P&R con el Talento que hizo la película BLACK ROAD

Black Road, a science-fiction thriller written and directed by Gary Lundgren, is Joma Films latest production, and their third filmed in Southern Oregon.

Set in 2029, in the lawless State of Jefferson, the movie tells the story of an ex-military drifter, a human with a super computer embedded in his head, who risks his life to protect a woman from her dangerous ex.

Black Road is a low budget production that fundraised almost half of its cost through a Kickstarter project. It will be released on October of 2015.

We talked to Gary Lundgren, writer and director of Black Road, and producers Anne Lundgren and Luis Rodriguez about their experiences shooting in Southern Oregon.

Gary Lundgren: Writer/Director 

Tell us about your film career…

I went to Art Center College of Design in Pasadena for filmmaking. From there I worked as an assistant editor on some major studio pictures in Hollywood. Post production is a slow, tedious process and it’s where I learned the most about filmmaking. I still love working as an editor on other films, but my passion is writing and directing. I realized from the beginning that no one was going to just give me an opportunity to direct. We had to create those opportunities ourselves and that’s what we’ve been doing.

Prior to Black Road you produced other movies in the Northwest including Redwood Highway, and Calvin Marshall, what is it like to film in Oregon?

We lived in LA for a long time. Living in Los Angeles was great but it’s a difficult and expensive place to shoot a feature. It’s hard to beat the Northwest for peace of mind, amazing locations and affordable shooting permits, etc. And there are great crews in Southern Oregon who we are now great friends with.

What do you hope the audience will take away from the film?

I hope audiences find Black Road both unsettling and entertaining. Hopefully it will mean something to people as well. The story explores our need for stability, happiness and meaning.

After World War II, desperation and disillusionment crept into hollywood’s crime stories. Noir was almost an accident. It was a reaction to what was going on. Very reflective of how writers and artists were feeling.

I think there’s a similar sort of insecurity now. The job market is flailing and there’s tremendous economic inequality. Is the government and the NSA infringing on our freedoms? And we’re so attached at the hip to technology. There are a lot of themes and ideas that I’m hoping will resonate with people.

When and where will the movie be released?

We are excited to premiere in Beverly Hills on October 14th. Our Northwest premiere will be at the Astoria Film Festival in Astoria, Oregon. We’ve partnered with Coming Attractions theaters and will open theatrically across Oregon. Then it will go to VOD where most people will see the film.

Anne Lundgren:

Budget is crucial when writing a script because it limits locations and speaking roles, how did it impact the decisions made when producing Black Road?

Since we went into Black Road knowing we’d have a limited budget, we planned for this from the script stage. Our goal was to enhance what we had to work with instead of expanding to too many options. We set out to choose visually stunning locations and create well-drawn characters.  Even with our budget limitations, we were still able to film in 20 locations including the magnificent Oregon Coast.

You relied on a Kickstarter project to partially fund the production of the film, what other strategies did you use to reach the budget needed for Black Road?

In addition to Kickstarter, Black Road was funded by a group of regional investors. We spent quite a bit of time working with our investors to create a business model, which made sense to professional, savvy investors with the intention of building long-term relationships and partnering again on future films.

What are the biggest challenges the independent film industry faces in Oregon?

We don’t always have enough productions coming into the valley to sustain full-time work for our film crews. On the other hand, when large or simultaneous projects come to the area, we don’t always have enough crew or equipment to support them.

It is a matter of continuing to grow slowly from both sides: promoting the region as a prime location for larger-budgeted projects from out of the area, and building the infrastructure and crew base needed to support these larger professional projects.  Both of these things are happening. A few new production companies have moved to the area in the last year, and existing businesses are expanding their services and acquiring new equipment.

Luis Rodriguez:

What was your role in Black Road and how did you get involved in the project?

When I found out Gary was making Black Road I knew I wanted to be a part of it. We arranged a meeting and discussed the film and work that needed to be done. The end result was that he welcomed me on board. I then worked very closely with Anne on pre-production and once we started filming, we just had to do everything that needed to be done to keep the production going.

How was the Southern Oregon community and local businesses engaged in the process?

We had amazing support. During pre-production we approached many businesses for sponsorship and received a great response. Just one example of the community’s generosity was that for almost the entire duration of our shoot, we were eating donated catered meals by local restaurants. The cast and crew really appreciated being fed well.

Where any local actors/actresses casted in the movie?

Yes. We had some great actors from the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. We also casted over 100 background extras for numerous scenes.

What did you take away from this project?

Working with Gary, Anne, and the rest of the talented crew was a great experience. I learned the importance of having the right people on the crew. I feel more focused than ever and I am ready for the next project.