Interview with Reza Sholeh

Reza Sholeh has been producing, developing and researching film, theatre, and web content for several years now. His career has spanned documentary, drama, thriller, and foreign language films. Reza studied film production at Ryerson University’s CE program; he has also been actively involved in various film educational programs and panels, and been a full member of Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto since 2012. Reza Sholeh was awarded a full production grant by the Ontario Arts Council in 2013 for the feature length documentary entitled “Passport Control”. The documentary wrapped production in Thailand just this year.

Describe your work as a producer and or agent
My work as a producer starts by being the first person to get involved in any project from start to finish. I am not just an agent-style Producer who focuses on the deal. My many responsibilities span all four phases of production. In the Development stage, I / we come up with the idea for a production, or try to select a screenplay. Meanwhile having to secure the rights and most importantly raise the development financing has its own challenges, however it is very rewarding when you are able to overcome these problems successfully, after all filmmaking from a producer’s standpoint is nothing but problem solving.

In pre-production, I normally bring together the key members of the creative team. This includes the Director, Cinematographer and Production Designer and key cast members, once the initial finance is in place, we select other key production personnel, in the case of GEAR however; Ant and I were heavily involved with each and every aspect of the project, and strived to move the film forward together.

Once the film is in production, my main responsibility is overseeing the day-to-day smoothness of the operation and also being in constant communication and consultation with the Director and other key creatives on and off set, and offer my support anytime they need.

How did you get into producing
Well first of all you should know that I am a professionally trained actor, however I was tired of sitting around and waiting for my agent’s phone call, so I decided instead of waiting for the opportunity to act maybe I should get out there and create it. Having done a feature film (Lost Journey) with Ant, I approached him and told him what my plan was. From then on we partnered up on several music videos projects and short films, I started to gain more experience behind the camera and slowly began taking film courses at Ryerson CE programs. My goal was to eventually produce and star in a feature film that would help my acting career, although when Ant came to me with the idea for GEAR and we decided to move forward with it as much as I wanted to be involved as an actor, my conscious didn’t let me. As a producer I knew I was NOT right for any of the parts in the film, and no good Producer would sacrifice his film (his baby) for his own personal ego. So essentially it was acting that led me to the production world.

How do you choose a project to produce
I always have more than one or two projects lined up and have an eye out for more. Normally to choose a project I personally take uniqueness into consideration, as an independent producer, it’s impossible to compete with Hollywood Studios and the big guys, so I’m always on the lookout for interesting and different ideas that people would probably respond to. I believe this is the right way of doing independent movies, Independent filmmakers shouldn’t try to make formulaic films, we have the liberty of taking chances and being bold and different and when it works it’s magical and will get you the attention you deserve, there’s no reward in playing it safe.

Describe a few wrong impressions about producing
Some actors think that producers are always the investors of the project, but that’s not true at all, I mean they could be, you can invest your own money into your film. But a lot of times producers find the investor or the financial source of their project. Another misconception that is mostly common amongst writers; is that they think producers don’t get their writing and are artistically dumb, though in fact in most cases producers are very intelligent critics who understand films more than anyone. They read many screenplays and can appreciate true art. However they also must respect what the audience wants, they have to predict how each and every scene in the script will be executed by the production team and reacted to by the audience. Of course you’re not always right, and most of the time you are taking chances, but it’s about reducing the risk of loss when one can. After all we’re not making films so that our family and only a couple of film students can watch them, we make films so that it can get the most amount of audience possible and HOPEFULLY make its money back.

Do you take courses to improve your craft
Of course, I have been actively involved in various educational programs and panels offered by Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto and been a full member for a while now. And I am constantly seeking information and education in this ever evolving industry; participating in PLT (Producers Lab Toronto) for a few rounds and learning from flew producers out of Europe, Australia and New Zealand has been a priceless experience.

What books do you read
Unfortunately I don’t read as much as I’d like to. Although, if I get a chance I normally enjoy reading philosophical books; books that may seem a bit morbid on the surface-dealing with life and death and the meaning of existence. But usually go deeper than that and have an underlying message. And of course I love Shakespeare; all his plays and poems. But, if I were to name my favorite book, it would be ‘The Catcher in the Rye’ by J.D Salinger.

How do you keep in shape as a producer
I workout; I do fitness pretty much 5 or 6 times a week.

