Recursor.tv interview with Synapse director Kenlon Clark!
What do sketches of Daisy Ridley, Adidas ads, and music videos have to do with science fiction and the newly premiered Rogue One? They all happen to be passions and experiences under the belt of director Kenlon Clark, a science fiction aficionado who can appreciate the unique challenges and advantages that go with a switch from low budget indie films to big budget blockbusters.
It’s a subject many directors, including Clark, have on their minds in light of Rogue One director Gareth Edwards’ impressive trajectory from Monsters (with a mere $500K budget) to the latest Star Wars franchise flick, whose budget was reportedly $200 million. Clark’s own feature film Synapse, which he directed and edited, was filmed on a budget of around $650K and garnered positive reviews.
That $650K budget is “miniscule,” says Clark, because the special effects that make science fiction shine are time-consuming to create and costly too. “It’s super difficult,” he says of the effort of making indie sci fi on the cheap. But he took on the challenge with relish while directing Synapse.
“The good thing with our film is that it was realistic sci-fi,” Clark explains. Grounded science fiction, which draws on existing technology and is set in the near future, is a good choice for indie filmmakers, he adds. Synapse, a cop and criminal sci-fi thriller, is set 10-20 years in the future; its story grows from the idea that a person’s memories can be transferred and shared, much like photos and status updates are shared today on social media. “We did want to keep it like The French Connection or Narc, but with science fiction augmented into the world.”
The near-future story setting allowed Clark and team to draw largely on what already exists today in terms of sets, costumes, and tech. But there was still plenty of work on the post-production side to make the film look good. “You have to composite in the (future) tech,” Clark says.
That’s one of his tips to indie filmmakers, by the way — bone up on your compositing skills, because that’s going to help you identify and avoid potential problems down the road in post-production. Clark also emphasizes learning how to direct for visual effects so you can problem solve during filming. “Don’t think, oh, I can fix that later,” he says. That misguided idea gets a lot of directors in trouble, something he says he learned the hard way.
On the plus side, indie filmmakers can do an incredible amount of editing and more with a few handy programs and a good block of time. “I did it myself on a laptop using Adobe Premiere,” Clark says. “The thing I love about a laptop is the mobility.”
That flexibility allows Clark to travel with his wife while she’s attending conferences, without missing a beat on his own work. He has even completely edited a music video for EDM group Above & Beyond while sitting in the passenger seat while his wife drove them between Orlando and Key West. Not bad.
With Rogue One premiering today, a lot of indie directors are being reminded of their own dreams to make it big, however they define it. For Clark, that’s a chance at a superhero movie. “I’m working my way to a Marvel film, let’s just say that,” he laughs.
Clark thinks the switch from small budget to big budget involves some adjustment, but ultimately the key is the director’s attitude. “There’s a trade-off between money or creative freedom,” he notes. “You’re going to get one or the other. With the money, you’re going to be able to reach a global audience. Your vision will really look great.”
But indie film-making has advantages too, and not just the “cool factor,” he says. “You have to embrace your limitations and work around them,” Clark explains. “Those limitations force you to think outside the box.” And that’s true no matter what size budget you’re working with. “There’s a great quote from Christopher Nolan, who went from Memento ($9 million) to The Dark Knight Rises ($250 million). He said it’s just like swimming. It doesn’t matter how deep the water is, you’re just trying to keep your head above the water. I think that’s a pretty cool perspective.”
Right now, Clark says he is working on more sketches (yeah, he draws too — a skill that comes in handy when he storyboards). He also just won the Bootleg Universe Short Script & Story Concept contest through ScreenCraft.org, which invited screenwriters to reboot a known property. As the grand prize winner, Clark’s script will be produced as a short film by Hollywood producer Adi Shankar. He has other projects in development too.
And of course, Clark says, he is keeping up with Recursor. “I love Recursor,” he says. “I love Nina Unlocked. I’m a fan!’
We’re blushing a little, man. Thanks.
For more on Ken Clark’s films and to see his sketches (which are really good), visit his website at www.kenlonclark.com.
It’s a subject many directors, including Clark, have on their minds in light of Rogue One director Gareth Edwards’ impressive trajectory from Monsters (with a mere $500K budget) to the latest Star Wars franchise flick, whose budget was reportedly $200 million. Clark’s own feature film Synapse, which he directed and edited, was filmed on a budget of around $650K and garnered positive reviews.
That $650K budget is “miniscule,” says Clark, because the special effects that make science fiction shine are time-consuming to create and costly too. “It’s super difficult,” he says of the effort of making indie sci fi on the cheap. But he took on the challenge with relish while directing Synapse.
“The good thing with our film is that it was realistic sci-fi,” Clark explains. Grounded science fiction, which draws on existing technology and is set in the near future, is a good choice for indie filmmakers, he adds. Synapse, a cop and criminal sci-fi thriller, is set 10-20 years in the future; its story grows from the idea that a person’s memories can be transferred and shared, much like photos and status updates are shared today on social media. “We did want to keep it like The French Connection or Narc, but with science fiction augmented into the world.”
The near-future story setting allowed Clark and team to draw largely on what already exists today in terms of sets, costumes, and tech. But there was still plenty of work on the post-production side to make the film look good. “You have to composite in the (future) tech,” Clark says.
That’s one of his tips to indie filmmakers, by the way — bone up on your compositing skills, because that’s going to help you identify and avoid potential problems down the road in post-production. Clark also emphasizes learning how to direct for visual effects so you can problem solve during filming. “Don’t think, oh, I can fix that later,” he says. That misguided idea gets a lot of directors in trouble, something he says he learned the hard way.
On the plus side, indie filmmakers can do an incredible amount of editing and more with a few handy programs and a good block of time. “I did it myself on a laptop using Adobe Premiere,” Clark says. “The thing I love about a laptop is the mobility.”
That flexibility allows Clark to travel with his wife while she’s attending conferences, without missing a beat on his own work. He has even completely edited a music video for EDM group Above & Beyond while sitting in the passenger seat while his wife drove them between Orlando and Key West. Not bad.
With Rogue One premiering today, a lot of indie directors are being reminded of their own dreams to make it big, however they define it. For Clark, that’s a chance at a superhero movie. “I’m working my way to a Marvel film, let’s just say that,” he laughs.
Clark thinks the switch from small budget to big budget involves some adjustment, but ultimately the key is the director’s attitude. “There’s a trade-off between money or creative freedom,” he notes. “You’re going to get one or the other. With the money, you’re going to be able to reach a global audience. Your vision will really look great.”
But indie film-making has advantages too, and not just the “cool factor,” he says. “You have to embrace your limitations and work around them,” Clark explains. “Those limitations force you to think outside the box.” And that’s true no matter what size budget you’re working with. “There’s a great quote from Christopher Nolan, who went from Memento ($9 million) to The Dark Knight Rises ($250 million). He said it’s just like swimming. It doesn’t matter how deep the water is, you’re just trying to keep your head above the water. I think that’s a pretty cool perspective.”
Right now, Clark says he is working on more sketches (yeah, he draws too — a skill that comes in handy when he storyboards). He also just won the Bootleg Universe Short Script & Story Concept contest through ScreenCraft.org, which invited screenwriters to reboot a known property. As the grand prize winner, Clark’s script will be produced as a short film by Hollywood producer Adi Shankar. He has other projects in development too.
And of course, Clark says, he is keeping up with Recursor. “I love Recursor,” he says. “I love Nina Unlocked. I’m a fan!’
We’re blushing a little, man. Thanks.
For more on Ken Clark’s films and to see his sketches (which are really good), visit his website at www.kenlonclark.com.
Synapse director Kenlon Clark is the inaugral winner of Adi Shankar and Screencraft's Bootleg Universe contest!
