DENNIS DEVINE INTERVIEW!

20 Questions with Dennis Devine

1. How did you get your start making movies?

While an undergrad at Eastern Michigan University, I was the entertainment Editor of the school paper and headed toward a path as a film critic. Growing up with a passion for films, I was seeing everything (for free) to review, more than four films per week. I hit a really bad stretch of films that peaked with a low budget stinker called 20TH CENTURY OZ. I would say this picture was largely responsible for me getting into filmmaking. It still stands as the worst film I have ever seen. It was so bad that I said to myself, "why am I sitting here reviewing other people's crummy films? I could show up to a set right now and make a better film than this." So I took every film class the school had to offer, but it wasn't enough. So I went through the Loyola Marymount graduate film program. There I met many of the guys I still work with. Steve Jarvis and Mike Bowler have been my partners in low budget filmmaking since then. I have also had occasion to work with Gary Tarpinian, who married another LMU grad and formed their own successful production company called MORNINGSTAR. Lisa Kridos became a Producer who hooked me up with Linda Blair and we NEARLY got a film made with her. And another good friend from LMU, Keith Davis, went the studio route. He was instrumental in my landing an agent early in my career. She quit the business shortly after I signed though (hope it wasn't anything I said to her), so I am still working in the lower (very low) levels of the movie biz. BEFORE that agent, though, came my first film, FATAL IMAGES, made in 1989. Mike Bowler and I used to write films for lousy low budget filmmakers (for anywhere from 100 to 500 bucks per script). Steve Jarvis said to me one day, "why are you working so hard writing someone else's shit? Why don't you make your own film? It would have to be better than this guy's crap." And I thought - "he's right." So Steve, Mike, a DP friend (with equipment) and I made our first film. We each put in about a quarter of the $10,000 budget. We shot it on 3/4 inch video and were lucky enough to have the outstanding Gabe Bartalos (who went on to do the LEPRECHAUN films, BASKET CASE II and many other biggies) do the effects. He was a Rick Baker assistant at the time. Despite all the film school training, I really cut my teeth on that film, which is largely unwatchable to me today. I used a lot of friends in smaller parts and learned quickly that that is a huge mistake. There are plenty of talented actors in Los Angeles who are looking for experience and a credit. Steve, Mike and I wrote the script and I directed and edited it. From that point on, I was hooked. So if you are just starting out, here's my advice - film school teaches you some things and is a tremendous place to network, but if you really want to make films, you need to take the plunge and make one. That's how you'll learn the most.

2. How many movies have you made?

I have worked on many movies, I truly have lost count. Maybe over 30 in some capacity. But I suppose I have made a major contribution to: FATAL IMAGES, DEAD GIRLS, HELL SPA, SORORITY HOUSE VAMPIRES, THINGS, HAUNTED, THINGS II, DECAY, AMAZON WARRIOR, VAMPIRE TIME TRAVELERS, VAMPIRES OF SORORITY ROW, MERCHANTS OF DEATH, BABIES MAKE MUSIC, KIDS MAKE MUSIC TOO and the soon to be released features: VAMPIRE NIGHT, CLUB DEAD and BLOODSTREAM. If someone looks at these films closely, patterns will emerge that often point to me (blame or credit). Anyone who has made a film knows, these become your children. And if you have enough children, you'll find that some make you proud, some drive you crazy, but you still love them all. Also, I have made 100s of medical videos that have been released internationally and I have made a handful of commercials.

3. What is your favorite genre to work in and why?

The genres I have worked in include: educational, horror, action, comedy, and "erotic" thriller. I enjoy the diversity, but I must admit I enjoy horror films the most. By far. As a filmmaker, this genre allows you the most freedom. You can go for a laugh, a tear, a thrill - your choice. You can go big, you can go small. The sky is the limit. As a director, a horror film gives you the greatest opportunity to flex your abilities. Some of my friends think that I am into horror because I film so many gross surgeries. But I think it is because I enjoy creating the thrills. When I was young, my father got me into a theater to see THE EXORCIST. I was blown away by how it effected the audience - and me. Next to 20TH CENTURY OZ, this is my most influential film one of the big reasons I love making horror films so much.

