The Sounds of "Sonus": An Interview with Filmmaker Mike Davis

In October, BMFI launched its inaugural Silver Screen Inspiration Short Film Contest to encourage emerging filmmakers and celebrate cinema’s rich history. From over 280 entries, four finalist short films have been chosen: "Miss Todd," "Wrong Number," "Redemption," and "Sonus." In April, see these remarkable short films on the big screen before the features that inspired them, and learn more about the finalist filmmakers on BMFInsights.

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The Sounds of "Sonus"

By Kerri Grogan, Staff Assistant

Virginia-based filmmaker Mike Davis creates a fun, modern take on the silent film genre in “Sonus,” one of Bryn Mawr Film Institute’s four Silver Screen Inspiration Short Film Contest finalists. His inspiration film, Charlie Chaplin’s silent masterpiece City Lights, perfectly reflects the blend of creativity and humor that inspires Mike's work.

Recent film graduate Mike Davis is currently finishing his first feature-length screenplay and is already receiving recognition for his film work.

I got in touch with with Mike via e-mail to learn more about him and his film. Keep reading to find out about the challenges of making a film without dialogue, his musical choices, and what inspires his filmmaking style.

You recently graduated from George Mason University with a degree in film production. What do you enjoy most about the filmmaking process?

I'd have to say it’s a tie between the ideation of my films at the script level and actually watching it when it's all done. I get a lot of great ideas and screenwriting lets me dive deeper into them. I have a lot of fun crafting and sometimes pruning my stories to make them work. There's nothing like watching your idea that you've spent hours and hours working on play on screen in front of an audience. I love watching people's reactions to my films.

"Sonus" is a modern take on a silent movie. How did Charlie Chaplin's City Lights inspire your story?

Besides the obvious black and white, I really like the love story in City Lights between Chaplin's Little Tramp and the blind woman. It's one of my favorite onscreen love stories. For my film, I wanted to craft something similar, but of my own design. I think it worked.

What are some of the unique challenges you faced making a film without dialogue? How did that affect the way you told the story?

I can't really say that I ran into any challenges due to lack of dialogue. I knew exactly how I wanted to tell this story going in and I cast my actors based on their nonverbal cues and gestures. After that, in terms of directing, it was a pretty simple shoot, which is a credit to my cast. The big challenges I faced were all production based: doing everything solo, a malfunctioning camera, finding an empty study room in a busy library, filming “Sonus” simultaneously with my senior thesis film...things like that.

In "Sonus," a college student unwittingly discovers a hidden world of sound during a library trip. But is it all just in his mind?

The music that your character discovers in "Sonus" plays a big part in the story. Does the music you featured have any special relevance? What made you choose those pieces?

I'm a closet classical music fan. Personally, I'll listen to anything besides country, but only a couple of my friends know that I like classical. I'm also a big fan of all things animated. So for one of the songs, I wanted to create a Pixar vibe by relating the music to what's happening on screen.

Your filmmaking style has a lot of light-hearted humor and creativity. What films or filmmakers have had the biggest influence on your style?

The biggest influence on my style probably comes from animation and cartoons. Again, I'm a big fan of animation, and there are so many films and television shows that have influenced me in that genre. But what I like the most about them is how universal they can be. I think those are the films we remember best. Those are the films we can enjoy over and over again as a kid or an adult. Besides that, I also really enjoy the element of surprise in my work. I love catching my audience off guard. Sometimes I'll even slow down the pace of a film just so the surprise can have a bigger impact when it’s delivered. “Sonus” is probably one of my better works in terms of representing my style as a filmmaker and screenwriter.

Thanks, Mike!

See "Sonus" and the classic feature that inspired it, City Lights, on Tuesday, April 22 at 7:00 pm. The film will be shown in conjunction with a Cinema Classics Seminar. Join us on April 27 for our ACTION! Dedication Celebration, where we will announce the Silver Screen Inspiration Short Film Contest winners.

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Kerri Grogan is BMFI’s Staff Assistant. She studied animation at the Maryland Institute College of Art, and moonlights as a dice-rolling, video gaming geek, animator, and comic artist.

Finding the Soul of "Redemption": An Interview with Chris Carden

In October, BMFI launched its inaugural Silver Screen Inspiration Short Film Contest to encourage emerging filmmakers and celebrate cinema’s rich history. From over 280 entries, four finalist short films have been chosen: "Miss Todd," "Wrong Number," "Redemption," and "Sonus." In April, see these remarkable short films on the big screen before the features that inspired them, and learn more about the finalist filmmakers on BMFInsights.

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Finding the Soul of "Redemption"

By Kerri Grogan, Staff Assistant

Filmmaker Chris Carden's supernatural short film, "Redemption," is one of four finalists in Bryn Mawr Film Institute's Silver Screen Inspiration Short Film Contest. Although this is his first self-produced short, he has been in front of or behind cameras since age four, when he was a regular on Sesame Street. Inspired by the classic horror masterpiece The Exorcist (1973), "Redemption" asks the question, "Are angels among us?"

