MOI magazine 2016 MOI Mar 2016 | Page 34

My primary interest has always been acting.  But I’m a workaholic, so if I don’t have enough acting projects, I create work for myself.  I’m writing a few features and I’m probably about 1/3 done with each one of them, mostly because right now I’m working on other people’s stuff.  So if my producing slows down, or if I take a break from it, I’ll definitely focus on finishing my pieces. I think I’ll probably never stop producing because if I see something that could become something really good how can I say no?  You just find time, you make time. In the meantime, I constantly take acting classes. I improve myself. I will never give up acting because it is something that is so magical, it’s transforming, it’s so delightful, it makes me happy, and it gives me an opportunity to feel like I’m someone else when I’m not, when I play a character.  So yeah, I just want to do it all. Have you ever produced anything you ever acted in as well? Yes. Was that hard to play both those roles? So when you moved here it wasn’t like you had planned to live here? Exactly. It’s the charm.  It’s New Orleans charm and culture. And it’s so different and so inspiring. It brings all the good energy and you actually want to create.  It sucks you in, you get stuck but in a good way.  So I want to exhaust all resources here and make as much as I can.  Because it’s the place to do that. What advice do you wish someone would you give to someone that wants to become a producer that you wish someone would have given you? Yes, yes it’s hard, but it’s even harder to direct and act.  I made a short film that way once and I’ve never even edited it yet.  But mostly because I haven’t had the time. I knew what I was getting myself into. (Laughing) Perhaps, to be patient and to keep in mind that producing independent films usually doesn’t bring returns, or at least not right away. From that experience did you learn that maybe that’s not something you should do in the future? http://imdb.me/anastasiyarul     Us Against The World written and directed by Andrea Kuehnel   IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4071834/   INDIEGOGO: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/us-against-the- world#/   FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/uatwfilm/ I learned that I’m a good delegator.  I can find people to do things for me, I don’t have to do it all in one project.  If I could just act, or in another just produce, I mean I could do both too but it’s harder, and that’s why you have other people to help you. Have you ever thought of just directing? I directed a few shorts, but I think I’m going to save directing till after I’m 30 or something like that.  Right now I just want to act and produce. One of the first goals is to support local independent filmmaking.  Right now we have a script that will be shot in 3 other states besides Louisiana.  I think we can do multiple states.  It doesn’t have to be local, but local is our primary focus. MOI Magazine is looking for that great Fashion Designer for our up and coming Issue Email to: modele@ moi-magazine.com Chosen designers will be published. Photo Credit: Victor Nguyen So you have a feature coming up that you’re working on? I constantly get feature scripts submitted to me for consideration.  Since my partner and I are in the middle of creating a production company we should probably take on one or two of them very soon.  With a feature, if it’s a full budget, you need about a year just to start pre production. To obtain all the funds it takes about 6 months to get funds liquid from investors and all the paperwork all the legal stuff, but we may make an indie feature this year towards the end of the year, with the same team that we did the last feature.   Rite written and directed by Morgan Roberts   IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4841272/   FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/ritefilm/ Must put “DESIGNER” in the subject headline Once you start you Production Company, do plan to produce films out of New Orleans? 34 35