The Mogul Production known to be a decentralized film financing platform welcomed Director, Writer and, Producer, Hunter Adams, to a Q&A session on its Telegram channel.
The AMA session was done in order to enlighten community members about filmmaking and his “sexy swamp thriller” Death Don’t Have No Mercy — one of the 9 movies in the Mogul platform showcase right now.
On the 3rd of April, 2021, Hunter Adams was hosted by Mogul Productions, few questions were asked and the conversation was thus:
Moderator|Mogul Productions: Hey Hunter, welcome back to our community.
Hunter Adams: Glad to be here!
Moderator|Mogul Productions: Before we open up to the community we would love to first ask you a few questions!
Q1.
Moderator|Mogul Productions: Let’s start from the beginning. When did you become interested in working as a film director, and what influenced your decision to pursue this career?
Hunter Adams: My Mom was a big fan of classic movies by filmmakers like Hitchcock and Hawkes, so she initially got me interested. But my dad took me to see Pulp Fiction when I was a kid and that was the first movie I saw where I really had a visceral reaction. Then when I was in college I spent a year studying in Paris and spent most of my time watching movies. It’s the best city in the world to see a lot of movies quickly. That was my film school.
Q2.
Moderator|Mogul Productions: Pulp Fiction as a kid! That would definitely be memorable! Was there a specific theater you would watch these films in Paris?
Hunter Adams: haha it was! especially the scene where he stabs the needle into her chest. The great thing about paris is that there’s a theater on practicallly every block. So i would just roam from theater to theater and watch movies from all over teh world. i discovered hong kong cinema and a lot of the european auteurs
Q3.
Moderator|Mogul Productions: That sounds amazing! Our community is very much global already and I know we have a few French followers as well. What would you say are the toughest aspects of making a film today?
Hunter Adams: The french are some of the best cinephiles in the world. I think the hardest part of making movies today is getting people to see your work. Because of technology, making movies is the easy part but finding an audience, cutting through the noise is really tough. so i’d say its more of a distribution challenge than a production one
Q4.
Moderator|Mogul Productions: Telling a great story can be difficult. What is the biggest mistake many filmmakers make while shooting a movie?
Hunter Adams: I thought Tangerine was a great example of using low fi technology (ie iphone) to tell a unique story. I’d say the biggest mistakes tend to happen before you start shooting. Most problems stem from lack of preparation. If something’s not working on set or in post, chances are it’s a script issue. Since cinema is a visual and aural medium, the script needs to be translated into cinematic language. I do a visual and aural breakdown before I shoot. I ask myself, how can I tell this story in a way that is visually and aurally expressive of the themes in my script?
You often hear war metaphors used to describe the production process, and there’s truth to that. So to combat that fog of war, you need to be extremely well prepared because you’re not going to be able to think straight when you’re in the middle of all that chaos and totally sleep deprived and stressed.
Q5.
Moderator|Mogul Productions: So preparation is key to making a good script come to life. Do you allow for any on set inspiration or improv?
Hunter Adams: absolutely. even if you throw the plan out the window, by taking the time to think deeply about the movie before you go into production, you’ll be ready to improvise on set or capture those happy accidents. i’m some body who storyboards, but most of the time I throw them away once i’m on set, being prepared allows me to feel comfortagble improvising on the day.
Q6.
Moderator|Mogul Productions: That makes a lot of sense. Having a strong overall vision going in makes it easier for creativity. How do you stay fresh when your inspiration is low, and you don’t feel highly creative?
Hunter Adams: Sleep! REM sleep is the engine of creativity. If I’m not feeling inspired, it’s usually means Ive gotten a lousy night of sleep. Alcohol and caffeine are the enemies of sleep so I try to limit those substances when I’m working intensely. I also microdose psilocybin mushrooms when I’m writing. I find it makes my thinking less rigid and it makes the process more enjoyable so I end up writing more and there’s a latin saying “solvitur ambulando” which means the answer will come to you while walking. I live close to Griffith Park in LA, so if I’m feeling stuck I take a stroll up into the hills and clear my mind. Movement gets blood flowing to the brain and good ideas start flowing.
