Interview: Adam Nelson
Adam Nelson is a movie maker, producer, and writer who runs his own production company. We were intrigued by his co-worker Chris Watt who we interviewed earlier for the upcoming movie, The Mire. The movie sounds so exciting we wanted to meet the man behind the movie company. So without further ado, please join us on our interview with him.
BeautyTies: Thanks for joining us today Adam and taking time out of your busy schedule.
Adam Nelson: Not a problem, thank you ever so much for talking to me.
BeautyTies: When did you get interested in movies and the making of them?
Adam Nelson: I always loved sharks when I was growing. They were my first true fascination. So naturally, my parents decided to show me Jaws and I fell in love with it. A few years after that, when Jurassic Park came out, I fell in love with the actual act of going to the cinema. I think I saw Jurassic Park about five times in the cinema. My parents took me, each set of grandparents took me, I went with a friend. I LOVED it. Despite that, making films seemed like something other people did. I loved storytelling and writing stories, so that's what I did. It wasn't until I was at university that I learned the basic mechanics of filmmaking, and even then I was on a film studies course, not a filmmaking course. At that point filmmaking was fun, but still something someone like me didn't really do.
BeautyTies: How did you get into directing movies?
Adam Nelson: It wasn't until after I started teaching. All I really wanted in life was a job where I got to talk about film, so teaching film studies seemed like a logical career choice. However, I was soon shunted across and asked to teach practical film as well. I didn't really know what I was doing (or thought I didn't) but said I did so that I didn't lose my job. Doing so I met an incredibly wonderful man called Simon Westcott and he became very much a mentor to me. One day he brought some books into the office that he had saved from the college's skip, threw them on my desk, and said: "Adam if you haven't read these you really fucking should." One of those books was The Guerilla Filmmaker's Blueprint, by Chris Jones and it was life-changing. The process of making a feature film was laid out in this book in a way that made it very clear that I could do it. That year I took some of my students on work experience and we shot a short film I had written, applying the lessons I had learned from Guerilla Filmmaker's Blueprint, and it was the first film I made that gained any kind of traction. The quality was good. The editing solid. The direction felt cohesive. It all came together. So I started thinking about making a feature using the same principles. I worked out that I could save £6000 in the year from one summer break to the next, and wrote a screenplay that could be made using that amount of money and the other resources we had to hand. That became my debut feature film Little Pieces.
BeautyTies: If you could make a movie of your choice and genre, what it would it be and who would you cast?
Adam Nelson: There are two. I have a spec feature film called The Farm which is my love letter to the zombie movies that I loved growing up. I recently broke all the screenwriting advice guidelines and wrote first drafts to make it into the trilogy I wanted it to be. I got very close to making it a few years ago, but sadly it fell through, so I would love to make that. The other one is Batman. I'm a huge Batman and would love to do my take on the character.
BeautyTies: Due to the pandemic, things have been strange. How have you been coping ?
Adam Nelson: In some ways, it was a bit of a blessing. I didn't like online teaching so was able to take a few months off work and focus on my creative endeavours. It was during this time that I started chatting to a chap called Clive Frayne on Twitter and we had a great discussion about low-budget, regional filmmaking. It was from that Chris Watt and I decided to develop The Mire and now we're in pre-production. That's not me trying to play down the seriousness of the situation, but it was very liberating in some ways.
BeautyTies: How has lockdown affected your movie The Mire?
Adam Nelson: We had to delay the start of principal photography. We were supposed to start on the 8th of February, but lockdown saw to that. We are legally allowed to make the film, but some of the cast and crew were wary about shooting when deaths and hospitalisations were so high. I caught Covid very early on in the pandemic and it battered me senseless, so I'm not prepared to put anyone at risk. If one member of the team feels uncomfortable, that's one too many.
BeautyTies: What is your vision for Apple Park Films?
Adam Nelson: I want to make commercially viable films, that people get to see. I love film as a medium and so I'm not opposed to making small, contained films that focus on character and drama. At the same time, I would be lying to you if I said that I didn't also really want to make big action films where things blow up. The key to it though is commercially viable, entertaining films that mean something to me.
BeautyTies: How did you choose the name for your company?
Adam Nelson: The short film I mentioned earlier was called The House Near Apple Park. I made that film under the guise of Doodlebug Films, which I named after my nephew whose nickname was doodlebug. It turned out that there was a Doodlebug Films already in existence, so when formalising and incorporating the company into a legal entity I went with Apple Park Films. It's kind of an every-film name, you can imagine it at the top of a drama like Little Pieces, but also at the top of an action film or horror film. Having a name like that doesn't associate me with one specific type of film.
BeautyTies: What is the most rewarding thing in your line of work?
Adam Nelson: I get to tell stories, and that's great. I've always loved telling stories. It's a big part of who I am, even when I was younger I was always telling stories. Probably why I was such a good liar.
BeautyTies: The movie community is a special place to be. It’s united and supportive. Do you have any advice for anybody starting out by producing or starting up a movie company?
