WEBVTT 1 00:00:03.919 --> 00:00:06.480 You are listening to the IFAH podcast Network. 2 00:00:06.639 --> 00:00:10.160 For more amazing filmmaking and screenwriting podcasts, just go to 3 00:00:10.359 --> 00:00:12.720 ifahpodcastnetwork dot com. 4 00:00:12.839 --> 00:00:16.559 Welcome to the Bulletproof Screenwriting Podcast, Episode number four thirty six. 5 00:00:16.679 --> 00:00:19.559 The dream doesn't have an expiration date. Take a deep 6 00:00:19.600 --> 00:00:24.399 breath and try again. Kat You Whitten broadcasting from a dark, 7 00:00:24.480 --> 00:00:26.679 windowless room in Hollywood. 8 00:00:26.199 --> 00:00:28.359 When we really should be working on that next draft. 9 00:00:28.640 --> 00:00:32.679 It's the Bulletproof Screenwriting Podcast, showing you the craft and 10 00:00:32.759 --> 00:00:35.159 business of screenwriting while teaching you how to make your 11 00:00:35.159 --> 00:00:36.640 screenplay bulletproof. 12 00:00:36.960 --> 00:00:42.119 And here's your host, Alex Ferrari. Welcome, Welcome to another 13 00:00:42.159 --> 00:00:44.039 episode of the Bulletproof Screenwriting Podcast. 14 00:00:44.079 --> 00:00:44.520 I am your. 15 00:00:44.479 --> 00:00:46.000 Humble host Alex Ferrari. 16 00:00:46.520 --> 00:00:46.679 Now. 17 00:00:46.719 --> 00:00:50.759 Today's show is sponsored by Bulletproof Script Coverage. 18 00:00:50.960 --> 00:00:51.159 Now. 19 00:00:51.240 --> 00:00:56.159 Unlike other script coverage services, Bulletproof Script Coverage actually focuses 20 00:00:56.200 --> 00:00:59.159 on the kind of project you are in the goals 21 00:00:59.240 --> 00:01:01.600 of the project you are, so we actually break it 22 00:01:01.640 --> 00:01:05.159 down by three categories micro budget, indie film, market, and 23 00:01:05.239 --> 00:01:07.920 studio film. There's no reason to get coverage from a 24 00:01:07.920 --> 00:01:10.400 reader that's used to reading temp pole movies when your 25 00:01:10.439 --> 00:01:13.079 movie is going to be done for one hundred thousand dollars, 26 00:01:13.159 --> 00:01:16.079 and we wanted to focus on that. At Bulletproof script coverage, 27 00:01:16.319 --> 00:01:21.799 our readers have worked with Marvel Studios, CIA, w ME, NBC, HBO, Disney, 28 00:01:22.239 --> 00:01:25.640 Scott Free, Warner Brothers, The Blacklist, and many many more. 29 00:01:25.719 --> 00:01:29.120 So if you need your screenplay or TV script covered 30 00:01:29.359 --> 00:01:34.680 by professional readers, head on over to covermiscreenplay dot Com. 31 00:01:34.920 --> 00:01:38.280 Enjoy today's episode with guest host Dave Bullets. 32 00:01:39.840 --> 00:01:42.560 My guest has worked with some of the best directors ever, 33 00:01:42.680 --> 00:01:46.760 including David Lynch, Paul Verhoeven, and Milos Foreman. My latest 34 00:01:46.760 --> 00:01:50.640 guest latest movie, Excuse Me is in which he directed, 35 00:01:50.959 --> 00:01:53.079 was actually shot in nineteen eighty four and it's finally 36 00:01:53.120 --> 00:01:56.719 being released now. Think about that he started filming this 37 00:01:56.719 --> 00:01:58.840 when I was born. It just shows you have to 38 00:01:58.840 --> 00:02:01.680 be in the long haul, really does, and that movie 39 00:02:01.799 --> 00:02:04.480 Dark Seductions will be out October eleventh on v O 40 00:02:04.599 --> 00:02:10.080 D and m OD with guests Greg Travis, Hey, Gregor, 41 00:02:10.159 --> 00:02:11.199 thanks off coming on the show. 42 00:02:11.240 --> 00:02:14.520 Buddy, My pleasure, Dave, my pleasure. Anytime I can talk 43 00:02:14.560 --> 00:02:19.520 to a fellow filmmaker, I'm down, Well. 44 00:02:19.439 --> 00:02:20.319 You know I appreciate it. 45 00:02:20.360 --> 00:02:20.639 Greg. 46 00:02:20.960 --> 00:02:23.159 You know I looked at your IMDb. Watch that I 47 00:02:23.199 --> 00:02:26.360 knew of you before I looked at your IMDb because 48 00:02:26.439 --> 00:02:29.800 I recognize you from a couple of different roles, and 49 00:02:29.960 --> 00:02:32.080 you know, before I start talking about that, and when 50 00:02:32.159 --> 00:02:34.560 we get in all your you know, your your very 51 00:02:34.639 --> 00:02:37.840 lengthy IMDb with some very impressive credits. My I just 52 00:02:37.879 --> 00:02:40.240 want to start off by asking about your background, and 53 00:02:40.280 --> 00:02:41.919 that is I just want to ask how did you 54 00:02:41.960 --> 00:02:44.240 get started in the film industry? You know, did you 55 00:02:44.280 --> 00:02:46.120 always want to act as when you were a kid? 56 00:02:46.719 --> 00:02:48.919 You know, so it's pretty much I just want to know, 57 00:02:49.080 --> 00:02:50.680 is you know how did you get started? 