Every now and then I like to wander about IndieGoGo and Kickstarter searching for new and interesting projects. Usually I’ll stumble across something that catches my eye. Recently I came across an IndieGoGo campaign for an Eerie, IN movie.
If you listen to the podcast, you know we’re big fans of Eerie, IN here, so of course I had to do some digging. The project is being put together by Michael Subjack, a recent film school graduate. I hit Subjack up to learn more about the project and see if we can help get it off the ground.
Christopher Coffel: Before we jump into the new project you're working on, can you give us a quick background on yourself? How long have you been a filmmaker and how did you get into it?
Michael Subjack: I'm originally from Jamestown, NY, which is about 80 miles south of Buffalo. I got serious about film after seeing James Cameron's Aliens at a young age. When I was 14, I started making movies on my mom's VHS camera with family and friends. Initially it was something fun to do because my town didn't have a lot going on. I was generally a mediocre student and after undergrad ended, I realized I needed to get serious and do something. Filmmaking suddenly seemed like a good career option. I formed WorSub Films with a friend and we did commercials, industrial films, instructional videos and things of that nature. I wasn't happy, though, and I knew if I wanted to really step it up, I would need to come to Los Angeles, So in 2010, I came out here to attend the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA.
CC: Ok, so you move to LA, go to art school, then what? After school do you start making your own films or working on other people's projects?
MS: I just graduated a couple of weeks ago. Film school was an amazing experience for several reasons; mainly for the improvement in your work and the connections you make. I was concerned going in that it was going to be an overly competitive atmosphere and everyone would be trying to sabotage each other. Luckily I fell in with a group of talented and collaborative people. No major egos, everyone was just here to make movies and everyone was smart enough to realize that no one is an island and you're going to need help. It's been two years and I still rely on these people to crew and help me out. With the exception of one major project, I've had the same DP and he'll also be the DP on the Eerie, Indiana film. I've learned you get the best results when you have the same crew from shoot to shoot. You're all in line with each other's sensibilities and that results in more quality work. There were also lot of great professors who gave you proper guidance and whose feedback was constructive and useful. If you applied their advice to your next project, it would be better than your previous one. None of this is handed to you, though. It's an environment where you get back what you put in. There are required class assignments but if you really want to be productive and come out with a great reel, you're going to have to be pro-active and make projects happen. I shot a lot of projects in those two years. I still have a project that I did a year ago that needs editing that I did just because I had an idea, a RED camera at my disposal and a stable of good actors I like to work with. Now that I'm out, my main focus is the Eerie, Indiana film.
CC: Oh wow. You just graduated and you're already jumping into your first feature and it's an ambitious one. You're adapting the EERIE, IN television into movie. Why EERIE, IN?
MS: There's two reasons I want to make an Eerie film. Number one; I think it would make a great film. The show was well ahead of its time and was canceled before it had a chance to really grow. So it's an awesome concept that would still work today. So my passion and belief in the project is the biggest driving force but on a more practical level, I want to be a paid working filmmaker. I have short films I made that I'm very proud of but the reality is that they're short films. They can get you some attention but generally at best, you're going to play at a few festivals and that's it. There are cases like Neil Bloomkamp's short that lead to District 9 but he's the exception and not the rule. So what do you do after? As my professor Eric Sherman said, shorts aren't currency in the film industry, a good script is. So I have a feature-length project I'm passionate about that I think can also get me work. The two inform each other quite well.
CC: EERIE, IN definitely has all the potential in the world to make a great feature, the universe is already set. When did you first become a fan of EERIE, IN? Did you always know that it was something you'd want to adapt someday?
MS: I remember Eerie, Indiana when it ran and I liked it but the reality is that a lot of the stuff you like as a child really doesn't hold up. My fall 2011 semester at Art Center was the most brutal one by far. I had two big shoots in addition to helping my friends with their projects. I've never been so busy or stressed out. I finally had a day off and I was going through Netflix and I saw Eerie, Indiana and decided to give it a whirl. I got through the whole series in about three days and realized that it would still work. I said off-hand to my friend (who's also my DP) that I think it would make for a good movie. Fast-forward to a few months later, graduation is looming overhead and I know I need to enter the real world with something besides a reel, so I figure now's as good a time as any to make an Eerie, Indiana film.
CC: Lots of stuff from childhood often doesn't hold up, but I feel almost all of Joe Dante's work not only holds up, but often time is much better than how I remember it. I'm sure his influence on the show has something to do with its longevity. Will Dante or anyone else from the show be part of this film in anyway?
MS: Joe Dante was kind enough to speak on my IndieGoGo video and say that it's a great concept and that a feature would work very well. I can't believe we got him to do that but he did and I'm forever grateful. However, until we lock everything into place, I wouldn't dream of asking him for anything else. Any feature is a lot of work but when you throw really fun things like rights into the mix, that makes it even more of an uphill battle. We're moving forward but there's definitely a ways to go.
CC: Legal battles are always fun. Is there anywhere people can keep go to keep up on the project and get more information?
MS: Right now I have a Facebook page for the film at http://www.facebook.com/
For more information on Michael Subjack’s Eerie, IN project please “like” Eerie Indiana The Movie on FaceBook and watched the video below featuring Joe Dante!
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