HollyShorts - American Virgin
When Allie's Dad can't afford to pay for her to attend Juilliard Summer School, she decides to raise the money by selling her most precious asset.
Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Tamzin Merchant and Executive Producer Cam Owen
Watch American Virgin on Prime Video and Reelgood
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Tamzin: Firstly we wanted to see if we could do it: this is our first film! We wanted to tell a dark story in a light way, and to explore the landscape of Shreveport to really root the story in the town we were telling it in. We also made it because of the Louisiana Film Prize, which really encouraged and helped our journey to completing our first short.
Cam: The Louisiana Film Prize is a wonderful platform for first time filmmakers. If you haven’t heard about it, you should look it up. It’s a festival that requires you to shoot a film in the Shreveport area. The festival is growing every year and really brings the community together as a film family. I was able to rely on many of the people I started out with in the business with and we all came together and made our first short film.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
C: It’s a bold piece of work. One thing Tamzin and I wanted to do was make a big first impression. I think either way you stand on the film, it will linger in your thoughts. It is a fun, dark comedy with a lot of heart.
T: The central performance from Maddie Nichols, who was only 15 when we shot the film, is so heartfelt and beautiful, she's one to watch. It's a story that explores the dark heart of the American dream but (hopefully) in an entertaining, quirky way.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
T: Our story centres on Allie (played by Maddie) but her character is sort of emblematic of a whole generation of American teens, so in a way the personal becomes universal. The film is about aspiration and desperation, and how one can transmute into the other.
C: I think the film is very universal. Most people have a dream they want to succeed in. Especially when you are at that age Allie is, you really have these big dreams and when something gets in your way of that dream, it is a true test on how bad do you want it and what would you be willing to do to make that dream a reality.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development and production?
T: I had the idea for the story and I asked Cam to produce it - he said yes! Then I took him the beats of the story as I imagined it. We talked about each beat and scene, winnowed out a few, and then I wrote it, pretty much just one draft. A few things changed on the set, a few things were cut for time or streamlining, and all the actors brought their A-game so really when I got on set I was all about capturing their performances and letting that dictate the final cut of the scenes. It was an experiment - but a good one!
What type of feedback have you received so far?
T: We've had a lot of positivity and support, and we got into the Top 5 at the Louisiana Film Prize in 2015, which was an audience and Judge's award so that was a huge delight to everyone who worked on the film! The ending of the film has proved controversial, but we're happy with controversy - it gets people talking!
C: One thing that stands out to me is there would be some people who would take the ending one way and the some people who would take it in a completely different way. We definitely ended it to where it could possibly go one way or the other and people really responded to that.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
T: A lot of the feedback has been to do with the ending of the film - the final moment. We've been challenged on that for sure and have been told by some people that we should change it, but we (humbly) disagree. We definitely have a lot to learn about film making, so we've really appreciated the constructive criticism that we've got. It's super-important to listen to that for next time!
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
T: We want to get our story out there and have our work seen by people who might be moved or entertained by it, and hopefully have people clamouring for more!
C: Gaining a broader audience and potientially having people interested in helping us in future projects. Camzin Productions has a lot in the works for the future and gaining a support system and hope to find people who appreciate the stories we are telling.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
C: We would love to possibly get into a few more festivals, have more press coverage, or potientially have producers invested in our future projects. With the films we have planned in the future, getting our first film out there is very important to us. It kind of sets up the next two projects we are working on.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
T: I would love it to start conversations, discussions, debates, arguments - anything short of a bar brawl - about the story and what our characters could or should have done differently, what is fucked up, what is normal behaviour, what drives people to do what they do. I think the best films start people thinking, and that's what I'd love to see with AMERICAN VIRGIN.
C: My goal with telling this story was to get people thinking outside of their usual box. American Virgin has a few characters that have a bit of a dark tone underneath what is on the surface. I think if you really think about the characters and the statements we are making then you will walk away with a lot to think about from a 15 minute short film.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
T: What. Just. Happened?
Would you like to add anything else?
C: If you go into the film with an open mind and ready to have a laugh, you will have a good experience. Tamzin and I never take ourselves too seriously and that definitely reflects in the work we do. We like to have a good time while tellng stories that are relevant in today's society and hopefully people will be able to take something from that.
What are the key creatives developing or working on now?
T: Cam and I decided to make another short set in Shreveport, Louisiana, earlier this year. It's Cam's character (Ty) from American Virgin getting into trouble at his sister's wedding... It's called AMERICAN PRIDE, and it's in post production. I directed another short in the UK called Juliet Remembered, which is about an actress who lives in a care home, which is just through post. Cam and I have loads of plans for shorts, web series, and we eventually plan to make a feature.
Interview: August 2016
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We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series and music video. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
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American Virgin
When Allie's Dad can't afford to pay for her to attend Juilliard Summer School, she decides to raise the money by selling her most precious asset.
Length: 15min
Director: Tamzin Merchant
Producer: Cam Owen, Tamzin Merchant
Writer: Tamzin Merchant
About the writer, director and producer:
Producer: Cam Owen has his Associates Degree in Film ProductionCam is currently the Production Secretary on NCIS: New Orleans. Cam plays the role of Ty in AMERICAN VIRGIN as well as producing.
Writer/Director: Tamzin is an actor & writer from England. She’s best known for her roles in WGN’s SALEM as Anne Hale and Showtime’s THE TUDORS as Henry VIII’s 5th wife Katherine Howard. Her first acting job was as Georgiana Darcy in Joe Wright’s PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. AMERICAN VIRGIN is her first project as writer-director
Key cast: Maddie Nichlos, Cam Owen, and Joe Otcherbeck
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists):
Release date: Oct 2nd, 2015
Where can I watch it in the next month? We will be showing at Hollyshorts on 8/20 as well as the New Film Makers Los Angeles Screening on the same day. In September we will be screening at The El Dorado Film Festival. We just signed a contract with ShortsHD for TV Distribution debuting this Fall as well as I Tunes Distribution.