AN INTERVIEW WITH FILMMAKER CASPER ANDREAS

Award-Winning Gay Writer/Director Casper Andreas (director of this past year's "A Four Letter Word" starring Jesse Archer and Charlie David) shares his passion for filmmaking with EthanSays.com. The OUT 100 winner also discusses what it was like growing up gay in Sweden, tells us of his future plans, and even provides some advice for all the glamour-pusses out there. He's currently getting ready to premiere his next film, "Between Love & Goodbye," on January 30th at Chelsea Clearview Cinemas in New York and will also appear on Sirius OUTQ Radio's "Derek & Romaine Show" on January 29th.

Q.) You have been quite an inspirational force lately, in not just the gay filmmaker community, but the filmmaker community in general. Tell us...what was the catalyst that caused you to get into film making--both writing and directing?

Thank you -- that is nice to hear! I started as an actor. I went to acting school in NYC and...(CONTINUE)

I pursued acting here for several years prior to moving out to LA in 1999. Since my acting career didn't take off in LA as I had hoped, I decided to write a script for myself to star in. I had always loved to write and make up stories, and I always thought that one day I will write something. Once I started getting my first script into shape though, I came to the realization that I really wanted to direct it. I could see the scenes play out in my head and I thought 'I really HAVE to direct this!' It became much more important to me than to actually act in it.

I had never directed anything in my life so I started studying directing on my own. I took seminars, I read lots of books and I listened to lots of director's DVD commentaries. Then I moved back to New York and I wrote and directed a couple of short films to get my feet wet. Then I made my first feature in 2003. Since I never went to film school, it's been very much on-the-job training for me. For each film I make I learn more and get a little better. I truly love directing. It's THE MOST creative job imaginable -- you literally get to create a different world. And my favorite part, being an actor myself, is working with the actors.

Q.) You recently won an OUT 100 Award (congratulations!!), and were the only other NY-based filmmaker, aside from Todd Stephens ("Another Gay Movie"), that won this year. How does New York affect how you create films, both aesthetically and intellectually?

NYC is a great place to make films. First of all there is a lot of talent here -- both behind the scenes and in front of the camera. Also, the city is very accommodating and assists you in so many ways with tax breaks and free locations, etc. So for practical reasons I love making films in NYC. Since I lived in NYC most of my adult life it has also come naturally to me to tell New York stories. My films so far have taken place here and deal with a lot of specific NYC issues -- that at the same time (I hope) -- are universal. Many characters in my films have been struggling artists (actors, writers, photographers, models, musicians) -- very much inspired by people I know here -- and many of my characters have struggled with finding love and dealing with dating in the big city. In my new film "Between Love & Goodbye," one major plot line deals with who gets to hold on to an East Village apartment after a breakup. As many New Yorkers know, the toughest part of ending a relationship here can be to having to move and finding a new apartment!

Q.) Who are some other filmmakers you respect in both the gay and mainstream/indie communities?

I have a lot of respect for anybody who makes a film! I know how tough it is to get a film done. Especially a feature. Yet in this day and age, anyone who really wants to, can go out and do it without a lot of money. Yet there are so many people who dream of being a film director but never do anything about it. I think the toughest thing for a lot of people is to put oneself out there for everyone to see and judge one's work, and that is why so many give up on their artistic dreams. So I'm a big champion for anyone who goes after what they want, and put themselves out there even if its scary.

I recently saw "Australia" and met Baz Luhrman after a screening. He was a great inspiration. "Australia" might not be the perfect film (personally, I thought it was a bit too long) but to hear Luhrman speak about his reasoning for wanting to make the film and what he set out to do was such an inspiration for me. And I love his imaginary filmmaking. I love "Moulin Rouge" and I love "Romeo+Juliet" even more. I wish he hadn't been forced to abandon his Alexander the Great movie. I can only imagine what he might have done with that story. Luhrman is definitely a filmmaker whose work I will continue to check out. I also really liked Anthony Minghella's films. Especially "The Talented Mr. Ripley." As an actor I would have LOVED to work with him. I'm very excited about Stephen Daldry. "The Hours" is one of my all-time favorite films. I would also like to mention Neil Jordan. I haven't seen all of his film but I really liked "The Butcher Boy," "The Crying Game," and another one of my all-time favorites "The End of the Affair."

Q.) Since you have filmed quite a few movies already, do you have a set routine for going about the process, or is every film different from the next, in terms of production?

One of the reasons I didn't give up making films after my first feature film, "Slutty Summer," despite it being such an exhaustive experience, is that I learned so much about filmmaking, about practical stuff, you know, the process of making a feature. And I really learned it the hard way, so I felt, 'Well I can't stop now. I have to at least make one more film so that I get to apply everything that I learned the first time around!' There is definitely a process in making a film. It does get easier in the sense that now I know what needs to get done so I can plan better, and delegate better and it's no longer quite as overwhelming. On the other hand, its such a daunting thing to produce a feature film and now when I know that, I can also say 'No! Never again.' My goal is actually to produce less. Producing is not really what I'm interested in. So, instead, I hope to get more opportunities (like I got with "The Big Gay Musical") to just direct. To get hired to direct instead of putting together a project myself.

Q.) Your film, "A Four Letter Word," had some really hot actors in it--Charlie David, Jesse Archer, Cory Grant. How did you find them? To add, the movie had some hysterical one-liners. Who came up with all of them?

