Q & A PART 1 WITH WRITER/PRODUCER MICHEL GREY

CORRESPONDENT NICK MANERCHIA SITS DOWN WITH WRITER/PRODUCER MICHEL GREY AND DIRECTOR JASON PAGONI TO DISCUSS THEIR UPCOMING FILM DAYS OF POWER.

PART 1

NICK: I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO PREVIEW THE FILM BEFORE IT’S RELEASE CAN YOU TELL EVERYONE WHAT TO EXPECT FROM DAYS OF POWER?

MICHEL: IT’S ABOUT AN INTERNATIONAL POP STAR WHO DECIDES WHILE ON HER TOUR TO ADOPT A FRIEND FOR HER DOG LESTER. SHE AND HER BAND MEMBERS FIND THEMSELVES IN A CHILLING SITUATION WHEN THEY ACCIDENTLY UNCOVER SECRETS OF CONCEALED BUSINESS DEALINGS.

NICK:  IS THE FILM A HORROR MOVIE?

MICHEL:  WELL THAT WAS NOT MY INTENTION WHEN I WROTE IT BUT IT CERTAINLY HAS HORROR ELEMENTS IN IT. I WROTE A THRILLER BUT ONCE JASON CAME INTO THE MIX I THINK HE TOOK THOSE HORROR ELEMENTS AND MADE THEM PART OF THE STORY AND FOR GOOD REASON. WHAT HAPPENS IN THE MILLS IS HORRIFIC AND WE ONLY SHOW A SMIDGEN OF WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS IN THAT WORLD, BUT IF THE FILM JARS PEOPLE INTO BEING SHOCKED AND ASKING QUESTIONS THEN WE DID OUR JOB. ONCE YOU HAVE THE INFORMATION, IF YOU CHOOSE TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THAT INDUSTRY THEN YOU ARE MAKING A CHOICE TO SUPPORT ANIMAL ABUSE.

NICK: CAN I TALK ABOUT THE ENDING?

MICHEL: DEPENDS ON THE QUESTION.

NICK: YOU LEFT A LOT OF UNANSWERED QUESTIONS WAS THAT INTENTIONAL?

MICHEL: YES. THIS IS ONE OF THREE FILMS THAT TELL AN OVERALL STORY. SOME CHARACTER QUESTIONS WILL BE ANSWERED IN THE NEXT TWO FILMS, BUT SOME QUESTIONS ARE THERE FOR THE AUDIENCE TO DECIDE. I THINK ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS ABOUT DOING AN INDEPENDENT FILM IS THAT YOU DON’T HAVE TO ADHERE TO ANY FORMULA. I PERSONALLY LIKE FILMS THAT DON’T TELL ME EVERY SINGLE THING AND ALLOW ME THE FIND THE ANSWERS OR DECIDE WHAT HAPPENED NEXT.

NICK: MILOW THE GIRL, THE FILM’S MAIN CHARACTER IS A REAL SINGER ON YOUR RECORD LABEL AND THE DAYS OF POWER TOUR REALLY HAPPENED IN 2010. IS THIS A TRUE STORY?

MICHEL: YES AND NO. IT IS INSPIRED BY THE TRUTH IN THAT ELEMENTS OF IT ARE TRUE.

NICK: HOW DID THE WHOLE THING COME ABOUT?

MICHEL: MILOW THE GIRL AKA SYLVIA AND I SHARE A PASSION FOR ANIMALS AND ON THE 2010 DAYS OF POWER TOUR WE PARTNERED WITH THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE US TO RAISE AWARENESS FOR THEIR PUPPY MILL CAMPAIGN. WE NOTICED THAT PEOPLE WOULD TURN AWAY FROM THE IMAGES OF THE ANIMALS AND DIDN’T WANT TO KNOW ABOUT IT UNLESS THEY WERE ALREADY INFORMED ABOUT THE FACT THAT THEY EXISTED, BUT MANY OF THESE SAME PEOPLE WOULD GO WATCH PEOPLE ENDURE  HORRIFYING, SCARY SITUATIONS IN NARRATIVE FILMS. I GET IT. PEOPLE WANT THE ESCAPE. THE IDEA OF HAVING PEOPLE WHO NORMALLY WOULD NOT KNOW ABOUT THE MILLS AND TAKING THEM ON A THRILL RIDE IN A FILM TO SAY WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO SAY THAT WOULD REACH A MASS AUDIENCE MADE SENSE TO ME.

