Welcome to good news York. It's me Mike brindisi
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calm Matt is not with me. I don't know. He's
off Hurdling cattle today. I don't know what
he's doing. I never know what he's doing, but
I'm here alone. It's just me and you well kind
of because I have a very special guest today.
I feel like that, you know, I guess you guys
could call nepotism on me here for a second,
because we had my sister on last week. And now
I would like to welcome my cousin, filmmaker,
author, lighting designer, and again, my cousin,
Ed Chourette. Via satellite, via satellite. Ed,
welcome to the show. It's funny, we've been doing
this since the first of the year, and we've had
dozens of guests, and it wasn't until the other
night when you and I, you were promoting your
latest feature film, which is entitled First
Draft, and long story short, you had sent me
the link, and I wanted to watch it, and as I
started the movie, I went, why the fuck haven't
I had my cousin on yet? The show, Good News York,
obviously focuses on awesome people doing awesome
things in New York State. And you've been doing
it for a long time, man, so welcome to the show.
Thanks for having me. I really appreciate it.
Of course, man. So I wanted to start off by just
kind of giving the people a little bit of background
on everything that you've done and you're doing.
You know, I did say filmmaker, lighting designer,
author. I know you from Back on Clock Productions,
which is your production company. And I was lucky
enough to be cast in two of your films? One of
your films. First, The Thin Line. The Thin Line,
yeah. One of my favorite experiences in my acting
work, if you will. But take me back to, we never
really, as much as we're cousins, We've never
had a chance to just sit and and kind of talk
about life and and how how things began. How
did you? Start getting into film. What was your
your first like the first moment where you're
like, holy shit Like this is what I want to do
and who did it? Well, I mean that was wow geez
like two lifetimes ago, right? I might have been
yeah like 16 years old maybe Seeing Miller's
crossing The Joel Edith and Cohen's, you know,
yeah, that was the one I was like, okay And I
just fell in love with it. It was like there's
that time of life. We're like, what are you gonna
do with your life? It's like you're gonna be
a filmmaker and then You know, however many years
later You know, I went to school for psychology
because I chickened out, you know Every person
I met was like, you know, what are you gonna
do? I had people say my life saying what are
you gonna do graduate and be Steven Spielberg?
I was like, yeah, just not you know, so You know,
I believed them, you know, but it's something
and then I tried to do like, you know, I would
manage movie theaters. I did a bunch of stuff
where they're trying to make money. But at the
end of the day, this always kept coming back.
You know what I mean? So I just had to keep I
could. I wasn't sane unless I was chasing this
demon, if you will, buddy. I try to explain that
to people that aren't in entertainment that,
you know, people don't understand. Like the other
day, a buddy of mine was like, why? Why was Ozzy
just like, when he was sick, why did he keep
touring? And I went, I don't think you understand
that touring was the thing that kept him alive.
When you're a true artist, and it sounds dramatic,
but I know you get it. When you're a true artist,
if you're not doing what you do, whether that's
performing standup comedy or acting or directing,
I mean, you feel like you're dying, you know?
I remember I saw Henry Rollins do spoken word
in Ithaca. He came up like a decade ago. It was
like it was stand -up comedy, but it was spoken
word and he talked about how like when he would
get off the road and he had time between recording
or touring his manager would check on him to
make sure he didn't jump off a roof because it's
you know, you do you feel like you're dying and
and you out of many people I've worked with have
always come across to me as a true artist in
every form and Thank you. What I did notice is
that as much as you love writing and directing
You do kind of, whether it's a bit part or a
lead role, you like to act in your own films.
Is that something, like, it's an itch that you
want to scratch? No. Well, when I was younger,
I was such a ham. And then, like, I'd shot a
bunch of videos with friends, and it was just
a thing, because me and my friends would have,
like, comedy bits and shit that we'd do, and
I was pretty funny. I always got laughed, you
know? So I enjoyed that, but... Once I got more
into the filmmaking end of things, I kind of
made sure to cut myself out. The only reason
I'm the star of this feature -like movie is because
my lead actor had a panic attack the night before
and had to bow out. Really? But it was my fault
a little bit because I was trying to psych him
up. Like, man, this is it. This is our dream.
We're going to do this. We got this. I really
psyched him out. You forced him into a panic.
Where is he? That's fantastic. You hear about
directors. They all have different methods, right?
I think you did the right thing, right? You're
like, okay, I gotta get my lead actor revved
up. You revved him up so much that he went into
a full -blown panic attack and you had to play
the role. That is a way fucking better story.
than what I thought it was. Well, you get a phenomenal
job. I want to talk about first draft. Now, this
is your first and only feature length at the
moment? At the moment, yes. We had shot the Sid
line back in the day to try to get funding for
the full length, but that never happened. It
was not shortly after that that I had already
put... This into motion, you know, it's been
a long it's been a long time, you know and yeah,
I shot I even shot a little bit of it and ended
up throwing it out because I didn't like what
I had and Restarted basically Yeah, how do you
how does the How did the inspiration an idea?
Start with first draft. Was this an idea you
had for years? Is it something you put the pen
to the paper and it just came out? What how did
it all come about and it's really good by the
way Thank you. I want to say the late 90s, there
was a thing in New York City called the Gotham
Writers' Workshop. You see the little yellow
things next to the newspapers. And it took sitcom
writing class. We had to write a sample script
of Frasier. students would sit around with the
comedy table and they tried to make it as real
as possible. Like a spec script? Like your own
episode? A spec script? You had to write your
own episode, right? So basically it was a lot
of pitching ideas and them saying, no, that sucks,
or no, you can't do it. You know, just a lot
of that. But one of the things he did was spell
out the seven stage story structure that they
used for it. I was like, you know, wouldn't it
be cool to do a movie about a writer and show
the seven stage story structure? You mean like,
is it the hero's journey? That one? That structure?