4. Do you have a favorite production you worked on?

I have enjoyed different aspects of each of the productions I have worked on. If I had to pick the smoothest feature in terms of filming, I'd go with the first THINGS movie. Dave Sterling produced it and this was his first film. He did an excellent job making sure everything was ready when it needed to be. And it was the first film I worked on with Craig Incardone as the Director of Photography. Craig and I have worked on several films since and we developed a great rapport. And while the actors may have not been the most talented that I have worked with, they worked very hard for me and I believed we all developed a bond that isn't always there with the director and the entire cast. Mike Tristano, who has gone on to direct a number of features, did the special effects. We had a blast making the little monster go. Mike was very open - he even let me pull the wires sometimes. The shooting days ran about 12 hours and we developed a consistency and flow that is rare on these lower budget shoots. If I had to pick the film I had the most fun on, that would be easy - VAMPIRES OF SORORITY ROW. It was shot in only four days (all less than 9 hour days), but the cast was a blast to work with. They understood that this was campy to the max and they ran with it big time. Rarely would I say that it is fun to shoot a film. I enjoy pre-production and editing tremendously. But the shooting days are typically 30 hours of work crammed into a 10 to 12 hour day, where many things can and do go wrong. I believe that if you want to make a very good film with a low budget, that you must be aware of this. There will be moments you enjoy, but making a film is a lot of hard work. Somehow VAMPIRES OF SORORITY ROW managed avoid any level of stress despite the time constraints and other minor problems. For example, one of the lead actresses failed to show up on the first day of filmming. I reached her by phone and she said she couldn't come, she forgot that it was today. The art director, who had never acted, stepped up and played the part and she was better than the actress she replaced. And more fun to work with. Maybe it was just dumb luck, but man was I all smiles that day.

5. What does your typical budget look like?

The budgets I have filmed with range from about $2,000 to $100,000, though I was in pre-production at Vision International on a 1 Million dollar feature and have been attached to films ranging from $500,000 to 5 million. I had a director's agent for a while and was attached to a Mike Bowler script that was shopped around with a 5 million dollar budget. It made the rounds a few places, but no one bit hard enough to get the green light. Since I have made budgets of every kind, I can say this about them - they're not always what they seem. The Hollywood Legend about EL MARRIACCI is that it was made for $7,500. That's how much it costs to buy film and process it. So what does that mean? The producer of the film didn't pay to feed anyone. He didn't have to pay for equipment or actors or crew. He didn't pay to run off copies of the script. He didn't pay for locations, or permits, or insurance, or hotels, or music, or legal fees, or - you get the picture. Low budgets are more noteworthy for who and what you don't pay for rather than what you do have to cover. The EL MARRIACCI budget was really misleading, though, because once the studio picked it up, they cleaned up the sound, made a 35mm negative, made new prints, etc. Do you think they got away with not paying anyone? Am I making a point? Yes, it is that sometimes my $5,000 budget is really a bigger budget than my $10,000 budget because I got away with not paying for more people and things. If you know someone who has a great location and another person who has some equipment, and someone who writes great music, well, what are you waiting for? Make a film!

6. Do you ever feel restricted by your budgets?

I always feel restricted by my budgets! In some of my films I haven't had the budget for an art director. That's rough because they give you so much value to the dollar. That's what low budget filmmaking is all about really, trying to get the most out of each buck. Art direction is a visual necessity in nearly every film. To scrimp on it is almost always fatal. The format I shoot on is always dictated by budget. For the time being, it is necessary to shoot on film to guarantee foreign sale interest and a chance at a cable sale. But if you don't have at least $25,000 or $30,000, you can't begin to consider shooting on film (unless you can pull off another EL MARRIACCI, which most people, myself included, can't). And we're talking 16mm film with that budget. Also, I have encounter the catch 22 with "name" talent. Distributors and/or backers have demanded the casting of a name actor who can help sell the project. But this requires a SAG (actor's union) budget, which brings costs up significantly. And it leads to the inevitable debate over how much of a "name" this actor is anyway. Backers often expect you to land someone like Sylvestor Stallone on your shoestring budget. And even then, they'll say something like "you know, Sly hasn't really done anything since RAMBO." Budgets can make you crazy. But it's all part of the great challenge.

