Award-winning makeup and effects artist Robert Hall came to Hollywood as a young man with one goal in mind: to make a living scaring people. Twenty years later, Mr. Hall is one of the most successful artists in the effects business, having founded his own company - Almost Human - and acquired a collection of film and television credits too numerous to list.
In 2006, he turned his hand to filmmaking, and his debut film, "Lightning Bug", was recently released for the first time on Blu-ray. "Lightning Bug" is a semi-autobiographical telling of Mr. Hall's days as a restless adolescent in the deep South, navigating small town tensions and preparing to pursue his Hollywood dreams. BPBS recently spoke with Mr. Hall, in a conversation that covered the art of filmmaking, working with actors, and what it takes to survive in Los Angeles.
Big Picture Big Sound: You came to directing with extensive experience in effects and makeup work. How do you think this equipped you to handle the director's role, compared to someone without your particular background and experience?
Robert Hall: All of that experience was my training ground. I moved to LA at age 19, I was 29 when I directed "Lightning Bug," so I had 10 years of working on TV and independent films and big movies. I got to work on projects at lots of different budget levels and shooting paces, and I had done some second unit directing. I realized that filmmaking is like painting, it's choosing different elements to put together to create something, and that's what I had been doing with effects. Moving on to directing was the natural next step. I found out that I really like the "Frankenstein" component of filmmaking - when you realize, "It's alive!".
RH: I was the same. The character is a mirror of me. It sounds brave, but really I had no choice. I didn't have a "plan B." I didn't want the life that was ahead of me in rural Arkansas. And I knew I wouldn't be happy until I had satiated the need (to be creative). For me it was always about the experience of scaring someone, and if I could pay the bills doing that instead of working at the chicken plant, which is what I had been doing - if I could make a living by scaring someone, I would feel like I'd made it.
BPBS: Looking back at "Lightning Bug" as your first film, are there any scenes you're particularly happy with, versus scenes that you now wish you could redo or revise?
RH: I've directed several projects since then, and there are things I could do better now. I think any artist feels that way, looking back at something they've done. But knowing what [little] we had to make the movie, I'm happy with it. I'm happy with it as a first film, and as a calling card. I work as an effects guy, people see me when they're sitting in the makeup chair, and then they are surprised when they see the movie - 'That guy made this??' I'm proud that I can hand this to an actor and say, "This is my first film; this is what I can do, and I'd like to work with you."
BPBS: Because you were both the screenwriter and the director for "Lightning Bug", could you talk about the process of bringing the script to screen? For example, scenes that were filmed more or less as you envisioned them when writing vs. scenes that were changed or adjusted during filming due to actor input, shooting constraints, etc.
RH: Well, that's the whole filmmaking process. You know, there are three different movies: the movie you write, the movie you shoot, and the movie you edit. If you can retain control throughout, you can make the movie you really want. There's a lot you can do with editing. Editing is where the movie really comes together. And working with actors - my favorite part of the process is actor input. It's interesting to see them coming into it and putting a new perspective on what you've written. Sometimes it can be something as simple as taking out a line and getting the same idea across with a look. There's retooling every day, and it's about finding the essence of what I was trying to say with the script. That's the biggest lesson I learned as a first-time filmmaker.
BPBS: In terms of working with actors, Ashley Laurence ("Jenny") provided some thoughtful, analytical and insightful commentary in the "Lightning Bug" featurette, "Afterglow: A Look Back...". Based on that, it's clear that she's very conscious of symbolism and themes in storytelling. Did that inform your process of directing her?
BPBS: Growing up as a horror fan, who were some of your influences in terms of directors and makeup artists?
RH: David Cronenberg. John Carpenter. I'm a giant Cronenberg nerd. I think he's the most underrated director of this generation. Even his non-horror stuff is great, like "A History of Violence". And John Carpenter: the original "Halloween" is one of my favorite movies of all time. As far as makeup, Rick Baker, Dick Smith. It's interesting to see how they work with filmmakers - it's such a collaboration, and they have such expertise in how to make these things work.
BPBS: You achieved your goal of becoming successful in the film industry. For someone wanting to get started in the field, what should they bring with them in terms of experience, attitude, or expectations?
RH: Thick skin. That's at the top of the list. Being in LA, it's basically living in a town of rejection. Everyone wants to be a director, writer, actor. You're dealing with lots of competition and egos. I've heard people say that LA is a place where they will kill you with encouragement. But my background made me who I am, and it takes a lot to beat me down.
BPBS: What kinds of projects do you have coming up?
RH: We've been doing the effects for "Teen Wolf," and I'll be directing a couple of upcoming episodes. I'm also working on a drama/horror movie with Johnathon Schaech. He wrote it - it's called "Rotten Face". It's kind of "Requiem for a Dream"-esque. And we got the rights to do a remake of "Chopping Mall", which I'll be doing as a tip of the hat to Roger Corman. It's my thank you to Roger.
BPBS: About Roger Corman: I've heard that you describe youself as having come out of the "Roger Corman School." Could you say more about that?
RH: When I first arrived [in Los Angeles] I lived close to Roger Corman's studio in Venice Beach, and I would basically walk over all the time. I started working there, and then they found out that I could do effects, so I got more involved. This was the mid to late 90s, and I worked on "Black Scorpion" - and I got to consult on the sexy costume. Seeing Roger, he's very involved [in the filmmaking process]; it's amazing how astute he still is.
BPBS: Are there any other filmmakers or genre films that you'd recommend?
RH: I appreciate films that make you feel something. I'm tired of films where you finish watching it, turn it off, and it just seems silly and useless. That's what makes me want to do things with substance. An example is a film I saw recently, "Martyrs." When I finished it I felt offended; I felt something. [The film] doesn't play by any rules. It's like they just gave [the filmmakers] some money and let them follow their vision. The general public doesn't know how stifled movies really are. In this case, the director had a vision, and they just let him do it. Another film like that is "I Saw the Devil" - it's a Korean film. In general, I'm a fan of foreign filmmakers. The way they work feels like a true artistic process.
"Lightning Bug" debuted on Blu-ray January 15, in a release from Image Entertainment. The release includes a new extended cut of the film, as well as a making-of featurette, a retrospective, and audio commentary with writer/director Robert Hall, producer Lisa Waugh, and actors Ashley Laurence and Laura Prepon. The listed SRP is $17.97.
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