58 00:02:51.360 --> 00:02:55.280 Well, I was in high school. I got a Super 59 00:02:55.319 --> 00:02:58.400 eight camera, started using my dad's home movie camera, and 60 00:02:58.400 --> 00:03:01.879 then I got one of the cameras, and so I 61 00:03:01.879 --> 00:03:05.120 started making these little short Super eight films my junior 62 00:03:05.159 --> 00:03:06.919 year and then my high school year, I actually made 63 00:03:06.960 --> 00:03:10.719 a feature length Super eight movie called Joe Dynamite, and 64 00:03:10.759 --> 00:03:14.479 I showed it at the high school theater and I 65 00:03:14.560 --> 00:03:18.599 was able to get the theater for free, and you know, 66 00:03:19.000 --> 00:03:21.879 work things out to where I actually made my money 67 00:03:21.879 --> 00:03:24.280 back and actually made a little profit on the whole venture. 68 00:03:24.879 --> 00:03:27.000 And I thought, Wow, this is easy, I can do 69 00:03:27.080 --> 00:03:32.240 this little did I know what I was in for. 70 00:03:33.360 --> 00:03:35.080 You know, then I came out to Hollywood and went 71 00:03:35.120 --> 00:03:37.159 to film school. And while I was going to film school, 72 00:03:37.199 --> 00:03:41.280 I started auditioning at the comedy club and then kind 73 00:03:41.280 --> 00:03:44.120 of got a stand up career going and got a 74 00:03:44.120 --> 00:03:47.919 few TV shows and started working the clubs. And I 75 00:03:47.919 --> 00:03:50.560 did that for about twenty years, and then I moved 76 00:03:50.560 --> 00:03:53.759 into the acting direction in the mid nineties and got 77 00:03:53.800 --> 00:03:55.680 a few big movies and then I kind of helped 78 00:03:55.800 --> 00:03:58.479 launch my acting career and did about forty five films 79 00:03:59.240 --> 00:04:04.159 in the fifteen years or so. And now I'm on 80 00:04:04.240 --> 00:04:07.120 my third act and trying to get back to what 81 00:04:07.159 --> 00:04:09.919 I originally wanted to do here, which was be a 82 00:04:09.960 --> 00:04:13.439 director and a filmmaker. And you know, I mean I've 83 00:04:13.479 --> 00:04:15.680 written all these years, and I've made a lot of 84 00:04:15.719 --> 00:04:20.040 shorts all these years, but in the last eight or 85 00:04:20.120 --> 00:04:22.480 nine years, I've really tried to focus in and you know, 86 00:04:22.600 --> 00:04:27.120 make some movies. So I've got three features, Night Creep, Midlife, 87 00:04:27.160 --> 00:04:30.519 and now Dark Seduction that are finished features and that 88 00:04:30.600 --> 00:04:34.199 are getting out there. And Dark Seduction is being released 89 00:04:34.360 --> 00:04:38.199 October eleventh on VOD North America, VOD and pay per view, 90 00:04:38.439 --> 00:04:42.639 And so I'm super excited about that because it took 91 00:04:42.680 --> 00:04:49.120 me about thirty years to complete that movie, which I'm 92 00:04:49.120 --> 00:04:52.360 not bragging about. It's kind of embarrassing, to be honest 93 00:04:52.399 --> 00:04:54.959 with you, because it should have been finished, you know, 94 00:04:55.839 --> 00:05:00.759 at least twenty years ago. But I ran up into 95 00:05:01.439 --> 00:05:04.199 I ran into a lot of obstacles and a lot 96 00:05:04.240 --> 00:05:09.480 of problems with this particular film that you know, stopped 97 00:05:09.519 --> 00:05:11.319 me from finishing it. Every time I would go back 98 00:05:11.319 --> 00:05:14.120 to try to finish it, something horrific would happen and 99 00:05:14.279 --> 00:05:17.639 just stop me in my tracks, or or sometimes I'd 100 00:05:17.680 --> 00:05:19.959 run out of money and I'd have to you know, regroup, 101 00:05:20.240 --> 00:05:24.519 you know. So it seemed to be an ongoing pattern 102 00:05:24.600 --> 00:05:27.680 in the process of the whole post production thing. But 103 00:05:30.040 --> 00:05:33.720 you know, it's one of those things you just, you know, 104 00:05:33.800 --> 00:05:36.319 you try what you can, and then when I got 105 00:05:36.720 --> 00:05:38.800 back to it the final time, I was able to 106 00:05:38.800 --> 00:05:42.160 get everything back and finally finish it up. So I'm 107 00:05:42.160 --> 00:05:43.079 really happy about that. 108 00:05:44.720 --> 00:05:47.560 Yeah, you know, Greg, I understand completely where you're coming 109 00:05:47.560 --> 00:05:50.879 from about projects, you know, stalling out and having issues. 110 00:05:51.759 --> 00:05:55.040 You know, I've been there before, you know, whether you 111 00:05:55.040 --> 00:05:58.720 know it's you know, different you know, personalities, you know, 112 00:05:58.879 --> 00:06:01.759 not agreeing on set or different producers, you know, not agreeing, 113 00:06:02.600 --> 00:06:04.759 you know, or or even you know sometimes I mean, 114 00:06:04.800 --> 00:06:06.759 for instance, Greg I had at one time, I had 115 00:06:06.800 --> 00:06:10.160 an editor who every time I asked to see a 116 00:06:10.199 --> 00:06:11.920 kind of the movie, he would say, oh, yeah, you know, 117 00:06:12.160 --> 00:06:14.399 it's don't going well listen to that, And I say, well, 118 00:06:14.399 --> 00:06:15.600 I'm gonna go. I want to come up and see 119 00:06:15.600 --> 00:06:16.680 a cut of it, and he would always have an 120 00:06:16.720 --> 00:06:19.399 excuse to Finally he you know, he have to admit. 121 00:06:19.439 --> 00:06:21.240 He's like, listen, I have been working on it at all. 122 00:06:21.480 --> 00:06:24.759 I'm and he's like, you know, I'm sorry. He goes, yeah, 123 00:06:24.800 --> 00:06:28.199 So I understand completely what you mean. But you know, 124 00:06:28.240 --> 00:06:31.560 I do want to talk more about Dark Seduction, but 125 00:06:31.680 --> 00:06:34.600 you know I would be you know, I again, you 126 00:06:34.639 --> 00:06:38.000 have such an extensive IMDb resume. I just want to 127 00:06:38.279 --> 00:06:40.319 sort of take a step back and you talk about 128 00:06:40.360 --> 00:06:42.480 some of your credits. I mean, you have worked with 129 00:06:42.600 --> 00:06:46.519 some of the best directors you know, not only going today, 130 00:06:47.000 --> 00:06:49.000 but some of the directors that have you know, ever 131 00:06:49.160 --> 00:06:52.279 ever lived. I mean, you've worked with David Lynch, Paul Vhoven, 132 00:06:52.800 --> 00:06:55.519 You've worked with bobcat Goldthwaite, You've worked. 133 00:06:56.560 --> 00:06:59.879 Who did five Easy Pieces, a lot of Jack Nicholson films. Yeah, 134 00:07:00.040 --> 00:07:01.839 that was a drill to work with him and a 135 00:07:01.920 --> 00:07:06.519 Milosh foreman who did the Andy Kaufman movie A Man 136 00:07:06.560 --> 00:07:10.399 on the Moon. And Yeah, I was lucky in the 137 00:07:10.439 --> 00:07:13.160 fact that of being a filmmaker and an actor, I 138 00:07:13.360 --> 00:07:16.480 had studied films all of my life and was a 139 00:07:16.560 --> 00:07:19.759 huge movie goer when I was a kid. So I 140 00:07:19.800 --> 00:07:23.839 had seen just about everything any all these guys had done, 141 00:07:24.199 --> 00:07:27.680 especially when it came out on video. I rented everything, 142 00:07:28.040 --> 00:07:29.800 and my friend in New York had a video store, 143 00:07:29.879 --> 00:07:32.879 so I could watch anything that was available. And so, 144 00:07:33.839 --> 00:07:37.279 you know, I've always studied film and always loved it. 145 00:07:37.480 --> 00:07:40.439 And so when I would meet these directors and go 146 00:07:40.519 --> 00:07:42.959 in for the final audition, I would start talking to 147 00:07:43.000 --> 00:07:46.319 them about their obscure movie, the one movie that no 148 00:07:46.319 --> 00:07:48.959 one knew about. That's the one I would talk to 149 00:07:49.000 --> 00:07:52.800 them about. They love that, you know, they absolutely love 150 00:07:52.879 --> 00:07:55.319 that because like they don't get a chance to discuss it. 151 00:07:55.959 --> 00:07:58.959 So it was like, you know, kind of the inside 152 00:07:59.000 --> 00:08:01.600 scoop on some of their obscure films. I would like 153 00:08:01.720 --> 00:08:04.079 talk to them about, you know. But David was great. 