Victoria Bugbee

Can you briefly introduce yourself and tell us about your background in filmmaking?

I’m Victoria Bugbee co-writer, director and producer of my first feature film “Out of State-A Gothic Romance.” Originally from Pennsylvania USA, as an exchange student I studied visual arts in Cordoba, Argentina and at Kutztown University in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country. I moved into audience immersive performance art, then playwriting and theatrical productions, then video production and recenty feature filmmaking.

 

What inspired you to become a filmmaker, and how did you get started in the industry?

As a kid I loved comic books, cartoons and we watched movies at the local cinema, at drive-ins and on TV that showed Hollywood Blockbusters as well as European Films.  I loved everything from Disney to European films. I dreamed of working in film but decided to pursue visual arts and then performance art.

 

I had written an on-site audience immersive play “Laundry” when I staged an auction of Great American Boxers Laundry Items in an actual laundromat. A friend videotaped the performance that I then had another friend edit. I loved video and my boyfriend so much that I moved to New York City to make video and films. I worked as a receptionist at Digital Effects, one of the first computer generated imagery companies in the world. They worked on TRON and I co-designed the trailer for David Cronenberg’s feature “Videodrome.”

 

I worked at Doros Animation where we married traditional cel animation with live action, then National Video Center and finally B Productions who specialized in fashion video. I produced videowalls, image pieces, TV specials for Vogue & CBS, STARZ, GQ, Oscar de la Renta, Betsey Johnson, WGSN and more. For a while I wrote feature articles for the trades – American Cinematographer, Millimeter, Computer Pictures, Backstage, Shoot and the Paris based publication Sequence. It was great to interview Vilmos Zsigmond, Jim Jarmusch, Richard Attenborough, Tom DiCillo, Sara Driver, and Malcolm McNei.

 

What was your motivation behind creating this particular film?

My parents said I could make a film in their huge old home in Pennsylvania. I had just created a play “Surreal Soap Opera-Toxic Waste Meets Beach Resort” for Lincoln Center Out of Doors. My distant cousin the late Charles Bugbee had his first film “Just Off The Coast” premiere at San Sebastian Film Festival. I suggested making a film about a family that never leaves the house – they are shut-ins. Charlie suggested having someone come into the family to disrupt things. I remembered my experience as an exchange student in Argentina and how difficult it was to come into a strange family and live with them.

 

Hence we created The Garths– Marcia and her two sons, Tab & Emery. Marcia rules the household with an iron fist and forbids were sons to ever leave the house or garden. Tab, a gifted pianist, is his mother’s favorite while Emery is the Cinderella of the family. He supports them by restoring antique furniture. Enter their distant step-relative, beautiful 18 year old Elsa. In classic gothic romance style, she disrupts the family when Tab & Emery fall madly in love with her.  The tragi-comedy is “The Royal Tennebaums” meet “My Cousin Rachel” dark with sense of humor.

 

Did you face any challenges during the production process? If so, how did you overcome them?

My writing partner Charlie Bugbee suffered a fatal illness. I promised him I’d make our film in his honor. My parents’ house was no longer available as a location so I moved the whole thing into my house. It was hard for my family to have crew, equipment and cast who many nights stay with us. My husband George Warren said it was like living in the Grand Hotel. I was cooking breakfast and dinner for everyone and then writing new scenes for whatever cast could be there for the day’s shoot. When we began production most of the cast – Sarah Moliski, Caroline Winterson, James Nester, Avery Ryder Turner, Tess Warren, Matthew Brueckner, Lynne Goldberg, Paola Tawa, Peter H Bugbee & Dave Scheffler  lived within a short drive to my house. Then they were all over the country with other work. This was very challenging. Also finding soundpersons since my main guy’s equipment was damaged.

 

I went on 2 hours of sleep at night as well as prepping the set for the next day’s shoot. Fortunately Ilay Shnitser, the cinematographer, was very supportive and we worked well together since he and I shot a lot of videos for B Productions. He also had a background in the visual arts so I’d say “Now you’re giving me Matisse or Renoir.”. We had a tripod crew – Camera, Sound and a Production Assistant. He is a master of light and we work very fast. 100 scenes in 21 days.

 

Post production happened after I lost my dear husband and Exeutive Producer of “Out of State…” It was also during COVID when we were all in lock down. So I worked remotely with Editor KA Miille and composer Joe Deihl.

 

Can you discuss the creative decisions you made while developing your film, such as the visual style or narrative approach?

I love working in film and video since it combines everything – storytelling, visual stimulation, music, characters & actors. Film has the ability to deeply move people.  I gave the actors, cinematographer and editors space to contribute their ideas and the actors to follow the script but improvise. Since the film spans six months from winter to summer we had to shoot a few scenes in winter the year before the big shoot in summer of the following year.

 

Many filmmakers cut to black between scenes. I wanted the Garth’s home to become another character so Cinematographer Ilya Shnitser and I spent two days shooting

B Roll of the house, the antiques, and the garden. I wanted the film to be driven by music so I asked award winning composer and soud designer Joe Deihl who is my music collaborator on my surreal music “Life & Death With Business In Between” to work with me. He created the score that combines classical standards with his original music that unites the scenes and underscores the characters. He also handled Sound Design and the audio mix.