Chris acted in commercials until age eleven, when he left the business. He later returned as a broadcast journalist for the CBS affiliate in Philadelphia, before turning his attention to narrative film.

I asked Chris some questions via e-mail about "Redemption," how it related to The Exorcist, and how his actors inspired the film. Keep reading for his responses!

You wrote and directed “Redemption”. How does your acting and broadcast journalism background shape your approach to storytelling? To filmmaking?

There are some great correlations between news and film. You wouldn't think so unless you've done both. But when I was a journalist, I used to rehearse my live leads and then read my stories aloud to hear what the viewers would hear, like an actor, which I had been briefly as a child. I spent a long time crafting news stories that were clear and concise but also emotionally gripping. In my narrative writing I strive to hit all those same notes. Then it's just a matter of finding a visual language to carry those elements forward, similar to what you do in the world of broadcast journalism. In news, you have a shooter; in film, a d.p. You can step out of a news story as a reporter and let the subject matter speak for itself just as a director gathers all of the elements for a story and then lets it come together organically in the service of his or her vision. Even editing is similar because in both you have to be ruthless and leave only those frames that push the story forward. The similarities go on, but my experience has made for a great transition.

This is your first self-produced short film. What inspired you to make it? What was the most surprising thing that you learned?

I actually did a couple of films in college, one of which was also about death and the afterlife. It's an obsession, I guess. But with religion there is never an absolute answer. I wanted to explore the issue of sin and consequences; in essence, how far can you go before you can no longer be forgiven, and what spiritual forces exist in times of trouble to push us either towards salvation or damnation. But I didn't want a preachy movie. So I folded the idea into a film noir narrative and what came out the other side of all these ruminations was "Redemption." On the plus side, I learned that good material attracts good people and "Redemption" was blessed with a talented cast and crew that made it so much easier for me to bring the story to life. Unfortunately, as a rookie filmmaker, I also learned that not everyone has your best interests at heart, and I had to make some difficult choices to keep the train on the tracks. But the most important thing I learned is that perseverance is more important than resources. Keep at it even when you think you can't and solutions will present themselves.

In "Redemption," the forces of good and evil fight to control the soul of an unstable man.

“Redemption” is a parable of good versus evil. How did The Exorcist influence your approach to the story?

Decades have gone by and no one, in my opinion, has yet to match [The Exorcist] for depth, intricacy of character, and durability. The Exorcist's director, William Friedkin, said, "I know that it is considered by a great many people as a horror film. I've never thought of it that way and I didn't approach it that way. It's a story about the mystery of faith." That made complete sense to me, and that's the reason it stands above other horror flicks. Friedkin shifted the focus away from shock value for its own sake, and I attempted the same. Whether I succeeded or not I leave up to viewers.

Actor Simon Lovell plays one of the lead characters. Once allegedly a notorious con man pursued by Interpol, Lovell is now the technical consultant behind USA Network’s White Collar. How did he become involved in the project? Did you tailor the role for him?

I wrote the original part of Harry as a downtown New York guy, somewhere between Al Pacino and James Gandolfini. Then my casting director showed me a clip of Simon conning an elderly woman on a television show. I'm a huge Anglophile and when I heard that charming British accent and saw his morally bereft performance, I was sold. I gave him the part. Actually he stole it and I haven't seen it since. Seriously, Simon was a great find, as well as Michael [Newcomer] and Max [Rhyser], who play Gale and Peter respectively. They played off each other so well all I had to do was explain the scene and let them take off on their own.

What is your favorite part of the filmmaking process? What do you find most challenging?

I'll be honest, I enjoyed everything but chasing the money. Filmmaking would be great if everyone worked for free, but alas, art in itself does not pay the bills. I'm still working on squaring everyone away. But everything else was a joy and I can't wait to start another project. On "Redemption," I was writer, director, executive producer, editor, and colorist. I would gladly hire someone else next time to take on one or more of those jobs, but overall, it was a blast. I only have about ten projects screaming for attention in my head so I'll be busy scratching out scripts for awhile.

Thank you, Chris!

You can see "Redemption" and its inspiration film, The Exorcist, on Tuesday, April 15 at 7:00 pm. The film will be shown in conjunction with a Cinema Classics Seminar. Join us on April 27 for our ACTION! Dedication Celebration, where we will announce the Silver Screen Inspiration Short Film Contest winners.

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Kerri Grogan is BMFI’s Staff Assistant. She studied animation at the Maryland Institute College of Art, and moonlights as a dice-rolling, video gaming geek, animator, and comic artist.

