(re)Search my Trash

<body> <div align="left"> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" width="800" cellpadding="0" height="100%"> <tr> <td width="100" rowspan="3" background="../stylepix/square.gif" valign="top">  </td> <td width="4" rowspan="3"></td> <td width="592" height="1%" valign="top"> <p align="center"> <a href="../research/resultdirlinks.shtml?Jordan Wilson">Films directed by <b>Jordan Wilson</b> on (re)Search my Trash</a><p align="center">  </td> <td width="4" rowspan="3"></td> <td width="100" rowspan="3" background="../stylepix/squareright.gif" valign="top">  </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="592" valign="top" height="99%">  <table border="0" cellspacing="0" width="255" align="right"> <tr> <td width="100%"> <p align="right"><img border="0" src="../stills/nieceday-poster.jpg" width="250" height="386"></td> </tr> </table> <p><b>Your new movie <i><a href="../movies/nieceday(2023).shtml">Niece Day</a></i> - in a few words, what is it about?</b> <p>  <p><b><a href="../movies/nieceday(2023).shtml">Niece Day</a></b> is about a professor, Justin (played by Ben Richardson <i>[<a href="benrichardson(5-22).shtml"><b>Ben Richardson</b> interview - click here</a>]</i>), whose work is having a “bring your kid to work” day. The catch, however, is that he doesn’t have a kid. He opts to bring his niece, Sammy (played by Marlee Burns), and the two have a seemingly lackluster day together performing the mundane tasks of Justin’s every day—making copies for class, giving quizzes, and overseeing student projects. Uncle Justin is disappointed that Sammy didn’t have a fun day like he’d hoped; however, when he apologizes for it, we get to then see the day again through Sammy’s perspective—and how much of an adventure it was to her!</p> <p>  <p><b>What were your sources of inspiration when writing <i><a href="../movies/nieceday(2023).shtml">Niece Day</a></i>?</b> <p>  <p>Ben Richardson and I co-wrote the script, and a major source of inspiration for the both of us was his relationship with his real-life niece, Abby. The two of them are the most dynamic duo ever, and the love between them is palpably unbreakable. They were the obvious ideals for Uncle Justin and Sammy. On a personal note, I was a nanny to a very lively girl named Ava and her sister Riley years ago and have kept up with them over the years. While we’re not blood-related, the excitement and joy I get every time I get to spend a day with them—as well as the childlike enchantment with which they see the world—was a great reference point for the finer points of Sammy’s personality. In regards to Justin’s work as a film professor, I drew from my own experiences of going through film school, as well as teaching film classes myself over the past couple of years.<p> <p><b>To what extent can you identify with <i><a href="../movies/nieceday(2023).shtml">Niece Day</a></i>'s Justin, and the predicament he finds himself in?</b><p> <p>I’m a chronic people-pleaser. Even with years of therapy and self-help books, my instinctual response to most situations is to ask myself “who do the people around me need me to be right now?” With that, I relate incredibly to Justin in his desire to be someone of importance and of interest to his niece. When we’re passionate about something, we typically want to share it with those we love—but there is always an underlying fear of rejection. Just as Justin loves his job and wants Sammy to love it as much as he does, he falls victim to that fear of rejection because he loves Sammy and her disapproval means something to him. It’s something I struggle with every day, so his character really meant a lot to me from a directorial standpoint.<p> <p><b>You've written <i><a href="../movies/nieceday(2023).shtml">Niece Day</a></i> together with the film's lead Ben Richardson <i>[<a href="benrichardson(5-22).shtml">Ben Richardson interview - click here</a>]</i> - so what can you tell us about him, and what was your collaboration like?</b><p> <p>Ben is quite possibly the smartest person I know. Collaborating with him is a challenge in the <i>best</i> way possible—not because he’s difficult to work with, but because his mind processes so quickly that you have to sprint to keep up. He had such a clear vision for the story as a whole, but especially Justin’s character because of how closely it was modeled after his own experience as an uncle. It was also great having him in that role as well, because we were able to talk character long before production ever started. He was a great collaborator not just in development when writing, but on-set as well in his ideas for Uncle Justin and subsequently the dynamic between him and Marlee. Ben is a powerhouse to work with on all fronts, and watching him balance the hats of co-writer, lead actor, and producer was inspiring. I think a lot of people would have easily been overwhelmed by that combination of duties, but Ben took it in stride and perfumed all of his roles beautifully. This film would not have been made, much less as well as it was, without him.