Sick Puppies’ Shim Moore talks about band’s latest album “Connect”

Shim Moore is the guitarist/vocalist for the Australian rock group Sick Puppies. The group appeared in the 2009 documentary “Rock Prophecies” which followed the career of acclaimed music photographer Robert Knight. The film played heavily in to the bands continued success and they are set to headline this year’s Revolver Magazine “Hottest Chicks Tour” which also will feature Lacuna Coil, Eyes Set to Kill and Culver. Media Mikes had the chance to speak with Shim about the bands appearance in the film, the group’s latest album “Connect” and what he’s most looking forward to about getting back on the road.

Adam Lawton: Can you tell us about the bands involvement with Revolver Magazines “Hottest Chicks” tour?
Shim Moore: Revolver has done a couple spreads on the band and they have always been real advocates for us. We also were fans of the magazine so when they came to us with the offer of doing a girl branded tour we were all in. I am looking forward to seeing all of the bands on this tour and it’s going to be a really great time.

AL: How have things changed for the band since being featured in “Rock Prophecies”?
SM: It’s sort of funny how that all worked. The film was made during the time that we were in the process of building our fan base. It was finally released until 2 years after that. By the time the film was released we were actually do better compared to how we looked in the film. People had started to hear of us when they saw the film so it has helped people find out about by more than just hearing one of our songs. Some people found out about us through the film or the heard that we were in the film and decided to watch it. We sort of helped each other in a way. It was great being able to do that because it documented that time in our lives. Without it we probably wouldn’t have anything from that time because it was so chaotic.

AL: Was it hard having the cameras around during such a chaotic time in the bands career?
SM: Not really. They would shoot a couple days at a time and then leave for a bit. It wasn’t very intensive. They would come out and shoot a gig and do some interviews then leave to film some of the other bands seen in the film.

AL: Can you tell us about the work that went in to the bands most recent release “Connect”?
SM: With this album we knew we wanted to make a more song oriented record. We really got in to the song writing element when we were first building things. Once we had a few songs that seemed to be a step up from our previous work is when we decided to really spend that extra time on the record. We went in with around 100 songs and worked on them for about a year. When it came time to start producing we didn’t do a lot of layering we just played until it sounded good and once it sounded great we would stop. We wanted to have more of a classic feel. The band is always going to sound like the band as we know what to do and with the latest record we wanted to add another level to that.

AL: The United States can sometimes be difficult for bands from other countries to break into. Did your band ever experience any difficulties being from Australia?
SM: I think it was actually the opposite for us. Australia is very nit-picky and has a very specific attitude towards what music they are going to embrace. There has to be this sort of cool factor even though it’s not based on what is really cool. It’s more about looking like you don’t give a fuck. If you look like your trying to be more than you are then everyone thinks you are trying too hard or faking it. America is the total opposite. They want to see what you’ve got. We moved over to the States to be the biggest band we could be. We wanted to play everywhere we could and evolve as a band. It’s a much more genuine give and take in the U.S. If you put something out and people like it they buy it. If you do a show people come and check it out. Some people don’t even realize were from Australia because of how we have chosen to do things.

AL: What other plans does the band have for this year?
SM: We are working on releasing the next single off the record. That’s going to be the title track “Connects”. From there were going to be out on the Revolver tour until March and then we head overseas for most April. We are in talks for more touring later this year and fans who want to see where we will be they can check out the bands website at www.sickpuppies.com

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Interviews, Music Interviews Tagged With: album, bands, connect, latest, moore, puppies, ...

Mark McGrath talks about hosting truTV’s reality series “Killer Karaoke”

Photo Credit: truTV

Mark McGrath is known best as the front man of the rock band Sugar Ray. McGrath is also known for his work as a co-host of “Extra”, and he was the host of “Don’t Forget the Lyrics!”. Mark is taking over the role of host in truTV’s hit reality series “Killer Karaoke”, which premieres February 20th. Media Mikes had a chance to chat about the show with Mark and find out what can we expect.

Mike Gencarelli: You are no stranger to hosting; what drew you in for “Killer Karaoke”?
Mark McGrath: It was a slam dunk for me, honestly. It involves performances, karaoke and live animals. That is just the perfect triad for me. I said “I am in! It sounds like a typical night in the 90’s for me” [laughs]. I had seen the show last season and I was a big fan of it as well. It is interesting that when I first saw the show, I thought to myself that it was such a great hosting gig. Then I literally got a call two months later. It was just a no brainer. A good buddy of mine, Tony Yates, is the CEO of the production company, Zodiac and I worked with him before on “Don’t Forget the Lyrics”. I was always impressed with the way that Tony puts a show together. I spoke to Tony and he said the show was “Killer Karaoke” and I said “I’m in! Where do I sign?”

Mike: This show is very funny, I wouldn’t be able to not crack up if I was hosting…
Mark: I knew the show was going to be funny Mike, like I said I’m a fan but I was doubling over in laughter the entire season. I was ruining takes because I would just keep laughing and they would have to start over. It was so funny. The contestants are amazing. I think that the thing I took away most from the show was how funny it actually is watching the show in real-time and that the contestants can really sing. All of them sing better than I do [laughs]. That is the scary part, I am not kidding you! [laughs].

Mike: Tell us about the fresh, new format and how it differs from season one?
Mark: I think they really brought in some geniuses to increase the gameplay and really get you involved with these contestants and get an emotional component for them. The show just seems to have a little more gravitas now. Steve-O hosted the first season (read our interview here) and those were huge shoes to fill. He was a perfect match for this show, so I am honored to take the torch from him and carry on.

Photo Credit: truTV

Mike: What kind of hilarious and unexpected challenges the contestants can we expect from this season?
Mark: I think what is great about this show is that it is all about spontaneity. You never know what is around the corner. The contestants never know what they are facing. But they know that there will be a fear element. One of their biggest fears will be met. You throw a little bit of karaoke in there with a live audience and it is quite the fun afternoon. When you have live animals…you cannot control them. I am looking at the side of the stage and I am seeing 300lb animal handlers. I am wondering “What are those guys for” and then I look around and you see camel heads, snakes and spiders backstage. You just wonder “What are we in for today?” It is fun because you not only have the fear element but it is mixed with the surprise element and the laughter element. You never know what is going to happen. Then on top of all that you have to sing….on key. I think that is what makes this show so great, anything can happen…and it usually does.

Mike: I tell you one thing Mark, in the episode I watched this season, a contestant had to sing in a helmet full of spiders…I do not do spiders man [laughs].
Mark: Listen Mike, I don’t blame you dude. Let’s just say people literally come face to face with their greatest fears. Some of the things that these contestants have to deal with that you wouldn’t think would be to intimidating like Canadian Geese, let’s just say, you would be surprised. If you get two of them together in little pen, they start making these shrieks and it’s crazy. But they are wild animals man and you can’t forget that. These animals get treated really well man. In fact they get treated better than I do man, they kicked me out of my dressing room to bring in the Canadian Geese [laughs]. The earth has provided us with some pretty incredible creatures and “Killer Karaoke” is happy to put them on a TV show.