No, not that not the circle like the like the
eight wheel that okay, Dan Harmon kind of like
popularized That's what I thought it was a seven
stage structure back in the day. That was more
like sitcom formula back Okay, the teacher of
the class was a writer on like all in the family
good times all that stuff. Yeah So anyway, there
was that so I had the idea and it just sat there
and then over the years I ended up being like
a novel it like I wrote novels because You know,
you don't have enough money to make movies or
people around. So sometimes you just I got to
do something. So I ended up writing and kind
of fell in love with the process of writing or
what that's about. How do you freaking finish?
You know something, you know, how do you finish
a novel? You know what I mean? Like how do you
do that? So it was like when it's time to come
to make a movie I might as well do something
do it about something that i'm passionate about
and that I spent you know a decade doing you
know, I might as well You know just do something
about that and you know It seemed you know easy
enough to do like oh, it's a low -budget movie.
I could do a you know, it ended up being a little
harder, but a little more money than no budget,
but whatever. Yeah. I find that in your movies,
as I said, I got to be a part of the thin line,
and I just watched First Draft, which I love
that you put the Easter eggs in there. I'm actually
in First Draft because you put the thin line
on a television in the background in one scene,
and then you put it on a projection screen in
probably my favorite scene in the movie. And
I owe the rights to it, and I can't really use
any other... No, it was good. Whatever. I loved
it because then I'm watching this movie and I'm
like, it's so strange when you see yourself in
a movie that you didn't know you were in. And
then, you know, I showed my kids and I was like,
remember the movie Dad was in? And I showed them
a couple of scenes from that. And I'm like, well,
check this out. I show them the other movie and
I say, and that movie's inside this movie. They
didn't even know what the fuck I was saying.
And I was like, look, I'm in the credits. I'm
guy on screen. But anyway, One thing I do know
somebody saw it and said there's a theory that
Because Todd is in the movie and it's playing
in his apartment that he's actually the crazy
guy at the end. Oh, okay So, you know what I
see these podcasts now and clips of people that
they they try to tie a Character together through
multiple movies that they've been in like it's
an ongoing story. So that checks out you could
He was he was in both. I love that But one thing
I've known about you, and I hope I'm not revealing
anything I'm not supposed to reveal, but I feel
like in both the thin line and in first draft,
definitely in the thin line, you've told me that
there are elements to the film that is a reflection
of maybe who you really are or something you've
been through. It's very personal to you. Is that
something that... is unintentional, intentional,
do you kind of inject? Because, look, songwriters
write songs about experiences they've had. Do
you find that you kind of base your scripts and
your films off of you or situations you've been
in? Oh, yeah, without question. I mean, that's,
you know, that's in line, especially with my
whole big thing about mental health and just
trying to get it more acceptably. Acceptably?
Try to get talked about more openly and whatever.
And it was a way of dramatizing it and making
it something different. The full length screenplay
ended up being a lot different. And it's not
like that portion that the character you played
was loosely based on me. But actually, in the
script, I think your name was Lewis Craft. And
somebody told me a long time ago that that was
the soap opera name is how you do your middle
name and the street you grew up on. So I grew
up on Craft Avenue and it was Edward Lewis Chourette.
I thought that was I was always told that's your
porno name is your middle. I was Anthony Mohaw.
I remember my friend was like WilliamRoot5 and
I was like, that's not a great name for a porno.
It'd be funny now, now that everybody knows what
it, you know, that's the thing. Sure. But yeah,
so, but yeah, I did, you know, obviously put
myself in there. And then even with First Draft,
you know, there's scenes where I'm driving massage
girls around, like I was driving strippers around,
you know, being the bouncer for a little bit,
trying to you know, keep the rent paid. And that's
where that kind of inspiration came from. And
you deciding I was going to be doing a theme
in the movie where it's like, you know, writing
is a lonely life. And so every relationship should
be like, you know, he only Jesus, I got to shut
my phone off. Sorry. Can't even hear it. Yeah.
And it just, you know, it's like, he gets life
advice from, you know, escorts or all his relationships
are these like transactional nothingness thing
that he's the life of a writer. Anyway, went
off on a tangent. But yes. I put myself in there.
And I want to talk about that more in a second,
the escort thing, because I thought that was
brilliant. But I don't remember at what point
of filming, when I was in the thin line with
you, that I had heard that my character was based
off of you. But I remember it was after we had
already started filming. And I think I was grateful
because I almost think that would have made me
play the character different. Like, I was really
moved that you would cast me to play... you -ish.
I think the character was portrayed, I think
it was portrayed to me as, it could have been
you, had you had lost your handle on your mental
health, that could have been you. But either
way, I just remember being very emotional about
that, thinking, wow, this is... This is a big
responsibility. You're playing the director and
you didn't even know. But I'm almost glad you
didn't tell me because I thought maybe I would
play the character right. There are a lot of
methods in the way that different directors do.
Do you have certain methods you use that maybe
you've learned from other directors or that you
do on your own that maybe could be considered
unorthodox? Are there some weird methods you
use when you're filming or shooting? Back then,
I did. I was a little more like... I don't know
how other directors really do it. I have seen
a handful, and a lot of it is live event stuff
now, so different, the directors I work with.
