Do you remember
pronouncing your aspirations of being an astronaut, cowboy or movie star as a
child? No kid ever wants to be an account manager or a waste technician but
usually our seemingly impossible dreams end up somewhere along the wayside.
Local film writer/director Jakob Bilinski held on to his dreams and though he
lives in the tiny town of Jasper,
IN, Bilinkski began Cinephreak Pictures – a movie studio specializing in
thriller movies. Bilinski utilizes local talent, culture and issues to bring a
sense of realism to his movies. Bilinski dishes on his newest movie Shade of Grey starring Scott Ganyo,
Katelyn Coyne and Ben Schmitt. According to Bilinkski, “This movie is about all
the unknown stories that play out within any given room. Everyone who passes in
and out of it, baring a fraction of their life in a brief drama exercised
within four anonymous walls.” See the premiere of Shade of Grey at Showplace
Cinemas South on April 18 at 7 and 9 p.m. Tickets are $8 and can be purchased
at the Showplace Cinemas.
N4U: What aspect of a film really makes it
stand out on a mental level?
I always appreciate it when a film weaves its
elements so that you’re constantly engaged in the story, when it’s structured
so that you view it differently upon subsequent viewings now that you know how
it’s going to play out. Replay value goes a long way. And I think it’s also
better when a film shows or suggests something rather than just flat-out
telling you.
If you could meet any director alive or dead who
would it be and why?
I have to go with a two-way tie between Alfred
Hitchcock and Ingmar Bergman. Hitchcock was a master at making mainstream,
entertaining films that felt like breathing works of art. No one could
manipulate an audience like him. Bergman’s films were so intensely personal,
and so intrinsically provoking that it almost hurts to watch them. It’s like
his stories and images are ripped right out of the human soul. And I’m not sure
I’ve seen another director use close-ups as effectively as him. I just really
respect both of these artists’ works.
Is there a particular style you wanted to
capture in Shade of Grey? Explain.
Yes. I wanted to subject the audience to the
characters’ tales on a personal level. When a character was going through
something uncomfortable, I wanted the audience to feel that same level of
unease. The entire film is meant to feel rather confined, stifled, and
claustrophobic, as if you’re trapped in this prison-like room watching the
stories play out – a sort of fly-on-the-wall approach. Color was also very
important to me. The visual palettes for each scene were carefully chosen to
represent both the characters and their emotions in any given present state.
Overall I intended for the style to walk a fine line between control and
emotionally-charged chaos. The timing and interaction of the characters is
augmented so that layers are peeled back as the film progresses, keeping you
just a little unsure at how elements are intersecting.
Is your present environment conducive to
film-making? Why or why not?
I have (and have had) very limited time and resources
available to me, so I suppose not entirely so. But I love it so much that I
find a way to make it work.
Order these aspects of film from the least
importance to the greatest importance: Character development, Score, Dialogue,
Screenplay, Costume design, set design, and Actor/Actress.
Of those aspects, from least importance to greatest,
I’d go with costume design, set design, score, actor/actress, dialogue,
character development, screenplay (it should be noted however that all are
important to the film overall). Though I’d have to add editing, visual style,
and directing to the head of that list.
In making Shade of Grey did you focus mostly on
a certain one of the previous seven aspects? Is there one you feel you lacked
in?
Of the seven you mentioned, I’d say I focused most on
character development and screenplay. The characters ARE the story in this
case, so I devoted a lot of time to their proper portrayal and execution. But I
think I really focused most on visual style and direction (which factored
greatly into editing, during post-production) – I consider Shade of Grey a very
thematically and visually-driven film. From the list, what I think I lacked
most in was set design.
What first inspired you to be a film-maker?
I started off in Fine Arts, wanting to be an animator
or comic book artist. My senior year of high school I made a 15-minute abridged
video version of Hamlet for an English class. I did quite well on that project
and it garnered decent acclaim from my peers. Freshman year of college I took
an Introduction to Cinematography course and had my eyes opened to all sorts of
different types of cinema that I hadn’t yet been exposed to. I’d always loved
movies (to a rather obsessive degree, actually), but suddenly I was fascinated
by the medium in its duality as both art and entertainment. Film combines so
many different storytelling elements and throws them at the audience at once,
which is really quite exciting. I started writing a lot, and dabbled in
shooting some of my scripts. I realized that even though I was working ten
times harder on making a film than anything else I applied myself to, it never
really felt like “work.” No matter how grueling, it was always fun, and
creatively rewarding. Since then, I’ve never really looked back.
Can you briefly describe what your creative
process is like?
