The ePocalypse: E-mails at the end” and “Tattered Souls 2”.

Her goodreads profile can be found here: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3011844.Anne_Michaud

You can find her on twitter through @annemichaud