You started primarily in music, why the addition of film making?
Even before I had any interest in music, I loved to write. It was all I ever
wanted to do. When music became more important to me, though, I was soon
influenced by it to make my own. It allowed me to express my ideas more
effectively, and in far less time than it would take to find a publisher.
Eventually, though, having as great a love for films as I grew to have for
music, it was only natural that I should do the same in that medium, as well.
I was more hesitant to do so, however, since I had no idea how to make movies,
nor what I thought was the "necessary" amount of money or equipment. Desperation
breeds action, though, and I managed to make DESPAIR with only the $100 it cost
to buy a video titling machine, and my wife Ryli's VHS-C camcorder. The two of
us handled the rest.
Your short, DESPAIR, got good coverage and was released as an extra on
Seduction Cinema’s ROXANNA DVD. A lot of people liked it. Did it lead to
additional work?
Not beyond our own subsequent projects. If anything, it gave me the incentive
to move on to our first feature, RUNAWAY TERROR, almost immediately after
Seduction Cinema picked up DESPAIR. Another reason why we decided to make our
own films is because Ryli was already being offered roles for films that never
materialized, or I was being asked to write screenplays for hopeful filmmakers
who promised nothing but deferred payment IF the completed film made it to the
distribution stage. My bills certainly weren't about to get paid by such
promises in the meantime, so basically, it was sheer bitterness that caused us
to rely on no one but ourselves. It wasn't until two years later that I ended up
making SIN BY MURDER for another company, but as far as I know, that opportunity
had nothing to do with DESPAIR.
RUNAWAY TERROR, your first feature is a classic slasher film. Can you tell me
how production on that particular film went?
It was a lot of fun, but in the end, a major disappointment. Aside from the fact
that we used the same VHS-C camera we'd made DESPAIR with, editing proved to be
a major downfall in how the film turned out. I had nothing but two VCR's to
handle the task with, and every scene cut left me with a red line going down the
center of the screen. To remedy this, I bought a "color correcting" device,
which allowed me to change the film to black-and-white... thus removing the red
line! At the same time, this caused a major loss in picture sharpness, and the
whole thing ended up looking terribly amateurish (much more than it should have,
considering many scenes weren't lit properly, besides).
Also, "quiet on the set" was something we lacked throughout this production, and
I lost my temper on several occasions because of it. Every outdoor scene,
especially, was plagued by such neighborhood interruptions as wood chippers,
playing kids, power washing machines, squirrels, cats, traffic, trains, planes,
etc... I swore I'd never shoot another outdoor scene after making this film!
I noticed on RUNAWAY TERROR a horrible hum in the background. If you were to
re release it would there be a way to get rid of that?
That was probably the camera! Honestly, it's been a couple years since I watched
the film, so I don't recall a hum. What stands out more in my mind is how bad it
looks, now that it's been transferred (poorly) to digital, and re-edited with
the color restored. I suppose the only way to get rid of that hum for a
re-release would be to redub the entire film. I think I'd rather remake the film
itself, rather than go through all that trouble.
You tend to use the same people over and over in parts making up an ensemble
cast. Is it just easier or is that something you were striving to do?
Considering how shy and introverted I was growing up, it still surprises me that
I ever decided to make films and work with actors, etc. This may be why I use
certain people over and over; if they do a good job once, and prove to be
dependable, that's one less new person I have to meet and hope for the same from
on my next film.
With EXPENDABLE we get another classic sub genre, mainly lesbian vampires.
Did you go that route because it was an easy sale, or did you believe that you
had something to add to the inundated market of this kind of film?
EXPENDABLE was a total fluke... one that's proven to be my best seller to date.
It came about purely out of my disgust for making a poor casting choice on my
previous project, THE ZOMBIE ROOM. When that fell apart, I still had the itch to
make a new film, but if it happened, I wanted to work with as few people as
possible. The question was how to create an interesting story involving no more
than, say, four people. I chose this sub genre with Seduction Cinema specifically
in mind. Since they'd picked up DESPAIR, I was sure they'd do the same with this
one, given that it was much like their own productions where blood, lesbianism
and nudity is concerned... Ironically, they still haven't given me their opinion
of it (almost three years later), much less picked it up for distribution.
SIN BY MURDER steers away from the horror genre and leans more towards a
thriller or even a Giallo film. Did you feel that you had nothing else to add
to horror or was this just a script begging to be made?
For some reason, we've been most warmly accepted by the horror community, and
yet, I don't feel that any of our films can be called "horror". Of course,
EXPENDABLE has the vampire angle, but that doesn't come into the picture until
the last 10 minutes of the film. Even RUNAWAY TERROR felt more like a thriller
to me than a slasher film. In any case, SIN BY MURDER just happened to be the
script I was sent by Sterling Entertainment, who were already interested in
distributing RUNAWAY TERROR and EXPENDABLE. It was a bum deal, looking back on
it, but I'm proud of how it turned out, considering how little I was given to
work with. It was supposed to be even more erotic than it is, with a few more
love scenes and nudity thrown in. I told the producer, "this isn't L.A., it's
the Bible Belt." I knew I wouldn't find enough girls willing to go to the
lengths the script called for, especially on such a miniscule budget. As for the
script itself, I rewrote most of it, and added about twenty pages in order to
make a film that was at least halfway watchable. Sterling offered me six more
films to make for them after SIN was completed, but that was one experience I'd
never care to repeat. I decided to stick with making our own films or none at
all, from that point on.
