The Peak

Vancouver Short Film Festival: Making Waves

By Dan McPeake

The Vancouver Short Film Festival runs from October 23 to 24. For more information, please visit VSFF.com

The Vancouver Short Film Festival is coming to town and I caught up with SFU film school grad Jack Juston to talk about his film Perfect Wave as well as thoughts on his filmmaking process and the SFU film program.

The Peak: So, why don’t you tell us a little about your film to start off . . .

Jack Jutson: I shot it about a year ago, for the SFU film program . . . I shot it in about a week . . . I used some friends of mine as actors.

*P:* Where did you come up with the idea?

JJ: I was at that time in my life . . . really into the idea of summertime . . . of freedom from conflict, freedom from pain . . . from wanting to have some intense goals . . . the film was sort of an exploration of that idea . . . something that could happen that would be enjoyable and romantic.

*P:* How long did it take you to make this film?

JJ: More than a year. We wrote it at the beginning of spring and summer 2008, and then we shot in September 2008. We screened it in March or April.

*P:* When did you first realize you wanted to be a filmmaker?

JJ: When I was 12. My friend used to use his mum and dad’s video camera and just edit on VHS . . . recording off the video camera onto the VHS, and just making videos of us going backwards or doing stupid things, crying, putting bad music to it, sometimes getting a bit too serious for our age. I really enjoyed it. But it wasn’t a film that inspired me, I never watched a lot of films, I just wanted to make videos and make things look cool.

*P:* How was the SFU film program as a learning tool?

JJ: I think that it’s a great program. . . . Let me think about this, I used to have a well-formed opinion . . . I really like the way it’s set up, you’re basically told to throw out a lot of your ideas about what you want to do there, because most people come in not wanting to make experimental films, but the first year you have to make experimental films. It’s interesting that no one makes them in fourth year. I love how [when] you come in . . . you start shooting on film, by yourself, and then in second year you get together with a group and you learn how to compromise . . . filmmaking is always a huge collaboration.

*P:* Describe your filmmaking process

JJ: Personally, I like to make experimental films. I’m always a lot happier with them. I personally like to do things a little more spontaneously. When I make a narrative film . . . it’s not the way my mind works particularly . . . I enjoy directing actors . . . I find that really exciting. I don’t like to show people my work.

*P:* Is that a big thing for filmmakers? Getting too attached to films?

JJ: In fourth year, I think I was the only one. I don’t know if that’s a trait of a typical filmmaker, I think that’s a trait of a bad filmmaker, who doesn’t want to show people.

*P:* Do you prefer writing or directing?

JJ: I’m not a writer, which is why I kind of like making experimental films. Your typical conversations, relationships . . . microcosmic things that happen in the bedroom or on the street, they don’t interest me as much as bigger, weirder ideas. But directing a script that’s already been written, I love doing that . . . and getting people who had never done this before to find things in themselves that they could grab onto.

*P:* Bringing out the inner actor in nonactors . . .

JJ: Yeah exactly. That was fun for me. But I don’t know, I’ve never directed professional actors.

*P:* This being your first film, it must feel pretty cool being accepted into the VSFF?

JJ: Like I said before, I have a tendency to not want to show my work . . . I feel better now that I’ve actually shown it to a huge audience. I sent if off and got accepted — it’s definitely a cool feeling. Since I got accepted I’ve started sending it off to more festivals.

*P:* What festivals are you going after?

JJ: I just sent one off to the Whistler Film Festival. That’s all right now.

*P:* Do you have any advice for wannabe filmmakers?

JJ: Advice? Don’t expect all the answers to be found in film school. Film school is fantastic; it gives you a platform, resources, and a group of like-minded people. But fundamentally, you should be doing it without school. I think you should always do exactly what you want.