Since the turn of the millennium, the Comic-Con International Independent Film Festival (yes, even its acronym – CCI:IFF – is a mouthful) has selected filmmakers from around the world to screen their genre films and participate in a juried event where judges will select the best of these works for awards and prizes. I recently had the opportunity to interview the people behind one of these films – Mastermind.
Michael Patrick Sullivan, the creator-writer, is an aspiring television writer whose work has won the Carl Sautter Television Award and been recognized by the Rod Serling Television Conference. He’s also been published by McSweeney’s, Astonishing Adventures Magazine and numerous other publications.
Susan Lee, the producer-director-editor, has directed many acclaimed and award-winning theatrical productions for the Eclectic Company Theater, and her short film The Change-Up was a top 5 finalist on Famecast.com.
So, what is Mastermind? Read on…
Michael, how would you describe Mastermind?
MPS: Mastermind is the story of J.D., an amnesiac who comes to realize he might have once been a masked villain called – oddly enough – Mastermind. It’s also about his girlfriend, intrepid reporter Liz Lassiter, who was probably the foremost authority on Mastermind. When Mastermind’s last nefarious plot comes to fruition, J.D. believes that the only way to stop the widespread death and destruction that will ensue is to recover the memories of Mastermind – if, in fact, he was Mastermind – and use the information contained therein to stop said dastardly doing. Liz, of course, is resistant because it would likely cause J.D. to become evil again. And because she has a secret to hide.
What was the genesis of the idea for Mastermind?
MPS: Mastermind essentially stems from the basic question “How many lives is love worth?” It was a core concept I wanted to look at from both extremes of the possible answer. Nearly every element of the story was then designed around setting up the circumstances that would ask the question and putting both J.D. and Liz in a position to answer it in their own ways. Originally, the lead character was set up as a conventional terrorist, but I decided to “supervillainize” him, as it were, to make it less down-to-earth.
Susan, what do you look for when you’re deciding on a project, and what about Mastermind drew you to it?
SL: I look for two things when deciding on a project. First, is this something I’ve done before or is this something new? Can I bring something new to the project or find something I haven’t explored yet. Second, is the writing strong? The written word is so precious to a project that I really look for something not only well-written, but something with layers underneath what’s on the page.
Mastermind started as a one-act play I read for Eclectic Company Theatre’s Hurricane Season, a one-act playwriting festival and competition. And it had all those qualities I look for. The opening paragraph, which is a monologue from Mastermind about the bomb he’s set in the city, was funny and cheeky, just the qualities I love in a script. But as I read further, I was drawn to the depth of the characters Michael had written. His writing is subtle, yet there is so much to draw on when developing the characters. I love comic book movies and shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Michael’s writing very much echoed those aesthetics. The more I read it, the more I could see how deep I could take the characters, and that it was an opportunity to make something more than a play about a guy with amnesia who might be a supervillain. It could be a multi-faceted, deeply personal piece about two people trying to figure out who they are to themselves and to each other.
And taking that brilliant script and marrying it with two amazing actors, Beth Ricketson and Brad C. Wilcox, made me want to turn it into a film, because I could see a very cool, very unique project that would appeal to not only the comic crowd, but to a wider audience.
Mastermind is, essentially, a superhero project, complete with costumes and bank heists and bombings — what was it like filming a project like that on an independent budget?
SL: Making Mastermind was a logistical challenge. How to make a supervillain film with a budget of less than $500? Especially to create locations like a bank and a supervillain lair. Luckily, I own my own camera, which makes things easier for filming. It’s not a RED or anything exciting like that, but it works and I’ve used it a lot so I trust it. I’ve also made six 48 Hour Film Project short films, which teaches you to think on your feet and figure out how to make things work with no time and no money. Because Mastermind started out at Eclectic Company Theater, the company itself helped with fundraisers and people willing to work on the film for free.
A great community of people came together and offered post-production assistance for pretty much nothing, as well as offers from others to use their facilities. For example, Swordplay LA, which is a fencing studio, offered the production their facilities to double as a bank and city council chambers. Artist CJ Kang also offered me his art studio to turn into Mastermind’s lair. My DP, Carlos Jackson, shot mostly in natural light, which saved me having to find lighting. I lit all the Mastermind flashback scenes with work lights because I was looking for a really harsh lighting style that could be converted into a graphic novel/noir type of look. I had designed the costume for Mastermind when we did the play. There is a strong steampunk influence to the character design that I wish I had had the money to explore more. But it adds a uniqueness to the character that makes Mastermind unlike any supervillain out there. And Brad C. Wilcox wrote all the music for the score and the song for the end of the film, completing the very collaborative nature of this project.
Because we had done the play, Beth and Brad had already developed and embraced their characters, so it was just a matter of re-imagining them for film. They were troopers, willing to wait for long periods while I figured out challenging lighting situations and tried to figure out how to execute tricks as we went. The ability of both Brad and Beth to be ready and to be consistent helped a great deal in making things work smoothly.
Mastermind would not have happened if it were not for the generous and thoughtful contributions of so very many people.
Michael, even though the title evil villain character of Mastermind often victimizes her, in many ways Liz, the female lead, is the one who has the power and control in this story. How did you come up with her and approach writing her character?