154 00:08:04.120 --> 00:08:07.360 I didn't really have too much to say. He was 155 00:08:07.360 --> 00:08:09.680 in the middle of shooting and the cast charactor brought 156 00:08:09.720 --> 00:08:13.240 me over to him, and you know, he just said, great, 157 00:08:13.360 --> 00:08:15.920 you're right, this is great, you look great, and it'll 158 00:08:15.920 --> 00:08:18.560 be perfect. And so that was about it. So, you know, 159 00:08:18.720 --> 00:08:20.319 I got lucky on that one. And he was a 160 00:08:20.319 --> 00:08:23.480 whole lot of fun to work with. He's really detailed oriented. 161 00:08:23.519 --> 00:08:26.839 He put the blood on my face himself, and he, 162 00:08:28.600 --> 00:08:33.639 you know, he was like really had ideas about every 163 00:08:33.759 --> 00:08:36.360 little movement and every little thing, and it was all 164 00:08:36.480 --> 00:08:39.159 very well planned out and very well thought out. You know, 165 00:08:39.279 --> 00:08:41.799 he knew what he wanted and all right, you know, 166 00:08:41.879 --> 00:08:43.840 you never know exactly what you want. I mean, you 167 00:08:43.960 --> 00:08:46.440 got an idea concept of the scene and how it 168 00:08:46.480 --> 00:08:49.600 should go, and you try to explain it to the 169 00:08:49.639 --> 00:08:51.759 actors and then you just hope for the best and 170 00:08:51.799 --> 00:08:55.559 that's basically what every director does, and then you tweak 171 00:08:55.600 --> 00:08:57.960 it as you go along. He said, well, maybe you don't, 172 00:08:58.080 --> 00:09:00.879 you know, you don't scream that much here. Maybe you 173 00:09:00.919 --> 00:09:03.080 bring it down a little bit there. Maybe you don't 174 00:09:03.519 --> 00:09:05.399 hit him with the gun there. You know that kind 175 00:09:05.440 --> 00:09:10.480 of thing, you know. So, but yeah, i'd always been 176 00:09:10.720 --> 00:09:13.519 as a matter of fact, the eraser head was kind 177 00:09:13.519 --> 00:09:15.840 of the first midnight movie that I saw when I 178 00:09:15.879 --> 00:09:21.960 came out here, and it just dis disturbed me to 179 00:09:22.039 --> 00:09:25.320 no when I just didn't quite understand it, but I 180 00:09:25.360 --> 00:09:27.559 felt I mean it felt it. I felt there was 181 00:09:27.600 --> 00:09:29.840 something really going on here, but I didn't quite you know, 182 00:09:29.879 --> 00:09:35.039 I didn't understand what was happening, but it moved me. 183 00:09:35.279 --> 00:09:38.080 Help put it that way. You know. 184 00:09:38.120 --> 00:09:40.639 It's funny because I took somebody to see Lost Highway 185 00:09:41.279 --> 00:09:44.320 and he had never seen it before, and when he 186 00:09:44.840 --> 00:09:47.279 left the theater, he goes, you know, Davey goes that movie. 187 00:09:47.320 --> 00:09:49.960 I'm not sure what was happening, but he goes, I'm 188 00:09:50.080 --> 00:09:52.960 very interested, and he said, you know, a couple of 189 00:09:53.000 --> 00:09:55.159 days later on he texted me and he goes, you know, 190 00:09:55.200 --> 00:09:57.159 I'm still thinking about Lost Highway. 191 00:09:57.399 --> 00:10:00.879 Yeah, yeah, we'll. 192 00:10:00.720 --> 00:10:06.679 Be right back after a word from our sponsor. And 193 00:10:06.799 --> 00:10:07.879 now back to the show. 194 00:10:10.559 --> 00:10:12.480 Yeah, I had some really fun stuff and it did 195 00:10:12.519 --> 00:10:16.399 some really creepy stuff too. You know, I always thought 196 00:10:16.559 --> 00:10:22.480 of it as a revenge dream, you know, by the 197 00:10:22.720 --> 00:10:29.120 Bill Pullman character, and you know that sort of I 198 00:10:29.240 --> 00:10:33.159 think what it was. You know, he becomes this young 199 00:10:33.200 --> 00:10:37.120 guy in his dream and gets revenge on the older 200 00:10:37.159 --> 00:10:40.000 guys who messed him up with his girlfriend, you know, 201 00:10:40.159 --> 00:10:43.519 or his wife. So at least that's kind of the 202 00:10:43.519 --> 00:10:45.320 way I take it. And then he did that same 203 00:10:45.360 --> 00:10:48.679 sort of thing in his next movie. It was going 204 00:10:48.720 --> 00:10:50.960 to be the TV show that got so many awards? 