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interview by Sam Quo Vadis & Mary J. Schirmer We are pleased to have the opportunity to interview writer/director Hank Isaac, cinematographer Joe Andolina, and actresses Rachelle Henry and Sarah-Eve Gazitt who came together to make a video for the Moby Music Video Contest with the theme "Hello, Future." The video can be viewed at http://vimeo.com/groups/saatchiandsaatchi/videos/23352520.  Hank Isaac, writer/director
Hank, what is the Moby Video Contest and how did you become involved with it?
Tell us about the story and what inspired you to write it.
Hank: I wanted to do a story with kids because I write primarily teen and preteen characters. I wanted to do a story that reflected the music but
wasn't an exact fit to the lyrics. I mean, someone had to have done that already. Why do yet another version? So the story had to work,
even though it probably wasn't the same story Moby had in his head when he wrote the song. What I got from listening to the music was
a sense of unintentional abandonment. You know, I'm leaving. I can't help it. I'd stay if I could. Clearly, very much like death. Then the idea
expanded to two girls, maybe sisters, maybe not. And they lived with their grandma but she died and now they have nowhere else to go.
So the older and wiser girl takes the younger one under her wing and teaches her how to survive on the streets. And their future will be
uncertain for a very, very long time. But maybe, just maybe, they'll be okay.
A lot of the metaphors which show up in the video came about because of my unconscious feeding my conscious. I love when that happens.
All the red, for example - the book, the bag, the shawl, the sweater, the apple, the "stop" sign, the bricks. Did you notice the two birds as they
flew off the top of the building? The old guy in the park, taking the doll from the girl's bag - "stealing" their childhood. The "balancing act".
When it happens like that, I just go with it. Always best. Of course the elevator metaphor of grandma ascending to heaven was intentional,
as was the kids stopping it because it wasn't their time yet. So it's all really a pleasant blend of "Yeah!" and "Huh?"
It must have been a great challenge to write the story, find the cast and crew, acquire the financing and locations, and get all the permits in such a short time What specific
problems did you encounter and how did you overcome them?
Hank: Yeah, this was tough. When I found out about the contest, I literally sat quietly and thought about it for maybe thirty minutes, I really wanted
to do it but also knew I was going to have to ask some people to give up their time and work fast to make it happen. So I wanted to make sure
in my own mind that I thought we could pull it off. If I can see something happening, I can usually make it happen. I knew the studio where we
filmed the interiors - all in a freight elevator, by the way. So because of massive scheduling problems we set out to film the interiors on a late Friday
afternoon, then exteriors all day on Saturday. Sunday was reserved as an emergency backup day. Well, Saturday began rainy. We delayed for
about an hour and I almost canceled the day. Then it started to ease up, so I went for it. Glad I did. The rain helped the imagery a lot. Just so
everyone knows, we did not film this guerrilla-style. We were fully permitted as well as fully insured. We had permission from all the locations
where we interacted with them and got releases from everyone who is identifiable on screen. Once Tamed Productions (with whom I'm trying to
establish a working relationship) provided the bulk of the funds needed for the project. I pitched the idea to Larry McConnell, head of production,
and he said okay right on the spot. The rest of us dug into our pockets. We didn't get the permit until the first day of shooting. And of course
being out and on the go the whole day, there were the continuing problems of restrooms, food, finicky weather, rest periods for the kids - and us!
How did you find and choose the music for Hello, Future?
Hank: "Hello, Future" is actually the theme of the contest. Moby and the contest sponsors made available three songs from his new album and each
entrant had to pick one of them to use. I especially liked two of the cuts and decided to focus on them. I was prepared to use either, based on
how much footage we were able to film. The song that worked and the one finally chosen was really the one
I wanted to use all along.
How did you cast the young actresses? Did you already know the girls, or did you hold auditions?
Hank: Interesting story, this. As part of that thirty-minute thinking process I knew I wanted to do something with kids. I primarily write stories for and
about kids, so this was a natural for me. I had worked with one young actress and quickly offered her one of the roles. She accepted, but later
had to back out. Thus ensued a many hundred mile adventure of calling and driving. Funny thing is, I almost didn't even get to meet ten-year-old
Rachelle, who plays the older girl. Her mom called me as I was trying to figure out which of five Starbucks I was supposed to be at for a meeting
with another potential actress. My cell phone was actually coming apart in my hands and I couldn't talk, so I told her I'd call her back in a couple
of minutes. Well, two hours later and I remembered. So we hastily put together a meeting. This was one of those magic moments when you see
someone and in less than five seconds, you know they're exactly perfect. And the meeting with her and her grandfather (he brought her) only
served to confirm what I believed. Sarah-Eve who is eight and plays the younger girl is someone I'd wanted to work with for a while but couldn't
get the projects going for her. She had worked in a short film with a young boy who was also in our recent short, Zero Point. I had seen reels of
her work and she was highly recommended. So I didn't really hold auditions. Didn't have time. Had to guess right. Both of these young actors
are very professional and very serious about their careers.
