AITH interviews Patrick Lussier
Writer/Director/Editor
Patrick Lussier
has a new card up its sleeve and that card is an Ace of…
WHITE NOISE 2 THE LIGHT.
The film which stars the great Nathan Fillion (Serenity) & the cute
Katee Sackhoff (Battlestar Gallactica) recently opened in the UK on January 5th 2007 (it has yet to
secure a US theatrical release). Its a sequel IN NAME ONLY to the 2005 moneymaker,
I saw it and dug it (I hated the original
BTW). Patrick was groovy enough to take the time to talk heavy shop
with us and here’s how he kicked it.
What
was it about the WHITE NOISE 2 -THE LIGHT script that tickled your fancy
when it fell in your lap?
What
really surprised me about WN:TL was that it was so different from the first
WHITE NOISE. The main character was completely new and the journey he went
on was not only unpredictable but unique in how it unfolded and resolved
itself.
It’s
the story of Abe Dale, an average guy in his 30’s, who witnesses the murder
of his wife and son. The killer then turns the gun himself. Abe’s left
with no outlet for his anger and despair… except the one he blames for
letting it happen: himself. That desperation triggers Abe’s journey into a
darker world there may be no way to escape.
Were
you at all concerned with the fact that although it did good money, White
Noise was not well received critically and you were now gonna make a sequel
to it?
It’s a
concern on one hand… you know the original was well received via the box
office worldwide but it wasn’t so much amongst critics or genre fans.
However, audiences did respond to the strength of the ‘white noise’
concept – messages from the dead via electronic media.
And
Matt Venne’s script was so original, a completely unexpected approach for
the sequel. As a stand alone story it smartly paid tribute to the original
in tone and concept but then very smartly leaped off in it’s own directions,
quickly becoming its own singular journey.
Was
there ever a chance of the film only being released as THE LIGHT? Who made
that decision?
We
discussed it a lot throughout production but ultimately we discovered that
WHITE NOISE as a series still held marketing power. The phenomenon of EVP,
communications with the dead via electronic signals, static, etc or via
other everyday devices proved to be the real hook of ‘WHITE NOISE’ as a
potential series of films.
These
films wouldn’t necessarily be directly related to each other via cross-over
characters but instead via theme and the details and tone of the ‘white
noise’ world, a world where the dead need to communicate with us through the
interference created by modern technology. The producers of both films felt
very strongly that what they had was a brand name that deserved to be
pursued.
Nathan will sooooo get his ass whooped by The Light!
You
cast Nathan Fillion as the lead. Was he your first choice and what did he
bring to the film/role in your opinion
Nathan
was absolutely my first choice. We’d worked together once before and I’ve
been trying to work with him again ever since. From the very first meeting
I had on the White Noise sequel I brought up Nathan as the lead of the
film. Paul Brooks, WN:TL’s executive producer had just had a fantastic
experience working with Nathan on SLITHER (if you haven’t seen James Gunn’s
SLITHER, you should – Bill Pardy should be indelibly etched into the
pantheon of heroes… or in graffiti outside its gates… either way… very
cool film) .
He
immediately agreed that Nathan would be perfect for the lead. In terms of
the role of Abe Dale, Nathan brought what we needed most – a real sense of
the ‘everyman’, a complete character, vulnerable, strong, damaged, hopeful,
devastated, and heroic in the face of something bigger than himself. So
much of Abe’s journey is one of dawning discovery and Nathan really brought
to life this emotionally destroyed man who has to claw his way back to a
feeling of self-worth after the loss of his family, only to learn that the
truth of his life is far more dangerous than he could’ve imagined.
I’m
pretty sure this was the biggest budget you ever had under your belt. What
were the major differences between working on a film of this scope as
opposed to say the more che-ching humble Dracula III Legacy?
It was
liberating to have the complete support and faith of the producers
throughout the making of WHITE NOISE: THE LIGHT. Paul Brooks, the executive
producer and Shawn Williamson, the producer were both big believers in the
script they’d developed and really allowed Matt and I to continue to shape
the story into the best version we could film. There were certain
sequences, one specifically, (the hotel scene) that nobody had really done
before and I was so lucky to have their trust to shoot it.
And
that trust wasn’t easy, the engineering and construction to make that scene
work were massive for a film of this scale. But the outcome, thanks to
Scott Ateah our stunt coordinator, Jak Osmand our special effects
coordinator and our amazing art department was truly awesome. When people
watch that scene they are shocked by what they see because that kind of
thing just shouldn’t happen. And we did it. Practically, not as a big
massive CG effect.
So in
comparison to the humble Drac 3, yeah, this was a great step up. I was so
fortunate to have the opportunity and the support to work with a bigger
canvas that really afforded every chance to tell a great story.
What
were you aiming for when it came to the films scares? Any particular
approach you wanted to take?
The
scares in the film come from a few different origins. Matt Venne, Tom
Elkins (my co-editor) and I discussed one element, the EVP portion of the
film, at length and how to best integrate the ‘communications with the dead’
into the story that evolves differently than expected. The scares needed to
be routed in what Nathan’s character experiences.
It was
critical for Nathan to mark the evolution of his experience with the
supernatural elements throughout the film as he gets further and further
drawn into this darker world. Each step he takes amplifies the intensity of
what he experiences and the messages he’s meant to receive. We wanted the
scares to really show how Abe’s world was becoming unglued and how he was
having less and less control over the events around him regardless of how he
tried to intervene.