 

I also asked my singer songwriter friends, 3 time Grammy nominated Emily King, Kim Kalesti, Amanda Anne Platt and The Honeycutters, John Mason, Carter McNeill and Bachtopus to contribute their original songs. Editor K.A. Miille whom I had worked with at B Productions editing fashion took the B Roll and combined it with amazing montages. Our music film is very colorful and beautiful. The award winning ensemble cast, production design & costumes, and narrative really move people.

 

Are there any specific themes or messages that you aimed to convey through your film?

I was a young mother with two little kids when we wrote the screenplay. I was confronting the issue of parental guidance and control. Too much is harmful and you don’t allow your kids to find themselves and leave the nest. Too little and you got major problems. So we took it to extremes – shut-in Mama Boys who are afraid of their own shadow. When we were producing the film I’d tell people that we were making a film about Shut-Ins and everyone said “No one will get that film.” Then the pandemic shut down the world. Now everyone can relate to how strange you become when isolated from the outside world.

 

How do you feel your film stands out from others in the same genre or category?

The gothic romance film, play or book is generally dark, brooding with pyschological twists and turns. “Out of State-A Gothic Romance” starts out this way but as the story progresses and our heroine Elsa pierces the iron armor that Marcia has encased her sons in. The film becomers very colorful as winter fades to spring. As Alfred Tennyson penned “In Spring a young man’s fancy turns lightly to thoughts of love.” I wanted the film to occilate between tragic and comedic elements. James Nester who plays the pianist Tab Garth brought a lot of ticks and quirky movement and facial expression to his role as well as some memorable one liners. He reminds me of the great silent actor Buster Keaton. Avery Ryder Turner who plays Emery embodies the strong long suffering son. He is like an oak tree and a great contrast to James. Likewise newcomer Sarah Moliski who plays Elsa is a breath of fresh air and slowly manipulates her step-cousins to defy Marcia skillfully played by Caroline Winterson. By the way, I just love my cast.

 

What do you hope the audience will take away from watching your film?

Love your family but find your own way in life. If you are a parent encourage your kids to find themselves, celebrate them for their own unique qualities and treat each one of your children equally. Celebrate art for art’s sake and enjoy all sorts of music from classical to all the new talents that are emerging. Also leave the comfort of your home and explore your town, city, country and the world. Go see movies on the big screen cause there is nothing like a community coming together to share the art of cinema.

 

Can you share any interesting or memorable experiences you had while making this film?

I love getting together with talented actors, cinematographers, sound teach, costume designers, musicians, editors to make “Out of State…”. Fun was the word ‘cause I think we are so lucky to be doing what we love. I bring this joy of creating or playing as if we were kids running around the art of filmmaking.

 

Can you believe that we shot 100 scenes with 3 dogs living in the house. All three stayed under the kitchen table waiting for handouts from the cast and crew who adopted them. Ilya would yell “QUIET ON THE SET” and Jasmine, Sage & Ziggy never barked. Well, only once. It was a 3 Dog Film.

 

What are your aspirations as a filmmaker, and where do you see yourself in the future?

I want to adapt my play “The Gas Station Project” to film. Out of State’sCo-Producer Cherie Fortis wants to finish a documentary about a mega night club “Crobar“that we shot footage of in 2003. Joe Deihl and I want to get our musical “Life and Death With Business In Between” into production and possible adapt for film. I also wrote a treatment and pilot for a limited series based on urban gardeners. So many projects but this is an exciting time to be making film and videos. My goal as an artist is to make people feel and to move them.

 

Are there any filmmakers or films that have greatly influenced your work?

I’m a big fan of Alfred Hitchcock movies especially “Rear Window.” So much happens in one location. Jim Jarmusch and Tom DiCillo who are brilliant indie filmmakers, “Stranger Than Paradise,” and “Living in Oblivion,” Catherine Hardwicke whose coming of age films are brilliant like “Thriteen” and “Lords of Dogtown.” David O. Russell tragi comedy “Silver Lining Playbook” and “The Fighter,” Saverio Costango “My Brilliant Friend” and of course Frederico Fellini “La Strada” “8 ½” “Amacord” and Lina Wertmuller arthouse writer director of “Swept Away” and “Seven Beauties.” And of course Billy Wilder.

 

Have you participated in any other film festivals or competitions? If so, how was your experience?

“Out of State-A Gothic Romance” was recently screened at YoFIFEST The Yonkers Film Festival 11. It was so exciting since we sold out the small 50 seat theater and our film was moved to the 450 seat Riverfront Theater. The audience reaction was overwhelming since they got the humor and the tragic elements. Afterwards hundreds of people came up to me and said they were deeply moved by the film.

 

Our After Party at my house  where we shot the film created a 3D immersive experience for the 50 people who came to toast the film’s success. The festival YoFIFEST is amazing, so friendly, well organized and supportive of filmmakers. The Q&A was very informative since we had many of the actors, some crew and our Editor and Post Production Supervisor on stage. Thank You Patty Schumann and Dave Steck Co-Founders and Directors of the festival.

 

Is there anything else you would like the audience and the film festival organizers to know about you or your film?

My goal is to get the film around the world.