Exclusive Interview with Nicholas Anderson

“Empty Nester”

Written and directed by Nicholas Anderson

1 - First of all, congratulations for your remarkable short film! Why have you chosen to shoot in black and white?

Thank you! Originally the idea was to shoot in color, and actually the first draft in post was in color, but we had thrown around the idea of black and white a few times during development. While artistically I believe it helped acheive the dark and spooky feel from classic horror, ultimately it came down to practicality and budget and it was cheaper to make the film black and white than to properly color correct.

2 - How was the relationship with your team during the filming?

I couldn’t have had a better team. The crew was amazing with everyone doing their part. Trevor Johnson did some amazing work with the cinematograhy, Steven Carlisle was the perfect soundman, Luke Reecer lit the film well, and Drew Cortopassi was possibly the most helpful person I could ever ask for on a film set. Drew’s the most technically gifted student filmmaker I’ve met, he was the Assitant Director and Editor and the project wouldn’t exist without him.

3 - Which directors do you think have influenced you in your work?

This particular film was influenced by horror extraordinare, Mike Flanagan. The idea was inspired by his works, the techinques were inspired by him, the style was inspired by him. He’s one of the most underrated filmmakers of today. While we didn’t necessarily have some of the tools that his higher budget films have we were able to use some of the techniques from past thriller films like Hitchcock’s Rope, with the use of more practical effects, such as body wipes.

4 - We know this is your first job and it is a promising start!

Have you managed to do it with pocket money, do you plan to use more budget in your next short film?

Actually most of the equipment was rented from the University that I went to school at. After I made this short I decided to get my own stuff with some help from my family and began making a variety of other shorts.

5 - What does cinema means to you?

Cinema is my escape, it’s the only thing I’ve had in life that’s drawn me in and made me feel passionate about something. Beyond just how I felt about it, it’s also the most modern and complete form of storytelling. It captures the world through time. It captures different cultures around the world. It’s more than just about movies for me; it’s how I’ve experienced the world from my small home in Indiana.

6 - Has the film met your expectations when planning it?

For the most part it has. There are bits and pieces that I’m not completely happy with, but the parts that turned out well, turned out exactly how I envisioned them.

7 - Do you have in mind the making of a feature film?

The dream is to make the leap to feature films. I’ve written out a few treatments, and the one script that I have completely written, while it does need a revision or two, is something I’m quite pleased with. It’s a period piece, coming-of-age tale called They Were All Becoming Shades. According to Slated it has been given a fourteen percent chance of an Oscar nomination or win. It seems rather high and unlikely, but a little optimsm doesn’t hurt.

-- Thank you for giving us the opportunity to speak with you! We will be attentive to your next jobs! Madrid Film Awards I Press Team madridfilmawards.com