Richard Blake is an actor, author and director with performing credit that embody NCIS: Los Angeles, Drop Lifeless Diva, Days of Our Lives and CSI. In 2016, he based Amberock Productions, together with his spouse Amber, the place he writes, produces and directs. Amberock has produced a number of movies, together with The Rocket, Blame, and its most up-to-date, The Actor.
Indie movie The Actor follows a struggling thespian (performed by Blake) who makes a sequence of poor selections in pursuit of his dream. We spoke with Blake — who additionally wrote, produced and directed the movie — about his newest mission, now accessible on YouTubeTV, Amazon, Fandango at Residence and Fawesome.
When did you begin on the movie, and what led you to inform this specific story?
I’ve had the concept for a few years and wrote it over 2020 and 2021 and we started capturing in August of 2022. I wished to make a movie with one central character who’s coping with some internal ethical battle and who encounters many characters alongside his journey. I feel the final thought of being a struggling artist in Hollywood, having left all the things behind, your property, household, mates, streets you realize — and buying and selling it in for the attract of the business, getting rejected, feeling determined — all of that fed into the story.
For each actor you see land a visitor starring function or a line on a present, there’s a few 1,000 or so who didn’t. I additionally wished to throwback to the films I liked within the ‘90s, basic components, easy enjoyable narrative — no agenda, only a skillet of leisure.
How did you go about getting your crew employed? Was it individuals you may have labored with up to now? What goes into choosing the most effective group for a movie like this?
That is actually the miracle. Not one person who I labored with on this crew was somebody I had labored with beforehand. One among my producers had a contact at our rental home, MPS, and I requested them for referrals for the native Dallas-Fort Value space. For me as a director, the DP is all the things, and whereas I actually steer the ship, I defer to the DP for his or her group, what tools they like finest, and most significantly, we speak in regards to the movies we like. We’re both on the identical web page or weren’t, and we all know that simply from that first dialog.
Who was the DP, and what digital camera did he use and why?
DP Nathan Worth shot on Pink. After some dialogue, we knew we have been going to be shifting quick, and his take was that Pink, throughout the board, would enable for the simplest load out/load in course of and properly assist with our altering places.
How would you describe the look of the movie, and what course did you give Nathan? Was there a glance e-book?
Completely a glance e-book. For each movie I write or direct, along with an in depth look e-book, I typically edit collectively a 5-to-8-minute reel pulled from different films together with soundtracks to assist painting precisely the feel and appear I’m going for. I like director Brian DePalma, so a lot of our pictures had lengthy thought-out actions. Day by day our shot record had a starred “DePalma shot” and we’d attempt to get one thing particular to actually open up the scope of the movie.
How did you’re employed with the colorist? What sort of notes have been you giving them?
The colorist was our DP, Nathan Worth. I gave him an inventory of three movies: The Untouchables, Mission: Not possible 1 and True Romance. I wished it just a little grainy, nothing too good, I wished it to really feel such as you discovered a movie from 20 or 30 years in the past that you just’re now seeing for the primary time. That’s at all times a deal with.
It begins off as a down-on-his luck actor and turns right into a thriller/motion movie. And it’s humorous. Discuss a bit in regards to the modifying course of. How concerned you have been?
I edited it myself on Blackmagic DaVinci Resolve however had a tremendous editor do the opening title sequence for me. On my subsequent mission, I’ll attempt to have an editor on-set with me day-after-day. I might a lot want handy off that obligation to somebody higher than I. On this movie, I used to be merely coping with price range constraints, in addition to a deadline, so I simply determined to do it myself.
I’m glad you talked about that it’s humorous: there may be a lot deep, dry humor on this film. I feel individuals miss it on the primary watch. It’s not meant to take itself too significantly.
What have been a few of the largest challenges of this movie.
My spouse and I have been each producers on it, and we had a tremendous, passionate group. We have been excited to be so bold. We had two overnights, and scheduling a few of the stunts and getting metropolis permits for lights… these forms of issues have been difficult, however actually, the shoot went extremely properly. I’d say the Texas warmth was robust on any outside day.
What have been the largest submit challenges?
Music licensing. And actually, simply the method of slicing and recutting every scene till it match excellent, however you could possibly actually learn the ultimate screenplay together with the film, it’s fairly spot on.
How concerned have been you within the audio submit? Had been you there for the ultimate combine?
I’ve heard many individuals say that sound is an important factor. I typically agree, nevertheless it does rely on the actual scene.
We had each. We labored with an unbelievable composer who wrote 5 unique items, performed and recorded with a reside orchestra. On prime of that, the soundtrack options eight tracks from Collective Soul, including a strong rock edge to the expertise, so it was essential. I used to be there for play backs and important moments of the ultimate combine, nevertheless, my audio engineer is each a rock fanatic and an expert movie mixer, so he actually did all of the work and had an amazing ear for the combo.
Trying again on the movie, would you may have performed something in another way? In that case, what would that be?
I’m very pleased with the movie. I feel I might’ve favored to have had two extra days to work on a few of the motion sequences and timing for the massive residence invasion ultimately. Perhaps add in some extra sensible results to actually pop on-screen. I additionally would have had a few of the band members from Collective Soul come do a cameo since they’re closely featured on the soundtrack and within the movie. Each of these issues have been after ideas and would’ve elevated this little movie only a bit greater.