But back then, I would do some things that were
a little more... I had heard things from different
directors, like there was one where we, there
was a scene where we wanted the, I wanted the
girl to feel more uncomfortable. She was sitting
there. So I took a handful of rocks and put it
under her. So when she sat down, she was just
a little like, you know, things like that, that
I just heard about. I was like, let's try it,
you know? I think I over -talk too much. Like
I think I, and I've learned to just let the actor
do their thing. And then if I have notes say
something, but I always try to just like, here's
the trick I do almost every time. So like, cause
I set up the lights and I'm the guy, I shoot
it. And I'm just like, this is not, I always
say this is not, this is not a real take. I just
need to adjust the lighting. So please just run
it one time. So it gets them super relaxed and
they don't care. I often end up using that take
if the lighting is good. Yeah. You fucking did
that to me many times. Yeah. Yeah. That's the
thing, you know? No, but that's exactly what
I was asking. What you're talking about. The
rocks, that. That was the kind of inside stuff
I'm talking about. I think it also helps when
I'm like, hell, I'm just doing this to check
the lighting, and then I'll play around for a
bit. And everybody, maybe they're bored, like,
after a while they're like, when are we gonna
get to it? But whatever, I'm still shooting and
grabbing shit left and right. Now that digital
cameras exist, I'm rolling, catching reactions
while people are just on break, you know? Brilliant.
That's brilliant. I love that, man. And you know,
I do remember... I always felt bad for you too
when I've worked with you because you are sometimes
the director the lighting guy the cameraman Is
that always by design sometimes at when you're
at at that level? Especially now where you can
kind of you don't need big studios as much anymore
Is that was that by design in the way that like
it was just easier to control everything and
budget or or was it? Was this like, I can't help
it, I just don't have the money to pay for extra
people, that kind of thing. If I could afford
a cameraman, I would. I'd still want to DP it
because of the art in it, and that's like, I
enjoy that, you know? But I would also like to
work with a DP. It's just that they get expensive.
I had worked with a buddy, somebody who trained
me originally as a DP, the guy who I worked with,
but it was just... You end up like, oh right,
I got to learn how to deal with egos. You know
what I mean? Like, yeah, that's a thing. You
know what I mean? And like, oh, so there's a
very specific, you got to hire the right people.
You want, like literally the same way you could
have an actor who kind of throws a fit and you
know, whatever. Same thing happens with crew,
which is kind of sucky, you know? And it kind
of kills the vibe. So but also I want to be able
to shoot something it's hard when you're shooting
somebody else or something like a music video
or whatever and I'm just focusing on the the
visuals and I'm really something because like
if you do a music video you want the band to
have their branding and their music video you
don't get to control it so it's like if I can
have creative control I'd rather be doing that
it'd be great to have cameraman that like somebody
just hold the camera I'll tell somebody where
to put the lights and all that but if you could
just yeah you know but that costs money it's
no but it's and it's hard because You know, I
also understand from a comedy standpoint, and
I'm sure it translates to every genre, but I
know in the comedy realm, whether it's video,
podcast, film, TV, whatever the medium, you know,
an editor can make you extra funny or make you
unfunny, in my opinion. And I've heard that before
because, you know, with comedy especially, It's
timing. It's cutting to the right thing. It's
beats. It's everything. So I actually understand
that whole, like, I don't want control because
I want control, but I also know, like, if I'm
the one that's being funny, I know where the
cuts go. So do you find it hard to kind of let
go of that, of different things for that reason?
Well, yeah. Wait, for what reason? For having
a little bit of like, yeah, for the... In other
words, I ask that like, shit, let me rephrase
that. In other words, I find that sometimes I
am involved in a production where I'm on screen,
I'm also editing, and I'm also doing some of
the camera work because it's not that I want
the control, it's that like, but I just know.
I know what's funny. I know when I'm trying to
be funny. You know what I mean? Do you find that?
And didn't lie. What is this one? That was a
thing, because I knew that I could try to get
some... I knew I was going to look at the camera
a certain way. I knew I was just going to be
able to do... But it's also weird directing yourself,
and it'd be better if I had... I had people who
would never touch the camera before being camera
operators. So I had to go back and shoot it,
you know, months later. Oh, we got to redo it.
We got to redo it. And ultimately, I feel like
everybody else... Has like everybody else's shots
are great. They look beautiful. My shots are
like, yeah, you know because I can't be both
like I'm behind the camera setting up and whoever's
sitting in for me, maybe they're shorter. Maybe
you got darker skin. It's not the same setup.
So by the time I sit here, it's a little bit
like meh, you know, um, but I'd rather I'd rather
be camera operator or you know, I'd rather be
DP at least and director, you know, or have the
a good say in it. I'm starting. So I over the
years I've I've probably got four or five scripts
that are a quarter or half written. And that's
a whole different story. That's because of lifetime
and my ADHD and managing that bullshit. But I
really didn't take the next step until I went
back to school at Ithaca College for TV, film,
radio, whatever, and actually took some screenwriting
classes and things of that nature. As far as
like director of photography goes, one mistake
I made when I first started writing scripts was
that I was writing in the camera direction and
what the director of photography would do, the
DP. But I also found that sometimes there's a
shot that I'm picturing in my head that is detrimental
to the scene. It has to be that shot. As a writer
and filmmaker, how do you balance that where
you're like, when the DP comes on board, or during
the writing process, how do you balance not doing
all the work for them, but you want it a certain
way? How does that work? Well, so, you know,
they say you're not supposed to write direction
and all that. Fuck that, I totally do. Okay,
good. I write the movie I see in my head. And
I want to get that across to whoever is going
to be reading it. You know what I mean? A good
DP will read it and go, OK, well, and maybe they'll
have their own opinion. I haven't worked with
world class DPs yet. So I'll see how these conversations
go when it happens. But at some point, I want
to have a Tom Hanks famously tells a story about
when he was doing the The The O 'Needers movie.
