Stephanie Lynn grew up in Vermont and was always performing – whether putting on plays for her parents as a child, or doing shows in high school, Stephanie was a natural actor. But when the time came for college, Stephanie took a detour: “I was avoiding the fact that I was an artist and went to a normal college instead of art school – I tried to be a doctor for a semester, a lawyer…” Through a Fine Art’s minor in painting, and various acting classes Stephanie attempted to remain true to herself.
When she graduated and moved to New York, Stephanie still felt attracted to law and ended up working as a legal aide in hopes of determining whether or not she wanted to sign her own “death sentence known as Law School,” while knowing that her true passion was art. Interestingly enough, Stephanie was attracted to law (specifically litigation) for many of the reasons that she is attracted to acting.
“Being a litigator is a lot like being an actor because it’s all about relating to people. It’s about understanding the art of manipulation – one way or another, for better or worse.”
And so, Stephanie came full circle and rediscovered her passion for art. “Coming from a family of artists, I've always had a lot of art in my life – I don’t think I could ever spend a day away from art.” One of her favorite quotes is ‘Life is short but Art is long’ because it begs the question: “what do we even matter in the grand scheme of things? Art is what people leave behind.”
To that end, Stephanie laughs about a friend who was mad at her for not following politics and election news and on a similar note Stephanie cites her disillusionment as a partial inspiration. “It's one of the cheesier reasons why I'm drawn to acting. I feel like if you really care about an issue, then making a film is what will change people. Voting doesn't do anything. In politics people don't know what to think.” She continues: “When art affects other people, it does what it's truly meant to do – and film is a great forum for that. Schindler's List is a great example of keeping the memory of Holocaust survivors alive.”
As for other inspirations, Stephanie references Kate Blanchett in the role of Bob Dylan. “You forget that she’s a woman. It’s amazing that she was able to pull that off.” Stephanie is also a fan of Julia Roberts for more reasons than one – one of which is that “Roberts kinda looks like my mom. My mom is also my inspiration.” She goes on to muse how she would love to play Julia Roberts’s daughter at some point in the future.
Regarding Stephanie’s recent projects she’s doing a web series called Sister's Grimm, about crime-fighting-fairy-tale women. Stephanie is Sleeping Beauty. She’s also been doing a lot of commercials and most recently an Indie feature entitled The Graduates which she looks forward to promoting in Ocean City.
As for theater or film, Stephanie prefers film although it’s a close call. “They’re not necessarily comparable. Film is all about ‘the experience’ in a very real way -- whereas with theater you have to magnify. With theater, there’s a totally different energy and experience and there’s nothing like the high of performing in front of people. With film the camera gets inside of you; it picks up every subtle little move. You're supposed to live out moments in front of the camera.”
On a final note, Stephanie states “I hate really preachy political films, but I do like documentaries and films that do things in a subtle way. I think it's important to see all the sides of different issues. On that note, people should be careful about what they put into films.”
Showing posts with label adam weissman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label adam weissman. Show all posts
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Interview with Ray Soltani & Adam Weissman: PART II
Interviewer: RED
Ray's Answers: GREEN
Adam's Answers: GOLD
What attracts you to film?
R: The style of storytelling. The picture, the sound, the performances, the script, the editing; they're all so different yet equally integral, trying to control all of them at once can be chaotic at times. Then somehow, if you hang on, everything falls into place. I find that reassuring.
A: Life is too short to go quietly. Film is one of the few art forms where you can reach out and touch thousands of people. Sure, books do that too, perhaps more-so, but film is slightly more sociable than 'novelizing' which is a word I just made up.
Do you prefer writing or directing?
A: Writing.
R: That's a rough one. Writing is fun because you don't need anyone. It's kind of like jerking off in that way. Now, you might think well, if Directing is like sex then that must be much better; but think of all the bullshit that comes along with sex. Think of how happy you were before puberty.
A: Also, keep in mind the competition is too fierce to be a one trick pony, if you're not a writer/director or graphic artist/director, there's only so much you can do, you're more expendable in that way.
R: Plus there are so many hacks and bullshit artists inundating this business with their nonsense that it's hard to get your stuff read or even seen sometimes, but if you're well versed structurally and aesthetically, add to that the ability to generate un-contrived content and then maybe you won't be a joke.
So, do you think film school should be more vocational?
R: I was a Dramatic Writing major at SUNY Purchase, after my first year I decided to apply to the film program which was more 'prestigous' and closely guarded. The guy who rejected me, the interviewer, asked me why I wanted to make films, and I, like an asshole, actually had the audacity to say "to entertain people", well, he just kind of threw up his hands in exasperation. He couldn't believe it. "Then what're we making films for!?" he says. He actually wanted me to say to change the world. These are the types of idiots you have in charge of film programs.
Don't blame the studios for destroying independent film, blame the independent filmmaker. Great art is indestructible, it permeates souls.
So, you guys think Go Quietly will permeate souls?
A: I don't know about all that -- at the very least, I would hope it causes people to think twice about their own psychiatrist -- their own 'Doctor Trevor.'
R: Haha.
Do you think that's dangerous, if people are scared of their psychiatrist?