Photo Credit: truTV

Mike: How do you think you would do if you were put in these contestants’ shoes?
Mark: I am the biggest baby. This is something I found out about doing this show [laughs]. I am afraid of everything. I think “I am a man. I can handle this. I toured in the 90’s. I lived on a bus with 10 guys for 12 years. I HAVE SEEN IT ALL! Bring it on!” But I would never put my hand in a scorpion pit, no matter how much money is attached on the back of the scorpion. I am not grabbing it off the back of the SCORPION! I do not think that there is one challenge that I would do. There is one called “Leader of the Pack”, which is a dog challenge. It is the scariest thing to see those dogs running at you full force. Even with the protective suit on it would be very intimidating. I would be terrible man. I am afraid when I see a cockroach at night and I run. I am not kidding you. [laughs].

Mike: Lastly, on a musical note; please tell me you are planning to come back to the Eat to the Beat Concert series during Epcot International Food and Wine Festival this year?
Mark: Oh Mike, that is one of the things that I look forward to most all year. I have had the good fortune of playing there four years in a row now. It is interesting, when I first started playing my wife was pregnant and now last year, I brought my kids up on the stage, which is so cool for me. It is so much fun. I love coming down to Disney World for a week and spending the time with the kids and just having fun during the day and then getting to play three shows at night to some killer crowds. It is so much fun. So I am standing by the phone and I hope to be there again this year!

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Interviews, TV Interviews Tagged With: hosting, karaoke, killer, mark, mcgrath, reality, ...

Yusry Kru talks about directing “Vikingdom”

Yusry Kru may not be a name you recognize but he is making a name for himself not only working as a director but also producer and visual effects supervisor. He recently directed the action film “Vikingdom”. Media Mikes had a chance to as Yusry a few questions about the film and what’s next.

Mike Gencarelli: What was the most challenging aspect for you on “Vikingdom”?
Yusry Kru: Obviously, when we made the decision to film everything in Malaysia, I knew it was going to take massive planning to get it right. I remember, 20th Century Fox coming over to film in Malaysia for ‘Anna and the King’. This is the equivalent of them filming that whole movie in California (but with less money, of course). So, you could say that pre-production was the most challenging. I broke down the script to every single location, person and prop, and made a list, down to the spoon on the dinner table. From there, I called in a few illustrators and had them draw every single thing/person on that list. By the end of it, we probably had hundreds of illustrations before we even started with pre-production. We then scouted for locations in Malaysia that we could possibly use, that actually matched the illustrations. If there were none, we would then know these had to be built. It is the same process for every little detail on the pre-viz. Overcoming it was really by doing a thing at a time, without letting the whole production overwhelm you. Having said this, the filming was no walk in the park either… But if you’re asking about the most challenging aspect, that would definitely be the pre-pro. It was really extensive.

MG: Tell us about how the character Eirick was created?
YK: I discussed with Dom (Purcell) on how the character should be portrayed in the film. Imagine someone who was brought back from the dead… someone who has lost every reason for living… primarily driven by the fact that he is no longer able to be with his immortal lover, Frejya. To make matters worse, he is asked to go head on against the God of Thunder, Thor! How’s that for motivation? So he is a reluctant hero and his character is subdued until he fights against Thor at the final battle.

MG: Tell us about what you have in the cards for 2014?
YK: I am currently smack in the middle of directing my sixth feature film entitled “Cicakman 3” (or in English “Geckoman” – a successful Malaysian comedy super hero franchise I created in 2005), which is the 2nd sequel to my debut as a director in the film industry. KRU is also in the midst of completing our first 3D animation movie entitled ‘Ribbit’, about a frog with an identity crisis. Ribbit, with the voices of Sean Astin, Tim Curry & Russell Peters will be screening at EFM in February 2014. KRU is also in the midst of pre-production of various other projects, which we anticipate to announce at Cannes Film du Marche.

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Film Interviews, Interviews Tagged With: directing, kru, talks, vikingdom, yusry

Dominic Purcell talks about his new film “Vikingdom”

Dominic Purcell is known best for his role of Lincoln Burrows in Fox’s long running TV series “Prison Break”. Recently Dominic has worked with acclaimed director Uwe Boll on great films like “Assault on Wall Street”. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Dominic on his latest film “Vikingdom” and what he has planned for 2014.

Mike Gencarelli: What was the most challenging aspect for you working on “Vikingdom”?
Dominic Purcell: Most challenging aspect was the trust it required to engage in a heavy CGI movie made outside the safe confines of Hollywood an industry that excels in extravagance.

MG: How do you prepare for a character like Eirick?
DP: Preparation for me is all about economy. If its necessary I will but rarely do. I rely on the text and excute what is simply required.

MG: What do you enjoy most about working with Uwe Boll on various projecting including “Assault on Wall Street” and “In the Name of the King III”?
DP: Uwe is a courageous film maker that challenges conventional thinking. Directors and film makers of this kind have always been inspirational for me they allow when given the opportunity to challenge and provoke thought. Is this not what is important? I will continue to work with Uwe on future projects that provoke and challenge apathy and comfort.

MG: You had a very busy 2013 and 2014 looks to surpass, tell us about what you have in the cards?
DP: I’ve got couple of films being released. All worth a look. I’m especially interested in “A Fighting Man and watching how it is received. Spending a year training (boxing) and getting my head smashed it better get some love out there amongst critics. It’s a good film.

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Film Interviews, Interviews Tagged With: dominic, film, purcell, talks, vikingdom

Xenia Ghali talks about hit song “Out With a Bang” and plans for 2014

Xenia Ghali is a songwriter, producer and DJ that has broken through the dance and pop world in Europe and is ready to rock the dance floors in America, Xenia recently teamed up with former Pussycat Dolls member Jessica Sutta on a track titled “Out With a Bang” and Media Mikes had the chance to speak with Xenia recently about the collaboration and her plans for 2014.

Adam Lawton: Can you tell us how you got started with songwriting and Djing?
Xenia Ghali: Those started at two separate times for me. I have been studying music since I was very little and am classically trained in piano and flute. When I was 15 I started teaching myself how to play other instruments like the guitar and drums. I joined an indie/alternative rock band and just started writing. We didn’t really do cover songs so that’s when I took my first shot at songwriting. I loved it. As for Djing, I grew up in Athens, Greece and in 2008 I moved to the UK to get my bachelors degree in music composition and technology. While I was studying for I had saved up some money and bought a set of second hand turn tables. I started teaching myself how to spin and mix using vinyl. From there one thing just sort of led to another and I was playing gigs and from there began producing and recording electronic music.

AL: Can you tell us about your new single “Out With a Bang” and what it was like working with Jessica Sutta?
XG: The song is a really fun dance/pop song. It’s one of those songs that just makes you happy and want to dance. It was really important to me when we were working on this song to keep it unrestricted. The song is very listenable and can be played in a club, at home or anywhere really. It’s an easy track to listen to while still being very energetic like Jessica and myself. Jessica and I had great chemistry and she loved the track when she first heard it. It was really great working with her.

AL: Can you tell us about the video for “Out With a Bang”?
XG: I love combining various art forms. Anything that has to do with visual arts I have always been very involved with. This video for me was easy to work on as it didn’t feel like a shoot. It was like we were all just having a good time. Jessica’s team and my team all worked together to come up with an idea for the video that would represent the song for exactly what it is. We wanted everything to be fun with vintage touches but still have it be in today’s style. We wanted the video to be great to look at and make people feel good.

