INTERVIEW: Meet The Film Makers of "The Last White Man"

One word description of the film - BOLD.

Produced and written by Dean Tatulli and Mark L. Mazzeo, DIBS was able to chat with the two filmmakers about their recent project!

DIBS: Hi Dean and Mark! Thank you for taking the time out of your day to chat with me about your latest film, The Last White Man.

DIBS: I am just going to jump right in. Your one-sentence description of the film is “a dark satire thriller with a focus on race, identity, and social politics in modern-day America”….for the White Man?

Mark: With the election of Donald Trump, Dean and I noticed a resurgence of the old narrative that white men always get screwed over, they're the victims of affirmative action and political correctness etc. I've always felt that was an erroneous point of view, but with the rise of Trumpism and the Alt-Right, I started to see it as a very dangerous attitude as well. Across several conversations about this with Dean, we started using the phrase 'The Last White Man' as a sort of pejorative shorthand for the people pushing that narrative. From there we decided to write the screenplay for TLWM to paint a satirical picture of that guy and push it to what we saw as its natural and inevitable conclusion. As events in the news began to parallel our story, the film became a bit darker than we originally imagined, but we're hoping there's still humor to be found in it as well. No one has seen it, so we're curious to see how that plays at the screening.

Dean: Despite being inspired by the quick rise (and inherent darkness) of Trumpism, the alt-right, Incels, and conspiracy theorists, we decided to leave anecdotal politics out of the film. It's implied by Karl's opinions, actions, and the language that he uses he's aware and influenced by those ideologies. However, we never come out and say it explicitly, allowing the audience to draw their own conclusions about his radicalization.

DIBS: There is so much to this topic even more so now with the 24-hour news cycle, social media, and as you say “The Rise of Trumpism”. Do you think this “Rise of Trumpism” happened because of that “resurgence of the old narrative that white men always get screwed over, they're the victims of affirmative action and political correctness etc” so its like “alright fuck it then, I can’t win” so it has led to this “dangerous attitude” of The Last White Man?

Mark: I think Trump has normalized it (among other things) which has played a large part in the resurgence of that idea. But outside of a few scenes, the film itself doesn’t touch all that much on “capital P Politics”. It’s sort of implicitly there if you can make the connection between racism, sexism, homophobia, etc and the political party that currently supports those things. But it does deal a lot with identity politics, where our main character Karl is struggling in a world he feels left out of. He’s the fabled “forgotten man”. But the film isn’t designed to make the viewer sympathize with Karl, and I don’t think people will. Ultimately, the film is our critique of the “last white man” ethos and like I said we take it to what we see as the inevitable conclusion of that mindset. And it’s not a happy ending. For anyone.

DIBS: It’s funny that you say that because my next question was going to be, Could the viewer sympathize with Karl? Which you have answered. Not a happy ending for Karl then. How about what sort of perspective will the audience gain walking away from this film? I would like to add something to your response to the previous question. So the school bully is known to be a bully the bully (assuming so) is aware that he is a bully (assuming so) and maybe he is a bully for reasons unknown to others but since the bully has been titled this role they are now going to play that role. How could the school bully come back from being “the bully”? If they are known to be a bully is there some sort of redemption? I know that we are getting a little deep here, I promise there will be lighter questions 🙂

Dean: It’s interesting you bring that up, because I sort of wanted to expand on the idea of sympathy for Karl - In the writing phase, we knew we definitely didn’t want the audience to sympathize with or for Karl, he’s clearly the villain. And to Mark’s and Ryan’s credit, I think that is achieved, Karl is abhorrent. But there’s sort of paradox in the script, where if you show something from the villain’s perspective, you’re asking your audience to at least *care* about your character. Even if they’re bad. Karl, at the start of the film, doesn’t know what his place in society is, just that he feels like society left him out of the equation when it progressed. As the story progresses I think we offer him a way out, but he doesn’t take it because he’s too far gone. I think maybe that idea touches on your bully analogy. Karl eventually learns who he is in society by trying to assimilate and realizing he can’t. I don’t think it’s a zero sum game, but our story does not allow the bully to redeem himself.

