Written by David Strege an Interview and almost a portrait in time of this talented young director Melonie Gartner!
MGOM: First let’s begin begin with your name, where your from, and What were your inspirations for becoming a director of independent films?
MG: My name is Melonie Gartner. I was born in Saigon and grew up in Chicago. My biggest inspiration for becoming a director/film maker of independent films is Mr. Mark Borchardt himself. I walked into the library in Two Rivers and saw the film “American Movie” sitting on the shelf, and my life was changed forever.
MGOM: Why did you choose horror? Or at least the genre your creating in Independent Film?
MG: I have loved psychological thriller since I was little. My Mom was a big Hitchcock fan and told me about some of the films she loved. “Psycho” was one of her favorite. She had me very intrigued at an early age. I remember yearning to watch “Psycho”, but was too young
MGOM: What kind of challenges did you have in making “Two Rivers”?
MG: I’d say budget. I was on a tight budget, but didn’t want to compromise when it came to the quality of the film. I didn’t want my budget to stand in the way. Thankfully, I met a DP with skills and not money on his mind.
Another challenge was shooting the outdoor scenes. The weather could be unpredictable. We shot “Two Rivers” in June, and I had to wear long johns underneath my jeans. It also rained a lot that year. Several times we had to cancel a shoot due to rain.
MGOM: “Where The Great Spirits Live”?
MG: With “WTGSL”, I had many actors involved plus a big crew, lots bigger than “Two Rivers”. So, to coordinate to shoot a scene, I had to work with everybody’s schedule, which could be challenging.
On top of that, I had to work with the time line of when we could have the locations for. There were four locations total. You can say that I spent lots of time on pre-production to make “WTGSL” happen.
With “WTGSL”, we had a time line of when we could shoot.
Yes, as we had to shoot some outdoor scenes, the latest in the year to do so was late November. Anything later than that would not work. It would get too cold for everybody to be outdoor for a long period of time, and to shoot a scene could take hours. There was also a scene of Emma at the lake, in which the character would have to be in the water. We couldn’t have snow or frost.
MGOM: Did you have a favorite scene or shot you remember that you can share from “Two Rivers”?
MG: One of my favorite scenes is at the water fountain where that’s when you get a first glimpse of another side of Emma. It’s very subtle; it’s in the grin. Another scene is at the ice cream shop, when Emma savors her sundae and uses the suitcase as a table. However, my most favorite scene is when Emma is at the pier and she looks up into the sky. You can hear her scarf flapping in the wind, and she was in a trance.
MGOM: “Where The Great Spirits Live”?
MG: With “WTGSL”, I love all the scenes that Mark is in. He is such a good actor and really shows his vulnerable and sensitive side in this film. One scene that stands out in my mind is when he meets Emma downtown. It’s the “look of love” that he gives her, so sweet and tender really contrary to what other characters in the film think of him.
I also like the scene when Emma appears in Dirke’s motel room, sitting on his bed. Mark is so fantastic reacting to that.
The hospital scene, the conversation between Dr. Eden and Dirke, Mark had Dr. Eden’s Mom (she was there for the entire shoot at the hospital) crying every time he delivered the line “she’s the only one”. Mark blew me and other people away with this acting ability. If I could give him an Oscar for playing Dirke, I would.
MGOM: Where did you happen to film “Two Rivers”?
MG: We filmed “Two Rivers” in Two Rivers, Wisconsin – the birth place of the ice cream sundae. Hence, you can see Emma eating one toward the end of the film to celebrate a new beginning.
MGOM: “Where The Great Spirits Live”?
MG: We filmed “WTGSL” in Manitowoc, WI. “Where the Great Spirits Live” means Manitowoc in English. The film features some beautiful landmarks in Manitowoc. And I have to mention that the people in Manitowoc was very supportive of this project and made it possible for us to film at the locations where we were at. They were very gracious and supportive.
MGOM: Who were your make up artists for “Two Rivers” and “Where The Great Spirits Live”? And how were your relationships with them during production?
MG: I was the make up artist for “Two Rivers”. To learn how to create a bruise, I found some tutorials on You Tube. That was really the only thing that took some time for me to tackle. Other than that, everything else was ordinary, every-day make up.
For “WTGSL”, I was fortunate enough to have a friend of mine, who happened to be a genius at “horrorish” make up, who also ran a haunted house in “Two Rivers” and built everything in that place himself. It’s quite an attraction every year at Halloween. His name is John Schwarz Jr., who is really an artist in his own right. John came on board and helped with make up and set design. He also had a part in the film. He played one of the bar guys in the first bar scene. I’m very fortunate and grateful to have the master to help me with “WTGSL”.
With “TR”, I didn’t know Mark Borchardt very well. I was intimidated and nervous to be in a scene with the cult figure filmmaker and actor. But, Mark really is the sweetest guy with absolutely no ego and really made me feel at ease. By the time that we filmed the prequel, I was very comfortable with Mark. I could really let my hair down. He was also very kind and sweet to all the crew members. On my part, I had been friends with the crew members, and everybody really came together to help me with the film. We worked long hours, and everybody had so much fun together. I remember telling Mark “to have all these people showing up to help me with the film, I must have done something right”.
MGOM: How do you think your characters or effects turned out after production for “Two Rivers” and or “Where The Great Spirits Live”?
MG: I think the characters of Dirke and Emma turned out to be very interesting. The chemistry between Dirke and Emma is intriguing and different between “TR” and its prequel.
MGOM: Did you have any problems casting for either short film? And how was your relationship with your casts and the rest of your crew or crews for “Two Rivers” and or “Where The Great Spirits Live”?
MG: I didn’t have any problems casting for the films. All the actors you see in my films are my friends and most of them are stage actors. They showed up and knew what to do, how to play their characters without much direction. They made it very easy for me. All of us get along well; I have known all of them for some years and I was fortunate to have them on board.
MGOM: Is there anything else that you’d like to ad? If you have some possible new film in development why don’t you tell us a little about it? If not will we see more of your talent?
MG: At this point, I will need to take a little break to recharge my batteries. It has been pretty whirlwind since 2014 until now making 2 films back to back. When the time is right, I will start writing again and tackle the sequels to “Two Rivers”. Frankly, I’m itching to write right now, but I don’t think it’s a good idea when my head is crammed with so many things. It’s good to take a step back, breathe a little and start again with a fresh mind.
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