THE POWERFUL PLAY is a series of music videos with a lot of bonus material.
What made you decide that this was a film project you wanted to persue?
After SIN BY MURDER, I stepped away from filmmaking for about six months. When
that time came, I decided that if I did anything, it would be something that
didn't require dialogue, nor the need for a full script. I'd been working on a
lot of music in those six months, so it seemed only natural that I come up with
some videos to accompany those compositions. With so many random ideas thrown
into the videos themselves, this project also became the perfect opportunity to
feature some of my other work, introduce some of my actors through interviews,
etc.
In THE POWERFUL PLAY there is footage for an unfinished film called THE
ZOMBIE ROOM. What I saw was pretty good stuff. What happened to the project and
would you consider going back to it?
In indie/guerilla filmmaking, you discover who your true friends are. I made the
mistake of relying on some of mine after seeing their excited reactions to
DESPAIR and RUNAWAY TERROR. They begged me to write a role for them in any
upcoming projects I had in the works, which I was happy to do. I figured this
would save me from sending out casting notices, arranging auditions, etc., with
people I'd never met before.... People who would certainly expect to be paid for
their time, travel, and so on. After two cold March Saturdays of shooting,
however, my "friends'" interest in acting waned. Followed by four consecutive
rainy weekends, the project was doomed to fail.
The location for THE ZOMBIE ROOM was too perfect to let slip away, and I
definitely want to go back to the project--using a new cast, of course. Actually,
since the story idea itself was Ryli's, she and I have been talking seriously
about her directing it. I never even finished the script, so once I do that,
we'll work on getting a new set of people together for it.
HEAVEN HELP ME, I’M IN LOVE is a complete reversal. A drama/comedy about
relationships. What made you decide to make this film?
I became more interested in watching dramas shortly before the start of this
production. After THE POWERFUL PLAY, which touched slightly on the impact of
relationships, I felt that my next film should be something even more poignant,
something uplifting, which you seldom see at this level of filmmaking. It became
my most exciting, personal and fun project to date, the script for which was a
breeze to write (being based almost completely from both past and current
experiences). Ultimately, I wanted to make a film for people in general, not
just for horror/thriller fans.
In HEAVEN HELP ME I’M IN LOVE the character of Donald goes on a rant about
his micro budget films. Any venting taking place there?
Absolutely. I may lose some friends and/or fans in saying so (if I haven't
already), but so many indie filmmakers lose sight of the fact that they're
competing with the likes of Hollywood when trying to get their little films on
the same rental shelves as such big-budget fare as STAR WARS, LORD OF THE RINGS,
etc. Even if they get proper distribution and a large enough audience sees their
film, that audience is most likely going to rip it apart because they're so
jaded by its big-budget competition! Therefore, they take themselves--and their
resources--far too seriously for nothing. I've been questioned too many times by
other filmmakers about what kind of camera I shoot with, what editing software I
use, etc... What the hell's the difference? Worse yet, they generally balk at my
responses! I remember a certain director's jaw hitting the floor when I told him
that EXPENDABLE turned out exactly as I wanted it to, in regards to its lighting,
pacing, and cinematography. "Are you SERIOUS???!!!" he asked. Nice guy.
Just as there's no such thing as "honor among thieves," I discovered years ago
that there is no love among fellow artisans; painters, photographers, musicians,
filmmakers, whatever. Somewhere along the line, we all became competitors,
focused less on doing the best we can with what we have to work with than making
something better than someone else. It's truly a shame.
What’s next? On your site I see three films GRYNN, TWILIGHT’S PARASITES &
BEAUTIFUL MADNESS. Which one might we see next?
Most likely TWILIGHT'S PARASITES. After completing HEAVEN HELP ME, I'd planned
for GRYNN to be next, but I've since decided to write that one in book format
first. I'm working on the novel now. I'm about halfway through with the
TWILIGHT'S PARASITES script, and I hope to start production by June.
Lately, you have been sporting tattoos of people’s faces. How many tattoos
do you have and who are they of?
At this point, I have nine; burning cross and heart candles on my forearms (a
Depeche Mode reference, representing faith and devotion), Don Johnson and Philip
Michael Thomas as Crockett and Tubbs from MIAMI VICE, Brandon Lee as THE CROW,
Jean-Claude Van Damme (from DEATH WARRANT), the albino freak from Tobe Hooper's
THE FUNHOUSE, "Sally"--the lead demon from DEMONS 2, and Mindy Clarke as "Julie"
from RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD 3. In the months ahead, I'll be getting two more
portraits... Dave Gahan from Depeche Mode, and one of Dick Smith's ghastly corpse
designs from GHOST STORY. There's a story behind each one, but they're either my
favorite/most influencial people/characters, or they're what scared me most,
growing up a fan of horror films.
