1. When and why did you decide to be an actor and an effects artist?

When I was little, my dad was very much into film... especially horror films. He had two great loves: film and music. My twin brother got the love and passion for all things music and I got the love of film. I grew up watching the classic Universal horror films, the Hammer horror films, and other famous bygone genre pictures. Through these, I learned to appreciate not only the artistic collaboration that a film makes up, but the excitement and passion that it can ignite inside the viewer. I loved watching behind the scenes interviews and clips where you could really see the artists talking about their individual craft and contributions. When I saw Thriller, it was all over... I wanted to be in movies... anyway I could! I read everything I could on monster films, TV show magazines, and fan books... and eventually auditioned for a play in 5th grade. I got cast as a lead role, and the acting bug stuck. I worked on and off stage for many years, as well as teaching myself how to apply and create makeup effects on my modest budget. I was hooked. There was no other alternative. I think that's the key... this business is hard, if you can see even the slightest possibility of being happy doing something else, DO IT! This business isn't for you. This business is for those of us who are crazy enough to accept rejection after rejection after rejection and keep coming for more. I dig it.

2. What got you involved in producing?

Well, that's tricky. When you don't get to do the kind of work you want to do... sometimes you gotta create the right work. That's how I started. I was doing a lot of theatre, and some film stuff, and nothing was really pushing me as a performer. You know, I wasn't getting better. I was doing the same ol' thing again and again. So I said NAY! I will change this. I will talk to people, get money, pull together a dream-team of collaborators, and do what I want to do! It started in theatre, but as I met the right people doing that, eventually transferred into the film area as well. Darrell Claunch, of Knights End Films, and I hit it off rather well, and I was asked to join his production company after our first flick together. Now I work with him, as well as my own company, DreamHaven Productions.

3. Why did you start writing films?

The very same reason, I guess. I started out as a writer in the theatre world. I wrote a few one act plays that gained some attention and were accepted into the Samuel French Short Play Festival in New York City. My good friend and mentor George Cron directed the plays, and I with a few other actors were invited to perform in NYC on the off-Broadway stage. One of my plays won the critics choice award, and almost got published. I found, I loved writing... and the only way for me to get to play different roles was to create them for myself. At that time, I was cast as the funny guy a lot, and I wanted to change it up a bit. I had always dreamed of writing for film but had been afraid to tackle the technical challenge of it. I took a few classes and workshops and started researching the formatting rules and basics, and in no time, I was writing film. I enjoy it very much... especially comedies and horror.

4. What do you value most about your experiences so far?

I would have to say the people I have met in doing this. I have been performing for many years now, and I have met some real jerks in the business, but I find that most people are wonderful. I think theatre and film people are the best kind of artists, because our form is all encompassing. It is the only art form to include every other form in it... so the artists must be able to collaborate well. I think with as many different kinds of people that are drawn to this business, we all have that collaborative spirit at heart.

5. Who are your favorite actors and why?

I have many favorites. I enjoy character actors... partially because that's what I am, and partially because I think it takes more skill and talent to be that. I enjoy watching Dustin Hoffman for his honesty, old school Pacino and De Niro for their vulnerability and strength combined, Jeffrey Combs for his ticks, Judy Dench for her brute power on screen, Paul Giamatti for his sadness, Johnny Depp for his radical choices, Ray Wise for his expressions and subtlety, Michael Caine for his intelligence, Jack Nicholson for his nuances, Anthony Hopkins for his expertise, David Warner and Peter O'Toole for their voices, Kate Winslet for her natural beauty and hidden damage, Ian Holm and Stanley Tucci for their expressions and energy, Ian McKellen for his wit, Patrick Stewart, Vincent Price, Ricky Gervais, Kevin Kline, Kenneth Branagh, Tom Hanks... the list goes on and on. Sorry.

6. Who are your favorite directors and why?

My favorite directors are Peter Jackson because he reminds me of my father, he is strongly passionate, a geek, and highly imaginative... as well as the fact that he doesn't care what people say about his choices in editing... he tells the story the way he wants to see it. I love Tim Burton for his imagination and dark twists on romantic notions. I can't begin to tell you how much I love Joss Whedon... mainly his writing... but directing as well. I love David Lynch for his strange and often incomprehensible artistry. I love anything by Larry Fessenden for his truth amidst genre guidelines. I enjoy the work of Todd Browning and James Whale for their darkness and expressionistic tendencies. I love Edgar Wright, Kevin Smith and James Gunn for their humor and dialogue (as they are also writers). I also very much love the Coen Brothers, P.T. Anderson, and Wes Anderson for their unique takes on storytelling... as well as Baz Luhrman.