What the hell was it? Oh, that's one of my favorite
movies. That's literally one of my top 10 favorite
movies and I have no shame admitting it. I love
it. It's a good movie. It's a good movie. But
he talks about how it's like his first time directing
and whatever and he has a great DP coming up.
I think it's Tak Fuji. Yeah, whatever. And so
he comes in, he has an idea of how to start the
scene. They will start in the chandelier and
we'll come down and then we'll come on our guys.
Dad, they're talking to tell the story. And then
the DP is just like, he goes, hmm. Why don't
we wait and see what the actors do first? And
he's like, oh, oh, you mean like every time that
we always do it, how it always works? And I'm
like, oh, okay, but I feel like that was a good,
you should, you know what I mean? Like, if I'm
on set, I'm gonna have a problem with this DP
now because I'm like, hey, fuck stick, I just
said it was what we're doing. You know what I
mean? But he's a writer -director in that scenario,
too. You would think, I mean, I guess. Maybe
he just, he went with it, you know, but I could.
You made me feel better because that was my thing
is as I'm writing these scripts, I'm not writing
the direction in, but I see it in my head. And
it doesn't mean I wouldn't be open to a DP saying,
hey, good idea, but I think we should do it this
way. I completely welcome that in any sort of
creative project I do. Working with anyone else
always makes me better. But sometimes you just
see it in your head a certain way. And then I
was kind of being told, well, you can't do it
that way. You got to give it to the director
of photography. So I'm glad that you you too
feel that way, that you can kind of, you can
do it together. It might also be why I shoot
my own stuff now. You know what I mean? So, I
don't know how. But, I mean, whatever. But like,
to be open to collaboration, to have kind of
discussions, like with the first draft, not to
get back to that, but like, the beginning of
the movie, you know, part of my constraint was
like, I'm gonna be starring in it, and the film's
gonna be on stick. Basically, just like a lot
of still, me walking into frame, you know? And
I could change stuff digitally and have the camera
push in, but then I was like, well, well, how
about when there's absolutely no inspiration
whatsoever, the camera stays on six. And then
when, when there is a little bit of inspiration,
now the camera starts to move, like whatever
that is. And then slowly by the end of the movie,
the camera shake it all over the place. You know
what I mean? But like, so to use it to my advantage,
those are the kinds of conversations I would
have with DP. And then like, You know like so
early in the movie when I'm when I first buy
the car and I'm driving around It's basically
a camera in the back of the car and we're getting
all the lighting and making it look pretty and
you know Inspiration a possible writer. Thank
you and then later on When he's driving the massage
girls around it's not it's all shot like the
background is actually projected onto projector
is a projector shooting onto screens to give
like a Subtle we didn't notice I know but it's
like a little noir thing and it's like even some
of the The lights in the background a little
more pixelated because it's a laptop and you
see the refresh rate a little bit going you know
I know so I tried things like that you know so
those are kind of conversations I would have
with the DP and like if he's gonna come with
a change It's like it's got to be thinking like
that. You know you like We're gonna have those
kind of conversations so and as far as you're
writing one more dorky question I I you know
I love this stuff In your writing process now
another thing I had learned through the you know
screenwriting in school was you know the hero's
journey Which I touched on you know those those
kind of templates you can follow as a writer
yourself Do you kind of, because it is a feel,
you know, as much as it's like, I don't want
to follow a chart. If you do follow that kind
of format, it all does make sense in the movie
world, but also a lot of times writing and shooting
is a feel. Do you have that natural feel to the
dynamic or do you follow that kind of hero's
journey? You know what I mean? Do you follow
your own? Kind of a template when you're shooting
here writing and shooting or do you do you kind
of stick to that kind of old school? I try now
because I'm Shooting with no money like and it's
me you know I mean like I'm not worried about
somebody else's writing the paycheck. I'm more
willing to Know the rules before you break them
kind of thing, you know, I'm writing a movie
about script writing or writing in theory Like,
you know, your second act is supposed to start
exactly in the middle of your movie But mine
starts actually a little over here and then so
I tried to you know play around with if I'm gonna
make these kind of Bold choices. It's gonna be
on my diamond not somebody else's I mean sense.
So yeah more like with the thin line. That's
that short we shot Part of a bigger narrative,
but that bigger never was like on purposely I
was like well I'm going to use a structure where
it's like a nonlinear different kind of thing
Tend to give you the feel of what it's like to
be a bipolar kind of fucked up kind of hurt You
know me like love it fucked up kind of person.
It's the wrong way to say but um you know those
kind of things I try to Go out, but then again.