A: Not at all. I think psychiatrists are what's dangerous. Who do they think they are telling people how to live? Dispensing 'wisdom' like some sort of witch doctor. It's one of the few fields in science where a majority of its practitioners will admit that they don't exactly know how or why the drugs they give people work the way they do.
R: Adam's got some personal issues.
Were you ever in therapy?
A: No. Not me.
((awkward silence))
How did Go Quietly come about?
R: Adam and I had been discussing making a film for awhile, the phrase “new boyfriend, dead friends” stuck in my head. That eventually turned into the logline above, thanks to Adam. I wanted to do something having to do with mind games and relationships, I thought the uncertainty and anxiety that comes with new relationships was something I could exploit. I was pushing for horror because I knew we couldn’t get any names, but at least with horror we would have a shot at an audience. Plus I wanted to do something raw, edgy -- something gritty, something that would grab people by the throat.
It was Adam’s idea to make the villain a psychiatrist – something we both loved because we knew we could turn meds, hypnosis, psychoanalysis, behavioral analysis and therapy into weapons.
Why a psychiatrist?
A: People put a lot of trust in this stranger -- the psychiatrist. A psychiatrist isn't your friend -- he (or she) is someone you 'work with' based upon who your insurer is. That said, if your insurance changes you're forced to switch caregivers... nothing personal, just business. To me, I think that's pretty creepy, especially because unlike someone that's a heart surgeon, general practitioner, allergist etcetera, the problem and solution (in psychiatry) are thoroughly subjective.
In a nutshell, psychiatry seems one part science, two parts faith -- but not in a good way. If psychiatrists had a fantasy equivalent, it wouldn't be a priest, it would be a warlock.
What are your minimum expectations for Go Quietly?
R: My minimum expectations for Go Quietly are that it’ll do for the careers of everyone involved what steroids did for Barry Bonds.
A: Make back my money and make a follow up film with Ray.
What are your maximum hopes for Go Quietly?
R: It’s probably too late to say this, but I don’t wanna sound like an idiot, so I’ll pass on that one.
A: Haha, what Ray said for minimum expectations.
Where do you see pitfalls in this project?
R: It’s impossible for anything to go wrong. Not even God can stop us.
A: No comment, but I'll skip on the blasphemy.
Who are your inspirations if any?
R: Audie Murphy and Alexander The Great -- conquered the known world at 25, can't beat that, right?
A: Ayn Rand and L. Ron Hubbard (just kidding about L. Ron).
Ray's Answers: GREEN
Adam's Answers: GOLD
What attracts you to film?
R: The style of storytelling. The picture, the sound, the performances, the script, the editing; they're all so different yet equally integral, trying to control all of them at once can be chaotic at times. Then somehow, if you hang on, everything falls into place. I find that reassuring.
A: Life is too short to go quietly. Film is one of the few art forms where you can reach out and touch thousands of people. Sure, books do that too, perhaps more-so, but film is slightly more sociable than 'novelizing' which is a word I just made up.
Do you prefer writing or directing?
A: Writing.
R: That's a rough one. Writing is fun because you don't need anyone. It's kind of like jerking off in that way. Now, you might think well, if Directing is like sex then that must be much better; but think of all the bullshit that comes along with sex. Think of how happy you were before puberty.
A: Also, keep in mind the competition is too fierce to be a one trick pony, if you're not a writer/director or graphic artist/director, there's only so much you can do, you're more expendable in that way.
R: Plus there are so many hacks and bullshit artists inundating this business with their nonsense that it's hard to get your stuff read or even seen sometimes, but if you're well versed structurally and aesthetically, add to that the ability to generate un-contrived content and then maybe you won't be a joke.
So, do you think film school should be more vocational?
R: I was a Dramatic Writing major at SUNY Purchase, after my first year I decided to apply to the film program which was more 'prestigous' and closely guarded. The guy who rejected me, the interviewer, asked me why I wanted to make films, and I, like an asshole, actually had the audacity to say "to entertain people", well, he just kind of threw up his hands in exasperation. He couldn't believe it. "Then what're we making films for!?" he says. He actually wanted me to say to change the world. These are the types of idiots you have in charge of film programs.
Don't blame the studios for destroying independent film, blame the independent filmmaker. Great art is indestructible, it permeates souls.
So, you guys think Go Quietly will permeate souls?
A: I don't know about all that -- at the very least, I would hope it causes people to think twice about their own psychiatrist -- their own 'Doctor Trevor.'
R: Haha.
Do you think that's dangerous, if people are scared of their psychiatrist?
A: Not at all. I think psychiatrists are what's dangerous. Who do they think they are telling people how to live? Dispensing 'wisdom' like some sort of witch doctor. It's one of the few fields in science where a majority of its practitioners will admit that they don't exactly know how or why the drugs they give people work the way they do.
R: Adam's got some personal issues.
Were you ever in therapy?
A: No. Not me.
((awkward silence))
How did Go Quietly come about?
