Episode 12: Mark Bristol
Podcast Art for Season 2 Episode 12 with Mark Bristol
24 years between feature films? Talk about resilience. Mark Bristol, my guest today, has worked for the top directors of the last few decades. And now he's tied all of that together with his second feature film, ACCIDENTAL TEXAN. But nothing accidental about his success. In this episode, he'll give you a masterclass on indie filmmaking.
In this episode, we talk about:
how his Little League Baseball Coach made an enormous difference in his life (his coach was the extraordinarily Bill Wittliff);
the importance of mentorship and "paying it forward" in his success;
what he learned from having 24 years between feature films;
his experience working as a storyboard artist with some of the best directors of the last few decades, including Terrence Malick, Christopher Nolan, David Fincher, and more;
he also points out he learns from everyone, demonstrating a humility that is rare, and from Ken Kwapis, how to "bring the joy of filmmaking";
he recommends Ken's book, "But What I Really Want to Do Is Direct: Lessons from a Life Behind the Camera";
his thoughts on audiences' reaction to ACCIDENTAL TEXAN, of just going for a pleasurable experience -- "you'll laugh, you'll cry, it's beautifully shot";
he encourages people to watch ACCIDENTAL TEXAN to watch the trailer to understand the film;
how he used coloration to tell the story;
what he would tell gearheads about the importance of telling the story;
his thoughts on the future of comedic indie films;
what he learned from Christopher McQuarrie and Tom Cruise working on MISSION IMPOSSIBLE films about how to listen to audiences;
how he'll define success for the ACCIDENTAL TEXAN;
the importance of efficiency and preparing for an mid-budget indie film (this is where the masterclass kicks in);
advice he'd give young filmmakers just starting out -- how "nothing is precious...and rely on your own creativity to solve it"
what's next for this utterly exciting and unique filmmaker -- a late 80s based film called GENERATION X which I will be first in line to see.
Links:
ACCIDENTAL TEXAN Trailer
Mark Bristol's Website