Beyond
the EVP the film has an overwhelming sense of dread. Abe’s life changes
after he has a ‘near death experience.’ How it changes and the implications
of what he experiences give way to a collision of hope and doom. Every time
Abe thinks he’s found a solution or that he can actually change the outcome
of events he’s thrown a wicked curve ball that sends him spiraling.
Left to right: Matt Vennes (screenwriter), Nathan
Fillion (star) and Patrick Luissier (Director) on the first day of the WN 2 shoot.
What
would you say was the hardest scene to stage and shoot?
There
were several difficult scenes to shoot. The train sequence was tricky
mostly for the logistics of rain, night etc. But the hotel scene was likely
the hardest. Hundreds of extras, very complicated stunts that hadn’t been
done before, huge sweeping camera moves all with very limited time to shoot
in the confined space of a heritage building in downtown Vancouver.
Now if
you enter the lobby of the Orpheum theatre (who were absolutely amazing to
our production, btw), you think… ‘wow, tons of space.’ But put a crane, a
crew, tons of extras, equipment, platforms, etc, and it becomes very cramped
very fast. Luckily the entire sequence went off without a single problem
(other than the always converging walls of time).
Being
that you are also an expert editor, what extra ammo do you feel that brings
to your directing skills when on set?
As and
editor I’m lucky to know what I need to make the sequences work and exactly
(most of the time) how it will go together. This really made for
streamlined communication with the Director of Photography, Brian Pearson
and the cast in describing exactly how shots would be used and not just what
I wanted each shot to look like. My co-editor, Tom Elkins, was also
instrumental in this as he’d cut while I was directing and turn scenes
around quickly that we could show the cast and crew.
This
allowed everybody to see what it was we had in mind for the final film. The
more inspired the crew became the more outstanding things they
contributed. There’s a few big montage sequences in the film that were all
crafted in advance, building backwards for the transitions and the resulting
epiphany that occurs on screen. Mapping those scenes from a final cut
perspective, given the limited production time we had, was critical to avoid
shooting excess material that would only land on the floor.
Looking back at the White Noise 2 shoot, is there anything you wish had gone
down differently?
Even
though hindsight has a badgering clarity that never fails to haunt us
afterwards, it’s important to remember the chain of events that led to every
on screen moment regardless of how much we may second guess it or not.
Ultimately, I’m thrilled with the final outcome of the film as is Matt.
It’s fantastic to have the writer believe so strongly in the finished
product because it started with him. Long before the rest of us came on
board there was only this amazing story in Matt’s head. To hear Matt say
how proud he is of the film and how it exceeded his expectations, well you
can’t really ask for a better review than that.
What
would you like to hear audiences say coming out of THE LIGHT screenings?
I’d
like to hear more of what we heard when we previewed the film. First,
people were really surprised by how different this was from the original.
They thought it was far superior and really stood on its own as a
supernatural thriller with a very unexpected story. The audiences loved
both Nathan and Katee Sackhoff, the female lead in the film.
I
really want audiences to see both actors in a new light, both doing
something different than what they’re known for. Katee’s character is so
completely different than Starbuck on Galactica, I know her fans will love
seeing her this way. She has such an amazing screen presence as does
Nathan. The two of them together had the type of chemistry you pray for.
And for them, it was effortless. Finally, I really hope audiences enjoy the
thrill ride and the twists and turns of Matt’s amazing story.
On the run from…I won’t tell…
What’s
next on your agenda, directorial wise, any other genre projects in the
wings?
I’ve
been meeting on several things. Haven’t locked into what’s next but there’s
one thing in particular that would be amazing. Still, I’m becoming more and
more superstitious so I’m gonna keep quiet for now.
Which
brings me to: you seem to operate mostly within the genre, what is it about
horror that cranks your dial?
I’ve
loved working in the genre. Since I was a kid these films have always drawn
me, scared me and kept me riveted to the screen. There’s something so
unique about horror, thrillers, movies about the unknown, about what scares
us. Because there is so much in the world to frighten the crap out of us,
from cancer to politicians to the food we eat, seems there’s no end of real
life things out to get us.
The
genre is a way to embody that fear, personalize it, and make it something
that can be fought, challenged, and every once in awhile, vanquished. And
when it comes down to it, I like to be scared. I like the mechanics of fear
and tension, both as an editor and as a director. There’s something so
satisfying about crafting moments that can elicit such strong reactions from
an audience.
Christmas just passed; is there a present that you got that stood out from
the rest?
Two –
a box DVD set of FORBIDDEN PLANET. I saw that film when I was 4 and can
still remember them blasting lasers at that invisible monster. As a kid I
remember thinking that ‘how can you fight something invisible? I don’t have
lasers, I won’t even know where it is. It could be in the room I’m in right
now and I won’t know it!’ Ensuing years of trauma followed that event. And
now I can face those fears once more.
And a
book called “What would MacGyver do?” My first editing job was on season 4
of MacGyver. It’s amazing to see how that show has become part of the
public lexicon. The duct tape, the swiss army knife, the mullet… with
those you can change the world.
I’d
like to thank Pat for checking in and would like to wish him the best with
THE LIGHT. Its a good film and deserves to be seen.
VISIT THE UK WN2 THE LIGHT SITE HERE
READ MY WN 2 THE LIGHT REVIEW HERE
