He is the filmmaker of The Woman In The Room Dollar Baby film.

SKSM: Could you start with telling me a little bit about yourself? Who are you and what do you do?

Dustin Ferguson: I’ve been filmmaking for 15 years and am currently fulltime. I’ve directed 110 feature films, nearly 100 music videos and several short films and TV shows. I was born in Kansas, raised in Nebraska and now reside outside Los Angeles in California. My Director alias is “Dark Infinity”.

SKSM: When did you know you wanted to become a filmmaker?

Dustin Ferguson: At a very young age. In 5^th grade, I wrote my first “script”, it was only 2 pages long haha, for a “Child’s Play 4”.

SKSM: When did you make The woman in the room? Can you tell me a little about the production? How much did it cost? How long did it take to film it?

Dustin Ferguson: We filmed it at the end of 2020 and early 2021. It was 3 total days. I spent about $1000 USD to make it. We filmed at a studio in Sylmar,CA for the Hospital Scene, my Manager’s Office in Panorama City, CA for the Doctor’s Office and my Condo in Murrieta, CA for the “home” scenes.

SKSM: How come you picked The woman in the room to develop into a movie? What is it in the story that you like so much?

Dustin Ferguson: I actually wanted to originally do “The Boogeyman” but that wasn’t available at the time, so I went for something more challenging, a “drama”, which I don’t usually do. I like to push myself to try new things and grow as a filmmaker.

SKSM: How did you find out that King sold the movie rights to some of his stories for just $1? Was it just a wild guess or did you know it before you sent him the check?

Dustin Ferguson: I heard nearly two decades ago he was doing this and about a year ago decided to investigate online and see if it was still active, and sure enough it was. I’m not a “film student”, who are the usual people to go through this program, but got special permission simply as a big fan, despite being an established filmmaker already.

SKSM: Was there any funny or special moment when you made the movie that you would like to tell me about?

Dustin Ferguson: Working with Sally Kirkland was amazing. She’s a true artist, and very skilled as an Actress. She brought so much to the screen that was priceless.

SKSM: How does it feel that all the King fans out there can’t see your movie? Do you think that will change in the future? Maybe a internet/dvd release would be possible?

Dustin Ferguson: I hold out hopes of an eventual physical release from Stephen King. It’s happened before (with “The Woman In The Room”), so my fingers are crossed for it to happen again with mine!

SKSM: What “good or bad” reviews have you received on your film?

Dustin Ferguson: Everything has been very favorable so far, most people praising Sally’s performance, rightfully so. People have said it’s nice to see me tackle something different, that is was refreshing.

SKSM: Do you plan to screen the movie at a particular festival?

Dustin Ferguson: It won the “Betsy Palmer” Award already for Best Female Performance at the Without Your Head Easter Egg Fest and also recently screened at the Online Stephen King Rules Fest also.

SKSM: Are you a Stephen King fan? If so, which are your favorite works and adaptations?

Dustin Ferguson: Yes, I was born in 1982, so I grew up in the era of many King adaptions on film. Some of my favorites are Children of The Corn, Maximum Overdrive, Creepshow 2 and The Shining.

SKSM: Did you have any personal contact with King during the making of the movie? Has he seen it (and if so, what did he think about it)?

Dustin Ferguson: I was provided his mailing address to send a DVD of it to, which I did promptly, but have yet to hear anything back.

SKSM: Do you have any plans for making more movies based on Stephen King’s stories? If you could pick -at least- one story to shoot, which one would it be and why?

Dustin Ferguson: If I was officially hired to do one, of course! Creepshow has been made into an excellent series on Shudder, I would love to be involved in that or maybe remake Maximum Overdrive.

SKSM: What are you working on nowadays?

Dustin Ferguson: I Direct films fulltime, I recently completed the films “Demonoids”, “Arachnado 2”, “Zombi VIII” and “Rattlers 2”. I’m currently directing a couple films for Wild Eye Releasing.

SKSM: What one thing people would be surprised to know about you?

Dustin Ferguson: That I’m a Rapper. Most people who know me already know that, but new people are always surprised. I’m “MC Dirty D”.

SKSM: Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. Is there anything you want to say to the fans that read this interview?

Dustin Ferguson: Thanks for showing interest in my work! Support means everything to me!

SKSM: Would you like to add anything else?

Dustin Ferguson: Check out my DVD Store for lots of my films:

https://kunaki.com/msales.asp?PublisherId=155419&pp=1

He is the Composer of Tyna Ezenma‘s Dedication Dollar Baby film.

SKSM: Could you start with telling me a little bit about yourself? Who are you and what do you do?

