five with frights - team edition:- dave "smooze" szymusiak
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Mr. Frights is proud to present TEAM FRIGHTS member Dave Szymusiak!
The Dream Depot
IMDB
MR. FRIGHTS: What is it that got you into producing?
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DAVE "SMOOZE" SZYMUSIAK: After I worked on my first film, I fell in love with filmmaking and I wanted to pursue a career doing feature films. Since I was 55 years old, I tried to decide what area of film I could get into where I could make an impact. I observed that the Indie film business that the majority of people wanted to be actors, directors and writers. I observed also that so many Indies who were creative but had no business side. I knew from past experience in music and art promotion that there must be a balance between the creative and business side. I realized that 98% of the Indie filmmaking business needed financing and distribution. I decided my prior experience would make it easy for me to specialize in those two areas. Financing and distribution led me into being a producer. -
MR. FRIGHTS: What is your relationship with horror? (What is your interest in it)
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DAVE "SMOOZE" SZYMUSIAK: As a child I loved horror. I loved the original black and white versions of
"The Mummy" and
"Dracula". My favorite horror movie of all time is "Creature from the Black Lagoon." I used to have nightmares about the "gill man" all the time. When I got involved with my first feature film, it was done at
Tom Savini's special effects school. It was great to see the back end of the horror business. I have also attended 50 horror conventions all over the US and have met and became friends with hundreds of notable people in the horror business.
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MR. FRIGHTS: How do you decide what projects to work on? What criteria do they need to meet before you say "yes" to working on one?
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DAVE "SMOOZE" SZYMUSIAK: As I have mentioned earlier, to have a successful project, there must be a balance between your creative and business side. I have met hundreds and hundreds of creative filmmakers who have no concept of what they need to do to have a financially successful venture. I look for that balance. I look for honesty, integrity and character with the people I will be working with.
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MR. FRIGHTS: Other than producing, is there some other interest or experience you might have in working on a movie project?
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DAVE "SMOOZE" SZYMUSIAK: Knowledge. I believe no matter how much knowledge you have, you can always learn something new on each new set if you keep an open mind. I have a library of over 900 filmmaking books, unfortunately I have only been able to read about twenty per cent of them. I try to learn something every
day by being on a set, reading or watching movies.
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MR. FRIGHTS: What advice can you give to a filmmaker about distribution of horror films?
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DAVE "SMOOZE" SZYMUSIAK: There is a market for almost every horror feature film made. At the top end, twenty per cent of the libraries of all studios are horror. Over the last few years that number has grown even more. I have communicated with over 750 distributors that buy horror. Filmmakers need to realize that all of these distributors look for different things when they buy a film. One needs to make your horror feature have broad enough appeal to interest numerous buyers. Simply put, distribution begins in pre-production.
Hit the Grab Bag Questions below to go on with the interview...
GRAB BAG QUESTIONS
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MR. FRIGHTS: What is your favorite type/genre of movie?
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DAVE "SMOOZE" SZYMUSIAK: I want to make features in any genres that make the audience feel something. Make me laugh, make me cry, scare me, but make me feel something.
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MR. FRIGHTS: If you were under siege from the undead, what's the first thing you'd
do to fight them off?
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DAVE "SMOOZE" SZYMUSIAK: Call cut and stop the action.
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MR. FRIGHTS: As a producer, what is your most important tool?
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DAVE "SMOOZE" SZYMUSIAK: Experience. I have been on numerous film sets, so if asked, I can help filmmakers out of technical problems. (I don't interfere, but I am a bug about lighting and sound.) In my opinion, story/script, lighting and sound are my big three in making a successful film.
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MR. FRIGHTS: The key to making good horror is...?
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DAVE "SMOOZE" SZYMUSIAK: Story, Story, Story
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MR. FRIGHTS: Is there a fun (short) story you have that you could share with us about your work as a producer in movies?
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DAVE "SMOOZE" SZYMUSIAK: I had a non-speaking, small part in my first feature. I played a priest who was shot and killed. I had four squibs set up on the front of my body. I had never had this done before so the crew advised me not to wear any underwear under my priest's robe. The blood (Kayro syrup) ran down to my private parts after the squibs went off. There was no where to clean up and I had to wait in this field with bees for four hours to have the squibs set on my back and be shot from behind.