Making the Right Choices for "Wrong Number": An Interview with Director Patrick Rea

In October, BMFI launched its inaugural Silver Screen Inspiration Short Film Contest to encourage emerging filmmakers and celebrate cinema’s rich history. From over 280 entries, four finalist short films have been chosen: "Miss Todd," "Wrong Number," "Redemption," and "Sonus." In April, see these remarkable short films on the big screen before the features that inspired them, and learn more about the finalist filmmakers on BMFInsights.

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Making the Right Choices for "Wrong Number"

By Kerri Grogan, Staff Assistant

Filmmaker Patrick Rea delivers suspenseful, twisting drama in "Wrong Number," one of Bryn Mawr Film Institute's four Silver Screen Inspiration Short Film Contest finalists. Written by Amber Rapp and inspired by Alfred Hitchcock's classic thriller Dial M for Murder (1954), "Wrong Number" connects two strangers by way of a misdialed phone number.

Patrick's production company, SenoReality Pictures, won Heartland Emmy awards for their short films, "Get Off My Porch" and "Woman's Intuition."

I interviewed Patrick via e-mail about his film. Keep reading to find out how Dial M for Murder inspired him, how he worked with his actors, and his favorite parts of the filmmaking process.

What aspects of Alfred Hitchcock’s Dial M for Murder helped inspire this film?

In the Hitchcock film, the plot deals with infidelity and a murder plot that goes awry. Without giving too much away, I often thought that in "Wrong Number", there is a hint that Maggie may have caught her husband in an affair which led her down the road she has taken. I also wanted to use the phone in our film as a device to create tension and suspense, like Hitchcock did in Dial M for Murder.

“Wrong Number” centers on a telephone conversation between two disparate strangers, and the way that it unfurls is very important for building character and creating drama. How did screenwriter Amber Rapp approach creating the dialogue for the film?

Amber approached the dialogue to make it seem as innocent as possible as a way of misdirecting the audience, much like Hitchcock. Amber wanted to lull the audience into a false sense of comfort. Most people watching "Wrong Number" for the first time think it's just a conventional conversation between two souls in a chance encounter. Amber did a good job of revealing a lot about the characters in a very short period of time, thus making the ending all the more of a surprise.

You elicit wonderful performances from your actors. Would you talk about your process working with them on set?

We spent a great deal of time rehearsing the conversation. I had worked with Joicie Appell on a previous film, Nailbiter, and had developed a great working relationship with her. This was the first time I had worked with Cinnamon Shultz. I had seen her do great work in Winter's Bone (2010). I thought she carried the right amount of gritty strength and innocence to make the Maggie character likeable, yet mysterious. I rehearsed both of them for several days before shooting the film. Once we got all the kinks out with the dialogue we were ready for filming. They had rehearsed the film together, but when filming, neither were on set at the same time. Because we had done so much prep, the two still knew how to maintain the right rhythm.

In "Wrong Number," a woman takes comfort in dialing a familiar phone number, but she's taken by surprise when a stranger answers instead.

In addition to several award-winning shorts, you have also directed a feature, Nailbiter (2013), and the comedy special Jake Johannsen, I Love You, which aired on Showtime. What are some of the unique challenges and benefits of short filmmaking, feature filmmaking, and filming live events?

I really believe that short films are a great way to learn new techniques and really build your skills as a filmmaker. A feature film takes so very long to raise money for, and I feel that short form storytelling can be an excellent way to keep yourself from feeling creatively stagnant. One particular challenge to short filmmaking is being able to tell a three act story in a short period of time. You have to really develop the characters and make the audience relate to them in a truncated duration, and that can be difficult to pull off.

As for feature filmmaking, an obvious challenge is raising the necessary capital to make it a reality. It's also a marathon making a feature. With a short, you can usually have it completed in six months, while a feature can go on for years, and you have to keep your love of the project alive as well as keeping others excited about it as well. Nailbiter started principal photography in 2009 and wasn't released till 2013. That required a lot of energy to keep the momentum going.

Filming live events are always fun and scary. You never know what might happen on the day of filming. While filming Jake Johannsen, I Love You, we had to explain the audience that this was a live event and if something went wrong, we would need to pause and fix things to start again. We were fortunate that nothing went wrong.

What do you enjoy most about filmmaking?

I really love the collaborative atmosphere on set! I love the shooting process the most and if I do my homework ahead of time, it's usually a party! I also love seeing it with the sound and music for the first time. That's when it finally comes alive!

Thanks, Patrick!

See "Wrong Number" and the classic feature that inspired it, Dial M for Murder, on Tuesday, April 8, at 7:00 pm. The film will be shown in conjunction with a Cinema Classics Seminar. Join us on April 27 for our ACTION! Dedication Celebration, where we will announce the Silver Screen Inspiration Short Film Contest winners.

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Kerri Grogan is BMFI’s Staff Assistant. She studied animation at the Maryland Institute College of Art, and moonlights as a dice-rolling, video gaming geek, blogger, and comic artist.