<p> </p> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" width="455" align="left"> <tr> <td width="100%"><img border="0" src="../stills/nieceday-1.jpg" width="450" height="251"></td> </tr> </table> <p><b>Do talk about your directorial approach to your story at hand!</b><p> <p>I’m not going to lie, I felt like a useless director on this one because of how naturally Ben and Marlee and the rest of the amazing cast fit their roles. My main goal was to simply portray the story—it’s a simple story with dynamic characters, and I truly felt the characters didn’t need much help being brought to life. So our decisions of where to put the camera, the feel of the film, were really more with a goal of not taking away from that already-present magic. It needed a light touch; I feared much more would have strained that chemistry amongst the cast and overcomplicated a story that is beautiful because of—not in spite of—it’s simplicity.<p> <p><b>What can you tell us about <i><a href="../movies/nieceday(2023).shtml">Niece Day</a></i>'s cast, and why exactly these people?</b><p>  <p>I’ve gone through difficult casting processes before, but <b><a href="../movies/nieceday(2023).shtml">Niece Day</a></b> was such a lovely change of pace in that the casting came incredibly intuitively. Ben Richardson as Uncle Justin just made sense—I’ve seen him interact countless times with his real-life niece, Abby. He is Uncle Justin. He wrote his own self into that role during the writing process, so it just didn’t make sense for anyone <i>but</i> Ben to play that part! And Marlee… I knew we needed the character of Sammy to have range, and that can be difficult to find with actors that young. Ben and I had coffee with Marlee and her mom Ashley, and we instantly knew she was the one. She had the beautiful, bubbly excitement of an eight year old but could flip a switch and sit down to have a serious, adult conversation in the blink of an eye. She understood not only how Sammy needed to act, but <i>why</i> she needed to do so. It was incredible to watch! Jessica was a fun reunion between the actress, Karen Garlitz, and myself. Karen acted in my very first short film <b>What People Are</b>, as well as the film <b>Garden Spells</b> which screened at <i> San Diego International Comic-Con</i> in 2022 most notably. She has such a natural caring nature about her with a hint of playfulness that, I believe, made her perfect for her character’s dual mother and sister dynamics.</p> <p> </p> <p>Our supporting cast came along very similarly. Veronique Scurry and Jamie Brewster have the intangible mix of thoughtfulness and mischievousness that brought their teacher characters to life. Nick Hodge made my job easy by bringing his own natural charisma and charm to the performance, as did Rachel Curl. I genuinely love this cast in its entirety—I was very lucky to have them all on board!</p> <p> </p> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" width="455" align="left"> <tr> <td width="100%"><img border="0" src="../stills/nieceday-2.jpg" width="450" height="258"></td> </tr> </table> <p><b>A few words about the shoot as such, and the on-set atmosphere?</b><p> <p>There are sets that just feel special, and I’m very pleased to say <b><a href="../movies/nieceday(2023).shtml">Niece Day</a></b> was one of those. Ben and I were lucky enough to be able to hire many of our friends who have been working in the industry for a long time, many of us even going all the way back to film school together. It truly didn’t feel like a work environment—it felt like the good old days of directing class when you’d gather your friends for a weekend to shoot a movie (but more high quality and with better catering for lunch)! The proudest element of the film for me is the amount of cast and crew members I’ve had tell me that this shoot was the most fun they’ve ever had on set. Ben and I strove to keep a very calm and jovial atmosphere, and I think that was definitely reciprocated by our team. It was really a wonderful atmosphere that I hope to be able to recreate on future projects.<p> <p><b>The $64-question of course, where can <i><a href="../movies/nieceday(2023).shtml">Niece Day</a></i> be seen?</b><p> <p>Right now we’re just hitting our stride on the festival circuit, so nowhere publicly quite yet. If you follow me on Facebook and Instagram at <i> jo.wilson12</i> I’ll post updates on festival and other viewings as they’re available!