Today we’d like to introduce you to David Filmore
Hi David, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My story begins in that far away kangaroo country known as Australia. As a kid, I spent almost every waking minute watching TV and movies, and reading books. This imbued me with a love of storytelling, and a manic addiction to adventure. And if you mix all that together with an overall disdain for authority and formalized schooling, the end result is that you either become a career criminal, or decide to go into showbiz.
I chose showbiz over crime because the catering is better, all the shoots are nonlethal, and it requires less specialized training.
I moved to LA because I truly believe that this city has the greatest output of human creativity anywhere on the planet. Everyone you meet here is working on something. Everyone has a personal passion project. Everyone wants to build or create artwork in one form or another. That kind of energy and positivity is like life itself.
My path to where I am today came about by accident and hard work. At its core, I just wanted to tell stories. So I set about the business of creating movies and videos with my friends, and gradually over time I was able to dedicate more and more time to it. It really is as simple and as difficult as that. Just keep doing what you love until you get good at it, and it becomes your job.
I’ve collected various titles as I’ve moved through my career. Screenwriter, director, animator, author, actor, editor, illustrator, producer, artist, prop maker, roustabout, real-life superhero. But individually, they don’t really mean that much to me.
I don’t like getting hung up on titles, because I feel like they can all be filed under the general heading of “filmmaker”. Just make your film and do whatever needs doing to get the job done. The rest is nonsense.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I’ve encountered every single obstacle and struggle that you can possibly name or imagine. Everything from having no job, no place to live, no car, no sleep, no cash, not knowing where to go or what to do. Plus all the classics, like disease, famine, pestilence, locusts, and rivers running red with blood. I’ve experienced every single one of them.
But the worst was that time my local Target store ran out of my favorite chocolate chip cookies. I can’t function without those. I still haven’t gotten over it. And ever since, I’ve taken to hoarding no less than a 6 month supply of those babies just in case it ever happens again.
I think this is the wrong question though. I don’t look at obstacles and struggles as inherently bad. To quote Yoda from Star Wars, “Weakness, folly, failure. Failure most of all. The greatest teacher failure is.” When things go wrong, you shouldn’t just whine about it like Luke Skywalker does. You should always study it to see what you can learn to do better, and be stronger next time. I welcome difficult obstacles, just so I can kick their *ss. Every good story is about overcoming obstacles. Your life is no different. If you aren’t doing battle with obstacles, you’re not living.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I started as a writer, director, editor, and producer in documentaries and live action films. I’m probably best known for directing and starring in the superhero documentary ‘HERO MAN’, and being a children’s book author. But in recent years, I’ve become obsessed with animation, stop motion, CGI, and old-school practical effects.
My most recent success is a short animated film called ‘Pancake Panic!’. It did really well in a heap of film festivals around the world, and won a semi-finalist award at an Oscar-qualifying festival. My production company, Plutonian Films, is now hard at work turning it into a full on animated series.
But the next big project that will be coming out is a dead creepy thriller feature film called ‘Don’t Let Them Out’. There’s lots of buzz around this movie right now, so it’s very exciting. It was written, directed, and produced from the ground up by my insanely-talented friend Lila McLaughlin. This is completely her baby! But I was fortunate enough to be able to help out a bit with some co-producing in post on the picture, and I’m really excited for the world to see it.
I’m also in pre-production on a new feature film, which is an animated, adult comedy. I’ve been sworn to secrecy, and bound by an NDA, so I can’t give away too many details. But the visuals will be powered by some revolutionary AI tools that we’re pioneering. “Coming Soon” is all I can really say about that one. But be prepared to have your socks knocked all the way off.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I’m not a huge risktaker. I plan on living forever through gene therapy, or nanobots, or whatever whizbangery science dreams up to get the job done. So I’m not interested in risking my life for no good reason. I’m not about to go bungie jumping blindfolded from a helicopter at night during a hailstorm, or whatever the hell it is that Tom Cruise gets off on.
The biggest risk I ever took was moving my entire life to America. I didn’t know anyone here. I didn’t have a lot of money, or really know where I was going to stay, or what to do when I arrived. I just packed my stuff and got on a plane, because the voices in my head told me to follow the yellow brick road to Hollywood.
But that’s what you should be doing anyway, going to the place that has the thing you want. I don’t see it as being “risky”. You should be doing whatever you can to get as close to your dream job as possible.
The worst thing that can happen is that you don’t get everything that you hoped for. But I can guarantee that you won’t get nothing. Just by trying your hardest, you will be rewarded in ways you can’t predict. You will meet fascinating people, make amazing friends, and have books worth of stories to tell.
However, if you don’t take that “risk”, you are also guaranteed something. And that will be having to endure a lifetime of wondering “what if?”. And that is definitely a risk I would never ever take.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.plutonianfilms.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedavidfilmore/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DavidFilmore
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/DavidFilmore
Image Credits
Plutonian Films LLC