What do you look for when you choose an actor, writer or director
Choosing a talent; an actor a director, or any personnel to work with on a project, depends on a few factors; 1- Attitude; Making sure they are easy to work with. When you start a project you pretty much devout years of your life to it, it takes most if not all of your time. Therefore I want to make sure when I go to work I’m not dreading seeing anybody on set or working with certain individuals. 2- Their skills; I need to know how knowledgeable they are and what they would be able to bring to the table. And 3- making sure they understand the vision of the director and mine, I have to be certain that they are on the same page as us, otherwise it just won’t work.

How would I go about choosing a project
First thing first; evaluate and see what I would be gaining from being a part of that project! Is it money?! If so, how much? If not, then what will I gain from it?! Critical success? I would be thinking how the offer is going to help me move forward with my career and my life, and help me advance in the industry, as anybody should.

What thing or situation helps your work on a production
People doing their job without drama. One thing that helps me and probably any other producer during production is not having to worry about drama onset or offset, if the team and everybody involved in the production just do their job and deliver what they’ve signed up for it’ll be smooth sailing.

How do you advice actors to find projects
Thanks to the internet nowadays finding a project is not remotely as hard as it used to be. As an aspiring actor myself and a person who has experience on and off screen, I would advise any actor to just work, do whatever you get your hands on, register on IMDb-Pro and submit to different project, there are many casting sites that post casting notices, just do it. If it’s a community theatre, a commercial or a short film doesn’t matter, put as much work as possible out there until you are able to walk into a room and the casting director greets you by your first name.

How can filmmakers finance their projects
This is one of the biggest mysteries of this industry; of course there is the conventional way of writing a pitch and taking it to the studios and see who options your project?! Or trust you enough to help you produce it. But for 90% of independent filmmakers out there that probably won’t work, so a lot of people self-finance their films and hope for the best. There are also private investors who are looking for interesting and unique projects and for that your idea must be new, interesting, never seen before never done before, it’s got to be cool if so then you might be able to get an investor interested in giving you their money. Of course nowadays due to the power internet you have countless avenues of funding a project for example; if you are making a horror or a zombie film, or something with a very niche market that you know has a particular audience, you can start a crowdfunding campaign and get your audience buy tickets to your film before it’s even made.

What do you want from a director during production
Communication, if he/ she has an idea or wants to try something new that hasn’t been discussed before, I expect him /her to communicate to me and explain very clearly as to why he/she wants to do that. And also being open to ideas, if I as a producer have an idea for a scene, I’d like my director to be open to hearing it with no predetermined decision. I guess in other words I’d like to work with someone who doesn’t have an ego and has a sense of curiosity.

How do you prefer to work with a director during a production
Very closely, I’d like to be on set every chance I get, watch the takes and work very closely with the director, get his opinion on each scene as they’re happening and see everything in action.

Do you get offers from overseas
Nollywood; No. but Bollywood; Yes, I have had one offer for a co-produced feature between India and Canada that I haven’t accepted yet, they are at the very beginning stage of development and I am in talk with one of executive producers and the Director of the film.

What can an actor do to get into the industry
First and foremost they should want it more than anything else in the world. Anyone who’s thinking of doing this professionally must have the sheer desire and perseverance for this business, and of course a thick skin for rejection. The rest is trial and error.

Who is your favorite producer
Dede Gardner, Michel Litvak and of course Harvey Weinstein

Why
Because of the projects they chose to work on and the caliber of films they produce. These guys don’t make popcorn movies (not that there is anything wrong with it), but they make films which are usually critically successful and also well received by the mainstream audience. Being able to keep that balance is very difficult and I believe these producers have managed to do it successfully.

What advice do you have for actors
Just do it, get up and do it. Don’t wait for the project to come to you get out there and make it happen. Enjoy the process and never give up.

Briefly write about your career
I have tried my hand at various different projects in the past. Although my most recent film has been a feature length documentary about human smuggling which I wrapped the production of in Thailand this past March. I am also currently the writer/producer of an IPF funded web-series entitled; PETROL. Petrol is a high octane action/drama with an in-depth story arc, and an ensemble of actors who each have a very complex character background. One of the talents that I discovered casting for the show is Kane Mahon, who portrays the character of Ali in the series. Shortly after the success of PETROL, Kane was able to book a regular on Patriot an Amazon original series, starring Kurtwood Smith. Many of the talents we work with and have in the past have gone on to book major leads and principals in studio films and network shows. Another talent that I’ve had the pleasure of working with in GEAR is Nicola Posener an original Londoner who resides in Los Angeles now. You might have seen her brilliant performance in Mythica Trilogy and you can also catch her in the upcoming U.S. Network show; Age of the Living Dead.

IMDB