Michelle Arthur | Interview
TIFF : Who are your biggest filmmaking influences?
Michelle : Many super stars have made an impact over my lifetime -- Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, Johnny Depp, Dustin Hoffman. I actually reference those icons in the "Trivia" section on my page on the IMDb website. There are two men, however, who made pivotal changes in my career.
Spy film "James Bond" British Actor Daniel Craig is one of them. In 2013 I was breaking off an engagement when I saw an ad for his Broadway play BETRAYAL with his Oscar-winning wife Rachel Weisz. That was definitely influential.
By May 2014 I was on a flight to Los Angeles with my big Hollywood dreams packed. I'd lived in Southern California before and had a few Background Artist gigs then. Naysayers dissuaded me from pursuing it any further. With this move I was more motivated.
In June that year, I enrolled in Studio 4, James Franco's Acting & Filmmaking School which had just opened coincidentally. There I landed my first speaking role and participated in several of Franco's films, such as ACTORS ANONYMOUS, DARK HOURS: ROXANA, DARK HOURS: TYPEE, TENN, and THE DISASTER ARTIST. It was at S4 where I met Instructors and friends would become future collaborators on my own films or where I would gain greater experience and exposure with their projects. It was a terrific networking source.
TIFF : How do you develop your characters?
Michelle : It begins with a vision like an Archer aiming his bow & arrow at a bullseye. When you know where you are going exactly with your story idea then you can aim for that final destination. Going from A to Z in the filmmaking industry is no easy task. There are a thousand steps you take as a Producer/Director.
My approach has been to strive for excellence at every single step. That might sound like a cliche; yet I'm surprised at how many people will try to cut corners with their work. It might take me longer to get through the finish line but it's worth it. Once a film is completed and distributed, the world will have access to it forever. Might as well have it at your perceived point of perfection or as close to it as possible. The festival circuit recognized my efforts with their laurels, I believe. Not everyone wins.
With my journey in this field, I've also witnessed first hand how some will embellish in the press what their contributions were to a production. I'm bewildered by that because their part is listed on the credit roll and on the cast & crew lists. It's right there in black & white ink what they did or did not do. Truth always prevails.
Special shout out to the producing teams who held those significant positions in my films: Surinder Bamrah, Jeff Vernon, Maureen Mahon, Todd Tetreault, Natalie Rodriguez, Patrick Stalinski, and Jaymes Butler.
As we developed a film, for every character I imagine, as I do with acting, that I am in that person's shoes totally. If nothing else exists except being that character, how do they feel about what they're saying?
Luckily I've been gifted with the ability to block everything else out of my mind on set -- no audience to be nervous about, no camera watching your every move. Once we're rolling it's just me as "Sally" or whatever name and my acting partners. That ideal transcends into the way I direct other actors as I put myself into their characters' shoes too.
TIFF : How has the film industry changed since you started?
Michelle : It's a foggy landscape that continues to change. Back in the day going to theatres with your friends was a popular thing to do. Lockdowns during the Covid-19 pandemic put people in the habit of adopting streaming services from the large initial distributors like Netflix to a myriad of new platforms. Nothing like seeing a movie on the big screen, however, which is why many are renovating with home theatres, if they can.
Theatres are still very appealing. It's just that our society has become squeezed for time and money with inflation, and these days people are choosing convenience whenever possible. They see leaving the house for a theatre as more of a luxury. Hopefully as our economy improves then theatre-going will return. Streaming providers have definitely changed the business these last few years with broadband internet connections. Cord and cost-cutting consumers are cancelling cable or satellite TV subscriptions at an alarming rate. There is still a strong foundation of that audience though.
Lately the industry has focused on big-budget superhero movies with more action than ever before. The result has been a pot of gold for corporations. I think the American public, and those overseas, are tiring of the same noise though and their souls are thirsty for traditional long-form dramatic storytelling of yesteryear. That's where my films step in as independent romance dramas with a touch of comedy or thrilling mystery! We believe we can still maintain viewers' attention with our twists of fate. In the end it's always about the script.
Lastly, the quality and range of directors' capabilities have improved with magnified camera and post production technology. That's fantastic for filmmakers no matter where they send their footage!
TIFF : How important is the script to you in the filmmaking process?
