First appeared on Facebook from @KansasFilm | October 20, 2017
What films and filmmakers inspired you along your artistic journey and why?
I am a huge fan of Stanley Kubrick. I think his ability to dress a set and hold a shot really makes for an immersive experience for the filmgoer. I also really like Richard Linklater. I love how his films (especially the “Before” series) are, seemingly, so simple in their execution and yet filled with complex and dynamic characters. If I ever ventured into the world of narratives, I think I’d like to go in the direction of Linklater.
At what moment did you realize you could tell stories well?
I’m not sure that I ever had that “aha” moment. When you’ve watched your own film hundreds of times in the editing bay you tend to get very nit-picky and you can lose sight of what you have from an emotional standpoint. For me, it isn’t really until I hear an audience react that I know that I conveyed a point the way I intended to. I’m not sure that I’ll ever feel that I am a “good” storyteller, but I know that I did the subject of stuttering justice and that’s all that I can ask for.
What inspired you to make WHEN I STUTTER?
I’d say that my inspiration to make this film came from feeling that there was a shortage of engaging resources on the subject of stuttering. As a speech pathologist, I feel that promoting awareness of the emotional impact that stuttering can have is essential. True understanding of this hidden disability by the public at large can qualitatively improve the life of a person that stutters.
What makes you especially proud of this film?
I am especially proud of how much the stuttering community has embraced my film. In particular, the National Stuttering Association (NSA) and its members have been a tireless source of support for WHEN I STUTTER.
One example of this was a recent screening of my film at The Awareness Film Festival in Los Angeles. The attendance for the film at that screening was absolutely off the charts! Anecdotally, I was told that they had never seen a bigger crowd at any screening in the history of their film festival. Well, that crowd led to an Audience Award and some really great opportunities!
I will be forever grateful for the many ways that I have been supported by certain film festivals, the NSA, friends, and family.
From pre-production to post-production, what challenges did you encounter and how did you handle them?
For me, the biggest challenge was finding the “through line” story-wise. I had many great disparate pieces but figuring out a cohesive way to make them work was extremely difficult. Ultimately, instead of feeling the pressure to make the whole thing work, I decided to make little sections work first. As those little sections came together, there was a sense of story-building and that kept me motivated.
How has the movie been received by audiences so far?
WHEN I STUTTER has been met with several standing ovations and an Audience Award. The feedback has been consistently positive from people from all walks of life. I keep hearing from people that don’t stutter how it really changed their perspective on stuttering. I really feel like the objective of the film is being met when I hear things like “I had no idea what stutterers go through” or “I didn’t know what to do until I saw that section in the film.”
Sometimes an audience member who stutters will stand up after the film and thank me for telling “their” story. Even though that person was not in the film they related to what was being conveyed on a personal level. To me, that is absolute gold.
What advice do you have for aspiring filmmakers who might not know how to break into the industry?
I think that the first step, and I do not want this to come off in a pollyanna-type way, is that you MUST surround yourself with positive and encouraging people. Making a film requires an unreal amount of time, energy and resources. You don’t have time for negativity and consistent oppositional behavior.
I think even the best ideas can be destroyed by bad production environments. When you have surrounded yourself with the right type of people you are much more free to create your vision and you will have the motivation to get your film out to all ends of the earth!
My friends, family and the National Stuttering Association have been strong supporters of my film and that has made a big difference when I’ve gotten into film festivals in terms of word-of-mouth promotion. Now that the film is experiencing some success, I’m glad that it’s built on a solid foundation of people who believe in my film and me.