An Interview with Michael Davis

Andy Gately recently spoke to Michael Davis, Austin filmmaker and director of the Austin Underground Film favorite For Love & Stacie, about the process of making his new film.

AUFF: What filmmakers inspire you?

Michael Davis: Hm, alotta them. I suppose the earliest ones that made me think that I could do this were Robert Rodriguez and Sam Raimi. I had read Robert’s book “Rebel without a Crew” before I even had an inkling that this is what I wanted to do and I’m pretty sure it planted the seed.

AUFF: Ah yes, the indie bible.

MD: Yeah, then one day I was flipping channels and “Evil Dead” was on. In so many ways it just seemed so simple and I just sat there thinking “I wanna make a movie.” That night I started reading online about different cameras and whatnot and within a week bought a Canon XL1 on eBay from a wedding videographer in Hawaii.

AUFF: How much did the For Love & Stacie cost to make?

MD: This one cost a little less than 3k. Like most broke ass indie people I know it took the work of a buncha people working for nothing or nexta nothing ta get it done. By nothing I mean the “D” word, deferred. All of ‘em would get something if it ever made money but no one ever holds their breath for that, or at least they shouldn’t. Yea, it would be awesome if we did, but most know that if you’re doing something for deferred there’s a good chance that ya won’t. Ya do it to make something that ya believe in, that you hopefully will be proud of, and ta have one more thing to list on your credits. In this case most of the people who worked on it also knew Stacie and I for sometime and thought it was kinda neat.

AUFF: How did you get the idea to make a film to win her back?

MD: Dunno, seemed a natural thing ta do I guess. I’m hooked on bad reality TV and I ’spose that has a little somethin’ ta do with it. Beyond that, I mean, this is what I do, and like I say in it, her being an actress and all … just seemed like the coolest thing in the world that a guy who’s struggling to make movies could do to win a girl back in this situation would be to make a movie and try and make her famous, to try to make her dreams come true. A kinda cinimatic “knight in shinning armor” or something goofy like that.

AUFF: Were you ever worried that it might scare her off?

MD: I wouldn’t say that that was my worry, I mean, it was more than that, it was just the thought of not getting her back at all that scared the fuck outta me. The hardest thing ta do was not just sit there and bawl in front of the camera the whole time, try to stay optimistic, to believe in what we had and what I know we could have. I never really thought it would scare her off, and as I started it and started interviewing chicks on the street, the feedback on the concept from women was encouraging.

AUFF: Do you know if she’s coming to the screening we’ve arranged on August 29th?

MD: Actually I’m just finishing it all up right now and she’s agreed to come over this week to see it. My goal is to have that be the end of the film, good or bad, whatever happens happens. The cool thing about the advent of digital video is that it really doesn’t take any time at all to drop it onto the computer and cut it up a little, add a little music, try to make it flow. The first 80 minutes or so were done in six months so doing the last screening and getting it ready for this screening won’t take but a week and if I end up making an ass out of myself people should see it, I haven’t pulled punches yet and don’t plan ta start now. Lucky for me I’m not afraid of looking like an idiot but with any luck it’ll be the kinda sappy ending that I’m hoping for.

AUFF: Best of luck to you, sir, in both your personal and professional endeavors.