205 00:10:52.840 --> 00:10:55.399 What the hell's the name of it? Drive. Yeah, he 206 00:10:55.440 --> 00:10:58.519 did the same kind of thing, only with women. It 207 00:10:58.639 --> 00:11:02.440 was the same sort of like switching characters than you know, 208 00:11:02.519 --> 00:11:06.799 becoming another person kind of a thing. You know, Yeah, 209 00:11:06.919 --> 00:11:08.159 I know exactly what I mean. 210 00:11:08.320 --> 00:11:10.480 It's funny because you now he you know, when we 211 00:11:10.519 --> 00:11:12.559 saw him when when he he you know, he was 212 00:11:12.559 --> 00:11:15.120 actually there and he introduced twin or sorry, he introduced 213 00:11:15.159 --> 00:11:17.279 the Lost Highway and he said and people were asking, 214 00:11:17.399 --> 00:11:19.120 are you're working on anything else? And he said no. 215 00:11:19.679 --> 00:11:21.879 That about a couple of days later, he announces that 216 00:11:21.919 --> 00:11:24.559 he's back with Twin Peaks season three on Showtime. 217 00:11:26.039 --> 00:11:26.240 Yeah. 218 00:11:26.279 --> 00:11:28.159 It was just uh, I was like, wow, if he 219 00:11:28.200 --> 00:11:30.639 had only you know, but uh, but it was just amazing. 220 00:11:30.639 --> 00:11:33.240 You know, I've just a funny little story real quick. 221 00:11:33.240 --> 00:11:35.480 I actually tried to get him on for one hundredth 222 00:11:35.480 --> 00:11:39.120 episode of this podcast, and I actually missed him by 223 00:11:39.120 --> 00:11:41.320 a couple of I guess maybe a couple of days. 224 00:11:41.360 --> 00:11:45.279 His his manager actually said that he's off shooting Season 225 00:11:45.279 --> 00:11:46.840 three at Twin Peaks, and he's like, you know, it's 226 00:11:46.879 --> 00:11:49.000 all he's doing right now, so uh maybe when it 227 00:11:49.039 --> 00:11:50.759 comes back. But I was like, you know, I mean 228 00:11:50.759 --> 00:11:53.559 that guy, I mean, he's just you know, phenomenal. I mean, 229 00:11:53.679 --> 00:11:55.840 but you know, so I wanted one to ask Greg, 230 00:11:55.960 --> 00:11:58.080 is you know, when you're working with somebody you know 231 00:11:58.159 --> 00:11:59.960 like Lynch, or you're working with somebody like Paul vay whole, 232 00:12:00.720 --> 00:12:04.039 you know, what are some of the biggest takeaways that 233 00:12:04.120 --> 00:12:06.080 you think you've had? Do you think there's something that 234 00:12:06.080 --> 00:12:09.919 there's there's like one constant that you know, sort of 235 00:12:10.399 --> 00:12:13.799 maybe strength that all these directors share that makes them 236 00:12:13.960 --> 00:12:14.759 you know, who they are. 237 00:12:16.120 --> 00:12:20.240 Well, they all have a kind of definite look that 238 00:12:20.320 --> 00:12:23.519 they're trying to achieve with the film itself, the way 239 00:12:23.559 --> 00:12:25.639 they shoot it, the way they you know, are going 240 00:12:25.720 --> 00:12:30.759 to cut it. The hardest thing I think for any 241 00:12:30.799 --> 00:12:33.480 director is to get a mood, a certain type of 242 00:12:33.600 --> 00:12:37.240 tone that can carry through throughout the film. I think 243 00:12:37.320 --> 00:12:39.320 David Lent that's one of his strengths. He really knows 244 00:12:39.320 --> 00:12:42.480 how to set a tone, a dark ominous kind of 245 00:12:42.559 --> 00:12:46.240 creepy tone to the thing and keep that, you know. 246 00:12:46.480 --> 00:12:49.840 I mean it's not constantly throughout the film, but it's 247 00:12:49.879 --> 00:12:55.120 still there. And well, he's really great at that, and 248 00:12:55.320 --> 00:12:58.919 every other director has their strength, like Verhoven is a 249 00:12:59.200 --> 00:13:04.799 kind of a very strong, just in your face imagery 250 00:13:04.919 --> 00:13:07.279 that just really sticks with you and