I am the owner of Mythology Studios LLC, a photography company in the Washington DC area. In my photography work I love portraiture and dark themes and bring that directly into my film making. I am the director for 2 web series; Swords of Insurgency (a post-apocalyptic action series) and The Arcane Wars (a cyberpunk drama). I am also a martial artist with experience in Judo, Aikido, and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. This martial experience influenced me into the action oriented genre but at the same time my goal is not to just make action flicks, but artistic pieces. So to me drama, cinematography, art design, costuming, etc. are as important as the action.
swords of insurgency @SwordsInsurgent won best stunts at the @IndieCapitol awards today pic.twitter.com/jKhNKrQA1r
— Michael Neal (@michaeltneal) October 10, 2016
How would you describe your work as a director
Being a director of small indie projects you end up needing to be a jack of all trades as well as the artistic driving force of the projects. It is extremely challenging often needing to fill the roles of multiple production crew at the same time. You are managing, creating and also working in technical roles at the same time. So my work as a director so far has been really fun and tough but also a great learning experience. It expands my knowledge to many aspects of filmmaking. But being a jack of all trades on a production does mean that you can’t focus everything on directing and need to delegate.
How did you get into directing
From a young age I always wanted to make movies, filmmaking runs in my family. My cousin Charles Bonniwell, Jr. was an Assistant Director for the Twilight Zone TV series among many film and TV productions. I never met him in person but I grew up hearing about him and of course enjoyed watching the Twilight Zone immensely. As a teenager, my friends and I wrote several scripts and tried to make some films. One script we wrote was a zombie film with CIA operatives posing as a heavy metal band as they fought a horde of zombies threatening the country. It was fun, but we just did not have the equipment needed so it went nowhere. Later in life as I had an established career in web design and photography, along with the affordability of film making equipment, I decided it was time to do what I always wanted and do some film making.
Screen grab from Arcane Wars shoot, July 30 @arcanewars #scifi #indiefilm #martialarts #cyberpunk #dystopia pic.twitter.com/dSzdiLcN3A
— Michael Neal (@michaeltneal) August 11, 2016
How do you choose a project to direct
So far I have only directed projects that were created by me personally, the benefit is that it gives me more creative control because it allows me to change stuff easier while it is more challenging to change the artistic work of other people. But eventually I would definitely love to direct other projects. Things I would consider before taking up a director’s job would be a good story and script, good locations and commitment to excellent cinematography because the visual aspect is so important to me coming from a photography background.
Briefly describe in a few words wrong impressions actors, writers,and directors have about directing
I haven’t noticed any wrong impressions about directing from actors but writers yes, they don’t always understand that the director may have a different vision from the writer and ultimately it’s the director’s visualization that goes on screen.
Do you take courses to increase your craft
I haven’t taken any formal courses but I am very active online reading tons of materials on forums, sites and blogs like; DVXuser, DVInfo, Cinema 5D, Philip Bloom, No Film School, just to name a few off the top of my head.
What books do you read
Right now I am reading Directors Tell the Story: Master the Craft of Television and Film Directing by Bethany Rooney. It is very helpful especially from the perspective of shooting episodic pieces for television, or my case, web series.
Why will you choose an actor, writer or producer. What do you look for
I first look for professionalism, someone who is willing to do what is needed and with a good spirit about it. That is worth more than anything else in my experience. I then look at the experience, skills and the artistic qualities and vision they bring to the table.
When you are offered a project, what things do you put in place to deliver a good job
I first bring relentless dedication and work ethic to getting the job done even through the most difficult circumstances. Next I immerse myself in the world, the story, and brainstorm the creative aspects to come up with a vision. Then it’s putting a great team together that I need to bring that vision to life.
Sara Wilson as Kai @SwordsInsurgent pic.twitter.com/q1fixblpgo
— Michael Neal (@michaeltneal) August 25, 2016
Briefly explain your latest work
Currently I am directing two projects, Swords of Insurgency, a post-apocalyptic action web series and The Arcane Wars which is a modernish cyberpunk dystopian web series. They are small budget indie projects but we have delivered a much larger budget look to them that reviewers and fans have raved about.
What thing/situation helps you during production
Lots of coffee
Explain a creative choice you took on set on a recent production
Recently on the set of The Arcane Wars, the scene called for a wooden throne for a cyberpunk Viking King to sit on. I only had a simple wooden chair and I was really not feeling it so I decided to sit him up on a large rock ledge to serve as his “throne of stone” and it looked pretty impressive on screen.
How do you advise directors to find projects
For me it is associating with like-minded people who share your vision, you have to network and meet new people and expand your horizons.
How can filmmakers finance projects
I successfully funded Swords of Insurgency through a Kickstarter campaign and other donations from friends. It takes a lot of dedication first building a strong social media following but it is worth it. It’s not easy but it is the only method I have used so far to film my projects.
What do you want from an actor in production
From actors I first want professionalism, dedication and I want them to give me lots of emotion in their performance or lack thereof if that is what is called for. Dedicate themselves to the character and show that character not only through their dialogue but also through everything they do on screen, their movement, facial expressions, etc.
How do you prefer to work with a producer during a production
The only producer I have experience working with is the Washington Film Company, a non-profit organization producing swords of Insurgency. I am on the Board of Directors and we meet frequently to discuss the project and I receive general instructions from them on aspects related to organization. I enjoy working closely with the board and sharing insights and other perspectives.
What do you think a director can do to get into the film industry
You have to build up some creative work through participating in good film projects and to network with that experience and portfolio.
Who is your favorite director
Alfred Hitchcock
Why this director
Hitchcock movies, especially The Birds, left a lasting impression on me since childhood and as I started directing I really appreciated and began to study his style a bit. Not only creating terror and suspense but showing emotion in characters through camera techniques and framing. Revealing things to the audience through what is going on in the scene as opposed to relying on dialogue to tell everything is important to me. From him I learned that sometimes silence is good and a tool for suspense, you don’t need to fill everything with talking, especially needless exposition.
Swords of Insurgency won a nomination for Best Stunts, check us out at this year’s @IndieCapitol awards https://t.co/sSqEVevH6T pic.twitter.com/lmFyzRbInv
— Michael Neal (@michaeltneal) September 19, 2016
What advice would you give to directors around the world
Develop your own style and follow your gut instead of a formula. It’s important to learn from the masters but at the same time don’t try to make a movie like your favorite director. I personally did not spend a ton of time studying the style of other directors, I did some and there is nothing wrong with doing that but I think you need to spend more time on focusing on your own creativity and gut instincts.
Briefly write about your career
I have been a professional photographer for about a decade and decided to go into filmmaking a few years ago, a lifelong dream. Swords of Insurgency and The Arcane Wars are two web series I helped create and direct and are in production right now and they are my first real film projects. I realized that I had a lot to learn and catch up to as far as filmmaking knowledge goes when starting these projects but I also found out I do a have a creative knack for it since people have really enjoyed what has been put out so far. I feel I have accomplished something significant for a first time film maker receiving positive reviews and feedback. I am really optimistic about developing further and seeing how much I can grow in future projects. A few of my online sites are below.
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