 Actresses Rachelle Henry, top, and Sarah-Eve Gazitt Photo courtesy of Once Tamed Productions
How was working with young actresses different from directing adult actors?
Hank: I love working with kids. That said, I also work very, very hard to cast the "right" kids. In my view, kids are actually easier to direct than grownups.
They love to play and invent - it comes naturally. And bright kids are a joy to work with. But... Ya gotta realize that kids aren't adults. They need
real time to blow off steam. Sometimes my crews get impatient when things don't seem to be moving forward. I try to explain that you can spend
ten minutes trying to get the kids to settle down, or else wait five minutes for them to do it themselves. I like to keep everything as light and as fun
as I can. I let them say "action" whenever possible. I let them take charge of their scenes. If they own them, they'll care for and nurture them.
I also "cast" the parents (or grandparents) and we were blessed with families who were generous, professional, and supportive.
The grownups had pretty small roles compared to the kids. Janice, our "grandma", is someone I've worked with in the past as well. The "fruit stand
vendor" is actually an award-winning world-class composer, Charles-Henri Avelange. The "faceless pervert" in the alley was the makeup artist's
cousin who was visiting from Massachusetts. This was one of those, "Hey, how'd you like to be in a film!" moments. The old guy in the park... Well...
Ya do what ya gotta do. Right? Casting is everything. If you cast right, you really have to work hard to screw things up after that.
Did you find that anything in your screenplay just didn't work and you had to abandon portions
of it on-set?
Hank: LOL! Screenplay. No screenplay for this. No time. I constructed an "idea list" to see what might not only work for the story, but also would be
possible to execute. We actually filmed maybe five or six scenes that never made it into the video. Joe and I did a sort of "location scout" the day
after I decided to make the attempt to film this. We spent seven hours walking and driving around Seattle. I knew generally where I wanted to be
but we wanted to make sure, again, that we could actually execute the vision. We took photos and then I formulated a battle plan which would
have us move cars (and people) three times. Otherwise, we walked to each location. The scene at the restaurant where the girls steal a part of
a hamburger was actually shot at the restaurant where we had lunch - after we had rested and eaten, of course. I tried to make the locations and
the scenes as flexible as possible. In other words, how many scenes could be adapted to a specific location and vice versa? We did not "art up"
anything. That little chalk rainbow on the bricks in the alcove where the kids were sleeping was there a week before we filmed and, thankfully,
remained intact on the day we actually filmed.
In a "lightly scripted" story, I also like to give lots of room to the camera guys so they can "play" too. This is not to say I just stood around and
watched. Hopefully, it's hard to tell where the influence of my hand begins and ends. For example, I "draped" the kids on the park bench. There
was a "look" I was going for there. But the precise angles of all the shots represent a close collaboration with the two cameramen. Oh, by the
way, we used two cameras for speed and continuity - when you film in an active location and really have no control over it, you don't want the
background to change dramatically from, say, a wide shot to a medium shot.
The video made at least one reviewer cry. What do you think about that?
Hank: Well, I happen to like it when a film makes me cry.. It means it's touched my heart. I have to share something with you here. I edited the film with
help from Joe and suggestions from Richard - both of whose creative opinions I value. But I don't remember much specific detail about the actual
filming. Now before you think I'm on the cusp of Alzheimer's, this is not an uncommon occurrence for me. It happens when I write. Look, except
for sitting at the restaurant, I was on my feet for nearly twelve hours on Saturday. As were Joe and Richard. I generally tend to be "in the moment"
when I'm directing. Everything else goes away.. And when the moment is gone, it's gone. Forever. So when I went to edit the video, it was almost
as if I'd never seen any of the footage before. And here's the kicker... When I look at the video, I can't remember cutting it all together. Why did
I pick one shot over another? Again, I was in the moment. The music was there and I love cutting to music. So I guess the bottom line is that
the music video was created from the heart, executed from the heart, and finally assembled from the heart. Notice I didn't mention "brain" here.
Okay, back to the crying. Everything I write or film is personal. I can't do it if it isn't. At my age, it's now possible to see the light at the far end of
the tunnel I first entered so many decades ago. I used to tell my film students that one of the greatest challenges a filmmaker faces is to have his
characters reach past the plane of the screen their images are on and touch the audience. It is my continuing hope that I can do that.