Ralf Lichtenberg: I’m Ralf Lichtenberg and I am a film composer. Writing music for movies is my job.

SKSM: How did you become involved with Dedication?

Ralf Lichtenberg: I met Tyna, the director, our first day of school at UCLA. She was studying directing and production and I my specialty in film scoring. Since then we have been friends and I have scored her projects ever since. So, when Dedication came up she asked me again and I was happy to write the music for the project.

SKSM: How did you get started as a composer and what do you do on production?

Ralf Lichtenberg: I started early in my life to play piano, and later a few more instrument. I always played my own little tunes and improvised instead of playing given music. It was just easier and I had more fun doing that. I was in music specialized schools and lived in a very musical environment. After I finished my psychology degree in Mexico I decided to formally study composition for media because music is what ultimately makes me happy. Then I met Chris Young in Vienna who encouraged me to come to LA and the rest is history.

SKSM: How did you get started to write the Soundtrack for Dedication?

Ralf Lichtenberg: Dedication was, like all other Tyna projects, very different and unique. I always enjoy writing the scores for her projects because there’s always something different and new in her story telling. Also, the fact that Stephen King wrote this specific story was special for me. But, when I get a new project I do what every film composer does: watch the movie a lot of times, procrastinate a lot, and then work with all the ideas that came during procrastination.

SKSM: Is this your most challenging audio so far?

Ralf Lichtenberg: Not at all because the actors and the editing gave me a lot to work with. It helps a lot and makes my job so much easier when I can just underline the action on screen more than having the task of “making them good”.

SKSM: Was there any funny or special moment when you made the music that you would like to tell me about?

Ralf Lichtenberg: Well… It seems like that I’m always very lucky with my choice of entertainment while I’m eating. Apparently every time I eat and watch or review a movie to score, something gross happens on screen. So, it was no surprise that that happened with this one too. I remember it very clearly because I asked myself what they took to simulate the ejaculate on the bed.

SKSM: After Dedication did you write more music? If so what?

Ralf Lichtenberg: Yes. A bunch of feature and short movies. Even the music for Tynas first two feature movies.

SKSM: What are you working nowadays?

Ralf Lichtenberg: I’d love to tell you because it is pretty awesome but, I can’t talk about the projects. Hollywood is very secretive and I respect the NDAs.

SKSM: Are you a fan of Stephen King’s work?

Ralf Lichtenberg: Yes! His stories are very terrific.

SKSM: What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you?

Ralf Lichtenberg: Interesting question! I guess something surprising would be that I really enjoy reading and learning about physics. It’s a fascinating topic I like to spend my free time on.

SKSM: What advice would you give to those people who want to be musicians?

Ralf Lichtenberg: Don’t do it… haha no… jokes aside. It is not an easy path but certainly a very fulfilling and rewarding way of life. As long as you try to grow, know who you are and what you are capable of, you are on the right way for your success.

SKSM: Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. Is there anything else you want to say to the fans that read this interview?

Ralf Lichtenberg: I hope that your love for Stephen King lets you sleep at night… or day.

SKSM: Do you like something to add?

Ralf Lichtenberg: I just want to thank you for this delightful interview and thank you for your work on this website. It takes a lot of dedication (yep… that was intended) and that is remarkable.

He is the filmmaker of Beachworld Dollar Baby film.

SKSM: Could you start with telling me a little bit about yourself? Who are you and what do you do?

Chad Bolling: I’m from Dallas but I also lived in Anchorage, Alaska for a while. When I lived there the Beach Boys and surf culture were popular so I knew I wanted to live in California when I was older. Now, that I think about it, the harsh climate in Anchorage must have had something to do with my needing to move to California and the popularity of California culture amongst my Anchorage peers. Needless to say, I ended up moving to Southern California after high school and it’s been a blur since. Once here, I went to college and worked in a couple of other industries besides film. I didn’t like any of them much, except maybe chef work.

SKSM: When did you know you wanted to become a filmmaker?

Chad Bolling: I think it was always in my “DNA”. I have a theory that many of these big movie characters I grew up admiring were based on filmmakers. For example, when I morphed into Luke Skywalker as a child with a homemade lightsaber, I was unknowingly pretending to be; George Lucas. Strange as that may sound but I could make the same reference for Spielberg and Indian Jones, Robert Zemeckis and Marty McFly, and even Ivan Reitman and the Ghostbusters, to some extent.

SKSM: When did you make Beachworld? Can you tell me a little about the production? How much did it cost? How long did it take to film it?

Chad Bolling: I think back in 2013 or 2014 but I had been interested in it for a few years before that.
It took 3 grueling days to film. Actually, the first day was a ton of fun which is probably why the last 2 were so tough.

