Film Courage: Why do you think it’s so important for so many filmmakers to make that first
feature film by age 30?
Adam Davis, Writer/Director: That’s a fantastic question.
By 30?
Your 20’s are about sort of figuring out who you are and a lot of trial and error and
a lot of messing up.
When you hit your 30’s you sort of have that feeling of like you have to have it all
together right?
Like you’re an adult now, you’re an official adult.
You are not in the 20’s like put all of that childish stuff behind.
You’re in the 30’s.
You’re thinking about building a family and doing all of that and you’re really
thinking about your career and sort of how you advance in that whatever that may be (day
job or filmmaking).
So I think it’s that pressure of turning 30 and feeling like you need to become a full
adult that pushes people to go well I need to do a feature now.
And I think some people may be ready for that just as developmentally some people are still
going to be toying around and doing all this club life and dating and stuff in their 30’s
which you know you can do or should do or have to do depending on your situation.
Film Courage: Or in the 60’s.
They could be in their 60’s doing that.
Adam: Exactly.
It really just depends on the person.
Film Courage: Yes, I think a lot of it…well…it seems like comes from family pressure or that
traditional sort of idea and people don’t want to let their family unit down and some
people don’t have that and maybe they wish they had it because they are so carefree.
So I think there are two sides of the coin in that.
I’ve seen a lot of people who come from a very close-knit families where they really
want their kids to succeed but then there is that pressure where you’ve got to grow
up by age 30.
So I think when you’re creative it might be tricky because you want to please the people
that you love but at the same time you’re still an artist in some way.
So you’ve managed to do both.
You’ve done a lot of short films, you’ve made a feature film and you’ve said that
you were PAing [Production Assistant] sometimes and were working 15 hour days?
Adam: Yes, back when I first moved out to Los Angeles.
I didn’t go to film school.
I went to a Journalism school in Des Moines, Iowa where I was part of the Radio and TV
production program so I learned a lot technically.
But what I didn’t learn was how to make films or how to tell stories in that regard.
What I knew that I needed once I moved out to Los Angeles was real on-set experience.
How is a movie set run?
What makes a good movie set or makes a bad movie set in terms of operating because if
I am going to be running this one day I need to know what styles of work I like?
What styles of work I don’t and when you start at the very bottom and you sort of see
everything from that low position and you see how people are treated and you have those
eyes into everything I think it’s a really good look at how I want my sets to run.
The one set that I worked on which really set a high example of what an amazing film
set is was when I worked on A SERIOUS MAN (The Coen Brothers movie).
It was filming back in Minnesota and I was like this is an amazing opportunity.
I’ve got to get on this set, right?
So I found a way to connect to the ADs and I told them I know you may need PA’s from
out there.
I’m from there, I’m from Minnesota.
I will move back there while it’s being shot.
You don’t have to put me up.
You don’t have to do anything.
I will move back there while it’s being shot.
Just let me work on a Coen Brothers’ set.
And they were like cool.
Come on board!
I did it.
I spent a month out there and just being able to see how the Coen’s worked and just seeing
Roger Deakins work for one was just amazing but being able to see how respectful everybody
was, how nobody yelled, how quiet the set was.
How everybody did their job.
It was a very familial feeling set.
It was just eye-opening.
Because you’ve been…at least I have been on those sets of low-budget things and Hallmark
movies and big movies and all in-between TV shows and you see the tensions and the stress
and the yelling and the screaming and the disrespect.
The Coens’ on A SERIOUS MAN they had none of that.
It was the smoothest running set.
Everybody was really on board.
It was a pleasure to be there.
Film Courage: How cool.
Sorry, you were in LA and you thought let me go back…please let me be on the set and
you went back home?
Adam: One hundred percent.
There was no other way I was going to get on that set.
I had to sacrifice.
I was like I will fly myself out there and stay at my parent’s house.
It will be fun to see everybody again but just let me work on this movie please.
Film Courage: Did you stay at your parent’s house?
Adam: I did, yes.
Film Courage: What time would you leave to go to set?
Adam: Oh man, I would leave around 5:00 a.m. to get to set around 5:30 a.m. or 6:00 a.m.
because the PA’s [Production Assistant] is like the first on set, last to leave.
So just sort of driving through the night and getting to whatever location whether it
was the suburban street that the family lived on or the park where they are down by the
lake it was fun and it allowed me to see a different part of Minnesota and the place
that I grew up than I would have otherwise.
You realize that there is this whole strip of a neighborhood that has houses that were
just still look like they are from that era (the 60’s and 70’s).
It’s really trippy and opens your eyes about what is around, what is available in your
hometown.
Film Courage: And how was it to see the actors between takes because that like I think the
first set I was on was Melrose Place…well aren’t there two of them?
The nineties one.
For me seeing what it was actually like, turning the camera, okay let’s try the shot from
another angle?
How was this for you?
Adam: It was cool when I could see it because as a PA sometimes you don’t necessarily
get to be that close to set.
Sometimes you are stuck way out you know blocking traffic or making sure that people don’t
invade the set or whatever.
But when I got to sort of see some of the smaller scenes with the actors it was really
cool to see how excited everybody was to be there and how the Coen’s worked with everybody
and how easy it sort of seemed.
That’s what was interesting because for me working with actors (especially established
actors) as somebody who hasn’t done that many films it’s a little freaky.
You’re like you’ve done a lot.
What have I done?
It’s a little intimidating but they made it seem so easy which is what I sort of want
to strive for.
Film Courage: So when you wrapped how was that?
You had to fly back to LA?
Adam: Yes, yes.
So I spent about a month at home and then my time was done, back to LA to try to find
the next job you know?
Because that is what it is when you’re a PA it’s like making those connections on
set, trying to get work and pinging those connections when you are out of work and trying
to find out what to do so it’s a really terrifying thing that I’m glad I did when
I was young and I sort of did not know any better and I was just full of this head of
steam of like Alright I am going to make this happen no matter what and you just sort of
because you are fearless in that regard.
Even though you are full of fear which is an interesting dichotomy like you’re just
going for it because you have to survive, like survival instincts are in and are very
active because you’ve got to make rent, you’ve got to be able to eat.
So getting that work is sort of a life or death type of thing.