We’re thrilled to announce that Kenlon Clark has been chosen as the grand prize winner of our inaugural Bootleg Universe Contest, in collaboration with Adi Shankar’s Bootleg Universe and Buffalo 8 Productions. Kenlon’s winning short script will be produced by Hollywood producer Adi Shankar as a short film and distributed for free online for millions of fans to enjoy and share on the Bootleg Universe YouTube channel. The details of the project’s subject matter and storyline will remain confidential until the release of the film in early Summer 2017. It’s a good one! Subscribe to the Bootleg Universe YouTube channel!
PopcultHQ Exclusive Interview With Hollywood Screenwriter and Actor: Adam SimonBy mannysplace23 on July 2, 2015 • ( Leave a comment ) Photos credit to: Dennys Illic – Adam Simon
It is simply astounding to me what time can do to a person…….
Everyone knows the old adage of how time and pressure can crush earthly minerals into worthless pieces of common coal. Or that very same grueling time and endless weights of the world can also produce jewels so preciously valued by humanity. Yet many of these so-called “diamonds in the rough” can go completely unnoticed unless they shine so bright they create a once-in-a-lifetime glare in the darkness that catches the eye. That is what almost every single person in Hollywood likens themselves to…..a bright shiny diamond that needs to be in the spotlight to show everyone else how they have “MADE IT” in the so called land of dreams.
The best thing about screenwriter, actor and director Adam G. Simon, who is truly one of those rare diamonds in the rough………..he doesn’t give a shit about “MADE IT” in Hollywood! For in his words……”There is no REAL making it in Hollywood!”
Last year I was fortunate enough to run into Adam Simon, who was on his way to finally becoming one of those ‘Hollywood names.’ Even surrounded by the dazzling lights of the stars and the smoke-screen of the Hollywood machine, Adam has managed to stay light-hearted, loving and most importantly humble to the bone. It has now been almost a full year to the date of our first fateful meeting; Adam and I still keep in touch, keeping tabs on each others careers.
It is simply astounding to me what time can do to a person………
Adam Simon interview:
PopcultHQ: You were Born in Cali?
Adam Simon: “Yes Sir. California boy. Got three sisters and two brothers.”
PopcultHQ: What were the early family years like?
Adam Simon: “We were like the Brady Bunch meets Lord of The Flies. We all grew up in a small desert town just outside of the Lancaster/Palmdale area.”
PopcultHQ: You started in drama stage acting – does time allow still for stage acts?
Adam Simon: “Yes it does. There is always time for that. I am getting ready to play Lee in the play “True West” while developing another stage production with a group of really talented actors.”
PopcultHQ Trivia – Adam has trained in numerous acting schools and takes physical training to another level with his MMA background –
PopcultHQ: Who did you look up to in acting, writing, art, TV, movies or music,?
Adam Simon: “Look up to might be the wrong word. I don’t idolize anyone. I respect different artists for different reasons but there does seem to be a common thread no matter the medium. I respect anyone who has been able to create art without losing their individual voice. Those are the artists I respect and who I want to work with.”
Adam Simon: “(In a later talk Adam and I had) I think you had asked me this before and I was like ‘I don’t look up to anybody, I do my own thing’. But I was thinking about that question more and I was like ‘man that’s not true’. If there is anyone I look up to it would be Joe Carnahan (Smokin’ Aces, The Grey, The A=Team, Narc). That dude…….is amazing! The story behind his movie Narc, that movie got shut down halfway though production cause they ran out of money. And that’s a movie with Ray Liotta and Jason Patric! Well anyway, they had to shut down, he had to grind to raise the money and he got his film made by working his ass off. Now it’s being made into a TV series with Joe Carnahan behind it producing it with Eminem. To go from an indie film that has troubles like that and to come full circle to where he is now. I got to meet Joe on the Universal lot, I don’t normally fan-boy out to anybody but when I seen him I just couldn’t help myself. So I introduced myself to him and it turns out Synapse actually came across his desk. I was so stoked by that!”
PopcultHQ: Friends in Hollywood, you seem to have a lot, can you still have real friends in this business?
Adam Simon: “I think so. The number of real friends is smaller but definitely stronger.”
PopcultHQ Trivia – Adam has had many odd jobs……the most odd being a Close Protection Specialist. But is better known as a – actor, writer , director, father –
PopcultHQ: Your past jobs, the struggle?
Adam Simon: “I come from a blue-collar family. I have done so many different jobs. Construction worker, janitor, apartment manager, pizza delivery driver, bouncer. They all gave me insights and stories to tell.”
PopcultHQ Trivia – Adam was homeless when he wrote “Man Down” –
PopcultHQ: Do people really understand how much hard work goes into writing a script? Because your job is basically to make it look seamless or easy when you’re good at what you do.
Adam Simon: “It depends on what people you are talking about. (Laughs.) I think most people in this town understand the work that goes into the writing but many outside of it don’t. Creating one good story is a task in and of itself let alone creating several. You can’t be precious about your work. It is different for everybody but for me a story comes from a single idea, but film-making is a collaborative process so you have to be open and welcoming of notes and critique, it’s how you grow. As far as my job, I don’t think it is to make it look seamless or easy. Writing is a process. It is difficult. It requires dedication, persistence and time. It aint easy. It’s fucking hard!”
PopcultHQ: I know you work very hard and take training extremely seriously so I have one question about that. One of the things I had seen on your social media is a picture of you in a gym, lying on a mat, face down and a group of muscled-up dudes pinning you down to the mat just trying to drive every ounce of your body an limbs sheer though the concrete…….what the hell was that?
Adam Simon: (laughing) “OK, so I train with these guys all the time, they are called ‘Progressive Force Concepts’ they are out of Las Vegas. The trainers name is Chad Lyman, black belt in jujitsu former law enforcement guy…..actually all the guys in that gym are all special forces, law enforcement type guys. Not only do they do extreme training, they also go over seas to protect pipe-lines or bodyguard special VIP’s. So they also do combat training for military personnel. I’ve been in MMA all my entire life and I’m used to heavy training but I had a film project that involved special forces military work. They always say a Special Forces guy can tell another special forces guy even if he’s out of uniform, that is just something that’s built into their bodies. So I went to Chad and told him I’m all yours. So over the next three months he put me through the ringer, it was a specialized program that involved some crazy crazy shit. It was gnarly man, I’ll be kicking out some video of that pretty soon”
Adam Simon: “There is this friend of mine that’s doing sort of documentary on my life, following me around filming everything. It will be about my losing my business, losing my wife, supporting my kids, going through bankruptcy, going through a divorce, selling my car, being homeless sleeping in a parking garage bathroom. Getting through all that, to meeting Rob (Rob Prior: Famous Painting Artist), getting on the comic con circuit, getting my first script optioned, to working on television shows….just that whole journey. So he wanted to do a film on it and I’m like ‘Ehhh, I’m not into that, I’m more into telling other people’s stories’. But he’s like ‘I really want to tell your story,’ he finally convinced me. So he got to go out to Vegas with me and filmed me going through weapons training and seeing me getting my face all busted up. That is coming out in 2016″
PopcultHQ: Do you want to talk at all about having an original script stolen….you still wished them to do well…….why?
Adam Simon: “I can talk a little bit about it. I wrote it, I loved it, I lost it. Then it became something I didn’t recognize which made it easier. The lost time and money made it difficult but ultimately it was a learning experience that made me stronger and more aware. Stories are my children. If one of them is taken, I fight for it, but if I lose that custody battle I want the child to still be safe, loved and cared for, know what I mean?”
Synapse
Acting and writing on SYNAPSE:
PopcultHQ: What are your feelings on – Independent versus Studio?
