Culver City Film Festival 2018 - Can You Take My Picture
Nan tries to have a little control over her uncontrollable circumstance. A picture is worth a thousand words, but to Nan, it’s worth so many more. An uplifting tale about hope, struggle, and a lasting image.
Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Cameron Thrower
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Thank you! I’m so grateful for the opportunity to discuss my latest film, “Can You Take My Picture”! The driving force behind wanting to make this film was deeply personal. I needed to see this story that had been boiling up in my mind. The film deals with loss and grieving. A year and a half ago, I lost my grandmother very suddenly and very tragically, and for me, filmmaking has always been a form of therapy. I found myself both sad and angry; dealing with so many emotions. That very specific life event inspired this story. Though this story is not based on the actual events that unfolded in my life, it does deal with the emotional side of what happens when you lose a family member or anyone close to you. Writing this piece has truly helped me grieve and it’s also gone a long way in helping me find the hope that exists within loss. It is truly my hope that our audience will find that this film brings some comfort, ease with whatever pain and heartache they might be experiencing.
The title of this film gives a small yet vague tidbit about what our story might be about. As for the mood of the piece, I very much wanted to create an air of beauty and melancholy. Nan, our main character, takes us on a journey to all of her favorite spots and asks strangers to take her picture. While spending some time with Nan, we learn the real reason why she wants to capture these magic moments. I think anyone who has ever dealt with loss or grief will ultimately connect to this uplifting tale about hope, struggle, and a lasting image.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
There are so many reasons I would want you, as an audience member, to watch this film, and here they are in no particular order! It’s beautifully shot by our brilliant director of photographer, Jesse Aragon, who just won Best Cinematography for this piece at the Culver City Film Festival. Then, there’s the acting. Rebekah Tripp and Lily Knight are powerhouse actors and they really create a dynamic relationship on screen. The music, composed by Claudio Olachea, is enchanting and haunting. It sets the tone for this emotional roller coaster of a film.
Ultimately, watch this film for the story. From the opening scene to the ending frame, you are transported to a safe space to explore a cornucopia of human emotion. The next time someone approaches you and asks, “can you take my picture?”, hopefully you’ll reflect on the message of this film and you’ll connect with that person in a truly open and human way.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
The main theme I wanted to explore is how one deals with grief, heartbreak, and moving on from both. I think the personal themes in this piece are universal. Loss is something that has touched or will touch every human life and experience. I think writing about our own truth says so much about the story we are meant to be telling. It’s a fascinating concept to potentially share so much with so many. We might be strangers, but our stories are more similar than we might realize. I just love the idea of looking for the light while exploring some of our own areas of darkness.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
“Can You Take My Picture” was an idea I was quietly mulling over through the course of a few months while working on a few other projects. The visuals, the locations, the dialogue kept haunting me and I finally felt comfortable writing everything down, forming a treatment of sorts.
I approached actor/ producer Rebekah Tripp, with a one page treatment in hand, and let her read it in front of me while sipping coffee at one of our favorite spots. After reading the last line of the treatment, she looks up at me, eyes brimming with tears and asks, “when can we make this film?”. That’s all I needed. She was my “green light”. She came on board both as a producer and as our lead character, Nan.
After I had my center piece, I began to construct our crew. I reached out to one of my favorite collaborators, my director of photography, Jesse Aragon. This would be our 5th project together, the most challenging yet, due to all the different locations. Having him by my side through out production made this film an absolute breeze and so much fun to shoot.
Having Rebekah and Jesse in place, we were ready and nothing could stop us! The entire “Can You Take My Picture” team was magic and each of them fell into place like a beautiful landscape puzzle. Our cast; Lily Knight, Rebekah Tripp, Connor Kelly- Eiding, Joanna Strapp, Carson Donnell, Brooke Lynn Darwin, and our brilliant crew; Chase Darwin, Jesse Aragon, Claudio Olachea, Chris Dowske, Waymon Boone, Monica Escalante / Jose Williams at EFILM, Gustavo Ramos, Maryann Yee, Anne montanan, Joy Wolfe, Stevi Ward, Matt Zarley, Wiley Ho, Gilly Rudolf, Doug Minerva, and Bob Gardner. Oh, and Brando, my dog. He’s in the film and he’s perfection!
