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Your new series DC
Perspective Films - what can you tell us about its underlying
concept? The
underlying concept to my DC
Perspective Films series is to not only reinforce
the mythos of Batman,
Superman,
Flash and
Wonder
Woman, but to positively
affect my audience. I want people to remember what these heroes actually
mean, as well as feel empowered from tales of overcoming very relatable
adversities, such as drug addiction, suicide, xenophobia and depression.
These heroes aren’t saving the world from a global threat. They are
helping every day people with every day problems. And I think telling
these stories through the eyes of the people these heroes are saving makes
it all the more special. None of my heroes are doing anything cliché.
There are no witty oneliners, no heroic posing for the camera, no supervillains to battle. They are just there, helping an individual. And I
think it’s that angle, that “perspective” that makes these stories
stand out from your typical fan film. Why exactly DC
Comics characters? I’ve
always been a DC
fan, and I think that (if done right) DC
superheroes
represent the purest forms of what it means to be a hero. Marvel heroes
are fantastic, but none of them represent cut and dry themes like hope,
justice, truth and courage. Marvel
superheroes are thematically more
complex. And when you are trying to tell a simple story with a basic
theme, sometimes you need a more basic hero. DC’s A listers are just
that.
What were your inspirations
to make these films, and are any of the topics you touch based on personal
experience?
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The
inspirations for Batman
- Dante, Superman - Sylvia, The Flash: Wallace and Wonder Woman: Jacqueline are in no way based
on any of my personal experiences. If you haven’t guessed by now, all
the subtitles in these shorts are named after famous writers and poets.
The most obvious, Dante, is named after Dante Alighieri, author of the
14th century hit Inferno. Dante’s Inferno deals with traveling through
the various circles of Hell. When I originally wrote Batman
- Dante, I
knew I wanted to focus on a character overcoming his own personal Hell.
And as an homage, I named my Dante after the author that inspired the
story. Sylvia is named for Sylvia Plath, a famous 20th century writer who
would ultimately commit suicide. I knew I wanted to center a story based off the
All Star Superman comic scene where he stops a jumper, and keeping in line
with my author’s motif, I settled on naming her Sylvia. As for Wallace
and Jacqueline, if you want to know who they are named after, you’re
going to have to wait till their respective shorts are released.
Two of your DC
Perspective Films have already be filmed, Batman
- Dante and Superman - Sylvia - so do talk about them and
their respective shoots for a bit! Batman
-
Dante was made the summer of 2016, though the script was originally
written in 2010. The only reason why I never shot it back then was my lack
of access to a Batsuit. I had all but forgotten about the script, assuming
I would never make it till my friend sent me a photo of him in the Keaton
Batsuit. As soon as I learned he had unlimited access to it, I scrambled
to make Batman
- Dante happen as I knew I could not allow myself to miss an
opportunity to shoot a Batman
short with a legit Batsuit. Superman -
Sylvia was kind of the same way. After I released Batman
- Dante, I knew I wanted
to follow up with a Reeve Superman
movie, now that I had set the thematic
tone. But replica costumes were waaaay too expensive. I spent about a year
searching for a suit that I could afford, as well as a Christopher Reeve
lookalike, but with no luck. I even went as far as to email Chris’ son
Matt, asking if he wanted to do the part, but he never responded. It
wasn’t until I was filming Spider-Man: The Ballad of Mary Jane that I
revisited Superman -
Sylvia. My friend Tom Proprofsky mentioned he owned a Reeve
suit. And immediately upon showing it to me, I begged him to let me borrow
it. He agreed and from that moment, I was hardcore determined to cast and
shoot Superman -
Sylvia. And wouldn’t you know it, after a year of trying to find
the perfect Sylvia and Superman, I found both within a week. Sometimes
things just happen when they are ready to happen.
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So what do you have
in store for The Flash: Wallace and Wonder Woman: Jacqueline? The Flash: Wallace
will deal with xenophobia, and how a single moment can change someone’s
life - namely Wallace's, who, by the way, IS NOT WALLY WEST! Wonder Woman: Jacqueline
will
deal with self worth and finding the confidence you need to be the best
version of yourself.