really hits you 251 00:13:07.320 --> 00:13:11.799 in the chest, you know, very entertaining, very fun, and 252 00:13:12.840 --> 00:13:15.679 just keep coming at you, you know. And I love 253 00:13:15.759 --> 00:13:18.000 that kind of stuff. I love, you know, strong imagery 254 00:13:18.039 --> 00:13:22.840 and strong choices. And you know, as an actor, when 255 00:13:22.840 --> 00:13:25.240 you work with these kind of guys, you just have 256 00:13:25.320 --> 00:13:28.759 to kind of like go with your confidence and come 257 00:13:28.799 --> 00:13:31.799 in with the strongest ideas that you can think of 258 00:13:31.840 --> 00:13:34.759 and just you know, know that that's right, and not 259 00:13:34.919 --> 00:13:39.120 worry about exactly what you think they want, but within 260 00:13:39.200 --> 00:13:43.360 the script and what you think it needs, that's what 261 00:13:43.440 --> 00:13:45.879 you give them. And they'll let you know if it's 262 00:13:45.919 --> 00:13:48.600 not what they want or if they want to tweak it. 263 00:13:48.759 --> 00:13:50.559 But most of the time they really liked what I 264 00:13:50.600 --> 00:13:53.919 did and they were very happy with it. So I 265 00:13:54.000 --> 00:13:57.120 was really lucky to be able to work with those guys, 266 00:13:57.159 --> 00:13:57.399 you know. 267 00:13:58.600 --> 00:14:00.600 Yeah, you know, Greg, I was actually one gonna be. 268 00:14:00.600 --> 00:14:03.240 My next question was, you know, as an actor, you know, 269 00:14:03.360 --> 00:14:04.919 you know what what is sort of like you know 270 00:14:05.039 --> 00:14:08.039 what you're you're bringing. You know, obviously you're bringing, you know, 271 00:14:08.120 --> 00:14:11.320 your own unique skills and talents to the role. And 272 00:14:11.360 --> 00:14:14.360 you know they you know, they're they're directing you obviously 273 00:14:14.559 --> 00:14:17.000 in this in this particular role. And so one of 274 00:14:17.000 --> 00:14:20.879 my question was, is what are some of the biggest 275 00:14:20.960 --> 00:14:23.440 takeaways that they that they when you're working with them, 276 00:14:23.440 --> 00:14:26.440 that that you have used in your own projects, you know, 277 00:14:26.720 --> 00:14:28.519 sort of like something that you've learned from you know, 278 00:14:29.159 --> 00:14:32.840 Zack Snyder or Verhoven, you know that you're in rob Zombie, 279 00:14:32.879 --> 00:14:35.000 you know, something that you've taken and sort of put 280 00:14:35.080 --> 00:14:36.919 into your own films. 281 00:14:38.159 --> 00:14:41.840 They all do different things, like Zack Snyder does various 282 00:14:41.919 --> 00:14:47.039 speed takes where he'll do a shot, you know, twenty times, 283 00:14:47.080 --> 00:14:50.720 and he'll do it a little bit differently each time. 284 00:14:51.039 --> 00:14:55.480 And I think that's kind of interesting. I haven't been 285 00:14:55.519 --> 00:14:59.200 able to use that exactly, but I like the idea 286 00:14:59.279 --> 00:15:01.799 of doing a little different each time instead of trying 287 00:15:01.840 --> 00:15:04.799 to do it the same wage time. He does it 288 00:15:04.799 --> 00:15:07.679 a little differently each time. And I think I've heard 289 00:15:07.720 --> 00:15:11.360 that Ridley Scott does that same kind of thing. He'll 290 00:15:11.399 --> 00:15:14.440 move the camera an inch or two over with each 291 00:15:15.639 --> 00:15:18.559 progressive take so that he gets a little bit different 292 00:15:18.600 --> 00:15:21.799 angle and a little bit different look, you know, And 293 00:15:22.559 --> 00:15:28.000 I thought that's pretty pretty cool. You know. The film. 294 00:15:28.440 --> 00:15:31.039 The last film that I, you know, shot and put 295 00:15:31.080 --> 00:15:34.559 out there was Midlife, which was a very Cassavetti's type 296 00:15:34.679 --> 00:15:38.720 of a look. I shot at long lens and then 297 00:15:38.759 --> 00:15:41.120 the wide shots were like a forty millimeter or so, 298 00:15:41.159 --> 00:15:43.360 it was kind of a wide and that's what I 299 00:15:43.440 --> 00:15:46.720 was going for, was a very kight, kind of very 300 00:15:46.799 --> 00:15:52.399 realistic Cassavetti's type of look. And so that's kind of 301 00:15:52.399 --> 00:15:54.440 what I was trying to capture. And so I would 302 00:15:54.480 --> 00:15:57.440 go back and study all of his films and see 303 00:15:57.480 --> 00:15:59.840 what he was doing exactly, and they're all a little different. 