We sat down to discuss independant films, directing, inspiration and more with Robert Albrecht, the director of the winning piece for our FilmGo 2009 Short Film Competition, DRIFTER.
Tell us a little bit about the creation of Drifter.
Drifter started with me putting up an ad on Craig’s list for a short script. Out of 50 submissions this was one of two that caught my eye. The other submission took place in a bar, this one in a Laundromat. It just so happened that my friend and DP on this film Philip Armand, knew a friend who owned a Laundromat in Oyster Bay and gave us full access to shoot after hours. Getting a location for free is half the production battle, so of course we chose Drifter, which was originally titled "Are We Welcoming and Warm?" After a couple of re-writes with the writer Marqus Bobesich (whom I've only emailed and never met) and a title change we were good to go. We shot for two grueling nights 10pm to 5am on a weekend August of 2008 in Oyster Bay. The edit was finished by November 2008. So far it has been selected to three other festivals.
When did you realize you were meant to be a filmmaker?
I realized I was meant to be a filmmaker when I took a film history course in high school, my senior year. All the films up to that point that I thought were great suddenly sucked and all the films I avoided (like anything before 1980) I developed a passion for.
What is the best moment of your professional career thus far?
Drifter making it to three festivals and winning this contest would be the highlight so far. Oh and we won a Nestle commercial contest a year ago.
What projects are you working on now?
I am working on finishing up the script for my next short, tentatively entitled "Pawns."
Who are your biggest influences?
My biggest influences are Turner Classic Movies and all the behind-the-scenes featurettes on every DVD I've seen. Outside of hands-on production this is my film education in a nutshell.
What is your favorite film of all time and why?
Favorite film? Don't have one, too many. One film that I've watched over and over again is ALIENS - near flawless script, great ensemble cast (for an action movie), masterful editing, great action score, a monster influence on pop culture, and proof you don't need CGI to make an epic roller coaster ride of a film.