7. Do you finance everything yourself?

The financing for my films has come from a wide range of sources. As I mentioned, I funded my first film along with 3 partners who were all getting a decent credit off the film. For the second film, we held many fund raising meetings for potential investors. My partner Steve Jarvis is highly skilled at presenting numbers - meaning he can put together grosses on similar films and make an awesome proposal. We raised most of the budget this way, largely from people known to us. Many of the films I have directed have been financed by an outside company. Ray Storti and Scarborough Films raised money (all from outside investors, I believe) for AMAZAON WARRIOR. They put on a great show for potential investors, including clips from attached talent and a live Amazon Warrior battle. Sometimes my partners and I have taken money from one film and rolled it into another. Often, we do throw some of our own money into a film, as well. When I put money into a film and it doesn't show a decent return, I consider it a "hobby" film. Some people go fishing, some go skiing, my hobby is making films. But I make enough money on the films to keep going. There are times I work as a straight hired gun - but those are typically the films I have less input on. My advice to others would be to go ahead and fund one film on your own, but after that, look for outside funding or roll the money from your first film into the next one.

8. What has been your most rewarding experience since you began making movies?

I don't have one rewarding moment that stands out when it comes to making films. It's more like a series of highlights: Seeing my first film in a video store. Collecting the first pay check (my first film did quite well because the direct-to-video market was MUCH stronger back in 1989). Working with certain actors like Angela Eads, Peter Tomarken, Tommy Kirk, Robert Z'Dar, J.J. Rodgers, Jimmy Jerman, Ray Storti, Kathryn Glass and Suzanne Talhoulk. These are the actors who give you everything they've got. They help shape that way you work. There have been times while working with my partners Steve and Mike that we have achieved a higher level of filmmaking. Typically a great day of shooting, or maybe just a great scene, or even just an inspired shot. Like the opening shot in DEAD GIRLS. The ghost flashback in HAUNTED. The opening and final fight scenes in AMAZON WARRIOR. Three of the kill sequences in our upcoming BLOODSTREAM. Those are definite highlights.

9. What has been your most frustrating?

Many people whose opinions I respect tell me that DEAD GIRLS is my best film. But it was BY FAR the most difficult and frustrating film I have worked on. BLOODSTREAM was the second most frustrating, but I believe it may end up being my best film. So frustration isn't necessarily bad - well, at least long after you get over it. We shot for nearly 14 straight days on DEAD GIRLS. It was on film, with my largest crew. And these guys were extremely gifted, from USC. The DP, Aaron Schneider has gone on to film KISS THE GIRLS and SIMON BIRCH. While he is unbelievably talented, it was difficult to get him to work fast enough to cover the entire script in two weeks. Looking back on it, the script was too long to shoot while maintaining the quality we were after. And that was my fault, not his. But it was frustrating trying to get a guy who was taking the time to light and shoot outstanding shots to rush his work. I learned a great deal from the experience and grew because of it. But I liked Aaron and regret the way it went. I brought another DP in for 3 more days to finish the shooting. It is the only time I have been forced to shoot longer than I planned. We shot mostly in Lancaster, California and it SNOWED on the day we were supposed to shoot in the barn we needed to film in. SNOW IN CALIFORNIA. We had to pay some guy 50 bucks to clear a path to the barn. And we shot a scene where a woman in a bikini is strangled in the lake. And it was FREEZING. We got one take with the actress. But I needed one more shot. So we put the makeup artist in the same bikini and she did the shot for us an even did an extra shot of her body floating. Half the crew got colds, the other have got pneumonia, myself included. I lost 20 pounds in two weeks. But hey, the film was really good.

