The Making of: White Lightning
...with
filmmaker Mark McGarry
White
Lightning is a documentary looking into the life of a 29 year old albino
dj that plays cd's at a bowling alley on Saturday nights. His real name is
Greg Benhardt and his dj name is "White Lightning".
He quit his job at the local bread factory to focus all of his
energy into his Saturday night performances.
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Yo Beat: What was your creative vision for making this film?
Mark:
I don't know ...maybe I should
take some acid and find one.....whoa shit
Where
did you come up with the idea for an albino dj that spins in a bowling
alley?
I
was bowling with some friends one night in Vermont and there was a dj that
was playing top 40 hits all night and people were so into him. He was
acting like he was mixing records and stuff but he was just hitting the
"play" button on a cd player. Every person there felt his
energy....he was intense.
What
is it like making your first feature film? Any problems you’ve had?
It
has been fun. Problems....no money and the movie star is always
snowboarding so it is hard to plan our shooting. I don't think I am paying
him enough....I might give him a raise or a bag of chips. Brian Barb calls
himself a "chipaholic" at parties.
 |
What
is your favorite scene in the movie?
Definetly
the scene that you helped me with....the only scene in the movie with
crazy special effects. It is a reanactment of a dream WL had...he is naked
on the floor squirming around with rain pouring down on him. It was quite
costly but we pulled it off.
How
are the acting talents of Brian Barb?
Brian
Barb is an extremely talented actor. I feel good knowing that this movie
is going to boost his career. I know he really wants to work with Bill
Bellemy on a Boyz in the Hood
kind of flic...so this will give him a good start.
How
is Mike Parziale involved?
Mike has his acting debut in the movie...he plays one of Greg's co-workers at the Franz bread factory. He is wearing a hair net and smoking a cigarette.
Who
would you say is the best member of your crew?
You...
since you have been my only crew member, but a great one. I could have
never pulled off that special effects scene without you. Something could
have definetly blown up and killed someone.
 |
What
has been your biggest challenge in making the movie?
Having
no money, reserving equipment, having a movie star that is a snowboarder,
fighting off all the actors that want to be in it, and filming the whole
thing with one arm.
What
is something you know indie movie nerds will notice and decide they
don’t like the movie because of?
Indie
movie nerds....they will notice that there are obvious filming no no's in
the movie like an umbrella light reflecting in Brian's glasses or obvious
shadows placed perfectly centered on Brian's face...they will either like
this or not because my role in the movie is that I am a filmmaker that has
failed to make any good movies because I don't know what I am doing.
When
will it be completed?
Hopefully....by
the end of April
How
are you going to bring it to the people?
Hi
mom.
The Making of: White Lightning: With filmmaker Mark McGarry
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