I've never been in a writer's room. You know
yeah sat there You know I mean like now you make
a different ball of wax Yeah, you make a good
point that it's like if you don't have the budget
right? and you're kind of doing everything on
your own dime. I bet it kind of makes you feel
like it gives you the ability to have a little
more cushion to go one way or the other off of
that kind of format and do it your own way because
it's nobody else's dime. Nobody else is gonna
review it and go I don't like that. I want you
to reshoot it So it probably right gives you
a little more liberty to play around the first
the first bit remember I said we we threw out
the beginning when I first started shooting first
draft. It was a more traditional script It was
like a buddy comedy. I'm having writer's block.
My buddy shows up and then hey, you got to go
live Let's go do our things and then shit happens
But as I was shooting it we're getting in a bunch
of scenes and I'm cutting it I'm like I'm bored
of my own fucking movie, you know, it's like
And then I pardon my French and then like I'd
be independent. You know, it's a lot of people.
I would say this to a lot of people don't see
real independent movies, you know, because you're
it's like the film festival circuit in New York
or like basements of like bars and you and everybody's
a student filmmaker or young familiar. They're
always you got it. You should have a format of
a script or whatever. But it's like when you
take out the. the name director or the name star,
now you're seeing it for just the raw thing that
it is. It's like, well, now I'm just bored and
see the mechanics. You know what I mean? So if
I'm gonna be a low budget indie filmmaker, I
might as well try to take some risks and be different.
And maybe because we're so used to now, like
we're just watching everything all the time,
maybe the difference will be enough to engage
people and keep them interested. 100%. Like,
okay, so let me give you an example. I'm gonna
go way tangent, but whatever. I love it. So one
thing I did in this movie, so we're all used
to storytelling and like TVs and the three act
structure or rule of thirds. Yep. So one of the
things I did in this movie was I purposely cut
things like, really nobody appears more than
two scenes. So everybody, like your coworker,
you see one scene, you see them again later.
Or... He hires the escorts that he's doing the
poetry, only two of them. And then the escorts
he's driving around, there's only two. And then,
I mean, the friend shows up twice in, like, big
chunks, but I did give her a post -credit scene
because, you know, whatever. But the idea being,
in theory... You should feel like you want a
little bit more at the end, because it's missing
something, because it is the first draft, if
you will. So after I had that conceit, it was
trying, let's see what it does. I literally had
like, it's an experiment, screw it, let's see
what happens. Dude, I absolutely love that. You
put so much, and that's what I love about your
style of filmmaking, is that there's thought
in every bit of lighting, every bit, you know,
every shot, everything. You know, I do want to
talk real quick about the massage girl. So in
the film first draft, I'm not going to give the
whole synopsis, because that's your gig. I don't
want to speak out of turn. But one element of
it is that here's this struggling writer who
comes across as kind of a lonely guy. And he's
meeting with these escorts who think they are
there to have sex with him when he's actually
just spending time with them. and bouncing ideas
off of them for his script, which I just think
is brilliant. But something you just said earlier
in this interview, the reason I'm asking this
is, did you say this was based on a true event
that happened to you? Were you driving around
a massage? Strippers. Strippers? I was driving
strippers, yeah. Oh, that must have been fun.
Was that... You know, you're taking the bachelor
parties or whatever and then you'd be security
or you'd be sitting in the car waiting for them
safely. And then I had an incident happen. where
like she called me, one of the girls called me
freaking out. I was like, Oh my God. So I go
and the guy, you know, it was, there's a whole
thing, like guy, one guy say, Oh, she won't,
she said she wouldn't go down on me. And he's
like, you know, this kind of thing. And then
literally I did the hotel room and there, they
won't let her out of the room, you know? So there's
like five guys in there all very like, well,
I saw them walk in. I was like, they're trying
to look at me scary. I'm like, I've seen guys
that scare the hell out of me when they look
at me and you ain't it, you know? I'm not a fighter.
They don't know that. I'm like, whatever, dude.
So I just banged on the door. I was like, look,
I can call the cops and report a kidnapping.
I don't care. I've done nothing wrong here. You
know, like, well, they open the door and let
her out. But that wasn't what's happened in the
movie, because the movie I need, you know, it's
the old, you know, when you're stuck in a corner,
screenwriting, screenwriting problem. Yeah. Introduce
a gun. Yeah. Well, it's like a hitchcock to somebody.
That scene. I'm obviously not going to give away
what happens in that scene. Because to me there's
no spoilers in this movie. It's like nothing
at all, but dude dude That is the moment like
when you do the callback of what you said earlier
in the movie, and it is It is so unexpected because
it's such a tense scene I absolutely fucking
loved it, and I loved the wedding ring scene
in the I thought you were phenomenal in that
scene I thought that was the best acting I'd
seen you do a few more questions here Speaking
of loving what I saw you know one thing I noticed
about your movies is And when I worked with you
on set is you are very and I guess every filmmaker
is in some way but you especially you really
take your time to work on the right lighting
and obviously the the perfect shot and I thought
you're the the montage scenes of you driving
around I just thought were phenomenally lit and
That's tough to do by the way driving scene So
kudos to that is there when you're shooting a
film or maybe whether it's pre -production production
or post -production Is there a favorite element
that just like, it's your favorite thing about
the movie, making movies? Is it getting the lighting
right? Is it when a scene comes together? Is
it the shooting? Is it the writing process? I
don't know. That's the thing about it. There
is, A, being on set, there's nothing like it
for whatever. But making your own movie, it's
a thousand times better. There is a little bit
when that magic happens, you know when the perfect
things come together at the right moment or you
didn't expect the actor to Oh, whoa, I didn't
see that coming. Yeah, great. You know, I mean
like those moments are just amazing Yeah, but
I'll tell you a quick story going off on a tangent
process so in this movie like there's a scene
where I mean, whatever so I lay down the girl
lays on top of me and Like that was the scene.
