Hello readers,
This is an exciting post.
Several months ago, I began joining in on Seed & Spark’s (oh, by the way, congrats!) weekly #FilmCurious chats. It was there I encountered @MichaelDiBiasio, a fiilmmaker/writer with some great opinions. We connected and actually hung out in person, which seemed weird before it happened, but then wasn’t weird at all. Then we became friends. A few months later, my former theater professors at the University of New Hampshire asked me to speak to a group of artists about life post-school, I went to social media to get new perspectives. Over 40 people commented, and Michael asked me to guest blog on the topic. The response was so good that I’ve decided to conduct interviews with working artists on a semi-regular basis.
Michael has become an excellent guy to throw ideas at, drink beer with, and chat about our mutual passion for filmmaking. I admire his passion and intelligence. I fully admit from using him as an inspiration in how I conduct myself online. He’s just that good.
Michael and his awesome creative partner/wife, Rebecca, have just released their film Multiverse and are crowdfunding for The Videoblogs, their first feature film. Their crowdfunding campaign has been awesome. Please check it out, and join in with a donation as small as $5.
I’ll let Michael take it from here.
Michael and Rebecca talking #VideoblogsFilm
First off, who are you and what are you working on now?
I am Michael, aka The Furious Romantic. I’m a writer and filmmaker in Brooklyn, NY. I grew up in Rhode Island and I am a Pisces. Right now, I’m working on my first feature film, The Videoblogs. I’m also seeking to distribute my recent short, Multiverse, as widely as possible as a sort of thematic proof-of-concept for The Videoblogs, for which we’re seeking the minimum amount of funds necessary to shoot via a crowdfunding campaign.
Have you always wanted to be a filmmakers, or did you evolve into it? How did it come about?
I evolved into filmmaking. I have been writing for basically my whole life. At the same time, I also always loved movies. Without realizing it, my writing as I matured became much more visual. When I started trying to do it professionally — and by that I mean sticking with it once I got to college — I got a lot of feedback that compared my storytelling to filmmakers or films.
When I published my first short story, that same situation occurred. Several people told me it felt like a movie. I agreed. I happened to mention this to an alum of my fraternity at Columbia who is an independent filmmaker and he offered to let me borrow his equipment to make a short film out of the story if I ever felt like trying it. I took him up on the offer and produced my first short while still an undergrad and that was it. Bug caught, after that.
What role does your day job (or jobs) play in your creativity? How has being a producer shaped your own work?
My day job has been a source a stability. It took some time to get to that point, and for me to fully understand and appreciate this, but I feel very grateful to be able to mostly make ends meet and yet still find the time to create. It’s still a sacrifice. I work on my stuff through my lunch hour every day, and get most of my creative work done early mornings, nights and, historically, on weekends. It’s also allowed me to grow as a filmmaker. I create marketing videos and communications videos by day, which is still an exercise in storytelling if you’re doing it right, and avoiding cynicism about that type of work. I even think my daytime work has impacted my style. I’m quicker to take a more “classic” approach, and depend on the people on screen to tell the story and make an emotional connection, than to get overly fancy with the camera. I focus on creating a good composition and on getting the right take.
I produce by necessity. I don’t mind it, except that at my budget level it’s too often much more work than I’d like to be juggling while also directing. But it’s a good question, because producing my own work has been invaluable in a couple of key ways. First, it allows me to always keep working, on my own schedule. Similarly, my producer is always available to me. Finally — and this took some major trial and error to learn — having an intimate knowledge of the practical limitations of any given production make it easier to create organicsolutions to challenges of budget and circumstance.
As a married couple and collaborators, how do you balance making art and living your everyday life? What tactics have you come up?
We’re constantly working at this — more so lately. I’ve been guilty of not striking the right balance in the past. I think I’m better at it now. It’s very hard. In certain terms, being married to someone who understands how important the artistic process is to you — it’s a blessing. But that can be a double-edged sword. It can be isolating. Sometimes, usually not at the same time, we just want to be more like a “normal” couple. Then again, it truly can be special sharing the experience of doing something you love and feel compelled towards, with the person you love most and want to be around more than anyone else. Balance is the right word. It’s a never-ending dance. I never was very comfortable with dancing before I met Rebecca, though.
So, there ya have it. Great answers. Thanks, Michael. Rebecca and Michael will be crowdfunding for a few more days. Help them out when you can! A little bit goes a long way.
I’ll be back later in the month with a personal post.
Until then,
Liam.
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Michael and Rebecca talking #VideoblogsFilm
Liam Billingham 
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