Independent film world, OneFilmFan.com salutes you! Not only has the indie medium caused us to come in contact with some of the newest, freshest, up-and-coming talent out there via screening and reviewing opportunities of new works, but it has also afforded multiple occasions to interview some of these visionaries and share with you, valued readers, about their career paths, life thoughts, the state of indie film, and the experiences they’ve had in striving to do what it takes to make their projects come to life. And so it is with great pleasure that we bring you another such chance thanks to New York-based indie director Ed Hellman as he speaks to his new film, “Dime Crimes #34” from his co-owned production company, Rebel Rebel Productions. So folks, let’s get right to it with Mr. Hellman!

One Film Fan: Ok, the big picture to begin. How were you first drawn to the film industry? When did it become evident that it was going to be your ultimate career goal?

Ed Hellman: My father is a still photographer who had a darkroom in our basement. I have many fond memories of sitting on the floor watching him develop film. There was a mystery to the process which was very alluring. My older brother and I would play around with a huge VHS camcorder doing stop-motion animation around the same time. I had a bunch of issues with eyesight growing up and had to wear glasses with a big prism on them. Seeing the world through a lens felt natural (and has become somewhat of a theme in my more recent work).

I was also terribly shy despite having what I guess you would call leadership tendencies (if you want to be nice about it) – filmmaking provided a framework where I knew I was allowed to speak my mind. Jump forward to the end of High School and I had directed a couple feature length movies starring friends and teachers – often about miscommunication and identity, themes that came into play every day for an extrovert stuck in the body of an introvert like myself.

O.F.F.: How did you further learn the industry skills (ie: mentors, influences, and schooling)?

E.H.: I taught myself to edit on Adobe Premiere and then what must have been Final Cut Pro 2 or 3. I’d say early on filmmaking was something I just sort of felt out. My world opened up when I took a screenwriting class with Marie Regan at Bard College and then later Michael Holman at The School of Visual Arts during grad school. They gave me an architecture to work with as a writer which makes approaching a blank page a little less daunting. As touched on previously, guides and structure are things that helped me break out of my shell.

As for directing, I credit Adrienne Weiss for her truly amazing workshops. With actors, I tend to use something close to Meisner technique, and that is all thanks to Adrienne. Kathryn E. Ruopp taught me everything I know about being a responsible, respectful filmmaker to my crew – something that is probably more important than any creative talent I have. She is one of my greatest mentors and has become a good friend. 

O.F.F.: What was the catalyst, in your opinion, that finally lead you to directing as your main focus?

E.H.: I’m not sure there was a catalyst other than it was always the best way I knew how to express myself – something I craved in my late-teens/early twenties. I’m also incredibly stubborn. Maybe I should have become a fireman – my goal when I was 5 – but I’m sure that comes with its own downsides.

O.F.F.: You mentioned in an email about working freelance film gigs, usually 1^st Assistant Director, while in between directing opportunities. Tell us a little about that.

E.H.: I have a great amount of faith in my own ability to craft a story, but even greater faith in what can be made by a talented cast and crew. Filmmaking is a group effort and with that comes a lot of challenges and responsibility. Every director would like to think that their film is a labor of love for their crew, but the fact of the matter is that for most of us in the filmmaking community, this is our day job. A day job we love and feel passionate about, but it’s a job. The assistant director helps keep the director in check during filming so that a production stays on schedule and safe.

 Having this position also frees the director up to occupy a specifically creative mindset, where he or she knows the production is being run logically but doesn’t have to necessarily dip into that logical well. The other side of the coin is that filmmaking is a terrifically expensive endeavor and time is not only money, but a lot of money – and for indie films, it is often all of your money, your friends’ money, and the lease to your house. As an assistant director, I try to keep things grounded and on track, to best serve those involved in the production, from the investors to the director to the cast and crew.

O.F.F.: Tell us a little about Rebel rebel Productions.

E.H.: Rebel, rebel Productions is the brainchild of co-owner John Michael Wagner. “Dime Crimes #34” was our first project together, though we have collaborated a handful of times since. The older I get, the more important it is to work with people I both enjoy and learn from, and I think that is part of why we keep coming back to work together.

 We recently had our first annual Rebelfest – a private screening of recent projects with our friends and family – and it was great fun. It was organized by Alon Gelnik, who was one of the producers on “Dime Crimes #34”. Community is a big thing for filmmakers as we are comprised of large groups of people thrown together for short amounts of time in intense situations and then reshuffled into new groups for our next project.

O.F.F.: So, onto your current project, the indie short film “Dime Crimes #34”, hitting the festival circuit soon. What factors prompted you to make this film?

   

E.H.: John Michael approached me to direct “Dime Crimes #34” (then titled “Rebel, rebel”) and we sort of reshaped it together into what it is now. There was always a theme of dreams versus reality – is the world how I see it and am I how I see myself? Am I a filmmaker because that’s how I see myself, or do I see myself that way because that is who I am? Outside of the theme, I was struck by John Michael’s ability to write dialogue – something I struggle with. To be honest, I wanted an excuse to continue learning how to write and I saw inspiration in his text.

O.F.F.: You described the film as “Neo-Noir with Comic Book Imagery”. For those who have yet to see it, explain that for us and perhaps a quick story synopsis. NO spoilers!