7. What are your favorite films and why?

I get criticism for this, but my all-time favorite is Lord of the Rings, all three, in one giant film. I know, I know... it's long as hell. But DAMN!!! What a freakin' great movie. Think about how flawless it is. The acting, special effects, direction, art direction, design, music, editing, script, makeup, story... GOD! It's perfect! I also love The Shawshank Redemption, Shaun of the Dead, The Usual Suspects, Batman Begins, V for Vendetta, Dracula (1931), Freaks, Ed Wood, The Big Lebowski, Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Magnolia, 40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Moulin Rouge, Rosemary's Baby, City of Lost Children, Habit, Alien... the list goes on again... sorry. It's hard. But I think I enjoy all of these VERY different films because, in a way, they all say something very strong about human nature. They are mainly genre pics, but they transcend that and are so much more than the genre label given to them. They are all powerful to me and get to me in a way that is very personal and deep.

8. What is your highest priority creating a film whether it's writing, producing, effects work, etc.?

My highest priority, aside from making sure the end product is completed (that’s a biggy), is to ensure that it is something I can be proud of. If I work on a project and don't give it everything I can, the work suffers. I have been on some projects where no matter what I did the end result was going to be a poor quality product. That is death to an artist. I try not to take on projects that I do not believe in. I am a very good promoter. I love to get on board a project and lead it to the stars to see how bright it can shine. I am usually the first to talk something up, blow the hype out of proportion, and get others excited about something that may just be in the planning phase... but that's how I work... that's how I have to work. As a family man, and student, I have to be fired up about a project to dedicate the time and energy to it. So I think the answer is believing in the project so strongly that you can't help but die for it. That's my highest priority when I work. Otherwise... why do it?

9. What do you think makes a really good movie and why?

I feel that a really good movie achieves what it sets out to accomplish. If it is an A list movie, it better damn well look/sound/feel like an A list film. If it is a cheesy B flick, fine. Be that. If it is a horror/slasher/gorefest, cool. The more, the merrier. I think the movie fails if it doesn't know what it is, or if it falls short of that goal. I have seen B movies that try for the A list... never good. Likewise, I have seen A movies that fall so short of the large budgets and accomplished actors that they are embarrassing to watch.

10. What is your most vivid memory from your filmmaking endeavors?

Has to be shooting Homage: Darkness and the Lord's Prayer. Oh man, we lived for that film... literally. We shot 98% of that flick out at an abandoned farm house, in the middle of nowhere, with no heat and no electricity or running water. We slept in the freezing living room together, huddled around a large kerosene heater for NINE DAYS. Amazing. I loved every minute of it. That was true guerilla indie filmmaking. It was the best spring break I have ever had! I got sick, cut up, bruised, and even hung on a cross... but you couldn't have torn me away from it for a minute. I would work with those people again in a heartbeat. You get to love the team when you work so long and hard on a project. That's what you kinda miss many times in film... you get it more in theatre.

11. Do you feel it's necessary to go to film school? Did you have any traditional education or training in this industry?

As many professionals will tell you, film school is not a necessity... but it helps. If you are going into the technical aspect of the business, it could only help you to hone your skills and learn from others in a safe and non-judgmental setting. As an actor, the line is more drastically split. Some will argue that learning the craft from a university or conservatory is the only way to become a truly great actor. I think that's a lie. I do think it helps... some people. But those years you spend in school may be better suited meeting people, making connections, building contacts... after all 95% of our business is "who you know." So it's a toss up. You are lucky if you go to school in L.A. or New York cause you can kill two birds with one stone. Otherwise, you have to work harder to pick up the slack in the area you don't have; formal education or contacts. But I always feel that the smarter an artist is the better the work will be.

12. As far as filmmaking, what do you think Missouri offers that other places don't?

I think the Midwest mentality is always good to have. That hard work equals reward concept. I also feel that our location, especially in the Ozarks, has a vast variety of landscapes. We have areas that look like the British countryside, forests, meadows, rocky mountainous areas, and even areas that look like the jungles of Cambodia (talk to Blakey about that one).

13. What do you think is the key to working with actors?

You have to realize that an actor is a very different animal than a technician. We have a great ego. We have to. It takes a lot to stay afloat through seas of rejection and criticism. We also are artists though. As an actor, I want a director to inspire me to work harder and go deeper for a character. As a director, I realize that manipulating an actor to believe that what I want is what they want, or even possibly their idea in the first place, is paramount. A good director works WITH an actor not against, for, or around the actor. In other words, a sense of respect for that other artist and trust is key. The actor must trust you to do your part for them. Only then can they feel free enough to let go and perform what you need them to. Part of this is casting. You should not hire someone that you do not feel will deliver, just as an actor should not work a project that they cannot trust the director on. It is a partnership; a co-conspiracy. You both must give and take until the magic happens and the product is spot on. This is why you see so many director/actor relationships that go on for multiple films. They trust each other. Once you have that, you would be surprised how an actor will open up to you. If you go into a film directing like, "Okay go here. Do this. Say it this way." You have already lost. Start by asking questions. Get to know the character together. A good actor is really two people; him or herself and the character they portray in the film. You need to realize that when you talk to them. It's hard. I have worked with many "directors" here that haven't figured all this out yet. There are some very good directors, don't get me wrong. But working on these relationships with actors will definitely help the films out more.

