CRAFTY Directed By Erik Gernand

Indie Express: Tell us about your film?

Erik: A gay rights activist “seduces” a craft loving house wife into signing her petition.

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

E: My writing partner on the film Jenny Hagel and I were pitching ideas over beers and we came up with the notion for CRAFTY. We each threw out a couple of pitches and hers stuck.

IE: How did you assemble your production team?

E: This was a very small, but determined team. As the director, I also was the DP and did the sound. Jenny (who is in the film also) and I co-wrote the script and she made all of the crafty props and titles for the fim.

IE: How did you find your cast? 

E: Jenny is an alum of Second City so she has some great connections to comedic talent. Amy Phillips (who plays opposite Jenny in the film) is an extremely talented actress and voice artist who Jenny knows.

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

E: That was about 6 weeks.

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

E: After several meetings in person, Jenny and I sent the script back and forth via e-mail. It was Christmas break (we’re in grad school together in a screenwriting program at Northwestern University) and we’d decided we wanted to take our time off to do a project just for fun. No grades. No pressure. Just fun.

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

E: The longest scene to shoot was the 7-second scene of the two women ice skating. It was a lot of fun to do, but was very time consuming to go downtown, park, rent skates and take loops around the track for a quick gag. It was worth it though.

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

E: The final “seduction” scene was a lot of fun to shoot.

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

E: This is the film’s premiere here at Frameline and we’re extremely excited about it!

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

E: Seeing lots and lots of great films and just being in San Francisco.

IE: What films or filmmakers inspire you?

E: That’s a tough one. I like so much. 

 IE: What is next for you? 

E: Jenny and I are working on a feature length comedy screenplay and we both are finishing post on each of our own 16mm shorts that we shot through our graduate program.

IE: What is next for the film?

E: Just found out that it will be playing at Palm Springs International Festival of Short Films.

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

E: Just get it made!

IE: What question would you like to be asked about your film? 

E: Is that “Dummies” book for real?

IE: What is the Answer to that question?

E: No, but it should be.