One last point about that is, I think we were always aware of the risk that showing the film from Karl’s perspective was dangerous. Especially since ‘Karl learning his place in society’ is a negative thing which could carry the connotation that we think he’s the right one.

We’ve talked about intent a lot in our doing this film, and I think our intent is very clear in the final film.

Mark: As for what the audience walks away with, I want people to see this film and have something to say. I want to start conversations about something that people maybe don’t want to talk about. I want people to see this and question if they’re like Karl, if they’re enabling Karl’s in their lives etc. basically I think we want people to take a look in the mirror, both at themselves and society as a whole. And in reference to sympathizing with Karl, Dean makes a good point about asking the viewer to care about Karl. I don’t think it’s that the viewer should sympathize with Karl. I think it’s that they should empathize with him and feel horrible about it.

DIBS: So what’s harder: getting started a film or being able to keep going? How long was this process from having the idea to writing it to filming it to completing it?

MARK: I’d say getting started is harder. Once you get going there’s inertia and you get into routines. But at the beginning you’re starting with nothing and it’s all ahead of you and it seems so insurmountable. Especially doing it the way we did it. Self financed and without any sort of infrastructure behind us.

We started writing in October of 2017 and we’re done writing in April 2018. (We wrote a key scene a couple of months before shooting, but otherwise the script was finished that April)

Preproduction started in November of 18 and we shot for 12 days between February 23 and March 23 of this year including an 8 consecutive day first wave at the end of Feb and early March.

I started editing on March 3 after the first wave of filming and we got to final cut on September 2.

So from the first page to final cut you’re talking a two year process. The idea is something we talked about for a while before that but in terms of actually working on it, two years.

DEAN: Anecdotally the hardest day of the whole thing for me was day 1 - we had a hard start and I remember feeling like there was no way I could do 12 shoot days.

But like mark said, you get into a routine and you get over the jitters of starting something so big and it becomes fun.

DIBS: What were some obstacles you faced making this film?

Dean: We produced the movie completely on our own. There was no one to really help us. And it’s really hard to produce a feature film with just two people handling logistics, scheduling, planning, money, problems as they arise etc.

We were incredibly fortunate to have a very dedicated team helping us actually make the movie. But most days that team only consisted of Mark, myself, a sound person, and a production assistant. With a crew that small and when you’re shooting 5-8 pages a day it becomes all about judicious time management.

DIBS: In your opinion, what sort of stories are important to tell?

Mark: I’ve always liked movies that are more character-driven than plot-driven. I feel like if you can come up with a really good character or characters and use them to drive the story, that’s always the way to go.

And that’s reflected in The Last White Man we started with Karl and built it out from there.

Dean: I also think it’s important for a story to have some sort of social or moral relevance. I understand that entertainment for entertainment’s sake has a place - i’m just less interested in it than I am in making actual statements.

And as Mark said, I believe that stats with characters who feel like real people.

DIBS: Where did you both meet?

Mark: Dean used to bully me in middle school.

Dean: That’s not true

Mark: That's how I remember it.

DIBS: LOL

Dean: We knew each other in middle school, but this is how I remember it. In the beginning of 8th grade Mark asked me if I made movies. And I said yes. He said I should make movies with him and a friend of his, and then we all started to do that together.

Mark: We continued making movies with a couple of friends of ours into the first year of high school and then kind of went our separate ways for the rest of high school and college. When I graduated I realized it was time to get serious about making movies and contacted Dean about working together again. And we've been making projects more or less annually together ever since then. We always try to make sure we learn lessons from our mistakes and get better with each project, and I think we have.

In your opinion, what defines success in filmmaking? Money? How many people saw? Reviews? Awards? All the above or none of the above?

Mark: For us, right now, it’s getting someone to want to invest in us and give us a budget to make the next one. That’s all I want, to get to make the next movie. The older you get the harder it gets to self finance. Exponentially so on feature length projects.

Dean: Agreed. I would say success as an independent filmmaker is simply being able to make films that get you enough exposure to make the next one. Being able to earn a living at it would be fantastic as well of course.There’s a famous quote that says “we don’t make movies to make money, we make movies to make more movies” I just thought that was fitting to this part of the conversation. Maybe a tad ironic because Walt Disney said it. But I do think the sentiment is true

DIBS: So explain to me the process of how it works. So as an Independent filmmaker you make the film and you submit it to festivals so that producers can have eyes on it and hopefully like it and want to invest in that film or want to invest in the filmmakers?

