Interview with Mike Remshaw

I was born in the 1970s in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia. I was pretty much raised on a diet of movies, music, & television.

How would you describe your work as a director
Someone described my films once as art house science fiction but for a mainstream audience.

How did you get into directing
I grew up watching all types of movies, worked in movie theaters, took a couple of film history classes. I worked in video production, duplications, & on numerous independent film projects. I decided to focus solely on producing & directing a few years back.

How do you choose a project to direct
I prefer some sort of science fiction element so that’s a strong consideration. I love a concept that makes me think I would pay to see it.

Briefly describe in a few words wrong impressions actors, writers,and directors have about directing
Directing, even when done by famous independent & foreign directors, is more of a collaborative process than people think.

Do you take courses to increase you craft
I’m really into visual effects & CGI so I like to do some of that work myself. That type of software is constantly evolving so it requires the occasional online tutorial to learn something new. The internet is an amazing tool to learn about the entire industry, not just the technical stuff. Another good learning tool is to simply watch movies & television shows.

What books do you read
I’ve read some of the famous science fiction and fantasy titles through the years. Philip K. Dick wrote a novel called UBIK that really stood out to me.

New screenshot from my feature film Mystic Rising with @The1TruSHAKA & @KellyNatividade pic.twitter.com/TnNRinTxdP

— Mike Remshaw (@mikeremshaw) December 21, 2014

Why will you choose an actor, writer or producer. What do you look for
It depends on what I need from that person or what the content calls for. Sometimes you just know right away. I know I love it when I see someone with enthusiasm and dedication put real effort into their craft.

When you are offered a project, what things do you put in place to deliver a good job
A good team.

Briefly explain your latest work
I’ve spent much of 2015 working on a new project. Can’t say much about it yet.

What thing/situation helps you during production
I’m fortunate enough to own a decent post-production setup. Having that at my disposal at my home 24/7 is a real help.

Explain a creative choice you took on set on a recent production
I really enjoyed a particular actor’s performance so I added more scenes for that character.

How do you advice directors to find projects
Write your own or become friends with writers.

How can filmmakers finance projects
Save money from working, use credit cards, make friends with producers, ask friends & relatives. I don’t recommend crowd funding unless you have a well known actor attached to the project or you have a huge social networking following on a site like youtube. If you are making your first feature film, learn the current marketplace & budget wisely.

What do you want from an actor in production
That answer can change drastically depending upon the character they are playing & the type of actor they are. The main thing I want though is confidence. I love when an actor wants to try something & has the confidence to pull it off. I hate it when a nervous actor constantly asks if what they did was ok after every take. It’s cool to ask at first but it becomes annoying after a while. For the most part, I prefer to work with actors that have legit training.

How do you prefer to work with a producer during a production
Your producers have to believe in your project and in you. Whether their role is financial, creative or whatever. You can have disagreements, but they have to 100% on board.

What do you think a director can do to get into the film industry
Make a cool project & show it to people. Enter festivals, take it to film markets, put it online, show it to industry pros. If it’s good you will get noticed somewhere.

Who is your favorite director
Way too many to list but here is a few. Orson Welles, James Whale, Sergio Leone, Fritz Lang, F.W. Murnao, Stanley Kubrick, Federico Fellini, Jean-Luc Godard, Akira Kurosawa, Jacque Tati, David Lynch, Coen Brothers, Christopher Nolan, Sam Raimi, Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, Peter Jackson, Guillermo Del Toro, and tons more.

Why this director
I like directors that have an interesting visual style.

What advice would you give to directors around the world
Learn about producing as well as directing. Learn to look for & hire talented people.

Briefly write about your career
My career jumpstarted with the 2011 release of my short film El Dorado. It screened at festivals in New York & Los Angeles, winning a couple of awards for Best Digital Effects & Best Experimental Film. It was a great learning experience and feedback was very positive. My next venture was a feature film called Mystic Rising. It was a great opportunity to work with some professional actors & learn the ropes of making a feature film. It’s scheduled for release this year. I’ve spent 2015 working on a new project that I’m not quite ready to get into the details of yet. It’s been great to finally shoot and edit a project in “4k” to see for myself what the advantages are.

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