Past Filmmakers

Michael Corbett
Dead Write
(Premieres October 18, 2003, at 11 PM)

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

Dead Write began as the result of a discussion I had with Dr. Emily Edwards of UNC-Greensboro at a University Film and Video Association conference.  Our goal was to develop an interesting project that fit in with our respective college curriculums. The award winning script was written by UNCG professor Dr. Emily Edwards.

2. How long did the production process take?

The project had a ten-day shooting schedule spread over three weekends.

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

The greatest challenge was shooting five pages of script per shooting day with an entirely student crew.  Scheduling around the schedules of volunteer actors also presented some challenges.

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

My favorite memory as the director of photography was shooting the last scene.  We shot the master for this scene as a complete four-minute take and it was three really awesome performances by the actresses.  As an educator it was the sense of accomplishment I got from the students on the last day of shooting as everything came to completion.

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

On a story level I hope their mind is working on “what happens next?”  The ending leaves you hanging and I love that. As an educator and a North Carolina citizen I hope they feel a sense of pride in the production capability we have here in our state.

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

Dead Write was unanimously voted the winner in the 2003 national juried faculty competition at the University Film and Video Association and will screen at the conference, July 2003 in Columbia South Carolina. It won Best Mini Feature at Bare Bones International Film Festival, April 2003. Dead Write was also a finalist in: Cape Fear Film Festival and the Chester River Film Festival. The screenplay under the title, Dead Last, was a finalist receiving a live reading at Bare Bones in April 2000.

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

Persist, persist, persist.  If you have the stamina to stick with it you will succeed in this industry.  I wrote this last year and nothing has changed in my opinion.

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

Dr. Edwards and I are working on another collaboration to shoot in March of 2004 entitled “Root Doctor.”  This half hour production explores the mysteries of the practices of root doctors in our culture today.  It will be packaged with a documentary on the subject as a DVD release.

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

We have got to develop a grass roots home grown film industry here that produces projects set in and about North Carolina.  The studio pictures, episodic television series and commercial productions that come to the state bring millions of dollars to the state economy but the long term future of our industry needs to be based on North Carolina stories produced by North Carolina producers and crew.