From Film Threat Weekly : 1-4-99 : Take 1
DIY FILMMAKING: "War Stories from the Frontlines of Filmmaking"
Here we present another chapter in our continuing series focusing on the trials and tribulations of making independent films. These War Stories from filmmakers who slaved to get it done will tear at your heart and might even make you cry. (Not really, but it sounds good to say that.) Battle on indie filmmakers!
INTERVIEW WITH FILMMAKER:
Wiley Wiggins (a former actor, he played that junior high kid Mitch Kramer from
"Dazed and Confused" and also starred in "Love and a .45") who has now turned
filmmaker with his short film "Binary Cancer Tacos".
THE SCOOP:
"Binary Cancer Tacos" was shot in Hi-8mm video combined with malfunctioning
video game footage, Mexican TV satellite feed mess-ups on an ailing old computer
to produce something that masquerades as a story about robots who make tacos
or something. BUDGET: $5-10
WHY DID YOU MAKE IT?
Because in heartworm, worm doctors imprison video worm decay units. Cock- marker
undertow units monitor worm doctor corrosion kits. (This was Wiley's nutty answer:
ed.)
WHAT SACRIFICES DID YOU MAKE ALONG THE WAY?
More producers realized that they probably shouldn't give me the lead in the
next Disney mah-jong playing telepathic monkey movie. Also I had to listen to
a bunch of people who saw it at a Texas Fine Arts Association block party tell
me what they thought it "meant".
WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE FILM?
Play it for people on drugs, telling them that it's actually tapes of the hit
television series "Riptide." The short played at the TFAA opening night block
party and the second annual F3 film fest. I don't know if there is an audience
for it anywhere else. I'll probably sell it mailorder.
ANY PEARLS OF WISDOM?
Fast hard-drives. Magnetic distortion fields. Learn to relish uncomfortable
silence. When all else fails, get really drunk start to take off your clothes.
There's no end in sight.
WAS IT WORTH IT?
Yes. It payed for two homeless people to have a pack of cigarettes and talk
on tape about something other than their living situation. One of the bums I
filmed had been waiting 20 years to sing Black Sabbath's "Iron Man" for someone.
WILL YOU BE GOING TO SUNDANCE THIS YEAR?
Blah. Probably not going to Sundance. Can't think of a reason why I should really.
I'll probably slum around SXSW a little and get drunk. I need to suck it up
and do a big stupid movie so I can make a bunch of money to give to the Zellner
Brothers (Plastic Utopia) so they'll make a new movie. I'm thinking of going
to Japan to do tampon commercials.... Or maybe I could molest myself and be
driven to porn.