NICK: DO YOU THINK PEOPLE WILL LEAVE THE FILM FEELING UPSET OR WAS THAT YOUR INTENTION?

MICHEL: THAT WAS NOT THE INTENTION. I HOPE THEY WILL FEEL AWAKENED AND EMPOWERED. NO ONE WANTS TO SEE THE ANIMALS LOSE, ESPECIALLY ME.  SO IF THE AUDIENCE CAN HOLD ON UNTIL THE END, THE MESSAGE IS ONE OF HOPE AND TAKING OUR POWER BACK TO MAKE A CHANGE IN THE WORLD. I KNOW FEAR IS RUNNING PREVALENT RIGHT NOW BUT WHAT I SEE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE TRYING TO MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE;  THEN AGAIN THAT IS WHAT I CHOOSE TO FOCUS ON I DON’T PAY MUCH ATTENTION TO THE HATERS.  THE FILM HAS STRONG FEMALE CHARACTERS WHO OVERCOME SERIOUS ADVERSITY.

NICK: CAN WE TALK ABOUT THE MUSIC?

MICHEL: ABSOLUTELY

NICK: WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THE WORLD OF A SINGER ON TOUR TO TELL THIS STORY WHEN YOU COULD HAVE CHOSEN ANY OCCUPATION OR ANY TYPE OF PERSON LOOKING FOR A DOG TO ADOPT?

MICHEL: IT’S A WORLD I KNOW WELL. WE HAVE HAD AN INDIE RECORD LABEL FOR 17 YEARS. PRIOR TO THAT I WAS A DANCER AND HAVE ALWAYS LOVED MUSIC. SOME OF MY FAVORITE FILMS WERE THOSE THAT INCORPORATED MUSIC AND SINGERS INTO THE STORY. IT ALSO DIDN’T HURT THAT WE HAD THE RIGHTS TO USE THE MUSIC SO THAT WAS A NO BRAINER.

NICK: I READ THE ORIGINAL SCRIPT SO I KNOW HOW MANY CHANGES WERE MADE. WHAT MADE YOU DO THAT?

MICHEL: (LAUGHS) WELL… SOME WERE DUE TO BUDGET CONSTRAINTS, OTHERS DUE TO RUNNING OUT OF TIME AND LOSING LOCATIONS, WE HAD A LEAD ACTRESS WHOSE VISA RAN OUT AND HAD TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY FOR A BIT SO SCENES HAD TO HAVE HER WRITTEN OUT. THE LIST IS LONG. I REMEMBER ONE SCENE JASON AND I WERE SITTING ON APPLE BOXES IN A HOTEL PARKING LOT IN THE DARK AND I WAS REWRITING THE SCENE BECAUSE THE TOUR BUS WAS LEAVING, AND THE SCENE WAS NOT FINISHED FILMING. THERE ARE ALSO LINES THAT  WERE IMPROVISED FROM THE ACTORS. I AM KNOWN NOT TO SHY AWAY FROM A CURSE WORD BUT THEY TOOK THAT TO A WHOLE OTHER LEVEL.

NICK: IS MAKING A FILM HARDER THEN YOU THOUGHT IT WOULD BE?

MICHEL: I DON’T KNOW ABOUT MAKING A FILM IN GENERAL BUT I CAN TELL YOU THIS ONE TRIED TO KILL ME ON A REGULAR BASIS. WHEN YOU START OUT WITH YOUR DIRECTOR RUNNING AWAY FROM THE TERMINAL 3 LAX SHOOTER THE DAY ALL DEPARTMENT HEADS FLEW IN, YOU KNOW YOU’RE IN FOR AN INTERESTING RIDE.