Since
superheroes in comicbooks seem to change their looks and sometimes even
identities rather often of late, which incarnations of the respective DC
Comics characters do you base the heroes of your films on? Well
with these DC
Perspective Films, I am using the MOST iconic versions of each
character. Sure Bale and Affleck have great Batsuits, and everybody loves
Adam West, but when you think of the definitive movie Batman, you think of
Michael Keaton. Same with Superman. Christopher Reeve is and always will
be the best Man of Steel. Lynda Carter’s Wonder
Woman and John Wesley
Shipp’s Flash are in the same boat as well. I feel that using these
versions of those characters will allow for people to not get wrapped up
in the smaller details of the film. For example, at no point is anyone
going to make a neck snapping joke in my Sylvia film, because that’s not
what Christopher Reeve’s Superman
is about. Now don’t get me wrong,
I’ve done other versions of most of these characters, and in no way am I
married to any one particular iteration. The direction and message of my
story will always determine the hero’s look or “version”.
Superhero
movies demand a lot of action almost by definition - so what can you tell
us about that aspect of your story? The
best stories are told from the heart. Spectacle is great, but if it is
empty, if there is no heart, you are left with a forgettable film that
will vanish into obscurity. I don’t have the money to blow up a city
block if the mood fits me, so many times I am left with having to find
other creative solutions to entertaining my viewers. This of course is
where the challenge comes in - writing a good and entertaining story that
is still within my means to pull off. It’s for these reasons mainly that
I stay away from larger scale heroes like Superman. Usually in these
instances when I have to use an overpowered hero, I tend to strip them of
their powers, or put them in a situation where their powers mean nothing.
That way the audience still gets the thrill of seeing their favorite
characters in a scene, but at the same time, I don’t rob their favorite
characters of what makes them cool. For example, in 2010 I had Superman
appear in Die Laughing, in which he interrogates the Joker. We all know if
Superman
wanted to, he could vaporize the Joker with the blink of an eye.
But we also know that he won’t. Ever. The Joker knows this too, and
there-in creates the fun scene. Joker
is just pushing all his buttons and
there is virtually nothing Superman
can say or do to shut him up.
Do talk about your
directorial approach to your series, and will it have an overall look and
feel or will that change from story to story?
The
approach is, as I’ve said, about making people feel good, while at the
same time shining light on real problems in our world. The overall look
for each film will be the same. All four films will open with some
variation of a confessional from the sub-titular character, briefly
explaining their backstory, and leading into their life changing encounter
with the titular superhero. There will never be any sound of dialog in the
flashbacks, only action, coupled with music and narration. And at the end
of each film, hopefully you, the viewer, will be feeling something deep
and meaningful.
Anything
you can tell us about your cast/projected cast, and why exactly these
people? I
try to cast people who embody and or look like their Hollywood
counterparts. I think nailing the visual is incredibly important to me,
when it comes to casting superheroes. My Batman
looked like Keaton. My Superman
felt like Reeve. My Flash
looks like Shipp. And when I find my Wonder
Woman, she too will feel like Carter. As far as I know, you're currently running a
fundraiser for the rest of the episodes of DC
Perspective Films - so do talk about your campaign!
I am trying to raise a few extra bucks for costumes and props. Fan films
aren’t cheap to make, especially if you want them to be good.
If you would like to help, please go to
www.gofundme.com/classicdc
Once
the funds are raised, what's the schedule, and any idea when the films
might be released yet? They
will be released within days after being shot and edited. I work really
fast.
After this quartet of movies,
might there be any more DC
Perspective Films in the future, and/or other future projects
you'd like to share?
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I
don’t know about any other DC
Perspective Films films just yet. I think there is
only so much you can do before it gets redundant. I am however working on
a sequel to John Carpenter’s They
Live, which films this month. Not sure
what I will do after that. I guess we’ll find out together.
Your/your series' website,
Facebook, GoFundMe, whatever else? You
can learn more about me at
www.facebook.com/blinky500
www.youtube.com/blinky500
www.gofundme.com/classicdc
Anything else you're
dying to mention and I have merely forgotten to ask? I
hope you all took notes. There will be a quiz on this!
Thanks
for the interview!
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