Flick Hunter: How did the idea come about?
Erin Berry: It started as a pilot 10 years ago with co-writer David Pulscauskas. Mad Men meet X-Files. Not about Burnwood. Instead about Richard Fitzpatrick as a young ma in the '60s getting recruited to M.A.J.I.C.
F.H: Paula, speaking of X- files I thought your character was a cross between Mulder and Scully.
Paula Brancati: I had never done Sci- FI really. So when Erin brought this to me the role was written for a middle-aged man.We talked about turning it into a young woman and that was the seed that really excited me. We talked a lot about characters, of course, we referenced the X-files and talked about Claire Danes in Season 1 of Homeland when things start unraveling. It's super challenging to play and I like things that make me a little nervous and give me butterflies so that is part of why I said yes.
F.H: So tell me about the Space Pen?
Erin: I always wanted one as a kid I was obsessed with the idea that this was a pen that writes upside down. Of course, debunk the whole myth how it costs N.A.S.A. millions of dollars which isn't really true. It didn't cost that much and the Astronauts didn't even use it. They used pencils just like the Russians. Then it evolved into a MacGuffn device whose significance is not known until the very end.
F.H: Can you talk a bit about the two main sets, Burnwood's Apartment and Anderson's cottage?
Erin: It's a friend of mine's production company. He was shutting it down. I convinced him to come in for a week to shoot my film. We transformed his office into Burnwood's loft/living space.
Erin: The cottage is David (The co-writers) cottage. So that was a free location. We shot in March,there was a motel that was not even open. We came and said hey we have ten people coming can you open early? So they were like ya sure 50 bucks a night. Dave is very happy because his childhood cottage is immortalized in the film.
F.H: What's with all the fishing?
Erin: You know Old Men like to fish. Again, that was also a scene because it was so cold we could not shoot in March. It ended up being a re-shoot at Cherry Beach (Toronto) month later in May.
Paula: It was the crack of dawn: it was actually warmer near the long weekend. Those layers (of clothing) you really felt them.
Erin: We also didn't realize that they going to come out and practice rowing, so we were waiting for them to clear and stop screaming over the bull horns.
F.H: The shots I really like were the driving shots up to the cottage. Were those shot by drone?
Erin: Yes, they were months later, with a really small drone, we were north around Orangeville, Ontario. You notice you don't see any snow in the drone shots. But we were like those are early on before we really get up North.
F.H: The other thing I wanted talk about is the recruiting film and did all of the test pilots have to be Republican?
Erin: The man orbiting library was real, the whole idea that the Air Force was going to use Gemini to spy on the Russians. The test film was inspired by the second season of Lost when they go into the bunker and he meets Desmond for the first time and Desmond explains to Locke using a 16 millimeter projector. Plus my fetish for old technology that Burnwood also has. Using microfiche and her little Blackberry.
Paula: I did look up microfiche but Blackberries were a big part of my life. I was one of the last Blackberry users I know. It was a real treat to get back on it. That video works so well because of our friend Paulino Nunes (as Specter) did such an excellent job. It's not an easy thing to sell. Paulino
brought that charm to it that in other hands might not have worked.
Erin: I normally line produce and used to getting the script so last minute but for this, I was able to give everyone the script three months in advance.
Paula: We did a lot of prep before we got to start. I'd be doing all of my nerdy notes and cheat sheets to get the procedural dialogue right. I felt like I was back in High School with all of my notes.
F.H: Paula, one for you, What was your hardest day, the hardest part of the shot and the easiest that flowed naturally for you?
Paula: I would say the easiest was the stuff that just had me bantering with the other actors.with Deb, and Richard and Mike, Paulino. I had worked with many embers of the cast before and if not I was a big fan of their work. That back and forth dialogue I found organic. The most challenging stuff was the stuff we shot early on because you are still kind of finding your footing. We shot her big unraveling clip (early). That was the hardest for me and the scariest and it was on the first or second day of shooting. I remember being so nervous and those things can be cool though when you can add your natural nerves naturally into what is going on. I felt a huge adrenaline rush when we were doing it.
Erin: I think it was a real challenge to you as we shot out of order out of necessity. You finding the emotional arc so it makes sense getting the right level of freak out that will make sense later on.
F.H: One last one for you Erin. When you watch it, what parts make you think "I nailed that.That looks really good".
Erin: This is my third feature film at this point. At this point, I watch it and I see all of the things I would have done differently. Some parts I really like but it's a natural process to want to do things differently. It's like a draft when you put it aside for a few months then read it again. Oh no, I got a better idea. At this point the movie is locked. I can't go back and redo it. It doesn't get a Redux. But it's fun seeing it with an audience. I'm not watching the film. I'm watching the audience. I'm always amazed how some things get a reaction and some things don't.
F.H: What's next for the movie?
Erin: Berlin Sci-Fi film festival his week. It will also film in New York in mid-March as part of the Phillip k Dick film festival at the Museum of the Moving Image.
F.H: Paula, What's next for you?
Paula: I have an Italian co-production that i produced and got to star in with Joe Pantoliano. That's doing a festival run as well and we're going to be doing a theatrical next year. I'm very excited and proud of it. I'm Italian-Canadian. It's a very sweet story that is a love letter to Italy.
F.H: Well Thank You. Than you both very much.
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