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Past Filmmakers
This Big
 The
Interview
1. How did you come up with the idea
for the film?
I came up with the idea for the film when I decided that our first
idea for the project was not going to work, and I presented the
story to my partners, who immediately fell in love with it. So we
all wrote the film together. We wanted a simple and smart comedy,
and I sort of picked a location that I knew was accessible, and
tried to frame a story around that. The film was shot at my parents
lake house, near Goldsboro, NC.
2. How long did the production process take?
Making a film under a deadline was challenging and fun, and we had
a deadline because it was a class project. It took basically the
entire spring semester for us to complete the project. It probably
wouldn't have taken as long but all three of us had a full load
of classes and were also busy trying to graduate.
3. What challenges did you experience in the creation
of the film?
Well, we faced several challenges in making this film, but we overcame
them surprisingly easily. Using school equipment is always a hassle,
because we have so many people wanting and needing to use the same
gear, and we only have so much, and the equipment we do have is
old. For example, we shot the film on a CP-16, which is an old news
camera from the seventies, and recorded sync sound on my personal
DV camera. But, surprisingly, everything ended up coming out very
clean. We had a lot of luck from the film lab in Burbank, they took
good care of us.
4. What is your favorite memory from creating the
film?
My favorite memory from the film is definitely shooting all the
lake scenes. Patrick, the actor in the film and writer/editor, is
amazing to work with and hilarious to watch. And Cory is of course
great. It was relatively easy to work with friends. We all had basically
the same vision for the film. The three of us and two other guys
decided to take our spring break and go to the lake and shoot a
film. And we had an amazingly good time doing it. We were all going
to go to Kandahar for spring break because we heard they have an
crazy sandy t-shirt contest over there, but it didn't work out.
5. When someone has finished watching the film,
what do you hope they take away from the experience?
What do I hope that someone takes away from the film? A stomach
ache from laughing too hard, an appreciation for the way that film
looks, proof that I'm not incompetent, and proof that good things
come out of our film school.
6. What type of reaction has your film received
from viewers?
Laughter. Most people think that it's pretty funny, and most of
my friends and family give me the "wow, Joel, it actually looks
like a real movie?!" And I tell them, thank you, that's why
I've been going to school for four years.
7. What advice would you give to aspiring young
filmmakers?
Hmm... let's see, since I am an aspiring young filmmaker, what advice
would I give to myself? Remember that film is a form of art, not
only is it a form of art in itself, but it takes writing, painting,
photography, storytelling, poetry, music and all other forms of
art to make up a film. So, I guess my advice is, combine all of
these elements when making a film. I also have some advice that
I like to keep in mind when shooting a film. Shoot high, but know
your limits. For instance, don't plan a huge action car chase scene
in your film if you have no budget. Because if you do it and don't
know how to, they're going to be able to tell. Just be realistic.
Oh, and find work that pays.
8. Please tell us about the next film you plan
to work on?
Well, last year I started this documentary on a North Carolina woman
who writes romance novels for truckers. I haven't had time to finish
it, so I'm going to continue to work on that. I haven't had much
time lately because I'm currently working hard and looking for jobs.
Cory Schnaible is currently working on an independent feature in
New York, and Patrick is finishing up school.
9. What are your thoughts on the film industry
in NC?
Well, North Carolina has a reputation as being a great state for
filmmaking, and I'd like to see us back up that reputation. I haven't
had a chance to work on many films here, because of school and stuff,
but I also don't see many people making a living working on films
here. Just like in any other business, the filmmakers of North Carolina
need to unite and be networked, so that we can open up the doors
to more opportunities, and work together on projects. I think things
like NC Visions are great for this state because it will bring the
filmmakers here together so that we produce good stuff and back
up our reputation.
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