William R.A. Rush

Can you briefly introduce yourself and tell us about your background in filmmaking? What inspired you to become a filmmaker, and how did you get started in the industry?

My filmmaking career has been very brief. I didn't begin filming anything until Mid-December of 2022. My first project was a short Stephen King adaptation called "One for the Road". We only had seven shooting days for it, but we completed the project on time and I enjoyed it immensely. 

 

I have always loved film, always been passionate about it. It is my favorite visual artform. I decided if I was ever going to attempt to be a filmmaker, that was the time.

 

I started writing "Group" toward the end of December, 2022 and got some funding for it. I was invited to apply to the WGA and became a member shortly before the strike. I was able to get all contracts and everything set for Group to ahead of the strike, and filmed Group in June of 2023. I was able to also film "Immersion", my second feature, in the summer of 2023. 

 

Thus, I was able to complete both films without violating strike rules. "Immersion" is in post-production and I have several screenplays in development or pre-production currently.

 

What was your motivation behind creating this particular film?

"Group" originated as a claustrophobic situation where people were too self-absorbed or dismissive to pay attention to the other people in the room. The greater idea involved the rise and subsequent ubiquitous nature of social media, and how post-COVID the carefully procured public presentation on social media of one's idealized self as their actual self suddenly seemed to go beyond social media into people's everyday lives. 

 

So in this situation, people who need help, even from a doctor, will still present the best version of themselves, even if it hinders their chances of getting better. 

 

Much of the characters' backstories, at least many elements, come from personal experiences. 

 

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

The biggest challenge, by far, was the shooting schedule. To get actors from New York, Maryland, Los Angeles, Toronto, Miami, Minnesota, Texas and Tennessee, among others, together at a time when it would work for everyone, we ended up with a tight window. We had two transportation days and three days of principal photography. That's it. 

 

I was able to shoot a lot of footage prior to principal, but nothing close to all of it. We also had two set locations which had to be used each of those day. Shooting chronologically and in real-time (the time the movie takes is the time the events of the movie takes place) was another major challenge. Our director of photography, Michael Joseph Murray, Michael Competielle, our sound man, our script supervisor and our entire cast all had to perform perfectly. And they did. Xxena N. Rush is a supremely talented producer and she somehow brought all of this together so that it was possible to make the film.

 

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

I strive for a brutal realism and honest characters. I want the film to be claustrophobic. I want to use camera angles that put the audience there. I don't want to use manipulative techniques to stir the audience. I want the audience's thoughts and feelings to come from the performances. Of course, I want every character to be a fully realized person with relatable problems and issues, no matter the circumstances. I think I achieved each of those elements in "Group" through perspective, close-ups, a full and immediately understandable environment, and characters the feel real. 

 

The narrative approach is we are sitting inside a group meeting, whether we want to be there or not. And the camera is always at the same eye-level the audience would be sitting at if they were in the meeting themselves. 

 

The true artistic flourishes come when the audience learns about the true inner-workings of the character's minds. Each background of truth was shot differently and with different intent.

 

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

Without diving into any political issues, I will say that the rise and ubiquitousness of social media platforms and presences for so many people have begun to influence how people present themselves offline, in their daily lives. I think these cultivated personalities and manifested projections slowly eat at a person's soul and personality until they quite literally transform into this vision of themselves. They lose themselves along the way. I feel "Group" explores the serious repercussions of a society so focused on Facebook friends and Twitter/X likes that its people become their online avatars, and focus on wearing that mask to the point where they cannot communicate offline nearly as well as they can online.

 

If you're only always focused on yourself...and this is by no means applicable to everyone, but you see it more and more...then you fail to notice those around you, whether they may need your help or whether they may desire to harm you. 

 

Think of how many people have automobile accidents because they're sending a TikTok while driving. Those drivers are all so focused on the need to post a glamourized projection of themselves at that very instant that they quite literally risk lives. It's a trait and behavior that genuinely scares me.

 

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

I think the chief way is that this film could easily be classified as a drama, a suspense thriller, a dark comedy, horror or an art film. We cover thirteen unique characters. This film is difficult to classify or place into a genre. I think that's how it stands out. No tropes, no embellishments. 

 

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

I hope they'll find one character they identify with. I hope they'll question things. I hope the audience will feel an emotion that the film earned.

 

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

We got to shoot chronologically, which is normally an impossibility. During one of Rena's scenes, a small fire began to start in catering. I noticed and doing all I could without being distracting I made sure it got put out without anyone being harmed, without interrupting the scene, without any damage. When I called cut on the scene the Producer, Xxena N. Rush called "dinner!" as though nothing had happened.

 

But for a long, scary moment, I was terrified the whole thing was going to burn around me (literally and metaphorically).

 

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

I want to make films, simply. Films that interest me and have stories that are compelling. I want to do well enough that filmmaking becomes my sole profession. It's what I love most after my three daughters and my wonderful wife.

 

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

Oh absolutelty. Bunuel's "The Exterminating Angel" has never left my head. A bunch of people in a confined space with strange and uncomfortable circumstances. It was a huge influence on "Group". The intimate, often-static, immersive style of Jean-Luc Godard, Michael Haneke, Gaspar Noe and Luis Garcia-Berlanga (especially "The Executioner") have influenced my style as well as my storytelling. Agnes Varda for her search of the truth. Tarantino and the Coen Brothers of course. They're all brilliant...masters...who can shoot gritty films with fanciful elements. 

 

The movies should be honest, free of manipulation, and never talk down to the audience. These geniuses also taught me that stories should not always be easy. In fact, quite often, the stories should match the difficulty of the human experience. I hope I have honored that and continued to do so.

 

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

I have. So far it has been great, but still relatively new. I just love being around film enthusiasts and filmmakers, see all kinds of film, immerse myself in the films of other countries. It's a wonderful thing to be in the world of cinema in any capacity.

 

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

The acting was superb, Miranda Jean Larson's editing is absolutely immaculate, Michael Joseph Murray's cinematography was flawless (it is very difficult to be so minimalist and capture everything interestingly), Gary Mutch's score is such a great companion to the film. Everyone who worked on this film achieved the impossible: we made a good, honest, coherent, well-acted and well-shot film over three days of principal photography. That shouldn't be achievable, but this cast and crew did it. They are the best and I hope I get to work with them again and again.