Mark: Yeah, that's the hope. You put it out there and try to get it in front of the right set of eyes.

Dean: Festivals also allow you to share the movie with other filmmakers who may want to network and work with you.


Meet The Filmmakers

Mark L. Mazzeo - Writer/Director

 
Mark is a filmmaker currently based in the South Jersey/Philadelphia area. He has made a variety of award-winning short films, as well as his first feature film, Something Better Comes Along. He is an industry professional with credits on multiple n…

Mark is a filmmaker currently based in the South Jersey/Philadelphia area. He has made a variety of award-winning short films, as well as his first feature film, Something Better Comes Along. He is an industry professional with credits on multiple network television shows.

Dean Tatulli - Writer/Director of Photography

Dean is a filmmaker and director of photography based in Philadelphia, PA. Over the past 7 years, he's shot multiple award-winning short films, co-wrote and co-directed a web series, and produced and shot a feature film. In addition to that, he has …

Dean is a filmmaker and director of photography based in Philadelphia, PA. Over the past 7 years, he's shot multiple award-winning short films, co-wrote and co-directed a web series, and produced and shot a feature film. In addition to that, he has nearly 10 years of professional on-set experience with credits ranging from branded content to documentary films.

 
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INTERVIEW: CrowdFunding Campaign for Herrings Season 3

After much success with Season 1 & 2, Herrings is excited to be coming back for Season 3. The independent web series that has gain recognition nationally and internationally and is now looking to you for some support, DIBS chatted with creator Keith Chamberlain…

Keith Chamberlain is an award-winning filmmaker currently living in southern New Jersey. Keith strives to tell meaningful stories that capture the truth of the human condition as well as challenges society’s views and beliefs. He has written and directed several short films that have played in various film festivals. Keith’s award winning films have been screened at festivals around the world, including Golden Door International Film Festival, Pittsburgh Uncut Film Festival, Seoul Web Fest, NJ Web Fest and Hang Onto Your Short Film Festival among other venues.

Why is it important to raise money for independent filmmaking?

Independent film offers visual artists more authorship and promotes new and exciting approaches to storytelling in cinema. That’s what we as filmmakers and content creators are trying to do here: tell stories. However, for that to happen, we first need a team of skilled professionals working diligently in the trenches from a multitude of angles, who are not only willing but happy to pour their blood, sweat, and tears into making projects like Herrings, a reality. So, it's only not only fair but ethical that those professionals to be paid for their work.

Why should people donate to Herrings?

A lot of times our cast and crew are working on a film below their normal rate because it serves as a passion project for the whole team. Your money will go towards paying the cast and crew what they deserve to be paid, and ultimately providing the financial means to help each and every one of us give it our all to make Herrings, the narratively compelling series we know it can be.

What will people get when they donate?

Well, it can range from receiving a social media shout-out from a member of the cast to t-shirts, signed posters, screenplays, receiving a producer credit or even having a walk-on role on the show!
 
Where could people watch this?

People can check out Seasons 1 & 2 of Herrings at www.herringsseries.com

How much does one have to compromise as a filmmaker because of financial restrictions?

You ever heard of the expression, "Mo' money, mo problems"? Well, in film-making, it's "mo money, less problems" because when you're dealing with an ultra-low budget production like this one you have to make a lot of sacrifices. In the case of Herrings, I would have to say locations and schedules have been the biggest compromises thus far. For example, I had a scene in the first episode of season two that was supposed to be set in a high-price fancy restaurant with a dozen extras but because of my budget none of them would accommodate an ultra-low price production like mine, I ended up shooting the scene in a much smaller restaurant/lounge outside of Philadelphia with only four extras and two of them were crew members!

So often we hear about the lack of original stories. That we’ve all “seen it before.” How do you stay fresh in the face of an idea like that?

