Micro-Rants with Kelley Baker: The Angry Filmmaker interviews S.W.A.M.P.'s Michele Mower

   

Michelle Mower is the program coordinator for SouthWest Alternate Media Project otherwise known as SWAMP. I first met Michelle when SWAMP sponsored one of my workshops in Houston about 7 years ago. One of my films had already been on The Territory, SWAMP's short film series that has been running on the local PBS station for over 30 years now. It's the longest running local show on PBS and it's dedicated to independent filmmakers. SWAMP has a long history of supporting independent filmmakers, not just through The Territory but also with workshops, salons, and panels.

Michelle and I have communicated regularly over the years and at least once a year she invites me to Houston to give workshops to the local filmmakers. Michelle works tirelessly to create educational programs and workshops to help make the lives of independent filmmakers a little easier. Finally this year Michelle directed her first feature, The Preacher's Daughter, which she also wrote. She learned a lot in a very short time.

I caught up with Michelle as she returned from a conference in New York (more about that later).

KB: How did you get in to film in the first place?

MM: I loved writing stories when I was a kid. I mostly wrote short stories or little puppet plays.  When I was in 7th grade, I was selected by my school to attend a youth writing conference where I met a screenwriter. Before that, it never even occurred to me that movies were written.  I guess my initial interest in filmmaking grew out of my love of storytelling. When I was 13, a movie called "A Tiger's Tale" came to my small town. I knew about it before most people in my town did because the location manager, Susan Elkins, had scouted my house. They didn't actually shoot any scenes at my house, but I was able to find out when and where they were filming. So I went to the set to see what it was all about. I loved the dynamic of the set, meeting the actors and the crew were all really cool. I kept going back day after day, and nobody ran me off. That early exposure definitely led to my interest in pursuing moviemaking as a career. I am currently in post-production on my first feature film, and Susan Elkins was one of my producers on the film.
 
KB: Tell me about SWAMP.  What does it do?

MM: My "day job" is program coordinator for Southwest Alternate Media Project (SWAMP), a non-profit media arts organizations based in Houston. We've been a resource for independent filmmakers since 1977. We produce a TV series called "The Territory" that airs on PBS stations throughout Texas.  In addition, SWAMP offers a variety of educational programs, including professional development workshops, after school classes for kids, summer youth camps and our annual media literacy institute. We also provide fiscal sponsorship for documentary and experimental filmmakers. Recently, we began offering production and health insurance to filmmakers through our partnership with Fractured Atlas. For more information about SWAMP, you can check us out at swamp.org.
 
KB: How does it help MicroFilmmakers?

MM: SWAMP has a long history of supporting microfilmmakers. For instance, we were the first organization to give Richard Linklater a filmmaking grant. Before digital technology came along, few people had access to film equipment to make films. It was too expensive to buy or even rent. SWAMP provided film cameras to young, aspiring filmmakers who otherwise would not have had access to that type of equipment. We called it "citizen filmmaking" back then. We were definitely at the forefront of media democratization. We offer educational programs, screening opportunities and networking events for filmmakers. Our annual Business of Film conference is designed to teach independent filmmakers how to produce a feature film as professionally as possible, regardless of their budget. We also offer rough-cut screenings for filmmakers so they can get feedback on their films during post-production. We host monthly salons, which offer the local film community a chance to network. We also put out a monthly e-newsletter to help keep the film community informed. We have been doing almost all of these things for well over 30 years and hope to keep supporting the film community for years to come.

KB: Can you tell us about The Territory and how we submit our shorts to it?

MM: "The Territory" is a 13 part, half-hour showcase of short films that has been airing on PBS stations in Texas for going on 34 years, making it the longest-running independent film series on public television. We've showcased short films produced by many emerging filmmakers over the years... including Gus Van Sant, Jane Campion, Robert Rodriguez and Kelley Baker to name a few. Submissions are accepted year-round. Basically, you just need to send a dvd of your film, 27 minutes in length or less, with your contact information to SWAMP, Attn: The Territory, 1519 West Main, Houston, Texas 77006. Yes, we pay filmmakers for the non-exclusive broadcast rights to show their films on our series. You can find out more about submitting to "The Territory" on our website or at theterritory.tv

KB: You've been involved in a lot of films, what made you decide to do your own feature?
 
