Dances With Films 2018 - Save Yourself
At a party, Jason meets Amy and asks for her number, to which she responds, "Why, what do you want?” Each in their thirties and tired of the usual dating rituals and mind games, they then proceed to get extremely honest right away.
Interview with Writer/Director Allen C. Gardner
Watch Save Yourself on Prime Video
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Thank you so much! We were thrilled to be back at Dances With Films after previously screening our movies BEING AWESOME and BAD, BAD MEN there. It’s an amazing festival, and we’re honored to be a part of the family. As for why I wrote and directed SAVE YOURSELF, I’d been wanting to make a romantic comedy that felt genuine to me for quite a while. In a lot of romantic comedies, things are a bit more heightened, and there are clearly defined external factors that stand in the way of two people falling in love and being together. That works well for a lot of movies and can be very entertaining, but I wanted to tell a story about characters who meet, have a spark, and ultimately have nothing standing in their way outside of their internal conflicts and baggage.
I was single and dating when I started writing the script and pulled from a lot of my own experiences in various ways, reflecting on my love life and figuring out how I felt about it all. Writing and directing this movie helped me get clear on a lot things, which is always a great bonus that goes along with telling stories that are so personal. While I was in the midst of editing, though, I fell in love with an amazing woman and am now engaged. So, yeah, it looks like I went through this little cinematic therapy session just in time!
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
It's a movie that everyone who's ever dated can relate to on some level. As far as I’m concerned, we’ve all had extremely riveting love lives, because romance and dating stir up so many emotions and have consumed all of us at various times over the years. In one way or another, we all have an experience with the journey of trying to find the one for us, even people who ostensibly bow out of that search and say they’re better off alone. On some level, we all want to connect with people, and the idea of connecting so deeply with someone that you can picture spending the rest of your life with them is intoxicating.
When you’re dating and meeting people, the tricky part is discerning fact from fiction, getting clear on how much of a blossoming relationship is actually reality and how much is what you’re projecting onto it. Anyway, I’m going on a tangent, but it’s just all so endlessly fascinating to me! I poured my fascination with the subject into this film, so if this rambling answer got you thinking or feeling something, check out the movie for more! Ha!
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
From my experience, your themes have to be extremely personal in order to be universal. A big part of my job as a storyteller is to be as specific and honest with my viewpoint as possible. No movie is for everyone, and trying to create a movie that’s for everyone is not only far from the point, it’s creatively debilitating. You have to tell a story that, in one way or another, reflects who you are and represents what you have to offer at that point in time. That’s the only way you can stand a chance of really connecting with any viewers. If you tell a story that resonates with you and your team and you can really stand behind it, that story will connect with the audience that it’s supposed to.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
The story, characters, and themes were firmly established in the first draft of the script, but I love bringing things into sharper focus with every passing draft, every take that we shoot, and every single edit. Until you finally lock picture and sound, filmmaking is a constant process of refinement, which is a huge part of the fun. As an actor and a director, I had a great rehearsal process with Kelsey, which really paid off once production began.
The movie is essentially just the two of our characters engaged in conversation and getting to know each other, so every little adjustment and nuance was extremely crucial. It’s all about the details. I get pretty obsessive with my work, so I took quite some time editing this movie and getting it right where I felt like it needed to be. I cut it myself, which is good because I would have driven an outside editor crazy with every little tweak that I wound up making!
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The feedback so far has been very positive! I’ve heard great things from friends and family and from folks who I just met at the premiere. Our initial reviews (Why So Blu?: http://whysoblu.com/dances-films-festival-2018-even-fatherson-reviews/ ; Crimson Kimono: http://crimsonkimono.com/tag/2018-dances-with-films/) have also been very kind, and Jason Coleman at Why So Blu? just named Kelsey Gunn Best Actress from the Dances With Films line-up (http://whysoblu.com/dances-films- festival-2018-best-fest-wrap/). I’m thrilled with the reception, and I’m just really glad that the movie resonated with some people and that they found it to be authentic and relatable.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
I learned a while back that when you make a movie that truly means something to you, there will be people who connect with it. That being said, I’m always still pleasantly surprised when people respond strongly to our work. I just never want to take that for granted! So, yeah, the feedback for SAVE YOURSELF has been a very nice surprise.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
My team and I tell stories that we believe in with people who we love and respect, so we want to share our work with as many people as possible. Through We Are Moving Stories, we’d love to expand our audience and connect with other filmmakers and folks who are passionate about movies and their own lives. We’re all about connecting with people whenever we can, so we’re grateful for the opportunity!
