There's an unspoken sadness in each character throughout the entire film, but things are rarely talked about. That's essentially what the film is about - the disconnect between people in the wake of a tragedy - and I hope that comes across to the viewers, says filmmaker Matthew Nourse.

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There are certain movies that I watch that linger with me for weeks or even months after the viewing. There is a sense of identity and connection. It's like travelling with your best friend:  you don't have to entertain him or worry about him getting bored. You simply carry on thinking your own thoughts and at times, you can even forget he's there with you. True intimacy allows us to be ourselves. I think that's what some films do - they allow us to identify with the characters and share with the filmmakers in their journey...

Then there are times when you watch a movie without any sense of expectation. Then, as the film rolls, you just knew you're gonna love it. That's The Pacific And Eddy for me. In this interview, tMF talks with filmmakers Matthew Nourse (director) and Thomas J. Rasea (producer)...

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Jed Medina: Tell us more about the filming of the movie. What were some of the most enjoyable experiences in doing The Pacific and Eddy? How about some of the most difficult ones?

Matthew Nourse: The filming of the movie was an incredible experience. We become an instant family, people were sleeping on our floor, and Ryan and Susan were in an apartment down the street. We would shoot all day and rehearse at night. I think the average age of the crew had to be like 24. Everyone was optimistic and really into the project and the process. There were so many ups and downs, as with all guerilla shoots, I imagine. I can't believe some of the things we got away with, and others that we didn't, like when thieves broke into the wardrobe truck at 4am and I confronted them in my boxers. I punched the window of their car and broke my finger before they said they had a gun - then I leaped over a chain link fence because I thought they were gonna shoot at me. The next day on set was not pleasant. That was probably the worst thing that happened.

Oh yeah...on the last night of shooting, Nikki Sudden and Ryan Donowho had a scene in a car and Nikki was driving. It was pretty late at night and Nikki wasn't used to driving - he stopped the car on the train tracks, and then a train started coming, and we all (me, Ryan, Olivier (sound), and Aaron (dp)) thought we were finished. At the last second, Nikki popped it back into gear and got out of the way. Everyone was screaming, but two seconds later we were laughing about it. Some of the best times were when me, Ryan, and Aaron went out and grabbed footage on the fly. All the hot air balloon stuff was done that way. There's so much luck and chance, improvisation and excitement when you're kind of breaking the rules and getting away with it. When you see the footage it's fulfilling because you really had to work for it.

Tommy Rasera: There was definitely a lot of luck involved, but it was more so that we all had the attitude of “we have to do this, we have to get this shot, or else”. It was a lot of the people involved's first feature films so we really didn’t listen when people would tell us “there’s no way you can do that on that budget” or “you guys are crazy”, etc., we just went out and did it. One of the first things Matt told me when I first started on the project was that we had to swing for the fences, and we did just that.

Jed: What would you consider to be some of the highlights of the film, in terms of the actual scenes? In terms of preproduction and before the actual filming?

Matthew: Preproduction was great because I was meeting everyone who would ultimately help me make the film, people like Tommy, the actors, the crew - I still see these people on a fairly regular basis. They're all great friends. Deciding which actors were right for the roles and then going after them was both the most difficult and rewarding task of preproduction. Oh yeah, finding investors who believed in the vision of the project - without them there would be no film at all. Going after Ryan was a long process but I knew that he was the only person for the role of Eddy. I wasn't really interested in anyone until Hollie (costume designer/co-producer) rented ‘A Home At The End Of The World’ and within ten minutes I was sold on Ryan.

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Meeting Dominique and her enthusiasm for the script was also a highlight and something I'll never forget. Her attitude from the very beginning was amazing - it was 'I love it, when do we start shooting?' That really helped kick the production into high gear and make others believe in it. Also, when I first met with Tommy, it was literally just me and Hollie, and then Tommy said he was in and things slowly started to materialize after that.

