ONE TWO PUNCH Written and Directed By Tim Anderson
Indie Express: Tell us about your film?
Tim: My film is called “One Two Punch”. It is a short film with a running time of around 10 minutes, and it was filmed entirely in the greater Las Vegas area. Essentially, it is about a guy named Jack who has generally been unreliable in his current relationship with his girlfriend Jill. She is returning home after a 3 month out-of-town absence due to work, and all Jack has to do is pick her up from the airport to progress their relationship. However, instead he is assaulted, drugged, and tied-up by two guys in rabbit suits who victimize him and his home. Now, Jill must buy his absurd story as to why he stranded her at the airport.
IE: How did you come up with the idea for the film?
T: To be honest, I don’t have a cathartic moment that I can trace this particular storyline to; I tend to be very appreciative and loving of absurdity, and my roots are stand-up and deadpan comedy. I am virtually an insomniac and can say I wrote this late at night without many idea “restrictions”. It’s a bit strange, but in my mind I wasn’t writing or intending to make a comedy – instead just this strange story about the brutalization of this guy Jack and how that idea entertained me.
IE: You are a part of the Nevada Filmmakers section. Tell us about why you are connected to this section of the festival.
T: I am programmed in this section for a few reasons I surmise. First, I shot the film entirely in the Las Vegas area (although my production company is out of Colorado). Second, I have maintained a residence in the Las Vegas area in which I have lived off-and-on for the last few years. Lastly, I actually graduated from UNLV with a degree in film and further language studies, although a good portion of my film study has been at NYU.
IE: How did you assemble your production team?
T: Well, my production team was very small – as I prefer to work at this stage with a crew consisting of people who are committed to the project and not ‘flimsy’ about when/how/if they can help. Thus, I have been working lately with the same few people on my films. The D.P., Cameron White, I met through a friend who recommended his talents and cinema smarts to me and he and I have made two shorts together now. My primary sound engineer and composer, Zack Shea, is actually my roommate and we have worked on all four of my short films since I got out of film school. Other various crew positions were a result of small help here and there from people’s friends and family whom also have interest in filmmaking. All in all, our entire crew, pre and post-production included a total of 7 people.
IE: How did you find your cast?
T: Well, essentially I did all the casting and casting notices myself. I would send out/post casting call notices, then request interested parties to call me to schedule a meeting. I prefer to meet with potential cast one on one first to see if we come from similar perspectives. All of the parts were cast locally, but the lead C. Clayton Blackwell and I had worked together before on my first short, so I didn’t really audition that part. I had some help getting the word out from a few people in town like Anne Marie Saviano of the Second City, etc…but in general it’s hard to find actors in Las Vegas in my opinion so I was a bit fortunate as well.
IE: How long did the film take? (From conception to final edit)
T: October 2007 – mid March 2008.
IE: Tell us a little about your process of directing (writing) this film.
T: Well, this sounds like one of those questions everyone wants to be asked so they can go on a seemingly self-important rant about their ‘art’ and their ‘artistic method’, so I will try to avoid that. Writing this was relatively natural to me because I love absurdity and felt I could really ‘just write’ and not have to satisfy certain genres and/or expectations. In terms of how I direct or my ‘style’, someone I have directed or worked with is probably a better person to ask this to as I have never sat back and took note of my ‘method’, but in terms of prep process, I always do a shotlist/storyboards (often keeping track of this in my head). I like to pay attention to how things would look and feel if this really happened and stay true to the characters. Visual choices and shots are something I make serve the story somehow, which I view as paramount, and I dislike when that is ignored and choices are made arbitrarily or in a self-aware fashion.
IE: What was the most difficult part of the shoot for you?
T: The most difficult thing was probably staying on schedule given we shot in early December and lose light very fast. This is especially true because shot everything in 2 long days. I commend my crew as everyone stayed focused despite little to no sleep. I know I didn’t sleep for about 3 days during production.
IE: Tell us about the films festival experience so far?
T: Well, I am completing this before its premiere at the 2008 Boston International Film Festival, so I cannot do anything but speculate, but I am excited to show it in Boston first because they have programmed my work there before and people and I have had great reaction.
What are you most looking forward to at the festival?
T: The food. I love food and cuisine. Also, there’s two particular features from France and Mexico I really want to see.
IE: What films or filmmakers inspire you?
T: Well, I could be entirely complete with you and list everything, but that would take hours and complex conversations. I will give you a quick few. I love Chaplin. I feel he is the most talented artist of the 20th century considering his body of work, its importance, its genius, and his multi-faceted role on everything. My favorite film of all-time is his feature “City Lights”. Moving on, I love films by John Cassavettes, Michelangelo Antonioni, and David Lean. “The Third Man” is incredible and ranks up there as well as Coppola’s “The Conversation”. One of my favorite recent films was Alexander Payne’s “About Schmidt” which I thought was phenomenal. I am also a big fan of “Strangers On a Train” and “The 39 Steps” from Hitchcock….ok, enough, I will force myself to stop or we’ll be here forever – and we haven’t even gotten to Kubrick and “The Shining” or “2001: A Space Odyssey”…. I tend to like old movies….Love the “400 Blows” as well….
IE: What made you decide to become a filmmaker?
T: It’s funny, at first I didn’t have the idea of becoming a director. I wanted to write and act and do sketch-comedy (which I still want to do). Then I realized I didn’t really like much of the stories being told in films or projects I could write/act in. Thus, perhaps out of necessity originally, I started making my own stuff in high school. So, I kind of became my own one-man-band and here I am now, still along those same lines….
IE: What is next for you?
T: After doing festivals for this short, now that I have completed my 4th short to be released in festivals (some of my early ones weren’t), I would like to take some time and complete 2 or 3 feature scripts I have been manifesting for quite some time. I would hopefully be able to get some work in some capacity in film/tv production during this time to sustain these endeavors. I also am debating down the road getting a public policy law degree and running for Senate. However, I have far too many interests for my own good so we’ll see – but I do want to begin a feature in the next couple years. I am also moving next month….
IE: What is next for the film?
T: After Boston and CineVegas, hopefully more festivals in the USA and Europe. I have talked to a French shorts company who liked it about some distribution, so I am holding vigil and praying for that!
IE: If asked to give one piece of advice to a new filmmaker making their first short film… What would it be?
T: Take it seriously and take what you are doing seriously. Do not do this to have ‘cool stuff’ on youtube. What you are undertaking is a serious endeavor with great history and great societal relevance so please pay your respects to great minds and films that have come before you and, despite what you might make, always treat it seriously and not like a hobby. And please, please, please make something interesting and unique not stock.
IE: What question would you like to be asked about your film?
T: Does it have distribution, and if not, can we distribute it?
IE: What is the Answer?
T: Not yet and surely you can!