OVERNIGHT BOOK Directed By Erin Greenwell

Indie Express: Tell us about your film?

EG: “Overnight Book” is about a chance encounter between a washed up writer and a teenage misfit. The journey they share over the course of one night in “Anytown” USA will change their lives.

IE: How did you come up with the idea for the film?

EG: “Overnight Book” is an homage to a real life person who did change my life as a closeted teenager- Bobby. Bobby was an out, proud (and outrageous) artist friend of my brother’s who was living in New York. Meeting him influenced me in ways he’ll never know.

IE: How did you assemble your production team?

EG: I was in grad school for media production (City College of New York) so I pulled from fellow students. I have been making shorts for years so normally I work with fellow friends making their own films, solicit from shootingpeople.org or email friends for referrals.

IE: How did you find your cast?

EG: Cameron Oro is an amazing theater actor from NYC’s Stolen Chair theater company in NYC. Lana we found through Backstage (out of 300 headshots and 20 young women). Supporting actors were casted locally through Lexington Kentucky acting group postings. We held auditions with Lexington actors ahead of time by video chatting.

IE: How long did the film take? (From conception to final edit)

EG: I rewrote the script over and over during the course of the school year (I actually did more rewrites than I have on any of my longer work because of school. Patience was a virtue). We pre-produced for about 2 months between budgeting, casting, finding locations, preparing equipment and planning for traveling, food, and shoot workflow day to day and within each day. We had an 8 day shoot. Post production was about a month.

IE: Tell us a little about your process of directing (writing) this film.

EG: I have directed longer work but this felt more challenging in a lot of ways because I was forced out of my normal comfort zone of being in New York and working with the usual pals. Writing felt intense because it was more directly about me and a little darker than my usual projects.

IE: What was the most difficult part of the shoot for you?

EG: The story is supposed to take place over the course of one night, a morning and into afternoon. In a freak occurrence for Lexington, it snowed and then became sunny every other day! One day there would be blue skies and the next there would be road warnings and icicles hanging outside the window. There was a lot of scrambling and long hours to shoot around weather discontinuity.

IE: Any particular moments from filming that stand out for you?

EG: I felt very vulnerable to be leading a group of people around a semi-autobiographical story. In fact, I secretly felt like an ass. One day the lighting designer asked if we were going to have to shoot over hours into the night to get around a weather problem and I confidentially whispered, “How’s moral? Do you think everyone can do it?” and he exclaimed with a smile “That’s what we’re here for!” That moment kept me going for the rest of the shoot.

IE: Tell us about the film’s festival experience so far?

EG: So far “Overnight Book” has shown at the DGA theater as part of CCNY’s graduation and NewFest for the East Coast premier. Both experiences were incredible and I hope people at Frameline enjoy it. NewFest was particularly exciting because the actors were able to see a mostly lesbian audience laugh, cheer and clap for the characters.

IE: What are you most looking forward to at the festival?

EG: People seeing it and hopefully enjoying themselves and connecting to it.

IE: What has been your most interesting Q&A so far? What was your favorite question? How was the dialogue afterwards?

EG: I have only had one for Overnight Book at NewFest. Someone asked, “Did you really say that?” in regards to what a character based upon me said and I replied “No, but I wished I had!” Wonder what that was about? Go see the short!

IE: What films or filmmakers inspire you?

EG: Too many films and filmmakers. I pretty much don’t care what the film is about or what style it possesses. If it comes from an honest place, it shows and that is exciting to witness in a movie. To me, honest perspective from a director is what creates a unique film.

IE: What made you decide to become a filmmaker?

EG: Seeing “Some Like It Hot” as a kid and being blown away by it. My father made me watch it and I grumbled that it was going to be some “stupid boring black and white movie”. I re-watched it at least 30 times throughout my childhood. After awhile all the “tricks” starting coming out and I could see all the pieces. I realized I wanted to be in on that collaboration.

IE: What is next for you?

EG: I am currently editing a feature in NYC and I plan on getting back to writing and directing a feature of my own in the fall.

IE: What is next for the film?

EG: Getting as many people to see it through the festival circuit as possible.

IE: If asked to give one piece of advice to a new filmmaker making their first short film… What would it be?

EG: Make it, fail, note the mistakes and make a harder one with a new set of mistakes. Keep making them until you make less mistakes and have more successful moments in the footage. Don’t be afraid to fail.

IE: What question would you like to be asked about your film?

EG: I like all questions.

IE: What is the Answer to that question?

EG: I don’t know. Ask me!