Well for starters,  I avoid a lot of television during my writing process because that's one surefire way to end up with something that people have seen before. The other and for me, this is huge, is you'll hear a lot of experienced filmmakers say "film what you know" and I don't follow that advice at all. In fact, that expression may be one of the biggest reasons you're seeing a lot of the "same 'ole, same 'ole", that you're talking about. So, for Herrings, I went the opposite direction. This is a show about a subject I didn't know or personally experienced and as such, a lot of research went into making sure I get my facts right. This is also a show that is not just outside the viewers' comfort zone but my own as well, which is why think it has resonated with some many people.

What does independent filmmaking bring to a local community?

Well, I know people who, because of the show, have visited the bookstore where we filmed our first episode (The Book Asylum in Blackwood, NJ) and then ended up purchasing books while there were there. Independent filmmaking can be a boon to a small business trying to survive in this post Amazon-Starbucks-Walmart world.

What could viewers expect for Herrings Season 3?

In our second season the stakes are higher with the introduction of new characters and the unexpected return of some old ones. Revealing anything more would be a spoiler but what I can say is, everything is connected...

How long is this crowdfunding going to go on for?

Our current crowdfunding campaign will run until February 6, 2020. After that, there may be a Phase 2, but that all depends on how much we raise this go around.

What are some other ways in which people can support Herrings?

The best way to support Herrings is by making a contribution to our Indiegogo campaign. However, we understand that circumstances may prevent people from donating money to our campaign. However, if they're as invested in the idea as we are, then they can help by passing our campaign along to their network via a quick Facebook status or maybe wrap it up in a Tweet. More eyes means more opportunity for us to share this wonderful project and for us that's a big win.

And if anyone has a business (tattoo parlors, cafes, bars, office space, restaurants) in the Lehigh Valley area, they'd like featured in an episode, please me via email at herringsshow@gmail.com, at your earliest convenience.

Looking to show some support by donating? click HERE to head over to the INDIEGOGO Campaign!

Here are just a few of the awards and nominations HERRINGS has picked up over the last few years.

INTERVIEW: Meet the Filmmaker Samantha Paradise for Homewreckers

Samantha Paradise, a candy-corn-binge-eating, giggling-at-poop-jokes, writer and filmmaker from the Philadelphia area focuses on strong, nontraditional female characters with her production company, FrankNBeans Films.

 Their most recent film, Homewreckers (a short), is currently in post-production.

DIBS: Could you describe the Independent Filmmakers of or in Philadelphia. Is there a scene? Do local filmmakers hang out together? 

SAM: The great hub of the Philadelphia film scene is our very supportive film office (film.org). This is where filmmakers, actors, crew all find each other and can also keep up to date on what’s going on (festivals, productions, etc). While our film scene may be smaller than NYC, the size really does allow for knowing one another. I’ve met some really great people!

All filmmakers are different, but I love hanging out with other film folks. Great people who help one another out. 

DIBS: What’s harder: Getting started or being able to keep going?

SAM: I think most filmmakers would agree that keeping things moving is the biggest challenge. Making a movie is a lengthy process with various elements. It’s easy to want to quit if you’re knee deep in a part of the process that you don’t enjoy.

Lots of folks have great ideas and start the conversation about storyline, production, etc. However, it can be tough to weather through all the small projects that need to happen prior to shoot day (script planning, storyboarding, shot lists, casting, budgeting, etc). 

DIBS: That is true, there is a lot of planning, staying organized and communicating efficiently that happens in filmmaking. The audience only sees the final product but don’t realize or know about the amount of work that actually goes into it, the behind the scenes.

How much do you think commerce affects your art? And how much do you have to compromise as a filmmaker because of financial restrictions or business?

SAM: I'd rather be an independent filmmaker with zero creative restrictions (although there are financial ones) than a fully funded Hollywood director who is only allowed to make what will sell. Like all independent artists, I have hurdles when it comes to finances. My biggest frustration is usually that I'd like to be able to pay the cast and crew what they truly deserve, but that just isn't feasible without funding. 

A small, silver lining of having financial restrictions is the ability to flex a certain kind of creativity. It can be rewarding to figure out things like "how do I find a creepy house to shoot in for under $100?  Can I make my house look a certain way? Can I shoot in something abandoned? Do I know anyone?" It's a fun challenge.

