"INFINITY" - poster
“INFINITY” has been earning ‘Official Selection’ status at numerous festivals around the country, including recent screenings at the 2012 ITN Film Festival in Hollywood and the ON LOCATION: Memphis Film Festival. Up next, the film is set to screen at The Black Hills Film Festival on May 1st and at the Catalina Film Festival which runs May 4th-6th.
I recently had a chance to chat with Randy, who revealed his inspiration for the story, what surprised him most while making it, and overcoming the ‘no-to-low’ budget issues that many indie filmmakers face.
HOLLY: Tell us a little about your new film “Infinity.”
RANDY: “INFINITY” is a tragic tale of utter despair. In a nutshell, it’s based on the story of Abraham and Isaac, except the ram is not provided. It touches on several human tragedies. The main character is enjoying a normal life, but in the blink of an eye it unravels into the unthinkable and then spirals to the unimaginable. She suffers from the ultimate horror for a parent, committed by the one she trusts most. My focus was to tell the most affecting story in the simplest way.
HOLLY: Did you base it on real events or how did you come up with the story?
RANDY: I wrote this about 12 years ago. At the time I was spending a substantial amount of time caring for my 3 year old nephew, which allowed us to form a unique bond. Then, I realized that if anything happened to him, especially on my watch, my first reaction was, as illogical as this might seem that I would have to go with him to protect him. This sparked the basis of the story, paternal / maternal love.
I’ve always been confused by events that seem to occur all too often, for example Susan Smith. How could she place her toddlers in her car and roll it into a pond? How did the woman just recently, throw her toddlers off a bridge so she could be free? I simply cannot understand that kind of insanity. We often hear in these cases, “God told me to do it.” Such misguided zealotry distresses me and seems to happen all the time. To incur the ultimate crime on an innocent who trusts you most. Can’t fathom it.
Also, around this time the Terri Schiavo case was playing out in the courts. I don’t believe medicine has any definitive conclusion to what a comatose victim is really experiencing. Are they aware or just lying in darkness? At the time, I had been reading a lot of Poe which lead me to the device of leaving our heroin locked into reliving the unimaginable tragedy.
Finally, I wrestled with an event that would send our protagonist into insanity. The original plot had a very different cause, but I settled on a returning veteran who is suffering from PTSD. Unfortunately, a month after we wrapped shooting a very similar event actually happened. A returning vet murdered his wife and child and then committed suicide.
HOLLY: What do you hope your audiences take away after watching your film?
RANDY: As I’ve stated in my directors statement at: LikeDiamondSky.com, “this film is just an observance, not a comment or conclusion.” I am simply telling a story that I hope affects an audience. They can draw their own conclusions. These events can and do exist. I have no answers. I’m sure you cannot, not think about this film after seeing it.
HOLLY: What surprised you the most about this project?
RANDY: That I picked the right people to help and support me in making this film. Everyone involved went above and beyond to make it possible. Why? Because they love making films and believed in my vision for this extremely difficult and horrifying story.
HOLLY: What was the most difficult part of getting this project done? And, what did you do to overcome that?
RANDY: I believe making a ‘no-to-low’ budget film in Los Angeles, following all the rules, dealing with the union, production insurance, workman’s comp, permits and locations, is much harder than I expected. I overcame it by not giving up. An example was finding locations. I’ve always told friends to write what you got. Then, I immediately ignored my own advice. You mention that you are shooting a film and $$ signs pop up in property owners eyes. But, in the end I was able to find a church that would let me shoot for free, which I couldn’t accept so I gave them a donation that I could afford. In fact, they just gave me the key and said we trust you, please leave it like you found it -- unbelievable. Also, I couldn’t find a hospital room that wasn’t going to cost more than my entire budget. I kept asking and asking and then a friend said, “I know a guy who runs a nursing home, let me give him a call.” I got the use of a room in that nursing home for the cost of a hotel room. The lesson: you just got to keep asking.
HOLLY: Are you working on anything else that we can look forward to?
RANDY: Not currently. I’m just pushing the film at festivals. I have other ideas in my back pocket but want to ride “INFINITY” to a conclusion first.
Randy, thanks for taking time to chat with me…and for making such a thought-provoking film. Keep doing it!
