Today we’d like to introduce you to Omer Ben Shachar.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I was born and raised in Tel-Aviv. When I was eight years old, my father’s job took my family to Houston where we lived for several years. During my years in Texas, my main goal was to fit in. I tried to hide my accent, conceal my parents, my squeaky voice and my “weird” mask collection. There was only one exception, one place where I wasn’t embarrassed of anything – and that was on a small makeshift stage in the corner of my room – where I first began making movies. Looking back at the little movies I made there, I can be seen proudly speaking Hebrew in my squeaky voice, with my Israeli parents in the background, holding and wearing beautiful masks from my collection. Cinema turned the things that embarrassed me, the things I was afraid of and the things I hid into something I wanted to expose. It has been like that ever since.
When we moved back to Israel, I studied Film & Television Production at Thelma Yellin High School of the Arts, where I wrote and directed several short films. That’s when I truly fell in love with the medium, mainly because of how comfortable I felt expressing myself through it. At 18, I joined the Israeli army where I served my three years of mandatory service as a Director and Video Editor in the Spokesperson’s Film Unit. Ten days after my military service was over, I moved to Los Angeles to study Directing at the AFI Conservatory. The next two years were paradise, filled with creative challenges and intense artistic development. Since graduation, I have been developing several features and TV show projects which I’m very excited about and can’t wait to share with the world.
Filmmaking continues to be my biggest passion, but it is also the most powerful tool I have for coping with my fears, insecurities, and uncertainties. It is now an inseparable part of me. Just like I need to eat, breathe and sleep – I need to make movies.
Has it been a smooth road?
I think the hardest thing for me is having faith in my projects and in the process despite what everyone around me says. People are always going to find flaws, contradictions and difficulties in your projects. They’ll prove to you how ridiculous your idea is, how uninteresting and clichéd your story seems and how impossible making such an ambitious piece will be.
For me, I find it hard not to believe them. Because the truth is – they’re usually right. The idea is ridiculous, the story is full of clichés and making it is pretty much going to be impossible. But I do it anyways. How? And why? Why do I want to make something that has so many flaws and mistakes and obstacles to begin with? On top of that, you invest so much time, money and energy into making a movie, and the stakes become so high – that you really don’t want it to fail. So, you tent not to want to take any risks, because that means it’s more likely going to fail.
But the catch is, and I have to keep reminding myself this – is that if you don’t take risks, it surely will fail. Because the only way to make something new, original and fresh – is by taking risks. It’s by creating something that can’t be seen until you make it.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
As a writer-director, before I start working on a new film, I spend a lot of time making sure that I’m choosing the right project. If you’re going to spend at least one year of your life telling a story, it better be something that means a lot to you, that you believe in, that you can teach others about and learn a lot from at the same time, that’s so rich and deeply rooted in your heart that every time you sit (or stand) to work on it – it feels that there’s something new to be discovered.
In my work, I usually focus on telling honest, character-driven stories that find the comedy in our insecurities and fears of being outsiders, and that ultimately celebrates the joy of individuality. I tend to make dramedies based on personal experiences, but I’m always pushing myself to expand beyond the style and subjects I’m comfortable with and try to surprise myself.
My most recent project, “Tree #3,” tells the story of a young Israeli boy who’s cast as a background tree in his school play. Tree #3 was recently selected as a Student Academy Award winner by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Previously, it won the Audience Award for Best Student Short at the Palm Springs ShortFest; the Best Student Film at HollyShorts and was nominated for a College Emmy Television Award.
My biggest references tend to also be the movies I love watching the most, ones I always come back to not just for inspiration, but for entertainment, nostalgia, and encouragement, such as “Little Miss Sunshine”, “Beginners”, “Where The Wild Things Are”, “500 Days of Summer” and “Ratatouille”.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I love the dreamy aspect of LA, the contrast between the reality and the fantasy. I love finding out that a gray, mediocre street in downtown is actually the beautiful, colorful street from 5oo Days Of Summer. That contrast makes me think about movies all the times and makes me question where I’d rather be living – here, or in the movie version of here.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.omerbenshachar.com/
- Email: [email protected]
Image Credit:
Cinematographer: Zilong Liu
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