NICKSAV Film & Music SHOW

For filmmakers, musicians, & creative people who do amazing things and want to make the world better in some way.

Capturing Authentic Cajun Culture on Screen: Lost Bayou

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My podcast coverage of Nashville Film Festival begins with Lost Bayou, a film that premiered at Tribeca and went on to win Best Picture at the El Dorado Film Festival. Lost Bayou tells the story of a struggling addict who returns home to the Louisiana bayou to reconnect with her faith healer father, only to discover he’s hiding a troubling secret aboard his houseboat.

During the Nashville Film Festival, I had the chance to interview director Brian Richard, writer-producer Hunter Burke, and actor Jackson Beals about the film.

Some of the things we discuss include

  • Honoring, not exploiting, the Cajun faith-healing community
  • Getting the Cajun accents right and using them for story purposes
  • Working with the Grammy-winning band Lost Bayou Ramblers on the soundtrack
  • Nurturing a family-like atmosphere on set
  • Exploring a crisis of faith on screen
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Related Episode

A few years ago I had the opportunity to interview Brian and Hunter about their short film Atchafalaya. That conversation is included in my coverage of the New Orleans Film Festival 2015.

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Hunter, Brian, me, and Jackson doing the festival thing!
  • Good for What Ails You, the doc directed by Glen Pitre that explores Cajun faith healers.
  • Lost Bayou Ramblers, the band that provided the music for the film
  • If you are in or near New Orleans, you can catch Lost Bayou on Oct. 17 & 23 at the New Orleans Film Festival.

Music for the show provided by Rob Costlow.

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A Filmmaking Conversation on Collaboration, Forgiveness, & Serendipity

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Filmmaker Joshua Overbay‘s first film, As It Is in Heaven, was a Critics’ Pick in The New York Times and favorably reviewed on rogerebert.com. Luke & Jo is Josh’s third film, and it continues the tradition of exploring big questions while telling an intimate, character-driven story that Josh started with his first film.

Nathaniel Glass was one of the producers on As It Is in Heaven, and he returned as producer on Luke & Jo. This time around, he was also the director of photography, his first feature-length cinematography credit. The film has a memorable look, a testament to the work he did as a cinematographer and colorist.

… filmmaking is about telling truthful stories that change the world” – Nathaniel Glass 

Josh and Nate came on the podcast along with Andie Morgenlander, who was a co-writer, co-producer, costumer designer, and the lead actress in Luke & Jo. Having the three of them together allowed us to explore the filmmaking collaborative process in a really detailed way.

Luke & Jo interview with director, cinematographer, & actorSome of the things we discuss include

  • What to do when conflict arises during a shoot
  • How to shoot a film that allows for improvisation from the actors
  • The importance of a good camera operator on a micro-budget shoot
  • Whether creative people should be more like brick walls or rubber bands
  • Why asking for and receiving forgiveness is so important but so difficult to do
  • Whether the coincidences or serendipities have higher significance
  • How to not be that guy at film festivals

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As I mention in the episode, Josh was one of the judges of our #KnowMonologues challenge that I did with actress Laura Cayouette. This is the episode with Laura that led to the challenge. In it, she shares her experiences working with Quentin Tarantino and gives some practical advice to actors and filmmakers alike.

 

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Sponsor for this Episode

nsavides productions – I make videos and tell stories. My new video portfolio is here!
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I hope to finish writing my novel about a satyr in New Orleans on July 23, and I’m looking for a critique partner. Let me know if you are interested, have publishing advice you want to share, or just want to tell me more about what you’re working on these days.
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Music for the show provided by Rob Costlow.

