Lady Filmmakers / Valley Film Fest 2019 – You Drive Me Crazy
A GPS takes revenge on a cheating husband and Glen ends up on the ride of his life!
Interview with Director/Producer Vickie Rose Sampson and Writer/Producer Wendy Fishman
Watch You Drive Me Crazy on Vimeo
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
WF: The idea for the film was inspired by an incident when we were driving to a screening the GPS was taking us on a complicated and ridiculous series of back alleys when the main road was a block away.
VRS: Wendy told me to just take it but I said that I had to obey the GPS! It was a joke and we starting laughing about how people have become a slave to technology.
WF: I decided to write a dark comedy about how such slave devotion to AI can lead to very dire consequences!
VRS: I had never done a film with live-action driving, green screen and visual fas and wanted to try my skills at directing a dark comedy.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
WF: You Drive Me Crazy will make you laugh because you will recognize your own attachment and reliance on technology to help you through your life. And when that AI starts to "come alive" and make judgments about your actions then take it to the extreme, it's funny but also kinda scary. It’s meant to be entertaining but, like all good science fiction, also a warning,... when we put machines in the driver's seat allowing them to control our daily lives, we are inviting AI and those who create them to take over our very existence.
VRS: It's a fun ride of a film with a message. It also has a little bit of revenge in there! And it's a film that almost all of us can relate to. Listening to our GPS and Alexas and talking back to them as if they truly hear us and understand us.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
WF: I think that we can all relate to our reliance on technology to just get through the day. However, as a society and personally, I sense that there are some, like us, who are questioning whether we are giving up too much for the convenience. People are so attached to their phones and computers that personal relationships are suffering. Economies are changing because no one wants to even go to the store. We are becoming a planet of homebodies, unwilling to venture out into the world because it's just easier to stay inside with all our entertainment, games and gadgets. What will become of a society who is forgetting how to relate to one another? And what would happen if one day, Cyberwars take it all away? Will we have forgotten how to survive without it?
VRS: I feel somewhat sad about the state of society. Yes, we are addicted to our phones, iPads, computers etc. I see families in restaurants who are all on their devices. Yes, it's convenient to give a young child a phone to play games on to keep them quiet in a restaurant but I fear we're losing the ability to talk to one another face-to-face. Since this started as a story that happened to Wendy and me, it's turned into so much more. It's really a warning film about if you're a good person, you have nothing to fear. Big Brother may be watching but you have nothing to fear!
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
WF: The idea never changed however as the script evolved, it becomes actually funnier because we had to build to the climax which was pretty serious in the end!
VRS: The main things that changed was the amount of visual effects that had to be done. What started out as a somewhat "simple" idea turned into a bigger challenge to make. We used a green screen, live-action driving, miniatures and visual effects. We had to film the "plates" for where the green screen was, and those had to be fitted in seamlessly with the live action-driving. It needed a lot of color correction because there was a lot of green "spill" on the actor's face (because the green screen was too close!) I learned a lot doing this short film! We had a lot of cameras going at once to give me choices for editing; even my iPhone which is seen in the movie was rolling while we were driving to capture Glen's face from the dashboard - the phone's POV if you will. It was a lot of coordination of technology, ironically enough, just to make it! We had a Canon 5D mounted on the hood and sometimes underneath the car; we had 3-4 go pros; and my iPhone all filming at the same time.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
WF: The feedback has been amazing and for the most part very positive. Some think we went too far but most have enjoyed the film and appreciated the production value!
VRS: I love to hear a live audience reacting to the film. They start thinking he's just a good guy going to meet his wife after work until he says, "Call home." Then it starts dawning on the audience when the GPS talks back to him and takes control of the car. Some people wanted it to end thinking he was dead; while others wanted him to climb back out and seek revenge! Some have suggested that as a sequel. Some felt that a comedy about a wife and other AI devices planning and plotting and carrying out the husband's death was not their cup of tea but almost everyone loves it!
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
WF: Yes! The feedback was actually very surprising because most of the audience members we spoke to thought the movie is a "revenge" film. While that was the plot the real story and meaning of the film was about how technology is taking over our lives. But that's why I love writing and producing movies, everyone experiences what you've created in their own way. I learned so much from them and appreciate all the comments.
VRS: When we've had Q & As with audiences at film festivals, it's been funny to me that the men in the audience want him dead and the women want him to live! I think that when people dig a little deeper, they'll realize that technology can be both helpful and scary. And as a cautionary tale for everyone, don't cheat!!
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
WF: I think it's a great way to get across the very important message of the film and maybe touch those who watch it to really think about the consequences of our increasing reliance on tech and the direction we're going. If we allow anyone or anything, to dictate how we live our lives, we give up control of our future both personally and as a society. It's my small way of planting the seeds to add to the conversation many are now having especially in the face of companies like Facebook and Amazon who are literally taking over every aspect of our daily life. I don't know about you... but it scares the heck out of me!