Adam Nelson: Meet as many people as possible and don't be afraid to share and help others. There's a lot of insularity at the entry levels, everyone is trying to get their thing made, but as you move up the ladder you come to realise that people appreciate it if you can introduce them to someone who can help them. I already see this and I'm not particularly far up the ladder. There's a lot of 'advice' out there aimed at people coming into the industry and a lot of it is touted by fools who have as little or only slightly more experience than the people they're offering advice to, so learn to filter through that. Talk is very cheap, I've found that people who talk a lot about all the things they've done haven't done half as much as they're trying to impress. I've tried to offer advice before, just to be told that I 'haven't been in the industry long enough' or 'have probably never made a movie in my life.' I just respond with 'okay then' and move on. So think about who you take advice from. Have a goal, a vision, and a viewpoint, and work towards that. It's hard, you will be knocked back and told no, but don't give up. There's a great guy I interact with on Twitter occasionally called Pat Higgins and he says 'far smarter people than you will give up every day' and he's right, so don't give up.
BeautyTies: Can you list your top five favourite movies for us?
Adam Nelson:
1) Once Upon a Time in America
2) Blade Runner
3) Jaws
4) Let the Right One In
5) The Wickerman (the original)
The first four are pretty much set in stone, whereas five rotates between it and fifteen other films.
BeautyTies: That is such an amazing list of movies Adam! Do you have a favourite producer or director you admire?
Adam Nelson: I'll always be down for seeing a new Chris Nolan film or Paul Thomas Anderson film. I'm really excited to see what Rose Glass does next because I loved Saint Maud. The biggest influence on me is probably John Carpenter, I think I learned everything I know about filmmaking by watching his movies. I'm not a massive fan of the auteur theory in film. I believe it exists, but I think it's become shorthand for 'filmmaker I like.' I think Carpenter is one of the few genuine auteurs, you only have to look at a still from one of his films and you can tell it's one of his.
BeautyTies: We absolutely loved Saint Maud and are excited to see Rose Glass next movie!
BeautyTies: What was a last movie you watched?
Adam Nelson: I finally got to see Promising Young Woman yesterday and it was quite a smack in the mouth. Brilliant film. Carey Mulligan is incredible not only in that film but in general. She's great.
BeautyTies: What music are you listing to at the moment? The Rolling Stones are playing in our home as we write this.
Adam Nelson: I'm a big rock and roll fan, particularly 90's rock. Pearl Jam, Nine Inch Nails, Radiohead are always getting spins. My mood shifts depending on the weather. In the summer I tend to listen to more punk and indie rock, whereas in the winter it'll be darker, heavier rock. I also like some dance and electronic music. It's a mix.
BeautyTies: Can you explain the difference between director and producer for people who don’t know the dynamics.
Adam Nelson: My mentor, Simon, explained it best. The Director drives the bus where it's going. The Producer makes sure that there is a bus, it's got enough fuel, all the right people are on it, that the director has a map that'll get them where they're going on time. Directors are creative, they have a vision for the project. Producers are logistical and make sure the vision can be executed. There's a fair bit of overlap as Producers are creative as well, but the major differences are between creative and logistic decision-making.
BeautyTies: When did you feel you made your dream happen? You have worked hard so hard, it’s amazing to see.
Adam Nelson: I was stood in front of the Institute for Contemporary Art in April 2015 with the cast and crew of Little Pieces. We were about to go in and see the completed film with friends and family for the first time. It was exhilarating to know that I had done something some people only dream about. There are other filmmakers, with far more clout than I, who are still struggling to make their first feature film and I've managed to do it, through a mix of luck and craziness.
BeautyTies: How can people get involved with supporting the movie industry?
Adam Nelson: Support independent films. Support independent cinema schemes that bring films you may not see at your local Cineworld, Vue, or Odeon. Take a chance on something different once and a while. If you have the choice between the new Marvel film and a small indie film, see the indie film. The Marvel film will still be in the cinema next week, the indie film might not. Support regional filmmakers too, not every story has to be told from the perspective of London, or Manchester, or another metropolitan hub. The money goes where the audience goes, so if there's even a little bit more support for independent film it'll get far more of a look in.
BeautyTies: The Mire has us intrigued and we can’t wait to see it. We supported it through your crowdfund page. How is the crowdfunding coming along?
Adam Nelson: We didn't make all the money that we hoped we would, but we planned for that and had contingencies in place. We've got a chunk of it, and when there's already some money attached to a project there's a greater chance of attracting more, so it's not a massive issue that we didn't raise it all.
BeautyTies: When The Mire is wrapped, what is your next move to get it released to the public?
Adam Nelson: I've been speaking with distributors and sales agents this week. So far we've had a good number of companies ask for more information about the film and to see it when it's in post and we have a working edit. On top of that, some companies have asked to see whatever I do next based on some of my previous work, which is always a nice position to be in.
BeautyTies: what has been the biggest challenge having your own production company?
Adam Nelson: Keeping on top of the numbers. Film at my level is not a glamourous job and on top of that, I still have a day job. The films we have out there don't make a lot of money, so I have to make sure that I keep on top of how much money is in the accounts and make sure I can cover the bills each month.
On set of Emotional Motor UnitBeautyTies: Is there anything you wish to add to this interview ?
Adam Nelson: If you are Amazon Prime inclined, be it in the UK or the US, you can check out our films Emotional Motor Unit and Little Pieces through their streaming service. I Am An Addict, a horror anthology, I made a short film for is available on VoD through Darkside releasing:
Emotional Motor Unit: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Emotional-Motor-Unit-Francesca-Burgoyne/dp/B076CSQB3D/ref=sr_1_3?s=instant-video&ie=UTF8&qid=1545086151&sr=1-3&keywords=%22Adam+Nelson%22
I Am An Addict: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/iamanaddict/496256515
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