R: Adam and I had been discussing making a film for awhile, the phrase “new boyfriend, dead friends” stuck in my head. That eventually turned into the logline above, thanks to Adam. I wanted to do something having to do with mind games and relationships, I thought the uncertainty and anxiety that comes with new relationships was something I could exploit. I was pushing for horror because I knew we couldn’t get any names, but at least with horror we would have a shot at an audience. Plus I wanted to do something raw, edgy -- something gritty, something that would grab people by the throat.
It was Adam’s idea to make the villain a psychiatrist – something we both loved because we knew we could turn meds, hypnosis, psychoanalysis, behavioral analysis and therapy into weapons.
Why a psychiatrist?
A: People put a lot of trust in this stranger -- the psychiatrist. A psychiatrist isn't your friend -- he (or she) is someone you 'work with' based upon who your insurer is. That said, if your insurance changes you're forced to switch caregivers... nothing personal, just business. To me, I think that's pretty creepy, especially because unlike someone that's a heart surgeon, general practitioner, allergist etcetera, the problem and solution (in psychiatry) are thoroughly subjective.
In a nutshell, psychiatry seems one part science, two parts faith -- but not in a good way. If psychiatrists had a fantasy equivalent, it wouldn't be a priest, it would be a warlock.
What are your minimum expectations for Go Quietly?
R: My minimum expectations for Go Quietly are that it’ll do for the careers of everyone involved what steroids did for Barry Bonds.
A: Make back my money and make a follow up film with Ray.
What are your maximum hopes for Go Quietly?
R: It’s probably too late to say this, but I don’t wanna sound like an idiot, so I’ll pass on that one.
A: Haha, what Ray said for minimum expectations.
Where do you see pitfalls in this project?
R: It’s impossible for anything to go wrong. Not even God can stop us.
A: No comment, but I'll skip on the blasphemy.
Who are your inspirations if any?
R: Audie Murphy and Alexander The Great -- conquered the known world at 25, can't beat that, right?
A: Ayn Rand and L. Ron Hubbard (just kidding about L. Ron).
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Interview with Ray Soltani & Adam Weissman: PART 1
Ray and Adam both grew up in Westchester County, NY -- Ray in Ossining, Adam in Eastchester. They both also graduated from the Dramatic Writing Program at SUNY Purchase along with Bob Geile who graduated from SUNY Purchase Film... "BUT," as Ray says: "All of that is secondary to life experience, at least when you're starting out in this field... what's shaped me is the situations I've been in -- mostly the awkward, miserable or destructive ones -- those make the smoothest transitions into narrative."
Adam agrees: "it's not what people put on their resume so much as the things they leave out. Fortunately for me, I've had lots of jobs so it was always easy to mix & match for the job in question. My friends used to joke that I was a serial employee. I think of it as 'character building.'"
Growing up, Ray and Adam both agree that they learned a lot from their parents. Ray says "They're probably the reason why I strive for the best and why I'm never satisfied. I must be better than them or I'm a failure. If not, then why not just roll up into a corner and die?" Adam adds: "My parents were great at not being dictators and over-scheduling, so I had plenty of time to let my imagination run wild. Thanks to them I call things as I see them and always look at the possibilities."
And so the two of them grew up and attended high school until they met and became friends in college. Rays says of their initial friendship "Adam walked into a Dramatic Writing class one day and angered the teacher and the students with some colorful comments, this amused me and we became friends after that."
Their first true collaboration was writing a script for an animated feature which they later converted into a children's book.
Go Quietly was a long time coming due to the fact that Ray was heavily involved shooting The Capitalist www.thecapitalistmovie.com (check it out for a trailer) and Adam was involved in a 9-5 job.
"Watching people gradually become the neurotic and paralyzed adults they were destined to be as the years went on was fascinating." Ray says of his college years. Adam adds: "after I graduated, it was time to either move out and become a slave to a landlord, creditors, and the IRS, or keep living at home and make a real investment in my future -- an investment in a movie."
Adam agrees: "it's not what people put on their resume so much as the things they leave out. Fortunately for me, I've had lots of jobs so it was always easy to mix & match for the job in question. My friends used to joke that I was a serial employee. I think of it as 'character building.'"
Growing up, Ray and Adam both agree that they learned a lot from their parents. Ray says "They're probably the reason why I strive for the best and why I'm never satisfied. I must be better than them or I'm a failure. If not, then why not just roll up into a corner and die?" Adam adds: "My parents were great at not being dictators and over-scheduling, so I had plenty of time to let my imagination run wild. Thanks to them I call things as I see them and always look at the possibilities."
And so the two of them grew up and attended high school until they met and became friends in college. Rays says of their initial friendship "Adam walked into a Dramatic Writing class one day and angered the teacher and the students with some colorful comments, this amused me and we became friends after that."
Their first true collaboration was writing a script for an animated feature which they later converted into a children's book.
Go Quietly was a long time coming due to the fact that Ray was heavily involved shooting The Capitalist www.thecapitalistmovie.com (check it out for a trailer) and Adam was involved in a 9-5 job.
"Watching people gradually become the neurotic and paralyzed adults they were destined to be as the years went on was fascinating." Ray says of his college years. Adam adds: "after I graduated, it was time to either move out and become a slave to a landlord, creditors, and the IRS, or keep living at home and make a real investment in my future -- an investment in a movie."
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