Michelle : Screenwriters tend to marry their words before passing along their pages to a production house. What many don't realize is how much ultimate location choices, actors' character development and improvised word choices, budget, or casting even can alter what happens on a shoot. The beauty of being the Producer, Director, and Screenwriter all rolled into one is that it expedited decision making.
For example, I'd written a closing scene for the feature film FATE'S SHADOW: THE WHOLE STORY with Actor Todd Tetreault. He had a scheduling conflict at the last minute. With no time to find another qualified Actor that would really fit the look and style I wanted, it was better to simply re-write the finale. That was meant to be as it worked out better to have our ending without a male acting partner, which illuminated female empowerment.
An example contrary to that is when I showed the script to one of my Supporting Actresses who told me it can't be done. Maybe it can't be done in her world but it was done in mine. She claimed the theatre scene would be too costly. Unsure how she would know my budget but the universe kicks in and finds ways to make something possible. In that instance, I kept the theatre written into the story and those scenes, which she is in, were effective I felt for FATE'S SHADOW: THE WHOLE STORY. I never discourage anyone from following their dreams.
TIFF : How do you see the role of film in society?
Michelle : From the beginning in 1878 when SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN published a series of images, people have been fascinated with other aspects of photography. We can be forever grateful to Thomas Edison for his patents on recording and reproducing things in motion in 1888. Six years later his "kinetoscope" was a commercial success and we've been improving our technology since then due to demand.
As a filmmaker I feel a responsibility, however, to show content that educates and entertains our world in a positive way. Not everyone feels that way. Drama comes in #3 behind Adventure (25.56%) and Action on the top genres chart for market share.
Whatever film genre is produced, once it's released it has staying power and will outlive all of us. That's my hope that a young viewer sees one of my five films one day and it changes their life for the better. So I'd rather see a spiral up to peace and happiness within its message than a spiral down toward the dark. That's just me.
TIFF : What is your style of directing?
Michelle : Our films statistically improved in the festival circuit so my learning process was reflected with the films' successes. People say they noticed a difference. We were lucky in that my overall approach was perceived effective and we received an extraordinary number of wins from the first films. It's just that the laurels came more rapidly with later films. Oversights have been fixed. So much more to learn, of course, but I have used mistakes from one production to benefit another. I've been able to polish my Director's shoes!
For example, in the feature FATE'S SHADOW: THE WHOLE STORY, our Lead Actor Kevin Caliber as "Zack" is unfaithful to "Eva" a blistering five times. In the final scene I say goodbye five times (Spoiler Alert!) which only happened because our Sound Recordist Blake Christian asked me to do five takes of saying "bye" to assure we got the right voice. As our Film Editor Jeff Vernon pieced the ending together, he asked which take I preferred. I said: "Let's use them all!" I liked the voice variations and they also reinforced each of "Zack's" offenses.
When I wrote the final revision for the feature film RINGS OF THE UNPROMISED, I opened it with a car accident and closed it in a scene with screeching tires. That was deliberate instead because I love the mirror effect of matching feelings as we did for FATE'S SHADOW.
TIFF : How do you handle conflicts or disagreements within the team?
Michelle : Very fortunate everyone got along with each other and between the different departments. They are great talents in that regard. The conflicts I encountered were with Actors/Actresses or Crew who had behavioral issues that interfered with directing.
Whatever personal issue someone has, he or she will bring that to set. People think that will not cause a problem but it transfers. For example, one of the team members flat out said "no" to me to assisting our Associate Producer. It was a small request and I was so rattled that it could have ruined the next scene about to be filmed in one minute. Instead I redirected my focus and blocked the transaction out of my mind entirely. Not everyone has the ability to compartmentalize. That gift from God works in my favor with filmmaking. If I wasn't determined though, it would have delayed the shoot. Without available time, we would not have been able to get the takes we needed.
A couple of months later I noticed that same man posted on social media that he has a rebellious streak. He said his mother used to laugh about it. His mom let it go but his upbringing potentially ruined our film. Regardless of the cost of the production, a Producer needs it to run smoothly. There's simply no time for bad behavior that can be expensive. Rescheduling and reshooting are not always options on a tight budget. Even with a larger budget, Producers are not interested in wasting funds. Who is?
