Fans of Allan Hyde rejoice — you can see the actor who plays Godric, Eric Northman‘s maker on HBO‘s True Blood, in a new movie titled Franky, Frankly. We were fortunate enough to land an interview with producer Kevin Slee, so read on for the inside scoop!
TBN: When did you know you wanted to do this kind of work? Did you try other things first or have you always known?
I have known for some times that I loved storytelling. When I was young, around the age of five, my parents began taking me to the theater to see films and musicals. I saw Beauty & The Beast and was mesmerized. From that age on I would film myself and direct my dad in filming me as I told and acted out stories – it all grew from there. When I was about sixteen I began thinking about this whole filmmaking thing as a career, it just seemed natural.
TBN: How long have you been involved in The Biz? What is your experience prior to this?
I don’t know if I’d necessarily call myself someone in “the biz”, but I’ve definitely been working as a filmmaker for some time now and have had the privilege of collaborating with a vast array of talented individuals. I have produced and/or directed over twenty short films, and more recently some of them have gotten a great deal of acclaim and feedback. I associate produced my first feature, Dispatch, which was directed by Emmy nominated filmmaker Steven Sprung. Currently, I work with film producer David Foster (The Mask of Zorro, The Thing, etc.) as a Development Executive. In the short film arena I recently produced Election Day, which stars Jordan Jacinto, Lexi Sakowitz, and Ari Stidham of ABC’s Huge. Further, I produced and directed The Secret Life of Jonathan Sky and then, of course, produced Franky, Frankly, which stars Allan Hyde of True Blood and actor Mikandrew Perdaris.
TBN: Is this your first movie? If not, what was? What was it about? Did it get released?
The first film I ever did was a short entitled The Petals & the Thorns. It starred Steven Sprung (Emmy nominated editor on shows such as Entourage, Community, Arrested Development, etc.) and Elliot Olson. It was a short film, and did not get any sort of distribution, but was a great learning experience.
TBN: Who wrote Franky, Frankly? Did you read it and decide to do the short or did you have an idea and find a writer?
Franky, Frankly was first a short story written by our director, Matthew Anderson. From there, it was adapted for the screen and then brought to me to produce.
TBN: What’s the story about?
Franky, Frankly is a moral tale, in an ambiguous sense, a throw-back to Eric Rohmer’s “Six Moral Tales”. The film takes place in a night, following a young man (Mikandrew Perdaris) caught between two places – lost in the city as he is lost in his own head. It’s an inspection of Franky’s close relationship with Madison (Allan Hyde), and a girl that might be his salvation (Bella Dayne).
TBN: What was the best moment for you while creating this movie?
Working with everyone involved. I am very, very fortunate to be able to work with an incredibly talented team and have been able to utilize that team on film after film. My composer, John W. Snyder (www.johnwsnyder.com), is my go to man. He did a wonderful job scoring and recording the soundtrack for the film and is signed on to the upcoming short, The Secret Life of Jonathan Sky. My sound designer, Eric Hoehn, adds a whole new dimension to how the film sounds, feels, etc. – it really does elevate the film into a whole new level. Lastly on the sound front, my score mixer, Grammy nominated Andy Hay (co-founder, Other Records), has been able to take what both Snyder and Hoehn have done and bring it all together.
Another wonderful aspect of working on this film was being able to collaborate with Matt. Matt is a confident filmmaker with a strong vision and a great attitude. Watching him work with Allan and Mikandrew was incredible, and the results show on the screen.
TBN: What was the worst moment?
Every film has its obstacles, but they are never moments that I would classify as “worst moment”… We know full well what we’re getting into when we set out to make a film – ups and downs are all apart of the process…
TBN: What is the biggest thing you learned while doing this?
I learn something new on every film. I learn new ways of approaching the process, and by doing I better my craft, my team – It all just grows.
TBN: Where did you meet Allan?
I met Allan through Matt, our director. Allan came by and did a read with Mikandrew, and we went from there casting him in the film.
TBN: What’s it like to work with Allan?
Allan has been wonderful to work with and is a very talented actor. I have seen a few of Allan’s other shorts, and of course his work on True Blood. I am very pleased to have him on board for Franky, Frankly and very pleased to have him as a friend.
TBN: What’s Allan’s role in the movie?
Allan Hyde plays Madison, an affluent young man mourning the recent death of his brother. His desire to escape the situation is thwarted upon reuniting with Franky (Mikandrew Perdaris) where the two of them engage in a game that draws blood.
TBN: Will Franky, Frankly be making the art film circuit?
Yes indeed. We plan to begin with our LA and NY premiers and then go from there. We hope to seek DVD and online distribution as well as play the festival circuit. We will keep everyone updated on the film, and they can keep in the loop on Facebook and Twitter
NOTE: @AAFilmCo, @KevinMSlee, @Mikandrew, @MCAFilm, @AllanHyde
TBN: Do you have any other films in the works? What are your future plans?
I am currently in post on a film I directed and which was produced under Artistic Analogies Film Co. – it is entitled The Secret Life of Jonathan Sky. The film stars Amir Malaklou and Lexi Sakowitz (Election Day) and involves many of the same team behind the camera. We have a May release.
TrueBloodNet.com would like to thank Kevin for his time and this lovely interview. We hope you all have a chance to see Franky, Frankly!
