ExclusiveInterviewDir.LeonLopez

viahttp://mrrumsey.com/2015/11/03/exclusive-interview-leon-lopez-talks-soft-lad/TodaywewelcomedirectorLeonLopeztothesiteinordertotalkalittleabouthisnewfilmSoftLad(releasedonDVDonthe9thofNovember).LeonandItalkaboutwhatresearchwasinvolvedinthefilm,aboutdepicitnggaycharactersonscreenandmuchmore.Readonforourinterview…HelloLeon,thanksfortakingsometimeoutforthisinterviewtoday!It’smypleasure!Thankyouforhavingme.Firstthingsfirst,couldyoubrieflyintroduceSoftLadtoourreaders?SoftLadisafilmIwroteaboutayoungmanwhogetsintoanawkwardsituation,havinganaffairwithhissister’shusband.It’sacomingofagestoryanddealswithtwomenofdifferentgenerationsbattlingwithdemons.WehaveDavid(themaincharacter)who’stwenty-twoandtotallyawareofhissexuality,andJuleswho’sslightlyolderandstrugglingwiththepressuresofsocietytoconform.It’saninterestingtitle,howdidthefilmcometobecalledthatandtowhatdoesitrefer?WellsoftladisaLiverpudlianexpressionthatmeansastupidboy,silly,asin‘softinthehead’.Characters,oftengaymen,comingtotermswiththeirsexualityisoftenportrayedasaviolentandinternalprocess.Doyouthinkthissubjectmattermakesforparticularlyrichhumandramaanddiditfeeldauntingtoaddresssuchatopicinyourfirstwritinganddirectingventure?WellIwrotethefilminitiallytotalkaboutissuesofHIVawarenessbutitbecamealotbiggerthanthat.Ittouchesonfamily,love,betrayalandthedifferencejustbeingborn10yearsapartcanmaketoaperson.Ineverreallythoughtorworriedaboutthethemesofmakingthefilm,thestruggletomakeitatallwithnobudgetwashardenough.Ididn’treallyworrywhatpeoplewouldthinkofit.Ijustknewitwasastorythatneededtobetold.Thisisn’tthekindofthingthatwouldhavebeencommissionedforTVorfundedprivatelyasitdealswithissuesthataretabooandnotofcommercialvalue.Whatlevelsofresearchdidthefilmrequireduringthewritinganddirectingprocess?Itwasoriginallyaplay.AndthestorycametomewhilstIwasworkinginashowcalledElegiesforAngels,PunksandRagingQueenswhichwassetinthe80’sandtalksaboutpeoplewhopassedawayfromAids.Iwantedtotellastorywithamoderndaytakeontheissue.ThestoryisanamalgamationoflotsofdifferentstoriesthathavehappenedtopeopleIknow.ItliterallyalljuststartedtoflowandbeforeIknewitIhadwrittenthewholescriptDaniel-Brocklebank-and-Jonny-Labey-as-Jules-and-David-in-SOFT-LADAsadirector,writerandactorcanyoutellusinwhatwaysyoufoundthevariousdisciplinesinformeachotherandoverlap?BeinganactordefinitelyinfluenceshowIdirect.IfindthatwhenIworkasanactormyselfalotofdirectorsdon’tknowhowtocommunicate,theyarealmostafraidofactors.Beinganactor/directorIamawareofinsecuritiesandfeelI’mabletoletactorsjustbethemselves.AsawriterIliketowriterolesImyselfwouldliketoplay,soyeahIthinktheyalllink.Directingandwritingappearstohavebeenarecentdevelopmentforyourself,wasitalwayssomethingthatyouintendedtoventureinto?Andifsowhatpromptedyoutopursueitprofessionallynow?Ihavealwaysbeenawriter,beforeIbecameaprofessionalactorIwaspartoftheLiverpooleverymanyoungwritersprogrammeforthreeyears.IhadsomeofmyreallyearlyplaysputonthereaspartoftheirWriteNowfestivalseachyear.OnceIbegansinging,Imovedtowritingsongsoverplays,butIalwayscontinuedtowriteinsomeform.Directingisprettynewthough.WorkinginTV,Iwasalwaysintriguedbythetechnicalaspects.Ibelievehavingaknowledgeofeverythingaroundyoureallyhelpsyourcraft,beitdirecting,acting,camera-operatingetc,soIlikedtoaskquestionsandthisledtomoreofaninterest.Itwasin2010thatIdecidedIwantedtodirect.IproducedapilotwrittenbymyfriendDaranLittleanditwentwellbutwasn’thowIenvisagedit,andIrealisedtohavemorecontrolIneededtolearntocameraoperateanddirectinordergettheexactlookandstyleIwanted.Iwentontowriteandfilmsomeshortfilms,producedsomemusicvideosandworkedasDOPonotherpeople’sprojectsforexperience.Andthat’swhenIfeltIwasreadytotakeonmyfirstfeature.IttookafewyearstogetthefundingtogetherbutthenIwentoutwithmytiny,almostnonexistentbudgetof£17,000andmadeit!CraigSteinandJonnyLabeyasSamandDavidinSOFTLADIseeyoualsohaveanewshortcomingout(HidingintheShadows),whatcanyoutellusaboutthatandwhenpeoplewillbeabletoseeit?WellI’mhopingitwillbeaDVDextraonSoftLad!Peccadillolikeitandareconsideringlettingmeaddit.It’saprettystoryoftwostrangerswhomeetunexpectedlyonaparkbench.Itdealswithaspectsoflonelinessandhope.AndwhatareyourfutureplansLeon?Whatshouldwebekeepingoureyesopenfor?IhavetwofilmsI’mwritingwithmyCraigStein(whoplaysSaminSoftLad)andIhaveaTVpilotthatI’mdeveloping.I’malsojustabouttobeginaM.A.infilmmaking.AlotofpeoplehaveaskedmewhywhenI’malreadymakingfilms,butjustlikewithmyactingandperformingIamatruebelieverthatweneedtokeeplearning.Iwanttodevelopmyskillsasafilmmakerandamextremelyexcited!SoftLadisreleasedonthe9thofNovemeberonDVD,willyoubecheckingitout?Letusknowinthecommentboxbelow!