Category: Entertainment

SFTV brings women directors to movie screenings

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Originally published in the Los Angeles Loyolan. For original, please refer to: SFTV brings women directors to movie screenings – Los Angeles Loyolan.

With Kathryn Bigelow becoming the first woman to win Best Director at the Oscars last March, there seems to be increasing buzz in the film industry about female filmmakers, yet movie-goers are still far less likely to see a woman’s name under “directed by” in the credits. That won’t be the case, though, with “TiMER,” a 2010 indie release being screened on campus tonight.

Jac Schaeffer, director, writer and producer of “TiMER,” which was released this year after a run on the film festival circuit, will appear tonight alongside two of her producers, Rikki Jarrett and Jennifer Glynn, thanks to the SFTV Women’s Society through the LMU School of Film and Television’s Monday Night Series, which was started by former dean Teri Schwartz. The event, which begins at 7 p.m. in Mayer Theater, marks the first Monday Night Series screening co-organized by another group with the Dean’s office.

Schaeffer took some time to talk to the Loyolan about why women filmmakers’ place in the industry, the inspiration behind her film and what she calls “genre mashups.”

Kevin O’Keeffe: The movie you’re screening tonight, “TiMER” – without giving too much away – is about the concept of soul mates and one woman’s forced wait to find the man she’s “meant” to spend her life with. What was the inspiration behind this plot?

Jac Schaeffer: First, the original idea came when my brother was getting married. My mother had something called a “Countdown to the Big Day” clock: I don’t know if you’ve ever seen one, but you program the day of the wedding, and it’s like, “you have 72 days!” I was really single, and really cranky, and I would see the clock as being a signal counting down the days until I was single forever. It was like, I don’t really need a boyfriend right now, or even a date right now for the wedding, but if I knew that there was a guarantee that he would be out there somewhere, then I could be a good bridesmaid and a good sister. But I thought, “What if everybody had these clocks that told you how long you had to wait?”

KO: Has your perception of the concept of soul mates changed since you started working on this film?

JS: Yeah, actually, it has. It’s funny: it was a four-year process, so the person I was when I started writing is a lot different than the person I am now. I think, inherently, I believed in soul mates, and I had my own doubts and jaded outlook after years of dating in Los Angeles, but I think I was bright-eyed and optimistic. Now I think I waffle, wondering if there are really soul mates. But I certainly don’t have that same magic. I’m more of a realist.

KO: In this kind of innovative genre, which could probably be best described as “sci-fi in a woman’s world”, something you’d be interested in expanding on in your next films?

JS: Absolutely. I believe strongly in genre mashups, that the best stories have emotional truth at their center but are also imaginative in their capsule, their shell, whatever the premise is. Charlie Kaufman is one of my heroes, and I think no one does it better than he does by creating honest human characters that are recognizable real people while expanding on the premise. I’m just as influenced by a very human, emotional movie as I am a James Cameron movie – James Cameron in the ’80s and ’90s, that is.

KO: I understand “TiMER” played in quite a few film festivals before its distribution and release last year. Can you talk a bit about that experience?

JS: It was epic. Film festivals are all about celebrating independent film and about the writers and directors. On a personal note, the past year and a half on the festival circuit has been the best of my life. It’s a small film, and it had a small release, but to travel around the world and connect with audiences … it’s a dream.

KO: You are a female filmmaker in an industry that, to be blunt, isn’t kind to its women so much of the time. What are your feelings on women’s advances in film?

JS: I have to be honest, I have a hard time with these kinds of questions. First of all, I support women and women filmmakers completely. Kathryn Bigelow has been my hero since I was fifteen. But I don’t like to look at it as the film industry isn’t kind to its women filmmakers. I don’t like to make that generalization. There are challenges, but how I approach it is my work. I don’t think about, “I’m a girl, this is my approach.” I have my own career and my own approach.

KO: What kind of message do you hope to bring to not just the female film students here at LMU, but to film students in general?

