Filmmaker of the Week – Chris Schwartz

Episode 40 of Filmmaker of the Week featuring Chris Schwartz!

Give us a brief introduction of yourself, where you’re from originally and where you are now if different

I’ve been working in independent filmmaking for over 20 years specializing in psychological horror films made on shoe-string budgets. Our studio finished its first feature film in 2003, which was later released in 2006. Since then, I’ve directed more than 5 feature films, and well near 50 short films as a means to improve my filmmaking techniques and shooting styles. I originally started making films in Central Pennsylvania, but currently reside in San Diego, California. Filmmaking has always been a passionate hobby for me, that I had hoped to someday turn into a real job.

What is it that first got you into the world of filmmaking?

‘Therapy mode’ engaged.…haha. It all stems from my childhood. When I was about 10 years old, my dad had purchased a home video camera and he let me use it one day. Some workers were doing construction in my neighborhood at the time, which required underground blasting, and I remember taking the camera out to film it. It was my first shot, and I caught the giant eruption of dirt from the dynamite blast on film. When I got home, everyone sat around the TV and watched what I had filmed that day in person. When the emotion from what I experienced live transferred to the people who watched what I recorded, I was hooked. At that point, I wanted to show people all the crazy ideas I saw in my head, since I have always had a propensity for creating stories. I wanted to see if other people would “feel” the same emotions I felt when I first saw a new idea in my mind.

Share a little bit about your specialty in the film world

I’ve always had a fascination with the horror genre. Special effects, gore, monsters – all that kind of stuff. As time progressed, I began to layer on psychological themes into my work to try and differentiate it from your typical action or drama horror film. Shatter was one film where I started to branch out even further, mixing horror, dark drama, and thriller elements into a surreal crime mystery film. It was an interesting way to try something new, while still staying true to my roots.

 What has been your most challenging project to date?

SHATTER has for sure been the most challenging project to date. It involved more actors, locations, props, planning, equipment, and willpower than any other film we’ve tried to make prior. It was kind-of a Hail Mary of sorts, after many, many failed attempts to even come close to a “quality” no-budget film, I wanted to pull out all the stops and really dive into a project with everything I had learned at the time. I can’t say yet if it was a success or a failure, but it was a learning experience all the same, and a massive undertaking by everyone involved.

Tell us a bit about your latest project.

SHATTER reaches far back into the classic film noir handbook, but set in a modern, though reminiscent, present day. The story follows a parallel journey into one man’s sanity and another man’s insanity as they each struggle to find a key to unlock their own truths. At the forefront of the story is a small-town Detective who tries to uncover how a series of bizarre crimes are all connected. However, he finds himself relying on the prime suspect, an escaped schizophrenic patient named David. Soon, David’s cryptic clues drive the detective deeper into unraveling a mystery even more bizarre than the crime itself.

What is one moment you’ve had in any part of the filmmaking process where you learned a really valuable lesson?

I think every film I make is a valuable lesson in itself. You would think by now that I would have enough lessons behind me that there would just be nothing left to learn – but I think one of the most valuable lessons there is that you will never learn or know everything. During the whole process I was outpaced by technology and knowledge around every turn. I think I knew just enough to get me by, but not enough to really push everything to the limit, in terms of lighting, editing, cinematography, acting, sound, etc….So I think one of the best things that I learned was that you should start by throwing everything you got into making 1 good short film and then use it to network as much as you can to surround yourself with people who are passionate about the things that you are not.

What are some of the 5-year goals for you as a filmmaker/creative?

I’ve been at this for a long time, so I can say that I’ve set a lot of 5-year goals in my time. At this point, I’d love to extend my filmmaker network in California. But short of that, things may wind down as I shift my focus to smaller projects that don’t require significant reliance on a crew or actors. I don’t want to reveal too much, but you will still see small projects pop up here and there.

If you could work with one idol of yours, who would it be?

I would probably say David Lynch – mostly because it would be ironically surreal. I just think it would be an amazing experience and he could probably teach me so much about his methods and how he builds worlds, stories and characters. His work is a legacy that I wish I had the talent to expand on by creating more crazy films, because I can just never get enough.

Name three films that have inspired you most in your journey.

Lost Highway (1997) was really an inspiration in storytelling – just the level of detail in the characters, the non-linear storytelling, and the constant wondering of what’s next really inspired the way I approach storytelling in my work. I totally understand why this kind of filmmaking is not mainstream, but at the same time, I don’t get it. I feel like conceptually, it’s some of the most original storytelling that we have left. Plus, it was just creepy as hell! The Sixth Sense (1999) was one that really taught me the power of a good, unexpected ending. However, it’s one of the hardest things to replicate, and I have been trying to do the same ever since I saw it. I want to believe that SHATTER has a pretty good twist, but then again, who knows. And then there’s The Ring (2002), which just really blew me away visually, and was one of the first times I think that I looked at a horror film and saw how beautiful it could be cinematically, since art and photography have always been a passion of mine as well.

Where can folks find out more about you online?

I do all of my work through Red Glass Films, and you can link up with the awesome people there on social media;

https://www.youtube.com/user/RedGlassFilms

https://www.instagram.com/redglassfilms/

https://twitter.com/redglassfilms

https://www.facebook.com/fearwantsyou

Any last thoughts or pieces of advice to filmmakers out there?

Understand your limitations and the limitations of your crew. While it’s always good to get people out of their comfort zone to do their best work, there are certain breaking points that you can’t pass. That means being patient with the process in general, especially if you are on a budget. Everyone will make mistakes, actors will forget their lines, people won’t show up, props will fail, and putting too much pressure on the filmmaking process itself just makes it more difficult and it becomes a drag on the whole team.

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