Who wrote the screenplay? How long did it take? How many drafts did he/she go through?
I wrote the screenplay in 3 nights. I have always had the idea of a nice, normal guy that is forced to take a life in self-defense and then becomes overwhelmed by the rush it gave him...so much so that he needs to do it again. But It never came out of me as a screenplay...then when it did it was done very fast. I fixed things here and there but I really stayed with my first draft.

Was the screenplay strictly followed in the filming?
For the most part yes, but on the set I will throw the screenplay out the window if it means getting something better from the actors...or if I see something isn't working...or if I just think of something better during the shoot.

How did you finance the project?
I had very little to no money and did not want the headache of looking for backers...So I hustled to get free locations, cast & crew to work deferred and everything else I put on credit cards.

Did you story board your scenes? And if so, did you use a program or an artist or?
No, we did not storyboard.

How did you find your actors? What kind of pay if any did you offer your actors and crew?
I am very critical of making sure I have great actors...Especially for low-budget films. Nothing makes a film look more low-budget than bad acting. I went through Backstage (A NY casting newspaper) as well as agents & managers. I was very lucky to get some amazing talent for this film.

Did you create a budget and did you stay on target throughout the process? What was your budget?
Budget was under $10,000...I never went over-budget...basically, when you have no money it's hard to overspend.

Did you shoot with DV, 16mm, 35mm, other?
We shot with the Panasonic DVX-100 24P.

Did you rent, buy or borrow? Was it a one camera shoot?
The director, James Tucker owns the camera as well as lighting.

However many cameras you used, how did you handle setups and coverage for the shots?
We used one camera for Addiction. (Our past film and future film will use 2) We come from the mindset of letting the actors be the focus of each shot so we weren't too concerned with dolly shots or crane shots, etc. We had good
coverage but 2 cameras does allow much more...remember, on a low-budget film you have to move fast...very fast...(Especially if don't have a permit and you have to get the shot before the police come)

How did you handle sound on the shoot?
We learned the hard way from out first film not to mess around when it comes to sound. We used a very good Boom & Mic...and all of out outdoor scenes were done late at night in Manhattan when it's a LOT quieter.

What kind of lighting did you use and how much of the indoor and outdoor scenes were lighted?
We don't use many lights...like 3...we've never really needed it. If we were shooting more elaborate stuff we would need more but when I write the script, I keep the fact that we're no-budget in mind and write accordingly...Some people wait until they're shooting to realize that their wonderful visions are a lot harder to accomplish than they thought.

What were the obstacles you encountered while shooting? Any Advice?
Make sure your actors are on time and in make-up well before you're supposed to be at a location...You do not want to waste time when your shooting because of lateness. And make sure they all know their lines well...These are my 2
major rules. Know your lines and be on time. Also, if you shoot in a local store or something, DON'T make a mess...just because you were given permission doesn't mean someone can't throw you out half-way through. In someone else's
location...be professional, be clean and be fast...If you need 3 hours don't go over three hours...People that are not filmmakers don;t really understand the process...and they don't want to.

How did you edit the film? Did you transfer to tape and edit via computer?
The director, also edited the film on his computer.

What were the obstacles you encountered while editing? Any Advice?
Yes, even thought you have to move quickly on the shoot, get as much coverage as you can. It REALLY helps in editing.

Where did you get the music for the film?
I was very lucky to have some great musicians donate their music to me. I found them all on mp3.com (But mp3.com no longer exists)

Did you have any trouble with sound in the post production?
The sound was pretty good this time around but we would like to get it into a post house to make it VERY good.

What are the main suggestions you would give other filmmakers, based on your experiences on this film? In planning, in post production, in scoring, in editing, in pre production, etc.?
I start planning everything MANY months before the shoot. I act as producer, writer and casting director. I interview and choose my crew months in advance as well. You need to do this as good crew members are booked up sometimes
months ahead. I plan everything in advance because there will be enough problems on the set when shooting that you can't prepare for in advance, so take care of that you can. I have worked on films where they don't have the props or
correct wardrobe on the day they're needed to film...that's ridiculous! Map out everything you'll need and GET IT, safely stored away long before it's time to shoot. Also, cast early and take up to a full month to rehearse your actors. Rehearsal is a very important part of my films. On the set, I don;t want actors to be asking me their motivations or they're relationships with the characters...that's all for rehearsal. Also, rehearsal helps actors learn their lines. A lot of filmmakers that aren't actors don't realize this. Rehearsing instills que lines in your head. It's also the perfect time for actors to experiment with ideas...Experimenting on set isn't always good. 1 week before the shoot all the actors should know their lines and be ready to go. You should have all your props ready and EVERY actor should know exactly what they are wearing in every scene. It's very frustrating for both the actors and producers when they don't know what they're wearing and it becomes an issue when there are so many more important things to worry about. Also, it helps very much if they know the exact dates they will be shooting in advance.

What were the obstacles you encountered while marketing it? Any Advice?
Put together a very nice press kit., Make it professional! If your film is low-budget, make your press kit look terrific! 2 High quality photos, synopsis, cast & crew list, reviews, etc. Put it on nice paper as well.

Have you been approached by distributors and if so, what are the results so far?
Yes, this film has been approached by several distributors. Many with very reputable films under them. We chose to sign for a 2nd time with our Producers Reps, Integration Entertainment and they are currently shopping for both Domestic and International distribution.

Have you tried the film festival route and if so, how is it going?
Yes, out first film was selected into several film festivals. It's a process that I love and highly recommend. Addiction had so far only been in one, the Three Rivers Film Festival. We decided to seek out distribution rather than continue the festival route because Addiction is a horror/thriller and they usually don't go over so well on the festival route.

What do you have in the works after this film?
Our first film was about a Latin Lesbian gang member from The Bronx. Our 2nd film was about a serial killer...So we decided to next the logical choice...you guessed it, Romantic Comedy. We begin Production on "Baby Fat" in April. I
am really looking forward to it as we found a wonderful cast. I will push Baby Fat in the Film Festivals as hard as I can.

In closing, Thanks very much for allowing me an opportunity to be a part of IndieClub. Please check out our websites!

www.addictionthemovie.com | www.savageroses.com | www.joshuanelson.net

Thank you!

Joshua Nelson

IndieClub, #1 Filmmaker and Videomaker Networking Site!