Hi Folks! I post today the enjoyable chat I had with PATRICK REA, indie filmmaker, with high talent to create mind-provoking horror stories with short resources but long ability, showcasing juggling capacities able to adapt, create and surge horror films to the point tha stuck us in front of the screen enjoying a magnificent moment. We talked about I AM LISA, his latest horror film, a revenge supernatural story about a woman who after being knocked by the local sheriff and her underling and left almost dead in the woods, she decides to take down one by one but with a extra plus, a supernatural thing she bestowed by a werewolf. The film hitted on the market in Redbox in January on DVD and was released on March 16 in physical media.
Patrick has over his shoulders horror films such as NAILBITER and ARBOR DEMON, Patrick told us his insight about his career so far, the suffered and overcomed challenges during the project creation, a amount of priceless information to any indie filmmaker. I hope many indie filmmakers could read this chat. Enjoy folks!
Remark: If you wanna read the previous interview we did to Patrick just click HERE or if ou wanna check our upcoming session we did to I AM LISA click HERE.
EFF: HI, Patrick, thanks for letting me interview you again. Let's go straight. How "I AM LISA" project was born? Which you co-produced by the way. How the idea came out, how you got involved and why decided to direct it?
PR: The film’s writer, Eric Winkler, had pitched the film to me back in 2016 when I was filming a family film titled “Belong To Us.” I had cast his son Owen in a role in the film, so while on set, Eric told me the story and I was very intrigued. Several years later, Eric was moving ahead with the project and I hopped on board as the director. I had always wanted to make a revenge film and was really attracted to the idea of making a female driven story.
EFF: Talking about the pre production of the film. What setbacks did you find and how did you solve them out?
PR: Well, there are always challenges with securing locations and dealing with a tight schedule. We shot principal photography in 14 days in July of 2019 around the Kansas City, Missouri area. Since there were quite a few locations, we had to be very strategic and select places that were close in proximity so we didn’t lose a lot of time transporting the cast and crew. Our biggest challenge was the temperatures which climbed to 105 degrees with the heat index. There were several days where we were in a ‘heat advisory’ but we had to power through and film anyway.
EFF: Eric Winkler wrote the film, but talking about the story, what did you like of it, what was that got you interested in?
PR: I had always wanted to do a revenge film but I liked the idea of mixing it with the werewolf genre. The supernatural element added a new flavor to the story and I was also very interested in doing something that was primarily an all female cast. I got work with a great cast that included Kristen Vaganos, Manon Halliburton, Chris Bylsma, Carmen Anello, Jennifer Seward, Sarah McGuire, Millie Milan and Shawn Jones.
EFF: Now, during the principal photography how did you prepare the shots, tell us how do you set them up? Do you storyboard them? How was the co-working with Hanuman Brown-eagle. Anything
PR: I usually storyboard, but in this case I had taken the reins on the film very late in the process. Usually storyboarding takes me six months leading into principal photography. I decided to direct in the late spring and we were aiming to film in July, so I decided to make detailed shot lists instead of storyboards. I have worked with Hanuman Brown-Eagle for going on 15 years, so we have a short hand when it comes to deciding on shots. He and I did several walk through at the locations and strategized on how we could film the scenes and still stay on the tight schedule.
"I AM LISA"
EEF: The magic of filmmaking is, turns out a problem into a hook for the story, from a rock get a knife, sort of. What was that situation that was drawn on a specific way but had to be done totally differently because of the budget, location, etc? But you think it helped the core storytelling.
PR: Originally the death scenes were a lot more challenging and graphic. We had to cut down on some of that due to logistics, budget and time. We also decided to go a ‘less is more’ approach to the werewolf transformation, allowing Kristen to really show her performance through the make-up. I think we made the right call. To do the make-up effects efficiently, the head make-up artist, Jake Jackson and I worked to get a very specific game plan on what we were trying to accomplish in a short period of time. He tested things over and over ahead of filming, since we had maybe one chance to get it right on the day of shooting.
EFF: The post production, how was the stage? Did you have any problems?
PR: I was the editor of the film as well. Post production always presents it’s own set of challenges, but it was fairly straight forward. We had a terrific composer on board named Natalia Perez. She did a fantastic job of nailing the 80’s electronic vibe we were going for. Ron Hurley did a great job handling some of the post VFX shots, but we kept them to a minimum by doing a lot of practical effects on set.
EFF: I like the next topic, how did you sell the movie? A very important issue to indie filmmakers around the globe. Hardly always, you have a good film but don't get a good commercial deal. Tell us your experience and if you can give any advice to indie filmmakers.
PR: We partnered with Mutiny Pictures, who has been selling the film globally. The film was released in the Redbox in January on DVD and will be available in North America streaming and on physical media on March 16th. The digital platforms include Fandango, iTunes, Google Play, Amazon, Redbox On Demand and more. I always tell filmmakers that when they search for a distributor, to make sure you find one that has a good track record. Look at their past films and where they’ve been released to make sure they will be a fit that makes sense. Also, get to know the distributor and get as much face to face contact as possible and when I say face to face, I mean Zoom calls. Haha.
Patrick Rea - Making of "I AM LISA"
Patrick Rea - Jake Jackson - Kristen Vaganos
Wrap of "I AM LISA" cast and crew
EFF: What camera was used for the film and why?
PR:We used the RED Helium.
EFF: doing a retrospection, how do you score your film career so far, observing what you have done and how do you see yourself in the next 5 years?
PR: Well, that’s a hard question. I’m happy to still be making films at this point. It’s a tough business, so it’s always rewarding to continue to get work and have it be seen while still living in Kansas City. I’d like to just continue to tell feature length stories in the next 5 years. I’m also a father of two little girls, so life is always a dynamic balance of creativity and parenting.
EFF: How has been the audience reception of the movie?
PR: Reviews have been very good. I think we are still sitting at 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. It appears to have really been well received by women, which is so rewarding. and with every independent horror movie there are people who will criticize it for not being exploitive enough or that we held back on the werewolf effects and gore. Having it the Redbox has been great, but people tend to compare it to other films that cost millions of dollars. This was a very down and dirty micro-budget feature, so to have it available in the same place as something like Tenet is great but also can create unfair comparisons.
Patrick Rea talkin on KCPTO
EFF: What advice would you give for those want-to-be filmmakers who are undecided in how to make their first film?
PR:I always tell aspiring filmmakers to just go out and make it happen. The tools are now at your disposal. But tell a good story that people want to see. Also, make sure put together a core team that you really enjoy and want to grow with.
EFF: What new projects are you working on now, anyhing you can anticipate us now?
PR: I’m directing a feature film tentatively titled “They Wait In The Dark” very soon. I would best describe the film as a unique midwestern ghost story. I’m also developing a feature film titled “Short Leash” which combines the killer dog genre with the home invasion story. Of course, there’s been discussion of an “I Am Lisa” sequel and at some point I’ll finally get around to making a follow up to “Nailbiter.”
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