Paul M. Green

1. How did you come up with the idea for the film?

As an attorney doing death penalty defense work, I was very interested to hear about this case in which an apparently innocent man had been convicted and sentenced to death here in North Carolina. I wanted people outside the legal system to see how the legal system really works sometimes.

2. How long did the production process take?

The production process took about two years, on and off.

3. What challenges did you experience in the creation of the film?

It was difficult to tell the story in a way that conveyed the richness and ambiguity of the story, without including so much detail as to make it too confusing. I had a lot of technical challenges too. Even after learning everything that I had to learn in order to finish this program, which seemed like a lot, I'm still a novice. There is so much more to learn!

4. What is your favorite memory from creating the film?

Finishing it.

5. When someone has finished watching the film, what do you hope they take away from the experience?

I hope viewers feel that I have left them enough room to decide for themselves what they think about this case and about the death penalty, while still understanding my point of view, which is that this case was badly mishandled by the authorities and serves as an example of why North Carolina needs to have a moratorium on executions.

6. What type of reaction has your film received from viewers?

"It's not as bad as I thought."

7. What advice would you give to aspiring young filmmakers?

Start, and don't quit even when you have to do things over again and you feel stupid. Pick a deadline, such as the N.C. Visions call for entries, and stick to it. For a documentary, sound quality is more important than picture quality. Use a tripod and don't use the zoom except to set up your shot. Don't try to do high resolution non-linear editing on a PC that is used for anything else, and plan on learning a lot more about computers.

8. Please tell us about the next film you plan to work on?

I think I'm going to use special effects to tell the heart-warming story of a sloth-like visitor from outer space who befriends a small boy and tries endlessly to "phone home" using tin foil and common garden implements. It's just a concept at this point.

9. What are your thoughts on the film industry in NC?

I don't know anything about it. I just wish that there were more venues for exhibition of independently produced documentaries about North Carolina, and more financial support available.