My favorite part of the film would have to be the sequence with Eddy and Barron when they're on their way to the cliffs...They drive to the liquor store then walk across the bridge. For me that's the most poetic part of the film. I love Kelli's score in it, and it still rings true to me. I also like the dream sequence with Farah dancing, then Eddy chasing the girl in the trench coat through the woods.

Tommy: Preproduction was a whirlwind, but in a very good way. Everyday someone new would come onto the project and their energy would just add another great layer to the process. We basically lived and breathed Pac and Ed for that summer, literally. In terms of actual scenes, one of my favorites is where Ryan and Dom are having a conversation by the fire later in the film. That location was one that we secured very last minute, but perfect. I remember we had been searching for that particular location forever and for one reason or another, they kept falling through, or just not working right for the film. Finally, Matt and I stumbled across this place in Mission Bay right on the water under a bridge, and we both looked at each other and new it was the place. And something about that shooting night in general was just magical.

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Jed: Music, lighting effects, the mood, the absence of dialogue in some of the scenes, the tragedy of the story, these are some elements that still resonate with me and I guess with many of the viewers. How personal is the movie to you as producer and as director?

Matthew: It's personal but I got really lost in these characters and this world that we were trying to create. The actual events don't feel so personal to me, but the characters and that world feels really personal. It's hard to watch now b/c Nikki Sudden and Mark Gregg both passed away. We were all committed to making a movie that felt different; visually, with dialogue and acting, musically...etc. I hope the tragedy of the film lurks just below the surface. There's an unspoken sadness in each character throughout the entire film, but things are rarely talked about. That's essentially what the film is about - the disconnect between people in the wake of a tragedy - and I hope that comes across to the viewers.

Tommy: I remember during the editing process, the festival screenings, even watching it now noticing something I can relate to in all the characters and it is one of those movies that I think you can take something different from it more and more each time you see it.

Jed: How did you choose the music and the musical backgrounds? They are so appropriate, and it really sets the mood. Give us some more inside stories...

Matthew: The music was done by Kelli Scarr, Nikki Sudden and Epic Soundtracks. This is music that I listened to while I was writing the script and it was a no-brainer to use it. I think a lot about music when I'm writing and a lot of the scenes were written with specific songs and compositions in mind. The three artists give the film a nice balance I hope. They all convey different emotions and move the story forward. Epic's songs are about mystery and sadness, the use of Nikki's songs are more optimistic and exciting, and Kelli's score is used more when a character is coming to a crossroads or becoming more self-aware

Jed: How did you go about casting the leads, especially Ryan Donowho and Dominique Swain?

Matthew: I went to some of this in an earlier question, but basically w/ Ryan I was getting the runaround with his manager/agents and so I went a more unconventional route. I tracked him down thru friends of friends (with the help of Hollie) and finally got his cell phone #. I sent him the script and some artwork and music and told him I would fly out to NY to meet with him. So after many months of this I finally met him and then flew back a second time before he agreed to do it. It was really hard to get Ryan to commit to the project at first because he wanted to make sure that we were gonna do what we said and that it was a genuine/authentic project. Once he was convinced that it was, he became fully invested in it.

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One of the most rewarding things for me was to see the relationship between all the actors because they became good friends, with the crew as well. Dominique was also a hail mary scenario where one of our producers, Melanie Capacia, had previously worked with her. Melanie went to Dom's birthday and told her about me and the film. She agreed to meet me in LA and we had lunch. I gave her the script and less than a week later she was signed on. I was with Aaron the dp when she called me to tell me she was in...it was great to get that phone call.

Tommy: I can definitely attest for Matt’s tenacity in trying to get Ryan to do the movie. Months before we started shooting, Ryan was at the top of the list for Eddy, and as I would soon learn, the only person on the list. I would frequently ask Matt “So who’s your back up in case we don’t get him? Maybe you should start thinking about other people just in case he can’t do it.” and Matt would just look at me dead pan and reply “No. We’ll get him.” Eventually I just stopped asking. Low and behold Matt was on a plane to NY. It was quite something.

