I was fortunate enough to not only work with JB Miller of Burnmill Productions but also interview him on his upcoming projects! You may know him from his acting in Army From Hell which won Best Feature Film at Urban Action Showcase on November 8, 2014, but he has upcoming projects he is excited to give us a taste of. Here is the interview.
S: I understand you’re doing a bunch of short film thrillers?
JB: I am a member of Burnmill Productions. We are the rag tag team rebels of film making. A year ago I shot a thriller” The Early Patrons” in cooperation with the public access channel. After that I wrote and we put together the two character ,survival drama “Will To Live” This movie took three months to shoot and five months to edit but it is all together and gearing up for viewing. Witht these films , and my partner Lana Read helming thr short “Fallout” ( that is in preproduction)we thought how can we market this? That is when we decided to create Creepshow/Alfred Hitchcock style links with a host and string the films in an anthology called “Buried Tales”. “The early Patrons” has been reshot because we could not profit from the first one, completely reimagined by partner Mark Burris. The links will feature a homicidal housewife to tie everything together. Rusty Pietrzak will be directing those. This should all be out by the end of January.
S: Can you tell more more about these films?
JB: “Will To Live” is a two character ,survival drama. The real story is about how these people survive dealing with PTSD. It is set in a zombie apocalypse, but the real story is between the main characters. “The Early Patrons” is a tale of deep seeded revenge and redemption. A stranger walks into a bar but it is no joke. Do you always know the person sitting next to you at the local bar or are you just seeing what you want to see? “Fallout” is a story of corporate greed and how far somebody will go to set things right. The problem is nothing is ever what it seems as some people only see the short outcome while others are playing the long game. The only trouble is which character is the one playing three movies ahead. All three films and the links will be shot in a crushed, black and white, giving all the style and texture of a seedy ,film noir.
S: I am thrilled to have been a part of “The Early Patrons” myself, how did you start as a film maker?
JB: I was really into acting as a young man , high school and local theater around Dayton. After having children, I checked out “Pulp Fiction” For twenty years I studied film making , from reading books to obtaining a degree in multimedia, as well as enjoying many films. I want to make films because I have no other choice. This is all I see myself doing. I am not after riches or fame but to create impactful stories that resonate with people.
S: What are your favorite moments on these shoots?
JB: My favorite moments are the little surprises. It is hard to mention just one. I like it when two actors strike up instant chemistry , because that stuff translates on film. There are times when something does not work out like you wanted but thinking outside the box creates something better. In Will To Live a head gag didn’t work out so we had to come up with a shot to make up for it. We have been using the Hitchcock less is more to come up with perfect shots. Happy accidents!
S: What are your goals in film making?
JB: I want to make films until the camera and script are pried from my cold ,dead hands. I have a handful of screenplays and intend to make them one after another. “Psycho Frenzy” is my next push after ” Buried Tales” I wrote it as a Hitchcock homage but to be filmed in a raw 70’s Tobe Hooper/ Wes Craven style.
Well that is just the beginning for this thirsty, actor/ film maker. I look forward to seeing more of his work as well as working with him on future projects. Be on the lookout for his talk show Film Speak on youtube. His movies should be out next year and I will run the links here on Horror Society.
Have a killer day
Shana Rae