Q7.
Moderator|Mogul Productions: Wow! Taking the thought process to a different level! In your career, what was the most important lesson you had to learn that has had a positive effect on your film?
Hunter Adams: Patience and perseverance. Films can take a long time to put together, so pace yourself. To use the tired maxim, its a marathon not a sprint. Focus on what you can control and try not to dwell on the stuff you can’t. If you’re a writer, write as often as you can. If you’re a cinematographer, be constantly shooting. Same for directing, editing, acting, etc. Just keep toiling away
Q8.
Moderator|Mogul Productions: I am excited for your showcase movie on Mogul’s platform. Can you pitch our audience on your project on Mogul, Death Don’t Have No Mercy? Tell us your vision!
Hunter Adams: Death Don’t Have No Mercy is a coming of age erotic thriller set in the Louisiana bayou. It follows 2 teenagers as they get jobs at a bbq joint run by two ex-cons. It has aspects of Spring Breakers, Mud, Wild Things and Angel Heart. It’s a wild, sensual ride and features a bounty of sex and violence
Q9.
Moderator|Mogul Productions: Having been successful in film I am curious on your take on audiences. Is it the filmmaker’s responsibility to find and develop your audience? Why do you feel that way? Would you collaborate with your audience?
Hunter Adams: More so than in the past, I do think that filmmaker’s need to cultivate an audience because if they don’t, no one else will. Since the studios aren’t making “indie” films anymore you have to find a way to reach the people who will respond to your work, otherwise no one will ever see it and I think platforms like Mogul are really exciting because it puts filmmakers and fans in closer proximity and allows for more collaboration
Q10.
Moderator|Mogul Productions: Completely agree. The networking and power of the crowd on our platform can really boost indie movies. GOOD indie movies! At what point do you recognize that a film is finished and ready to be released?
Hunter Adams: I get feedback from a handful of trusted sources. Once I feel like I’ve addressed their concerns, I’m ready to release it. There’s something to be said for taking your time in the edit and letting the film marinate.
Q11.
Moderator|Mogul Productions: So Hunter, we are all here because we LOVE cinema. How did your love for movies get sparked and what can we — as a community — do to help others discover a similar pleasure?
Hunter Adams: I fell in love with movies by watching movies and discussing them with my friends. Now that the pandemic is coming to and end, make an effort to get back into the cinemas and have conversations with strangers about the things you loved and hated. Movies are such a wonderful social activity. Turn off netflix for a night and go to the cinemas! I also recommend streaming services that are more curated. The criterion channel and shudder both have a more curatorial voice. It’s hard to know what to watch on something like netflix because it’s just a sea of content without any buoys to guide you.
Q12.
Moderator|Mogul Productions: Okay let’s ask this final question and then we can have an open question time. Best question for last!
What excites you about Mogul?
Hunter Adams: Many things. I love how it connects audiences and filmmakers and creates an ongoing dialogue throughout the production process. From the standppoint of financing, I think it’s incredibly exciting that there’s this possibility to get really cool films made that would otherwise never get the money they need. Everyone keeps saying that movies are dying. I really think this could be a way to save indie films. this could be the future of indie film financing
Moderator|Mogul Productions: Thank you so much Hunter for giving me the opportunity to ask you these questions. I am going to open up our chat now so that people in the community can ask you questions. Feel free to hang out as long as you would like!
Check out Hunter Adams IMDB Page: Here
Check out Dig Two Graves: Here
Check out his latest work, Death Don’t Have No Mercy on our platform: my.mogulproductions.com in our showcase.
Hunter Adams: Thank You, Mike!
About Mogul Productions
Mogul is a decentralized film financing platform that brings
creators, fans, and film financiers together; allowing everyone to play a part in the next big blockbuster.
For More Information about Mogul Productions:
Website: https://www.mogulproductions.com/
Telegram Group: https://t.me/mogulproductions
Twitter: https://twitter.com/we_are_mogul
Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/mogulproductions/
Medium: https://medium.com/mogulproductions