AL: What has been the biggest obstacle for you since transitioning from the music scene in Europe to the one here in the United States?
XG: I think the biggest obstacle for me would have to be bridging the two styles. Music in the States is very different when compared to that in Europe. I come from a very European sounding background which involves a lot of dance and pop. In the states things tend to be more soulful leaning towards R & B and hip hop. Only within the last 5 years or so has there been an influx of European artists making their way to the States to collaborate with various artists. The recent change had made things a little easier for me as people are getting more used to the European dance sound.

AL: What other plans/projects do you have in the works for 2014?
XG: I am actually at a very exciting point in my career and this year is going to be really great. There is going to be quite a few surprises coming. As we speak I am getting ready to release a single which is really exciting. After that there’s going to be more music on the way along with live performances and more collaborations.

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Interviews, Music Interviews Tagged With: 2014, bang, ghali, hit, plans, song, ...

Brighid Fleming talks about role in “Labor Day”

Brighid Fleming is an up and coming teen actress who has appeared in television series and films ranging from “Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia” to “Gamer” with Gerard Butler. Brighid’s most recent film “Labor Day” stars Josh Brolin and Kate Winslet and was released to rave reviews. Media Mikes had the chance to speak with Brighid recently about her work on the film as well as her work on the upcoming horror film “The Road Killer”.

Adam Lawton: Can you tell us what first got you interested in acting?
Brighid Fleming: When I was younger we used to go to New York a lot to watch plays. Seeing all these made me fall in love with the idea of performing. My mom asked me after one time if I wanted to meet the characters after a performance and I told her no. I wanted to be the characters. She got me involved in Stage Theater and from there I just couldn’t stop.

AL: Can you tell us about your new film “Labor Day” and your character Eleanor?
BH: The film is about a convict that gets picked up by a mom and her son. The man ends up hiding out with a family and sort of takes care of them. It’s a love story that stars Josh Brolin and Kate Winslet. I play the role of Eleanor who is a very edgy and independent girl. She is very smart and knows what she wants. Things were pretty free with the character and I think I was able to add quite a bit to her. Eleanor is a pretty interesting character.

AL: What was it that interested you in the role?
BH: I was really drawn to how strong the character of Eleanor was. Finding a role this strong for someone my age is sort of rare. A friend suggested that I submit an audition tape so I did even though I thought no one would ever see it. A couple weeks later I got a call telling me about the call back. It was very surprising.

AL: What was it like working with such a diverse cast and what was your best memory from the shoot?
BH: All of my scenes were with Gattlin Griffith who plays Henry however; I was able to me Kate Winslet. She was so great. Kate was very nice and level headed. It was great experience. Probably my favorite memory from the shoot was the day we were filming out on these big white rocks. Our scene was shot as we were walking across them. This was also the same day I had my first on screen kiss. That day was a lot of fun.

AL: Can you tell us about some of your other upcoming projects?
BH: I have a role in Shakespeare’s “A Mid-Summers Night Dream” which is being put on by the Inter-City Shakespeare Company. This program is really great as you get attend workshops put on by the professional artists from the company. This is a great opportunity for young actors and actresses and you can find more out about the program at www.innercityshakespearecompany.org. I also am working on a play written by Eric Ludnik titled “Day Trader” which runs through mid February. Besides those performances I am an associate producer on a horror film titled “The Road Killer” which stars Maria Olsen. I am a big horror film fan and while working with Maria on another project we became friends and are now working on this project together.

AL: Is producing something you see yourself doing more of as you get older?
BH: I have always been very interested in the production side of things. I have always been writing and actually wrote my first novel when I was 7 though, it may have not been very good. (Laughs) I like the idea of being behind the camera. I think there are a lot of interesting aspects to both being behind and in front of the camera. Producing and acting are things that I hope to be able to keep doing for a long time to come.

 

Related Content

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Film Interviews, Interviews Tagged With: brighid, day, fleming, labor, role, talks, ...

Justine Dorsey talks about her EP “Under Construction”

Justine Dorsey is an award winning singer/songwriter who has had her music featured recently on the new MTV series “Big Tips Texas”. Justine also released a new EP in October of last year titled and MediaMikes.com had the chance to speak with her about the creation of the EP, how she got in to music and about her popular YouTube channel.

Adam Lawton: What was it that interested you in pursuing a career in music?
Justine Dorsey: I actually became an actor first. That was something that I really loved and one day my mom took me to a musical theater audition and I think by doing musical theater that’s really where my love for music came from. I started singing first and then learned guitar and piano in my early teens. I paired those things up and began writing music which has been my love ever since.

AL: Can you tell us about your recent EP release and why you chose to cover the song “Put on a Happy Face”?
JD: In October I released a new EP titled “Under Construction”. I am excited for people to hear this as it is all original music that I wrote except for “Put on a Happy Face”. I am really proud of how the EP turned out and I finally feel like I am in the right place for my music. I ended up choosing “Put on a Happy Face” because I had been working with a licensing company who had the rights to that catalog. They gave me some options of songs to work on with “Happy Face” being one of them. This was actually how I met my label. I was paired up with producer Bruce Witkan and we ended up working really well together. Bruce became a big fan of my music and that’s how I subsequently ended up with my label.

AL: What types of steps do you take personally when creating a song?
JD: I don’t stick to one particular formula when I am writing. Things can be very unpredictable as to when and how they come out. A song might start with a simple phrase or I have a basic chord progression that I start with. I love that it’s never the same way every time.

AL: You have a song featured on MTV’s “Big Tips Texas”. How did that opportunity come about?
JD: I work with several licensing companies that send out my songs for consideration to be used in commercials and television. This was the first one that we had gotten back asking to use the song. I had never heard of the show but once I was able to see it I loved it. This ended up being a really great feature for my music and I am very happy about that.

AL: You are very involved with your YouTube channel. Can you tell us about that?
JD: I started out doing videos for some friends of mines YouTube channel and that sort of opened my eyes to some new ways of making videos for the site. I want everything that goes on there to look and sound good. I think when you take things to a higher level of production it makes things just that much more exciting. I have started to film my own videos for the channel and it’s a way for me to explore the visual side of music. I have a video on the channel for my song “Under Construction” and that’s probably one of my favorite. Working on that was such a great process. I didn’t come up with the idea but I really love it and recommend people going to check out.

AL: Have you started planning to tour in support of the release at all?
JD: I have a lot of shows planned in the Los Angeles area however nothing really has been set up outside of California. Right now I am focusing on local shows but am definitely looking forward to the day where I can travel around playing my music.

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Interviews, Music Interviews Tagged With: construction, dorsey, ep, justine, talks

James D’Arcy talks about new film “After the Dark” and TV series “Those Who Kill”

James D’Arcy is known best for playing three roles in the 2012 epic sci-fi film “Cloud Atlas”, directed by Tom Tykwer and The Wachowski’s. He also played the role of Norman Bates in “Hitchcock”. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with James about his role in his new film “After the Dark” and his new A&E TV series “Those Who Kill”.

