Massify Studio

Casting Director Tells All

Amy Allen — 2009-07-13T11:53:54Z

Massify Interview: Alycia Aumuller from Massify on Vimeo.

What do casting directors really think? NY-based Casting Director and friend to actors Alycia Aumuller gives advice to those who are just starting out.

Conversation with Jody Lee Lipes

Amy Allen — 2009-06-30T14:15:38Z

Massify Interview: Brock Enright from Massify on Vimeo.

For his first documentary feature, Cinematographer-turned-Director Jody Lee Lipes followed the artist Brock Enright as Enright prepared for his first major gallery exhibition in New York. Learn about the making of Brock Enright: Good Times Will Never Be The Same, which Paste calls a provocation and an enigma, in this interview.

Writing Your Way Into Plot

Amy Allen — 2009-06-26T10:19:59Z

While necessary and ultimately fulfilling, the process of developing compelling characters for their narratives can be challenging for writers and directors alike.

Author and professor Jeff Bens gives advice on creating and developing characters for fiction and film, in addition to story structure and writing in general.

A Conversation with Eileen Yaghoobian

Amy Allen — 2009-06-24T17:46:13Z

Massify Interview: Eileen Yaghoobian from Massify on Vimeo.

Died Young, Stayed Pretty is Eileen Yaghoobian's first feature, a documentary about underground rock posters. Drawing on her background in fine arts, Yaghoobian shot, produced, directed and edited the movie, and deserves respect for diving into the project without any initial financing.

A Conversation with Jennifer Kroot

Amy Allen — 2009-06-22T14:51:22Z

Massify Interview: Jennifer Kroot from Massify on Vimeo.

Documentary filmmaker Jennifer Kroot talks about the inspiration behind her homage to the Kuchar Brothers, It Came From Kuchar. The film highlights the prolific directors' love for camp, for fun, and most of all, for filmmaking.

A Conversation with Steve Kastrissios

Amy Allen — 2009-06-18T18:29:42Z

Massify Interview: The Horseman from Massify on Vimeo.

Steve Kastrissios is an Australian filmmaker who recently released his first feature, The Horseman. His goal was to make a low-budget, high-impact action movie. Here's how he did it.

A Conversation with Peter Esmonde

Amy Allen — 2009-06-17T18:42:40Z

Massify Interview: Trimpin from Massify on Vimeo.

Documentary filmmaker Peter Esmonde talks about the making of his film TRIMPIN: the sound of invention. A profile of the gifted musical and artistic force that is Trimpin, the film is an exploration of the creative spirit. Esmonde espouses on why he turned his camera on Trimpin, the ever evolving relationship between filmmaker and subject, and the challenges he faced shooting for two years, among other things. Filmmakers, you'll appreciate this interview for both its advice and the subject matter of the film.

Wah Do Dem: A Conversation with the Filmmakers

Amy Allen — 2009-06-16T13:10:33Z

Wah Do Dem, a beautifully shot new film with a kick ass soundtrack about a young man who finds himself stranded in Jamaica, will premiere at the LA Film Festival in a few days. Co-directors Ben Chace and Sam Fleischner sat down with us to talk about their experiences making the low-budget feature, including what it was like to work with non-actors (their lead was musician Sean Bones) and limited resources. The audio interview (below) is useful to any guerilla filmmaker. Enjoy!

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A Conversation with Mai Iskander

Amy Allen — 2009-06-12T18:26:08Z

Massify Interview: Garbage Dreams from Massify on Vimeo.

Director Mai Iskander, who helmed the powerful documentary Garbage Dreams, talks at length about her subject matter in the clip above.

A Conversation With Jessica Oreck

Amy Allen — 2009-06-05T18:01:56Z

Massify Interview: Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo from Massify on Vimeo.

Filmmaker and Scientist Jessica Oreck strives to "reach children and adults alike, and to help reframe their relationship with the natural world." Her documentary, Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo, explores Japan's complicated and beautiful relationship with insects.

A Conversation with Jerin Crandell

Amy Allen — 2009-06-03T18:40:49Z

Massify Interview: Ventilo from Massify on Vimeo.

Texas-based director Jerin Crandell talks about the making of his dream-like short, Ventilo, a "drama about a young woman's journey through a fantasy world of feather fans and beauty."

Fish Out of Water: A Conversation With the Filmmakers

Amy Allen — 2009-06-01T19:30:13Z

Massify Interview: Fish Out of Water - The Nightmare from Massify on Vimeo.

Don't miss this super entertaining interview with the charming directors of Fish Out of Water: The Nightmare. Ben Barnes and Joel Huggins discuss their web series and the challenges that come with wearing multiple hats. Worth it for the tidbits about the puppet alone. Make sure to watch the entire short below!

A Conversation with Luke Meyer

Amy Allen — 2009-05-27T17:38:12Z

Massify Interview: Luke Meyer from Massify on Vimeo.

A Conversation with Andrew Neel

Amy Allen — 2009-05-26T13:21:11Z

Massify Interview: New World Order from Massify on Vimeo.

Andrew Neel is one half of the directing team behind New World Order, a feature length documentary about people who believe in conspiracy theories. Andrew, a thoughtful, experienced filmmaker with four feature documentaries under his belt, notes that "We went to great lengths to not get involved in making any sort of truth evalutions about what the people in the film were saying." Read the interview with Andrew and his directing partner, Luke Meyer in Indiewire, and make sure to check back here for the interview with Luke.

Unlimited: A Conversation with the Filmmakers

Amy Allen — 2009-05-20T18:26:23Z

Massify Interview: Unlimited from Massify on Vimeo.

Co-directors Andrew Luis and Katherine Nolfi chat about their experiences making Unlimited, a short narrative about a young Chinese immigrant who cobbles together an existence selling cast-off items on ebay. The film, which strives to create a sense of place, follows the protagonist as he travels around New York at night, finding items to sell.