Past Filmmakers

Bo Webb
The Idea Guy

1. How did you come up with the idea for the film?
I was writing down an idea (not a very good one, as it turned out) and got a strange sharp headache as I was finishing it.  That was enough of a premise for me to build a short on. I was anxious to make a short film and this seemed like a good fit.  Relatively easy to pull off.

2. How long did the production process take?
Preparations took a couple of weeks, and we shot for two days.

3. What challenges did you experience in the creation of the film?
Things went quite smoothly, really.  I had to do a lot of paperwork to get a SAG actor (happy to do it) and we had to drag people off the sidewalk to fill out a crowd scene, but otherwise no "challenges" that I'd cringe about now.

4. What is your favorite memory from creating the film?
After worrying for days about how to fill a theater with a cheering awards show audience, we struck upon the idea of shooting from a different angle, with spotlights aimed at the lens and the crowd obscured in the darkened theater.  The shot worked a LOT better, and a disaster was averted.  What a relief.

5. When someone has finished watching the film, what do you hope they take away from the experience?
I frankly don't think that the content of The Idea Guy is much more than clever, but I do hope that it demonstrates how much production value you can get for just a little money and a couple of days of shooting if things are planned carefully, the scope is right, and the crew and actors are good.  I made The Idea Guy for about two thousand dollars, most of which went into insurance and postage (and coffee and beer).  I thought it turned out beautifully for that amount, and if it hadn't, the loss (financial, emotional, etc) would have been minimal.  Well worth it.

6. What type of reaction has your film received from viewers?
Most people who say something are impressed with the quality of the video, how un-video it looks for mini DV.  That was thanks to Mark Gilmer, the DP, who lit it like a film and moved the camera like a film.  The pace also gets compliments, which is thanks to many re-edits and lots of unused footage.

7. What advice would you give to aspiring young filmmakers?
Practice your filmmaking on short projects.  They still require the planning and choices that a feature would, but on a scale that won't ruin you if it turns out to be awful.  Lots of planning allows more room for happy accidents and better solutions to problems.

8. Please tell us about the next film you plan to work on?
I've been writing a feature length script about a guy searching for a girl, called Be Back Soon, but it's not finished yet.  In the meantime, I'm going to teach a Directing class at UNC-Wilmington this fall and help raise my kids.

9.  What are your thoughts on the film industry in NC?
I've been trying for many years to bend North Carolina to my will, so that I could work in film and avoid Los Angeles, and up until recently it was working.  I'm disappointed and a little embarrassed that the state tax incentive for films didn't pass, but I remain optimistic that work, especially on North Carolina based films, will pick up.  It's sad to see so many craftsmen having to move away or change careers in the face of so little work.  I know the film industry is just one of many that is dealing with a competitive world market, but I hope we can remain in the game.  It's a great business.