Jesse Archer, who stars as Luke, and I wrote the script together. Both Jesse and J.R. Rolley had been in my first film "Slutty Summer" playing the same characters, and now Jesse and I expanded on those roles in "A Four Letter Word" which was kind of a spin-off of "Slutty Summer." Regarding the one-liners, Jesse came up with some and I came up with the rest. We didn't sit together writing; instead we sent it back and forth, so a lot of times he came up with something, and then I improved on it or the other way around. Regarding the other hot actors -- we auditioned a lot of guys! In Charlie David's case -- he actually approached us being interested in a role. I thought he would be perfect as the Stephen character and I think we were very lucky to get him!

Q.) You are now getting ready to release your next film, "Between Love & Goodbye," which is about the life and death of a relationship. It's your first drama, correct? Can you tell our readers what it is about and your inspiration behind the film? What message do you hope to relay to audience-goers through viewing the film?

It's my first feature drama. Though I did make a couple of shorts prior that were more on the dramatic side. All my films though have some drama in them -- and comedy -- and that is true for this film as well. Lots of laughs -- though it's a much more serious film than my other features. It has a lot of sadness.

The film is about Kyle and Marcel, who fall madly in love with each other. Marcel is French but ends up marrying his lesbian friend Sarah so that he can stay in the US with Kyle. Later on, Kyle's estranged sister April enters their lives and causes drama. In many ways she comes between Kyle and Marcel and that is the beginning of the end of their love affair. The film is very much about falling out of love and dealing with those feelings. How do you move on? How do you let go if you don't want to?

I don't think I could have made a film like this if I didn't find some parallel with myself, and I very much relate to both Kyle and Marcel in the film. We've all found ourselves in bad relationships and felt ourselves trapped in situations that we don't know how to get out of. So the film is about how one deals with that. Marcel and Kyle end up in a place they had no intentions of ending up in. I think it's so easy to be caught up in the drama of life and I hope the film, like a good movie should, allows the audience to see themselves in it. I hope they are moved by it, and I hope that once the film is over it will make them think and talk about it afterwards. I hope it makes people look at their own lives and think about how they choose to treat others.

Watch the trailer for "BETWEEN LOVE & GOODBYE", below:

Q.) There's a lot of music in "Between Love & Goodbye," including a soundtrack to be released along with it. Can you tell us who some of your favorite musical artists are. Who sonically inspires you to create art? Are you musically-gifted, as well?

You know, I'm not really a musical person. Which is crazy since I followed up "Between Love & Goodbye," which has lots of music performed in it, with directing an actual musical. In fact, working on "The Big Gay Musical" caused people to make fun of me because I knew so little about Broadway and musical theater.

When it comes to music I love, I'm still very much stuck in the 80s. It's really sad actually but the music that still moves me the most is stuff I heard when I was a teenager. So granted, I still love Madonna and Kylie. I do try to listen to a variety of music though and I love everything from Edith Piaf to Rihanna. Usually, I listen to what people around me likes. I'm not the kind of person who spend a lot of time searching out new artists or listens to tons of albums.

I've always been told I can't sing so I try to avoid it (though I'm still convinced that there is a singer in there somewhere). I'm actually quite jealous of people who can sing really well. And people who play instruments. I can't do that either....

Q.) You are originally from Sweden, correct? What was it like growing up gay there? What made you move to the States?

Well I never knew growing up in Sweden that I was gay. As a teenager I knew I had gay tendencies but I always thought I was straight. I dated girls. I figured its true what I had read that everyone goes through their teenage years questioning their sexuality, so I never worried about it. I'm from a small town and it wasn't until I moved to New York at the age of 20 to study acting and for the first time met actual gay people that I realized that perhaps my gay tendencies meant that I was gay. In fact, in retrospect, I think that one thing that attracted me about moving to New York was that I figured it was a great place to figure out who I really was as a person.

Q.) What other projects have you been working on lately? Any truth to the rumor that you are working on the film adaptation to "Going Down in La La Land?" Tell us a little about that.

I think it's more than a rumor... It's been announced, and I'm in the process of finishing the script. The plan is to shoot it in March 2009 in LA, though I haven't decided on a definite date yet. The film (like the novel by Andy Zeffer) tells the story about struggling actors in LA. Adam who is gay and his straight roommate Candy who are prepared to do whatever it takes to make it in Hollywood! I think of the film as a dramedy and it is very much about the crazy fame-culture we live in today.

Q.) What else can we expect from you in the future? Are you planning any other artistic endeavors, aside from producing films?

Well as I mentioned I hope to move away from producing. I want to focus on directing, acting and writing. So my goal is to get hired more often as a director and as an actor. As a writer I have several scripts and even a novel or two in my head that I want to write, so if I don't get hired I think I will focus more on the writing.

Q.) And for the glamour pusses and fashionistas out there, how do you go about getting your skin to look so flawless? Do you use any particular skincare products? What types of clothing do you enjoy wearing?

Ha! Are you for real? My skin is usually very dry, but I found a great moisturizer by Vishy called Nutrilogie 2 so especially in the winter-time I use it thick! In terms of clothing, I love my Diesel jeans. Other favorite designers are Dolce & Gabbana and Marc Jacobs. I especially like Marc Jacobs cause they lent me clothes for the Out 100 party. I hate to go shopping so I hope that will happen again!