304 00:16:00.000 --> 00:16:01.960 They're all shot a little different. There is no one 305 00:16:02.120 --> 00:16:06.440 Casavetti's look, but he does do long lens close ups 306 00:16:06.919 --> 00:16:09.840 and pretty tight close ups when he does them, and 307 00:16:09.960 --> 00:16:15.440 so I use that technique, and you know, you just learn, 308 00:16:15.519 --> 00:16:18.320 you just pick up different directorial techniques from working with 309 00:16:18.360 --> 00:16:21.120 all these different directors and then also what you know, 310 00:16:21.799 --> 00:16:25.519 working as a director for many many reading short films 311 00:16:25.600 --> 00:16:28.519 and theater and all kinds of different things in my 312 00:16:28.600 --> 00:16:31.360 own shows and stand up, because in stand up, you're 313 00:16:31.360 --> 00:16:35.480 really directing yourself, you know, I mean you're really sort 314 00:16:35.480 --> 00:16:37.799 of like jumping out of your skin and saying, well, 315 00:16:37.799 --> 00:16:39.759 what this look like and what would that look like? 316 00:16:39.840 --> 00:16:41.919 And you kind of have to have the second nature 317 00:16:41.919 --> 00:16:44.360 about what would make an audience laugh or what would 318 00:16:44.360 --> 00:16:47.720 make an audience cry, And you develop those skills as 319 00:16:47.759 --> 00:16:50.399 you go along. And I think that I've been able 320 00:16:50.440 --> 00:16:54.360 to do that and now I'm ready to really apply 321 00:16:54.440 --> 00:16:58.480 a that knowledge to making movies. You know, Yeah, you 322 00:16:58.519 --> 00:16:59.720 know that's a good point. 323 00:17:00.399 --> 00:17:02.240 And you know that's actually what I wanted to sort 324 00:17:02.240 --> 00:17:04.880 of segue into right now was, uh, you know, just 325 00:17:04.920 --> 00:17:07.839 looking at your IMDb page, you know you've you've written 326 00:17:08.400 --> 00:17:11.720 U five pieces and you know you've directed four, and 327 00:17:11.880 --> 00:17:14.039 I just want to ask, you know, your first you 328 00:17:14.039 --> 00:17:17.000 know IMDb credit you know, uh that you have is 329 00:17:17.079 --> 00:17:19.519 night Creep, and I want to ask you know, you 330 00:17:19.799 --> 00:17:22.160 made this in two thousand and three. It was also 331 00:17:22.200 --> 00:17:25.200 written by you, So I wanted to ask Greg. You know, 332 00:17:25.480 --> 00:17:27.799 you said in the intro that you know you want 333 00:17:27.839 --> 00:17:29.319 to sort of want to go back to this because 334 00:17:29.319 --> 00:17:31.480 this is why you you got into this, was you 335 00:17:31.720 --> 00:17:33.480 wanted to make your own films, right. 336 00:17:33.519 --> 00:17:34.839 So was it? 337 00:17:34.960 --> 00:17:37.240 Was it the right sort of time and place, so 338 00:17:37.359 --> 00:17:38.599 to speak, to make Night Creep? 339 00:17:39.119 --> 00:17:39.880 What I mean by it. 340 00:17:39.839 --> 00:17:42.200 That is, did you you sort of have the like 341 00:17:42.240 --> 00:17:43.839 a sort of like a small window or maybe an 342 00:17:43.880 --> 00:17:45.240 opportunity at that point into. 343 00:17:45.079 --> 00:17:47.880 You I had hooked up with this, you know, this 344 00:17:47.920 --> 00:17:50.599 guy who's gonna invest in it and who's gonna, you know, 345 00:17:50.680 --> 00:17:55.720 put the money, And so I wrote it pretty I 346 00:17:55.720 --> 00:17:59.559 wrote a script. It was what I thought was pretty commercial, 347 00:18:00.079 --> 00:18:06.039 and actually it wasn't very commercial at all. But I 348 00:18:06.200 --> 00:18:09.960 was kind of a psychological horror film in a very 349 00:18:10.079 --> 00:18:14.839 kind of Lynchian David Lynchian kind of way, to where 350 00:18:14.839 --> 00:18:17.400 we don't really know what's going on half the movie 351 