E.H.: “Dime Crimes #34” is a cautionary tale about a homebody who would rather sit around reading pulp comics than risk going out and creating her own adventures. She finds a chance to bridge fantasy and reality when she meets a rockabilly drifter who is a dead ringer for the hero in one of her favorite comics. I won’t say what she discovers, but something I personally love about the film is that it is a comic book movie without really replicating the style we see in comics.

It feels grounded and perhaps more accessible to viewers who aren’t specifically fans of comics. Much of this is thanks to Jaime Medrano Jr, who shot it. He helped me keep it a character study instead of something more stylized and impersonal.

O.F.F.: Having screened and reviewed the project already, explain what it was like creating the very interesting characters that inhabit this effort. Very diverse given the multi-dimensional genres being addressed in it.

E.H.: Thanks! That is wonderful to hear. I certainly had comic book and pulp fiction influences – the lead character, Doll, dangles her cigarette from the middle of her lips similar to 88 Keyes from Chester Gould’s Dick Tracy comic strips – but for the most part we just wanted to present layered, realistic characters. Even the drifter (played by Jimmy Dalton), who is the most stylized character, is ultimately pretty rooted in reality.

My directing style is based on layering information. Before a production, I make a calendar of when I will give certain notes to the actors during the rehearsal process. I prefer not to give it all at once, and almost never in front of the other actors. This tends to create more complex reactions in the actors when they play off each other on set.

O.F.F.: What was it like to direct the main cast, including Ashley Mundy, John Michael Wagner, & Jimmy Dalton?

   

E.H.: I like being surprised as a director and they all manage to take direction well while still adding something unexpected. Jimmy has one of the wildest imaginations. Ashlee is incredibly perceptive – both of the text and of her fellow actors. John Michael has a great deal of energy bubbling inside him that he knows just how to focus. They are all great fun. I’ve since cast each of them in different commercial projects I’ve directed.

O.F.F.: Also awesome, you had the veteran executive production talent of film & TV actor John Benjamin Hickey! What was that like?

E.H.: It was a real honor. It’s not every day that I get to work with a Tony-winning, Emmy-nominated actor. His support meant a lot to John Michael and I. We were also blessed to work with Bob Giraldi, a legend in the commercial community, as well as our producers, Alon Gelnik and Ricky Lorenzo.

O.F.F.: What other projects are on the horizon or would you LIKE to be involved in?

E.H.: A bunch of commercials, a bunch of music videos. We would love to turn “Dime Crimes #34” into the first episode of a series based on the imaginary Dime Crimes comic books, each show focusing on a different issue. I would love to do more music video directing, which is always a unique process. I did a music video for rock n’ roll ventriloquist Carla Rhodes (as a prequel to a short I directed of the same name) and love how it turned out. Michael Patrick O’Leary shot it and he’s a master. You can check that out at: https://vimeo.com/83405756

O.F.F.: We’ve had the opportunity to interview several other NYC-based indie thespians, including actress Kelly Sebastian and (coming soon!) director Greg Locke of “Forever Into Space” as well as co-director/lead actress Genevieve Adams of “I’m Obsessed With You (Now You’ve Got To Leave Me Alone)”. So, the indie film world in NYC. A close-knit community?

E.H.: You know, it is. I see the same people again and again, although there are just so many of us jammed in here. I’m originally from Baltimore but have been living in New York since 2002. I think I can finally call it a home. It’s an honor to be working alongside so much talent. 

O.F.F.: What advice would you give to someone looking to get into the film industry in general?

E.H.: Start making movies and reach out to the filmmakers around you. Anyone can make a movie now so there is little excuse to wait. Just remember that even though you might be able to do all on your iPhone, that doesn’t mean you have to do it alone. The more films I do, the more important the process is to me – the more valuable it becomes. Those checks and balances are there for a reason, whether that’s to keep you in compliance with labor laws or honest to your script. An artist who doesn’t learn from those around him or her is destined to make art with much less to say. That artist is also probably an a@#$%&*.

O.F.F.: The classic ending question! What is YOUR favorite film of all time? Why?

E.H.: Michelangelo Antonioni’s film, “L’Avventura”, is a favorite of mine. A woman disappears on an island and her friends spend the rest of the movie looking for her. The movie is less about finding her and more about searching in general. I remember feeling a great weight being lifted when I first watched it. Sometimes it is the journey that changes us, and not necessarily the endpoint. I like that, but maybe that is because I’m still searching.

 

Excellent insight into the mind, career, and overall world of filmmaker Ed Hellman! Make sure to be on the lookout for Film Festivals in your area, because there could be, and should be, a strong possibility the well-done piece of modern noir that is “Dime Crimes #34” will be making its way to you soon! Interested in finding out more?  How about like this:

The FILM: “Dime Crimes #34” at its website

The PRODUCTION COMPANY: Rebel, rebel Productions’ Facebook Page

The MAN: Ed Hellman– well, we’re working on getting him back on his Twitter account, here! (Let’s all post stuff to him there asking him to return! Shhhh!

Thanks again to Mr. Hellman for taking the time to interview with OneFilmFan.com and until next time, folks, thank you for reading!