b-independent interviews

TIM RITTER
B-Independent - What first brought you into the film industry?
Tim Ritter - A love for stories and movies. The three movies that probably inspired me the most to want to make films were JAWS, THE INCREDIBLE MELTING MAN, and HALLOWEEN. But I've always loved escapism and when I wasn't enjoying some form of it, I was creating it with pen and paper, super-8 film, and later video!
BI - Do you see film-making more as a form of escape rather than a form of expression?
TR - Possibly both, you escape into a world of your own making and you can also express your dissatisfaction(s) with the world we live in, showing the cause and effects of different subjects that might interest or bother you.
BI - What are your goals as a filmmaker?
TR - Just to entertain people for that hour and a half or so. Maybe take them away from their problems or boring jobs and give them something else to ponder for a bit. I like to give them something to remember, whether it's a gross-out or something outrageous, or even a memorable hot babe that gives them a smile!
BI - What is your process to bring a film to the screen?
TR - I have to have a story that I really want to tell and one that I'd also want to watch. Something that I can't get out of my head. Once that is clarified in the scripting stages, it's all instinct from there. You just put everything together as best as you can with the resources that you have. That includes your budget,collaborators (cast and crew), and your locations. You mold and create the story into your own reality, like a sculptor working with clay. You can never predict exactly what the outcome is going to be, because there are so many unforseen obstacles that must be overcome. But you do the best you can, improvising and adapting, until you're finished.
BI - What is it you are trying to say and how well do you feel it comes across?
TR - I don't know that I'm trying to say any one thing, but basically that the world is pretty screwed up in a lot of aspects. From government cover-ups and misuse of funds (like letting psychos out of incarceration in TRUTH OR DARE) to politicians and cops being corrupt (DIRTY COP movies)...to the way the news media fuels more hatred and insanity to the public than any fictional movie and the way they eat it up like candy (SCREAMING FOR SANITY and DIRTY COP)...to the way most violence is caused by domestic jealousy, infidelity, & misunderstandings (WICKED GAMES, KILLING SPREE)...to what might contribute to making a serial killer (CREEP)...it's really the little things that I see and maybe comment on subliminally...I think most of it usually comes across pretty good, considering what I have to work with sometimes. Lots of people that have gone through messy divorces really relate to WICKED GAMES and the way all the characters screw each other over and interact...they tell me how much better they feel after viewing that movie, it's very cathartic to them to see how messy a violent resolution might have been! And some say they wish they could have done some stuff like that to a spouse that screwed them over, like the opening scene with where the husband forces the wife and her lover to continue their lovemaking session as gun point...I'm surprised WICKED GAMES has lasted as long as it has...
BI - Is there a time when you think you might have gone to far?
TR - Maybe some things in CREEP and the cop shockumentaries go too far, but it's so difficult to say how far is too far when you're struggling to get attention in such a competitive market. The shock value has worked for people like Wes Craven and John Waters...they have made some brutal and outrageous films that are still rather offensive by today's standards and they achieved mainstream success. It's tough to keep people's attention with a $300 budget, so what can you do to make them watch? I never really consciously think "I'm going to film this to offend or shock people." Usually it's something that works its way into the story, that is revalent to a character and it sneaks in there. Then the way the idea is executed comes into play...how much do you show? What is too far? I don't go out of my way to cross the lines, but sometimes it may appear that way!
BI - Are there any certain themes you would like to explore that you haven't had the chance?
TR - I'm working on getting a novel published now, and it deals with the violence in the school systems... The various themes that I might explore in each project are usually somehow meshed in with the storyline, I really don't plan to have them in there. It's all part of the writing process, and a lot of it is my kneejerk reaction to various subjects that I might be inadvertantly exposed to.
BI - Where do you draw your inspiration?
TR - The evening news, which I rarely watch but when I do I'm outraged, so there's plenty of inspiration there. Also from books, other movies, and one of my favorite sources, heavy metal music. The metal artists are greatly underappreciated. I feel they are true poetic prophets in some cases and really get a lot from their art. It keeps my mind racing and keeps me inspired as I make each project. The music gets me over that finish line! Particularly, the works of U.D.O., Rob Halford, Judas Priest, Vanize, Rammstein, Nine Inch Nails, Stabbing Westward, Marilyn Manson...I could go on and on here!
BI - Is there any filmmaker working in the micro-arena that you feel deserves more attention?