I was like, yeah, let's just do whatever and
then whatever happens after you wakes up And
then the girl came to shoot it. We're very awkward.
Like, okay, whatever put a pillow here do the
whole thing But I was on the Atkins diet at the
time and my friends always used to make fun of
me That I was like eating cheese with mayo and
there was mayo right there I don't think it'll
be funny and we started cracking up at the idea
of how stupid that was. So Oh, you're talking
about the dream sequence. The dream sequence.
I got you I was like, oh my God. So we cracked
up at how stupid and funny that would be. And
then we did it, shot the scene. And then she
was with me here while we were screening it for
some friends. And that part came up, and it hit
so hard. And me and her just turned around and
was like, yes, that's what it was about. You
know what I mean? We came up with this idea together.
We collaborated on this little thing that made
us crack up hysterically. We can't wait to share
this with other people. And we got to be there
in real time while they laughed and saw it. It
was great. Dude, those are the most. You're absolutely
right. And that happens. Because as you know,
I've also, you know, in addition to acting and
comedy, you know, I had a band for a while. So
I've also been involved in music production.
And those things happen in music, too, where
you accidentally do something musically, but
it sounds fucking awesome. And there is no better
feeling. And that happens in movies, too. And
that brings me to my next thing I wanted to talk
about. We have to talk about it. When we were
shooting the thin line. One of the final, it
might actually be the final scene we shot in,
was it Lawn Wood or? Wood Lawn. Wood Lawn. Just
below Wood Lawn. Just below, so kind of like
where Yonkers and the Bronx meet, but it's this
very Irish neighborhood, like off the boat Irish,
there's pubs, people wearing European soccer
jerseys everywhere, and it was like a Sunday
night. but I don't know what was going on if
it was a soccer game or whatever, but there were
drunk Irish dudes everywhere. Do you, I would
love to hear your point of view. Do you remember
what happened? Cause I have a great - I remember
them being like right outside a frame at one
point and you're acting. Like you're doing the
emotional, like really hard scene and they're
like right there. You know what I mean? So yeah,
I remember she was like, it was great. It was,
we, we had to hurry and get this done. We were
on a timer and we really needed to get it. And
obviously it was dark. We didn't have any permits,
by the way. We didn't have any permits. We turned
the car around and faked a car accident. Yes.
So thank you for saying that because what I was
going to say was not only do we not have any
permits, it's a Sunday night in the middle of
this Irish neighborhood. It's a car crash scene
where I have to get very emotional over this
woman who's possibly dead. And we have these
drunk Irish guys hooting and hollering from across
the street. But what happened at one point, I'm
in the middle, you yell action. And one of the
drunk Irish dudes, there was a pile of garbage,
like, against a building, in the scene. And he
just popped out of the garbage and went... And
then he started coming up to me, and I didn't
know if he was gonna fight me. And I just thought
that was the weirdest but raddest fucking thing
that's ever happened to me in any sort of creative
production. But people don't understand that,
you know, you see what you see on film, but you
don't know all the magic that happens or... In
this case, the insanity that happens obviously.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I just, I love, ah, man. That
whole thing was fun. Yeah, I remember Jasmine
has a whole other night. Remember she was, yeah,
she came, she wasn't even in the scene. She came
to be around to hang out. And then she ended
up going to the bar with the guys. And she made
lifelong friends. Like she went out drinking
the whole night. Yeah, yeah, yeah. She had a
whole other life for that night. I'd love to
hear that. That point of view. A couple more
questions, I'll get you out of here. So as you
know, as we all know at this point, man, the
industry, the music industry, the TV and film
industry has changed rapidly and it's changing
more and more day by day. What are your thoughts
on what do you think has changed the most from
your point of view as a filmmaker? And like,
what do you see in the future of film? Any predictions
or projections of, you know, what's the best
way to go about shooting film now? I mean, I
guess that's a three -part question. Yeah, well,
shooting is the good part. Because you can do
it anywhere. You have the technology. You know,
people can shoot on their phones. I say get a
DSLR where you could use prime lenses. You know,
I shot this whole movie for a $200 camera and
like $50 used lenses, prime lenses. So that's
the good part. The bad part is, you know, streaming
obviously has hit everything really hard. Eh,
you know, I mean, I guess people can watch stuff
at home. But as a filmmaker, and I was just talking
about the other day, like seeing seeing the thin
line in a theater full of strangers that we did
at the Kotra film series is like, Oh, I actually
do know what I'm like, I know what I write for.
You know what I mean? Yeah, no, my, my that's
the thing. That's the mode. You know, so Getting
that communal experience, I don't know as an
independent filmmaker how to do that now, other
than film festivals or create your own shit.
I'm in the New York area and I'm in the live
event space. So I could, in theory, on my next
movie, work and promote and try to get people
into some theaters on my own. Like literally
stage on my own? Yeah, I'm gonna have to, you
know? Because I don't know any other way to do
it, you know Like there's there's it just seems
like a it's not the same as used to be even just
for this film The original idea though was to
go on Amazon Prime Okay, it was supposed to be
good. They would do it like a 60 40 split and
like a month or two ago I got an email from them
saying your account's been active good been working
on the movie still editing the sound and doing
what I can and like so we're not we're cancelling
your your You're canceling your account, and
we're not accepting any new submissions from
anybody we haven't already taken submissions
from. Like, oh, okay, thanks for nothing. But
I appealed. They ended up sending me a link to
a bunch of aggregators, which is what I could
do before anyway. So as you go, you shoot your
movie. You go to film festivals, you try, but
that's expensive, you know, it can get pricey.
