Andrew Hatling’s short film “The Face of Allure” will screen as part of the .EDU Film Festival this week (May 15 & 16). He’s a junior at Watertown-Mayer High School in Watertown (located just west of the Twin Cities) and developed his interest in film through his extra-curricular activities at school and through connecting with other people interested in film. In addition to making his own shorts, he started the Watertown Film Festival as a way to showcase the work of Minnesota filmmakers.

Q: What attracted you to telling stories through video and how did you get started; what were your first efforts?

Andrew: At a very young age, I was always interested in hearing stories. My grandpa was always prepared to tell me his old Norwegian tales, and I always loved to hear them. As I grew up, my brother and I began using my dad’s old video camera to shoot a lot of films. Eventually, my love for stories, and my new found love for videography became one – and I found myself determined to become a filmmaker. At 10, my dad bought me my own video camera for Christmas, and I believe I didn’t put it down for the next three years. I found myself filming wildlife, short films with friends/siblings, family gatherings; nearly everywhere, I could be found behind the viewfinder. Today, I spend a lot of time writing scripts, developing ideas, and exploring the different aspects of cameras and the filmmaking process.

Q: How did you come up with the story for The Face of Allure?

A: “The Face of Allure“ was a film I made for a film contest through a local mentorship program called Storyboard. One of the requirements for this film was that I create an adaptation on Carlos Collodi’s original story, “Pinocchio.” This was a very exciting thing for me, as I had never made an adaptation. My goal with this film was to create value for the viewer. I feel that this is a vital piece to filmmaking – allowing the viewer to benefit from what they are watching. I attempted to do that by pulling in morals which I have learned through my life, connecting those to modern day issues, and then realistically showing how these things often play out. With these ideas, and Collodi’s original tale in mind – my screenplay developed very nicely.

Q: What would you say is the message or meaning you were hoping to convey to an audience?

A: One of the “tactics,” if you will, that I tried to employ in this film was reiteration. This is seen through the repeating line of the old man, “Let your conscience be your guide!” Today this phrase may see cliche, but it has the potential to become very meaningful if we truly consider its purpose. By uniting this age old moral with a more modern one, “don’t give in to peer pressure,” I soon found that this film may accomplish my goal (which was described above) of letting the audience benefit from viewing this film. Finally, I added a parable from the Bible, which has a lot of spiritual meaning for me.

Q: What was the process like for you: how did you decide where to film, how did you find your actors, how long did it take you to complete the project, are you satisfied with the results?

A: Location, location, location. This was something I battled over for a long time in my pre-production mode. I debated over and over again where I should shoot the different scenes. Eventually I managed to make up my mind, and the locations worked out wonderfully for filming. For my talent, or actors, I contacted the drama captain at my school, and she got me in touch with some really talented actors/actresses. With these elements in hand, I was ready for production. However, I suddenly realized that I only had TWO weeks for production, and post production. I soon discovered the importance of a timeline. Luckily, I was able to get everything together, and finish the film.

Q: What did you learn while making this, i.e. what mistakes did you make that moved you forward in your knowledge of making movies?

A: The end result left of this film left me with a few very important lessons. First off, I fell into the indie-filmmaker’s biggest (most common) problem – lighting! Although I attempted to keep this as an important thought in my production process, I didn’t quite stress it enough. Because of this, there are a few shots where the lighting leaves something to be desired. Along with this, I also realized the importance of creating a shooting timeline, and doing so during pre-production. Finally, a sound script creates a sound film. There were a few spots in my script that I left for interpretation, which really only made more trouble during shooting. These lessons definitely challenged me, and prepared me for more projects ahead.

Q: What’s next for you – are you making any new shorts now?

A: My next endeavor involves creating a short film which I will feel confident in sending to potential colleges. Currently, I am trying to pick a story concept to go with. Over the past few years, I have kept a list of potential film ideas, and now I must single one out. When I finally manage to do this, I’ll begin the screenplay. My goal is to have my film completed by the end of the summer, and I’d love to get anyone interested involved!

Aside from my “summer project,” I’m excited to continue acting as the director of operations for the Watertown Film Festival, and see where that may go in the years to come! Finally, I am getting involved in a mentorship program through my school, as well as some workshops/camps in the cities that will hopefully benefit me in this area.

Q: How does this fit in to what you see yourself doing in life further down the line?

A: The things that I am doing currently are exactly the field that I hope to go into in the future. As I get closer to completing my high school career, I am starting to look at potential colleges with film programs. So far, I have been attracted to a few schools out on both coasts. My dream would be that my future involves a lot of filmmaking, and making films that truly have meaning. My desire isn’t necessarily to “make it big,” but more to just pursue this deep passion that exists. The stuff that I am working on now will definitely continue to better my abilities, and I am so excited to see what the future may bring!

Anyone interested in learning more about entering the Watertown Film Festival, please send an e-mail inquiry to: WatertownFilmFestival@Gmail.com

This post was written by Rebecca Collins, Wednesday, May 13th, 2009 at 4:43 pm and is filed under Film Festivals, Interviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.