10. You shoot everything on film(correct me if I am wrong); What are your thoughts on the so called "Digital Revolution"?

Some of my features have been shot on film, and others on video. Aside from FATAL IMAGES, the video features have all been Beta SP. The last two films I have worked on have been shot in high end digital. They are VAMPIRE NIGHT, directed by Jason Stephens, and BLOODSTREAM, which I co-wrote and co-directed with Steve Jarvis. I was the DP on both films, though we hired Craig Incardone (our ringer) to DP for three days on BLOODSTREAM. He shot some incredible footage. I believe the higher end digital cameras are MUCH BETTER than what's available in analogue video. I have been shooting with the Panasonic AG200, with the FRAME mode that gives the film quality look. It is obviously much cheaper to shoot on Digital video, but until the cable stations will consider this format, film is still the way to go, if you can afford it. And the lower end (consumer) digital video cameras don't have the lenses to compete with the better professional analogue video cameras. The thing about a cable sell, is that it can justify your budget in one second. The day they recognize the quality of Digital, the day all of us ultra low budget filmmakers can celebrate!

11. Do you typically work with the same core team?

Yes, I often work with a core group. I have mentioned Steve Jarvis and Mike Bowler who have had something to do with nearly every film I have worked on. And Jason Stpehens and I have worked on several films together in various capacities. I believe Jason is a very promising young director who makes really good films at this level. I see him moving up fast. His soon to be released VAMPIRE NIGHT is extremely entertaining. Al Weigand is another behind the scenes crew guy always lending a hand. I have mentioned Craig Incardone, who has been my DP on nearly 10 features.

12. How does this help you?

It helps to work with a core group in that the production moves faster. For example, I have worked with Craig so often, that I can just say get a few shots of the bad guy chasing this actress and I don't have to check his framing, I know exactly how he will shoot it and he knows exactly what I want. This has not been the case when I have worked with a cameraman for the first time. I find myself constantly checking spending time checking framing. It's logical that all the crew who repeats their functions take on well defined roles from production to production and things go more smoothly. The same is true for actors and actresses. I have worked with several actors many times and they need less direction and they understand my approach to the point where things run like clockwork. When you look at an actor who has appeared in more than one of my films, like a Kathryn Glass or Jimmy Jermain, you can assume that this is a person who shows up on time, knows his or her lines and has a strong work ethic - in addition to being talented. And a personality that accommodates the rigors of low-budget filmmaking. Any director would kill to find these qualities and it only makes sense to work this kind of gem into a film whenever possible.

13. You have access to a wonderful talent pool; How do you meet such wonderful people? (casting calls, friends, etc?)

How do I cast? Well, I already mentioned that I re-cast talented and reliable actors as often as they will permit. So many times I have a portion of the cast decided before pre-production. After that, I run a notice in BackstageWest/DramaLogue and hold auditions. I believe that auditions are critical to the success of a film. Many things are important to a film's success, but nothing is more important than the performances. I learned early in my film career that it is a huge mistake to cast a friend in even a small part. Friends as extras or a character who says maybe one line may cut it, but if you commit to a friend and this friend is less than acceptable, your film suffers tremendously. There are many, many excellent actors who want the work, even if you are offering little pay, provided you are giving a credit and quality tape for a demo reel. I can't stress how important it is to give the actors tape. In fact, I usually offer to make a demo reel for them. If you treat actors with the respect they deserve - avoid working many long hour days, feed them well, solicit their input etc., you will begin to create a reputation as someone good to work for. I believe that for the most part, I have had very good performances in my film. And while I have had something to do with that, casting was my major contribution. I've been lucky to work with many talented actors who have made my job easy.