If you had the project to do over, what would you do differently?
Hank: I would like to have given everyone who worked on the film more. They all deserve it. It's interesting how this little project spun things in different
directions. I lost some old friends. I made some dear new ones. Everyone who gave of themselves for this project is someone I would work with
again in a heartbeat.
 Joe Andolina, cinematographer
Joe, this video is beautifully photographed and lit. The images evoke the golden age of Hollywood and
yet they're also very contemporary. What was your inspiration and how did you achieve the look of the film?
Joe: Watching older films is like capturing another age. I like to listen to old copies of radio shows
too because they have all the pops and scratches. For the music video, I was almost like a documentary
filmmaker following the two little girls around the city. That was Hank's idea. We'd give them stuff
to do, then follow them around while they did it. I wasn't even conscious of the story we were creating.
I guess the shots in the elevator were a little film noir-ish because of how we decided to use light
and shadow. There really weren't too many choices of angles in there because of the needs of the story
and where the characters had to be to make it work. Hank asked that we keep the lens down low as much as
possible, at the kids' POV, since this was their story. We didn't want to stay static. We wanted a
definite documentary-style feel for the video.
Once I'm locked in to the filming I really don't ever think about what I'm doing. It just happens.
I never over think this stuff. It's hard to talk about or explain because the reasons don't exist at
the time. So here I am trying to figure out how to explain things that just happen naturally.
The overall look of the film was achieved by Hank in the editing and color balancing which intensified
the way we lit it. The original intention was to go to black & white. But Hank liked the sort of pastel,
faded, color-shifted look. He also pumped up the blacks and boosted the contrast.
 Actresses Sarah-Eve Gazitt, left, and Rachell Henry Photo courtesy of Once Tamed Productions
Hello, Future features some wonderful interior and exterior locations. Did you
encounter any related challenges when shooting and how did you overcome them?
Joe: Saturday, the day for exteriors, started off with rain. The potential of rain in Seattle
is pretty high. We debated calling off the day and trying again on Sunday. Rain is not good for
equipment, of course. Also, the consistency of the look could be harmed with a mix of overcast and
bright sun. And we weren't traveling around with giant scrims and flags which would have been silly,
given the style of the shoot. Also, we had to drop a location as we got to it because it was actually
occupied with a collection of homeless people. As it turned out, the rain lasted only a couple of
hours and also gave us a really nice feel in the park where the kids were sleeping on the bench.
It also gave us that great puddle for them to splash in. Richard and I saw the puddle as we were
all walking to one of the locations. My first instinct was to skip it because I knew Hank
wouldn't want the kids to get wet. We asked Hank and he said, yeah, let's shoot it. Richard shot
the slow motion. Hank kept having the kids step hard so the splashes were obvious. We
actually only did two takes because Sarah-Eve's boots kept filling up with water.
The interior part, filmed in the freight elevator, was really the least challenging. The large window
areas helped us get enough illumination and also the shadows that were appropriate to the look we wanted.
We did have two camera-mounted LED lights that we may have used for some fill on the Grandma.
I was able to get a shallow depth of field for the scene with the pervert. This was done, in part,
to keep his face more or less hidden - we weren't really supposed to see him. And it also worked
to give Sarah-Eve's character - it was her hair we were looking through - the sort of blurry vision a
child might have who doesn't fully understand what's happening or what she's really seeing.
I can't remember exactly which shots they were used in or even if those shots made it into the
final cut.
Did you storyboard any or all of the scenes?
Joe: The only so called "storyboarding" we did was going location scouting and looking at the possibilities
for each shot. I shot video footage as we checked out various places so we could look at potential
shots later with a clean slate, so to speak. Hank put together a map so we could
easily get from one location to the next. I think we had something like 13 different locations.
How much prep time did you spend with each other and with the director? Please tell our readers a little
bit about the value of pre-production decision-making.
Joe: There were really no big conferences with each other. We talked maybe a little bit about Richard
going with a wider shot at one moment and then I would go with the close-up. Then we'd start all
over on the next shot. We sort of "eyeballed" each other to make sure we weren't covering exactly
the same image. I go into each project hoping I won't ever be found out. The audience is never
going to analyze each shot or angle or lighting choice. In a way, I'm like in the audience's head..
If I concentrated on all the technical reasons I do something, I'd never finish a project. In a
normal circumstance of months available, of course planning is great. There was no real big
involvement with lights and all the other equipment normally on a set. This was a run-&-gun
type of shoot. In a sense, very free spirited. That probably also added to the look.
