[Watch the video interview on Youtube here]
Film Courage: Why make a narrative film when you’ve had so much success with documentaries?
Rory Karpf, Filmmaker: I like to take risks. I’ve always wanted to do a scripted film. I like the collaborative nature of scripted. I love working with the actors. I love working with the DP. When you’re shooting a documentary you don’t necessarily know what you’re going to get. Sometimes when you go on a shoot.
Sometimes it can be very dependent on the subject, especially if you’re dealing with a celebrity or if you’re shooting vérité, is it going to be interesting? You’re at that mercy. A lot of it’s crafted in post of what you shoot and whatnot.
With scripted the idea that you can be writing something completely by yourself or on an airplane look like words go from your head to the page. A year later these are being acted out and you’re filming it and you’re structurally telling the story, to me it is incredible.
Shooting Grace Point was one of the best experiences of my entire life, not just the best experiences in work, my life. I made a joke that at the premiere was the best experience, and I had to table that and say next to getting married. Then I had to table again after my kids were being born, but anyway. It was just so cool!
You think about movies. Movies actually do change people’s lives. Everyone has a favorite movie. I love all kinds of film. I think my favorite comedy is Elf. I love the movie Elf. Every time I watch it. Every Christmas I laugh at something different. I’m always hysterically laughing. I know what’s going to happen, why am I still laughing at this movie? But here I am laughing every time.
If The Shawshank Redemption is on, I’m watching it on TV. It doesn’t matter where I stop in the film, I’m watching the movie. A couple weeks ago I’m up till 2:00 in the morning. I know exactly what’s going to happen yet I’m still watching it. Why does it have this effect on me?…(Watch the video interview on YouTube here).
BIO:
Rory Karpf is a 4-time Emmy and Peabody Award winning filmmaker who has collaborated with notable talents such as Tom Cruise, Kevin Costner, Snoop Dogg, Shaquille O’Neal, Paul Newman, Vin Diesel, Peyton Manning, Rob Lowe and Dana White. His documentary work includes the ESPN 30 for 30 films “I Hate Christian Laettner,” “Nature Boy,” “The Book of Manning,” the Netflix series “Coach Snoop,” and the AMC series “The Secret History of Comics.” “Grace Point” is Rory’s first scripted feature as a writer and director.
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