There is a definite art to making short films, and for filmmaker D.W. Young, it’s more than simply using his short “Not Interested” as part of his reel to show programmers and executives what he can do in a feature setting, even though that is his ultimate goal.
On his way to getting his first feature made, Young has also filmed a couple of documentaries, including 2008’s “A Hole in a Fence,” which focuses on an abandoned industrial lot in Brooklyn and the complications that come along with getting it redeveloped.
“Not Interested” had its world premiere at South by Southwest last year, and Young has been taking it on the festival circuit ever since. The film stars Khan Baykal as a door to door knife salesman and Leslie Hendrix (whose credits include a longtime recurring role as Dr. Elizabeth Rodgers on the “Law and Order” franchise) as the housewife who makes sure the house call will be the most memorable of the salesman’s career. “Not Interested” packs a lot into its eight minute run time, including comedy and a macabre twist or two.
Film Slate Magazine caught up with Young and chatted with the writer/director about taking a film on the festival circuit and the differences between documentary filmmaking and features.
Film Slate Magazine: Where did you come up with the idea for the film?
D.W. Young: It was from an older idea that I had before. It was a little more experimental, kind of avant-gardish. It didn’t have as much of the comedy, and didn’t have the action element. I felt like something about it didn’t quite work; I just didn’t quite want to pursue it. I sort of shelved it but then I struck on a few different notes for it, some plot developments. It all evolved from there.
FSM: Do you see this as something that you can evolve into a full-length feature, or is it a springboard, to show the festivals and programmers and distributors what you can do, or do you think this is something that stands on its own?
DWY: I didn’t intend this as anything but what it is. I think it’s kind of tricky because you’re not making a stand-alone sort of work; I think it’s conceptually stronger when it’s the thing itself.
I think short films by their very nature, in most cases because they don’t have any wide distribution sort of potential, there’s going to always have the element of, ‘hey you’re trying to prove yourself’ and show that you can do hopefully something bigger. I think it’s kind of understood. People try to do that too much as their main objective, and then you’re losing the artistry of the short art form itself.
FSM: How has the reception to the film been on the festival circuit?
DWY: The reception’s been great. People really like the film. It’s interesting because the film is a mix of a few different kinds of genres. It gets programmed in all kinds of different slates and this sort of affects how people respond. It hasn’t been a dramatic difference but if it’s on an all drama slate people take a little longer to get the comedy, because they’re not sure. But if it’s a straight up comic one people will laugh a little earlier because they’re expecting it. When I go to the midnight ones, those people are expecting crazy stuff to happen so they’re sort of more expecting it…My favorite has been going after a couple of pretty intense, emotional dramas. It’s kind of a great spot to be in because people are ready to laugh, or have a little catharsis or something.
FSM: How did Leslie Hendrix, great stage actress and who has been on “Law and Order,” how did she come to be attached to the project?
DWY: We went to a casting agent, a really fantastic casting director, Kim Moarefi, who was working with a director I know and she liked the script, and we didn’t have a lot of money, but she wanted to work with us. So she brought Leslie along. It was interesting. I guess it kind of says something about the kinds of roles that are available for people because but really all the women who were a little older who read for that part all responded. They were all interested in playing the part; they responded really well to the script. It felt like it was a part that was really fun to play. It wasn’t quite the usual part.
Some of them said we only get to play housewives and judges or something. So Leslie came in and she really liked the script and she was just great, and she was really great to work with.
FSM: You’ve done a few documentaries along with the shorts. I don’t know a lot of filmmakers that go back and forth between the genres. Is it just, if something interests you, just do it in whatever mode it goes for?
DWY: I don’t really believe there’s a reason you can’t do both. I think I’ve always respected people like {Werner} Herzog, who can do both. It opens up a lot of mode of expressions. Some things you can’t just do through narrative. Right now I’m mostly focused on narrative because I consider myself a writer first and foremost. But I sort of look forward to doing doc work again too. For me doing doc work, part of it is having an idea I think is worth pursuing. I have to have some kind of vision of what kind of film can come out of it.
Partly documentaries are a matter of scale. There is sort of an expedience to them—not to trivialize it by any means—but especially when you get to the feature level, getting a narrative off the ground can be an extraordinary effort. It can take a very long time. Docs, they can also take a very long time but you can be working on them every step of the way.
FSM: Do you feel more in control when you’re doing a documentary?
DWY: No, not at all. I think documentaries are much more reactive creatively. So much of the creative element in the editing, I think 50% of a doc is made in the editing room.
FSM: What are you working on feature-wise?
DWY: We’re working on a sort of higher concept sci-fi thing, but we’re also working on something that’s kind of an extension of “Not Interested,” but it’s not the same movie at all. It’s not the short made into a longer film, but similar in terms of tone and style, it’s a little bit of the same thing. It’s kind of comedy-horror, that has the framework of a horror movie, but doesn’t adhere to the normal rules of a horror movie. But it’s very much a comedy too, and it all takes place at a very weird, eccentric bed and breakfast, with an oddball cast of characters, and they get into some trouble. I’ll leave it at that.