Adam Simon: “They both have their pros and cons. Ultimately it just depends on the particular production and the team involved. It really isn’t fair to say Indie versus Studio. There are shit studio productions and shit Indies, there are amazing studio films and amazing Indies. I recently heard a celebrity kind of dissing Independent film makers. I thought, “wow what crap Indie sets have you been on?” I have had a different experience, even working odd jobs on Indie sets. Some of them have been the most organized, efficient, amazing sets to be on. No waiting, no fat, no fluff. Instead of a giant Studio armored division the Indie film maker can be a Special Forces Team that is kicking ass and taking names with just a handful of operatives or it can be a shit show. It just depends on how much planning you put into it and how well you execute that planning.”
PopcultHQ: Synapse 2?
Adam Simon: “Yeah……we’re working on the sequel to Synapse. It was always meant to be a trilogy with a prequel and a sequel. I’m super excited about it.”
Adam Simon: “Synapse by itself is a self-contained story but ends on such a cliff hanger it leaves the audience wondering what happens next. One day Ken (director: KENLON CLARK) and I were tossing ideas around and he came up with this idea that just blew my mind. That got me writing again. I think the story is really beautiful and surprisingly emotionally powerful.”
Adam Simon: “When we screened Synapse for Los Angeles Center Studios. They came back and were like ‘WOW we were expecting what you guys described as a sci-fi thriller, but actually was very moving and touching.’ And it makes sense since ultimately Synapse is about a man trying to get his family back, it just so happens to take place in this science fiction world.”
PopcultHQ Trivia – Adam is a huge comic book and sci-fi fan – Adam, also has a very unhealthy fixation over Marvel’s The Punisher –
PopcultHQ: What comic book movie gig do you want: other than The Punisher…?
Adam Simon: “The sequels to The Punisher.”
PopcultHQ: Do you find yourself being more PC (politically correct) now being more in the public eye?
Adam Simon: “Fuck no!”
PopcultHQ: Any Hollywood fuck up stories?
Adam Simon: “Everyday man. You fuck up, pick yourself up, learn from it and move on. Taking care not to make the same mistakes twice.”
Adam Simon: “Dude! I’m so friggin’ proud of you man!”
PopcultHQ: Thanks, I really appreciate that!
Adam Simon: “You’ve been able to do what you love and you’ve been increasing your on-line presence!”
PopcultHQ: It is crazy how this blog writing has gone for me but I’m just riding the wave and I have a fantastic team with me on this website
Adam Simon “Yeah man, you’re just killing it!”
Adam Simon “You know how cool is it that like a year ago………”
PopcultHQ: Exactly dude, exactly…..that’s one of the things I wanted to talk to you about, how we both met at the start of our careers and how nuts it’s just been for both of us in a years time.
PopcultHQ: So beforehand….not to sound rude in any way, but in essence you were nothing before Wizard World and now you turn out into THIS person!
Adam Simon “Yeah, I had been attending acting conservatory in LA. I had written several scripts and pitched them around trying to sell them studio to studio, just to anybody that would talk to me. I was just trying to meet up with any one. So I was with Kenlon Clark about a year before Wizard World, we shot Synapse that was in the can and we were just thinking what to do with it, how to sell it, how to get it out there. Then I met Rob (Prior), we were working on another project together and he was doing the artwork on and we just hit it off! Rob was like ‘look, I’m on the comic con circuit selling my art, talking about my art to the people. Why don’t you come out and join me and talk about your movie’. So I did, I joined up with him and halfway on the road with him on Wizard World talking about Synapse, and that’s when Man Down got picked up. Wizard World has been very good to me and it’s been great.
PopcultHQ: Anything you want to talk about that will be exclusive to Popculthq?
Adam Simon: “Got you an exclusive right here! At this moment Synapse is in the hands of Michael Archaki and Christian Davis undergoing final Sound Design and Score. We are really pushing to try to screen Synapse for audiences attending the Chicago Wizard World Comic Con on August 20-21-22-23. It looks like we are going to make it happen as part of the Wizard World Bruce Campbell Horror Fest (Film Festival)! It’s a great way for us to give back to Wizard World for allowing me to promote Synapse on the con circuit.”
PopcultHQ: So this will be like a free showing for the fans?
Adam Simon: “Absolutely brother! It will be a one shot deal where fans can get a link and see the movie for free on that day. Something I don’t think that has ever been done before and we want to give back to the Wizard World fans, so we want to just give it to the masses!”
PopcultHQ Trivia – “Man Down” Is a major motion film written by Adam Simon. A story that follows a haunted Afghanistan war veteran who attempts to come to terms with his past while searching for his family in a post-apocalyptic America. Starring Shia LeBeouf, Gary Oldman, Kate Mara –
PopcultHQ: Any news on the “Man Down” front?
Adam Simon: “I’ll be at the Toronto Film Festival in September and we will be premiering “Man Down” there. I’m really excited about that! I can’t talk too much about it right now but it defiantly deals with a very serious issue that’s going on right now. A very serious message just like Synapse is.
PopcultHQ: Any new films in the works?
Adam Simon: “Ken, EJ and I are working on another Sci-fi flick named “After Us“
PopcultHQ: Another Indie project?
Adam Simon: “Yes, Indie project but with a lot bigger budget this time around. We’re reaching out to some big names for the lead in the film”
PopcultHQ: So final question, what advice do you give to future writers?
Adam Simon: “This is what I tell people when I’m speaking on panels, when they ask ‘what’s your advice, what books should I read, what’s the formula to writing good stories?’. I tell people two things – write from your heart, write what you believe in and WORK YOUR FUCKING ASS OFF!! Those are the two things…….I don’t know if you’ll succeed (laughing) but at least you’ll be happy!”
Awesome Adam! Well you know how happy I am with your career as well and I cannot wait to finally see SYNAPSE! Thanks again for this exclusive interview with my website PopcultHQ. I will see you and Rob Prior again in Chicago at Wizard World Comic Con my friend.
Below is the official trailer for Synapse the movie. PopcultHQ will keep fans on notice if the film goes LIVE for all online viewers.
Synapse is the story of an addict memory dealer who is chased relentlessly by federal narcotics agents in pursuit of a secret buried deep within his mind. “Mems”, as they are known on the street, were developed by the United States military in assisting soldiers who suffered brain trauma in combat. After a leak by a government informant, the technology explodes globally allowing anyone the ability to mold their memories how they see fit. Synapse is a branch of the DEA tasked with stamping out the illegal MEM trade.
Nathan Stafford works as an undercover enforcement agent working in a city ravaged by drugs and gang warfare. When Nathan begins working with a low-level MEM dealer, he learns a secret that places him and his family in danger. With time running out, the two adversaries must work together or die fighting against a corrupt agency and a system bent on their destruction.
It is simply astounding to me what time can do to a person…….
Everyone knows the old adage of how time and pressure can crush earthly minerals into worthless pieces of common coal. Or that very same grueling time and endless weights of the world can also produce jewels so preciously valued by humanity. Yet many of these so-called “diamonds in the rough” can go completely unnoticed unless they shine so bright they create a once-in-a-lifetime glare in the darkness that catches the eye. That is what almost every single person in Hollywood likens themselves to…..a bright shiny diamond that needs to be in the spotlight to show everyone else how they have “MADE IT” in the so called land of dreams.
The best thing about screenwriter, actor and director Adam G. Simon, who is truly one of those rare diamonds in the rough………..he doesn’t give a shit about “MADE IT” in Hollywood! For in his words……”There is no REAL making it in Hollywood!”
Last year I was fortunate enough to run into Adam Simon, who was on his way to finally becoming one of those ‘Hollywood names.’ Even surrounded by the dazzling lights of the stars and the smoke-screen of the Hollywood machine, Adam has managed to stay light-hearted, loving and most importantly humble to the bone. It has now been almost a full year to the date of our first fateful meeting; Adam and I still keep in touch, keeping tabs on each others careers.
