EPISODE · Mar 13, 2020 · 28 MIN
Ep205 - Philip Harder, Writer-Director ‘Tuscaloosa’
from Creative Principles · host Creative Principles Podcast
“I was really influenced by punk bands in the 80s and 90s. I liked they were screaming about things I had in my head,” said Philip Harder, who got his start as a music video director. Working with artists like The Cranberries, Foo Fighters, Incubus, and Prince, he learned how to tell stories and capture emotions in short formats. “I joined a band, bought a Super 8, and that led to a music video career.” In Harder’s latest film, ‘Tuscaloosa,’ college graduate Billy Mitchell (Devon Bostick) finds his plans change when he falls in love with an inmate who has multiple personalities (Natalia Dyer), who lives at his father’s mental institution. Based on the novel by Glasgow Phillips, the story stood out to Harder because of the way it “weaved a love story with humor during a pretty intense racial time period in the early 1970s.” He added, “This was something I felt would make a fascinating movie.” In this interview, the writer-director talks about involuntary spontaneity on set, how Prince’s “Cinnamon Girl” influenced ‘Tuscaloosa,’ how to work in “overtime mode,” the importance of total immersion, how to survive the “witching hour,” and why casting is everything. If you enjoyed this interview, look for the print version on Creative Screenwriting’s website, and join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube video essay series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5
What this episode covers
“I was really influenced by punk bands in the 80s and 90s. I liked they were screaming about things I had in my head,” said Philip Harder, who got his start as a music video director. Working with artists like The Cranberries, Foo Fighters, Incubus, and Prince, he learned how to tell stories and capture emotions in short formats. “I joined a band, bought a Super 8, and that led to a music video career.” In Harder’s latest film, ‘Tuscaloosa,’ college graduate Billy Mitchell (Devon Bostick) finds his plans change when he falls in love with an inmate who has multiple personalities (Natalia Dyer), who lives at his father’s mental institution. Based on the novel by Glasgow Phillips, the story stood out to Harder because of the way it “weaved a love story with humor during a pretty intense racial time period in the early 1970s.” He added, “This was something I felt would make a fascinating movie.” In this interview, the writer-director talks about involuntary spontaneity on set, how Prince’s “Cinnamon Girl” influenced ‘Tuscaloosa,’ how to work in “overtime mode,” the importance of total immersion, how to survive the “witching hour,” and why casting is everything. If you enjoyed this interview, look for the print version on Creative Screenwriting’s website, and join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube video essay series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5
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Ep205 - Philip Harder, Writer-Director ‘Tuscaloosa’
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