Upon casual scanning of the page, you may be wondering, "Why is Wesley posting the trailer for this movie on the blog?", i'll tell you exactly why, this trailer is the upcoming second feature length film of Writer-Director Rian Johnson. You'll perhaps recognize the name as the director of the 2005 Sundance Favorite "Brick" starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt. I was very fortunate to be able to talk to Rian Johnson about his journey from student filmmaker to having two feature length films under his belt, the latest of which will be starring not one but two Academy-Award winners.
So check out the above trailer for his upcoming film "The Brothers Bloom", and stay tuned after the interview for a short film he created long before he started on Brick, to once again remind you about what an artist can come from and what he can develop into.
Wes: Like many filmmakers, you have definitely started early, with shorts films you've made like, "The Origami Master" from 1990. What inspired you to first pick up a camera and start making movies at such an early age?
Rian: My dad had one of the first video cameras on our block, so I got started early - I must have been in 4th or 5th grade when we started shooting skits. It was really just something to do, I had been writing stories before that and was obsessed with Star Wars and Raiders, so picking up the camera was irresistible to me.
Also like many filmmakers, you went to Filmschool, studying at USC. What were your experiences in Film School like, and what advice do you have to other burgeoning filmmakers who are also considering film school?
There's not much that can be taught about filmmaking in a classroom, the real benefit of film school is the people you meet, forming a group that will all support each other while you're struggling on your way up. Also just having 4 years set aside to watch as many movies as possible and make as many as you can.
You got your first feature "Brick" at Sundance a few years ago, where it was met with critical acclaim, and won the Originality of Vision prize. What was it like not only being accepted at Sundance, but having your film met with such warm reception?
It was a whirlwind, honestly I'm still not sure I've absorbed it. It felt good to have Bloom to start working on immediately, to just be able to come out of that crazy circus of festivals and sit down and get to work on something new.
You spent several years shopping the script for "Brick" around Hollywood, where it was largely ignored, what was the final straw that broke the camel's back that made you finally say, "I'm going to do this myself." And was it scary undertaking a full feature yourself for the first time?
It had alot to do with my producer, Ram Bergman. He was the one who sort of shook me and said that I had to just make it for whatever I could scrape together, that there wasn't going to be a company that would give the magic nod and hand me a few million, that if I wanted it done we'd have to do it ourselves. And he was right. And I was terrified! But luckily, making a feature is such hard and constant work, you don't have time to be frightened for long.
How did you go about acquiring the financial resources that went into the making of "Brick", and how long did it take you? Do you have any advice how other filmmakers can go about accumulating the resources for a larger project like a Feature?
It boiled down to luck, I'm sorry to say. My grandfather, uncle and dad have a homebuilding business, and they happened to get a big financial windfall which gave them a little money to invest. And they believed in me, and they did it. But I guess what I'd stress to everyone out there who is looking at the daunting task of making a feature and saying "Oh great, so it's just luck?" is that although the actual financing was luck, it only happened because I had stuck around all those years, found a cast, a producer, a casting director, had my shit together, and didn't give up. And that's the one thing all features that get made have in common. I honestly believe that if you set your sights on what you want to make and just don't go away until it gets made, it will.
You shot the film in a rather short amount of time for a feature, only 20 days, what are some of the things you did to make sure you could shoot so efficiently, and how do you think other filmmakers can do to make their own shoots quicker?
Plan your shots, rehearse your actors, and know what you're after when you show up. Though I personally think that's good advice no matter what your budget or time schedule.
One of your earliest jobs before you shot "Brick", was working as an Editor on the film "May", how did you get that job, and what were your experiences as an Editor on the film?
I was friends with the director Lucky McKee from college, and Steve Yedlin my friend and DP shot it. It was sort of the first feature that our group of friends all got to work on, it was really exciting. I love editing, I've never done it professionally, but I occasionally do it for friends, and always enjoy it.
Taking into account some of the rather eclectic inspirations for your work, everything from Spaghetti Westerns to Watanabe'sCowboy Bebop, do you think it's important for a director to have diversified visual and storytelling tastes? On the extreme side, does a filmmaker have to be conscious to make sure their vision isn't being muddled with to many inspirations?
Well yes and yes, but I think the way to deal with that danger is to just not think about it too hard. If your story is coming from an honest place, and you care about your characters, and you're keeping your focus on creating a world on the screen that is as real as possible (even if, or especially if, it's heightened) then there's not much chance the end product will just be the sum of your influences.
Your latest film, "The Brothers Bloom", is your largest project to date, having a budget about 40 times the size of "Brick", how different was it having so much more financial flexibility compared to your previous films, and how do you feel it compares to your previous work?
It was terrifying coming into it, just because it sounds daunting, with the size of the budget and the names in the cast. But once we actually got to work, there's not much that's fundamentally different about the process. It's still just telling a story with some actors and a camera. As to how it compares to Brick, that's not for me to say, but I'm very proud of both films.
Being a Writer/Director, how do you really begin to formulate the core concepts of your story? Do you start out with something you want to say, or with the core moral, or do you start out with characters or a larger concept of a type of film you want to do?
It's a combination of the two - usually the story (or genre) comes first, but just in the most vague way. It can't really get cooking for me until I have a theme that I'm working towards to unify everything. Then that points the story, then the characters are born out of what the story necessitates.
With technology changing so quickly, what advice, if any, do you have to offer to filmmakers working in the digital age, with high quality digital cameras, full special effects and editing suites, and worldwide distribution networks at their fingertips?
Ha - no, but if they have any advice for me I'll gladly take it. It's a brave new world, we're all just trying to find our footing!
With these technologies seemingly lowering the bar for entry to make your own film, how do you think filmmakers can stand out and be noticed with the glut of content out there?
It's not a very original answer, but I firmly believe the only thing that matters is staying true to your own creative voice, and no matter what format you're shooting on, working hard to tell your story as well as you can on every level. If you can do that, and engage an audience, it won't matter if you shot on 35mm or DV.
Overall, looking back and knowing that once upon a time you were in a very similar position, what is the singular most important piece of advice you have to offer younger filmmakers?
Don't adjust yourself to the marketplace. Stay true to what makes your creative voice unique. It may seem to be holding you back in the short term, but in the end, that's what will make you stand out.
And finally, when can people expect to see your latest film "The Brothers Bloom" in theaters, and can you reveal anything abut any future projects you have on the table after that?
Right now we're set to open in NY and LA in December and wide on January 16th, but those dates could always shift. Check our website for the latest info on where to see the film - www.thebrothersbloom.com
Thank you so much, it was a pleasure.
Now that you've read the interview, here is Rian Johnson's 1990 film, "The Origami Master", filmed when he was just 17:
Brick was an excellent film. Nice work with the interview.
Good interview Wes. He gave some good pointers in there which were pretty inspirational.
Wow, nice interview! Brick was an amazing film, I'm gonna try to go see Brothers Bloom!
You need to ask better questions. Some of his responses were even shorter than the questions were.