Mike Gencarelli: How did you get involved with the film “After the Dark”?
James D’Arcy: I woke up to an email from my agent sending me the script. I read the script completely cold and I had no idea what I was about to read at all. There was the moment in the script when I shoot one of the kids in the head, that is when it really got my interest. I thought this was really an unexpected twist. Then when I finished the script, I thought it was challenging, provocative and intelligent. You have to have a brain to watch the film. I was enthusiastic due that those aspects. Then I received a bunch of photographs of where we would be shooting. When I saw the locations, it made much more sense to me. I couldn’t visualize how it would work until I saw the photographs. I was just blown away. Then met with John Huddles and really liked him. He had a lot of great ideas and it just grew from there.

MG: I was wondering about the shooting locations since they were extremely beautiful.
JD: Yeah, it was incredible. The three places we filmed in Indonesia were the Prambanan Temple, Mount Bromo and Belitung Island. When I saw the island, I thought “Oh my God, that looks like a holiday”. It was beautiful. We did have to work unfortunately as well [laughs]. The other two Prambanan Temple and Mount Bromo, I haven’t never seen any place like them before. I had no idea a place like Prambanan even existed before. For Mount Bromo, we actually shot in an active volcano. It was filming on Mars. It was really worth it since these were just such extraordinary places.

MG: What intrigued you most about your character Mr. Zimit
JD: I really didn’t know if he was a good guy or not. I liked that there was this dubious gray area. I liked that he was smart and very charismatic. You just never quite knew where you where with him. He was constantly pulling the rug out from under your feet. I thought he was very complex and not obvious and I appreciated that enormously as an actor.

MG: You provided narration throughout as a few of the scenarios played out; was this done before or after shooting the film?
JD: You have an advantage over me since I haven’t seen the completed film yet. We didn’t record any narration separation. We shot it as part of the scene. I do remember that I was slaving over this very long speech at one point. We actually shot that and I remember thinking that this was most likely going to be used as a voice over. Some of the dialogue we shot twice, once was in the classroom and once was on location, so we never quite knew where the director was going to make the cut.

MG: Since you haven’t see the film, I am not sure you can relate but I loved the score in the film and we also interviewed the composer, Jonathan Davis and Nicholas O’Toole, I felt like the music was another character in the film.
JD: Yeah, I can’t comment much on that. But I have been in movies, where the music does something and becomes a character itself. It doesn’t just enhance what you are already hearing and seeing, it adds this extra layer. That is when music is best in the movies.
MG: Honestly, “Cloud Atlas” is one of those films for me and I loved how well the score was intertwined into the film.
JD: Yes, that score was quite amazing. Tom Tykwer did a phenomenal job.

MG: What can we expect from your upcoming A&E series “Those Who Kill”?
JD: It stars Chloe Sevigny and myself. We are both very damaged human beings with scores to be settled. We shot the whole thing in Pittsburgh, which is an extraordinary location since it allows a lot really artistic shots. It is a very dark and powerful show. It was great being able to take a character over a few hours as opposed to just one feature film. We had a chance to explore. them. I am very excited for this show.

MG: You’ve done roles like Mr. Zimit in “After the Dark”, Thomas Schaeffer in “Those who Kill” and you played three roles in “Cloud Atlas”; do you seek out specific roles when you approach a project?
JD: I do not think that I have ever actively seeked out a role. But when you read a script, you immediately know the ones you have an affinity with. Often, the ones that I have an affinity for are also the ones I am afraid of. I am not sure if I am able do them, which leads me to then investigate and pursue further.

MG: What else do you have in the cards for 2014?
JD: I am filming a movie right now called “Survivor”. It is stars Milla Jovovich, Pierce Brosnan, Angela Bassett, Dylan McDermott and myself. We are shooting in London and Bulgaria. It is an action/thriller. It is really good fun and James McTeigue is directing it. He is just wonderful. I also did a film last year called “Let’s Be Cops”, which is a very broad comedy, even though I am not the funny part of it. Because of the way, the film was shot most of the scenes I were in were more serious but I did get to see the funny stuff and it is quite funny indeed. I think that comes out in the Summer.

 

Related Content

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Film Interviews, Interviews Tagged With: darcy, dark, film, james, kill, series, ...

Korn’s Jonathan Davis and Nicholas O’Toole talk about composing film “After the Dark”

“After The Dark” is the latest film by director John Huddles. The film takes place at an international school in Jakarta, where a philosophy teacher challenges his class of twenty graduating seniors to choose which ten of them would take shelter underground and reboot the human race in the event of a nuclear apocalypse. The film was scored by veteran film composer Nicholas O’Toole and Korn front man Jonathan Davis and Media Mikes had the pleasure of talking with both of them about their work on the film and their ongoing collaboration with one another.

Adam Lawton: How did you both become involved with the film?
Nicholas O’Toole:  I was approached by George Zakk who was one of the producers on the film. I had known him from another project and they had just started to go into post production on this film. George had known that Jonathan and I had been working together for quite some time and it seemed like a good fit. This led to a discussion with director John Huddles. We ended up hitting it off right away and we have stayed friends since.

AL: What was the creative process like between the two of you?
NO: The dynamic is great as we have known each other for so long. We get what the other one does. I myself am very technically minded and I have a degree in film score work where Jonathan is prolific in songwriting, EDM and a variety of other things including film scoring. We sort of mind shared this project.  Jonathan is very dynamic and variant based. He brings a lot to the table from sound design, to mood and colors. I handle the more technical side of things such as arranging and post work. With Jonathan on the road a lot he and I developed a good solution for sharing our thoughts and ideas. We walked in to the project already having a pretty good flow.

AL: Jonathan, did you find any similarities in your writing style for the film and you writing style for Korn?
Jonathan Davis: It is completely different. That’s why I love it. It challenges me. When you are writing a film score you are trying to convey an emotion part of the film. That’s the whole reason why I love doing things like this as it is so different from the other writing that I do. When you are working on a song you have versus and choruses to stick to and with a project like this there are no rules. It’s really different.

AL: Is scoring something you picture yourself doing more of?
JD: I love doing it and am open to doing more. I am just a musical junkie. When I got sober back in the day I replaced partying with music. (Laughs) It is something that I can’t get enough of.

AL: Did you both work on the same parts together or did you work separately on various parts of the film?
NO: It was purely linear in this particular instance. John Huddles was involved as well from the ground level which made things even greater. Having John involved certainly reduced the re-writes. Normally you create a bunch of material and then show case but for this film John was there the whole time and fully invested. I think we just moved from beginning to end on this and then went back and did some adjusting where it was needed. I think you can sort of hear that in the arc of the story. We kept things moving and it felt very natural.

AL: How much of the film were you allowed to see at one time when you were scoring?
NO: We got the film in a reel which is the general process of post production. We are all contracted to confidentiality. You get the entire film however they may still be editing and changing some of the things. We would get new reels every week. We had a screening with the director where we saw the film in its entirety and we discussed where the music would go and for how long and what type of feel was needed. Everything gets spotted out and then we follow those notes and begin writing. You definitely have to understand the narrative in order to be able to start scoring.