SKSM: How come you picked Beachworld to develop into a movie? What is it in the story that you like so much?

Chad Bolling: I think it was the only science fiction story King was offering at the time and I knew I wanted to do sci-fi.

Again, the fact that it was sci-fi was my primary reason. Also, I thought it was a pretty strong story when compared to the others albeit ambitious.

SKSM: How did you find out that King sold the movie rights to some of his stories for just $1? Was it just a wild guess or did you know it before you sent him the check?

Chad Bolling: I think I was reading a bio about Frank Darabont as he was the first “dollar baby” and found out about it there.

I knew. And I think I just sent him a one-dollar bill rather than a check. I know you’re not supposed to do that (mail cash) but it was just a dollar. I made sure the contract covered the dollar enough so it couldn’t be seen through the envelope.

SKSM: Was there any funny or special moment when you made the movie that you would like to tell me about?

Chad Bolling: We shot most of the scenes in my parent’s garage at night with a green screen after capturing some shots and plates in the California desert. We had to do it at night so we could get good sound. So, there we were, making something new, in a garage, in California… it seemed like some Silicon Valley start-up. You know, starting in a garage just like Steve Jobs and Wozniak did Apple. I thought that was something special, right?

Although, since we were in Southern California and not Silicon Valley, perhaps a toymaker comparison would be more appropriate. I heard that Disney, Mattel, and Christopher Nolan’s Bat-bike were all started in home garages in Southern California.

SKSM: How does it feel that all the King fans out there can’t see your movie? Do you think that will change in the future? Maybe a internet/dvd release would be possible?

Chad Bolling: I might get some slack for this but, I don’t mind. It’s just because the film, according to me, was never finished.To be honest, I’m not comfortable sharing it right now but I would put it on a Dollar Baby DVD or something like that if they wanted it.

SKSM: What “good or bad” reviews have you received on your film?

Chad Bolling: Submitting to festivals was tough. I knew it wasn’t what they were looking for but I sent out a dozen or so submissions anyway. Got mostly rejections but surprisingly, it got into a couple of small ones.

SKSM: Do you plan to screen the movie at a particular festival?

Chad Bolling: It was screened at a Dollar Baby festival they had one year during Crypticon. I wish I could have gone but it was too far away and the timing was bad.

SKSM: Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. Is there anything you want to say to the fans that read this interview?

Chad Bolling: While I love the story of Beachworld and the cast and crew did a really good job, I think this film adaptation was more of a practice piece for me.

SKSM: Do you like to add anything else?

Chad Bolling: Visit my Vimeo page: https://vimeo.com/cbcinema

He is the Producer of Walter Perez‘s Into The Night Dollar Baby Film.

SKSM: May you introduce yourself to our readers?

Ahmet Akinci: My name is Ahmet Akinci.  I am one of the Producers of “Into the Night” film.I am an Interior Architect but I work in a Company as a General Manager.

SKSM: When did you know you wanted to become a producer?

Ahmet Akinci: Films have always impressed me since my childhood. Always wanted to be a Movie Director. Watched lots of Movies from all periods of Movie Making. I thought being a producer would be a good step for involving Films.

SKSM: How did you become involved in ‘Into the Night‘ Dollar Baby film?

Ahmet Akinci: I was introduced to Walter Perez through a friend and offered to be one of the producers. After learned that it was Stephen King’s Project, jumped in the project, immediately.

SKSM: Can you tell us about your work in the film?

Ahmet Akinci: I was in almost all phases of the production to make sure that the film making process has not been slowed down or interrupted by any means. From Planning to Financing I was always there to bring the great result.

SKSM: What was it like to work with Walter Perez on this film?

Ahmet Akinci: Walter Perez is a very talented Director. He knows what he wants, he is a perfectionist man. So, it makes fun to work with him.

SKSM: Was there any funny things that happened while filming (Bloopers, etc)?

Ahmet Akinci: We were shooting some scenes of the Film on Big Bear Mountains and I have a fear of heights, it was very difficult for me to drive up there and my hands sticked to the steering wheel due to the stress. Our Film Crew is fun, I really enjoyed working with them.

SKSM: Are you a fan of Stephen King’s work?

Ahmet Akinci: Yes I am, I like Pet Sematary, Rose Red, The Shawshank Redemption, Misery and Storm of the Century. I hope to work more on Stephen King’s Projects.

SKSM: What are you working nowadays?

Ahmet Akinci: I have a couple of projects, they are almost completed. One of them is “Norjack” by Walter Perez. Short action and thriller. It’s based on true events and you guys are going to like it.

