Fatal Flaw Uses the Red One Camera to Break New Ground

Joseph Simpkins: Fifteen years ago, I was involved in a series of plays called “The Kings Banquet,” a two-hour event we were doing in our church. One of the short plays in which I had a role inspired the idea. At first, I was going to do it as a play with film flashbacks of the character's life played during scene changes. But because there was no economical way of doing this at the time, and because this medium had limitations, I rewrote it into a screenplay. I have probably rewritten it 15-20 times over the years, right up to the shoot. I shifted gears many years back with the intention of making quality Christian films. I recognized the need and wondered why there weren’t many films out there.

CM: Of the various vices you could’ve chosen for your main character, why gambling?

JS: We needed the character to be in a life-threatening situation and so gambling came into the picture. Gambling is often overlooked as an addiction, but with all the lotteries popping up all over it seems current with the time. I’m originally from Reno, Nevada, and have seen a lot of people who not only suffer from an addiction to gambling, but who have lost everything. We also had a recovering gambling addict come out to see our film because she saw it listed in the newspaper. She liked it.

Co-Director Obin Olson with the Red One camera

CM: There are some extraordinary camera angles in the film. Which scene was most difficult to film? Why? How was the difficulty overcome?

JS: A lot of time was spent on many of the camera moves. Anytime we did a crane shot, it was time consuming. It takes about 30 minutes to put the thing together. I would probably say that the crane shot at the brewery, which was the overhead of the car after the main character leaves his family, was the most difficult to film. The crane wasn’t long enough, so we had to rent scaffolding and lift the crane up on it to get high enough up. That was hard.

Crane Set-up in front of church

CM: Fatal Flaw’s aerial shots are stunning. Were those sequences difficult to film? Was it difficult to get them right?

JS: The hardest part was getting the helicopter which, by the way, belonged to a friend of a Christian friend. He was great! One of the beautiful things about the Red One camera is what you can do with the footage in post-production. The Red was handheld and stabilized in post. We communicated via walkie-talkies and I drove the car across the bridge. The hardest part was timing, but we got it all in three trips across the bridge and some driving downtown. It probably took two hours or so.

View of the transport rig set up for filming

CM: Would you use the Red One camera again? What are the drawbacks?

JS: I can’t imagine using anything else but the Red One camera. The biggest drawbacks for us were when the battery went down, we had to wait for it to boot back up. We were also concerned about the hard drive being damaged, but it was robust and never a problem. The biggest thing we faced was the workflow in the editing process; the boys were literally on the bleeding edge of technology. We were the guinea pigs, but thank goodness Red came out with a plug-in that worked with the Adobe software. The Olson Brothers used Adobe Premiere CS3, After Effects, Photoshop, Audition, Lightwave, Cineform, and Fusion.

The Red One camera with Fatal Flaw's directors, the Olson brothers, in the foreground

CM: What skills and background did you bring to this project coming in, and what did you have to learn as you went along?

JS: I’ve been in the business for 18 years as an actor, and later I worked with special mechanical effects. Over the years, I’ve observed all departments and learned a lot. In a small production we help each other out and you wear several hats. I learned producing in theater and have also had corporate training, so it has all paid off. God had a plan for me and, looking back, it all makes sense. With all the planning, we still ran into unexpected problems, but we made it work. The newest and hardest part for me has been distribution and marketing with no budget.

CM: What are the top three things you wish you had known before you started?

JS: 1) We needed more time for planning, 2) Bigger budget for marketing, and 3) More time needed to reach out to the churches.

CM: What was your greatest hurdle in making this film and how did you get past it?

JS: The funding. With no track record, it’s hard to get investors. When you’re doing something totally different than the norm, it is hard to get people to see your vision. I knew what God called me to do. Many of my friends in the business were trying for years to make their films, but they were dead set on using someone else’s money (first rule of film making). My wife and I spent a lot of time praying about this, and finally we made the commitment to do it ourselves because we believed we were called to by faith. I would not recommend this to just anyone unless you know that you know that you know. We have no regrets whatsoever, although reaching the churches has proven difficult.

CM: What was the most significant lesson that God taught you, from a personal standpoint, during the making of Fatal Flaw?

JS: Always rely on Him and don’t feel the need to do everything in your own strength. You can never pray enough. My prayer time and relationship with God has been elevated on many levels through this process, so I am thankful. God has done so much for us!

CM: Daniel Jones, who played the Interrogator, is phenomenally intense in his role. How did you find him?

JS: We were praying for the right people for the right roles for the right reasons. We had casting calls out to several agencies in the North Carolina area. Daniel Jones lives in Charleston, South Carolina, and came from an agency called Coastal Talent. He drove more than six hours round trip for the first audition, and then again for the callback. He is a dedicated actor and a dream to work with. He is every director’s hope and was our only choice. I can’t say enough about him.

The interrogation room, with actor Daniel Jones in the background

CM: Who has been your most influential mentor in the Christian film industry? Why?

JS: Lately, I would say my friend, Gary Wheeler, director of The List. He has helped me along the way, shared difficulties he has faced on his journey, and offered much advice. Many people at International Christian Visual Media (ICVM) have been a great help as well.

CM: What should Christians do to enhance the quality of their work? Have we really earned the stigma of low-quality that is often given us?

JS: Work on secular film sets and learn the process. Did I mention work ethics? Demonstrate your work ethics and passion because it is contagious. You must understand STORY; it is so important that you or whoever you collaborate with has this talent. I’ve been on so many shows where they are so wrapped up with the shots and production value - thinking that is all it takes. I read the scripts and wonder how in the world the project got the green light, and most of the time they end up being bad films. You must plan, plan, plan, and have strong work ethics. Remain teachable; never stop learning. Pick the right people and collaborate; teamwork is efficient; micro-managing is pointless. Yes, I have seen a lot of low-quality Christian films. I think people make them with good intentions, but for the wrong reasons, and think God will take care of it all.

CM: What is your advice to the novice Christian filmmaker?

JS: Learn the filmmaking process and strive for excellence! We need great filmmakers. It’s hard work, but God calls us to work, not lay back and think He will do it all. Do it out of the love and passion of doing it. Collaborate with your team.

CM: What is your advice for Christian filmmakers who want to promote their values and beliefs without coming across as “preachy” and alienating the very people they want to reach?

JS: Think reality; what is happening in our culture? How do people communicate? Find a universal way to tell a story that people can identify with. Jesus was very effective with parables. Instead of using “Christian buzz words,” say the same thing or symbolize it in a contemporary fashion.

CM: What's next for you?

JS: As soon as we get Fatal Flaw distribution rolling and put it to bed, so to speak, we are going to focus on further development of several scripts that are in various stages, and pick three for a possible deal we have been working on. All I can say right now.

CM: How may Fatal Flaw be purchased?

JS: We don’t have our final DVD finished yet, and, even though we have some deals on the table, we haven’t committed to any yet. We are still going through the theatrical release and then the youth outreach at Scotts Hill. The youth outreach will influence the Bible study that we will make for the film. Because we have not closed on any deals, I can’t quote a price. Keep watching our sites, either fatalflawmovie.com or livingwaterfilms.com.

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