CARPET DIEM

Directed By Trevor Anderson

Indie Express: Tell us about your film?

Trevor: CARPET DIEM is a two-minute creative documentary made of two still photos: one taken on my cell phone, the other by a professional Hollywood paparazzo.

IE: How did you come up with the idea for the film?

Trevor: I attended AFI Fest 2007 with my previous short film ROCK POCKETS. On opening night I walked my first ever red carpet, and got caught in the background of a photo of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. Like a hick, I was taking a picture of them from behind on my cell phone.

IE: How did you assemble your production team?

Trevor: All the work of this film was in post, so I spent an afternoon with my sound designer and an afternoon with my editor.

IE: How did you find your cast? 

Trevor: They walked by.

IE: How long did the film take?  (From conception to final edit)

Trevor: I had the idea to do something with that photo right after it was taken. I finally did something with it the week before the submission deadline for this year’s festival.

IE: Tell us a little about your process of directing (writing) this film.

Trevor: I knew I’d probably never be in a photograph with Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes again in my life, so I figured I better do something with it. I didn’t want it to be too literal though, so I wound up writing a personal, hopefully funny, monologue about the circumstances that got me to that moment, and what I think it might mean in a bigger sense.

IE: What was the most difficult part of the shoot for you?

Trevor: Having the guts to sneak back on the red carpet after I’d done my walk, stand somewhere I wasn’t really supposed to be and wait for someone famous to walk by. I was shaking: in my cell phone photo, my finger is covering half the frame.

IE: Any particular moments from filming that stand out for you?

Trevor: The experience of standing behind Tom and Katie when all those camera flashes went off was exhilarating, blinding, apocalyptic, and quietly ridiculous.

IE: Tell us about the film’s festival experience so far?

Trevor: AFI Fest 2008 will be its world premiere.

IE: What are you most looking forward to at the AFI festival?

Trevor: Walking the red carpet at AFI Fest for this film about walking the red carpet at AFI Fest. That’s just ironic enough for my liking.

IE: What has been your most interesting Q&A so far?  What was your favorite question?  How was the dialogue afterwards?

Trevor: I haven’t had any yet. I’m hoping Tom and Katie aren’t in the audience, asking “So, what exactly do you think gives you the right…”

IE: What films or filmmakers inspire you?

Trevor: Edward II by Derek Jarman; My Own Private Idaho by Gus Van Sant; Le Confessional by Robert LePage; Law of Desire by Pedro Almodovar. I’ve been re-watching the monologues of Spalding Gray recently, may he rest in peace.

IE: What made you decide to become a filmmaker?

Trevor: I had been working in theatre and music and I like good stories. Film seemed to be a way to start bringing it all together and to reach a wider audience.

 IE: What is next for you? 

Trevor: I’m about to release a five-minute short film that combines animation and live action, called THE ISLAND. And, like everybody else, I’m writing my first feature.

IE: What is next for the film?

Trevor: Hopefully some other festivals will pick it up, and I’d be really pleased if broadcasters and distributors show some interest. If not, I’ll give my mom a copy and call it a day.

IE: If asked to give one piece of advice to a new filmmaker making their first short film… What would it be?

Trevor: Try not to push: let it tell you what it is.

IE: What are your favorite short films currently on the festival circuit? (Like your short film playlist)

Trevor: Pat’s First Kiss, Pat Mills, Canada, 2008

Cattle Call, Matthew Rankin and Mike Maryniuk, Canada, 2008

Countertransference, Madeleine Olnek, USA, 2008

Chainsaw, Dennis Tupicoff, Australia, 2007

Cowboy, Till Kleinert, Germany, 2008

Wow, I sure like films that start with the letter ‘C’, huh?