00:18:17.400 --> 00:18:19.960 and we're waiting to find out. But at least in 352 00:18:20.039 --> 00:18:22.039 my movie, I do let the cat out of the 353 00:18:22.039 --> 00:18:23.559 bag at the end of the film, and I do 354 00:18:23.680 --> 00:18:27.279 explain somewhat what was happening, even though there's a few 355 00:18:27.279 --> 00:18:30.640 things left of the air, I suppose to David lynch 356 00:18:30.680 --> 00:18:35.519 who doesn't ever explain anything, and you're just like left 357 00:18:35.559 --> 00:18:37.640 walking out of the theater and what the fuck was 358 00:18:37.640 --> 00:18:41.119 that all about. But you know, you have to study 359 00:18:41.160 --> 00:18:42.920 his films and then you know, kind of come to 360 00:18:43.000 --> 00:18:45.920 some conclusions on your own. But that's what makes them fun, 361 00:18:46.079 --> 00:18:49.559 you know. But yeah, I just had I had a 362 00:18:49.599 --> 00:18:52.000 winner of opportunity, and then of course that investor pulled 363 00:18:52.000 --> 00:18:53.960 out at the last minute, and then I had to 364 00:18:54.000 --> 00:18:56.160 scory around with some of my own money, and so 365 00:18:56.240 --> 00:18:58.640 a few other people that I knew put a little 366 00:18:58.680 --> 00:19:01.000 money into it, and then we were able to kind 367 00:19:01.000 --> 00:19:04.759 of pull it together and do it. But you know, 368 00:19:04.839 --> 00:19:08.000 I had made Dark Seduction back in our mid eighties, 369 00:19:08.359 --> 00:19:12.119 and I actually felt really really confident at that time 370 00:19:12.160 --> 00:19:14.160 because I'd been doing a lot of shorts leading up 371 00:19:14.200 --> 00:19:18.000 to that, and I had a very specific look, and 372 00:19:18.160 --> 00:19:20.680 the partner that I was working with shot at and 373 00:19:20.720 --> 00:19:23.319 he understood what we were going for, and so the look 374 00:19:23.359 --> 00:19:26.759 of Dark Seduction I was pretty much satisfied with. I mean, 375 00:19:26.799 --> 00:19:28.559 there's a lot you could go back and say, well, 376 00:19:28.599 --> 00:19:29.960 I could have done this, I could have done that, 377 00:19:30.039 --> 00:19:32.759 but I, for the most part, I got what I 378 00:19:32.839 --> 00:19:36.519 was trying to get, you know, and there's always things 379 00:19:36.519 --> 00:19:38.559 you could have done better. And some of the shots 380 00:19:38.599 --> 00:19:40.920 we did were out of focus, and didn't come out, 381 00:19:40.960 --> 00:19:42.720 which was a shame, but you just, you know, you 382 00:19:42.799 --> 00:19:45.920 work with what you got. And so then all of 383 00:19:45.960 --> 00:19:50.000 that time I would go, you know, you be thinking 384 00:19:50.039 --> 00:19:52.240 that I was going to come back and finish Dark Seduction, 385 00:19:52.279 --> 00:19:54.279 and then after that that would lead to another film. 386 00:19:54.359 --> 00:19:56.359 So we'll be. 387 00:19:56.359 --> 00:20:02.519 Right back after a word from our sponsor. And now 388 00:20:02.640 --> 00:20:03.400 back to the show. 389 00:20:05.519 --> 00:20:07.680 When I made Night Creep, I had just gotten to 390 00:20:07.720 --> 00:20:09.720 the place where I just had to do something else 391 00:20:09.759 --> 00:20:12.759 and it couldn't depend on, you know, finishing Dark Seduction 392 00:20:12.920 --> 00:20:15.799 for that one. I just had to you know, start 393 00:20:15.920 --> 00:20:19.920 from scratch and do something new. And so it has 394 00:20:19.960 --> 00:20:24.839 some of the similar themes running through it. There's some lesbianism, 395 00:20:24.920 --> 00:20:28.079 and there's some you know, kind of like creepiness that's 396 00:20:28.480 --> 00:20:32.039 similar to Dark Seduction in a way, but it's not 397 00:20:32.119 --> 00:20:36.039 about vampires or anything. It's about a creepy landlord that 398 00:20:36.880 --> 00:20:39.640 comes into this girl's room at night while she's sleeping, 399 00:20:40.400 --> 00:20:42.640 and we don't know if it's a dream or if 400 00:20:42.640 --> 00:20:47.559 it's reality or exactly what's going on because she takes 401 00:20:47.599 --> 00:20:49.960