CHRIS PRICE

tell us a little about yourself and why you got into film? 1. I've always enjoyed storytelling. As a philosophy professor I am also always looking for unique ways to communicate with students. I first learned filmmaking as a medium for pedagogy but fell in love with the craft for it's own sake. As a Director what do you find most challenging? 2. The thing I find most challenging is time management. Coordination with people over time and on set there is absolutely never enough time. This is why being able to think on your feet, be flexible and innovative goes a long way. What was the inspiration for Identity Crisis? 3. Identity Crisis was motivated by the philosophical problem of identity, particularly personal identity (what makes a person the same person over time). I took artistic liberties with the concepts to create what I consider a philosophical thriller. What's the next big thing we can expect to see from you? 4. I am currently working to develop a quirky crime drama series set in an alternate San Francisco called, San Francisko where there are some differences such as there being a royal family and pencils grow on farms. Otherwise, it's a bit of a dry humoristic take on classic 70s crime dramas. what's one piece of advice you'd like to share with anyone wanting to get into acting? 5. One piece of advice I'd offer to actors is to find ways to tear down the wall of judgement that block your potential performance. For many of us there is a voice or wall that keeps us from "going out there". Learn to remove it. Bonus tip: don't let bad directors destroy your spirit.

LARRY DE LA BRIANDAIS

1. tell us a little about yourself and how you got into film? I am an amateur filmmaker with a strong passion for making films. When I was about 10 I “borrowed” my father’s 8mm film camera and convinced my brothers and friends to be in a silent movie. I then “borrowed” my father’s 8mm film editor/splicer to cut the film. This editor is the same one that is in my logo. Everything was far too expensive when I was young and I wasn’t able to keep making films. Then in 2010 a friend of mine told me that there was a built-in movie editor in Windows and I was hooked all over again. 2. As a Director what do you find most challenging? For me the most challenging part of being a director is trying to figure out how to get the best performance from your actors, and knowing when you’ve got it. It’s also the most rewarding. 3. What was the inspiration for The Foster Child? The Foster Child was originally inspired by The Bird Box and The Maze Runner. After countless rewrites is bears no resemblance to either. 4. Can we expect to see another great film from you soon? I hope to make many more great films. I have one that I made after The Foster Child that I think is promising. 5. what's one piece of advice you'd like to share with anyone wanting to get into making a film? The advice I’d give someone just getting started is to just make something. Don’t worry about the quality, it won’t be good. You’ll learn a lot, and then you need to do it again. When you finally have some experience, surround yourself with people more talented than you and then trust them.

JAMES PAUL NELSON

tell us a little about yourself and how you got into film? 1. When I was younger I would watch a lot of cartoons and television in the Philippines which helped me reenforce the English I was learning in school. I would watch everything but when I moved to Sacramento when I was six years old my great uncle introduced me to American Films and I fell in love. 2. As a writer and Director what do you find most challenging? I find the writing part a little easier because I am completely letting my imagination run wild in context with the plot and characters. But directing is a little challenging because sometimes I see the scene so many ways in my head I’m not locked into framing it one specific way. So I rely on the DP to help craft the pictures with me but directing is something I have to continually work at to improve the quality of the stories I tell. 3. What was the inspiration for Addiction? It’s kind of funny because Addiction is actually the first short film I ever wrote at 19 years old. I had actually wrote a feature length screenplay first titled Dead Weight which deals with drugs and dark topics. I was just in the mind set what would happen if you lost someone in a scenario like this? 4. Can we expect to see from you next? I have a bunch of ideas. I have other short film scripts ready but I might write something new out of the three stories floating in my head now. I have a vampire idea, a pickleball idea and a DJ / Club scene idea 5. what's one piece of advice you'd like to share with anyone wanting to get into writing? Filmmaking is a collaborative art form which requires people to band together and believe in something enough to carry it through. Do your best to surround yourself with people who challenge your ideas but also help you see from different perspectives. Pick people that you get along with because it’s a grind.

PATRICIA AND KEVIN

1. Tell us a little about yourself and how you got into film. What started off as just creating a skit for a friend’s birthday, has turned into a writing partnership that has continued to develop over the years. We are the creative team of Patricia Rigney and Kevin Carrao, and now go by Rigarrao Productions. Patricia originally comes from Palmyra in Upstate New York and Kevin grew up in the Phoenix suburb of Chandler, Arizona. Both of us ended up in Los Angeles as aspiring actors where we began working in television and film, while also gaining improv and sketch comedy skills. Once we figured out how well we worked together, we started writing scripts and eventually producing some of our work including the web series “Glasscock Park” on YouTube and a prequel pilot for our TV series, which is “H.O.E.s: The Bulge”. 2. As the film's creators, what did you find most challenging? Our main challenge for “H.O.E.s: The Bulge” was creating a script that we would be able to produce ourselves. “The Bulge” is technically a prequel for our series, happening before the events of the original pilot we wrote. It was great to find a different way to introduce the series regulars, and we really wanted to make sure the audience would want to see more of this world and the characters. 3. What was the inspiration for H.O.E.s the Bulge? The series itself was inspired by Patricia watching QVC and realizing how funny & quirky that environment is, and the potential for storytelling. With our background as actors, we wanted to create interesting characters that you would not only laugh at, but also care about. 4. Can we expect to see another great film or episode from you soon? We are definitely creating more material, including some feature film scripts. One we just finished is our first horror script “Grapeyard”, which takes place at a Northern California winery. And with “H.O.E.s: The Bulge” completed, our goal is to take it even further and become official showrunners for it to be picked up by any of the streaming platforms or network television. 5. What's one piece of advice you'd like to share with anyone getting into acting or filmmaking? As for advice to other actors & filmmakers, we would say to follow your passion. That is what we both have been doing, even when career roads can sometimes have forks or even dead ends. Life, as well as storytelling itself, is all about journeys. And you just have to keep the keys in the ignition and keep on driving. Or keeping your key fob on you and pressing the start button, since we are actually in the 21st century.

BRITTANY RIETZ

1. Tell us a little about yourself and how you got into film? Hi, I’m Brittany Rietz! I started doing musical theatre when I was 3 and then started watching more tv shows and movies in high school which led me to switch to taking film acting classes. I then got to work on some local productions. I like the medium of film because of its technicality and how many elements have to go right for a film to work. I also enjoy the camaraderie of a film set and have met so many amazing, passionate people through film. 2. As an actor and Director what do you find most challenging? I think having a clear vision is the most challenging and also once production starts deciding what in your vision is worth holding onto and what you’re okay with letting go of. Directing and acting at the same time is super tricky, so if you’re going to do it for the first time have a very centralized story with very few main characters. Rehearse as much as possible as well. 3. What was the inspiration for Lollipop? I was trying to go to sleep one night and the idea started to form in my head. All I had were a few ideas: best friends or sisters reconnecting, drug addiction and a lollipop as a distraction and the line “I ran out of lollipops”. I wrote the first draft a couple weeks later and then it evolved from there. 4. Can we expect to see another great film from you soon? I’ve been co-writing a pilot with a friend, so my next goal is to shoot the pilot and pitch the show idea! 5. what's one piece of advice you'd like to share with anyone wanting to get into acting? Persevere and find people that are not only talented, but kind. Work on projects you like and you’ll never be unfulfilled. Lastly, you never know where a project will go, so give it everything every time and have fun.