It is simply astounding to me what time can do to a person………
Adam Simon interview:
PopcultHQ: You were Born in Cali?
Adam Simon: “Yes Sir. California boy. Got three sisters and two brothers.”
PopcultHQ: What were the early family years like?
Adam Simon: “We were like the Brady Bunch meets Lord of The Flies. We all grew up in a small desert town just outside of the Lancaster/Palmdale area.”
PopcultHQ: You started in drama stage acting – does time allow still for stage acts?
Adam Simon: “Yes it does. There is always time for that. I am getting ready to play Lee in the play “True West” while developing another stage production with a group of really talented actors.”
PopcultHQ Trivia – Adam has trained in numerous acting schools and takes physical training to another level with his MMA background –
PopcultHQ: Who did you look up to in acting, writing, art, TV, movies or music,?
Adam Simon: “Look up to might be the wrong word. I don’t idolize anyone. I respect different artists for different reasons but there does seem to be a common thread no matter the medium. I respect anyone who has been able to create art without losing their individual voice. Those are the artists I respect and who I want to work with.”
Adam Simon: “(In a later talk Adam and I had) I think you had asked me this before and I was like ‘I don’t look up to anybody, I do my own thing’. But I was thinking about that question more and I was like ‘man that’s not true’. If there is anyone I look up to it would be Joe Carnahan (Smokin’ Aces, The Grey, The A=Team, Narc). That dude…….is amazing! The story behind his movie Narc, that movie got shut down halfway though production cause they ran out of money. And that’s a movie with Ray Liotta and Jason Patric! Well anyway, they had to shut down, he had to grind to raise the money and he got his film made by working his ass off. Now it’s being made into a TV series with Joe Carnahan behind it producing it with Eminem. To go from an indie film that has troubles like that and to come full circle to where he is now. I got to meet Joe on the Universal lot, I don’t normally fan-boy out to anybody but when I seen him I just couldn’t help myself. So I introduced myself to him and it turns out Synapse actually came across his desk. I was so stoked by that!”
PopcultHQ: Friends in Hollywood, you seem to have a lot, can you still have real friends in this business?
Adam Simon: “I think so. The number of real friends is smaller but definitely stronger.”
PopcultHQ Trivia – Adam has had many odd jobs……the most odd being a Close Protection Specialist. But is better known as a – actor, writer , director, father –
PopcultHQ: Your past jobs, the struggle?
Adam Simon: “I come from a blue-collar family. I have done so many different jobs. Construction worker, janitor, apartment manager, pizza delivery driver, bouncer. They all gave me insights and stories to tell.”
PopcultHQ Trivia – Adam was homeless when he wrote “Man Down” –
PopcultHQ: Do people really understand how much hard work goes into writing a script? Because your job is basically to make it look seamless or easy when you’re good at what you do.
Adam Simon: “It depends on what people you are talking about. (Laughs.) I think most people in this town understand the work that goes into the writing but many outside of it don’t. Creating one good story is a task in and of itself let alone creating several. You can’t be precious about your work. It is different for everybody but for me a story comes from a single idea, but film-making is a collaborative process so you have to be open and welcoming of notes and critique, it’s how you grow. As far as my job, I don’t think it is to make it look seamless or easy. Writing is a process. It is difficult. It requires dedication, persistence and time. It aint easy. It’s fucking hard!”
PopcultHQ: I know you work very hard and take training extremely seriously so I have one question about that. One of the things I had seen on your social media is a picture of you in a gym, lying on a mat, face down and a group of muscled-up dudes pinning you down to the mat just trying to drive every ounce of your body an limbs sheer though the concrete…….what the hell was that?
Adam Simon: (laughing) “OK, so I train with these guys all the time, they are called ‘Progressive Force Concepts’ they are out of Las Vegas. The trainers name is Chad Lyman, black belt in jujitsu former law enforcement guy…..actually all the guys in that gym are all special forces, law enforcement type guys. Not only do they do extreme training, they also go over seas to protect pipe-lines or bodyguard special VIP’s. So they also do combat training for military personnel. I’ve been in MMA all my entire life and I’m used to heavy training but I had a film project that involved special forces military work. They always say a Special Forces guy can tell another special forces guy even if he’s out of uniform, that is just something that’s built into their bodies. So I went to Chad and told him I’m all yours. So over the next three months he put me through the ringer, it was a specialized program that involved some crazy crazy shit. It was gnarly man, I’ll be kicking out some video of that pretty soon”
Adam Simon: “There is this friend of mine that’s doing sort of documentary on my life, following me around filming everything. It will be about my losing my business, losing my wife, supporting my kids, going through bankruptcy, going through a divorce, selling my car, being homeless sleeping in a parking garage bathroom. Getting through all that, to meeting Rob (Rob Prior: Famous Painting Artist), getting on the comic con circuit, getting my first script optioned, to working on television shows….just that whole journey. So he wanted to do a film on it and I’m like ‘Ehhh, I’m not into that, I’m more into telling other people’s stories’. But he’s like ‘I really want to tell your story,’ he finally convinced me. So he got to go out to Vegas with me and filmed me going through weapons training and seeing me getting my face all busted up. That is coming out in 2016″
PopcultHQ: Do you want to talk at all about having an original script stolen….you still wished them to do well…….why?
Adam Simon: “I can talk a little bit about it. I wrote it, I loved it, I lost it. Then it became something I didn’t recognize which made it easier. The lost time and money made it difficult but ultimately it was a learning experience that made me stronger and more aware. Stories are my children. If one of them is taken, I fight for it, but if I lose that custody battle I want the child to still be safe, loved and cared for, know what I mean?”
Synapse
Acting and writing on SYNAPSE:
PopcultHQ: What are your feelings on – Independent versus Studio?
Adam Simon: “They both have their pros and cons. Ultimately it just depends on the particular production and the team involved. It really isn’t fair to say Indie versus Studio. There are shit studio productions and shit Indies, there are amazing studio films and amazing Indies. I recently heard a celebrity kind of dissing Independent film makers. I thought, “wow what crap Indie sets have you been on?” I have had a different experience, even working odd jobs on Indie sets. Some of them have been the most organized, efficient, amazing sets to be on. No waiting, no fat, no fluff. Instead of a giant Studio armored division the Indie film maker can be a Special Forces Team that is kicking ass and taking names with just a handful of operatives or it can be a shit show. It just depends on how much planning you put into it and how well you execute that planning.”
PopcultHQ: Synapse 2?
Adam Simon: “Yeah……we’re working on the sequel to Synapse. It was always meant to be a trilogy with a prequel and a sequel. I’m super excited about it.”
Adam Simon: “Synapse by itself is a self-contained story but ends on such a cliff hanger it leaves the audience wondering what happens next. One day Ken (director: KENLON CLARK) and I were tossing ideas around and he came up with this idea that just blew my mind. That got me writing again. I think the story is really beautiful and surprisingly emotionally powerful.”
Adam Simon: “When we screened Synapse for Los Angeles Center Studios. They came back and were like ‘WOW we were expecting what you guys described as a sci-fi thriller, but actually was very moving and touching.’ And it makes sense since ultimately Synapse is about a man trying to get his family back, it just so happens to take place in this science fiction world.”
PopcultHQ Trivia – Adam is a huge comic book and sci-fi fan – Adam, also has a very unhealthy fixation over Marvel’s The Punisher –
PopcultHQ: What comic book movie gig do you want: other than The Punisher…?
Adam Simon: “The sequels to The Punisher.”
PopcultHQ: Do you find yourself being more PC (politically correct) now being more in the public eye?
