Interviews:


INTERVIEW WITH WRITER, DIRECTOR, ACTOR AND PRODUCER SCOTT FROST

INDEPENDENT CREATIVITY

By Jakob Schultz

A.M. Productions is a small independent film company formed by four friends - all filmfreaks with an intention to create independent movies on low budgets. Scott Frost, Jeff Fradley, Chris Frost, James Grayson, and Chris Little are the minds behind A.M Productions. Scott Frost has been involved with filmmaking since he was 8 years old. Early projects included theatrical productions in his early school years as well as extensive education programs in several forms of art. His early studies included sketching, oil painting and analysis of human form. He soon became involved with computers and began porting his artistic abilities to the digital medium. Some of his early work includes "Lords Of Hell" and "Shadowzone".
During his middle school years, he helped co-found A.M. Productions as an Independent Film group dedicated to making films of passion. His computer skills soon combined with Film and Video and his editing capabilities gained him recognition as a premiere post production facilitator. He contracted out with several other friends to perform editing and post production animation and graphics work for various projects.

You guys have been together since 89, how did it all start out? What happened, how did you get together and how did you come up with the idea to start A.M. Prod.?

"A.M. Productions began when Jeff Fradley, my little brother and myself became friends when I was five years old. We really began at a young age with a fascination with cinema. We watched movies all of the time, and being kids growing up in the 80's, we were lucky enough to be a part of what we call the "Splatter Generation". All of the great horror movies of the early 80's became a fascination with us and we soon found ourselves acting out scenes and recreating special effects to try and scare or impress each other. These early effects were crude and inexpensive, but for the most part, the beginning of our work. We soon got a hold of a Super8mm camera, a PXL2000 camera, and after that, an 8mm Camcorder. We then began filming our work and creating shorts that we consider our "Experimental Films." On our web page, we talk about experimental films as a crucial part of anyone's growth in cinema, and we would not be where we are today in our capabilities without them. The name A.M. Productions really began when we started asking ourselves "Who are we?" "Where is this going?" And was also influenced by the fact that we needed a production company name for our opening credits sequence for one of our experimental films. Thus we were born, and the following question began to consume our lives...."Wanna make a movie?" Now, in our early twenties, we are continuing to strive to make movies. The passion that I have for filmmaking far greater than anything else I know."

You has directed some of the movies from A.M. and you has also starred in some of the others films? How do you work that out between you guys?

"Up until recently this has not been an issue with us. Our work was always considered a joint effort. Usually directing credit is given to whomever conceived/wrote the film. We have always worn different caps when making our movies. Acting, effects, props, editing, directing, cinematography. We have all really been well rounded by working together in this fashion. More recently however, I have assumed the role of Producer, Jeff Fradley as Director and my brother Chris is our main actor. We now have our own projects that we are working on in terms of Directing, but each of us respects the other's work, and we will continue to work together to make movies that entertain all!"

What has changed since the first movie. Are you satisfied with your movies and what will you do better next time?

"I had the most fun making movies when I was a kid. They were carefree, cheesy, gory, exciting, and weird all wrapped up into one neat little "master tape". We joined in the "Splatterfest" of the 80's and made tons of movies with gore and the supernatural. Shakespeare composed the formula of Teen Sex, Violence, and the Supernatural to keep his audiences drooling all over his stages. As I have grown older, I have taken the mature viewpoints of these themes and applied them to life and the question "Why? Over the years, I have maintained a strong love for the surreality of society. In my writings and my artwork, I have always shown the things that I see around me. However, I tend to lean towards the darker side of life. We really do live in a sick world. People do not realize the effects of their actions, thoughts and words. I am sickened by the glorification of mass hysteria in the media, and I shudder to think that this is where I live. But in the same respect, I always see a light amidst the darkness. A light that is more a reflection of hope in some distant mirror. This is the driving force of my more modern movies. Always tragic, always passionate.
From a technical standpoint, my movies are definitely more mature. My directing style is very distinct compared to that of Jeff. I have always held a strong fascination with "digital cinema" and technically, have incorporated a lot of computer work into our movies. More recently, the technology allows my mind's eye to be completely open. Though I dislike all the new CGI movies with no plots, I do feel that computers can subtely enhance a film and make it better. For example, Zemeckis made "Death Becomes Her", which had no plot and lightly toyed with the darker side of eternal life. It was not a great film, more of a ride. Then he makes "Forrest Gump", a beautiful story, that did not rely on computers heavily for the majority of the film....just to enhance a battle scene, create a quadrapalegic, or show us a night sky. The only problem with this new technology is financing. We are currently creating a new studio, but financing is always a problem, especially in America where everyone is trying to do the same thing."