TR - I would say some standouts include Ron Bonk, Eric Stanze, and Kevin Lindenmuth. We've all gotten pretty good attention in the press, even in bigger publications like FANGORIA. Getting to the next level and sticking to your ideals is the biggest obstacle to overcome...it's hard to do. Very few filmmakers have been able to do this other than someone like John Waters or Oliver Stone, each in their own way.
BI - What is your working relationship with your crew?
TR - Always good, but lately my crews have been very small! I always listen to input and advice, movie-making at all levels is a collaboration of various artists. You can't deny that.
BI - Over the years you've surrounded yourself with a core group of people. What does each one bring to the game?
TR - Joel Wynkoop always brings a vision to each movie, since he's so creative. He always contributes ideas and brings new things to each project. He's totally dedicated, creating costumes and bringing props to the cause! He's pretty much totally absorbed in the whole process, like me. Joel and I grew up together, so we're like the best of friends. We work extremely well together, to the point of usually knowing what one another are thinking. It makes shooting the movie that much easier, since there are always a million other problems to deal with during filming.
Bill Cassinelli is a big fan of the genre and is always willing to do whatever is necessary to help us out---he's done effects, casting, secured locations, acted---always into the scene and a true joy to work with.
Guys like Rich Hoopes are just so creative, they're willing to have fun, get involved, donate their talents for very little other than exposure...and make the whole experience pleasant. Rich is a great actor and a superb composer, he's just so talented it is incredible. He reminds me of David A. Hess in a lot of ways...his music scores are so beautiful, yet he can turn on the rage as an actor...his part as the abusive father in CREEP still blows me away, he's in those flashbacks...
Steve McNaughton is a total madman that will do anything to make and complete a movie with us...I don't exactly know how to describe him as a talent, but he has won so much for us in terms of publicity and assistance...he's great to work with!
Ron and Kevin are great to collaborate with as well, they are very easy to work with and we're all in very similar situations in the independent scene. All of our goals are very similar. There's very little talking and more action between us, to actually make a project happen.
BI - You've been working with Kevin for a few years as well. What is your working relationship with him like?
TR - Very laid back and easy going. We simply talk about the concept, exchange ideas, and put it all together. It's a very pleasant process, really. We're just trying to make an entertaining story and make it work well. The biggest obstacle is always the low to no budget...being constantly creative with that is always a challenge...you want to try to make something that people won't be itching to fast-forward through with their VCR remote!
BI - Do you feel these obstacles have made you a better filmmaker?
TR - Improvise and adapt is the low budget filmmaker's motto...I think having small budgets makes you appreciate it more when you HAVE a decent budget and you put that cash to good use--- up on the screen.
BI - Any stories you would like to share about times you had to adapt and improvise?
TR - Making the entire original TRUTH OR DARE on 16mm! I learned as I went along! Also, on CREEP, it was a fairly big show with a large crew waiting for instructions, we would have locations set and the night before someone would back out. Joel would line up something I had never seen before, and I would have to entirely restructure scenes in the movie based on a totally different area and make it look like I knew what I was doing. The crew is waiting for me to say "set up here for this shot and that" and I would just make it all up right on the spot. More of that would include finding out an actor or actress that was hired doesn't know their lines on the set or is afraid once the cameras roll, and trying to figure out the essence of a scene by cutting out most of the dialogue! Again, if a large crew is waiting, you really have to act like you know what you're doing and come up with something. All these experiences led to the improv-style DIRTY COP type videos, by the way! Another thing was being stood up by actors or actresses...if they don't show and you have a crew set up and waiting, what do you do? Shoot ANYTHING so you don't appear to be wasting their time---pickup shots, try some other scene recruiting crew members as actors, throw the wife in a scene...I've done it all to avoid total loss of shooting with a crew waiting!
BI - What aspects of your past films do you find work especially well and what do you feel haven't worked?
TR - The stories have held up pretty well. As I got older, I started to notice some of the acting was not the greatest in my earlier movies, like KILLING SPREE. I am able to be a bit more critical about that now. Also the editing of TRUTH OR DARE AND KILLING SPREE...shots are held too long, the pacing is a little slow in those movies to me...but they were learning experiences...editing and pacing, two very big things to work on, always!
BI - Was there an instance upon viewing where you wanted to fast-forward?
TR - Oh, sure. Sluggish scenes that are too long with endless exposition that actors aren't delivering too well, I've been a contributor to that pitfall many times! When you're shooting it, sometimes you don't realize that it's not working as well as you thought. Some of the TRUTH OR DARE movies have scenes like that, but fortunately, all of them have a balance where after a scene like that some gore or sex happens, wakes you up! Or causes you to stop fast-forwarding and rewind, hopefully! Lots of larger-budget movies have this problem as well, though. If you're not "into" it, well...a movie or video has to suck you into it's world, absorb your thoughts, and keep you interested. It's a hard thing to do, and not everyone will connect with what you're doing. Some will, some won't. It's like music...everyone has different tastes!
