THE CINEMASSACRE F.A.Q.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Cinemassacre mean?
CINEMASSACRING refers to the efficient way in which my films are made, without a ton of equipment or pre-production meetings, ignoring all the extraneous things that happen behind the camera, when all that matters is what comes up on the screen in the end.
THE CINEMASSACRE is the lifeforce and driving power behind my work; the pure insanity to make these wild films. When the obstacles are stacking up and it looks like there is no way to finish a project, I just go on a rampage and "cinemassacre" my way to the end.
TO CINEMASSACRE is to let loose with what you're doing. In doubt? Just "cinemassacre" it, the same way a crazy artist would splatter paint all over his work and let the art gods take control.
THE CINEMASSACRE is me, my one-man production company which I started when I first got my hands on a video camera, in 1989, making over 130 short movies that "massacre" both Hollywood and Independent trends, but with one main purpose: to entertain.
Do you only do horror?
I've made over 130 films, 40 of them are loosley rooted in the horror genre, and only a few of those are true "horror".
You first enter my site and see a chainsaw dripping in blood with the name Cine-"MASSACRE", so I can see how you may be misleaded, although the term Cinemassacre refers to my style of filmmaking and "massacring" the Hollywood format. (See above question)
It's true I'm a big horror fan and that's where a lot of my influences come from, but even my horror movies have comedic elements. Few of them are actually supposed to be scary.
Why don't you shoot on film?
We all know film looks better, but it's so much more expensive and inconvenient than video. I've shot on film plenty of times to know that it's a sacrifice. If I spend so much money on filmstock, I'm limiting my available income for other resources such as props, special effects, traveling and food costs. Why cut down on all of that just for a difference of image quality? I'd rather spend my money on things in front of the camera.
With the advent of DV and rapid progress of HD technology, video is continually looking more like film every day. In film class, half my professors couldn't tell I shot on a Panasonic DVX100 24p mini-DV camera. Some theatrical movies are now being shot on HD. Big directors like George Lucas and Robert Rodriguez are using it, and I can't tell the difference on a big screen in a theater.
Film enthusiasts insist that film still looks better, but for this slight difference, we all need to remember that STORY is more important. It's better to shoot a great story on video than to shoot a pile of shit on film.
Why don't you submit to festivals?
I do, but not very often. It can be expensive to submit to them and just recieve a generic letter saying "sorry, your film was not selected." It's not worth the trouble unless you take the time to research and find the appropriate festivals to select to. It's not easy to know what they'll accept. Most festivals just say something broad like "looking for films with original talent."
I'd rather dedicate my time and energy to MAKING films. I make them simply because that's what I enjoy doing. Obviously, I want them shown too, but that's another kind of work.
Why don't you make a feature?
I do have script outlines and seeds of ideas brewing in my head for feature length films, however, I'll always be more interested in short films. Why? I think the format of a short film is a more concise way of engaging an audience. I don't believe we always need 2 hours to tell a story. I think this requirement of length that's been drilled into our heads is forcing many writers to stretch out their stories. It's the same way in English class when you'd be required to write a 10 page paper when you can really explain everything you need to say in only 3 pages. What do you do? Add bullshit filler.
When it comes to theatrical releases, features are what we pay to go see. Let's face it. Hollywood makes the most technically superior and entertaining films. They do it best, so leave it to them. I don't think independent filmmakers should be expected to make features. There's too many people out there making films. Keep in short and respect peoples' attention spans.
I have so many different film ideas I'm trying to make, all which I'm equally excited about. I'd rather make a ton of shorts than just one feature. Ideas get old. If I spend 6 years on one film, I'll get bored and along the way, I'll come up with more fresh ideas. That's really frustrating when you're stuck on an old stale project that you started a while ago and want to start something new.
I always get asked: Why can't you dedicate to ONE idea? Well, some men can't dedicate themselves to one woman. I have so many different films I want to make, some funny, some scary, all DIFFERENT! To get locked down with one idea, I'll be restricting myself.
What's your goal?
I was put on this Earth for a reason: to entertain. My goal is to entertain you. While a lot of what I do is for comedic value such as my Angry Video Game Nerd character, I also sometimes create more experimental and surreal works which are things that I personally find appealing.
My goal is simply to continue to produce films with my own creative control and artistic freedom. To be able to eventually get paid full time for it, so I don't have to "work" a "job". Making movies is not something that I started because I thought it would make me rich. It's just an emotionally rewarding and stimulating experience to express myself through the combination of moving pictures and sound. In high school, people would always say to me "You make movies? ..... Are they for school or something?". My answer was simply "No, it's just what I do."