The way to resolve behavioral issues is to hire an HR person for the shoot and production overall, if you can. Another solution is to scroll their social media posts over the last several months to get a better read of a person before you cast or hire them. Literally, thousands of Actors running around Hollywood. Being disrespectful and unappreciative isn't the best road to take on your journey.
TIFF : How do you approach filmmaking on a limited budget?
Michelle : I recall being on the set of one studio film when the 2nd AD discussed withe me a script he'd written in filmmaking school. I'd asked why he didn't have it produced. He replied he "didn't have $20,000 USD in the bank for it." If I had that mindset I never would have produced three feature films and two short films over the last five years -- 2019 - 2023. All of them were made over time from paycheck to paycheck as we developed and I looked for ways to save wherever I could. They just would not be produced otherwise. I had friends who invested in the projects with me, but mostly they were self financed with a lot of sacrifice, such as taking my lunches to work instead of eating out. The films have matured me in many ways.
Our Stylist, Choreographer, HMUA, Principal Dancer from Belarus, Maksim Leonov, knew someone affiliated with the historic Fox Theatre in Fullerton, California, and that is how we were able to film the dance sequence for FATE'S SHADOW: THE WHOLE STORY on that stage. The famous Charlie Chaplin performed there as well as Prince, Elvis, and many other iconic figures. After our shoot I was told they are no longer giving access to film productions, so our timing was impeccable. Renting a large theatre like that would have been expensive. That one was under renovation and closed to the public.
TIFF : What kind of impact do you hope to make with your films? How do you measure success?
Michelle : I measure success by how I can touch others' lives. It's not by the amount of revenue a film can generate, although that is appreciated. It's not for the fame that may come with the exposure. Whether that happens or not, I don't really care one way or the other. That's never been the reason why I became involved in this field. It was a calling and I gladly answered the phone because it felt right. My background and previous work experiences aligned with Hollywood. So it was a natural choice and I had stories to tell. I hope to be remembered for the good work I did and for the uplifting messages of our films.
In our Animated Short V & F, which stands for "Vernell" the Vine and "Frank" the Fence, viewers witness a quirky love story that reveals the truth behind issues that can be insurmountable sometimes with humans. It was an analogy I could express through a tragic comedy with animation/film editing by artist Jeff Vernon and sound design/composing by the musical expert R. Kim Shultz. Those two talents have been collaborators between visuals and audio that advanced these films no matter what format.
With THE WISTERIA MANOR, a feature film that reveals the secrets of a family in the 1800s and the experience of a young girl who fell into a well on their estate, we present an experimental style. It's told with a mix of photography, artwork, and cinematography. That isn't your typical cookie-cutter format of filmmaking which you see from the large studios and that's a wonderful side of independent filmmaking. With indies you aren't tied to shareholders and your creativity has no limits.
We are very grateful to Tagore International Film Festival for the 5th Anniversary "Honorary Awardee" certificate, medallion, and trophy for my part of THE WISTERIA MANOR. I portray "Mary" on camera, and I'm also the voice of various characters, including children and adults. I'm also the main Narrator. So the acting is a mix also of being seen or invisible. It was a super challenge as I'd just had a surgery five months prior. We were able to capture the story in one take from start to finish though. We would stop for quick breaks between key segments. Then Jeff smoothed over those times in post production. Craig Purdum, as the Cinematographer/Sound Recordist on that project, and Kim Creech, as Production Assistant/Set Photographer, were caring crew members who did magnificent work too!
TIFF : Independent filmmaking often involves taking risks. How do you balance risk and reward?
Michelle : Not much balancing required. If it's necessary to take a risk to make a film fly then I'm jumping for it. We had a countless list of obstacles in producing all of the films I've made so far. Everyone had the pandemic to encounter. Everyone has budgets to adhere to. But I also had a cancer diagnosis and recovery to hop around. All of those are in the rearview mirror now as the films are completed. All of them successfully ran through the festival circuit. Now in 2024 we are in the distribution stage. V & F Animated Short Film is on YouTube as of this summer and the feature films are up on cue next. FATE'S SHADOW: THE WHOLE STORY (2021), then THE WISTERIA MANOR (2022), then RINGS OF THE UNPROMISED (2023). Exciting times ahead. Thank you for giving this opportunity to talk about them!!