SKSM: What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you?

Ahmet Akinci: I am an Interior Architect. I don’t have Film School background. I speak 4 languages. Former Bodybuilding Champion and Fitness Trainer.

SKSM: Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. Something you’d like to tell our readers?

Ahmet Akinci: Travel and Read! Try to enlarge your view and perspective about the life. I always encourage my friends to tell them travel all around the world. Once you travel other parts of the world, you will enrich your culture and self-education.

He is the Composer of Calum Chalmers’ Graduation Afternoon Dollar Baby film.

SKSM: Could you start with telling me a little bit about yourself? Who are you and what do you do?

Dale Sumner: My name is Dale Sumner and I have been a freelance composer for around 20 years. I have worked on both short and feature films as well as corporate work, adverts and theatre productions.

SKSM: How did you become involved with Graduation afternoon?

Dale Sumner: The director, Calum Chalmers, asked me to write the music for the film. We had worked together on his previous film, which was a great experience, and it was a pleasure to have the opportunity to work with him again.

SKSM: How did you get started as a composer and what do you do on production?

Dale Sumner: I first started out writing world fusion/relaxation albums but always wanted to try writing music for film. I had the opportunity to score some students films at my local University and from there went onto scoring film.

SKSM: How did you get started to wrIte the Soundtrack for Graduation afternoon?

Dale Sumner: I watched the entire film to get a feel of the story, mood and emotion, and from there ideas formed for the overall feel of the music, which I then applied to each scene.

SKSM: Is this your most challenging project so far?

Dale Sumner: No I wouldn’t say this has been the most challenging project so far, although creating the climatic effect at the very end of the film took some effort to get right.

SKSM: Was there any funny or special moment when you made the music that you would like to tell me about?

Dale Sumner: None I can think of!

SKSM: After Graduation afternoon did you write more music? If so what?

Dale Sumner: Since Graduation Afternoon I have written scores for three films and released a relaxation álbum. I have also scored various shorts. My music for the film ‘Hello Darlin’ won best score at the Golden State Film festival last year.

SKSM: What are you working nowadays?

Dale Sumner: I am currently working on a second relaxation album for release this year, and am finalising a couple of other albums for release. I have also been commissioned by a record label to write an album of experimental music, which should be a very interesting project. Later this year I will be working on my next feature film, due for release in 2022.

SKSM: Are you a fan of Stephen King’s work?

Dale Sumner: I read some of his work as a teenager and for a while I enjoyed the horror genre, but, to be absolutely honest, I find horror and violence more abhorrent the older I get!

SKSM: What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you?

Dale Sumner: I am a natural bodybuilder and am working towards entering my first competition next year.

SKSM: What advice would you give to those people who want to be musicians?

Dale Sumner: Get a job that pays money and do your music in your spare time until you get a break. It’s tough trying to break into the business, and it might take years before you start earning a living as a paid composer. But if you stick at it, and don’t give up, an opportunity some day might just pop up out of nowhere. And always try and be original – don’t copy what everyone else is writing. Be unique: write interesting music.

SKSM: Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. Is there anything else you want to say to the fans that read this interview?

Dale Sumner: There is more to music than what your commercial radio stations play to you: explore music and broaden your horizons. There is a great deal out there and some of it is incredible.

He is the Composer of Adam VillaSenor’s All That You Love Dollar Baby film.

SKSM: Could you start with telling me a little bit about yourself? Who are you and what do you do?

Brenton Costa: My name is Brenton Costa. I am a film composer and I absolutely love what I do. I started playing piano at the age of 3 when my parents saw me learning TV jingles on one of those plastic guitars with the buttons for keys. I had a love for film and film soundtracks so it was only a matter of time until those two mixed. I grew up in Connecticut and moved out to California after college to be closer to the industry and I’ve been learning, working and growing ever since. I also teach classes on making art with technology part time.

SKSM: How did you become involved with All That You Love?

Brenton Costa: I met Adam through a coworker at my day job. He told me Adam was working on a Sirius Black short film from Harry Potter and needed music. Orchestral music is what I love to write the most and Adam wanted a score that blended that with darker, atmospheric elements. So we scheduled a meeting and I got a great feeling about him right away. Adam is a true collaborator. He knows what he wants but he’s also very open to new ideas. The score to that short was quite successful, and soon after he asked me about ‘All That You Love’. It was a no-brainer to get involved with this one too!

SKSM: How did you get started as a composer and what do you do on production?

