Interview

 
 

E-What inspired you to get into filmmaking?

DC-I’ve always been interested in the moving image for as long as I can remember. Movies and books were a great way to escape into another world and let my mind wander. When I was a kid, I loved to day dream and let my mind take me wherever I wanted it to go. As I got older, I wanted to figure out a way to project the images that I would create in my mind, and film and video seemed like the only way I could really articulate my ideas. My mother got  me a  sony handycam Hi-8 digital camera when I was about 12 and after that I fell in love with the practice.

E-Do you have any pet peeves when it comes to putting work together?

DC-Honestly, my biggest pet peeve is time management. Life is so busy, and  finding the time to sit and really drift off with my work has proven to become more and more difficult as an adult. Especially when it comes to my work on celloid, since I like to shoot, hand process the film, do sound, and edit my work independently. It is something I am working on fixing and am trying to dedicate at least an hour a night to work. It’s a slower process than when I was in my 20’s, but I wouldn't say it's necessarily a bad thing.

E- Name five films that you love.

DC-Dang, this is a tough one. There’s just so many to list. I will try to list the films that I feel have been the most inspirational to me.

  • “Dog Star Man” (Stan Brakhage, 1962)

  • “The Outsiders” (Francis Ford Coppola, 1983)

  • “Lost Highway” (David Lynch, 1997)

  • “Stroszek” (Werner Herzog, 1977)

  • “Walden: Diaries, Notes, & Sketches” (Jonas Meaks, 1968)

E-When editing your projects, do you listen to music? If so, what are some of your favorite tunes to put on while working?

DC-I do! But only when I’m not working on the sound design. I tend to listen to a lot of ambient and experimental music when I’m cutting. Some of the artists that really get me in the proper headspace include Brian Eno, Aphex Twin, Grouper, Taylor Deupree, Duane Pitre, Emily A. Spragu, & William Basinki.

E-What are your thoughts on the social media era?

DC-It’s a double edged sword. I personally don’t use it all that much anymore, but if it is used correctly it can be incredibly productive. For me personally, I just found it to be a huge distraction to what is directly in front of me. I don’t want to be glued to a device. Memes are pretty cool though.

E-Besides filmmaking, what other mediums interest you that you have yet to explore? Why?

DC-This is a tough one because I feel i’ve just been so immersed in moving images and sound for so long. I really love architecture , because a structure or a space can have such a unique personality and can trigger a lot of different feelings in a person. The culinary arts are also something that I really respect and find intriguing. My father was a chef by profession and my mother is a fantastic cook, so I was around restaurants and food throughout my childhood. 

E-Black & White or Color? Why?

DC-Both. It all depends on the feeling one is trying to convey (and budget they have! haha).

E-What is the setting of your ideal silent film? 

DC-I think Stan Brakhage and Nathaniel Dorsky hit the nail on the head with this one. It’s hard to really compete with what they’ve done. If I were to make a silent film, I’d want it to be something frustrating to the audience. Perhaps an entire narrative with characters speaking and engaging within a plot, but absolutely zero sound would be heard. The story would be completely told through actions and gestures (which is what cinema is truly about). Robert Bresson was the master at this.

E-What do you think about crocs?

DC-I absolutely love them. My son is on his second pair and they are his favorite shoes, and for good reason! They just work, and seem so comfortable. I really want to get a pair, I just need to figure out what color. Maybe green? My son has all of these cool little charms that he puts on them. Currently he has a lot of spooky ghosts and spiders because he loves Halloween. I’m really envious, honestly. I’ll have to ask his advice before I confirm my purchase on a pair of crocs + charms. 

E- Which is your favorite camera to work with? Why?

DC-The Bolex H16 16mm camera. It is, in my opinion, the perfect camera. It is built with such precision and works so well. It’s a clockwork camera, so no batteries are needed unless using a motor. There are a lot of limitations with this particular camera, but with restrictions comes great problem solving. It makes you really think about what you want to convey. It will always be my tool of choice.

E-Twin Peaks or Twilight Zone?

DC-Twin Peaks!

All images are screenshots from Be Here, Foil #2, and Seven Days a Week by Derick Crucius.