Past Filmmakers

DJ Summitt
Clarinet 5:48

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

Zac came to me with a film script about a rebel without a cause named Henry Soja.  We filmed the most expository scenes first.  We decided to cut these into a short character study.  After seeing the results we decided to take it one step further and make a character study/mood piece.  We realigned the character's tone from angst to depression and hopelessness.  We then decided to encapsulate our character study into a suicide tape.  Our intent from the beginning was to make a man who was on the surface a sad sack but in his many levels he had some serious problems he refuses to confront. 

2. How long did the production process take?

Principal photography took 14 hours over 2 days.  Post production has been about 2 weeks.

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

The main challenge was deciding what to leave in and edit out.  The key scene that we talked about while writing was, in the end, very gratuitous and didn't really match the mood of the film.  It was a wonderful animated sequence but it was too much surrealism for this film.  I plan to use it one day and perhaps turn it into a film of its own.  I still hate we lost it.

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

Zac and I are longtime friends and the entire film was a pleasure to work on.  The last shots we filmed were off screen voiceovers.  The mood of this recording session was very relaxed.  We just had fun making a film.

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

Pain, desolation, compassion, misery, hopelessness, hopefulness, triumph and defeat.  Our intent was to make a film that appealed to everyone differently.

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

The reviews thus far have been incredible.  We have been getting a lot of compliments on the cinematography.  I have heard various interpretations of the film and they have made me confident that we accomplished our goal of making a film that was a unique experience for everyone.

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

Shoot everything.  The more that you film the better your eye will become.  There are stories everywhere; you just have to find them. Sometimes the story you make isn't exactly what was written.  The more film you shoot the more options you have to better the film.

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

I am working on two features currently.  The first, “Don Kyoto,” is a modern day adaptation of Don Quixote only Don, in our film, has a penchant for samurai films.   I am currently rewriting this film.  My other film is a true story about a circus owner whose prize elephant was hung near Kingsport, TN at the beginning of the 20_th century.  The elephant was sentenced to death for killing a circus worker.  The owner quit the carnival business shortly thereafter, broken hearted at losing what had been his pet since childhood.  I am currently seeking funding for this film.

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

North Carolina is the ideal place to make a film.  From the wealth of talent to the various landscapes we have everything here.  With continued and further support from lawmakers in Raleigh we can take back our place in the forefront of the film industry.