Jed: How was Ryan as an actor? tMF's articles about the young actor are many; we even did an interview and plan to have another one. What would be some of the most memorable moments with the actor? People really like to know more of what's behind the scenes.

Matthew: There are a lot of stories along those lines. Ryan and I are great friends to this day. The process of making the film was very intense. When it was all done, we got to celebrate a lot with all of the festivals. I guess having Ryan and Susan out from New York for the premiere was a high point. Looking back on the actual shoot I have fond memories of staying up late working on scenes with him the night before the shoot, and when we'd get a great idea on set and just do it. Ryan is more than just an actor, he really becomes part of the crew - he's an actor with a true independent spirit and he's definitely in it for the right reasons. That's why it worked out so well. If we needed to hop a fence illegally to get a shot, he's down for it. If he thinks it'll make the film better and if it's part of the vision, he's in.

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Jed: As a filmmaker, some critics seem to consider you as a rising talent. Tell us more about how you became a director. Have you always wanted to become one?

Matthew: I've always been involved in filmmaking whether I was shooting shorts on a video camera and music videos for friends. But really by high school I became so immersed in American Independent film that I realized I wanted to become a filmmaker. I didn't see blade runner and decide I wanted to be a director....it was more like seeing a Woody Allen movie or Jim Jarmusch film and realizing that you could actually make real features (shot on film!) for very little money if you knew what you wanted. I have a lot of respect for the Polish Brothers and their outlook on the film industry and filmmaking.

Jed: As a film producer, how really hard was it for an independent film to really make it? What sort of plan of action should filmmakers follow in order to get notice?

Tommy: The first time around is tough of course, but in the same respect there are less rules to follow, simply because you haven’t learned them all yet, so it’s really a more organic form of filmmaking. But with that being said, it’s all about doing your homework at any level and giving yourself enough prep time to figure out exactly what you need. All too often I’ve seen people (even at larger budgets) dive way too fast into projects, and 9 times out of 10, that spells disaster.

Matthew: There are definitely a few things to avoid and vice versa. Keep your budget extremely low - work with people you trust and respect - research the independent film market and notice trends in which films sell and which ones don't. The ones that sell have several things in common; then do that.

Jed: What would be some of the most rewarding experiences while attending the film festivals and getting recognition and acclaims? Tell us more about some of your biggest achievements for the movie.

Matthew: The festivals were a nervous time at first because you're exposing your film to everyone to be experienced, and judged of course. But that's what it's all about, so it's great. A time to celebrate the project at its completion with people that you really care about, and also a chance to thank everyone that helped make the dream a reality, in large part the investors who took a tremendous risk in betting on a young band of optimistic filmmakers. By the end of our festival run it became more and more fun, and a lot less stressful. The actual premier is probably the most stressful day ever.

Tommy: Yeah the premiere was insanely stressful. You obsess over every little aspect: the projection, how the theatre sounds (which you may or may not even get to test), how the audience responds. It’s pretty much the first time anyone saw it outside of a small group of people. That’s where we got our Variety review, which thankfully was a very good review. But all in all, festivals are a lot of fun.

Jed: What do you think are the major selling points of The Pacific and Eddy?

Matthew: The Pacific and Eddy looks and feels different. That's what I was going for, and I believe that's its biggest selling point. I wasn't interested in making a movie that everyone was going to like....rather something that a lot of people might skip but a small group of people would get really into it. Those are the kinds of films that made me want to make films. I hope a few people will get sucked into the world of Eddy, Farah, Barron, and Chelsea and find something magical about it. That would be great.

Jed: Finally, Any projects in the works (aside from Fade and BROKEN WINDOWS)? We would love to hear if you got future movies where you both will collaborate.

Matthew: Yeah, me and Tommy are going to produce another feature which I'm writing and will direct. I'll be working with some of the same actors and many of the same crew.

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[ Official Movie Site ] [ IMDb Movie details [ tMF Interview with Ryan Donowho ]

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