Khang Mai
khangfu@hotmail.com

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

It was based on a short story At the Bureau by Steve Rasnic Tem. I found it in a book titled "100 Little Horror Stories" and really liked it. I didn't think that I could get the rights to the story but Steve was gracious enough to let me adapted his writing to film.

2. How long did the production process take?

Two weeks to write the script, six weeks of pre-production, four and half days of shooting, and seven months of post production.

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

It was my first film so everything was a challenge, but it surprisingly went quite well. The biggest challenge I had was cutting the film down from 17 minutes to 15. Two minutes usually equals a full day of shooting on a student production.

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

I had the chance to operate the camera on the last day of the shoot. We had no time left because equipment were already due back and yet I called for one more shot. It very last shot and it turned out to be the best looking shot of the film.

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

I wanted the viewer to experience something that they had never seen before. Hopefully, I did my job well enough to freak out a couple of folks, but mainly I just want them to understand the story.

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

It's been mixed. Some think that it's kind of strange and scary like a Twilight Zone episode while others seem to think that it was pretty funny. Most of them just comment on the high production value. I guess that's good considering it was a student film.

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

Learn the rules before you break them. Also, eat a big healthy breakfast before the shoot begins because you're gonna need the energy.

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

Hopefully I'll complete a couple of more short films before the end of 2001. Maybe, if I have time, write a feature length script or two next year.

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

It's really hard to break in and even harder if you have dreams about being a feature film director. Recently, however, it has been getting a little bit easier to break in and get your name out there because North Carolina has plenty of good outlets for filmmakers. UNC-TV's Visions program is a good example of that. There are also at least three or four multi-day film festivals in North Carolina each year. Also, Piedmont Community College, NCSA, UNC at Wilmington and Cape Fear Community College along with other many other schools are now offering degrees in film production.