14. How do you find it working with those considered to be celebrities?

Most of the actors I work with are not famous. Tommy Kirk was a wildly successful child star (SHAGGY DOG, OLD YELLER, FLUBBER, etc.). And Robert Z'Dar has major credits (TANGO AND CASH). I've worked with Maria Ford. And I have made sports videos with some of the top athletes in golf (Arnold Palmer, and well, everyone), baseball (all the Dodgers and other team's stars), skating, basketball, hockey, tennis and football. So come to think of it, I guess I have worked with celebrities. I guess I have been lucky because these people have all acted like every day people around me. They were all very professional and courteous. I have worked with a couple of prima donnas, however, but they were not celebrities. They just thought they were. So my observation is this: it is not necessarily stardom that makes the celebrity difficult. When you hear about the actor who's a nightmare to work with, it's just a matter of a difficult person becoming successful.

15. Can you tell us about your current project?

There are three projects that I am working on presently. CLUB DEAD was a film that I co-wrote and am just finishing the last touches of editing. It was directed by Mike Bowler and features Tommy Kirk. I believe it is an outstanding film with lots of production value. It will be the next film available from Cinematrix Releasing, with an April street date. My partner and I are editing BLOODSTREAM, which I believe may turn out being the best film I have worked on. We hope to have it released by June at the latest. And as I speak, I am working on VAMPIRES OF SORORITY ROW II. While the first one was shot in 4 days, this one has a luxurious 8 day shoot. The cast is made up of super talented and hysterically funny actors (in my opinion) so I am having a riot shooting it.

16. Who will be/is in it?

BLOODSTREAM and VAMPIRES OF SORORITY ROW II both star Kathyrn Glass, Joey Day (MOD SQUAD), Suzanne Talhoulk (THE MAN SHOW) and Jill Martin. There are many talented actors in both films. Some of the cast members who are making repeat performances for me include: Jimmy Jermain, Rita Fiora, Christian Catlain, and Les Sekely.

17. What is the most exciting part for you?

The most exciting part of making a film for me is the editing. This is when it all comes together. A close second is the casting and rehearsals. This process is like making the characters come alive, become 3D. It's magical to see actors attempt to bring life to these characters. Some fail, some go off in an unexpected and often pleasantly surprising direction, and others go beyond what I could've possibly imagined. There are moments of each day of shooting that is priceless to me as well. I believe that if I had the luxury of bigger locations and a larger crew, and more shooting days so that I wouldn't have to rush, I would enjoy shooting as much as editing or casting.

18. Who are your idols/influences and how do they affect your work?

I like Alfred Hitchcock, Steven Spielberg and James Cameron and will see anything that the three have made or will make. I like them because they have mastered this process so well and they can put something on the screen visually that is a notch above everyone else. But they don't influence me because I can't afford to do what they do. Wes Craven has had more of an impact on my films because I have studied his work so closely. He understands how to shoot suspense sequences better than anyone else. Sadly, I think he has become bored shooting them and would rather make dramas or camp up his horror films. The last truly inspirational scene he shot was the opening of the first SCREAM. It's textbook scare stuff that anyone interested in making a horror film should study. The first NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET is an entire library of horror filmmaking.

19. What can we expect to see from Dennis Devine in the future?

The near future is filled up for me so far, preparing for the releases of CLUB DEAD, then BLOODSTREAM, then VAMPIRES OF SORORITY ROW II. Since in addition to editing them and doing the sound mixes, I photograph and create the boxes, my time is solidly booked up. However, I am working on another horror trilogy script and hope to draw in the usual suspects to help me out. I'm looking to get an actor with some name recognition and shoot it on film.

20. What is your best recommendation to the newbies out there?

If I had to give one piece of advice to someone starting out, it would be to make what you really want to make. I teach two film courses and I always try to drive this home to students. I like horror films, otherwise I wouldn't be making them. If you are going to put all of your sweat and money into a project, it should be something you enjoy doing. Don't make a horror film just because you think you can sell one like BLAIR WITCH. I run into many people who will do this. A second tip is to make something for nothing or next to nothing first so you can understand the process. Make a 3 minute feature on your camcorder before spending $100,000 on a feature. When you're starting out, it's hard to grasp how difficult it is to make a successful film (I define a successful film as one someone can watch without fast-forwarding). Good luck!

To learn more about Dennis Devine and his films visit

http://www.unknownproductions.com

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