Interview with Joseph Sousa, co-director of "Live from Bethlehem"

First off, I just want to say how cooperative Mr. Sousa was with my tedious and lengthy questions and overall what an awesome guy he was to interview. It was unfortunate that he was unable to attend the festival in person. He was one man of the two-man crew that filmed the documentary "Live from Bethlehem" which explored some of the media struggles going on in the Palestinian Territories and went into some of the lives of the individuals trying to jump-start the media in that area. So here are my rather complex questions and Mr. Sousa's excellent responses to them:


What inspired you to become a film director? Any people in particular?

I saw "Apocalypse Now" when I was about 13. It was the first time I remember feeling actively engaged by a film. That film revealed to me that cinema is more than a past time; it's a linguistic code: an alternate language with myriad subtexts. So if there was a moment that inspired be to be a director, I think I would have to say it was the after seeing Coppola's "Apocalypse Now" for the first time.


How long have you been into film, both as a viewer and as a person who works with their production?

I've actively sought out interesting films to watch as a viewer since I can remember; I first started watching 'art' films and docs when I was about 13 or 14. I've been in the business since graduating college in 2003, so 6 years.


What is the most significant piece you have directed in your career?

I'd probably say "Live from Bethlehem."


Now a few questions about the film...

How was living in the Palestinian Territories and how long did you film there for?

I stayed in Bethlehem for three weeks in the summer of 2007, while my co-producer and the film's principle cinematographer Matt Sienkiewicz was there for three months of the summer of 2007 and about a month in the summer of 2008. I should be clear here that we work very much as collaborative co-directors and he certainly did the lions share of field production.


How long did the film -- filming, editing, and production -- take to complete?

Shooting happened over two summer with editing starting in fall of 2007. So this was about a two year process.


Were there any extreme difficulties that you encountered, such as getting the material you wanted, or controversies that were created in that area because of your filming? Did anyone directly oppose to your filming?

I was by and large surprised at how well we were received. It helped that the doc covered people in media, so they had an understanding and appreciation of the nature of production. It also helped that these are people that are very conscious of how they are viewed and vitally interested in changing the way they are perceived by American media.
We shot verite, though, so there were a few times when we would be shooting without people being aware that the camera was rolling. This is always a tricky thing to navigate. On the one hand, as a documentarian you want to get your story and you want to go everywhere and hear everything without restriction. But you also have to be careful to respect people's space and integrity. Hopefully we successfully navigated that very sensitive terrain.


How did the locals treat you and your crew, and what was their overall response to your presence?

First off, there was only two of us. So we weren't much of a crew. That was actually tremendously helpful as we could more or less mix in with the people we were covering. Bethlehem is also a tourist town and still has a significant Christian community, so it is a tolerant place with people that appreciate outside visitors. One of the things that is so fun about making a documentary is that you parachute into people's lives and experience life from a totally new perspective, and it goes beyond what you put on camera. There's hookah bars, the late night conversations about a range of subjects, and all the other little rich moments you get when you are traveling and everything is new and dangerous and exciting. But we were blessed to encounter people who were kind and welcoming.


Just a few more...

Did you learn anything, about the people, yourself, ideals, etc., throughout the filming process?

After this experience I feel that the Palestinian people could be major partners and ambassadors in the current divide between western societies and Arab/Muslim societies. This is not something that I'm trying to push with the film. But its something that I learned myself from my experience working on this project.
By and large, Palestinians are more educated than I expected, more tolerant than I expected, and Palestinian women seemed more assertive and had a larger and more active role in the public sphere than I expected. They are literally at the nexus of Europe, Africa, and Asia and there are countless ideologies and belief systems all struggling with one another within this relatively tiny group of people. They therefore have a huge and complex world view. That is not to say there are not dangerous and brutal extremists within that society, but I think too much emphasis has been placed on that very, very small segment of the people. We should seek to empower the moderate voices over there, not just battle the extremist ones.
If we can see this as fundamentally a conflict over land -- and somehow sideline the religious extremists on both sides that now dominate the debate -- then I think Israelis and Palestinians should be able to come to some sort of accord. Palestinians would then have the potential to be important partners for peace in the wider global struggle.


What made you aware of the media struggles in that area and what compelled you to capture it?