Brenton Costa: Becoming a film composer felt inevitable for me. I started playing piano very young, my father is an engineer and used to make commercials for Coca Cola so we had all the gear. My mother used to write children’s books and my brother was an artist and screenwriter who loved film soundtracks and passed that love on to me. I took piano lessons all the way up until college, and then got a degree in music theory and composition. I used to make my own short films just so I would have something to score. After college I was awarded the Pete Carpenter Fellowship from BMI where I was able to come out to California and write music for Law and Order: SVU with legendary TV composer Mike Post. He connected me with so many people out here and almost single-handedly started my professional career. I owe so much to him and the Pete Carpenter Fellowship.

SKSM: How did you get started to wrote the Soundtrack for All That You Love?

Brenton Costa: Every film score starts the same way for me. Music is often one of the last parts of a film because everything has to be shot and edited before I can start writing something in sync with the picture. So we begin with a spotting session where I sit down with the director and watch the film and we decide where we want music to start and stop, and what its purpose is in that scene. This film was a little different because there is music throughout so we didn’t need to do ins and outs but Adam did have specific moments he wanted punctuated or highlighted. He also was adamant that there be a musical ‘theme’ to this short. I appreciated that so much because there are many horror/thriller soundtracks that are all sound effects. While I have so much respect for that style, it’s not the kind of music I gravitate toward writing. Once we had that all nailed down, I was able to start my process.

SKSM: Is this your most challenging audio so far?

Brenton Costa: This really wasn’t! And I mean that in the best way. Every project has it challenging moments. There will be parts you’re not satisfied with as a composer. There will be parts where you and the director have different views on where the music should go and then find a diplomatic solution that pleases everyone, or you may simply get writers block. It’s common during production for the team to do what’s called ‘temping’. Before a composer gets involved, the post production team will sometimes use music from other films to create a temporary score for the film so they can figure out where they want music and what kind of feeling they want from it. My most challenging projects are when the director gets so used to the temp music that they want you to pretty much copy it. That’s a very small box to work from and not very creative. Adam and I did not have that problem at all. He’s so open to new ideas and respected me as a creator so this project was a breeze. From a pure complexity standpoint, I think my most challenging project was writing a parade for the Disney theme parks. Those are such big productions with so many moving parts, it’s a real test of your abilities to put something like that together. But it was a dream project for me and one of the most fulfilling moments of my career so far.

SKSM: Was there any funny or special moment when you made the music that you would like to tell me about?

Brenton Costa: My favorite moment to score was when the girl slips her head underwater in the bathtub. We had an atmospheric musical moment playing while her head is above water. But what happens to us when we dive underwater? The sound get muffled, we feel this pressure in our ears and a lot of us can hear our heartbeat. I wanted to capture that, so when she dips under the water, I change the sound and add a faint heartbeat into the mix. I love any opportunity to put those kinds of moments into my scores.

SKSM: After All That You Love did you write more music? If so what?

Brenton Costa: That same year I scored a feature romantic comedy called ‘Inlawfully Yours’ that may still be on Netflix. After that, I did a couple more features, and some TV work for Disney and Amazon.

SKSM: What are you working nowadays?

Brenton Costa: The pandemic has had quite an impact on the industry so there’s been less work to go around. I’m happy to see the animation industry making up for the fact that not as much live action has been able to be completed. Animation is something I’m so passionate about; both the art itself and the wonderful music that can be paired with it. I’m working now to dig into more animated films while at the same time using this quieter time to focus on my own projects I haven’t had time for until now. Currently I’m writing music for an animated short musical I created. I also used the pandemic to connect with new artists. I spent a good deal of time watching artists livestream on Reddit, connected with a few and have some collaborations with them coming out.

SKSM: Are you a fan of Stephen King’s work?

Brenton Costa: To be honest, I haven’t read much of his work. I’m such a lightweight when it comes to horror, I’ve been intimidated to read a lot of Stephen King, though I have have read all of the Dark Tower and really enjoyed it. I have a lot of commuting to do these days; maybe I can get some more of his work on audiobook and dive in deeper!

SKSM: What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you?

Brenton Costa: Being such a fan of animation, in 2019 I partnered with another incredibly talented artist and we created our own stop motion animation studio called Liralon. We’ve already been able to make a stop motion ad for a solar energy company and are hard at work creating our first short film about a young refrigerator girl with a big heart called ‘Julienne’. It’s such a wonderful feeling to be able to go back and forth between the worlds of film scoring and stop motion and I can’t wait to see what the future holds.

SKSM: What advice would you give to those people who want to be musicians?