Who do you mostly get influenced by?

"My earliest influences were Alfred Hitchcock, Charlie Chaplin, Tim Burton, and David Cronenberg. They really taught me a lot about How to make a good movie. As I grew, I began studying a lot of directing styles. Names to
throw out are Kurosawa, Tarkovsky (read his book Sculpting in Time), Stanley Kubrick, and John Carpenter.
My greatest influence is Tony Scott. I became completely fascinated with his directing style in his debut film The Hunger. This vampire movie is incredible, and really shows off his early ideas and creative juices. My favorite movie of all time by far is "REVENGE", with Costner, Quinn and Stowe. This movie encompasses Scott's ability to capture passion, adventure, and emotion all in one hour and forty-five minute. He uses close ups a lot and had the composer Jack Nitzshe compose the most beautiful score I have ever heard in my life. This proved also effective in "True Romance", and especially in the tight quarters of the submarine in "Crimson Tide". His entire filmography is as follows: "Enemy of the State" (1998) "Fan, The" (1996), "Crimson Tide" (1995), "True Romance" (1993), "Last Boy Scout, The (1991), "Days of Thunder" (1990), "Revenge" (1990), "Beverly Hills Cop II" (1987), "Top Gun" (1986)
"Hunger, The" (1983)."

How do you finance all the movies you do?

"Most of the financing comes from carefully balanced saving, and out of pocket expenses. Our movies now are more story driven rather than effects and "chaos". Financing is difficult to come by in this marketplace. Everyone has a pitch, a line, everyone wants to make money. We are not out looking for fame or fortune, we just wanna make movies. No one is gonna pay us to do that. I forget the director who said this, but someone once said, "I wanna make a movie that I want to see." The things I see are not what everyone wants to see. I say they are missing out. Everyone has something to offer, and my views of the world are no more special than anyone elses. I just want to share with them what I know. Unfortunately, our older films are not available on the market at this time. Through the Internet though, we have made thousands of connections worldwide for distribution deals, talent, and musicians. Our current projects are soon underway."

Is there a big market for lowbudget movies in USA or is it limited?

"Up until recently the market has been somewhat limited. More of an underground society of filmmakers, sometimes thrown in with the category of snuff filmmakers by misguided movie critics making a fast buck. Something interesting happened in the porn industry. A lot of "amateur" adult films became popular a few years back, and I think that trend is spreading throughout the land. Look at the recent Academy Awards, most films were considered Independent, but that is not the case as we all know. A movie with Ralph Fiennes is by no means an independent film! A movie with Chris Frost....that's another story! But yes, there has been a recent explosion of popularity in low budget
films. People want to see something different, fresh, envigorating."

Did you have problems with censorship?

"As our older films are not on the market now, no we had no censorship problems. The industry is pretty open now in terms of what is "acceptable" in society. But it still lacks the all out freedom that Scorsese could have hoped for with Last Temptation of Christ. It is once again a societal issue. Can society accept this material???

What are the future projects of A.M Productions?

"We are currently trying to build our digital editing studio up just enough to be able to move our projects that are currently in pre-production, into the production stage. We have three projects now, a love story (macabre love story), a coming of age story, and an interactive project that is more cinematic than digital, calling upon our trues roots as HORROR FILMMAKERS! We plan to get one if not all of these project underway in the fall of 1997. Hoping for a wrap date in early January on "A Good Man", and then getting a distribution deal with someone interested in TRUE INDEPENDENT films. For all the filmmakers out there, keep making movies. Don't think of fame and riches and Hollywood. It is not as glamorous as people think it is. After all, would you want a different wife/husband every other week? Yeah money is good, but if you are an artist, you will look past that, and to the visions that you see. Let people know who you are. Don't be afraid of people, and they will not be afraid of you.

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Scott Frost

Chris Little

Jeff Fradley

Chris Frost