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Your new movie Joe -
in a few words, what is it about?
Joe
is a romantic comedy pilot about a girl who gets fired from
corporate America and gets a job as a barista to tie herself over. She
meets the man of her dreams and lies about what she does for a living.
Turns out his favorite coffeeshop is also where she works. Why a romantic comedy,
is that a genre especially dear to you? I wrote this at a
time of great frustration that I needed joy in my life, so I wanted to
make something that made me happy. What were your
sources of inspiration when writing Joe?
And is any of it based on any personal experiences of yours? I
think to some degree, especially as an artist I've struggled in life with
people taking me seriously, and seeing that I'm more than what pays the
bills at the time. I was also very inspired by NYC as a whole and the
romance of that. What
were the challenges of making Joe
from a producer's point of view?
Money is always a challenge. I work on tiny budgets so
making the best film I can on the money is a huge challenge. With that we
were only allowed to use the coffeeshop after it closed, so we had to
shoot everything there in an overnight. What can you tell us about Joe's
director Kaye Tuckerman, and what was your collaboration with her like? Kaye
is a dream to work with. She's a bad-ass who has been in this business a
long time, and she really understands what I put on the page. We also work
really well together and riff off of each other. We both had a hand in
post and most of the time we were on the exact same page. She's also no
nonsense, which helps get things done.
with Bethany Nicole Taylor in Joe |
You
also appear in front of the camera in Joe
- so do talk about your character for a bit, and have you written her with
yourself in mind from the get-go?
It's funny. Often people would say why didn't you play
Jillian? My response is always because I am a Monica in this world! I
love playing the sassy friend roles and find them really fun. It's being
honest with myself and who in this world I would make sense as. What can you tell us about the rest of your cast, and
why exactly these people? This whole cast came from pulling
people I know and love and wanted to work with and I saw as right for
their role. It's a dream to get to work with your friends. A few words about the shoot as
such, and the on-set atmosphere?
The
set was really fun. It was like kismet. Everyone got along well and was
super professional to get everything done in time. When we were at the
coffee shop the actual coffee was flowing so we were all very caffeinated
throughout the night.
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with Kaye Tuckerman |
The $64-question of
course, where can Joe
be seen?
There
are two opportunities to see Joe
next and many more to come!
We
will be at The Hang onto Your Shorts Film Festival in Asbury Park, NJ on
4/22/18 and we will be at The Newport Beach Film Festival 4/26/18-5/3/18.
Anything you can tell us about audience and critical
reception of Joe
yet?
We premiered at Sedona International Film Festival. Our
first screening was sold out and the second was very packed. People seemed
to really enjoy it, and that makes my heart sing! Any future projects you'd like to share?
I
have a few projects in the works that are mine in addition to a lot of
other people's projects I'm acting in.
My
play Roughly Speaking is back in development with Rhymes Over
Beats and looking towards a 2020 run off-Broadway.
Joe
is really a pilot, with a whole pitch deck I would love to to turn into a
series, and I'm hoping to find a way to make that happen.
My
other short film The Red Lotus is heading into the festival circuit
soon, and I have a feature script version I've been working on that I
would like to find a way to make.
What
got you into acting in the first place, and did you receive any formal
training on the subject? I've been acting forever. I love
creating character and getting into why people think and feel and walk
around in their shoes and use that to effect people. I do have formal
training. I studied at Ithaca College, The National Theater
Institute,
Upright Citizens Brigade, Studio 5, and with various independent teachers
and workshops through the years. What can you tell us about your
filmwork prior to Joe?
As an actor I've been in a ton of film. I've also written
the films The Tupperware Party and Faustess. How would you describe yourself as an actress, and some
of your techniques to bring your characters to life?
I'm
a character actress. Comedy is my jam, but I love delving into roles with
deep vulnerability too.
I come from a very physical background so a ton of Stanislavsky's later
work really resonates with me. I've studied it all though, so different
things help with different roles. It's all a toolbox. In
recent years, you have also branched out into writing and producing - why
is that, and do talk about the films you've written and produced prior to Joe
for a bit?
As a creator there is something really fulfilling about
being creatively responsible for the work I want seen in the world. As an
actor I tell other people's stories, and I love that, but there's
something special about the characters that dance around in my head and
bring them to life. It's like a kid with an art project, the sense of I
created that. It also is really empowering to create work for other people
while you are creating opportunities for yourself. Too often people sit
around and wait for their career to happen, and in my business anymore you
just can't do that. Besides making movies, you also do a lot of stagework,
right? So what can you tell us about that aspect of your career?
There's
something really magical about the stage. It's immediate. It's visceral,
and once it's over it doesn't exist. Today with people snapping away with
their iPhones and clung to saving things it's beautiful to make something
that lives only now and demands your attention because in the next moment
it will be gone. Theatre also has a fun element of danger to it which gets
your heart pumping because no matter what you rehearsed, anything can
happen. I love doing a great play. Actresses,
writers, filmmakers, whoever else who inspire you? So many
people! Right now I'm really inspired by the people in my industry making
their own way. Reese Witherspoon, Margot Robbie, Greta Gerwig, Lena
Dunham, Mindy Kaling. Your
favourite movies?
Willy
Wonka and The Chocolate Factory (old school), Fame, Almost
Famous.
... and of course, films you really
deplore?
Well...
I hate saying this, but The Knight Of Cups was really hard for
me to watch. It might be someone else's thing, but it really wasn't mine.
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Your/your movie's website, Facebook, whatever
else?
www.SharaAshleyZeiger.com
www.theplatformgroup.org/JOE
www.facebook.com/platfomgroup
www.facebook.com/SharaAshleyZeigerFanpage
@SharaAshleyZ
(Twitter and Instagram)
@PlatformGroup
(Twitter and Instagram)
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Anything else you're dying to mention and I have
merely forgotten to ask? The Platform Group is my
entity where I produce my own work. All of my projects live in the same
place. See you at the movies or at the theater! Thanks for the interview!
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