My first boss and mentor, Charlie Stuart, made a film called "Hollywood and the Muslim World," for AMC (American Movie Classics) which I am a big fan off and was one of the reasons I sought him out and got a job with him. While with him, I helped out on another film called "Ex-Extremists." So since being in the business I've done a number of things in this general territory.
I found the subjects of this film in particular through my association with Charlie as well. He was invited by an American NGO to go to the West Bank to train and consult with journalists at this fledgling independent Palestinian network called Ma'an. I was his associate producer at the time. When he got back he was so impressed with these journalists that he wanted to do a project on them. His idea was to do a short form segment on Amira. We developed a project proposal and pitch. But ultimately it was a very un-sexy project for networks: no explosions, no one getting killed, just a lot of people doing the gritty work of trying to lay the foundations for democracy. At the same time Matt and I had just finished a collaboration on another film and were looking for a new independent project to bite into. So when no networks bit, I asked Charlie if Matt and I could take it on as an independent project. He said go to town, so we did.


What message, if any, did you hope to convey through means of the film? Do you feel like you accomplished what you set out to do?

The images we see of Palestinians in American media almost always fits one of two molds. The first is the victimized, suffering masses. Arab terrorists is the second. That portrait is not only incomplete, it's also inaccurate. Our goal was to try to give a fresh, new portrait of who the Palestinian people really are through the lens of a struggling independent media outlet that has come to represent the hopes, dreams, and contradictions of the Palestinian people. But I hope this film shows Palestinians as they are: mothers and fathers, employees and business people. They are people with the same personal struggles and many of the same values as Americans. I hope American and western audiences are able to see these images and come away from this film with a new depth of understanding of Palestinian people to counter balance the stereotypes that are so dominant in our media today.


Anything else you would like to add?

I just want to emphasize that the above answers are my own personal take aways. And even though I was one of the filmmakers, I'm sure other folks who watch it will take away completely different things. In a way, I actually hope they do. I think that different scenes will mean drastically different things to different people. What we tried to do is make this as balanced and complete as possible in respect to the very loaded ideas that are covered in this film. I hope audiences feels like we accomplished this goal.

Inside Deep Throat

This film was very interesting from my perspective. I have heard of the film "Deep Throat," but I never realized how controversial it was when it had been released. This documentary reveals the controversy behind the film as well as how important this film was to society. It started a new era in what is socially acceptable in the US, and tore down boundaries that was never thought to be possible in that day and age. What baffled me the most was even though this movie was a huge hit no one received revenue except the Mafia. Over all a good movie if you don't know much about the movie "Deep Throat."

Interview With Ron Tippe

Where were you residing before coming to Roger Williams University?

- I live in Los Angeles full-time with my wife, costume designer, molly maginnis and my son, sam, 17. my daughter, annie, 21 is a senior this sept at NYU Tisch .


What is your film/production background?

