Make your own film and submit it to film festivals.
I’m from a small farm town in Ohio where I had a pretty normal childhood, albeit I was probably a pretty abnormal kid. I caught the acting bug at a very young age and did all the plays throughout grade school. Eventually I made the big move to LA to pursue the dream. The reality of the big city was pretty gut wrenching. I did a few commercials, mostly automotive themed for some reason, and decided to start writing. After a decade of rejections, in life and love, my longevity still held through. I decided to take a different approach. My next script I was just gonna make no matter what. No more waiting on anybody in this industry anymore. I told my buddy “I got a low budget concept idea, we are playing the leads, let’s rent a van, go to the desert, and shoot it.” It was a very tough road but I finally completed production on my first film, VANish, which was released earlier this year.
I found VANish next The Theory of Everything, lol. Ready to watch it!! Don’t miss it!! Happy Saturday Night! pic.twitter.com/v7QNugGn8E
â HOPE DIAZ (@HOPEDIAZACTRESS) March 8, 2015
How would you describe your work as a director
Directing is a very visual job, it truly is about your vision. When you read the script as a director I feel like you have to see the film already playing out in your head, sometimes down to every shot. If you aren’t very good at drawing, as I’m not, it helps to have a good storyboard artist listening to your vision and putting pen to paper. This helps the crew, gets everyone on the same page, and brings a bit of order to an otherwise chaotic film set.
How did you get into directing
I kinda just fell into directing. At the first stages of your career, especially in indie filmmaking, you really have to do everything. I started as an actor and wasn’t getting any roles so I wrote my own. Well, who was going to direct that script I wrote? I guess I have to. Okay, well who is going to find financing for the movie you are directing? I guess I’ll do that too. Next thing you know you are wearing all the hats. Its a hell of a learning experience to go through every process of production but also very stressful, especially producing. Luckily, I had some friends along the way helping me out.
How do you choose a project to direct
Well it definitely starts with the script. I’ve only directed my own but I wouldn’t be against anybody else’s work and any genre. I prefer dark comedy, action, and horror. I love writing action and I love staging it out. The shootout in VANish was my favorite day of shooting. I had it storyboarded shot for shot, squibbed up my friends, and killed them all. It was fun.
Briefly describe in a few words wrong impressions actors, writers,and directors have about directing
Some directors actually have no vision and no idea what to do on set because of that lack of clarity. I’ve unfortunately seen this. I actually, and this may stir up some debate in the film community, think directing can be one of the most overrated jobs in the industry. The 1st ADs, cinematographers, and producers can really be the heroes on set. You need these guys as much as you need the director and hopefully that director has enough of a vision and an organized way of shooting that vision, that things run smoothly. Also, coming from an acting background really helps you deal with the actors headspace. Even Scorsese acted at one time đ
Do you take courses to increase you craft
Yes, I branched off from theatre at my college, Cal State LA, and went into the Television, Film, and Media program. I really learned a lot in classes like scriptwriting, cinematography, directing, etc. It made me a well rounded force and maybe because of those classes I was able to take on the responsibility of wearing so many hats head on.
What books do you read
Hands down the most inspirational book I ever read on Filmmaking is Robert Rodriguez’s Rebel Without A Crew. It’s a bit outdated on some of the technical aspects now but the heart and logic is still there. When you ask a filmmaker how they did it, a lot like to bullshit around the answer by saying hard work and determination. Well, how the hell is that answer suppose to help anyone? Robert matter-of-factly tells you the whole process, from writing to getting distribution, on his first feature, El Mariachi. I like the honesty of it and how you can start with so little and make so much happen.
Why will you choose an actor, writer or producer. What do you look for
I actually did the casting for VANish as well. Of course, Trejo as a cartel boss was a no-brainer. He was born to play roles likes that. I had Tony Todd going against type as a cop but he’s an intimidating fella so It worked brilliantly. I also look for work ethic and someone who brings their own thing to set but is always a collaborator and never combative. It was an honor to have Maiara Walsh as my first leading lady. She couldn’t of brought more to her role in VANish, on and off the set. Her experience on prior sets helped me out immensely and she just wanted to be there everyday. All the cast and crew did. We knew we were making an indie by the hair of our chins and come hell or high water it was gonna get done!
When you are offered a job, what things do you put in place to deliver a good job
I would definitely bring some storyboards into the meeting to visually show them something and give them a hell of a verbal pitch and what I would do to bring the project to life.
Briefly explain your latest work
It’s a kidnapping film I shot entirely in a van called VANish. I had never seen a contained kidnapping movie shot entirely in the getaway vehicle. I thought it would be a unique experience and I feel those kind of ideas are lacking in today’s market. It was an experiment on all fronts but I think most people who’ve seen it get the idea. We shot it in 13 days.