AL: After the initial playing of the film with the score were there a lot of changes requested by the director?
NO: Things did change. The film was shot in Indonesia which is known for a style of music called Gamelan. Jonathan had some previous experiences with this style of music as had I in the past so this ended up being a pleasant coincident. We were going to take a more Gamelan eccentric approach anyhow which we did at first. John Huddles liked it but wanted to try a different approach. We repositioned ourselves in a way that caught fire and we were able to just take off. We kept things quite minimal arrangement wise and then mixed in a little Gamelan with electronic and hypnotic elements. We kept things very natural.

AL: Jonathan, did you have any reservations about working on the project? And do you have to get a specific type of mind set to work on this type of music?
JD: Not really. I love doing music. It’s always fun working with Nick and writing music. It was really great working with a director who had a specific vision. This was something so completely normal from what I do in my day job. I think you have to take yourself away because you are writing a piece of music not a song. I have to wrap my head around that but it’s basically music.

AL: Being that you guys have a friendship with one another outside of your work what do you enjoy most about working with each other?
JD: For me we are just friends making music. It’s a simple and pure thing. I am having fun making music for a cool movie and getting paid for it. There is no bad side to this what so ever. It’s just fun!
NO: The collaboration process is enhancing because if it was just me I would be writing out of my head. Jonathan adds another creative brain which comes from a completely different place. When you put the two together the result is always something bigger than what it would have been. Jonathan is prolific outside of Korn in ways that I think fans of the band will totally understand after hearing this. Like Jonathan said it’s just fun and we have a good vibe together so it’s great to be able to keep that going.

AL: What other projects do you guys have in the works for the rest of 2014?
NO: I am always negotiating on some sort of film project. Sometimes the project is working with Jonathan and sometimes it’s on my own. Jonathan and I have a good system worked out.
JD: I have quite a lot going on with Korn but with computers these days it allows Nick and me to be in different places but still be able to work together on projects with one another. I always have my noise buried in my laptop writing.

 

Related Content

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Interviews, Music Interviews Tagged With: composing, dark, davis, film, jonathan, korns, ...

Disney Legend, Floyd Norman talks about his work on “The Jungle Book”

Animator, Floyd Norman was named a Disney Legend in 2007. His first feature for Disney’s “Sleeping Beauty”. He worked under Walt’s personal supervision on story sequences for “The Jungle Book”. In 1997, Norman moved to Pixar Animation Studios where he joined the story crew for “Toy Story 2” and “Monsters, Inc.”. He continues to work for The Walt Disney Co. as a freelance consultant on various projects. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Floyd about “The Jungle Book” and working personally with Walt Disney.

Mike Gencarelli: Tell us what it is like to see a film like “The Jungle Book” restored and presented on high definition Blu-ray?
Floyd Norman: It is delightful to know that people still appreciate this film. It continues to amaze us that worked on it nearly 50 years ago that it is still loved by audiences. It seems to have a life of its own and I love that.

MG: Have you seen it yet and if so how do you feel it looks having worked on it?
FN: I do not really see that much of a difference. I know that the film looks clean and pristine. The guys who did the restoration have done a terrific job, so no complaints there.

MG: You worked under Walt Disney’s personal supervision on story sequences including the song “Trust in Me”, tell us about that process?
FN: It was very simple [laughs]. In a way it was simple, yet also very complex. When I began working on this particular sequence, I was handed some rough notes from Larry Clemmons, who was credited on the film for the story. I called him our writer because he has an actual typewriter and that made him a real writer [laughs]. So he wrote me notes about the sequence and for this one it was going to be Mowgli’s meeting with Kaa the Snake. So that is pretty much all I got. We were told that Kaa was going to try and hypnotize him and then funny stuff would happen. So that is what I had to go with “funny stuff was going to happen”. I had to come up with that “funny stuff”. So like I said in one sense it was a very simple job as well as being very complex because we had to figure out what was that funny stuff and how was it going to happen. They just kind of turned you loose and let you do your job.

MG: How long did a scene like that take to complete?
FN: It is difficult to remember. I would say a few weeks, maybe three weeks to completely storyboard that sequence. That was considered normal during that time. I had no real rush because Walt Disney was either in Europe or working on other matters and wasn’t able to review it right away. So I definitely had amble time to work on it.

MG: Did you find that working directly with Walt Disney did you have any creative freedom or did you follow a set path?
FN: Oh no, I found that I had a good deal of creative freedom. Surprisingly more than I ever realized. I initially came in expecting to be told exactly want to do and that was not the case at all. I came in and they said “Here is the sequence and just go do it” [laughs]. So given very little guidance or direction, I just went off and did what I had to do. The good news was that whatever I did, they seemed to like it [laughs]. The main thing, and the most critical, was that Walt liked it. So as long as Walt likes it you are safe [laughs].

MG: Can you compare your work on “The Jungle Book” to some of your other earlier films including “Sleeping Beauty”, “The Sword in the Stone” and “Robin Hood”?
FN: It was actually totally different because on those films, I was actually working on the animation. For “Robin Hood”, I was an animator and didn’t do any storyboard work at all. It was just animation. Having said that, I feel that the story in “Robin Hood” was pretty terrible [laughs]. I can afford to say that because I didn’t story work on “Robin Hood” [laughs]. But I did have a lot to fun animating it. I worked on animation also with “The Sword in the Stone”. The cool thing about that project was that I got to work personally with Milt Kahl, who was acknowledged as being one of the finest Disney animators of all-time. Milt is a giant in the world of animation, so that was a big deal for me. I was still a kid when I worked with Milt; I was only in my 20’s. Milt was a tough guy but it was such a great experience.

MG: Unlike some animators you embraced the digital age by working at Pixar and definitely software for animation; tell how you feel animation has changed?
FN: Oh, there is no doubt that animation has changed. Once again, following in Walt’s philosophy, “You have to embrace change, not run from it”. When I saw what Pixar was doing, I thought that I had to work for these guys. So when the opportunity came for me to go to Pixar in 1997, I was ready to pack up and go. Not everybody was, mind you, Pixar was at that time not a well-known studio. They only had made one film, which was “Toy Story”. I think that you have to move forward as Walt believed “Don’t fight technology. Embrace it and learn how to use it”. That is what Pixar did and they are continuing to do that. Certainly that would have been what Walt would have done as well.

MG: Do you still do any animation for Disney today?
FN: No animation. But I have worked on Disney storybooks from time to time. As I have time I work on Disney projects. Generally, I wait for them to call me. I don’t go looking but every now and then someone will call me. I had the opportunity to work on an electronic device that they were developing. I asked one of the Vice President’s how did they get my name and they said “John Lasseter recommended you”. I do not think that you can do any better than that getting a recommendation from John Lasseter [laughs].

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Film Interviews, Interviews Tagged With: book, disney, floyd, jungle, legend, norman, ...

Disney Legend, Bill Farmer talks about voicing Goofy and new Disney Junior series “The 7D”

You may not know the name Bill Farmer but you will certainly know his voice. He has been voicing Goofy and Pluto for nearly 30 years and was named a Disney Legend in 2009. Bill also has voiced tons of other notable characters including Foghorn Leghorn, Sylvester the Cat and Yosemite Sam in the film “Space Jam”.  Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Bill about his voice roles and what we can expect from the new Disney Junior series “The 7D”.