Try to get some laurels and then you can go to
film aggregators to try to get on platforms.
But I would try to find some way to screen it
at least to get that feeling for yourself as
a filmmaker. Try to get a little bit of money
back if you can, but I don't know that that's
going to happen. Like unless somebody finances
your shit. So, you know, it might be the kind
of thing now as a future, the filmmaker, you
can, you'll get paid. Like, you'll work out your
rate for the days that you actually work on set,
or, you know, the things you do, and then that's
it. You know, there's no backend. I can't see
it happening. I don't know. I don't see it. Yeah.
I got to say, though, you know, it's almost a
blessing in a way that you hadn't graduated yet
to that level of working with studios and having
a full crew, because now, even major films, everybody's
doing things on their own, and you've... always
done things on your own. So you're kind of a
step ahead because you're like, this is how it's
always been for me anyway, where I had to do
everything. So that's the that's why I feel a
little bit better, like knowing AI is coming
and people can do their own shit. But you're
right. But I could still do everything on my
own. I don't worry about, you know, I mean, that's
the good part. Yeah. So one thing I wanted to
ask before we go is that so when you had sent
me the link for the movie First Draft, your feature
film, which please check that out as well as
his movie, The Thin Line that I'm in. A little
plug there. When I was watching, one thing I
learned too over the last few years was there's
a difference between watching a movie and screening
a movie, right? And what I learned is that like
a lot of times people in the industry, they screen
a movie, which means they pay more attention
to like the kind of shots, the lighting. So because
I knew, because I'm... this is part of my life,
is this industry. I was screening a little because
I was dorking out, looking at all. I wanted to
talk to you about the lighting and things of
that nature, but I also wanted to enjoy it. For
someone like you who's a filmmaker and has done
it his whole life, how do you balance that when
you watch movies? Is it impossible for you to
not screen a film when you watch it, or can you
sit back as just a viewer? My own film or other
people's? Other people's films, or yours, both.
Oh, it depends on other people's films. I mean,
I charted... Just Spencer to disbelief I check
out but if it's something that I can't help but
notice like I can't help but notice it Yeah,
especially like when I see trends like now the
blues and yellows which I even been doing here
but the blues and yellows and the Ambers and
like certain color tones Take me out of movies
now because it's like somebody got a memo or
they learned a YouTube tutorial and everybody's
doing it You know, yeah, so things like that
to kind of get on my nerves a little bit But
mostly I try to go in especially if I'm in a
theater. I want it Enjoy it. I want to be taken
would take me where you want to go You know I
want to I want to have a good time Sometimes
I feel walk out feeling like crap because wow
I can't I'm nowhere near that good You know what
I mean like I think I'm not there yet, or I don't
have that budget or you know I mean like and
sometimes. I'm like what the fuck why am I not?
Real quick two or three rapid -fire questions
your Your favorite director of all time your
your biggest inspiration. Do you have one? Or
two or three Yeah, I mean I mean I have to say
the Coen's but link letter because he was like
a direct response I mean a direct influence on
this movie and Charitino every time before I
direct I watch two movies either night for the
two nights before Pulp fiction and good will
hunting. How about hell? Yeah, good will hunting.
The last half is like Oh perfection. It is it
really is is there a perfect movie? In your eyes,
was there ever a perfect movie you watched where
you're like, that was as close to perfection
as possible? I mean, I love, I mean, Pulp Fiction
to me is great. I don't know, Shawshank? Yes!
I was just gonna say that! Shawshank really is,
man. Defy perfect, cause that mill is crossing
for me. I could watch, you know what I mean?
Like, it's something that nobody, not everybody
likes, but I'm like, ooh, yeah. Alright, and
this one's kind of, this is a tough one to ask
because I guess it depends on... the style of
movie and what you're going for, but just for
the sake of fucking doing this, dream one or
two actors or actresses that you would, like
if someone was like, you can pick whoever you
want, no problems, whoever you want to be in
your film. Is there an actor or actress or a
couple that you, who would it be? On my next
movie, you mean, or? Sure, like on your next
movie. If you could just pick of the litter.
Are you fishing? You want me to say you? I'll
say you. Oh, God, no, don't say me. I would be
honored, but don't say me. You know, I honestly
don't dream that big at the moment because I
don't want to get disappointed. The last one
I did was the next film I was going to be doing,
which I wrote. I still haven't approached a girl.
She's literally like an internet pop star person.
But because the idea originally was, and it's
not probably going to happen this way now, because
of the Amazon Prime split, there was a... She
had like three million followers on TikTok. I
can get funding for a movie and whatever and
she's gorgeous and she could sing and she's got
a thing. And that was the last time I had somebody
in my head, but it was because they were reachable.
I knew somebody who knew somebody that I could
talk to her. So I can't even imagine like in
terms of, you know, what I want to work with
Brad Pitt, probably because Tyler Durden fucking
rules, you know, what I want to work, you know,
with. I don't know, anybody. There's just too
many. I would just go out to whoever, you know.
I know, it's kind of a hack question, but I just,
I'm curious. I wanted to know. Listen, I would
love to work with you again at some point for
real, though, but... Dude, you know I'm in. You
know I'm in. Let's do it. When I have a budget.