Adam Simon: “Fuck no!”
PopcultHQ: Any Hollywood fuck up stories?
Adam Simon: “Everyday man. You fuck up, pick yourself up, learn from it and move on. Taking care not to make the same mistakes twice.”
Adam Simon: “Dude! I’m so friggin’ proud of you man!”
PopcultHQ: Thanks, I really appreciate that!
Adam Simon: “You’ve been able to do what you love and you’ve been increasing your on-line presence!”
PopcultHQ: It is crazy how this blog writing has gone for me but I’m just riding the wave and I have a fantastic team with me on this website
Adam Simon “Yeah man, you’re just killing it!”
Adam Simon “You know how cool is it that like a year ago………”
PopcultHQ: Exactly dude, exactly…..that’s one of the things I wanted to talk to you about, how we both met at the start of our careers and how nuts it’s just been for both of us in a years time.
PopcultHQ: So beforehand….not to sound rude in any way, but in essence you were nothing before Wizard World and now you turn out into THIS person!
Adam Simon “Yeah, I had been attending acting conservatory in LA. I had written several scripts and pitched them around trying to sell them studio to studio, just to anybody that would talk to me. I was just trying to meet up with any one. So I was with Kenlon Clark about a year before Wizard World, we shot Synapse that was in the can and we were just thinking what to do with it, how to sell it, how to get it out there. Then I met Rob (Prior), we were working on another project together and he was doing the artwork on and we just hit it off! Rob was like ‘look, I’m on the comic con circuit selling my art, talking about my art to the people. Why don’t you come out and join me and talk about your movie’. So I did, I joined up with him and halfway on the road with him on Wizard World talking about Synapse, and that’s when Man Down got picked up. Wizard World has been very good to me and it’s been great.
PopcultHQ: Anything you want to talk about that will be exclusive to Popculthq?
Adam Simon: “Got you an exclusive right here! At this moment Synapse is in the hands of Michael Archaki and Christian Davis undergoing final Sound Design and Score. We are really pushing to try to screen Synapse for audiences attending the Chicago Wizard World Comic Con on August 20-21-22-23. It looks like we are going to make it happen as part of the Wizard World Bruce Campbell Horror Fest (Film Festival)! It’s a great way for us to give back to Wizard World for allowing me to promote Synapse on the con circuit.”
PopcultHQ: So this will be like a free showing for the fans?
Adam Simon: “Absolutely brother! It will be a one shot deal where fans can get a link and see the movie for free on that day. Something I don’t think that has ever been done before and we want to give back to the Wizard World fans, so we want to just give it to the masses!”
PopcultHQ Trivia – “Man Down” Is a major motion film written by Adam Simon. A story that follows a haunted Afghanistan war veteran who attempts to come to terms with his past while searching for his family in a post-apocalyptic America. Starring Shia LeBeouf, Gary Oldman, Kate Mara –
PopcultHQ: Any news on the “Man Down” front?
Adam Simon: “I’ll be at the Toronto Film Festival in September and we will be premiering “Man Down” there. I’m really excited about that! I can’t talk too much about it right now but it defiantly deals with a very serious issue that’s going on right now. A very serious message just like Synapse is.
PopcultHQ: Any new films in the works?
Adam Simon: “Ken, EJ and I are working on another Sci-fi flick named “After Us“
PopcultHQ: Another Indie project?
Adam Simon: “Yes, Indie project but with a lot bigger budget this time around. We’re reaching out to some big names for the lead in the film”
PopcultHQ: So final question, what advice do you give to future writers?
Adam Simon: “This is what I tell people when I’m speaking on panels, when they ask ‘what’s your advice, what books should I read, what’s the formula to writing good stories?’. I tell people two things – write from your heart, write what you believe in and WORK YOUR FUCKING ASS OFF!! Those are the two things…….I don’t know if you’ll succeed (laughing) but at least you’ll be happy!”
Awesome Adam! Well you know how happy I am with your career as well and I cannot wait to finally see SYNAPSE! Thanks again for this exclusive interview with my website PopcultHQ. I will see you and Rob Prior again in Chicago at Wizard World Comic Con my friend.
Below is the official trailer for Synapse the movie. PopcultHQ will keep fans on notice if the film goes LIVE for all online viewers.
Synapse is the story of an addict memory dealer who is chased relentlessly by federal narcotics agents in pursuit of a secret buried deep within his mind. “Mems”, as they are known on the street, were developed by the United States military in assisting soldiers who suffered brain trauma in combat. After a leak by a government informant, the technology explodes globally allowing anyone the ability to mold their memories how they see fit. Synapse is a branch of the DEA tasked with stamping out the illegal MEM trade.
Nathan Stafford works as an undercover enforcement agent working in a city ravaged by drugs and gang warfare. When Nathan begins working with a low-level MEM dealer, he learns a secret that places him and his family in danger. With time running out, the two adversaries must work together or die fighting against a corrupt agency and a system bent on their destruction.
SYNAPSE
Director: KENLON CLARK
Written By: Adam Simon
Starring –
Actor: JOSHUA ALBA
Actor: SOPHINA BROWN
Actor: HENRY SIMMONS
Actor: ADAM SIMON
All Adam Simon Photos credit to: Dennys Illic
Synapse art by: Rob Prior
|
Synapse is the story of an addict memory dealer who is chased relentlessly by federal narcotics agents is pursuit of a secret buried deep within his mind. "Mems", as they are know on the street, were developed by the United States military in assisting soldiers who suffered brain trauma in combat. After a leak by a government informant, the technology explodes globally allowing anyone the ability to mold their memories how they see fit. Synapse is a branch of the DEA tasked with stamping out the illegal MEM trade.
Nathan Stafford works as an undercover enforcement agent working in a city ravaged by drugs and gang warfare. When Nathan begins working with a low level MEM dealer, he learns a secret that places him and his family in danger. With time running out, the two adversaries must work together or die fighting against a corrupt agency and a system bent on their destruction.
Nathan Stafford works as an undercover enforcement agent working in a city ravaged by drugs and gang warfare. When Nathan begins working with a low level MEM dealer, he learns a secret that places him and his family in danger. With time running out, the two adversaries must work together or die fighting against a corrupt agency and a system bent on their destruction.
SYNAPSE Director KENLON CLARK directs Hitchcock like Music Video for "ABOVE AND BEYOND" feat Alex Vargas for their song "STICKY FINGERS."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpwDBRdMPR8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpwDBRdMPR8
Fan Xperience Salt Lake City Comic Con Interview with Adam Simon about Rob Prior, Synapse, Director Kenlon Clark and Sci Fy's Defiance
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxFyROV4lok
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxFyROV4lok
Wizard World Comic Con Louisville - WCCR interviews Actor and Writer Adam Simon about SYNAPSE director KENLON CLARK
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6c_oO2WHTkM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6c_oO2WHTkM
Writer/Actor ADAM SIMON talks about filming SYNAPSE, Director KENLON CLARK and actors JOSHUA ALBA, SOPHINA BROWN, HENRY SIMMONS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOmfETv0OZw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOmfETv0OZw
Actor JOSHUA ALBA talks to ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT about growing up in the limelight and mentions new project "SYNAPSE."
