Q: What inspired you to make films? 
 

A: It started with me and my buddy screwing around with my family VHS camcorder in my backyard. My dad showed me Saving Private Ryan as a child, and told me that he wanted me to see what my grandpa went through, and it caused an emotional response in me that I didn't know was there, and I decided that I wanted to use film as a way to share some of that feeling with others.

 

Q: Stylistically, "Relative Duplicity" is very specific. Where does that come from? 
 

A: Well, some of my favorite movies are pretty specifically stylized; Guy Ritchie movies, Wes Anderson movies, Jean-Pierre Junet movies. It takes me a while to read through a script because I'm constantly thinking about how I would shoot each scene instead of just letting the story hit me. I know I will enjoy making a film when I have a mental shot list before finishing a first read through. But when it comes to my point of view on a project, honestly it's not usually a matter of trying to put something different on the screen, it's usually just the only way I can imagine a scene going. My first instinct is what I shoot most of the time.

 

Q: What was the production process like for this film? 
 

A: It was literally a handful of us tronching out to the freezing woods, chasing the sun, and trying not to get too much fake blood on the wardrobe. We shot out of continuity because of the short amount of daylight we had, which took some of the pressure off of me. I also like to let the actors mess around with the dialogue. It's always fun to see what an actor will do spontaneously when they get into character, especially in a film that allows for fourth-wall breaks. Looking directly into the lens is pretty much the first thing they teach actors not to do, so asking them to do it mid-sentence with a gun pointed in their face can be a little unnerving. Thankfully both of our leads were used to having guns pointed at them... I'm joking. haha. Maybe. I don't know their personal lives.

 

Q: What was your favorite moment on set? 
 

A: My favorite moment was also my most nerve racking moment. Which was when we shot our lead actress in the face with fake blood. We used a mixture that was a little stainy, so we really only had one good shot at it. Thankfully it worked like a charm and Sarah did an amazing job at keeping in character for the few seconds afterwards to get the shot.

 

Q: What's next for you? 
 

A: Funny story. We had a feature length script completed with these characters before we shot this, but it was more in the genre of a suspense drama. Once I saw the first cut of this short, I told the writer to scrap that script and re-write it as more of a comedy heist film with this fast paced rhythm in mind. I had so much more fun on this shoot than I think the first script would have been. And if you're gonna make a movie, you'd better have fun doing it because it's really hard.

 

Q: What's your favorite movie? 
 

A: That Thing You Do!