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People Mentioned

  • Aaron Holmes, camera operator on Luke & Jo
  • Andie Morgenlander
  • Charles Dickens
  • Erik Odom, the other leading actor on Luke & Jo
  • François Truffaut
  • Joshua Overbay
  • Laura Cayouette, actress
  • Mahatma Gandhi
  • Martin Scorsese
  • Nathaniel Glass
  • Phil Collins
  • Richard Linklater
  • Tennessee Williams
  • William Shakespeare

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Films Mentioned

  • As It Is in Heaven
  • Luke & Jo
  • Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

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Books Mentioned

  • Bleak House
  • The Count of Monte Cristo
  • The Glass Menagerie
  • Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
  • The Oresteia trilogy

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How to Tell a Nuanced School-Shooting Story #LIFF2018

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This is the first part of my coverage for Louisiana International Film Festival 2018, which happens in Baton Rouge from April 19-22. In this episode, I talk to director Vincent Grashaw about his film And Then I Go. His film tells the story of two young people who contemplate a potential school shooting against their classmates as retaliation for the slights they’ve endured.

LIFF 2018 director Vincent Grashaw on the nsavides podcastUnfortunately, the Parkland shooting and other recent events have made And Then I Go all too topical, but unlike certain outspoken figures who have argued the issue, the film doesn’t point fingers or offer easy answers. Instead it explores a difficult issue in a thoughtful, nuanced way. It’s the kind of contemplative approach that could serve us well to emulate, whether in discussing school shootings or in broaching similarly polarizing issues.

After all, the answers to the troubling problems that plague our society, if any answers are to be found, probably won’t come from more heated vitriol. They seem more likely to emerge from the quiet determination in enough hearts to stop searching for someone else to blame and to start taking responsibility for making things better.

Vincent’s film subtly asks us all to consider what that might look like, and he expands on that in his interview with me. If that’s not the ultimate solution to a vexing issue that has sadly become all familiar, then it’s at least a step in the right direction, and even a small step forward is a welcome one at this point.

In addition to how Vincent’s film wrestles school-shooting issue, we also discuss

  • How Vincent prepared his young actors to explore a challenging issue
  • The way the cinematography and music in the film helped him tell the story
  • Why he likes to bring the composer early in the development process
  • How he partnered with The Orchard to get the word out about his film

My podcast coverage of #LIFF2018 begins below with director Vincent Grashaw discussing his film And Then I Go:

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Vincent will be attending LIFF 2018, so if you plan to attend then you can continue the conversation there.

And Then I Go will be playing on Saturday, April 21 at 2:15 – 4:00 PM and on Sunday, April 22 at 4:15 – 6:00 PM, and he will be participating in a filmmaking discussion on that Sunday from 12:30 – 1:15 PM. Tickets are available through LIFF’s website.

Want to learn more about The Orchard, the distributor behind And Then I Go? Then check out this interview I did with Richard Matson, The Orchard’s VP of distribution:


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Sponsor for this Episode

nsavides productions – I make videos and tell stories. My new video portfolio is here!
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My short film Mixed Signals  premieres at LIFF 2018 on April 21.
Mixed Signals directed by Nick Savides at LIFF 2018#

Say hello: podcast@nsavides.com

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Additional music for the show provided by Rob Costlow.

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Films Mentioned

  • And Then I Go
  • Coldwater 
  • Elephant
  • He Got Game
  • I’ll See You in My Dreams
  • It Follows
  • He Got Game
  • Rich Hill
  • We Need to Talk About Kevin

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Book Mentioned

  • Project X

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How to Make a Micro-Budget Film for $3000 & Sell It on Amazon: Evan Kidd

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Evan Kidd, a filmmaker in Baton Rouge, recently concluded the festival run for his first feature film, Son of Clowns, a story about a TV star who loses his show and returns home to figure out his life and help his family run their floundering backyard circus. The film was shot for less than $3000 and had a shooting schedule that lasted only 10 days. Those are impressive stats even in the world of micro-budget filmmaking.

Filmmaker Evan Kidd discusses micro-budget filmmaking on The nsavides PodcastIn spite of the limited resources, Evan put together a micro-budget film with enough appeal to get picked up by a number of festivals across the world, including the Cucalorus Film Festival, one of the few festivals in the world that pays to fly in their filmmakers.  At other festivals, Son of Clowns received recognitions for best comedy, best actor, and best actress.

As the film’s festival run came to an end, Evan was able to negotiate with Amazon to have his film available on their platform. Amazon Prime members can watch it at no cost, and non-members can rent it for a nominal fee.