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2565636/Jessica-Albas-brother-Joshua-dishes-life-famous-sibling.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2565636/Jessica-Albas-brother-Joshua-dishes-life-famous-sibling.html
Actor ADAM SIMON discusses his "SYNAPSE" screenwriting debut at SACRAMENTO COMIC CON
http://www.examiner.com/article/interview-actor-adam-simon-discusses-his-screenwriting-debut-synapse
http://www.examiner.com/article/interview-actor-adam-simon-discusses-his-screenwriting-debut-synapse
Actor CHARLEY BOON talks to 619 MUSCLE about preparing to play 702 in "SYNAPSE".
http://www.619muscle.com/supersite2012/uncategorized/charley-boon-muscles-his-way-to-the-big-screen
http://www.619muscle.com/supersite2012/uncategorized/charley-boon-muscles-his-way-to-the-big-screen
BINGE MOVIE AFTERTASTE W/ ADAM SIMON
On 27 February, 2015 by Garrett Collins
Every once in awhile an interview subject comes along who reminds us why we got into the weird world of podcasting to begin with. Talking about the film business is fun. Laughing about the business is a joy. Genuinely funny stories from a genuine person within the business walls is rare. When we do one of these things within an interview, we feel we have done our jobs. When we can combine all three into one entertaining interview, we feel we have hit a home run. Trust us folks. Actor/writer Adam Simon is a home run.
Moreno and I get things moving in the the early going, giving a bit of small talk about why there hasn’t been a Binge Aftertaste for a month plus (blame alcohol). The lovely Jason Morris joins the conversation and we all get into a discussion -or whine fest- about how much of a bitch sinus infections can be.
Manliness finally hits our podcast when Adam gets on the line. After giving us a tour of the studio where he is currently working on a Shinedown documentary, Simon gets into the set of circumstances of how he ended up homeless for a short amount of time and how writing Man Down was the catharsis to help him deal with the situation. After praising Shia LeBeouf -and threatening to punch anyone who says a bad word about him- Simon gives us even more background about how Man Down progressed from a small indie film that was going to be made ‘using a bag of nickels,’ into a project starring LeBeouf, Gary Oldman, Kate Mara, Jai Courtney, and Binge favorite Clifton Collins Jr.
Simon then goes into his new science fiction starrer Synapse. Armed with a massively influenced science fiction storyline, Simon and director Kenlon Clark’s devotion to making the film as good and expensive looking as they can seems to be paying off. With stories such as Clark yelling, ‘cut, RUN!’ to avoid getting caught shooting their film without a permit, to the project once again gathering steam from backers who loved what they saw, there is never a dull moment each and every time Simon speaks.
All this plus a HILARIOUS on-set story about Jai Courtney, a passionate King of Hollywood discussion, a blooming love connection between Morris and Simon, Moreno’s medicine consisting of bourbon & Nyquil taking effect mid interview, a hint of the After Binge Movie Aftertaste Show, and MUCH more make this one show not to be missed!!
Synapse is yet to have a release date, and look for Man Down sometime in the fall. We at Binge Media will of course keep you informed. Also, be on the lookout for future appearances from Simon and Clark on the Binge Media airwaves very soon.
Binge Movie Aftertaste w/ Adam Simon listen here:
Listen To The Podcast Here:
http://www.bingemedia.net/bingecast/bingecast-ep267.mp3
On 27 February, 2015 by Garrett Collins
Every once in awhile an interview subject comes along who reminds us why we got into the weird world of podcasting to begin with. Talking about the film business is fun. Laughing about the business is a joy. Genuinely funny stories from a genuine person within the business walls is rare. When we do one of these things within an interview, we feel we have done our jobs. When we can combine all three into one entertaining interview, we feel we have hit a home run. Trust us folks. Actor/writer Adam Simon is a home run.
Moreno and I get things moving in the the early going, giving a bit of small talk about why there hasn’t been a Binge Aftertaste for a month plus (blame alcohol). The lovely Jason Morris joins the conversation and we all get into a discussion -or whine fest- about how much of a bitch sinus infections can be.
Manliness finally hits our podcast when Adam gets on the line. After giving us a tour of the studio where he is currently working on a Shinedown documentary, Simon gets into the set of circumstances of how he ended up homeless for a short amount of time and how writing Man Down was the catharsis to help him deal with the situation. After praising Shia LeBeouf -and threatening to punch anyone who says a bad word about him- Simon gives us even more background about how Man Down progressed from a small indie film that was going to be made ‘using a bag of nickels,’ into a project starring LeBeouf, Gary Oldman, Kate Mara, Jai Courtney, and Binge favorite Clifton Collins Jr.
Simon then goes into his new science fiction starrer Synapse. Armed with a massively influenced science fiction storyline, Simon and director Kenlon Clark’s devotion to making the film as good and expensive looking as they can seems to be paying off. With stories such as Clark yelling, ‘cut, RUN!’ to avoid getting caught shooting their film without a permit, to the project once again gathering steam from backers who loved what they saw, there is never a dull moment each and every time Simon speaks.
All this plus a HILARIOUS on-set story about Jai Courtney, a passionate King of Hollywood discussion, a blooming love connection between Morris and Simon, Moreno’s medicine consisting of bourbon & Nyquil taking effect mid interview, a hint of the After Binge Movie Aftertaste Show, and MUCH more make this one show not to be missed!!
Synapse is yet to have a release date, and look for Man Down sometime in the fall. We at Binge Media will of course keep you informed. Also, be on the lookout for future appearances from Simon and Clark on the Binge Media airwaves very soon.
Binge Movie Aftertaste w/ Adam Simon listen here:
Listen To The Podcast Here:
http://www.bingemedia.net/bingecast/bingecast-ep267.mp3
Manny From Comicbookmovie.com
Adam Simon is an up-and-coming filmmaker out of Los Angeles, CA. His story is an amazing one of blood, sweat, tears, cement slabs and the American dream. Adam has been writing and putting together films for years, only recently getting connected with the right people who have catapulted his indie films into the forefront. Adam is also partnered with the awesome Rob Prior who is an amazing artist in the comic and filmmaking industry.
Both have put together a few films, one of which is going to be in limited release here in Richmond in November at another event.
His first Indie film project is Synapse; Joshua Alba (Alpha Dog), Sofina Brown (CSI) and Henry Simmons (NYPD Blue). Synapse is a gritty cop drama in a science fiction setting following a DEA agent hunting down a memory dealer that has a secret in his mind that threatens to unravel society. We spoke at length about this film, another of his scripts that was recently picked up for production and his deep love of the Punisher comics.
CBM Manny: So how did you get this film made? What did you have to overcome to get it done
AS: While I was filming this (Synapse), a script I put together five years ago […] while I was living on the streets, kicked out of my pad for a few weeks. Sleeping on a cement slab near the promenade, in Santa Monica, near the acting school I was going to. […] This script (Man Down) got picked up by Empower Pictures and goes into production October 20th.
CBM Manny: That’s awesome, who are the principals in Man Down?
AS: Man Down has Gary Oldman, Shia Lebeouf, Kate Mara and two others I can’t announce yet but this cast is tremendous and a force to be reckoned with.
CBM Manny: Can you tell me a little about this script?
AS: Absolutely, it’s about an Afghan war-veteran and his friend who are traveling across the country in search for his wife and kid, in a post-apocalyptic world. Nothing is what it seems, it’s a psychological thriller.
CBM Manny: Is this somewhat in a dystopian future or more of a wasteland?
AS [chuckles]: A little bit, yeah! I keep saying something like this, because this is how my twisted brain works…I always say that if Hurt Locker and Shutter Island had a baby, it would be Man Down [both chuckle]. It’s just like Synapse in a sense if Joe Carnahan’s Narc and Blade Runner had a baby, it’d be Synapse.
CBM Manny: So Man Down is going to start production and Synapse is going to be showing soon, how did you start production? Was there a short, a pitch?
AS: We bled for that brother […] We Bled for that thing. You know, there was a different director attached originally. You know, projects take a different direction at one point or another. We shot a concept video, we shot a pitch trailer. We shot three scenes from the movie, we storyboarded the entire film and shot an animatic of this storyboard.
CBM Manny: Like a Proof of Concept?