JS: The thing that I most commonly say to anyone trying to make a career in a creative career is to find your voice. The way to have your work really shine is for it to be authentic, from your heart and truthful in that way. It was a discovery I made, as cheesy as it sounds. It was only after I unlocked my own voice that I got people’s attention. It was the first film that was 100 percent me.

KO: What do you hope the students at the event tonight get from your film and your discussion?

JS: The reason I make movies is because I think it’s the most fun way to connect with people. They’re laughing or they’re crying when watching my movie, and it’s a connection to the audience and to the movie. I hope everyone enjoys it and it makes everyone think and they’re invigorated by the project. For anyone who’s interested doing what I did, I hope they feel that they can. We were very strong and very brave and very afraid and we did it, we persevered. There were many successes and failures, and we did it, and we can’t wait to do it again.

KO: Speaking of which, what can we look forward to seeing from you next?

JS: I have a couple things going, nothing in production quite yet, but one script that’s straight-up romantic comedy and a couple more sci-fi scripts. So I’m really focusing on writing right now.

John West

A chat with John West

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Originally published in the Los Angeles Loyolan. For orignal, please refer to: A chat with John West – Los Angeles Loyolan.

John West

Photo Credit: The Concert Agency

Fresh from being signed to Mercury Records, John West is setting the electronic world on fire with his warm, familiar acoustic sound. The artist, who is appearing with Tamar this Wednesday at the Living Room, took time to talk to the Loyolan about loving his audiences, his dream collaborations and covering a Rihanna hit.

Kevin O’Keeffe: How did you come to play at LMU’s “Live in the Living Room” venue?

John West: I had a friend who does some college bookings. He lined this up as well, since it was in L.A. But I don’t go too deep with the LMU scene, since I never went there or anything.

KO: Did you know of Tamar, your fellow artist at this concert, previously?

JW: I haven’t specifically met her, but I look forward to meeting her.

KO: On the topic of other artists, I have to ask: Who would be your dream collaborator?

JW: I’ve just gotten a deal with Mercury Records, so I’ve gotten the chance to work with some really great producers. Just yesterday, I got the chance to work with Bruno Mars’ camp, so I really look forward to getting to work with him. There are a lot of great people out right now, like Kanye West or Drake. Alicia Keys, too.

KO: You’re well-known for your interaction with the audience during a live performance. How do you adapt that to this college campus setting?

JW: The way I’ve built my fan base and my live performance technique, I’ve played on the streets as a performer. To some degree, when I play a room of people who aren’t going to walk past you a couple seconds later, it definitely takes the edge off. You’re always playing in front of strangers, but I don’t know. I don’t take it too seriously. It’s about having fun onstage and making sure the people around you are having fun too.

KO: What is the experience you want your fans to take away with them after a concert?

JW: The Dalai Lama has a great quote that’s something like, “I don’t want to be just inspiring; I want to be awe-inspiring.” If I can inspire people in a crowd, that’s the dream experience I would want them to take away from a concert of mine, whether their dream is being a musician or being the first in the family to get a college degree, anything.

KO: You’re also known for your acoustic cover of Rihanna’s “Umbrella.” What was your inspiration to take such a well-known song and turn it on its head?

JW: I just liked it a lot; it was such a great song. It’s what I like to call “dark pop”. When you cover a song, you definitely have a style that comes through whatever song you’re paying homage to. Sort of my spin on it, I was playing it how I felt it, which was a little slower and more focus on the lyrics.

KO: Would you say the tone and style of the “Umbrella” cover meshes well with your usual musical style?

JW: Yeah, I think my newer stuff is more up-tempo. Everything has sort of a laid-back feel, but yeah, I think it definitely fits.

KO: What do you think of being a recording artist in today’s constantly changing media world?