Mike Gencarelli: You’ve been voicing Goofy and Pluto for nearly 30 years; what is it like hold these reigns for so long?
Bill Farmer: I think for any voice actor you can consider it a great honor to get a long lasting character. It is very competitive out here. Especially to get one of the Disney characters, I think it is one of the highest honors you can get in animation. Goofy was also my favorite Disney character growing up as a kid, which only made it that much sweeter that I ended up voicing him all these years.

MG: Do you feel that voicing characters like Goofy have changed for you the years?
BF: Voicing Goofy has certain changed my LIFE for the better. I first came to California as a stand-up comic. I had no idea that I would be voicing a character like Goofy. The audition came to me and it was very out of left field. I got a tape of Pinto Colvig and practiced it over the weekend. Then I went in and laid it down at the agency and about a month later they told me that I was going to get to do a Goofy job. I didn’t know if it was going to be more than one but after 27 years they are still using me. So (in Goofy’s voice) “Gawrsh, I guess I got lucky”.

MG: You are named a “Disney Legend” five years ago; tell us about receiving this amazing achievement?
BF: This actually came out of left field also; I had no idea that I was even being considered for this. I got a letter from Bob Iger in the mail saying “Congratulations on being nominated for the 2009 Disney Legend Award”. It is the greatest honor you can get from Disney. The ceremony was the first one ever in front of the public at the 2009 D23 event in Anaheim, CA. There were over 500 people in the audience, so that was very exciting. I got to get the award alongside Tony Anselmo, the voice of Donald Duck; Betty White and Robin Williams. It was overwhelming but also very exciting. I guess if you wait around long enough good stuff happens [laughs].

MG: You announced that “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse” was canceled on your Twitter page; why did the show end after seven years?
BF: The show isn’t canceled from being on the air but we have finally recorded the last episode. They will still be coming out for a while. I do not even think that they started releasing the fifth season yet. We did record a fifth season but it takes so long for them to animate it. The production has ceased but it will be quite a while before the show runs out of new episodes for TV. We have been on the air consistently since 2006 and we started recording in 2004. So there is always a long lead-in time between recording and seeing it on TV. So don’t worry more is still to come, we just are not making any more.

MG: Can you give us a sneak to what we can expect coming up?
BF: One of my favorites in the last season, we are looking for Goof Beard the Pirate, who is Goofy’s grandfather. He is voiced by Dick Van Dyke. So that is a very exciting episode. And there are plenty more to come.

MG: You are currently also voicing Goofy in “Mickey Mouse” shorts; how does that differ for you?
BF: They are really radical. They are totally going in a different character direction then some of the previous stuff that we’ve done. But they are very funny and it is refreshing as an actor to not have to do the same thing over and over. I find it a lot of fun to do and get to stretch the character to new places that he has never been before.

MG: What other characters do you voice that people may not realize?
BF: Well yes actually, in the movie “Space Jam”, I voiced Foghorn Leghorn, Sylvester the Cat and Yosemite Sam. In episodes of “Robot Chicken”, I did Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck. We have a new series called “The 7D”, it is like a reinvention of the Seven Dwarfs and in that I voice Doc. With the traditional Seven Dwarfs, I voice Sleepy. Horace Horsecollar got his voice in “The Prince and the Pauper” and I have gotten to voice him ever since. So yeah, there are a lot of little voices that you may not know about that I get to do.

MG: You beat me to it but I was going to ask you about the upcoming Disney Junior show “The 7D”; can you give us a sneak preview?
BF: “The 7D” is directed by Kelly Ward, who directed all six/seven years of “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse”, so I know him very well. Tom Ruegger, who did “Animaniacs”, is the producer. It is kind of a prequel in the way to “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”. So there is no Snow White. They look much different as well from what you would expect with the classic Dwarfs. They decided to reinvent them since the things that they do are in a more modern fairy tale land. So rather than have the traditional dwarfs change their characters, they started from the ground up and came up with a new incarnation of these dwarfs. They are very well written and we have an amazing cast. It is definitely the who’s who in the voice over world including Maurice LaMarche, Kevin Michael Richardson, Billy West, Scott Menville, Stephen Stanton, Dee Bradley Baker and many more. We just finished recording the first season of 20-30 episodes and it was such a blast. They are being animated as we speak and it should hit the air somewhere around June this year. So I get to voice Doc and also a new dog character named Sir Yips A-lot, which was cool since I go to do more dogs besides just Pluto.

MG: Tell us about your involvement with the documentary “I Know That Voice”?
BF: John DiMaggio put this thing together, who voices Bender on “Futurama” and many other shows like “Adventure Time”. He put this documentary together and asked me if I would be in it. So they came over to the house and filmed for about an hour. They also filmed about another 100 voice over actors. The documentary is wonderful and is really the who’s who in voice over world. So if you ever want to know anything about voice over actors, you can go on iTunes and a few other places and download this documentary since it is really worth seeing.

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Interviews, TV Interviews Tagged With: 7d, bill, disney, farmer, goofy, series, ...

Foreigner’s Kelly Hansen talks about “The Soundtrack of Summer” Tour with Styx and Don Felder

Photo Credit: S. Schweiger

Kelly Hansen is best known as the current lead singer of the rock band Foreigner. He joined the band in 2005 after Lou Gramm left in 2003 to pursue a solo career. Foreigner just announced their 2014 tour, called The Soundtrack of Summer along with Styx and Don Felder of The Eagles. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Kelly about tour, music and other future plans.

Mike Gencarelli: Tell us about what we can expect from your upcoming The Soundtrack of Summer tour?
Kelly Hansen: It is a tour of the U.S. and starts May 16th. Tickets are on sale now. It will consist of Foreigner, Styx and Don Felder (The Eagles). We are real excited about it. We all have been able to hang out recently and working on a re-recording of the track “Hotel California”. So that is pretty cool. We were also on “Fox and Friends” this past week in NYC, where we did a medley of “Juke Box Hero”, “Hotel California” and “Blue Collar Man”. We are rehearsing and getting ready and it has been great. I think it is going to be an awesome summer tour. It will certainly be a fun night of music with a lot of great hits.

MG: Foreigner and Styx have toured together before but tell us about the addition of former Eagles guitarist Don Felder?
KH: You are always trying to find a good package. It was a good time for us to try and all get together. Styx has been doing very well. Things are blowing up for Foreigner recently. We had had a lot of things come up and it has really given me the feeling that this is going to be a good year for us. I have a good feeling about this tour and that the vibe is going to be really good.

MG: Can you tell why you choose to record a new version of the Eagles’ “Hotel California”?
KH: I am not sure if it was a management idea or a band idea. I know that Tommy Shaw had written and played with Don on his latest record. So there was that partnership going on. We thought that it would be a good song for everyone to get on board with and be a part of and to redo for the show. Jeff and Don really came up with the arrangement, the plan and put it together. We all did different parts on it. I sing a verse…Tommy sings a verse…Don sings a verse. Tommy, Johnny and Don all play solos on it, so it is really cool.