MM: Making a feature film has been a goal since I was 13. But I wanted to make sure the film would be something that would demonstrate my abilities as a writer, director and storyteller. I didn't want to just make a movie because I could. I wanted my first movie to be really good. I see people who go into production on a feature film without having a finished screenplay. Many of them have never even produced a short film before. Those films usually end up being pretty bad. Some are good, but most aren't. I wanted to make sure I developed my skills both as a writer and a filmmaker before I tackled the big, bad feature. So, I made some shorts - some good, some not so much. I worked on other peoples' films - often without being paid. Each experience was worthwhile in that it allowed me to learn and grow as a filmmaker. I think (hope) that experience shows in my first feature film, "The Preacher's Daughter."

KB: Tell me about The Preachers Daughter, how did it come about?

MM: I originally wrote the screenplay for "The Preacher's Daughter" 9 years ago, but I wasn't really happy with it. I spent the last 9 years in what I like to call "re-write purgatory" with the script. I started letting other people read it, and the feedback was so positive that I finally decided it was time to produce the film. But even then, I had a lot of hesitations. The script is pretty challenging because it takes place during two time periods in the life of the lead character. Production-wise, it was a difficult film to tackle due to the number of characters, locations, wardrobe and make-up changes and many other challenging elements to the story. I never really bought into the idea that micro budget films had to be shot with minimal locations and talent. So, I broke all the micro budget rules... and I ended up paying for it. But, in the end, I think my film will be better for it.
 
KB: You are making this on a very tiny budget, but you have a lead that has a lot of experience.  Who is your lead Actress and how did you get her?

MM: Well... tiny compared to Hollywood budgets, yes. Although, there are probably many in the micro-film community who might not think my budget is so tiny. It was tight, though. One of the main micro budget filmmaking rules that I broke was don't cast "name" talent. My lead actress is an exceptionally talented young woman named Andrea Bowen, who stars in a little TV show called "Desperate Housewives." She's been acting professionally on Broadway, TV and in film since she was 6, I believe.

I didn't set out to cast a TV actress in my film. My initial plan was to cast everyone locally. I held a number of auditions in Houston and just wasn't having any luck finding the right actress for the role. I expanded my search to Austin and Dallas, but still wasn't finding who I was looking for. I happened to be in Los Angeles last June for the L.A. Film Festival and decided to hold an audition while I was there. Andrea came and auditioned just like everyone else. She didn't have any airs about her at all. In fact, I didn't know who she was at first. She looked familiar, but a lot of the actresses I auditioned in L.A. did. What really set Andrea apart was her professionalism, even in the audition. You could tell right off the bat that she knew exactly what she was doing. She gave a great read. Just nailed it. Then I found out she was one of the stars of "Desperate Housewives." My initial reaction was, "Shit, I can't afford her!" I was actually pretty disappointed because I knew there was no way I would get her with my budget. I honestly wasn't even going to pursue her and waste her time. A couple of days after I auditioned Andrea, her agent contacted me to get feedback. I told him truthfully what my budget limitations were. He said to send the script anyway because Andrea was interested. So I did. She read it, loved the story, loved the character and emailed me saying she wanted to be considered.

I was completely shocked and definitely honored to have someone of her caliber interested in working on my little movie. I was still worried about offering her the role, though. I wanted to make sure Andrea understood what type of production this would be. We certainly couldn't afford the level of production she was used to on "Desperate Housewives." So I flew out to L.A. and met with her. We talked at length about the film, the character she would be playing and about the type of production this would be. I was as transparent as I could possibly be about what she could expect, or rather NOT expect - i.e. no trailer, no stand-in, no assistants... I simply couldn't afford those things. She seemed to be fine with everything. After the meeting, I felt a lot more confident about casting her because she was so willing to make sacrifices for this part. She wasn't in it for the paycheck or the perks. She wanted the role because she felt it would be challenging and would let her demonstrate her range as an actress. She did a great job in the film. I'm so glad I didn't let my insecurities about my budget keep me from casting her.

KB: What has been your biggest expense so far?
 
MM: Payroll. I paid most of my cast and crew. I may not have paid my crew full rate, but I paid them a flat day rate. I am a firm believer in paying people if you can. I know there are a lot of filmmakers out there with tons of talent and no money. And the industry just isn't in their favor when it comes to finding investors, especially for first time feature filmmakers. So I understand when people make feature films with largely volunteer cast and crew. I've volunteered on a number of these films myself. But I couldn't make this film with all volunteers. I needed experienced professionals behind the camera. I had to pay for that experience. I had over 40 people in my employ, which is a pretty large crew for my budget level. That really ate up my budget.