What thing/situation helps you during production
A great Assistant Director đ We didn’t have one until about halfway through the production of VANish. It made so much difference. I remember the first couple days I would literally yell Action, do my lines as the actor, yell Cut, and then my production manager would come over and ask for my debit card so we could get catering for the crew. It was madness! With an AD on board, he/she keeps the crew on their feet and on schedule which is, of course, vital. They also know your shot list and can get behind the camera while you’re acting and take some control. That is, if you are crazy enough to direct and star in an indie film at the same time.
Explain a creative choice you took on set on a recent production
Filming entirely inside the 4×8 interior of a van. It was tough because you can’t necessarily use any dolly shots and you are really limited on what angles you can shoot, especially with a bigger camera. It was also nerve wracking to be driving around L.A. with the crew and equipment inside and around the van. We couldn’t afford a trailer, like most productions, so all the driving scenes were authentic. The actors were actually driving around
in real traffic. On top of that stress, the van broke down on the third night of filming on a freeway in downtown L.A. during Saturday night rush hour. To have your entire set break down really adds pressure on you creatively to figure out how to improvise and push forward. Thankfully, it somehow all worked out.
How do you advise directors to find projects
I actually don’t know the answer to this question. I would assume get a good agent or manager to pitch you on project meetings. I have my opinions on Hollywood agents but that’s a whole other topic all together. I’ll be safe and stick to the creative aspects of filmmaking đ Remember, I did my production outside of Hollywood so I suggest doing it yourself as well.
How can filmmakers finance projects
I know it sounds too logical but most filmmakers have friends and family. It never hurts to ask. I actually might look to crowdfunding for my next one. It’s another growing opinion for up and coming auteurs.
What do you want from an actor in production
one of my good actor friends, Adam Guthrie, did something very interesting on the set of VANish. He plays the part of Shane in the movie and in one scene he has a very emotional, albeit comical, confession he has to make to the other characters. We were running behind schedule and he asked me if he could just run all his lines, all kinds of different ways, without the other actors responding. I guess Orson Welles used to do this on Citizen Kane. It was a great way to save time setting up everybody else and we used a lot of the performance he gave us. I like when actors can improvise on the fly like that because they are so well prepared but can also understand the stress of indie production. Being a creative talent AND a team player goes a long way.
How do you prefer to work with a producer during a production
I was the only producer on set so the only person I had to argue with was myself. And that just gets weird! But all jokes aside, I think a good producer is a natural problem solver. Problems arise every minute of every day on set and the producer has to figure out how to keep the production going. It was the most stressful experience of my life to be the producer AND director, of VANish. The director side of me worried if we would get all our shots in by dusk. The producer side of me worried if we had our permits and if the cops would show up to shut us down. The actor part of me worried about memorizing the lines the writer part of me wrote. That all sounds insane…….and it probably is. Again though, a good crew can keep the production running even if you are about to have a panic attack.
What do you think a director can do to get into the film industry
Make your own film and submit it to film festivals. Because of the timing and the way we got our distribution deal, VANish didn’t go to one festival. This is my only regret. Film festivals are important because they generate buzz around you and your project. Nowadays, thousands of movies are being made and distributed every single year. Without that buzz, you will generally fall through the cracks.
Also, have a social media presence. This is very important in today’s world. Even if you don’t have a lot to show people just yet. I built up my twitter account on my own. Because of this, I met a lot of people that wouldn’t of known or heard about VANish otherwise. I usually follow back and even seek out people with common interests on twitter. I see a lot of directors try to set up a ratio of a lot more people following them then they follow back. These guys are clueless. There is no place for egos in indie filmmaking. Get the word out anyway you can!
Who is your favorite director
Man, you can’t ask me that. It’s gotta be plural! Okay, I’ll just do two for now, Tim Burton and John Woo.
Why this director
I love Tim Burton because he has that vision I described earlier to a capital V. Everything he does you usually know he’s behind it with his style, a style that’s so damn unique. He also has an eye for talent. He’s cast my two favorite actors, Jack Nicholson and Michael Keaton, multiple times. And let’s face it, there is a reason he recasts Johnny Depp so much. Check out Ed Wood if you haven’t seen it. Brilliant movie about filmmaking that still holds up today. I wrote my film thesis paper on John Woo in college. The first time I saw Hard Boiled as a kid it changed my life. Nobody will ever be able to choreograph old school action (wires, squibs, explosions, blanks) like he used to do. Today that way of staging action is all but gone because of CGI. I hope there is a revival someday but who knows.
What advice would you give to directors around the world
The filmmaking technology is there and it’s cheap all around the world now. Pick up a camera, rent some lights, hire your friends, and go make a movie. I actually got a lot of inspiration for VANish from French new wave horror like High Tension, Frontiers, Martyrs, etc. There is something about a strong, hot female, drenched in blood, wielding a weapon of some sorts that I find utterly appealing.
Briefly write about your career
It’s too early to tell. Come back on that question in 20 years and I might have an answer.
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