-PRODUCER: Imagi Entertainment. GATCHAMAN. January 2008 – Aug. 15, 2008. Creative supervisory pre-production responsibilities included all story and character development, visual design, music and EFX, marketing, while handling financial, human resource and administrative duties.
-PRODUCER: - 20th Century Fox. EVERYONE’S HERO. Creative supervisory responsibilities included all story and character development, visual design, music and EFX, marketing, while handling financial, human resource and administrative duties. Managing a crew of 200 artists, technicians and managers. September 2004 – September 2006.
-EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Sony Music Soundtrack Album – EVERYONE’S HERO. September 14, 2006 release.
-PRESIDENT/CO-FOUNDER: Woof! Entertainment. Oversaw all creative aspects of company specializing in branded projects. September 2002 – September 2004.
-VICE PRESIDENT OF CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT: Route 66 Productions, Inc. Oversee creative development for film production and event producing company that specializes in marketing for the major Hollywood Studios. January 2001 – 2004.
-EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF CREATIVE AFFAIRS/CO-FOUNDER: Digital Character Group – an animation studio that specialized in CGI animation and development of new properties. January 2000 – January 2002.
-PRODUCER: Universal Pictures and Industrial Light & Magic. FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLFMAN. Oversaw production for digitally animated (CGI) feature film. Supervisory responsibilities include story and character development, sculpting and visual design elements, while handling financial, human resource and administrative duties. Managing a crew of 100 artists, technicians and managers. January 1999 – January 2000.
-PRODUCER: Warner Bros. - Supervised pre-production of THE INCREDIBLE MR. LIMPET, a combination live action, visual fx and CGI feature length film. Supervisory responsibilities included story and character development, sculpting and visual design elements, while handling financial, human resource and administrative duties. Managed a crew of 45 artists and technicians. January 1998 – January 1999.
-PRODUCER: DreamWorks SKG - Supervised pre-production of SHREK, a CGI feature length film, including voice casting, script and character development, sculpting and visual design elements, while handling financial, human resource and administrative duties. Managed a crew of 70 artists, including a software development team and supporting technicians. January 1997 – August 1997.
-PRODUCER: Warner Bros. Feature Animation - Produced 2D and CGI animation for the hit movie, SPACE JAM. Creative supervision included story, casting, character development, visual design, dialogue recording, music composition, sound fx, visual and special fx, editorial, post production supervision and marketing. Managed film production in a highly accelerated eight-month production period with 1,485 crew members, working at 15 separate studios in 5 different countries. 1996.
-PRODUCER: Walt Disney Feature Animation - Produced the Academy Award-nominated Mickey Mouse short, RUNAWAY BRAIN. Creative input included story, casting, character development, visual design, dialogue recording, music composition, sound fx, 2-D and CG animation, special fx, editorial and post production supervision. Simultaneously managed Disney’s Paris, France, animation studio for eight months while producing the film with a crew of over 400. Duties included general day-to-day studio management, international recruitment, artist training, finance and human resources.
1994 -1995.
-SCREENWRITER: Wrote screenplays, situation comedies, MOW’s, episodic tv shows for various Hollywood companies. Worked for Imagine Films Entertainment, Danny Arnold, Steve Tisch, Jack Harris, Saban-Sherrick, among others. 1988 - 1994.
-FILM DIRECTOR: Freelance Director of over 100 industrial, educational, documentary and rock video productions. Clients included, Pan Am, Volkswagen of America, Citizens Bank, AFL-CIO, IBEW, the Four Tops, to name a few. Extensive experience in film and video production, and post production. 1981 - 1988.
-ASSOCIATE PRODUCER: IN A SHALLOW GRAVE, an American Playhouse, PBS feature length film. 1987.
-PRODUCER/DIRECTOR/WRITER: CLOSE CALL. A fifteen-minute, 35mm dramatic short - on location in Newport, R.I. 1986.
-STAGE DIRECTOR: Freelance Director of 25 stage productions in London, Chicago, Los Angeles and Boston. 1979 - 1981.
-ARTISTIC DIRECTOR: The Incredibly Far Off-Broadway Ensemble Theatre. Founded and artistically guided a non-profit, experimental theatre company that specialized in producing new and classic plays in environmentally compatible locations. Directed 25 theatrical productions. Responsible for all casting, script, set, costume, sound and music decisions. In addition, oversaw all financial, fund raising and administrative tasks for a company of 55 artists and technicians. 1974 - 1979.


What Productions have you been involved in?

-SPACE JAM, SHREK, EVERYONE'S HERO to name a few


What is your affiliation with Roger Williams University?

-Alumnus and Visiting Professor of Communications 2008/09 school year.


Did you feel this years first ever RWU Roving Eye Film Festival was a success?

-yes, since we were able to introduce the school to what a film festival might might do for the university and students.


What are your career plans for the future, either in the production world or at Roger Williams?

-I hope to be producing another movie when i return to LA in 3 weeks. no further plans to teach at RWU yet.

Boogie Man: the Lee Atwater Story

This film delved into the life of a very popular and controversial man who played a large role in the government. The film gives mixed emotions. It shows all of the sides of Atwater: peoples' opinions of him and all of the various shenanigans he gets himself into. Judging by the interviews of the people, which were mostly government officials that made contact with Atwater, the man is a complete douche and an under-handing scumbag. But just by looking at him and public and some of the stunts he pulls, such as jumping on stage and performing music by singing and playing the guitar, he seems like a good guy who can't do much wrong. Overall, the film gives an unbiased view that causes the general consensus to be that the man is a bad, corrupted person who just looked after himself and his own selfish goals. However, the ending of the film almost changes this outlook by drawing sympathy from the viewers; it shows Atwater as just a man who is suffering from a terrible disease, not a kniving politician who tries to screw people over. This film was effective in the sense that it was about a subject that poses no interest to me (politics), and yet it created a piece that was very interesting and caused some emotions.