MG: I read that Styx and Foreigner will interchange closing slots for the tour; tell us about this dynamic?
KH: Yeah, we call it flip-flopping. You come up with the cities for the tour and then you talk about which show would be good for each band to finish. Some fans want particular bands to close and that is cool. You just sort it and make sure it is pretty even. I like it because it makes it feel like a co-headlining gig.

MG: What can fans expect from the compilation album as well to go along with the tour?
KH: It is going to have songs from each band on there and maybe a couple of extras things. It will be available for sale during the tour. I am not sure of the complete details yet.

MG: Tell us about your appearance at a New Jersey Buffalo Wild Wings to get customers psyched for the Super Bowl halftime show this year?
KH: It was very last minute, we went in on our day off, and I had just gotten back from Germany. I went into the studio and re-sang the lyrics since the words changed for the spot. Then we flew into Secaucus, NJ and it was very on the fly. There were like twelve hidden cameras in the restaurant. It is a sports bar, so there were a lot of TV screens throughout. We had these cheerleaders come out with tons of confetti and we just started playing the tune. We totally surprised people and we did it a few times. We would wait for the restaurant to clear out and do it again. It was wild. Everyone had a great time.

MG: Lastly tell us about plans for a new Foreigner album and plans for yet another tour later this year to play the “4” album in its entirety?
KH: We were talking about doing that, yeah. We are also going to Germany to do an acoustic tour, which is something we have never done before. We will be playing all these cool opera houses in Germany. We were talking about doing the whole “4” album in its entirety, which will be cool. Concerning the album, there is already some writing that has started. I do not know if it will be a whole new album, it will mostly likely be a mix package with new material and hits. So we are looking forward to that as well.

MG: How do you get the energy to constantly tour non-stop?
KH: It is pretty heavy duty. I really have to try and take care of myself. I got a green juice sitting next to me right now. I have to make sure I get plenty of rest. The management and everybody is real good to make sure about asking me if I can do a particular schedule and they take real good care of me.

MG: I am a juicer myself, so I am sure the fans are going to want to know what your green juice recipe is?
KH: Mine is spinach, kale, cucumber, celery, ginger, lemon and apple. I like to do it heavy on the green, just a little bit of fruit. I do not like sweet juice. I like it to be pretty gnarly. I like that [laughs]. If you are juicing andf you have all that pulp left over, what you should do is put all that in a pot fill it up with water and you can make this great vegetable stock that you can use for all kinds of recipes. That way you can use the vegetables twice, especially if you are buying organic and they are more expensive. You juice the vegetable first and take that out and use that to make the stock. Then you go and put in your fruit, so you are not making a vegetable stock with fruit in it. I really enjoy that.

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Interviews, Music Interviews Tagged With: don, felder, foreigners, hansen, kelly, soundtrack, ...

Dichen Lachman talks starring and producing her new film “Lust for Love”

Dichen Lachman is best know for her work in Joss Whedon’s science fiction drama TV show “Dollhouse” as Sierra. She also played Suren in Syfy’s hit series “Being Human”. Her latest film is “Lust for Love”, which is directed by Anton King and reunites her with a lot of cast from “Dollhouse”. Media Mikes had a chance to chat about the film with Dichen and what was it like working with friends.

Mike Gencarelli: How did you get involved to star in “Lust for Love”?
Dichen Lachman: I don’t know if a lot of people know this but Anton (King), the writer/director, and I used to be in a relationship. We moved to LA and were together for a very long time. Anyways, life happens and we went our separate ways. He went off to Vietnam to write scripts. We kept in touch and he ended up sending me “Lust for Love” and I really liked it. It was really fun, clever and quirky. He suggested that maybe we could make it. I thought that would be great but making a movie is very complex. Even though I have been working in the business for so long, I didn’t even know where to begin. All of the cast from “Dollhouse” all became very close friends over the two years we worked together and then on. I was invited into that “Whedon” world through Joss and my work on the show. So, I thought if we did it with our friends it would be fun.

MG: Tell us about funding the film on Kickstarter?
DL: Anton mentioned Kickstarter and we decided to look into that and we were able to raise some of the budget there thanks to the fans. The first and most important part was if our friends even wanted to be involved at all. I always thought that Fran (Kranz) would be great as Astor. I thought that he could bring something that wasn’t on the page. So we asked him to read it and he really liked it and it just grew from there. Our first table read was so much fun and it gave us the energy to keep going. Once we brought on a group of people, who thought it was a fun script, that is when we proceeded with the Kickstarter. If our friends didn’t respond it would have diminished the desire to move forward. Since they enjoyed it so much, we knew we had to do it!

MG: What was it like get back together with your crew from “Dollhouse”?
DL: It was so much fun. We would always hang out together after the show but it felt like we were hanging on to something that we lost. We got so close during our time on “Dollhouse” that it was extremely fun to revisit that place. The feeling that you have when you are on set with friends and collaborating, don’t get me wrong it was extremely difficult making this movie, but it was also very rewarding. Those moments you catch where you are doing a scene and you can’t get through it because you are laughing are wonderful.

MG: Yeah! I was going to ask, when you are working with friends like Fran; do you find it harder to focus especially for the dramatic scenes?
DL: Working with Fran is an experience that every actor should have the privilege of. He is a wonderful actor and person. It is just an extreme amount of fun. It is very difficult to get through a scene with Fran without laughing. There is one scene in the movie when we are sitting on the steps and trying so hard not to laugh. He is just riffing and bringing this life to the character that wasn’t there and because I didn’t read it, it is unexpected and spontaneous. It is so wonderful.

MG: What did you enjoy most about playing Cali?
DL: She was a great character because she is not typical. She is rather resistance to the whole romantic side of things, which I liked. She is also very practical. So acting while also producing on this project was probably one of the hardest things that I have ever done. You are trying to inhabit a character and then at the same time worrying if the caterer is going to arrive on time. I don’t know if that helped my performance since it got me out of my head and just made me do it. I didn’t have the distraction of doing too much acting. She was a really fun character and I liked her relationship with Fran a lot. She is also not a girl’s girl either and I liked that. She was like one of the guys and it was really fun to be in that place.

MG: You mentioned producing, is that something you plan to do more?
DL: I would love to, yeah! I have so much more respect for people that do that job now. It is one of those things that you have to understand every department. It is extremely difficult. We did have an incredible team though, Jack Wylson was so key and worked so hard with the other producers as well in terms of making this flow right. So I would like to do it again but I am not sure I would do it the same way though. I am excited and I hope that this opportunity will help me do more.

MG: I am not really a huge fan of romantic comedies but I was really surprised with this film and enjoyed it a lot!
DL: You can’t imagine how happy that makes me. It is definitely different and quirky. I think for people that ordinarily don’t enjoy rom-coms, there is something about this one that will speak to them.

MG: What can you tell us about your role in The CW’s “The Hundred”?
DL: I can tell you that how it came about because two writers from “Dollhouse”, Liz (Craft) and Sarah (Fain) asked me if I wanted to come play on this show. I said “Of course”. Jason (Rothenberg), the creator, is super talented and such a great writer. I spoke with him recently and he told me that “People have been asking me about your character on the show, make sure that you do not tell anyone about who you are playing” [laughs]. So in terms of that I guess I can’t say much. But I think people are really going to really respond to the show and that everyone involved is really excited about it. It is very dark, especially for The CW. I know they have stuff like “The Vampire Diaries” but this takes it another step further. After the pilot, it takes some really exciting turns, so I would say stick with it. I am very lucky to be a part of it.