Brenton Costa: Just start. It’s that simple. I feel that it’s so easy to get discouraged or intimated to start something new. Maybe we’re comparing ourselves to our favorite artist and saying “how will I ever get that good?” Or maybe we’re just now wanting to start learning an instrument thinking “I’m too old. Why should I bother?”  Do it because you love it; because you want to. There are no rules when it comes to art of any kind. No timeline you need to follow. If you start today, you’ll be better than you were yesterday and you keep going. There’s no wrong way to write music. Danny Elfman wanted to go into the medical field, then took a trip around the world and decided he would write music instead, knowing nothing about how to do it, and having no musical education, and because of that he came up with such a unique sound, he’s scoring the biggest movies. As long as you love what you’re doing, you’re doing it right. Just start.

SKSM: Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. Is there anything else you want to say to the fans that read this interview?

Brenton Costa: Thank you so much for the chance to talk a little about what I do. It’s a part of me that I love to share. Let’s keep telling stories!

He is the Cinematographer of Jacob Ewing‘s The Man Who Loved Flowers Dollar Baby film.

SKSM: Could you start with telling me a little bit about yourself? Who are you and what do you do?

Avai d’Amico: I’m a cinematographer by choice, and a producer by necessity. I’ve found if I want to have enough shoots to keep me busy, I regularly have to take initiative on the producer’s side to help get projects off the ground.

SKSM: When did you know you wanted to become a cinematographer?

Avai d’Amico: I don’t think I really knew until I found myself doing it, and realized I didn’t like doing anything else as much as I like cinematography. I began writing when I was very young. When I got access to a camera, I found an entire new way to tell stories that was more social and challenging. Every aspect of cinematography is interesting to me, and it will take me the rest of my life to learn and try all the techniques I wish to.

SKSM: How do you communicate with a director to design a visual strategy for a film?

Avai d’Amico: We start from the story’s tone. The genre, the mood, and what emotions the characters are going through in each scene all influence how we light and what supports and choreography we use.

SKSM: You worked with Jacob Ewing on this film, what do you think the relationship between a director and a dp should be?

Avai d’Amico: Each director I collaborate with has a different approach, and expects different things from our working relationship. My ideal situation is working with a director who has a strong vision, and is open to my input on what techniques we can play with to bring that vision to life. I like working with directors who have big ideas, who will push me to do work that will be challenging and exciting.

SKSM: You worked in a Dollar Baby based on a Stephen King short story. It was your most challenging film?

Avai d’Amico: Not at all. Working with Jacob and the rest of the cast and crew was a great experience. Jacob knew what he wanted. We had a few meetings in advance of the shoot to talk through each scene, what expectations he had, what ideas I had. So when we got on set, we had a solid plan and a solid schedule, and for the most part everything just clicked into place. It was a relaxed environment. I’d worked with most of the cast and crew before, so we had rapport and were able to work efficiently.

SKSM: When you’re going to shoot, what are your favorite lenses? formats?

Avai d’Amico: I like the “Cooke look” — particularly the S4s. On projects like this, I’ll use my full frame Samyang DS primes because their image is so like the S4s with their warmth, low contrast, and octagon-shaped bokeh. I have full frame lenses because I can use them with any camera the production wants, and most Arizona productions don’t rent Cookes for me.

SKSM: Who are some of your influences (favorite dps/films)?

Avai d’Amico: I appreciate all the classics. I really like Steven Soderbergh because he does many films, and they’re all so different from each other. From watching his work, it seems like he’s having such a blast telling all those stories. That inspires me.

SKSM: Are you a Stephen King fan? If so, which are your favorite works and adaptations?

Avai d’Amico: I am. My favorites are The Colorado Kid, Under the Dome, and Needful Things.

SKSM: What are you working on nowadays?

Avai d’Amico: This summer I’ll be shooting a feature psychological thriller with one of my favorite local directors. It’s primarily three characters who meet while camping up in the mountains.

SKSM: What’s one thing people would be surprised to know about you?

Avai d’Amico: When I moved to Arizona a few years ago I had no job, no friends, no family, no place to live. I “test drove” a few different cities in the southwest, and had the most fun visiting Tucson, so I decided to stay and make a new life for myself. It was the scariest and the best thing I’ve ever done.

SKSM: Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. Something you’d like to tell our readers?

Avai d’Amico: –

He is the Producer of Steve Zakman‘s  Autopsy Room Four  Dollar Baby film.

SKSM: May you introduce yourself to our readers?

Robert Slane: Sure, my name is Robert Slane, and I was one of the two producers of “Autopsy Room Four” along with my friend, Steve Zakman.

SKSM: When did you know you wanted to become a producer?

Robert Slane: Well, strangely enough, I never aspired to become a producer. I moved to Hollywood to pursue screenwriting. And in order to get projects produced, often times you have to produce them yourself! “Autopsy Room Four” was one of those projects.

