Sherman Oaks Film Festival 2019 – Delivery
A drifter takes a job as a delivery driver for a seedy organization and ends up having a killer first night.
Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Nathan Ellis
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Thanks! So, this film serves a couple of purposes... the first is that I'd been so busy as a writer for the last couple of years, I was itching to direct something again. I decided to tell this story because it serves as a proof-of-concept for one of my feature-length scripts and I'd never directed a thriller before. The second reason was that it provided a fun opportunity for my wife (an actress) and I to collaborate on something together, which turned out to be a total blast.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
As a director, I'm always thinking about how to keep things as entertaining as possible for the audience. I want them to feel the same excitement I feel about the story and this particular story is specifically designed to give the audience a thrilling ride, never suspecting what will come next. It also introduces a unique and mysterious anti-hero whom the feature version explores more in-depth. If you enjoy being thrilled, surprised and shocked, but also appreciate a coherent story with nuanced characters, this is definitely for you... but you'll never guess what's coming.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
Without revealing too much, the core theme of the film, revenge, was inspired by a very personal and traumatic event that happened to my wife many years ago. Although she was able to process and move on from this incident, we often discussed what might have happened had she decided to retaliate against her assailant. The film introduces this concept and sets things up for the feature, but the feature ultimately poses the questions: is revenge worth it? Does it really do any good?
As the filmmaker, I would argue that all revenge does is bring more misery into the world... especially your own.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
As mentioned before, this film is a proof of concept for a feature that has already been written and is currently being shopped by my managers at LBI Entertainment. In terms of the short, it remained fairly consistent from concept to finished product. Not much has changed.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The most common response I've gotten after people view the film is a wide-eyed look of bewildered joy. Usually, they want to see more and this is a good thing because the film itself stands alone as a complete story with beginning, middle and end... but introduces this anti-hero character that everyone loves. It's been a lot of fun.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
For some people, the film is too scary to watch without closing their eyes at points. I actually think that's pretty awesome. So far we've had nothing but excitement and people want to see more.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
It would be really great to build a fanbase for this anti-hero character and generate support for the feature. To be honest, I think the feature would be best served as a more grass-roots sort of project, where the fans and filmmakers supported one another. There is a play, currently, to make this something much bigger through my management, but part of me almost wants to keep this small-ish enough to really explore and have fun with.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Ideally, a producer experienced in doing indie action-thrillers would be nice to have. It would also be great to have sales agents, buyers or distributors help get this film more exposure -- we made this for only 4K and in two nights... imagine what we could do with legitimate resources. Not to mention we have a rockstar team of USC Alumni and military veteran filmmakers.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
This film is designed to launch the feature and, in turn, establish a franchise of sorts, either for a limited series or other films. The whole thing is designed to be entertaining in the way The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was entertaining, but also establish a new breed of hero, utilizing strong female protagonists and unique, never-before-seen perspectives.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
How far is too far when it comes to taking matters into your own hands?
Would you like to add anything else?
I'd just like to thank all of our supporters from Indiegogo and my amazing team for helping to make this film possible.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I currently have one of my feature scripts, which placed in the top 50 at the Academy Nicholl Fellowships last year, with an Academy Award-winning producer. I also have several other projects in development with various companies in the industry, to include a military biopic about the first Asian-American woman to enter US military service, a TV pilot for a limited series with strong female protagonists in a post-apocalyptic setting, and an indie psychological thriller whose protagonist is an autistic girl whose "disability" turns out to be her greatest strength. As a combat veteran, it's my strong desire to help tell stories that hold some deeper value, but are always entertaining -- life is precious, so make it count. Thank you!
Interview: November 2019
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
Delivery
A drifter takes a job as a delivery driver for a seedy organization and ends up having a killer first night.
Length: 12:10
Director: Nathan Ellis
Producer: Nathan Ellis, Ian Mcclellan
Writer: Nathan Ellis
About the writer, director and producer:
NATHAN ELLIS is a former Army Captain, military aviator and highly decorated combat veteran currently repped as a writer/director at LBI Entertainment. He received an MFA in production from USC and believes his time in service was an invaluable component in his development as an artist. He is an Academy Nicholl Fellowship top 50 semifinalist and award-winning filmmaker with a passion for character-driven stories about relevant and meaningful subject matters.
IAN MCCLELLAN started as a company electrician on the 2012 Sundance Grand Jury Prize-winning film Beasts of the Southern Wild. He went on to associate produce for Academy Award-winning filmmakers Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman on their documentary The Battle of AmfAR (premiered Sundance 2013). He earned his MFA at USC in film and television production in December 2016. The last thesis he produced Lalo's House won a Student Academy Award in 2018. He now runs his production company Punk Riot Productions, focused on enabling directors to realize their unique artistic visions.
Key cast: Steve Vanderzee (Vince), Max Thayer (Curly), Kim Ellis (Assassin), Kristy Ellis (Slave Girl 1), Alexia Magana (Slave Girl 2)
Looking for: sales agents, distributors, producers, buyers, journalists
Facebook: Delivery
Hashtags used: #thriller #assassin #shortfilm #action #intense
Website: https://www.nathanscottellis.com/
Funders: Raised 4K on Indiegogo
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? 2019 Sherman Oaks Film Festival in the "Kickass Films" spotlight, Saturday November 23rd at 6pm, Whitefire Theater, Sherman Oaks, CA.