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The response has been overwhelmingly positive and personal. Each person has reacted in a different way based on the journey they have traveled in this life. People have shed a few tears, quietly smiled and enjoyed, laughed out loud, but most importantly – they were emotionally affected. After discovering the film’s little twist, people usually want to go back and watch it a second time to try to catch something they might have missed and really get the most of the experience that the film is providing.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
It has definitely enhanced my point of view overall. It’s a great feeling to release a project when stamped with your own truth and you can only hope people will connect with it. With this project, people have shared their own stories with me individually and it’s a true testament to why I’m a filmmaker: to connect us all through storytelling. When you leave a movie theater with a friend, and and you can’t stop discussing the film, good or bad, that’s when a film has done it’s job; creating a conversation that brings us together.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.Wearemovingstories.Com?
Well, for one thing, I love We Are Moving Stories! Your selection of filmmakers is perfection! The caliber of work you showcase always inspires me. Having “Can You Take My Picture” featured on We Are Moving Stories is a gift. Getting the word out about our film is incredibly important to me. This is how people will learn about our story, our cast, and our crew.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Film festival directors & journalists would be a fantastic addition to aid the momentum that we have going at the moment. Film bloggers would also be a huge asset to have onboard to help us increase the visibility of our film.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
The goal, the desire… Share this film and share its message. Once we release the film early next year, we would love everyone to share it with their loved ones, their family, and their close friends.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
In your experience, how has loss changed you or your perspective on life? Do you feel that there is hope to be found through the pain of loss?
Would you like to add anything else?
The film was shot in seven different locations. To reach one specific location, it took an hour to hike in with all our gear, props, and costumes. It was totally worth it, as it enhanced such a beautiful moment for our main character. That’s just an illustration of the time and energy it might take to grab a minute or two on camera that is so key and crucial to the character and the story.
On another note, this film marks the 10th year anniversary project for myself and Rebekah Tripp! I couldn’t think of a better project to celebrate this beautiful collaboration.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
As of now, I’m prepping a feature film, shooting next year. I’m incredibly pumped about that project! I’m also writing a new feature film. (it’s a dark one and can’t wait to explore the themes within that piece). Busy and looking forward to making more magic on set!
Interview: December 2018
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. 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
Can You Take My Picture
Nan tries to have a little control over her uncontrollable circumstance. A picture is worth a thousand words, but to Nan, it’s worth so many more. An uplifting tale about hope, struggle, and a lasting image.
Length: 12:16
Director: Cameron Thrower
Producer (s): Rebekah Tripp, Jesse Aragon, Chase Darwin, Anne Montanan, Wiley Ho, Matt Zarley, & Cameron Thrower
Writer: Cameron Thrower
About the writer, director and producer:
CAMERON THROWER has directed, written, and edited over 20 films, music videos, commercials ranging from drama to comedy. A few years back, his award winning film, "Pretty Boy", toured over 45 film festivals around the world. Recently he directed the oscar nominated actress & Golden Globe winner, Maggie Gyllenhaal, in his film, "Beauty Mark". The film was produced by Dana Brunetti & Trigger Street Productions.
Cameron and his work have been featured in The Hollywood Reporter, MovieMaker Magazine, BuzzFeed, MoviePilot, Billboard, Variety, and indiewire. His work on YouTube and Vimeo have accumulated over 40 Million views and counting. As of now, he's in preproduction for his feature film.
Key cast: Rebekah Tripp, Lily Knight, Connor Kelly-Eiding
Looking for: Journalists and Film Festival Directors, and Producers to come on board future projects.
Twitter: @CamThrow
Instagram: @camthrow
Website: http://www.cameronthrower.com/
IMDb: imdb.me/cameronthrower
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? We just had our world premiere at the Cinemark 18 & XD movie theater part of the Culver City Film Festival. We look forward to more festival announcements in the coming weeks!