<p> <p><b>Anything you can tell us about audience and critical reception of <i><a href="../movies/nieceday(2023).shtml">Niece Day</a></i>?</b><p>  <p>The reception of <b><a href="../movies/nieceday(2023).shtml">Niece Day</a></b> has been very kind. It’s always rather nerve-racking to put your work and the work of your team out there, but we have received so much incredible support for the film. It’s been very fulfilling to watch the film with an audience and hear everyone laugh in the right places and “awww” in the spots you wanted them to “awww” in. The reviews we’ve had as well have been very positive, which has been quite a relief to me personally. I feel family-friendly films often fall victim of not being taken seriously, and to have the positive reviews we’ve had from both audiences and critics has been incredible in the sense that I appreciate our cast and crew’s talents and hard work being recognized by someone other than myself and Ben. Everyone has been very gracious!</p> <p> <p><b>Any future projects you'd like to share?</b><p> <p>This is always a terrifying question because if I put it in print it means it actually has to get made, so here goes nothing! I have a short called <b>Rumours</b> (produced by Ben Richardson) that we’re currently in the process of creating a crowd-funding campaign for to hopefully shoot early 2024. It’s period drama about two girls in 1690s New England who find themselves in a moral conundrum that leads either to crime or punishment with no easy out. It’s been a passion project in the works for quite a while now, so I’m excited to get it off the ground!<p> </p> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" width="255" align="left"> <tr> <td width="100%"><img border="0" src="../stills/marshmallows-poster.jpg" width="250" height="378"></td> </tr> </table> <p><b>What got you into filmmaking in the first place, and did you receive any formal training on the subject?</b> <p> </p> <p>I’ve always been a fan of movies. A lot of my family’s traditions growing up centered around the cinema—we’d go to the movies every Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. We even measured time by how many movies it would take to watch during that time span—vacation road trips weren’t “8 hours,” they were “about 4 movies” long on our little portable DVD player. One of my favorite VHS tapes to watch over and over again was a special feature called <b>The Making of ‘Jurassic Park’</b>, narrated by James Earl Jones, and I was fascinated by everything it took to make what was my favorite movie growing up. I still didn’t realize, though, that filmmaking was something you could do as a career. Until my senior year of high school, when I went to visit some actor friends of mine in Los Angeles. One of them was shooting a film at the time, and asked if I could hang out on set while she filmed for a few hours. I agreed, and had my eyes opened to what that process looked like. I got to talk to crew and realized that filmmaking was something obtainable, that people actually did it for work and not just art. I got home from my trip and switched my college plan immediately. I attended Oklahoma City Community College and received my degree in Digital Cinema Production, which was a very rewarding experience. It’s a very hands-on program that was very effective in preparing me for working in the industry and connecting me with so many people I’m lucky enough to still be working with years later—many of whom were a part of <b><a href="../movies/nieceday(2023).shtml">Niece Day</a></b>! </p> <p> <p><b>What can you tell us about your filmwork prior to <a href="../movies/nieceday(2023).shtml"><i>Niece Day</i></a>?</b><p>  <p>As a director, <b><a href="../movies/nieceday(2023).shtml">Niece Day</a></b> is my fourth short film (not counting the cringey student films hiding in my closet with a “do not open sign” on the door). My prior films <b>What People Are</b>, <b>Marshmallows</b> (co-written and co-directed with Ben Richardson) and <b>Garden Spells </b> all had satisfactory festival runs previously. <b>Garden Spells</b> actually showed at <i> San Diego International Comic-Con</i> last year as part of the <i> San Diego International Children’s Film Festival</i>, so it’s been a great experience to be a repeat filmmaker to such an awesome event. <b>What People Are</b> <i> </i>is available to watch on YouTube and was my capstone project as I graduated from film school. <b>Marshmallows</b> <i> </i>was a great experience in that it was the first time Ben and I worked that closely together on the same project in a creative capacity. I think it went rather well considering we’ve collaborated again on <b><a href="../movies/nieceday(2023).shtml">Niece Day</a></b>! </p> <p> <p><b>How would you describe yourself as a director?