Sitting Down with Filmakers Christine and Bruce Johnson

For the first time here on campus Roger Williams University had their Roving Eye Documentary Film festival which al the Documentary film students were able to be a part of. My classmate and I both chose to be ambassadors for two visiting filmmakers attending our first film festival. We chose an amazing couple, Christine and Bruce Johhnson.
Christine and Bruce Johnson are a couple from New York who directed, Transcending: the Wat Misaka Story. My classmate and I went to meet the Johnsons as they were entering into the Roger Williams University campus. As we walked over to the car a woman stepped out to greet us and introduce herself as Christine Johnson, who was accompanied by her husband Bruce. Interestingly, both Christine and I were wearing orange dresses and we immediately had something to joke about together. The couple had amazing personalities and was very easy to talk to. It was no wonder Wat Misaka felt comfortable sharing his story with the them.
Transcending: the Wat Misaka Story is about an Asian-American basketball player growing up during the Japanese-American War. During this time the government had set up internment camps which housed the Japanese Americans living in the United states in one area. They were treated differently in schools and by the country because of the current events. Wat Misaka was a talented basketball player and so was his brother. Bruce and Christine were able to gather a decent amount of newspaper and historical information. They also did numerous amounts of interviews with Wat, family friends, and coaches. This helped them gather as much information about his life as possible. The documentary showed his amazing basketball talents as well as his positive outlook on life. It also portrayed the challenges that he was faced with and how he overcame these challenges with a generous peace of mind.
This film was amazing and inspirational in many ways. It took Bruce and Christine two years to make the film and they did most of the work themselves. In fact, Bruce did a lot of the editing right from home. They both described Wat Misaka as very modest and shy. Christine describes their inspiration to make the film from a picture on the wall that they had seen while Bruce was doing lighting and Christine was singing for a performance. When they went to the NBA HAll of Fame they notied that Wat Misaka was not featured there. Bruce expressed that it was also hard to find him in any history book. They made the film because they believed his story was important and should be told to the world. Neither knew how many people would be amazed and touched by Wat's story. When they first appproached Wat with the idea he was surprised and didn't think that his story was very important.
This film was also important for the Japanese Americans who had been put in the internment camps during the war. The couple discuss how many of the people in the internment camps felt that it was their fault and some even felt shame. They also express that Wat had been treatd like a "trivia question." Wat Misaka's story is very important and his story has caught the eye of many all over the world which is what Christine and Bruce wanted to achieve. Before I met with them they had just gone to Hawaii for the film and after they made plans to go to San Francisco. Sports Illustrated had also contacted them for a feature on Wat Misaka. Transcending: The Wat Misaka Story will also be featured in the 2009 Rhode Island International Film Festival. This is exactly what they wanted the film to achieve. Christine and Bruce are both wonderful people as well as filmakers and it is amazing to here their story of the inspiration their film has brought.

Easy Rider/Raging Bulls

Easy Rider/Raging Bulls was a documentary about famous actors and directors during the 70's. This documentary was good but it was very lengthy. I believe that the film could have been shortened because after exceeding 2 hours the attention of the audience was lost. I enjoyed seeing the relationship of the people in Hollywood and watching them go through their lives. The small film clips were helpful in determining the work they did. I would have liked to have seen a little bit more of where they stood in their relationships towards the end. Unfortunately it was too long and maybe a little bit more editing would have been useful. The film had very good quality and was shot well. They utilized good coloring and archival information. Also the variety of people interviewed made it very interesting to watch. There were only a couple of parts that were a litltle jumpy but the film was enjoyable with a good selection of people to use in the documentary.

Interview with Katie Hery (Dream Works, Kung Fu Panda Bear 2)

What is it like working for Dream Works?

Working for Dreamworks Animation is great because they really treat their employees well. We have full benefits as well as a 401K and bonuses each year. There is free parking, free breakfast and lunch as well as a Starbucks on the lot. There are many different activities on the lot through out the week such as, lunchtime yoga, special speakers, Monday night movies, discounts on different activities and events around LA, discounts on cars, computers and of course there is a gift shop. 

