A spring morning. Birds chirp peacefully. In an old muscle car sit a big, brooding guy and his accomplice, staking out a house. When an elderly man emerges from the house, the guys grab him, stuff him in the car and drive off. What could this poor old man have done to deserve this treatment? Plenty!
Oliver Refson was born in London and grew up between London and Paris. While growing up, his interests were rooted in visual mediums, such as movies, TV, comic books, and art. Always a keen observer of human behavior and psychology, Refson decided to pursue his undergraduate degree in social anthropology at London's School of Oriental and African Studies. However, as he approached of his undergraduate career, he realized that his true passion lay elsewhere, and he applied to Columbia University's directing program, to which he was accepted. To date, he has written two feature-length scripts and has directed numerous shorts. Refson has discovered what he wants to do for the rest of his life and looks forward to putting his years of observation to test on the screen.
What inspired you to make this piece?
I wanted to make a film that centered around older people behaving like teenagers…hopefully to comedic effect.
Briefly tell us about how you made your film or video: what camera and format did you use to shoot your piece, and what system did you use to edit it? What is your working process? Did you use any special techniques to make this work?
We shot on 35mm and did a fully supervised telecine to give the film a bleached effect. We then edited on final cut pro and finished on digibeta.
Do you have any interesting behind-the-scenes stories about the making of this particular work?
We had one stunt where an old man is thrown against a fence. We ended up using a teenage girl for his stunt double because she was the right height and build.
What is the relationship between your work as a video/filmmaker and life in the New York metropolitan area?
The best thing about New York is chaos. Even when I’m writing in my apartment, you can feel the energy from the street. It’s impossible to feel lethargic when everyone around you is moving at a million miles an hour.
What films/videos and makers have inspired you or influenced your work? And why?
Like a lot of people I’m a big fan of the films and filmmakers of the 70’s. People like Hal Ashby and Roman Polanski are big cinematic influences of mine because they never let the camera get in the way of a good story. Their directing becomes invisible.
If viewers are interested in obtaining copies of your work for rental or purchase, whom should they contact and at what address and phone number?
Oliver_refson@hotmail.com
917-855-7319
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