Jake Kennedy is currently working on directing his third film, “Reversal”, but needs your help. Jake is using the website, Kickstarter to try and get the film started. He was even able to secure some great talent for the film including Danny Trejo and Vinnie Jones. Movie Mikes had a chance to ask Jake a few questions about his career and his process for making his latest film.
Mike Gencarelli: You have done quite a bit of work in the horror genre is that one of your favorites?
Jake Kennedy: Pretty much. I went crazy for horror as a kid. I think the defining moment for me was at 10. I was at a boarding school and I took a friend home for the weekend. We watched “The Exorcist”, then that night back at the school, 2am he awoke screaming and freaking out from nightmares. It happened for three more nights. It woke most people up in the school. It was like he was having his toenails ripped off. I thought at the time: ‘holy shit, that movie fucked him up, I want to do that!’, or something like that.
MG: Going from directing short films to your first feature “Days of Darkness”, what was your biggest challenge?
JK: The biggest challenge was working with 2 producers who were also the financers. They had 
their ideas, I had mine. But they hired me to do a job (write, direct and put my vision on the screen), and that was tough at times. But it made me stronger as a film maker. Baptism of fire I call it. Working with a studio now will be a piece of cake!
MG: How was it working with such great talent like Michael Rooker, Tony Tood and James Duval in your second film “Penance”?
JK: A dream. Apart from people like Rooker being just about the nicest and thoughtful guy, the rest were fantastic. My first day, first scene was with Tony. That was quite intimidating. The first few takes were a battle of the wills. But I had to lay down the law about what I wanted, and then he accepted me as a director and we are now good friends. We recently spent a wonderful Halloween together drinking fine whiskey in Vegas. I was there with him (and Ken Foree) at the Palms watching all the amazing women walking past in their outstanding costumes talking film shit. Then I had to pinch myself and I remember thinking – ‘I’m here in Vegas, on Halloween, with the fucking CANDYMAN!’ It’s a geek film lovers moment that I have been very lucky to experience. James was great too.
MG: Tell us the process for how you came up with the scripts for your two films?
JK: Days was one of those surreal moments where I sat down with one of the producers and he said: I want to hire you to write a zombie film. All I ask is that everyone is drunk, killing zombies 
at the end of the film’. So that kind of set the tone, and everything I wrote had to gear up to that last scene making sense in the context of the film. Hence it’s a little out there and a little B-Movie-esque. But I embraced that, had my tongue firmly in cheek, and still laugh when I watch the final film, as we achieved our desired outcome! For “Penance”, I had the end goal of creating a bloody little film with extreme moments of nastiness, with the sole intention of selling it to Dimension Extreme. Then when I was in Australia, I read about this character that was just unearthed who was an OBGYN who mutilated the privates of over 300 women and was never caught (until then). That set the tone and the basis for “Penance”.
MG: Tell us about your latest film “Reversal”?
JK: It’s more of a psychological action thriller (I’m going more mainstream!). Think “The Strangers” crossed with “Memento”. So it has that non linear approach like “Memento”, but with the tension and dread of “The Strangers”. It’s basically like my first film: ‘We All Fall Down’ that was very successful for me (13 international awards), but without the creepy Asian ghost girl.
MG: How did you you get Vinnie Jones and Danny Trejo involved?
JK: Danny was as simple as working with my casting agent for “Penance” who knows him. He really responded to the script. Vinnie is a wish list actor. I wrote the role for him. I’ll be approaching him when the film’s funded. Eve Mauro was in “Penance” and loves the script too.
MG: Tell us about your process with the website, Kickstarter?
JK: Basically, I like the idea of taking more control over my destiny. To apply that to film making, that means being more in control, not just creatively, but over the funding and distribution process. But of course that’s very hard to do with this traditional model we are all 
working within right now. So I tried to think outside the box and work out the best ways to utilize the power of the internet to make the changes I wish to see with my next film. No small feat. Then a friend sent me a link to a short he was raising $10k for through Kickstarter. And he was successfully funded. Then I thought – wow. This is the future. But we will all need to change our model of film making to accommodate the way Kickstarter allows us to take control. And I mapped out a plan that is almost internet textbook – create a community around the film. Get people involved in the process and also the film making. Make it their film as much as yours. That’s why people can write lines for Danny Trejo, write music for the film, act in it and even write and direct a scene in it. It’s out there. And I have 23 days to get people to buy into the idea and get them on board.
MG: What is your next step once your film gets funded?
JK: Then it’s straight into pre-production – 4 weeks of hard work with a 2 week shoot. I wrote the script to be shot for $100k. one location, 4 actors. So the budget won’t be a constraint. Vinnie Jones’ day rate might be though!
MG: How can people help?
JK: If you like my films or really just like films or want to be involved in a Hollywood film, or just get experience on a real film or just get a credit etc, then spread the word on Twitter, Facebook. If people like the idea, all they need to do is post something like: check this out etc. My plan will only work if people tell their friends and they then tell their friends. I don’t have millions of dollars to drive traffic to Kickstarter. So I am trying to harness that social media power, and I need your help!
Click here to help Jake’s film “Reversal” get made