reel-exchange

New York City filmmaker Michael Stever has been a busy man. Whether it is showing up at a shoot on a bicycle, documenting a rigging company's business, or working on his upcoming indie feature, Ghosts Of Zion, Stever keeps an eye out for opportunities and happy accidents. We sent him some questions to find out how he got started and where he's going. For more information, visit Stever's Reel-Exchange profile.

AW: You started out as a performer, so what made you want to get behind the camera? Describe the transition. What was challenging? Who helped you?

Stever: The truth is I was behind the camera way before I was in front of it. At just 8 years old, the horror classic King Kong and Fay Wray were my first muses. I remember vividly wanting to somehow recreate the film after seeing it for the first time. So I painted some windows on a round plastic garbage can and generously bulked up my treasured Planet Of The Apes doll with plenty of brown Play-Doh. All of a sudden, I had my Kong and the Empire State Building! I grabbed my parents' 16mm home movie camera and went to town. I even got my dad to drive me out to Folsom Lake in Northern California where we filmed this dinky plastic ship of mine afloat near the shoreline. This of course was Carl Denham's moving picture ship approaching Skull Island.

As a graduate of Rancho Cordova High and Sacramento High School's Regional Occupational Program, I got to split my time between these two schools. Sac High School's media production facility enabled us to cut our teeth on an amazing array of camcorders, linear VHS-to-VHS editing systems, character generators, and professional recording studios. They had it all. The hours I spent at Sac High creating my next horror opus were easily some of the best, most proactive hands-on experiences I ever had.

Nearly 20 years would pass before finding myself behind the camera again. My love for the arts quickly parlayed into acting, singing, and dancing. Before I knew it, I had nearly 15 years under my belt as a working actor. Then, a chance encounter demonstrating with Rick McKay for Hasbro Toys led to an almost three-year stint as unit production manager on the critically acclaimed documentary, Broadway: The Golden Age (BGA).

I was really put through my paces on that film—and its two subsequent sequels—and anyone with tenure at "Boot Camp McKay" knows that's no small feat.

However, I was rewarded just as often in addition to being immersed into the world of digital filmmaking technology. A real departure from the linear days, it was also while working on BGA that I worked with and befriended Fay Wray ([it was] her last film). To this day, I still have to pinch myself. Turns out Fay and I had a lot more in common than I was aware. I feel like one of the luckiest guys in the business, I really do.

AW: Besides New York or Los Angeles, are there any other cities in the U.S. that could support an independent filmmaker doing what you're doing?

Stever: Absolutely! I enjoy watching the reels of independent filmmakers from all over the U.S. (and abroad too) online and on YouTube. It's fascinating to see how digital technology has really put control into the hands of the indie filmmaker. Still, a lot of great movies are being made, but they're not necessarily being seen. The studio systems are clearly determined to retain a choke hold on the industry, but we still have options. As a result self-producing, online distribution, and marketing, social networking is really where it's at, and I know will continue to empower independent filmmakers like me.

AW: What are your plans for 2010? Will Ghosts Of Zion be your focus?

Stever: Screenwriting (and play writing too) became a passion of mine about 15 years ago. Working as a freelance director, filmmaker, and editor has afforded me new challenges where Ghosts Of Zion is concerned. Ultimately, a lot of time is being spent weaving together just the right team because despite what some may say, nobody does anything in this business alone. I also feel like I'm working in tandem with the universe, where Ghosts is concerned, especially as it deals with such touchy subject matter. One of my primary goals with Ghosts is to stretch public perception of the fundamentalist agenda and organized religion.

The story for Ghosts centers around a young, newly married Mormon couple who both bring some major secrets to the table. It's very much a Pandora's box story too, so there's a lot of room for great dramatic arcs and surprises. It's also an eye opening look at our country's various religious subdivisions and how they're often breeding grounds for segregation, violence, and fear.

The love affair between church and spirit is a fascinating one and a dangerous one too depending on what church you go to. Our planetary environment is much bigger than what most religious dogmas program us to understand. It can be very easy to get swept up by agendas that have more of a stake in "procreation" than anything else. As a species, I want to see us working towards a more unified balance between liberal and conservative. Anyone interested in learning more about Ghosts Of Zion should check out our official fundraising site at www.indiegogo.com/Ghosts-Of-Zion.

AW: Describe your content creation process and tools. What are you using? Is there some tool or feature you wish you had that just isn't available yet?

Stever: I use different cameras for different jobs. Sometimes I'll use a Sony HDR-FX1, but often times I'll stick with my trusty Sony DCR-VX2000, which ironically is the same camera we used to shoot Broadway: The Golden Age. I travel pretty light, which always amazes people when I show up on my bike for a shoot with only my backpack and a tripod bag around my neck. As far as upgrading, I would love to upgrade to some of the higher-end Sony high-def cameras, and I recently worked on the crew of a Red Digital Cinema Red One shoot as second assistant camera. That was an amazing experience watching this phenomenal camera being assembled, piece by piece, and knowing what a truly ground breaking advancement it is in digital filmmaking. The depth of field, the color saturation, all of it was just astounding. I can't wait to shoot on a Red One.

AW: What advice would you give to someone just entering the business?

Stever: I'm really glad you asked me that, because no matter what area of show business someone enters from, it is critical that they do it understanding what being in it for the long haul is about. If you're doing it because you want to be famous, you're starting off on very shaky ground, and I don't recommend it. Fame is a commodity that can be useful, but more often than not is problematic, especially when we're younger.

If fame is going to come, hopefully it will come in conjunction with something you've worked your ass off on, because then you've earned it and you will hopefully appreciate it more.

As a filmmaker, having a passion or interest in what you're shooting helps. But you've just touched on what has been one of my biggest surprises working as a freelance filmmaker. I've discovered I love shooting all kinds of things! The most recent examples of this are a series of promotional demos I've been shooting and editing for one of New York City's most reputable rigging companies. Able Rigging has been around for a while, and I just happened to be in the right place at the right time when I landed the account. Now, they've got me going all over Manhattan, Queens, the Bronx, and Brooklyn, anywhere they've got a rigging job.

I'll film it and document the process. It's fascinating stuff. As a regular citizen in the city, we're constantly aware that Manhattan seems to be perpetually under construction. This gig has shown me a side of the city most of us probably just ignore, or are annoyed by. I was recently taken up to the 56th floor of an unfinished skyscraper on 26th Street and Sixth Avenue where all that stood was concrete flooring and no walls! It was the most breathtaking, 360-degree view of the city I think I'd ever seen!

These are the kind of happy accidents that I cherish and hope will continue to follow me as a filmmaker. That's where the magic is.