Your wife Ryli Morgan does a number of nude scenes in your films. Is that
something that both of you are comfortable with?
At this point, Ryli would prefer not to do any more nude scenes, but it all
depends on the circumstances of the story. She's always been comfortable with
her body, and she's very open-minded, so she's never had a problem doing it. I'm
comfortable with her doing it as long as it's for our own film. Somehow, that
makes it okay. I suppose I took it for granted from the beginning that she'd
provide most of the required nudity in our films, which again saved me from
finding (and paying) another actress for it. Because I strongly believe that an
indie film--horror, especially--should contain at least one beautiful woman who
reveals more than a hint of skin at some point, I'm very fortunate--and grateful--
to have had Ryli in my corner for this purpose (and many others, of course, such
as her incredible acting talent and screen presence, etc., etc.).
Another note on nudity, in the film EXPENDABLE there’s a scene where Ryli is
on top of you and her skirt comes up and well, you can pretty much see up to her
tonsils. Was that intentional or just something that happened on set and you
decided to leave it in after you viewed the footage?
No, it wasn't intentional, but it was too amazing not to leave in! This is a
perfect example of the envelope most indie filmmakers are afraid to push. It's
one thing if you're working for a studio, but there's no reason for steering
clear of this kind of thing at our level of filmmaking. Maybe I'd be better off
as a pornographer... In any case, my script called for Ryli to be wearing a
thong. Since I set up the scene and recorded it myself, I didn't know until
after we shot it that she'd neglected to put on the thong after taking a shower.
Because of the way the scene was lit, and the distance between Ryli and the
camera, I didn't think a reshoot was necessary. She might think otherwise, and I
doubt she expected me to leave the scene in, but for all we know, it may be
because of it that the film has become so popular! It's for this possibility, and
the fact that she doesn't regret anything she did on this film, that I feel
better about my decision to leave the scene intact.
What kind of crew size do you work with?
Ryli and me. That's it. I may get one of the actors to work the camera if she
and I are in the same scene and movement is necessary, but along with nearly
every other aspect of our productions, I handle as much of this myself as
possible. Not because I'm a control freak, I'm just too impatient.
When you’re not doing any one of a number of creative projects, what do you
do? In other words, does Mark Baranowski have a day job?
I graduated from high school in 1992. Since then, I've been a locksmith, and I
now work for a commercial door company, setting up key schedules and keying
locks for new schools, hospitals, etc. The whole "day job" thing can be a drag
sometimes, but there's plenty of worse jobs out there than mine, which pay a
hell of a lot less. As much as I'd like to do nothing but write, or make films
and music, I'm blessed to be in the position that I am--paying my bills on time
and funding these other interests.
Which of the creative endeavors that you do would you consider to be your
favorite?
Probably book writing, where I'm not limited by such things as budget, location,
actors, instruments, time, etc... Also, as much as I enjoy the immediacy of an
audience for my films and music, because I'm naturally introverted, I consider
the generally secluded life of an author my ideal existence.
When Sterling Entertainment offered you six more films was the money not
enough to consider it if for no other reason than to fund you own stuff?
You could say that... To be perfectly honest, I made SIN BY MURDER on half of
the total budget they provided me with. That's $400. I got the other $400 after
completing the film. For the other six films, they were offering me $1000/ea.
Thanks, but no thanks...
Tell me a little about Rachelle Williams and Michael Hicks. They seem to be
in a lot of your films.
Rachelle was recommended to us by a journalist friend, Scott Barker, out of
Arizona. When I was having trouble finding an actress willing to go the required
lengths for the character of Leslie in EXPENDABLE, I started contacting people
for suggestions. Scott was the first to respond. Rachelle proved to be the most
dedicated and dependable actress I've worked with to date (aside from Ryli, of
course). She had a friend drive her down to Charlotte from Canton, Ohio one
morning, we shot her scenes that night, and they drove back immediately
afterwards. She's done the same on every film I've made since. EXPENDABLE was
her first film, but she's an incredibly talented and open-minded actress who's
had no trouble falling right into every role I've given her. It'd be hard to
imagine making any more films without her, at this point.
As for Michael, he was a hopeful local actor who contacted me upon reading our
feature article in The Charlotte Observer newspaper, a little over two years ago.
He'd made that fated Hollywood trip once already--as have thousands of other
wanna-be actors--but returned to North Carolina, dejected, just two weeks later.
After finding out about us, and the type of films we make, he couldn't resist
getting in touch with me to ask that I keep him in mind for any future projects.
I was more than happy to do just that, and he's never let me down. He's a funny
and talented guy, who attacks whatever role he's playing with just as much
excitement and heart as Rachelle.