Creativity is important at DreamWorks and everyone including assistants like me is encouraged to make notes on screenings and submit them to the director and producer to look over. I had previously worked in live action as a production assistant (PA) and when I was running around giving out waters and call sheets I never felt I was making a true effort because I was expendable. They could easily fire me and grab another recent college grad hungry to break into the biz. The constant fear that there are millions of others like you graduation each May looking for a job in Hollywood makes it easy for production companies to take advantage of a “green” PA (green meaning new). At DreamWorks I don’t feel like im just another PA or just another faceless young kid with a head set calling out “quiet down we are rolling”. I feel that Im a part of something and also enjoy all the perks that come with working at such a great company.

What does your job entail? 

I arrive at work at 8:15am and usually leave by 7pm. These are un heard of hours in the business because when I was working in live action I would typically work from 5am to 10pm, with a 1 hour lunch in between, and I worked through lunch. Iam the producer’s and director’s assistant on Kung Fu Panda 2. I schedule meetings, answer phones, and im also the liaison between the talent’s managers and agents and the production staff. I schedule records and pitches with the talent. In addition to phones and scheduling I also prepare presentations, file, copy, fax etc etc. I also plan crew parties, book travel, plan crew gifts, help with setting up for meetings and screenings. Although im just an assistant now I know there is room to improve as DWA generally promotes from within, so applying as an outsider is difficult.

Do you feel like you use some of the skills you learned at Keene State being a film major?

When I worked in live action I did use a lot of the skills I learned at KSC. I mainly learned at KSC is to always say YES that can be done and then figure it out later. When you’re on set and they ask can you get me 50 copies of this? And you know for sure that the copier in the office trailer is broken and instead of saying “well I can do it but it may take awhile as the copier is broken” you just say YES that can be done. I also learned that its all about thinking ahead. For instance if a the camera guy asks you for two rolls of film you bring 3, if they ask for a bottle of H2O you bring a room temp one and a cold one, if they ask for copies of the sides (the parts of the script they are covering that day) you bring the smaller version and the 8.5 X 11 version. Its all about thinking ahead and again that goes for Animation (where Iam now) too. When I get things ready for a meeting I make sure to plan ahead and make enough copies of things, plus one, make sure they have the option of food or no food at the meeting. The main goal as an assistant or as a PA is to make sure that the director or the producer thinks about nothing else but creativity of that said project they are working on. They don’t need to know why you chose this conference room or that one they just need the meeting to happen, where they want it, when they want it and have everything there that they need. They do not need to know about the journey just the end.

What is it like working on Kung Fu Panda 2? (Kung Fu Panda NOT kung fu panda bear)

Kung Fu Panda 2 is GREAT! I love working on this project because it’s a film that everyone loves to much and the crew members that are on this show are very involved with the characters and make it an enjoyable creative process to work in. KFP is a great addition to the family DVD collection and so will KFP 2..


What is it like knowing your working on a sequel to a movie that did very well?

It’s a comforting feeling that we have already done so well, over 600 million world wide! However it is a bit scary because you don’t want the second one to suck. Animated films generally take about 3 or 4 years to make or more, a sequel takes less time because the base of the story is already there.

What does the future hold in store for Katie Hery?

I would love to work at DreamWorks for awhile and im thankful that in a tough economy I still have a job. My plan would be to work here and get up to an associate producer level and possibly move into live action as a producer. Live action is where my hear is, I love the fast paced rhythm and the constant unknown if your going to make the day (get all your shots done for that day). It’s the pressure and the intensity that gets me but the hours were just insane. The hours will be intense when im a producer and most likely they will be longer than 50 hours a week but I will have a more creative role and of course be paid more so the time I spend on my job will be worth it. I would love to try and live in NYC for a bit and work as a producer there as well but again Hollywood is where the jobs are. Many people will say NYC is booming and Boston is booming for business but that fluctuates with the economy and right now it’s crappy everywhere. Although there will always be more opportunities in Hollywood. Life in the movie business allows you to travel as well because one day you can be on location shooting an action scene in LA and then you’re on a plane headed to Boston to shoot at Boston University.

When you start in the film business you are looking for anything, just to get your foot in the door. You hustle and hustle for no money and just a copy of the movie, credit that you worked on it and lunch, (copy, credit, and lunch). Then you slowly, slowly work your way up if you’re on set as a PA you can work your way up to be the AD (assistant director, or a line producer). If you are more creative its best for you to work as a PA, make the money and then work on your writing or your directing. Its so cliché to say but it really is who you know, not what you know.