14. What do you think makes a great director?

Many things I said above. But also, a great sense of story and script analysis. The ability to stay calm and roll with the punches. The ability to manage and lead a team of very different people toward one single goal. Just like an actor, a director must be a master manipulator... not in a bad way. Manipulation is all about reading people and tweaking what you know about them to get them to do what you need them to do to achieve your goal. Directors must be a natural leader and be able to call the shots. They must be bold, daring, fearless, and personable. It is a hard thing to be a director. Many try. Just because you make a movie, that does not make you a director. There is a big difference.

15. What do you think makes a great actor?

A great actor realizes that it is an art form. They must know that there is a spiritual connection that goes on within the sharing of their own life with that of their character. As an actor, you get to step inside and live another person’s life... that's magical. That is the essence of magic. Nobody else gets to do what an actor does. I see many people who call themselves actors and get up to say lines and look longingly into the camera... but something is always missing. You can always tell when you are watching a truly great actor. They are not performing for you. They are living for you. They are living in the body of the character. It is very personal, very vulnerable... not everyone has the ability to accept that and open up to that vulnerability, because they don't want to accept that area of themselves. Good actors are very insightful and smart. They know themselves more than anybody else and use that knowledge to push themselves into characters' shoes. They are "acting" from their feet to their head with every fiber of their being. A good actor will fool you into believing their stories, their lies, their lives even. Good actors don't act... they are.

16. What is the most fun you've ever had on a film set?

Working on Homage. Hands down. I have done many other films... but that film, those people... very dear to my heart.

17. What are the most difficult challenges you've faced?

Time is always a factor. I hate trying to meet deadlines. Local films are always hard as well, because they don't pay much, if at all, and therefore are filmed around everyone’s schedules. That makes it tough. Sometimes trying to get massive effects done in a short time and on limited budgets is very hard... but I enjoy pressure. I would say that is the most difficult challenge. Time is never on the filmmaker’s side.

18. Do you have any tips for keeping actors happy and comfortable?

Plenty of water and munchies for long shoots. A sense that the director and filmmakers know what the hell is going on and that everything is under control... even if it is not! Not talking down to, or at them, but with them. I think the best thing you can do is try and get them as excited about your project as you are. Make them feel that they have a real stake in it... after all you can't do it without them.

19. What is the most helpful book you've read on acting, effects, or filmmaking?

For writing, it would have to be the Hollywood Standard by Christopher Riley. It is a script format guide. Awesome!!!

For acting, it would have to be anything on the technique of Stanislavski, Meisner, or Adler... as well as scripts!

For special effects, it would have to be Tom Savini's two books, The Complete Makeup Artist, and any makeup or horror magazine you can get your hands on (I like Fangoria, Modern Makeup Artist, Film FX, and Rue Morgue).

20. What do you think is the key to working with effects and making them believable?

I think taking the time to dedicate to one project at a time has helped me. Also attention to detail. I find that if I am working on seven different films at the same time, my work really suffers.

21. Are you teaching any workshops on effects or acting or anything?

Our company DreamHaven Productions has incorporated partner George Cron's acting studio, A Class Act. It meets every Monday night at 8pm. We are a small acting studio that works primarily on character creation, text analysis, acting, auditioning, and movement. George and I lead various workshops throughout the year in acting, movement, special fx makeup, and auditioning. Our website www.dreamhavenproductions.com is under construction, but will be available soon.

22. What was it like starring in and co-producing Black and White?

Amazing. It was all the same people that we had worked with in Darrell's first film Homage as well as members of the cast of Dracula. Dracula was a stage show which I directed and produced earlier that year. So we had a great trust and understanding built up. Everyone worked so hard, and we were all friends. When that film gets out of post and on the screen you will see the chemistry in it. All the actors in that film were my very best friends whom I love and greatly respect as artists. No hiccups on that film... except for that pesky time issue. We had some rough deadlines to meet. I think the finished product will be very good though. I was proud to have been a part of it. Darrell directed it and we see eye-to-eye on many things... and the things we don't only help to layer the film more. Good times.

23. What have you learned about the business side of filmmaking?

"Money makes the world go round." Find money... any way you can!!!!

24. What do you think is the key to casting?

Not just hiring anyone. That is just a huge risk. I mean, you work so damn hard on a script and pre-production... why waist it on some shmuck off the street who can't read above a fifth grade level just cause you don't want to spend the time looking around a little more. Give yourself time to find the right people... your film will be better off for it. And not just the right looking people. The right fitting people... that's personality, talent, skill, look, and ability to work with you. This is gonna be a partnership. I have heard many horror stories from friends who have cast duds... it's not the dud's fault unfortunately.

25. What is the most important piece of advice you'd give an aspiring filmmaker or actor?