VRS: I would love this film to be a jumping-off point for a producing company or distributor to see how talented we are! We made this on a very tight budget with a very small, but talented crew. Imagine what we could do with an actual budget!? Also, when people see it, I want it to make them think - about their actions, about the consequences of technology, of not giving up their own brains by letting devices do all the thinking for them.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
WF: We’d love to be on a streaming service and find distributors willing to work to place it everywhere they can!
VRS: Also sales agents, film festival directors and journalists to help us get the film out there and seen! It's expensive to apply for film festivals and then to go to the festivals - a big expense we'd rather put into making more films! We have so many cool ideas and stories to put out there in the world. It's nice to have a following of our work. The more people see it, the more we can be on their radar.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
WF: It goes without saying that we'd love to get a great response! But even if they don't love it, it would be wonderful if at the very least it makes them think.
VRS: I'd love for more people to experience the ride! I'd also love for us to possibly be paid for all our hard work. This whole project came mostly from me and Wendy's bank accounts. If it can be seen on platforms that help us filmmakers make a bit of money back, that would be great. But mostly, I'd like people to just see it and be impacted by its messages.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
WF: Do you want your lives, your very existence to be controlled by artificially created technology and the company that created it?
VRS: How much credence do you give your devices? Do you follow blindly? Do you challenge the technology? Do you turn it off? Will you remember how to move through the world without it? I had a strange thing happen last week where I was trying to get somewhere in a neighborhood I didn't know (and didn't like) and my GPS just wouldn't work! I didn't have a map and couldn't call anyone since my whole phone wasn't working and it reminded me of how dependent I've become on my GPS (WAZE) What would you do without it?
Would you like to add anything else?
WF: My final thought is that I know as a society we've experienced a lot of changes in a relatively short period of time. And although not addressed in the film, technology can be a positive change agent but some are abusing the power while others are being left behind for lack of access. I think we need to find a balance between our need for ease and comfort and our obligation to this planet and everyone who lives here!
VRS: I'm hoping that this film can be a kind of a wake-up call; a disturbing reminder of what can happen if we let our reliance on technology take over our brains. Spielberg's film, DUEL, seemed to deal with that by never showing the driver of the truck; as if the truck itself had a mind of its own. We're already seeing self-driving cars on the road; we have auto-pilots in airplanes and spaceships. Technology's progress is inevitable and necessary but I'd hate to see us give up the brilliance of our own minds.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
WF: We just shot our latest film, called "Reflections" which deals with how we see ourselves and learn to embrace who we are in the face of possibly losing everything and everyone we love.
VRS: "Reflections" is in post-production and is a wonderful exploration of a young woman facing a crisis of identity just days before her wedding. I wanted a new challenge and this one sure is! It's one woman, in one room confronting her fears. We also have an amazing story, "Always, Annie" about how being with the one you love can sometimes take a lifetime. I like doing stories of underdogs and the underrepresented. Being a director who is a woman is just a part of the struggles that most women have in the world and I like to shine a light on those - to give them their own voice and let the world know about them.
Interview: October 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
You Drive Me Crazy
A GPS takes revenge on a cheating husband and Glen ends up on the ride of his life!
Length: 8:23
Director: Vickie Rose Sampson
Producer: Wendy Fishman and Vickie Sampson
Writer: Wendy Fishman
About the writer, director and producer:
After a successful 40 year career as a Supervising Sound Editor, with over 200 feature film credits, VICKIE ROSE SAMPSON has directed 6 short films, 15 commercials, 2 PSAs and has won an Emmy, 4 Golden Reel Awards and worked on 2 Oscar-winning films for sound editing. She is a member of AMPAS (Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences) MPSE, (Motion Picture Sound Editors) Women in Media and serves on the board of the Alliance of Women Directors.
A writer, producer and tv executive for over 25 years, WENDY FISHMAN was a member of the creative team which launched E!. She became the Director of Daytime for CBS then transitioned into writing, joining the staff of Guiding Light. As a producer and writer, her credits include projects at the SyFi Channel and Fox among others. Wendy is a creative consultant for writers, many of whom have gone on to sell and win awards for their scripts.
Key cast: Philip Guerette (Glen), Katherine Flannery (Lucy), Terri Douglas (GPS), Nicole Davis (Girlfriend), Janet Bieber (Ally)
Looking for: distributors, sales agents
Facebook: You Drive Me Crazy
Instagram: @echocreekfilms
Hashtags used: #youdrivemecrazy
Other: IMDb
Funders: Self-funded
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? We are still waiting to hear from a few festivals but the next one for sure is in Dec 13-15 but their schedule isn't out yet. We just played in 3 different festivals last weekend! And in over 14 festivals already.