There was no time to second-guess anything. There was no time to re-shoot anything on another day.
With respect to Hank, our Director, we spent a lot of time over a few days discussing just how to
even pull this off. The location scout was a big help since I got a chance to visualize possibilities
while Hank could fine tune his story. This wasn't to set things in stone. It was really to create
sort of places where we could actually experiment on the day we filmed. We've all collaborated on
other projects and each of us has a good sense of what the other needs and expects. The way we
filmed this video worked for this video. All that aside, I always encourage filmmakers to prepare as
much as they can before going on a set or on location. Time is money and they both get used up fast.
Did you do any of your set-ups differently because of the youth of the actresses?
Joe: Yeah, we held the cameras lower. Seriously, folks, it's the run-&-gun aspect that makes a difference.
With kids, you have to catch the moment as they give it.. And if they need time to be kids and not in
front of the camera, it's our job to be able to let them have that time to themselves and run around
until they're ready for the shooting to begin. Setups in our case were really more about patience than about blocking or filmmaking equipment.
If you had the project to do over, what would you do differently?
Joe: It would be great to have had a jib arm or a crane and also achieve an overall shallow depth of
field for the shots. But looking back at the final version, all that stuff would have spoiled the
video. I like the simplicity of the filmmaking and how it was able to tell the story of these two girls.
So, based on all that, I would not change any part of the way we did it.
  Publicity stills of actresses Rachelle Henry, left, and Sarah-Eve Gazitt
You're both so natural in front of the camera. You do what is the most difficult thing for an actor,
and that is "make it look easy." What was the process for preparing for and inhabiting your roles?
Sarah-Eve: We went downtown to the Goodwill outlet to get clothing. There were mounds of clothing that
I had to dig through and try on. We paid for the clothes by the pound. It was weird because you could
only buy shoes in the morning. We saw homeless people and we had to find clothes that looked raggedy
and old for the role. Once I was dressed, I had to think about the emotions that a homeless girl might
be feeling.. A few weeks before we filmed, I cooked food for real homeless people at a shelter.
Rachelle: Sarah-Eve mentioned that we went to the Goodwill outlet for clothing. We had a good time
digging in the bins looking for clothing to wear for the homeless role but there were people there
that were actually homeless and they were looking for clothing to live in. I know a lady that works
in a shelter for homeless youth and talking to her makes me sad for their situation. I've also read
the Oliver Twist several times and then watched a couple of movie and musical versions of "Oliver Twist"
so that I feel more like an orphan and homeless.
Tell us about the characters you play.
Rachelle: My character was the older sister and when our grandmother dies suddenly, we have no where
to go and I have to take care of my little sister. Our struggle had us stealing food, looking for
shelter and clinging to each other.. Everything we had was in a red bag that we had to carry with us.
I forgot the bag for just a moment and left it unprotected and someone took my only doll. Fortunately,
he didn't take our blanket and my sister's bunny! My character had so little and I have so much...food,
clothing, and a family that takes care of me!
Sarah-Eve: My character was a homeless girl and her grandmother died. I was the younger sister who
was taken care of by her older sister. We had to steal food off of plates and an apple from the market.
The only thing I had was a stuffed animal bunny and a fairy tale book. I felt bad for my character
because I have tons of toys and books and many more things.
What do you enjoy most about acting? And what was your experience like working on this project?
Sarah-Eve: I enjoy having the ability to make different expressions when I need to and having the
ability to be social with people during a project. It's fun to be a different person and see how
they feel. I started to know how homeless people feel and I kinda felt bad for them. On set, there was
a family that walked by dressed nicely. They gave us a look that seemed like they were better than us.
It felt like we were actually running away from someone and we were doing the things that real
homeless people would do like sleeping under trees, sleeping on the street, stealing food, running
away from shopkeepers and bad guys.
Rachelle: I really enjoy getting to be lots of different kinds of characters and have gotten to
meet some great people. I enjoyed the experience! It was great getting to work with Hank and the whole crew, and especially with Sarah-eve!
We've taken classes together and we were happy to do a project together. Even though the story was
sad, we had fun doing it.
Tell a bit about yourselves, your acting experience, and what you'd like to do in the future.
Rachelle: I am 10 years old and almost done with 4th grade. I have been in many plays and musicals
and am currently rehearsing as Oliver in Oliver! I got to read with the adults for their callbacks
and it was fun to already have the role and help with the casting for other actors. I've been in films
and commercials and done commercial print. I take tap, ballet, jazz, lyrical and hip hop and love to
dance! I love my Westie-Poo named "Oreo" because he is mainly black
with a little white in the center of his chest.