It’s, I think, a sign of artistry when one artist can help another.“ – Evan Kidd

Evan came on the podcast to walk us through his filmmaking process. Some of the things we discuss include

  • What actors can do to stand out
  • The trap of the perfection mentality
  • Why an artist’s view of the world matters
  • What equipment choices can speed up the shoot
  • How to take advantage of the expertise of your crew
  • When is the best time to do a crowdfunding campaign
  • How to keep costs low when shooting a micro-budget film
  • Techniques to cut down the days in the shooting schedule
  • How to get great people on your project even when you can’t pay much

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nsavides productions – I make music videos, commercials, and short films. Check out some of my work.
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Let’s talk about what we can do together. Email: podcast@nsavides.com.
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Film Festivals Mentioned

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Films & Shows Mentioned

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The Founder with Director John Lee Hancock, A Timely American Film

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A few months ago I  interviewed writer-director John Lee Hancock about his work on The Rookie, The Alamo, The Blind Side, and Saving Mr. Banks. We also spoke about his latest film The Founder, which stars Michael Keaton as Ray Kroc, the business man who turned McDonald’s into a world-wide brand. The film was about to come out when I first did the interview, but the release got pushed back a few months. It had a limited release in December and opened nationwide on January 20.

I recently watched The Founder, and it made enough of impression that I decided to re-release the episode. For one thing, I believe that the film was snubbed by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. It didn’t get a single nomination, but in my humble opinion it is at least worthy of consideration for best picture, best director, best actor, and best production design.

The film also has some striking parallels to the story of Donald Trump’s rise to power.  In the concluding comments that I added for this episode, I elaborate on why I believe it is a film worthy of award consideration and why it relates to the Donald Trump story. Those comments start about 50 minutes into the episode.

John Lee Hancock, Director of The Founder, on The nsavides PodcastSome of the topics that come up in the episode include

  • John’s shooting approach on The Rookie, The Alamo, The Blind Side, Saving Mr. Banks, and The Founder
  • How John convinced Nick Saban and other SEC football coaches to be in The Blind Side
  • How far some people will go in pursuit of success and the impact that has on society
  • Weathering the ups and downs that come along in a filmmaking career
  • The research that goes into portraying historical figures on screen
  • Why the anti-Disney bias from certain cultural elites is not fair
  • When it is appropriate to include a sense of faith in a story
  • Why The Founder relates to Donald Trump’s presidency

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Films Mentioned

  • The Alamo
  • The Blind Side
  • The Founder
  • The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence
  • Meet John Doe
  • The Rookie
  • Saving Mr. Banks 

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Book Mentioned

  • Shoe Dog by Phil Knight

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Writer-Director John Lee Hancock on Legends, Walt Disney, & the Drive to Succeed

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John Lee Hancock is the director of films like The Rookie, The Blind Side, and Saving Mr. Banks, films that pleased both audiences and critics. One of his early hits came from writing A Perfect World, which was directed by Clint Eastwood.  His upcoming film The Founder stars Michael Keaton as Ray Kroc, the business man who turned McDonald’s into a world-wide brand. Recently, the Weinstein company pushed the release of the film from August to the middle of award season, suggesting that they feel good about the film’s prospects.

John came on the podcast to talk about the film and some of his past projects.

It’s not about getting them to say yes. It’s about making it impossible for them to say no.“ – John Lee Hancock

John Lee Hancock, Director of The Founder, on The nsavides PodcastSome of the topics we discuss include

  • Working with actors to trim down dialogue
  • The research that goes into portraying historical figures on screen
  • How to stay true to the essence of real people while portraying them in a dramatic way
  • How John convinced Nick Saban and other SEC football coaches to be in The Blind Side
  • The legacy of Walt Disney, and John’s experiences working with the company
  • Handling feedback and failure on a big studio project

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nsavides productions – I make music videos, commercials, and short films. Check out some of my work.
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Let’s talk about what we can do together. Email: podcast@nsavides.com.
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