NICK: I STILL CAN’T BELIEVE THAT HAPPENED. DID YOU EVER WANT TO JUST QUIT?

MICHEL: AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK FOR THREE YEARS.

NICK: WHY DIDN’T YOU?

MICHEL: BECAUSE THE ANIMALS NEED A VOICE. WE DID SOME FILMING OUTSIDE IN HOT, HUMID WEATHER AND JUST WHEN I WOULD THINK TO MYSELF THIS IS INSANE, I WOULD THINK OF THOSE DOGS WHO LIVE LIKE THAT EVERY DAY AND THAT’S ALL I NEEDED TO KEEP GOING.

NICK: THE ORGINAL SCRIPT TOOK PLACE IN THE WINTER WHY DID YOU CHANGE IT?

MICHEL: THE ANSWER TO MOST QUESTIONS LIKE THIS WITH THE FILM IS NO OTHER CHOICE. JASON WAS STUCK IN LA AFTER HE WAS QUARANTINED ALONG WITH HIS STORYBOARDS ETC. DURING THE LA SHOOTING IN 2013. BY THE TIME HE GOT TO THE EAST COAST WE HAD TO REASSESS THE ENTIRE TIMELINE AND SO THE FILMING WAS PUSHED BACK TO THE SUMMER OF 2014.

NICK: HOW DID IT AFFECT THE STORY?

MICHEL: THE MAIN THING IT AFFECTED WAS WARDROBE EXCEPT FOR THE TRAVIS (PAUL LEWIS) AND FRANK (TOM TRIETELY) CHARACTERS. THOSE ACTORS STAYED WITH THE WINTER GEAR AND DEALT WITH THE HEAT. FROM THE STORY ASPECT IT WAS JUST A MATTER OF SHOWING THE ELEMENTS DIFFERENTLY. IN THE ORIGINAL SCRIPT WE DEALT WITH THE PUPPIES AND ANIMALS FREEZING TO DEATH IN THE WINTER.  IN THIS VERSION I REWROTE IT TO ACCOMMODATE THE HEAT BECAUSE ANIMALS DIE DUE TO FRYING ON THE HOT WIRES. OBVIOUSLY, WE COULD NOT SHOW ANY OF THAT BUT IT IS ADDRESSED.

NICK: SPEAKING OF THAT HOW DID YOU MANAGE TO GET THE DOGS TO SHOW FEAR WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY KEEPING THEM SAFE?

MICHEL: THAT WAS ACTUALLY PRETTY SIMPLE. ALL THE DOGS IN THE FILM WERE BROUGHT BY FRIENDS, FAMILY AND RESCUES SO PEOPLE DID NOT JUST DROP DOGS OFF AND LEAVE. THE OWNERS WERE EITHER PRESENT DURING FILMING OR HAD SOMEONE THEY KNEW AND TRUSTED HANDLING THEIR DOGS. FOR EXAMPLE, MY DOG DAISY IS IN IT AND I KNOW CERTAIN WORDS THAT I CAN SAY TO HER TO MAKE HER SPIN AROUND, SO WE WERE ABLE TO CAPTURE SOME OF THOSE ELEMENTS WITHOUT STRESSING HER. WE TURNED AWAY ANIMALS THAT WE FELT WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO BE IN CAGES WITHOUT BEING STRESSED. WE ALSO HAD A FULL-TIME VET ON THE PREMISES WHO IS A CO-PRODUCER ON THE FILM. WE USED VFX TO EXAGGERATE ELEMENTS AND MAKE IT SEEM AS THOUGH THERE WERE MORE ANIMALS ON SET THAN THERE ACTUALLY WERE.

NICK: WERE ALL OF THE DOGS REAL?

MICHEL: NO, NOT ALL OF THEM, AND ON SOME WE DID VFX TRICKS LIKE DIRTY THEIR TEETH, OR MAKE THEM LOOK AS THOUGH THEY WERE SLOBBERING WHEN THEY WERE PANTING.

NICK: DID THAT PROCESS TAKE A LONG TIME?