Sarah-Eve: I am in 2nd grade and I have been working on a play in my classroom. I am
Little Red Riding Hood. For film, I've done two films with John Jacobsen and he is a very nice
director. And I made friends from the movies. I've also done a radio commercial and a corporate
video. And I've done other work too. I would like to be starred in a feature film and I would
like to have a job as an actress. I would like to use the money that I make for a good life and,
like Angelina Jolie, to help other people.
 Actresses Sarah-Eve Gazitt, left, and Rachelle Henry Photo courtesy of Once Tamed Productions
The two of you exhibit a real onscreen chemistry. Did you rehearse together a great deal or discuss
your characters in advance of shooting?
Sarah-Eve: No. On film sets, many times the actors don't really know each other.
Rachelle: We didn't rehearse but we did shop for clothing together. Girls love shopping together
but when we put on our clothes and they put on our makeup and we did
the elevator scene together, we felt like sisters.
Did you meet before being cast?
Rachelle: Yes, we've known each other, but this is the first time we've been able to do a project together.
Sarah-Eve: Yes. We've done several acting classes together. We had fun playing games and other things.
Rachelle is very funny and makes me laugh. I liked spending time with her every time I've met her.
Have you had any formal training in acting?
Sarah-Eve: Yes. I started with John Robert Powers when I was five. I had to fill out a form with
a question asking "Do you want to start acting?" I wrote "yes." I've taken several classes with local
actors and casting directors. I've learned the most from the directors and other actors on set.
Rachelle: Yes, I've taken classes with Pacific Northwest acting coaches, actors and casting directors.
I've met some really fun actors (one of them being Sarah Eve). Being on set
has given me the chance to learn from other actors and directors.
How do you feel sitting in an audience, watching yourself onscreen and listening to the audience react
to your work?
Rachelle: It's exciting and it makes me want to do it more.
Sarah-Eve: I feel great like I've done my best. I've enjoyed seeing myself onscreen when I can.
I sometimes blush when I see myself on screen. When the audience cheers I feel good about that too.
If you could do the project over, what would you do differently?
Sarah-Eve: I would practice crying so that I could cry during filming. But I loved the finished video.
It made my mom cry.
Rachelle: I loved it so much that I wish they would make it longer so we know what happens to the girls.
I wonder if it would have a happy ending.
 Actresses Sarah-Eve Gazitt, left, and Rachelle Henry Photo courtesy of Once Tamed Productions Update: December 10/2011 The Moby Music VIdeo has just won not one, but three Accolade Awards! Award(s) of Merit: http://www.accoladecompetition.org/Honor.aspx. Scroll down to "Once Tamed Productions" where you will find two awards in a leading role for the most deserving young actresses. Award of Excellence: http://www.accoladecompetition.org/Excell.aspx. Where you will find "Once Tamed Productions" and the award for Videography. See more interviews. Sam Quo Vadis is a multiple award-winning writer and founder and co-president of The Screenplayers, a cooperative organization of writers and filmmakers. Sam was commissioned by Treschic Films to write the pilot script, series bible and business proposal for CHIC, a drama/crime/mystery TV series set in the world of fashion. Previously, along with several other "Screenplayers," he was involved in writing a five-episode crime drama mini-series for German television. In late 2009 his short script, Babysitters, was filmed in Chicago. Currently, Israeli model/actress Sarai Givaty is attached to his action feature film script "Red Dust." Past accolades include being a winner in the Texas Film Institute (TFI) and Telluride Indiefest screenwriting competitions, a CineStory finalist, a top three American Zoetrope screenwriter (twice), and a semi-finalist in the Don & Gee Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting, Moondance, and American Accolades competitions. For more information
see his web page at:
http://www.studiostar.ca Six-time screenwriting award winner Mary J. Schirmer is an editor, script consultant, screenwriting contest judge, film critic, college screenwriting instructor, creative writing instructor, journalist, current co-president of Screenplayers.net, former president of the St. Louis Writers Guild, and current board member of the Missouri Association of Playwrights. She has attended Robert McKee's STORY seminar in NYC, John Truby's BEYOND THE SCRIPT seminar in Houston, Ken Rotcop's seminars and PitchMart in LA, and numerous filmmaking conferences. She's written produced screenplays for several shorts, three 30-minute corporate videos, and a 30-minute public service video about teen suicide. She's also one of the original founders of the CinemaSpoke screenplay reading series and a regular panelist for Script Mechanics, a monthly screenplay reading series. You may reach her at awarenessprod@yahoo.com. |