Also, we ended up casting a number of SAG actors. That was another major expense. We worked under their ultra low budget contract agreement, so the day rates were pretty reasonable. But what really killed our budget was paying overtime. That was mostly due to poor planning on our part. As I said above, we paid for it.

KB: What pitfalls should we avoid when making our first features?

MM: God, there are so many! Where do I start? 

Not sticking with the plan. Many of the pitfalls we experienced on "The Preacher's Daughter" came about because we were under budget to begin with. We didn't stick to our original plan. We developed an ultra low budget film, but ended up shooting something much more mainstream than we had intended. Our production got bigger but our budget didn't. This put a major strain on the production. For instance, I let someone convince me that we needed a make-up and wardrobe trailer since we had so many actors and so little space in some locations to change and/or do make-up. My producer even managed to get a trailer donated. What I realized on this film is that "donated" does not mean "free." It cost money to rent and fuel the generator to run the trailer. It cost money to transport the trailer every day. It cost money to repair the trailer on a few occasions. That donated trailer ended up costing me approx. $1000 per week. That is just one of a number of unbudgeted expenses that cropped up.

Inevitably, I had to go out and raise more money in the middle of production so we could finish shooting the film. It was extremely stressful. I ended up raising the money to finish, but at great personal expense. I still don't know how I got through it without having a nervous breakdown.

Compromising your vision. When you make a micro budget film, it's a given that you'll have to make some compromises; usually due to budget, but also time, talent availability, location availability, equipment limitations, the list goes on... As a director, your vision is vital in telling the story. When you start compromising that vision to accommodate others, you are compromising your story and the quality of your film. Learn what compromises can be made without affecting the overall story and what compromises you should avoid. If you don't fight for your vision, no one else will! 

KB: You don't have a distributor yet, how are you planning on getting the word out about your film?
 
MM: Somehow, word is already out. I have sales reps and distributors contacting me wanting to see the finished film. I've even heard of a few of them. That's something I was absolutely not expecting. At this point, I'm focusing on making the best film I possibly can. At the same time, I'm researching distributors.

I'm planning on going the festival route. We'll be doing a pretty major marketing push leading up to any festival premiere we get. We're also going to do some targeted audience screenings in hope of getting some regional press. I'd like to go to AFM. After having dinner with my friend and fellow filmmaker Paul Bright in New York, I'm even looking into the possibility of going to the film market in Berlin next year. Like "The Gas Cafe," (Kelley Baker's Second Feature) I think the Europeans will totally get "The Preacher's Daughter."

KB: Do you see social networking helping you when your film is finished?

MM: It's already helping! Our facebook page had over 600 fans before we ever started shooting the film. We used it for casting calls and calls for extras during production. We're still using it to promote the film. We are currently trying to reach 1000 fans. When we reach 1000, we'll post a clip from the film. So, go "like" us! 

Our Twitter account (@PKMovie) is newer. I haven't done much with it, honestly.  We're going to do some rough cut screenings in the next few months, and I'm planning to use mostly Facebook and Twitter to promote those. 

Social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter are important tools for marketing anything, especially micro budget films, because they're free. Problem is, these sites are overly saturated with independent films vying for attention. I just got back from New York, where I attended a Transmedia conference sponsored by IFP and Power to the Pixel. There was a speaker at the conference who said you still have to use traditional marketing techniques to get your film into the public consciousness. You can't just rely on Facebook and Twitter. She's absolutely right. As a filmmaker, I have to get very creative when it comes to marketing my film. So, yes, we'll be using the social networking tools to market. And we consider these tools to be very important to our campaign. However, they're not the only tools in our marketing shed.

As Independent Filmmakers we need to be aware of all of the resources out there for us. SWAMP and The Territory have been working with us for years. Just because you don't live in Texas doesn't mean you can't take advantage of many of the things that they have to offer. All of you should also be checking out similar resources in your own areas and let your fellow filmmakers know about them.

So what are you waiting for?

The sound designer on six of Gus Van Sant's feature films including, My Own Private Idaho, Good Will Hunting, and Finding Forrester, Kelley Baker is an author and Independent Filmmaker. He has written and directed three full­length features, eight short films, and a few documentaries.

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