AS: Yeah, we basically did that. We were really trying to kick down the door but we kept getting the same feedback. First time director, first time writer. First time director, first time writer…So we gave Empower the ability to go after another director and try and build the funds to get it done.
While this was happening we went out and independently shot another project on our own. Throwing together whatever money we could, we had cops chasing us at one time because we had no permits where we were filming [laughs].
CBM Manny: So you guys were guerrilla filming…that’s awesome!
AS: Yeah, man guerrilla filming tactics. It was brutal [laugh]
CBM Manny: I think CBM’ers will love that sort of scenario and dedication.
AS: I think what people will love about Synapse is that everything is authentic. When you see me taking a hit, I’m really taking a hit! We couldn’t afford crash mats or lay down mattresses. We were runnin’ and gunnin’ and I tried to get the scenes choreographed so I’d take the big hits. By the end of the film I had broken and cracked various bones. Stitches in my leg, dislocated my shoulder, broke two of my fingers, I meant what I said, we’ve bled for our films.
CBM Manny: Where did you shoot Synapse?
AS: Los Angeles Sinner Studios, in fact the Cinderella story of this film is not just that we shot it with no money but the owners of the studio. Where Mad Men and the Mission Impossible movies are filmed. They saw what we were doing and had faith in the project when saw some of the footage, they came on as Executive Producers. They didn’t put any money into the project, but they allowed us to use their sets, locations and even took care of permits for us…
CBM Manny: So in essence they produced using their own existing resources and let you use them freely?
AS: Exactly! Which for us, upped the production value and it really helped the production out tremendously. […] the actors were already invested for months me and the actor playing my partner, Charley Boon, we’ve lived together and work on everything together, it was gnarly.
CBM Manny: So based on the direction you’re going with this story and everything I’ve seen so far before getting to meet you…now noticing a Punisher skull on your shirt, are there any comic characters and stories influencing your storytelling?
AS: Punisher! Yes! Absolutely, the Punisher. Frank Castle. I just got through the Anthology. […] Castle went through so much and lost everything. The character I play, lost everything as well and is trying to put his life back together (number one put his life back together) and is dealing with the psychological fallout. He is first on the scene finding his family after they’ve been gunned down.
CBM Manny: So you’ve taken the angst and the reckoning, the retribution Punisher deals out in his stories and taken inspiration from it for Synapse?
AS: Look man Ken and I, we’d strangle a bag of puppies to get the Punisher series as a project to write!
CBM Manny: I’m using that ‘Strangle a Bag of Puppies’ all to write Punisher!
Rob Prior [Interjecting]: Yes Strangle a Bag of Puppies...Adam has said much worse! So that’s pretty mild. [laughing].
CBM Manny: So puppy strangling will be the name of the game this weekend to get Marvel scripts!
AS: I actually wrote a treatment for the Punisher, it’s dope as hell! [laughs] Punisher is my thing, Daredevil is my second.
CBM Manny: What did you think of the Warzone?
AS: I love the opening, but it fell off after that. Thomas Jane was the embodiment of the Punisher. But he wasn’t the Punisher. That movie should have been called The Punished. [chuckles] […] The hitmen were coming to him! Actually the closest movie I’ve seen to Punisher is Denzel Washington in Man on Fire. The C4 shoved up that guys ass…as he told him, this is what is going to happen to you! That’s the a Punisher!
CBM Manny: I’ve always said and written that if they combined the insanity in Lundgren, the emotional content of Jane and the Terminator version in Stevenson they’d have a great Punisher film. What do you think?
AS: Right! [eyes light up] You got it, you got it! Frank Castle is somewhere between John Creasy and Martin Riggs from Lethal Weapon. You know, it needs to be done. Because of the universe they’ve created (MCU), Frank Castle could have stepped into something Winter Soldier or a future Avengers film. Winter Soldier is a damn near perfect film. He might not have fit in the first Avengers film. But in the future films its possible.
I’m excited man, if someone in Marvel sees this. Hit me up! I’d love to write some Punisher or to play Frank Castle!!! [looks around and chuckles]. Dude you and me! You’re a filmmaker too, we’ll collaborate on the Punisher man! Let’s do it! [laughs]. We can do it like Micro! Throw in my man here as Micro!
CBM Manny: Oh God! [laughs] I appreciate that I appreciate that. [Still chuckling]
AS: Let’s do it man, Micro yeah!
CBM Manny: So Synapse, Man Down, you wrote them, you’ve injected comic inspired concepts that you grew up on and love. Are you directing them as well, I know you’re in Synapse are you also in Man Down?
AS: I’m playing one of the main characters in Synapse, Man Down I’m not acting in that film. I’m not trying to get the reputation that if I write it I have to be in it. I’m not trying to M. Night Shyamalan this thing [chuckles]. […] If there is something I feel passionately about something I go for it, but Man Down I felt someone with other than me needed to play that lead and that was Shia Lebeouf. People keep asking me [uses a condescending dorky/geeky voice] “what do you think about…nana nana nana” [frick] those questions about Shia Lebeouf. Shia is a tremendous [frick]ing actor!
CBM Manny: He was amazing in Nymphomaniac, I saw too much of him, but he was amazing
AS: Holy Cow, he’s so amazing, he’s so dedicated and disciplined, brilliant method actor. I agree with him. The character he plays, it’s totally him, only he could play that character. Gary Oldman was amazing, Kate Mara as well.
CBM Manny: Gary Oldman, that’s amazing too to have him on your film.
AS: Yeah, I idolized that guy as a kid. I cried, look, I’m a giant piece of man-meat, but I totally cried when I heard he was involved. He’s amazing!
AS: Synapse, totally check it out on Youtube or at the website, www.Synapsethefilm.com; Man Down will have more updates on that soon, thankfully due to Dawn Krantz, without her we wouldn't have been able to have those updates. Rob and I are now working on a horror film, but it’s a Horror film in the same vein as say The Sixth Sense is a horror film, if that makes sense. That film is titled Whisper, you’ll be hearing about that one very soon. I didn’t write that one but I’m in it and was blown away by the script.
I have a few other projects I can’t reveal yet, one of which is coming up with Lou Ferrigno and another series that I still can’t reveal.
CBM Manny: From living on the street to getting the attention your films needed and climbing out of poverty is a great story Adam!
AS: Yeah man! Thanks, it’s been a ride – Dude, we have to totally collaborate on something!
CBM Manny: Absolutely! Come down to Miami we'll tear it up! [both laugh]
Read more at http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/Havencomics/news/?a=107556#HcOmyYxt743hdph6.99
Adam Simon is an up-and-coming filmmaker out of Los Angeles, CA. His story is an amazing one of blood, sweat, tears, cement slabs and the American dream. Adam has been writing and putting together films for years, only recently getting connected with the right people who have catapulted his indie films into the forefront. Adam is also partnered with the awesome Rob Prior who is an amazing artist in the comic and filmmaking industry.
Both have put together a few films, one of which is going to be in limited release here in Richmond in November at another event.
His first Indie film project is Synapse; Joshua Alba (Alpha Dog), Sofina Brown (CSI) and Henry Simmons (NYPD Blue). Synapse is a gritty cop drama in a science fiction setting following a DEA agent hunting down a memory dealer that has a secret in his mind that threatens to unravel society. We spoke at length about this film, another of his scripts that was recently picked up for production and his deep love of the Punisher comics.
CBM Manny: So how did you get this film made? What did you have to overcome to get it done
AS: While I was filming this (Synapse), a script I put together five years ago […] while I was living on the streets, kicked out of my pad for a few weeks. Sleeping on a cement slab near the promenade, in Santa Monica, near the acting school I was going to. […] This script (Man Down) got picked up by Empower Pictures and goes into production October 20th.