SKSM: How did you become involved in the ‘Autopsy Room Four‘ Dollar Baby film?

Robert Slane: The year before, Steve and I produced a short film that I had written and directed called “The Fine Line Between Cute & Creepy.” It was a lot of fun to work on together, and the film had a lot of success. It aired on national television and won a bunch of film festivals. We actually traveled to a few of the festivals, such as Seattle, Denver and Montreal (“Just for Laughs”) and had an absolute blast. We had to do an encore!

SKSM: Can you tell us about your work in the film?

Robert Slane: Mostly it was just helping to fulfill Steve’s vision for the film. We scouted the location together and hired the cast and crew, who were mostly actors we had worked with before. Steve had existing relationships with vendors and suppliers such as Kodak (film). Most of the camera crew had worked on “Cute & Creepy.”

I tried to keep everything moving along so Steve could focus on directing. He had done the same for me when I directed.

SKSM: What was it like to work with Stephen Zakman on this film?

Robert Slane: It was fun! He’s known as a talented producer. He calls it “five phone calls,” meaning once he makes those calls, the movie has full momentum. We both grew up in the same town near Pittsburgh – he’s a bit older – and he got me my first job in Hollywood. We’ve had some classic times together at Sundance and in New York and LA.

Steve has long been a huge fan of Stephen King, and he knew about the Dollar Baby short films, so this was his chance to direct a film that would get some notice. He was passionate about this project, and that was infectious. I knew when he called me and first told me about it, this would be something we’d work on together.

Steve and I actually went on to produce a feature film entitled, “Come Away Home,” which starred Paul Dooley, Lea Thompson, Martin Mull, Thomas Gibson and Jordan-Claire Green, and was directed by Doug McKeon. “Come Away Home” played in theaters in 12 cities and aired on national television.

SKSM: Were there any funny things that happened while filming (Bloopers, etc)?

Robert Slane: Pretty much any time Eddie Ifft or Sal Catalano were on set it was a blooper! But everyone in the cast had a rich sense of humor. Stephen Furst was practically nude for the film, so that made for good comedy. He was such a great sport about it. Michael Bergen has a terrific self-deprecating way about him. And Torri Higginson, who was the consummate pro, had to put up with all us knuckleheads. There were a lot of laughs.

I will say, that while it wasn’t a blooper, one of favorite memories was sitting with Stephen Furst at lunch and hearing his stories about when he worked on “Animal House” with John Belushi and so many other legends.

SKSM: Are you a fan of Stephen King’s work?

Robert Slane: Yes – he’s written so many great stories. My favorites are “Misery,” “Shawshank Redemption” and “Stand By Me.” And I remember “Cujo” really freaked me out as a kid!

SKSM: What are you working on nowadays?

Robert Slane: I still write, but I’m not in the moviemaking business anymore. But Steve and I, and a lot of the old gang still keep in touch. So you never know – one day we might have to make another movie!

SKSM: Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. Something you’d like to tell our readers?

Robert Slane: Thank you for giving me the chance to share these memories with you!

She played in Jacob Ewing‘s The Man Who Loved Flowers Dollar Baby film as Other Norma.

SKSM: Could you start with telling me a little bit about yourself? Who are you and what do you do?

Brianna Roberts: My name is Brianna Roberts. I like whiskey, cheese, pasta, pizza… oh and chocolate. But dark chocolate, not a huge fan of milk chocolate. Unless it has peanuts. I like cats, not that I’m not a dog person or anything, I just like cats more. I have a cat named Tonks, she’s a character. I accidentally dried her in the dryer once, she wasn’t traumatized too long but she didn’t like it much.

My number one job is I am a mom. I have a son named Ares who is about as big as I am, that’s not really saying much. He’s a smart kid, loves gaming and technology which helps me because I’m technologically challenged. I am also a nurse. That’s pretty cool sometimes. I love to act and work on different projects. It’s more of a hobby right now. Bills need payin if you know what I mean, but I try to make myself available for projects every chance I get.

SKSM: When did you know you wanted to become an actress?

Brianna Roberts: I never really “wanted to become an actress”, it just sort of happened and that was pretty cool. I was in drama for a bit in high school and always had a blast. I randomly was asked by a friend many years ago if I wanted to audition for a project he was working on. I was looking for something fun to do and decided, why not? I didn’t really put much though about it and the process always felt natural and fun. The Tucson film community is fairly small and that project turned into another and so on and so forth.

SKSM: How did you become involved in The man who loved flowers Dollar Baby film?