DIBS: I would have to agree with you, I think there is a sense of resourcefulness or critical thinking that comes out when you have to work with what you got and or can afford. You expand your brain a bit, stretch it out and find solutions in places you might never have known until you were limited. You had to find another way to get what you were looking for and every once in a while, in most case when you do, you find a better solution.

What is the one mistake most filmmakers make, regardless of experience?

SAM:  You can never plan enough! We started pre-production on Homewreckers over a year ago, and despite my OCD databases and a phenomenal Assistant Director (such a blessing!), we still ran into some serious snags. Two production assistants canceled on the day of a shoot, a script supervisor ducked out the day before and the weather created a last minute schedule change. 

Back up plans are a must. 

DIBS: Do you think there are few women in filmmaking and, if so, why?

SAM: There are plenty of women in filmmaking, but very few of them end up directing (or in positions where they're calling the shots, like the Dir. of Photography). I love this question. In fact, I've answered it so often that I wrote an article about it (Unicorns with Baseball Hats: The Mythological Female Filmmaker). 

It always baffles me that I've seen male directors be completely unorganized on set, but the crew will only label them as being "eccentric" or "just really artsy." Any female director who has a rough shoot is "emotional" or a total mess.

Unfortunately, I've had male crew members direct over me every shoot because they don't trust me to handle the actors. Those are the moments I personally want to quit and fade into the background. I think this is why there's so many women in the "background" jobs (screenwriting, editing, makeup, etc.) 

DIBS: What do you mean by “can’t handle the actors” is there a way to “handle the actors?”

SAM:  Ahh, I suppose I should clarify. Direct them. The main job of the director is to focus on the actors to ensure they’re delivering the story & character correctly.

I’ve always been a fan of “not overdirecting.” I don’t direct just to hear my own voice, so if an actor is nailing it, let them keep going! Talented people don’t need to be micromanaged or you’ll kill their spirit.

I think this silence is when others may try and jump in. Almost as if they’re concerned I forgot to direct. That’s silly.

DIBS: Do you think any story can be told in a film? Is there a certain element of the storytelling that film does better?

SAM: I think the best films are the ones that were specifically written for film. Filmmakers focus on imagery and we want to tell you a story with colors, costumes, special effects and lighting we see in our heads. 

Sure, some books adapt nicely. But writers are gifted at weaving together words and you miss their magic by adapting it into a movie. 

DIBS: Does this Homewreckers say something about the world that we live in? and how or why.

SAM:  I'm hope it does. Although Homewreckers is short and fairly "light" in terms of content, I'd love to start a dialogue about the modern workplace. It's very broken. 

DIBS: So does art imitate life or does life imitate art?

SAM: I feel like I need to drink a nice whisky or smoke a cigar before answering this.

Don’t want to give away too much, so lets just say I hope no one experiences (or imitates) a Homewreckers scenario in real life. 

DIBS: So often we hear about the lack of original stories. That we’ve all “seen it before.” How do you stay fresh in the face of an idea like that? Or do you think its okay to tell a story that might have already been told but in a different setting or perspective?

SAM:  There is a ton of original content out there. Unfortunately, main stream media only funds movies that are remakes or based on superheroes. 

DIBS: Is it okay to produce stuff that isn’t that good? Or at the time might have been unexperienced.

SAM: Absolutely. No ones first film is going to be great. The important part is finishing the movie. You’ll learn from the process and be able to make a better one next time.

DIBS: Does how much money a film make, defines its success?

Success to me is if I made someone (even if it was just one person) feel something. Ideally the feeling of “Me too” or “I’m not alone.” My third flick, Conscious aimed for this and when anyone told me that movie helped them or impacted them, it was priceless. 

Homewreckers is targeting anyone in the working world. If you’ve ever felt like “shit, this isn’t fair” at work. Well, this one is for you.

...did I mention my day job is in Human Resources?

DIBS: What does independent filmmaking bring to a local community?

SAM:  New perspective, fresh ideas. We live in an era of unlimited access to entertainment, so if you’re bored with the mainstream, this would solve that problem.

Image by Cristina Byrne

Filmmaker and Director Samantha Paradise on the set of Homewreckers.