MICHEL: YES, AND MY PART OF THAT WAS TO MAKE SURE THE DOGS LOOKED AS BAD AS WE COULD MAKE THEM LOOK SO THE AUDIENCE WOULDN’T SEE SUPER HEALTHY CLEAN DOGS. WE ALSO USED MUD AND THINGS LIKE THAT TO DIRTY THEM, THEN BATHED THEM AT THE END OF EACH DAY. THE DOGS IN THE MILLS ARE SO MALNOURISHED AND MISTREATED IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO REPLICATE THAT IN THIS ELEMENT WITHOUT AN ENORMOUS VFX BUDGET, SO WE DID THE BEST WE COULD WITH WHAT WE HAD TO WORK WITH.

NICK: THERE OBVIOUSLY WAS A LOT OF STRESS TO MAKING THE FILM…

MICHEL: THAT’S AN UNDERSTATEMENT…

NICK: BUT WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE MOMENT FILMING?

MICHEL: THE NIGHT WE FILMED THE BIG PUPPY MILL SCENE, IT WAS 2AM ON A TUESDAY NIGHT AND THERE WERE LINES OF CARS WITH EVERYDAY WORKING PEOPLE AND THEIR DOGS WHO ADJUSTED THEIR SCHEDULES TO COME OUT AND BE PART OF THE FILM BECAUSE OF THE MESSAGE. THOSE WERE THE MOMENTS WHEN I FELT LIKE THERE ARE AMAZING PEOPLE IN THE WORLD AND THAT WE HAD TO KEEP GOING TO GET THIS MESSAGE OUT.

NICK: SO WHERE CAN PEOPLE SEE THE FILM?

MICHEL: FOR NOW WE ARE EXCLUSIVE TO WESTOWN MOVIES IN MIDDLETOWN, DE BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN BEYOND SUPPORTIVE OF US. THE FIRST WEEK OF THE FILM’S RELEASE WILL BE THERE AND EACH DAY WE WILL DONATE A PORTION OF THE PROCEEDS TO DIFFERENT NO KILL SHELTERS AND OTHER CAUSES. AFTER THAT WE WILL BEGIN SPECIAL SCREENINGS AROUND THE COUNTRY PARTNERING WITH ANIMAL SHELTERS AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS TO HELP RAISE MONEY FOR THEIR ORGANIZATIONS AND SPREAD THE FILM’S MESSAGE. THEY CAN VISIT OUR OFFICIAL WEBSITE FOR DETAILS.

NICK: DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE SUCCEEDED AFTER ALL OF THE THINGS YOU WENT THROUGH TO FINALLY BE BRINGING THE FILM INTO THEATRES?

MICHEL: I AM GRATEFUL THAT WE ACCOMPLISHED GETTING IT MADE. BELIEVE ME, THIS WAS A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT.  I THINK I WILL FEEL LIKE WE SUCCEEDED ONCE WE INFORM ENOUGH PEOPLE THAT THE DEMAND ENDS AND PEOPLE STOP BUYING DOGS FROM PET STORES AND ONLINE. THEN THE MILLS WILL HAVE TO FIND ANOTHER WAY TO MAKE MONEY AND WILL CEASE TO EXIST. THEY ARE COMPLETELY LEGAL SO OUR FASTEST RESOURCE TO MAKING THIS HAPPEN IS THROUGH THE PUBLIC’S OPINION AND BUYING POWER. STOP BUYING THEY WILL STOP SELLING.

NICK: WHAT’S UP NEXT?

MICHEL: WE ARE HOPING TO START PRE-PRODUCTION ON THE SEQUEL TO DAYS OF POWER THIS YEAR. WE ARE IN PRE-PRODUCTION ON A MUSICAL AND WE HAVE JUST WRAPPED A TV PILOT.

NICK: FINAL THOUGHTS?

MICHEL: 7.6 MILLION COMPANION ANIMALS WERE EUTHANIZED LAST YEAR. 3.9 MILLION WERE DOGS. NOBODY NEEDS TO BUY A DOG WHEN SO MANY NEED TO BE ADOPTED.

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