Brianna Roberts: Very similarly to how I usually become involved in most projects. A friend of a friend. Like I said, the film community here in Tucson is pretty small. Usually either someone has seen a project I was a part of and gives me a ring or messages me on FB hoping I don’t think they’re a total creeper or someone who is setting up a project and looking for actors winds up working with someone I’ve worked with in the past who recommends me. In this situation, I was recommended to Jacob by Avai who I have worked with on a few different project. He’s good peeps. I enjoy working with Avai, and I know if he’s involved in a project at the very least he’s going to make me look good. The kid is great with lighting.

SKSM: What do you think it is about the story that attracts people so much?

Brianna Roberts: Probably the fact that it’s a new adaptation of a Stephen King short. Anytime you hear Stephen King you know who that is. I had never read this initial short but I know who Stephen King is. I enjoyed the original short and looked forward to reading Jacob’s modern day telling of it. After reading it, I was excited to be involved in it.

SKSM: Did you have to audition for the part or was it written directly for you?

Brianna Roberts: Neither. Like I stated earlier, recommended by a buddy I’ve worked with previously. I’d like to think I am so awesome that Tucsonans know the name Brianna Roberts and go “Yes, I want her” but lesbehonest, you’ve never heard of me have you?

SKSM: You worked with Jacob Ewing on this film, how was that?

Brianna Roberts: Man Jacob Ewing, now that’s a stand up guy. Working in Tucson can be challenging. The projects are few and far between and a lot of people don’t really take care of their actors. I do this for fun, not everyone does. I can’t tell you about how many projects I’ve dedicated time to and nothing comes of it. Now I don’t expect everything to wind up on Netflix or even be shown at the Loft but it’d be nice to at least receive footage or something for my hard work, something I can add to a reel or be able to show Friends and family “I did this”. Hell there’s been some work that I have been very proud of my performance and I never even get to see that.

Not Jacob, like I said this kid is stand up. He’s new to town, getting the feel for the place and the people and the film community The first time I met him he was asking the actors about Tucson, what we like, what we don’t like. I essentially gave him the same rant I just gave you and he listened. He sent us our footage so we had actual tangible work to look at. He thanked us profusely, made sure to add it to our IMDB. Just a classy fellow.

SKSM: Was there any funny or special moment when they made the movie that you would like to tell me about?

Brianna Roberts: To be honest it was quick. I had a fairly small part in it and Jacob is great with time management and organization. Plus we filmed during a pandemic so the goal was to have as little people there as posible, schedule people during film times so that we could make the best of the time provided and maintain a safe distance while filming. I was actually pretty impressed. That doesn’t mean it wasn’t fun. I always have fun and this group was a great group to work with. I don’t really have very many specifics. Although I do love akward moments. The main character has some pretty intense scenes and it’s always fun watcing those. He’s a few inches from my face having a “realization freak out moment” which is literally written to make him look like a psychopath. Although it’s only a few seconds in the film, those moments last for like 2 solid minutes, which feels like 5. And he gets to do it over and over again. I love being a part of those moments. That probably makes me an akward human being.

SKSM: Do you still have any contact with the crew/cast from that time? If so with who?

Brianna Roberts: I’ve met the other Brianna before, or is it Briana? She worked on another project with Avai. Avai I still maintain contact with. We always wind up working on projects together, probably because he recommends me for a lot of the ones I’ve worked on. Another stand up guy, Avai. And his wife is adorable. I suppose Jacob and I are still in contact as he emailed me this interview to do… and I’m sure we will wind up working on something later on.

SKSM: What are you working on nowadays?

Brianna Roberts: That’s a good question. Today I am working on filling out an interview questionnaire thing. Tomorrow I am helping a buddy of mine pick out some color schemes to paint his new house. This weekend I might head up to Bisbee, they have a great brewery up there. Have you been? Easy to find, it’s called Bisbee Brewery Company and it’s in downtown Bisbee. Cute spot.

SKSM: What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you?

Brianna Roberts: I’m the tallest female in my family. I mean, unless you count my twin, she’s the same height as me. 5’4. Five foot, four inches, can you believe that is the tallest woman in my family??? Good thing my son doesn’t share those genes. He is already 5’3 and he’s only 12.

SKSM: Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. Is there anything you want to say to the fans that read this interview?

Brianna Roberts: We have fans? That’s cool.

SKSM: Do you like to add anything else?

Brianna Roberts: I heard when you cut an onion, if you put moist paper towels next to the onion you are cutting the fumes attract to the moist paper towels and not your tear ducts, keeping your eyes from stinging and watering. I haven’t tried it yet so I can’t really vouch for it but it’s worth a try if you suffer from crying while cutting onions.

Also I didn’t proof read this after typing it out so there may be many gramatical errors.