It varies, really. Initially I brainstorm on a concept or idea that interests
me, for whatever reason (sometimes ideas come to me in dreams, as weird as it
sounds). The writing stages are very intimate – it’s just you and your story on
paper (or a screen). I love this time, because you get to really feel things
out personally and discover what works for you. When writing I do a lot of
research and have conversations with trusted individuals about particular
elements. My wife gets a lot of “what do you think of this?” type conversations
from me. When developing the script for a shoot, I always like to re-analyze
things to appropriate the right visual style. As a director, you always have to
keep in mind what is right for the story, what is best for the movie overall,
while finding ways to execute things in your own fashion. Like putting your
signature on the work. Sometimes you have to make tough decisions. There are
countless ways you can chose to do something – where to place the camera, how
to orchestrate an actor’s movement, etc – but ultimately you’re going to chose
one. 90% of directing is decision-making and problem-solving (as you’ll
continually adapt and develop things on set). I try and bend things to fit
what’s best for whatever story I’m telling at that particular moment. Of course
I retain certain trademarks that I carry from project to project – specific
camera movements, thematic currents, overall approach, etc. On set, I like to
be very hands-on with the actors, to hear their thoughts and ideas on how
things should be, to develop a comfortable dynamic. I also tend to be very
particular on my camerawork and framing, which requires a lot of prep time with
my cinematographer, and constant communication on set. I enjoy striving for
spontaneity and realism (however artificial it may actually be). I’ll do
several takes with the actors sometimes to get them to the level needed for a
scene, and when I have the take I want I’ll sometimes roll one extra for fun,
mixing things up a bit. Often that take is unusable, but sometimes happy
accidents occur. At the very least I find it to be rather therapeutic for the
cast and crew, as the pressure of “getting it right” is already over for that
take. I know this isn’t “brief” as you asked for. Overall, I’d say I’m very
hands-on, in the creative process. I like to try and push boundaries and
experiment, so that I’ll learn new things each go around.
What is the least painstaking part in making a
movie?
I’m honestly not sure that there is one. Every aspect has its own set of
demands and challenges, and you have to really devote due attention to all of
them. All areas of development are working towards the greater good of the film
as a whole, so you have to be passionate about everything that goes into your
film if you want what’s best for it.
Do have a favorite genre? If so, what is it and
why?
Yeah, I’m very much a horror junkie. I have yet to really make one, but I have
this inescapable love for horror films. Whether it’s a quick thrill or scare, a
slow-tension build, or a mindless over-the-top gore-fest, I’m game. Most of my
favorite films are in no way horror, but my guilty pleasure genre-of-choice
seems to win out every time I’m asked that question.
If you had the choice to cast any three
actors/actresses in a movie you were directing who would they be and why?
Oh wow… That’s really tough, when you consider thinking without limits! There
are so many I’d love to have the chance to work with, but for the sake of
picking three, I’ll go with:
Julianne Moore – she’s
brilliant, and one of the finest actresses working today. Period. See her scene
in Magnolia when she’s picking up medication for her dying husband to quell any
questions otherwise.
Johnny Depp – yeah, everybody
picks him, I know. But the guy has this uncanny ability to disappear into
any role he’s playing. When you watch a movie with Brad Pitt, it doesn’t matter
who he’s playing – you see Brad Pitt, he can’t escape his own celebrity. When
Johnny Depp acts, all you see is the character he’s presenting you.
Kiefer Sutherland – I’ve been
a devout fan of all things Kiefer since I can remember. There’s this
charismatic vibe of instability about him that’s endearing, and a little bit
frightening. Though I’d be constantly fighting off the urge to geek out over
the fact that Jack Bauer is on my set.
If you could film at any three locations in the
world where would they be and why?
A really decrepit, and preferably supposedly haunted, abandoned asylum –
shooting a horror film in that sort of location would be the epitome of
thrilling.
Japan
– I love the entire aesthetic of the culture. And I’m a sucker for all things
samurai.
Hawaii – It’s
just beautiful there. I’d kill for the opportunity to have those backdrops at
my disposal… and to get a vacation/second Honeymoon out of it all wouldn’t be
such a bad thing!
Describe how you felt the first time you watched
the first complete work?
It was a real mixed bag of emotions. I felt relieved
that I’d finally reached the finish line. I shot back in 2006 and have been in
post-production since, dealing with various technical (and other) hiccups along
the way, so it’s been quite a long journey to get to this point. I felt tense,
as I really hope that audiences respond well to the film, knowing full well
that not everyone likes the same thing (but that’s what makes it so exciting,
too – it provokes conversation when people disagree). But most of all I felt
excited. There’s really nothing in the world like the feeling of sitting down
and watching a final cut of your movie for the first time. For the
artist to sit back and finally say “it is done.”
Do you have other movies besides “Shade of
Grey”? Can you sum them up?
I did a short film called “Foxxy Madonna vs The Black Death” for the 2006
National Film Challenge (a 48 Hour Film project). This is where you are given
certain elements (a character, line of dialogue, prop, and genre) and you have
a weekend (48 hours) to make a movie (write, shoot, edit – EVERYTHING). “Foxxy”
is a 70s-esque action/grindhouse flick about a renegade secret preacher agent
out to save the world from viral annihilation. It’s done rather well, showing
at several festivals nation-wide, and even has won a couple awards.
I have another short I’ve done
called “Mime” – a dark comedy about a mime who’s put on trial for miming
a murder.
I’ve got several older works
that I don’t show off very much, too. “37 West” is a feature about a drifter
who passes through a desolate ghost town one evening spinning stories of nearby
buried treasure. Everyone in the town becomes consumed with greed in a violent,
frantic race for the cash. “Concentric” is a seedy neo-noir thriller about
three college students caught in a web of lies, violence and lust. I’ve also
done several music videos for local artists.
What is your biggest goal as a film-maker?
I really just want to be able to tell stories that
interest me, and present them to an audience in an engaging way. The chance to
have your voice heard and share a tale with others is truly exciting. I’m more
interested in making a “good” film than one that’s just successful, but I think
it’s possible to achieve a dual status there. I have no drive to be rich, but
to have the opportunity to continually make another film and make a living
doing so would be an utter blessing.
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PHOTO | CINEPHREAKPICTURES.COM