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
We could certainly benefit from all of the above! In order to best get the film’s message out there, we want to forge relationships with more festivals and team up with the ideal distributor. Producers, sales agents, buyers, and journalists could definitely help us extend our reach and further our development. Really, we’d love to talk to anyone who might be enthusiastic about our work!
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I hope it allows some people to see their love lives as clearly as possible and really be honest with themselves. If they’re in a healthy relationship, I hope it helps them feel a renewed sense of appreciation for their partner and their bond. If they’re in a toxic relationship or one that has simply run its course, I hope it helps give them the clarity and courage to break free and move on. If they’re single and wishing to meet someone soon, I hope it makes them feel optimistic but also proud of who they are on their own, not like they need a partner in order to feel validated. If they’re single and completely closed off to the idea of ever being in another relationship, I hope it helps them open back up to the possibility of falling in love, at least a little bit. Basically, I hope it can play some part in helping people put their love lives into perspective.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
How do you view your past romantic relationships, and why do you see them the way that you do? The answers to that two-part question reveal a lot about a person and what they want and expect, and the characters in SAVE YOURSELF are certainly no exception.
Would you like to add anything else?
Whatever your relationship status may be, try to not get weighed down by people’s expectations (including your own) or operate from a place of fear, because succumbing to all of that nonsense is just no way to live. Oh, and Open Dialogue’s previous films (BEING AWESOME, WE GOT LUCKY, and BAD, BAD MEN) are available on multiple platforms, including Amazon, so check them out if you get a chance! Links are up on our website: www.opendialogueproductions.com
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Alongside my longtime friend and frequent collaborator Brad Ellis, I’m wrapping up post-production on the horror/comedy COLD FEET, which we’ll start submitting to festivals in the fall. Brad and I produced that movie with Gabe Arredondo, who’s also a close friend of mine and my producing partner on SAVE YOURSELF and all of Open Dialogue’s movies. Gabe is currently in post on a short that he directed, called THE APPLICANT. I’m also in various stages of pre-production on several films, including the comedy/fantasy/drama THE LAST ASSHOLE, the country music-fueled drama BREAKER BREAKER, the dramatic serial killer thriller BURN IT DOWN, the horror/thriller SOLD, the cops-and-robbers comedy FRENEMY FIRE, and the dating app-themed satirical drama DATA DATE MATE.
Interview: June 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
SAVE YOURSELF
At a party, Jason meets Amy and asks for her number, to which she responds, "Why, what do you want?” Each in their thirties and tired of the usual dating rituals and mind games, they then proceed to get extremely honest right away.
Length: 74 minutes
Director: Allen C. Gardner
Producer: Gabe Arredondo, Allen C. Gardner
Writer: Allen C. Gardner
About the writer, director and producer:
Writer/Director/Producer: Allen C. Gardner is a writer/director/producer/editor/actor who lives in Los Angeles. In addition to Open Dialogue, he runs the Memphis-based Old School Pictures with longtime friend Brad Ellis.
Producer: Gabe Arredondo is a Houston-born producer, director, and actor who partnered with the prolific Allen C. Gardner in 2010 to form Open Dialogue Productions.
Key cast: Kelsey Gunn, Allen C. Garnder Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists): producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists Social media handles:
Facebook: @SaveYourselfRomComDram
Twitter: @ODPfilms
Instagram: @opendialogueproductions
Website: www.opendialogueproductions.com
Hashtags you use: #odp #opendialogue #opendialogueproductions #romcomdram #saveyourself
Where was this filmed? Los Angeles, CA
Funders: Allen C. Gardner, Gabe Arredondo
Made in association with: Open Dialogue Productions (That’s our company.)
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?
We wanted to premiere at Dances With Films, so we just started submitting to other festivals. To stay current with upcoming screenings and the film’s availability, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.