Absolute last thing. Talk about, so you're involved
in lighting. I see a lot of times on social media
you're posting, it seems like you work at like
a nightclub or some sort of venue where you're
light designing for shows. How did you get involved
in that and what is it that you do? Well, I do
lighting well, I got into it just by happenstance
I knew somebody was a bar back at the Gramercy
theater and I got they got me an into an interview
and because I was a filmmaker when I did get
some stagehand work and then as I was there I
was I gravitated toward lighting guys because
I knew lights I knew how to point lights at things
and that was like my you know, my area of expertise
and then it became like I would you know You're
basically there you're operating For different
shows that everything in Gramercy theater. You're
like one day is Dave Chappelle the next day is
Any comedy people or a metal band, you know?
Cypress Hill, you know, you're there sometimes
they have guest LDs come in and you help them
patch in and Like they're bringing their their
set or you're the guy doing it. So you got to
sit there and do a show and then When I found
out was like the real money's in corporate work
where you're It's like fundraisers or ballroom
crap and you just set up some lights and some
up lights and make it look pretty And that's
where the real money's at. So that's what you
got to do But the fun good stuff is still in
these clubs now I'm doing the hip spot is Brooklyn
where it's like Artists that I don't even know
that all when I tell young people they're like,
oh, I'm like really I don't know they have like
a guitar a laptop and they're killing it But
I some of that music like that techno music.
That's not my cup of tea But I fucking love lighting
it now. It's like it's like an art of its own.
It's like, you know I'm sitting there like doing
my thing. That's what that's what's great because
you know your passion is filmmaking But when
you can find a job that is still in the same
industry that pays the bills, that's it right
there. Because it gives you the time to still
do what you, you know, your craft outside of
that. And you're still kind of doing stuff that
is involved in the entertainment world. You're
in production. You know what I mean? You have
some production work. Absolutely. And it keeps
you in that road shit. Is Brooklyn still like
the hip spot, like Williamsburg? Yeah, although
we just had, I mean... No politics, but let's
say when tariffs happened, our business got hit
hard. And maybe in the last couple months, a
cluster, I just saw an article, a cluster of
clubs over there shut down. Not the ones I work
at. But I think it's a Bebs and Flows kind of
business always. I'm starting to see live venues.
There's a concert up here at a venue in Canandaigua,
it's called CMAC. And I was trying to get credentials
for us to go there and shoot. And when I looked
at who the promoter was, it was the Bowery. So
I'm like, holy shit, it clicked. I'm like, so
these venues, not just in New York City, I'm
sure everywhere, venues are actually... Branching
out and not only hosting shows, but they're like
promoting shows that aren't even within 150 miles
of them just to make money So I mean, yeah, they
they promote out to other even this the mop and
I'm calling the moment mom and pop venues They're
not the Bowery. They're not live nation or even
that they started doing that. Yeah, that's where
you know, you got to get out there So yeah, so
listen give me give me the plugs as we head out
here Where can we find the thin line first draft
back on clock productions? Give it to me. Well
Firstly a first draft is and really all of it
right now. It's just Edward charrette comm edward
Edi to have that up on the sea H a r r e t t
e comm and it's really right now a private link
like I'm doing it's really kind of the honest
system I hope nobody steals my identity or screws
me over, but you know I have like a you know
my phone number my email up there whatever your
five bucks to rent it Which is really just a
YouTube link 10 bucks to rent it and download
it Which is to download Google link and the rental
and then 20 bucks gets you that plus good karma
Um, and really that's it and but it's to keep
it private because I am still submitting to festivals
like yeah So i'm basically trying i'm doing like
a fundraiser to I mean it's a I mean people get
to see the movie and that's cool getting some
feedback and then I can help you know, it's like
You know 90 bucks a shot to submit each time
and there's thousands of film festivals around
so it's helpful, but well Ed, I love you, man.
You're my cousin. I forget how. Are you my second
cousin? You're my mom. To be honest, I don't
know. That's a date. All I know is my mom was
like, you should work with Mike. She kept saying,
you should work with Mike Brindisi. He's like
a singer and an actor. My mom was like that back
in the day. She's like, you should work with
your cousin, Ed. I was like, OK. You know, I
think it was your mom was my grandmother's sister.
Right? Your grandmother is Anne? Anne. And sister.
Yeah, that makes sense. Yeah, yeah. So we're
like, whatever cousins. Once removed, twice removed.
Yeah, how does it work? I don't know. You're
my nephew cousin, my cousin nephew? Sure. Yeah,
I'm your nuzzin, your kethu. I don't fucking
know. Your kethu. No, but it's an honor to be
related to you, man. I love you. I love what
you do. Edward Charette, filmmaker, author, lighting
designer, and my cousin. Check out The Thin Line.
Check out First Draft. And I will... I'll talk
to you off the air to make sure what we can put
on the screen, but we'll put the correct links
there to go check him out. Back on Clock Productions,
Ed Chourette, Edward Chourette. Ed, thanks so
much for your time, buddy. I love you. Thanks.
Thanks for having me. Peace out. Love you, too.
Yeah, man. Peace, guys. All right. Mike Brindisi
from Good News York, sponsored by ads on the
go. Get ads on the go dot com. We will be back
tomorrow. We have a very special guest. Coming
in the studio and I will leave it at that. It
is somebody that Matt wanted and She is phenomenal.
So we will be having her on tomorrow and Enjoy
the rest of your day. Thanks for watching Good
News York