|
Ididn't go to film school. I received on the job training and actually got paid, often not much. My real compensation was learning about making films. My interests, from the get go was always in acting and directing, but being the chicken shit that I was, I avoided my love of performance and worked in almost every department on a film crew instead.
I have studied martial arts most of my life and I used this training to get into one of my first careers in the movies: stunts and stunt coordinating. I often tell people that my experiences as a stuntman and coordinator are probably my finest roles as an actor. I still Stunt Coordinate from time to time, as it is great training for a developing director. Well, essentially, you are a director of stunts. The first movie I ever worked on was called "Dream With The Fishes" by Finn Taylor. My friend, a stranger at the time, Johnny Wow was producing it. He took me under his wing while teaching me the ins and outs of film producing. I worked on the film for over three months. It was long hours and I wore many hats. It was one of the most memorable times of my life and it shaped the way I wanted to work with people. By the end, the entire cast and crew became one big family and when picture wrapped, it felt as though I was leaving summer camp. I think I cried. During the filming, Johnny and I not only grew to become fast friends, we quickly learned that we worked well together and had a propensity for getting the job done. This is how I came to work for 3 Ring Circus Films. Johnny was a staff Producer there and would often hire me as a Production Coordinator, Production Manager, Actor, Stunt Man, Stunt Coordinator, 1st AD, 2nd AD, etc. Over the years, I built up my confidence and my abilities grew, and in turn, I gained more and more responsibilities on set. Eventually, I became the Line Producer for their bread and butter show, "DirecTV Customer News". Thereafter, I expanded my credits even more and was given the opportunity to direct some commercial and promo spots as well as Produce 3 Ring's owner, John Sideropolous' first film, "Confessions". My relationship with 3 Ring Circus continued and the years I spent as a producer were undoubtedly a great education. I became fluent in the languages of the Camera Department, the Art Department, Grip, and Electric as well as becoming adept at managing the relationships between these various groups. After a time I was ready to pursue new areas of film and television that I was more passionate about. I enrolled in the Beverly Hills Playhouse in Los Angeles and spent the next few years training and developing myself as an Actor, Director and Writer. It was a rigorous and terribly supportive environment for an artist, and I blossomed. My time there afforded me the skills to direct music videos, direct an original play, land an agent, and be cast in films with David Arquette, Winona Ryder, Joseph Fiennes and Robin Tunney. I also came to understand the value of being an artist and the contribution it can make. I am still developing and growing and through doing my own work, whether it is a screenplay, a role, or a short film, I try to take each piece as an opportunity to expand and cultivate my strengths as an artist. | |
"Making a film is a collaborative undertaking which sometimes feels like a cross between summer camp and war. It is incredibly tense and bonding and people with a level head and creative instincts really stand out. Mickey Breitenstein, who has been an integral part of all of my films, is one of the people I would always look to and rely on. His creative instincts are dead on and his ability to actually manifest those things in the world is formidable." — Finn Taylor, Feature Film Director |