Indie Feature Filmmaking with No Crew with Writer/Director David McElfresh

I recently got the chance to watch David McElfresh's second feature film A Long Time for Lovers.  This film is premiering at The New Filmmakers Film Fest on March 15.  Then it's playing at the Queens World Film Fest on March 18th, where it's nominated for Best Cinematography.

David is an Indie Filmmaker who lives in New York City.  He works a day job in the post production and visual effects world for big budget entertainment like, The Following, The Purge: Election Year, Money Monster, & Zoolander 2.  Having a regular gig allows David the freedom to explore his writing and filmmaking during his down time.

The story of how he got to where he is, artistically speaking, is a fascinating story that I think will be inspiring and educational to hear.  Seemingly almost by accident, David figured out how to shoot a feature film as a one man crew, and that alone is something that every indie filmmaker can learn from.

Check out the trailer to his latest feature below;

A Long Time For Lovers Trailer from David McElfresh on Vimeo.

David is one of those indie filmmakers that works a day job but is passionate about filmmaking so he shoots films on the side.  Luckily, for David, his day job is in the post production and visual effects field, so at least he is able to be close to filmmaking at all times.

Upon seeing David’s latest film, A Long Time for Lovers, I was really impressed with the visual style and the writing and that prompted me to reach out to him to be on the podcast.  Then when I found out he shoots these films as a one person crew and I was even more blown away.  David writes, shoots, directs, edits and even lights the scenes.

David McElfresh – A Lotus 'Til Reckoning

A Lotus 'Til Reckoning TRAILER from David McElfresh on Vimeo.

Director David McElfresh's first feature film deals with the three couples of different generations navigating their relationships during a Christmas party.  This one location drama was shot on a modest budget and is another example of how David was able to write, direct and shoot a feature with no crew.

Shooting a cinematic style

One of my biggest complaints about indie dramas is that, more often than not, these dialog heave films are shoot in a typical "coverage" style of Two-Shot, Medium Close-Up, then Reverse Medium Close-Up.  When I was speaking with David, he put it best when he said that it just feels like you're watching TV.  One thing that drew me into David's films was that these dialog heavy films had a cinematic feel to them.  Because there was so much to look at around the frame, the film keeps the viewer engaged and interested.

LINKS FROM THIS EPISODE

• David McElfresh – IMDB
• David McElfresh – Vimeo
• Queens World Film Fest - Official Website

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