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Film Interviews, Interviews Tagged With: dichen, film, lachman, love, lust, talks, ...

Anton King talks about directing his feature debut “Lust for Love”

Anton King is an Australian writer-director, who made his started in the business by premiering short films to the film festival circuit. One of those short films, “Lust for Love”, was just turned into a feature film which packs a fantastic cast including Fran Kranz (“Dollhouse”) and Dichen Lachman (“Dollhouse”) and Beau Garrett (“Tron Legacy”). Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Anton about the film and how fans can see it.

Mike Gencarelli: “Lust for Love” was originally a short film you did back in 2007; what made you turn it into a feature?
Anton King: The “Lust for Love” short was one of the first films I made, it’s a sex comedy that played at the Melbourne Underground Film Festival a long time ago. I just always liked the title so I decided to reuse it.

MG: Tell us about how you financed the entire film from your Kickstarter campaign?
AK: We were blessed with the support of our Kickstarter backers and many volunteers who contributed to the production, however like most independent films Lust for Love took longer and cost more than anticipated. After shooting the film we obtained other investment necessary to complete and deliver it, although we’re still very proud of what we were able to achieve given our limited budget.

MG: Tell us how you got Fran Kranz and Dichen Lachman and many others from the “Whedonverse” involved with the film including Enver Gjokaj, Miracle Laurie, Maurissa Tancharoen and Felicia Day?
AK: I think the performances in Lust for Love are definitely one of its best attributes, and we were certainly lucky to get such a great cast. I’ve known Dichen and Caitlin since they played sisters together on the Australian show “Neighbours”, and I got to know the “Dollhouse” cast through Dichen. I was even fortunate enough to shadow the director Félix Alcalá for one of the episodes of “Dollhouse”. Maurissa asked me if I wanted to direct the music video for her song “Remains” and we cast Fran in that too. When Dichen and I were casting “Lust for Love” we just chose great actors we knew that were available, so the cast is a mix of people she’d worked with on “Dollhouse”, and some Australian actors we knew. We also cast Karim Saleh who’s just an endlessly entertaining close friend of ours and Beau Garrett who Fran recommended.

MG: Honestly, I am not a big romantic comedy fan but you blend the two so well; tell us about this achievement?
AK: With both I just tried to keep it organic and not to overplay anything, but of course it’s difficult when you’re working in a genre that has no real darkness. It’s no coincidence that two of the most respected romantic comedies “Annie Hall” and “(500) Days of Summer” are actually about couples that aren’t supposed to be together and that don’t end up together. I also think that Lust for Love is helped by the fact that it’s about one guy chasing lots of girls rather than just one girl.

MG: Love the music in the film for example Jed Whedon and Jack Savoretti; tell us about that aspect of the film?
AK: The music supervisor Brienne Rose and I worked really hard to find the right songs for the film and Dichen came up with quite a number of selections too. While our composer Darren Morze created many wonderful pieces. It was a long process of trial and error, but for a film like this the music’s really important. Jed and his wife Maurissa were really supportive of the film and let us use both “Tricks On Me” and “Heat Of A Match” which are two of my favorites from Jed’s album “History of Forgotten Things”. We were also contacted through Kickstarter by Ryan Darton who allowed us to use songs from his album “I Am A Moth”.

MG: You juggled quite a few hats with this film; what was your biggest challenge?
AK: Perhaps the biggest challenge in making “Lust for Love” has been dealing with the sheer volume of work and the fact that it continues for so long. With such a small team and budget there’s been a lot we’ve had to do ourselves. Creatively, screenwriting is of course endlessly challenging, and we spent quite a bit of time in the edit making sure the non-linear narrative was clear.

Tell us how and where can fans see this film and what do you have planned next?
AK: “Lust for Love” is available on VOD and iTunes from Feb 7 in the US and Canada with DVD and foreign releases coming soon.

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Film Interviews, Interviews Tagged With: anton, debut, directing, feature, king, love, ...

Enver Gjokaj talks about reuniting with “Dollhouse” cast in “Lust for Love”

Enver Gjokaj is know best for his role of Victor in Joss Whedon’s “Dollhouse”. He also appeared in a small role in “The Avengers”, again with Joss Whedon and the new TV series “Witches of East End”. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Enver about his new film “Lust for Love” and reuniting with his “Dollhouse” cast.

Mike Gencarelli: How was it reuniting with your “Dollhouse” cast members for “Lust for Love”?
Enver Gjokaj: We have always been good friends even after “Dollhouse” ended. “Dollhouse” was one of those jobs that spoiled you on every other job. You get a job and it is your first job and you think that every job will be like this…but it is not [laughs]. I have made though so many great friends from that show. Dichen (Lachman) and I are practically best friends. So we have been hanging out for a while and that is from where the inception of the film began. We were always looking for another project for all of us to do. We also wanted to figure out how much we would be able to do on our own. This was one of those projects. Everyone involved just wanted to see what we could do and it ended up being quite a lot actually.

MG: When you work with friends, do you find it more challenging or easier?
EG: It depends. Of course we love each other, so we had a ton of fun. When you are shooting something on a budget, there is no one hat so to speak. Dichen, who was the main actor and also producer, would go from setting a table for lunch straight to in front of the camera [laughs]. She wore many different hats but for me I just got to be an actor for this, which was a total pleasure. Anton (King), the director, gave me total layaway and I made the character my own. I went in a pretty comedic direction with him.

MG: Jake was definitely a funny character, tell what you enjoyed most about him?
EG: I loved it because nobody really lets me do comedy [laughs]. I have done a lot of auditions for comedies but in terms of stuff I’ve gotten hired for, I do not think people are aware that I am able to be funny [laughs]. It has been quite a few years since I was able to do quite a broad character. Anton was great and very encouraging. I would do something and it would be way over the top and then I would come to him after all apologetic. He was like “Are you kidding me? Go farther…more…more”. So that was a total pleasure since you do not often get to take the limits off a character and get to do whatever you want. There is a part where I slapped Fran (Kranz)’s character with a piece of chicken and all of that just came out of the moment. Also for me playing a lovable dickhead is right in my pocket, so to speak [laughs].

MG: What is your technique when preparing for a role?
EG: For this character, I really found him at the table readings. At first I didn’t know what to do with him. I feel like a lot of time you read a role over and over and it eventually shows itself to you. I do not think anyone planned for this character to be so broad. You really don’t plan it though and after a while it just comes out naturally.

MG: What else do you have in the cards for 2014?
EG: Right now, I am excited for “Lust for Love” getting released. Also we are in pilot season now and everyone is casting the new TV shows. I am out there auditioning for a lot of stuff. So I will see if anything comes out of it.

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Film Interviews, Interviews Tagged With: cast, dollhouse, enver, gjokaj, love, lust, ...
« sdf
Previous
Page 19 of 55
Next
Next Page »