BI - What have you done to improve or grow as a filmmaker?
TR - Pacing, I've tried to keep things moving and interesting. Dialogue...I try to limit it...SHOW more things than having them TOLD...if there is dialogue, I try to do it in a way that is more interesting...like in the DIRTY COP shockumentary format...the whole movie is dialogue, but because things are happening, things are moving when it is being said, you don't notice it as much. It's almost as if the dialogue is action. That's very hard to do, and impossible to plan. It just happened through the course of things.
BI - What does the future hold in store for Twisted Illusions?
TR - We're going to continue to try and bring out a project every year or two and hopefully expand into the bigger budget arena again someday. In the meantime, as I mentioned, I'm trying my hand at the novel writing game, to see if we can get some attention or notoriety that way. It's worked for other filmmakers in the past, like John Russo, but it's hard to break into that market within a few years. (Writing a novel) is extremely tough to do with all the outside interferences and distractions, but once I get going, it's very satisfying in a creative way. I hope to share the writing with people at some point, but even if I don't, it's a cathartic vent for me personally. I'm learning a lot in the process.
Secondly, we have an all-new addition to Kevin Lindenmuth's upcoming ALIEN CONSPIRACY project. Joel D. Wynkoop and I collaborated again in a follow up to the Cope Ransom segment we did back in 1996. This time, Cope has to battle the aliens and an evil heavy metal character. It was great fun to write a script again and direct from that, and it's not as heavy as some of our recent stuff. It's pretty much PG-13 action and chases, so it's a little different from what you'd expect. It's always good to do new things.
Third and lastly, I'm working with Sub Rosa Studios and heading up their new Midwest division. It's basically niche marketing programming that harks back to the Roger Corman drive-in stuff, only this is all for the specialty video market. It's scantily clad gals fighting off monsters in suits and such, fun stuff that isn't to be taken seriously. I might be contributing a full-length feature to the mix, and I will be working with some really talented filmmakers across the country. So there's many challenges for the year ahead. Who knows where it all will lead!
BI - On a side note, where do you get your actresses? Are they all strippers?
TR - Quite a few are usually dabbling in some "adult" entertainment business of some sort---escorts, models, strippers. Then there are just the "exhibitionist actresses" that are into the scene and trying to get noticed. Some are just plain actresses. I don't know what the story was with the girl in the original DC---Joel picked her up somewhere, she wasn't even an actress! The girl in DC 2 was discovered by Donald Farmer at an exotic club somewhere in Tennessee---he then did several interviews and auditions with her before bringing her to my attention. They did some "improv" scenes as well for some unreleased project...
BI - I'm glad you bring up DIRTY COP 2. You had some problems finishing that project. I was told the original cut was over 2 hours long. Did it bother you that someone else came in and edited the film?
TR - No, I was with the project so long that I lost some perspective after a while. There were also a lot of extraneous circumstances surrounding the politics of this video, which was a burden. We all worked very long and hard on the postproduction, always refining things and second guessing what the audience and the moral watchdogs might think. I think if you spend too much time with a volatile project like this, it becomes a burden and the movie suffers. In retrospect, I was torn with it in very the end so it was good to have the additional input that Steve McNaughton and Ron Bonk brought in. There were some scenes that needed to be trimmed, they just went on way too long. There were also some scenes that were totally removed. Ron Bonk came in and just said, "well, we need to cut these scenes out to make it work better, they don't help the project." And he was right on the money, essentially saving the project from never seeing the light of day. It tightened the pacing and simplified things. ...it seemed to crystalize things a bit and I let Ron and Steve work their magic! It didn't come out too bad when all was said and done.
BI - What advice can you offer an aspiring filmmaker?
TR - To just get out there and start the process. Write. Produce. Tape. Edit. Format is irrelevant when you first start out and even as you continue...it's the passion you hold for the story and the project that are the priority. If the burning desire to share those visions with others is unstoppable, then you've probably got what it takes. Doesn't matter if you've realized those visions with a Pixel Vision Camera or a Panavision 35mm camera!

Tim Ritter has been making movies for over 15 years. To see his complete history click here.
Visit The Official Twisted Illusions site for up to date information on the entire TI team.