CBM Manny: That’s awesome, who are the principals in Man Down?
AS: Man Down has Gary Oldman, Shia Lebeouf, Kate Mara and two others I can’t announce yet but this cast is tremendous and a force to be reckoned with.
CBM Manny: Can you tell me a little about this script?
AS: Absolutely, it’s about an Afghan war-veteran and his friend who are traveling across the country in search for his wife and kid, in a post-apocalyptic world. Nothing is what it seems, it’s a psychological thriller.
CBM Manny: Is this somewhat in a dystopian future or more of a wasteland?
AS [chuckles]: A little bit, yeah! I keep saying something like this, because this is how my twisted brain works…I always say that if Hurt Locker and Shutter Island had a baby, it would be Man Down [both chuckle]. It’s just like Synapse in a sense if Joe Carnahan’s Narc and Blade Runner had a baby, it’d be Synapse.
CBM Manny: So Man Down is going to start production and Synapse is going to be showing soon, how did you start production? Was there a short, a pitch?
AS: We bled for that brother […] We Bled for that thing. You know, there was a different director attached originally. You know, projects take a different direction at one point or another. We shot a concept video, we shot a pitch trailer. We shot three scenes from the movie, we storyboarded the entire film and shot an animatic of this storyboard.
CBM Manny: Like a Proof of Concept?
AS: Yeah, we basically did that. We were really trying to kick down the door but we kept getting the same feedback. First time director, first time writer. First time director, first time writer…So we gave Empower the ability to go after another director and try and build the funds to get it done.
While this was happening we went out and independently shot another project on our own. Throwing together whatever money we could, we had cops chasing us at one time because we had no permits where we were filming [laughs].
CBM Manny: So you guys were guerrilla filming…that’s awesome!
AS: Yeah, man guerrilla filming tactics. It was brutal [laugh]
CBM Manny: I think CBM’ers will love that sort of scenario and dedication.
AS: I think what people will love about Synapse is that everything is authentic. When you see me taking a hit, I’m really taking a hit! We couldn’t afford crash mats or lay down mattresses. We were runnin’ and gunnin’ and I tried to get the scenes choreographed so I’d take the big hits. By the end of the film I had broken and cracked various bones. Stitches in my leg, dislocated my shoulder, broke two of my fingers, I meant what I said, we’ve bled for our films.
CBM Manny: Where did you shoot Synapse?
AS: Los Angeles Sinner Studios, in fact the Cinderella story of this film is not just that we shot it with no money but the owners of the studio. Where Mad Men and the Mission Impossible movies are filmed. They saw what we were doing and had faith in the project when saw some of the footage, they came on as Executive Producers. They didn’t put any money into the project, but they allowed us to use their sets, locations and even took care of permits for us…
CBM Manny: So in essence they produced using their own existing resources and let you use them freely?
AS: Exactly! Which for us, upped the production value and it really helped the production out tremendously. […] the actors were already invested for months me and the actor playing my partner, Charley Boon, we’ve lived together and work on everything together, it was gnarly.
CBM Manny: So based on the direction you’re going with this story and everything I’ve seen so far before getting to meet you…now noticing a Punisher skull on your shirt, are there any comic characters and stories influencing your storytelling?
AS: Punisher! Yes! Absolutely, the Punisher. Frank Castle. I just got through the Anthology. […] Castle went through so much and lost everything. The character I play, lost everything as well and is trying to put his life back together (number one put his life back together) and is dealing with the psychological fallout. He is first on the scene finding his family after they’ve been gunned down.
CBM Manny: So you’ve taken the angst and the reckoning, the retribution Punisher deals out in his stories and taken inspiration from it for Synapse?
AS: Look man Ken and I, we’d strangle a bag of puppies to get the Punisher series as a project to write!
CBM Manny: I’m using that ‘Strangle a Bag of Puppies’ all to write Punisher!
Rob Prior [Interjecting]: Yes Strangle a Bag of Puppies...Adam has said much worse! So that’s pretty mild. [laughing].
CBM Manny: So puppy strangling will be the name of the game this weekend to get Marvel scripts!
AS: I actually wrote a treatment for the Punisher, it’s dope as hell! [laughs] Punisher is my thing, Daredevil is my second.
CBM Manny: What did you think of the Warzone?
AS: I love the opening, but it fell off after that. Thomas Jane was the embodiment of the Punisher. But he wasn’t the Punisher. That movie should have been called The Punished. [chuckles] […] The hitmen were coming to him! Actually the closest movie I’ve seen to Punisher is Denzel Washington in Man on Fire. The C4 shoved up that guys ass…as he told him, this is what is going to happen to you! That’s the a Punisher!
CBM Manny: I’ve always said and written that if they combined the insanity in Lundgren, the emotional content of Jane and the Terminator version in Stevenson they’d have a great Punisher film. What do you think?
AS: Right! [eyes light up] You got it, you got it! Frank Castle is somewhere between John Creasy and Martin Riggs from Lethal Weapon. You know, it needs to be done. Because of the universe they’ve created (MCU), Frank Castle could have stepped into something Winter Soldier or a future Avengers film. Winter Soldier is a damn near perfect film. He might not have fit in the first Avengers film. But in the future films its possible.
I’m excited man, if someone in Marvel sees this. Hit me up! I’d love to write some Punisher or to play Frank Castle!!! [looks around and chuckles]. Dude you and me! You’re a filmmaker too, we’ll collaborate on the Punisher man! Let’s do it! [laughs]. We can do it like Micro! Throw in my man here as Micro!
CBM Manny: Oh God! [laughs] I appreciate that I appreciate that. [Still chuckling]
AS: Let’s do it man, Micro yeah!
CBM Manny: So Synapse, Man Down, you wrote them, you’ve injected comic inspired concepts that you grew up on and love. Are you directing them as well, I know you’re in Synapse are you also in Man Down?
AS: I’m playing one of the main characters in Synapse, Man Down I’m not acting in that film. I’m not trying to get the reputation that if I write it I have to be in it. I’m not trying to M. Night Shyamalan this thing [chuckles]. […] If there is something I feel passionately about something I go for it, but Man Down I felt someone with other than me needed to play that lead and that was Shia Lebeouf. People keep asking me [uses a condescending dorky/geeky voice] “what do you think about…nana nana nana” [frick] those questions about Shia Lebeouf. Shia is a tremendous [frick]ing actor!
CBM Manny: He was amazing in Nymphomaniac, I saw too much of him, but he was amazing
AS: Holy Cow, he’s so amazing, he’s so dedicated and disciplined, brilliant method actor. I agree with him. The character he plays, it’s totally him, only he could play that character. Gary Oldman was amazing, Kate Mara as well.
CBM Manny: Gary Oldman, that’s amazing too to have him on your film.
AS: Yeah, I idolized that guy as a kid. I cried, look, I’m a giant piece of man-meat, but I totally cried when I heard he was involved. He’s amazing!
AS: Synapse, totally check it out on Youtube or at the website, www.Synapsethefilm.com; Man Down will have more updates on that soon, thankfully due to Dawn Krantz, without her we wouldn't have been able to have those updates. Rob and I are now working on a horror film, but it’s a Horror film in the same vein as say The Sixth Sense is a horror film, if that makes sense. That film is titled Whisper, you’ll be hearing about that one very soon. I didn’t write that one but I’m in it and was blown away by the script.
I have a few other projects I can’t reveal yet, one of which is coming up with Lou Ferrigno and another series that I still can’t reveal.
CBM Manny: From living on the street to getting the attention your films needed and climbing out of poverty is a great story Adam!
AS: Yeah man! Thanks, it’s been a ride – Dude, we have to totally collaborate on something!
CBM Manny: Absolutely! Come down to Miami we'll tear it up! [both laugh]
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