</b><p> <p>I’d say I’m rather simple, honestly. I like bringing on actors who can embody the character rather than only acting in the role, which allows me to just let them do their thing for the most part on set and watch them bring the scene to life while curating the environment around them. I think my job as a director is aligned with the role of bumper guards in bowling—if the actors are the ball going towards the goal of knocking down the pins, my job is to let them explore the lane and the world and gently keep them from going off the rails and into the gutter in the process. It’s guidance moreso than the authority I know some directors work with.<p> <p><b>Filmmakers who inspire you?</b><p> </p> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" width="205" align="right"> <tr> <td width="100%"> <p align="right"><img border="0" src="../stills/gardenspells-poster.jpg" width="200" height="313"></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="100%"><img border="0" src="../stills/phantom5x5.gif" width="5" height="5"></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="100%">  </td> </tr> </table> <p>Oh gosh, I’ll try to keep this response to a non-novel length. Spielberg, Sophia Coppola, and Wes Anderson. Spielberg has a way of combining the escapism that makes cinema so beautiful with a realistic emotional approach to character that still keeps his stories grounded. It’s such a delicate balance to strike that I believe he’s one of the very few to consistently execute. I could write an entire essay on this man, so I’ll keep it there. I love Sophia Coppola’s world-building—every film of hers feels like a hazy daydream yet is rooted in relatable characters and situations. I’ve never been a French queen (alas), but I can relate to every emotion in <b>Marie Antoinette</b>. She has a way of taking unattainable characters and making them actual human people. Wes Anderson is honestly a rather new obsession for me. I watched <b>Moonrise Kingdom</b> <i> </i>and<b><a href="../movies/asteroidcity(2023).shtml"> Asteroid City</a></b> back to back and am absolutely enamored with the way he takes these big, life-altering moments or beats and just… has them so casually delivered as to be easily missed. Lines of dialogue that reveal so much about a character’s past in one single sentence that in other movies would be a cue for swells of music and a push-in on an actor are simply spoken and moved on from. I think it’s the most realistic portrayal of life. We have the big things that happen to us, but it’s not like in the movies where the music builds and we get our close-up. The big moments happen, and life goes on. I’ll get off my soapbox now; thank you for letting me have my nerd moment!<p> <p><b>Your favourite movies?</b><p> <p>Oh boy… do you want the list alphabetically, or chronologically by release date? <b>Close Encounters of the Third Kind</b>, <b> Marie Antoinette</b>, <b> La La Land</b>, <b> Jurassic Park</b>, <b>Parasite</b>, <b> Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom</b> (don’t judge me), <b>Citizen Kane</b>, <b> Robin Hood</b> (<i><a href="../research/resultprodlinks.shtml?Walt Disney Productions">Disney </a></i> animated version),<b><a href="../movies/asteroidcity(2023).shtml"> Asteroid City</a></b>… in no particular order after <b>Close Encounters</b>. I could go on, but I’ll leave it at those for now!<p> <p><b>... and of course, films you really deplore?</b><p> <p>This is an unpopular opinion, so please don’t hate me. But I absolutely detest <b>Napoleon Dynamite</b>. I don’t necessarily think it’s a bad film, but it is most definitely not my cup of 1% milk…<p> <p><b>Your website, social media, whatever else?</b><p> <p>I’m on Facebook as <i> Jordan Wilson</i> and Instagram as <i>jo.wilson12</i>. What else are the kids on these days? I don’t have a TikTok, but you can find me on LinkedIn under my name. That’s about all the social media I can keep up with! Come say hi!<p> <p><b>Anything else you're dying to mention and I have merely forgotten to ask?</b><p> <p>I’m not a sports person so I’m not 100% certain how many bases there are in baseball (3?? Does the spot the batter stands count??), but I think you covered them all!<p> <p><b>Thanks for the interview!</b><p> <p>The pleasure is all mine, thank you!<p>  </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="592" valign="top" height="1%">  <SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JavaScript"> currentyear = "2010"; </SCRIPT> <SCRIPT language="JavaScript" src="../scripts/endcreditsart.js"></SCRIPT> <SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JavaScript"> dosworsdonn(); </SCRIPT> </td> </tr> </table> </div> </body>