JW: It’s been challenging for an artist for the past 30 or 40 years because pop music is constantly evolving. Who’s the biggest artist in the world? Probably Lady Gaga, and similarly, everyone’s into these big dance songs. As an artist, the question is, do you attempt to fit that mold, or do you press on doing your own thing?

KO: But what specifically about today’s media makes it either more or less difficult?

JW: As a recording artist in 2006, you were probably in a rougher spot with the labels, so unaware of where things were going in media. But now, downloads and ringtones are just as important as selling records, and 100,000 records is a major hit now. For me, even without a record label, I’ve been able to be self-sufficient. I just think there’s a lot more power in an independent artist’s hands.

Tamar Kaprelian

A chat with Tamar Kaprelian

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Originally published in the Los Angeles Loyolan. For orignal, please refer to: A chat with Tamar Kaprelian – Los Angeles Loyolan.

Tamar Kaprelian

Photo Credit: Interscope Records

Tamar Kaprelian, usually known by her first name only, is headed to the Living Room on Wednesday for a show with John West. She took some time to talk to the Loyolan about anticipations of playing on a college campus, growing up wanting to be Billy Joel and why the digital movement in music is really an advantage for young up-and-coming artists.

Kevin O’Keeffe: How did you come to play at LMU’s “Live in the Living Room” venue?

Tamar Kaprelian: I was doing an event for this label called Cherrytree Records, and one of your event coordinators was there. She asked, “Would you like to play on our campus?” I said I would love to do it! After all, I’m in L.A., I’ve been to your campus many times. I actually almost went to LMU! And I haven’t actually played many college campuses – this is probably my first.

KO: What are you looking forward to most about playing a college campus?

TK: Definitely to see the reactions I’ll get from young people my age. I think my music caters to intellectuals, so I think it’s something the kids at LMU will really relate to.

KO: You just mentioned that your music caters to intellectuals. If you had to boil it down, how would one best describe your sound?

TK: Well, that’s a good question. You know, I’m definitely a singer/songwriter, and it’s definitely a pop record. But I grew up idolizing classic ’60s and ’70s songwriters. I basically grew up wanting to be Billy Joel. It’s not a vintage sound, but it definitely has throwback flair, at least a little bit.

KO: What was the one moment in your life when you knew music was your calling?

TK: According to my mom and my dad, I was singing before I was talking. It was something very innate to me. I just knew I was going to get into music, one way or another. It just really organically happened that way.

KO: You’re playing with John West at this event. Did you know of John West, your fellow artist at this concert, previously? Have you ever heard his music?

TK: We have definitely not met. And I haven’t heard his stuff either! I need to check him out!

KO: On the topic of other artists, who would be your dream collaborator?

TK: I think I’d go back and say Billy Joel again. He’s the reason I got into music, after all. Or Sting, maybe. For a more contemporary artist, I’d probably pick Alicia Keys. I think she’s really classy and her music is really beautiful.

KO: What is the experience you want your fans to take away with them after a concert?

TK: It’s all about having fun and having a good time. It’s really about having someone connect to your material and having someone feel the emotion you were feeling when you wrote the song. You want the person to leave and feel emotionally satisfied.

KO: What would you say to someone who isn’t usually a fan of the singer/songwriter or pop genre of music to convince them to listen to your music?

TK: A good song is a good song, regardless of the genre. I think all people should have appreciation for that. It doesn’t matter if it’s hip-hop, country, even beat poetry… A beautiful piece of music can transcend all genres.

KO: Do you find that the constantly changing world of music, what with the influence of the Internet, YouTube, etc. is an advantage or disadvantage to up-and-coming artists?

TK: It’s definitely an advantage.

KO: Really? Why so?

TK: I’ve been doing this for eight years, and the music industry has changed three or four times. It’s always been difficult. But if your music is good, if it’s honest, people will hear it. Frankly, I think YouTube and the Internet are extremely useful for young artists, because in the past, artists would have to tour for years to build a fanbase. It’s gonna be interesting to see how a really big Facebook following will translate to record sales and people coming out to shows.