Show notes
Guys, we got ADAM FUCKIN’ GREEN ON THE SHOW TODAY!!
Adam is a guy who needs no introduction; the man behind Holliston, Frozen, Spiral, Digging up the Marrow, and the beloved Hatchet series, Adam is a household name in annals of horror history and a downright awesome human being. I'm sure you already listen to his podcast The Movie Crypt, but if you don't, I highly recommend you do.
Ok, this episode is amazing and clearly one of the best we've ever done. Adam slayed this interview and went above and beyond and completely over-delivered on the advice front. He is brutally honest about this industry and tells a bunch of wonderful and insightful stories about how he got started, pushing through hard times as a director, and Dee Snider.
This episode is a little longer than most, but I promise you’ll walk away smiling, inspired, and very informed. I loved this interview, and it’s definitely one of the ones that I will listen to regularly. So, without further ado, here is the incredible Adam Green!
Flex every opportunity. This goes out to those filmmakers out there who are not full-time yet. One of Adam's first jobs was editing videos for local businesses, videos that are typically pretty lame. But, he found an opportunity to use his directorial sensibility to make the videos great instead of shrugging the work off as part of his temporary day job. Instead, he channeled his passion into the work that was right in front of him, and as a result, that ad he edited was extremely popular and allowed Adam to hone his skills in what would have otherwise been a bland opportunity. Regardless of wherever you are in your filmmaking journey, find ways to flex your skills and passions with what you do instead of shrugging it off as unimportant.
Ignorance is bliss. One of the things Adam really made an effort to convey is that throughout the course of his directorial journey, he knew very little about filmmaking but picked it all up as he went. Regardless of the fact that he didn't know what a feature or a reel was in the beginning, the consistent element of his origin story is that he constantly put one foot in front of the other, built momentum, and learned everything by doing. This is huge, as a lot of filmmakers feel intimidated and think they either need to go to film school or read dozens of books about filmmaking to get started. No. The best way to learn is to take consistent action, not by researching or feeling intimidated by your lack of knowledge. You don't have to know everything, or anything actually, but you do need to get moving.
Giving others huge opportunities can be a huge opportunity for you. When Adam was selecting his production designer, he picked a greensman, someone who'd never done the job before. But since Adam's movie represented an enormous opportunity for him to excel and show what he’s capable of, this guy over-delivered, and as a result, the production value of Hatchet was very high. This is what you want when you're working with low budgets; you want people who aren't in it for the money but for the opportunity to make something great with you. Your film could be a jumping-off point for someone's career, so don't always feel the need to crew your movie based on someone's IMDB credits. Observe their attitudes, your gut feeling about them, and really think about what your movie represents to them in terms of opportunity. Find people who have as much to prove as you do and it will not only save you money and boost your production value, but it'll create a wonderful adventurous spirit on set.
Be cautious of favors. This is a complimentary point to the previous one. What you do not want on set is people who will begrudgingly do you favors and then constantly remind you of how much they usually get paid throughout the course of production. This is very toxic. Don’t get me wrong, though; sometimes it's worth it to reach out to collaborators who are way out of your league, which was the case with both Ryan Spindell on Mortuary Collection and Ryuhei Kitamura with his first film Versus. But in any case, when selecting people to work with, it's critical to find that spirit of passion instead of people who are just in it for the money, which brings me to my next point.
Create your own sandbox. Let's face it, anyone who's been in the Hollywood system will tell you it's infested with sharks, liars, assholes, and a lot of sociopathic personality types. It just is, but you shouldn't be daunted by this; instead, you should be vigilant about who you work with. Toxic personalities on set are awful and can ruin your set. Hollywood is a boulevard of broken dreams, and you're likely to come across a lot of people who are very bitter and envious and if you discover this, replace them immediately because they not only harm morale, they can actually try to sabotage your movie. Yes, that happens, multiple directors have mentioned it, and it's very insidious but true. What Adam does is he hyper-curates his production circles and tries to only work with people he knows & trusts or has great chemistry with. As a result, his sets are fun and harmonious, which significantly helps him get through more difficult productions. This is a key lesson so take note.
Stop pirating movies! This doesn't apply to everyone but, some of you know who you are. If you like horror movies, support them by not pirating them. Illegally downloading movies is stealing, plain and simple, and no, it's not a victimless crime. The true victims aren't just the producers, writers, directors who bust their asses for years to make these movies, but it's us fans who ultimately suffer because there will be fewer horror movies because it drains money out of the industry. I'm going to go ahead and say it, if you steal horror movies, you can't call yourself a real horror fan. Real fans support the industry, so if this is you, knock that shit off and just pony up the money to watch the movies you love.
Anyway, I don't want to end on a negative note, so I'll say, guys, this is my 80th episode and the end of Season 2 of the Nick Taylor Horror Show. I cannot thank you all enough for listening and for your support, and for sharing the show with your friends and filmmaking colleagues. Seriously, thank you guys so so much. We're going to take a brief hiatus before returning with Season 3 but in the meantime, be well, stay safe, and thank you as always for listening.
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