MPS: Liz is very much modeled on being a dark version of Lois Lane, though not the old damsel-in-distress Lois Lane of the first thirty-five-ish years of Superman. Liz is more based on the post-Margot Kidder Lois, where there is a distinct relationship between herself and the two sides of her superhero-subject. Where Lois was fascinated with the good guy, Liz is intrigued by, though not sympathetic to, the bad guy. I wrote her with that “story first” mentality right up to the point where it’s about to get her killed. Only one thing is more important to her than the story, and that is her life. Until she unexpectedly has something else she values. And because she’s a darker version of Lois, she’s the one hiding a secret.
This is now the third iteration of Mastermind – the original play you wrote and directed, your play then directed by Susan, and now this filmed version – what about the story makes you keep coming back to it?
MPS: It isn’t so much that I keep coming back to it. It keeps coming back to me. I originally wrote Mastermind more as a writing sample, but also because you can’t throw a dead writer in Los Angeles with hitting a small theatre, so I figured it was an excellent opportunity to see something I wrote actually be performed. Once it was finished, I started submitting it to local theater companies. I first came across the opportunity to stage it myself. It went pretty well, given the fact that I am not a director.
Shortly after that, the Eclectic Company Theatre in North Hollywood chose it for their annual one-act festival. That’s where Susan comes in. She directed that second stage version. For that, I was completely hands-off, which was cool. I wanted to see how different it would come out in someone else’s hands, though she offered me the chance to come see rehearsals and what-not. At that first rehearsal she asked me if she could make a short film of it. I believe the words I used were “Hell, yeah.”
At that point, Mastermind had clearly taken on a life of its own. In fact, afterwards there was going to be a Canadian production – a chance to see yet another iteration – but that one fell though.
Susan, how did you get started directing?
SL: I started out as an actress, studying with Susan Strasberg. I got very frustrated with working in small theaters with bad directors so a bunch of friends and I decided to put on our own show. We were all working at Universal Studios and started a theater company for employees. I started directing some one-acts then because we needed directors. I fell in love with the process and discovered a talent for it. I decided to really pursue directing as a career path about seven years ago and have been blessed with working on some amazing projects with incredibly talented people.
You’ve received accolades for both your theater and short film directing. What are the similarities and differences in directing for each medium?
SL: With both film and theater, the key is casting strong actors and creating a space of trust and safety. If your actors are nervous about trying things, you end up with very static, predictable performances. If you allow your actors a place to play and explore safely, then you can sometimes find magic. I also believe in encouraging the instincts of my actors and allowing that instinct to find its way to the character.
I approach both film and theater the same way – with rehearsal, if possible, and collaboration with my actors. With theater, it’s easier to play and experiment and explore with the actors. It’s a gradual process that is true collaboration. With film, it’s less organic and tends to be very technical and dry. It’s always a struggle to keep a film set and environment fresh due to having to manage multiple areas at the same time. Because of this, film can be much more challenging. So I’ve had to find ways to create a trusting relationship with my actors and crew so the set can run quietly and effectively, allowing the collaboration to really bloom. I love the end result of theater because the play truly belongs to the actors once it’s released onto the stage. But I love the end result of film, knowing that so many elements came together to make what appears on the screen.
For both of you, who or what are some of the biggest influences on your work?
MPS: I grew up reading Douglas Adams (Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy), which has certainly left a lasting impression on me in terms of humor and voice. Both Aaron Sorkin and Joss Whedon are certainly right up front there with him. I also look strongly to comic book writers Grant Morrison and Warren Ellis, both of whose works encourage me to not only look outside the box, but to occasionally rip gaping holes in the box or to try to turn the box inside out – to mutilate an over-used metaphor.
SL: I have a very wide base of influence. While not a big comic book geek, I love great comic book art, such as Frank Miller, Alex Ross, Tim Sale and Jae Lee. The Marvel Noir graphic novel series highly influenced the look of the Mastermind flashback sequences in Mastermind. As a director, I think of myself as Tarantino jacked up on estrogen. I love the films of Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez but I am also highly influenced by character-driven directors like Barry Levinson and Steven Soderbergh.
What’s next for Mastermind after Comic-Con?
SL: We’re still planning for life after Comic-Con for Mastermind. I’m looking into other festivals. It’s a challenging festival film because it’s long at 49 minutes but not long enough for a feature. I hope to attract some financing through Comic-Con and other festivals to get the feature made, hopefully at a level where I can keep my amazing cast and reward them for giving a year of their lives to this project.
MPS: For the short film, certainly a DVD. For the play, nothing right now. I’d like to see further iterations of it, but nothing’s planned. For the character, a full-length feature of Mastermind has been written and has begun to go out to some production companies and studios.
SL: There is also a possibility of turning it into a web series after the festival circuit. I am also developing a graphic novel based on the film.
Mastermind will premiere Thursday, July 22, at CCI:IFF with a panel following. Participating panelists include Lee, Sullivan, director of photography Carlos Jackson, and actors Beth Ricketson and Brad C. Wilcox.
WHEN: 9:45 PM
WHERE: Marriott Hall 2, next door at the Marriott Hotel and Marina, next to the Hall A side of the Convention Center.
To attend you must have a valid Comic-Con badge.
Josh Weiss-Roessler is an extremely minor Jack-of-Some-Trades. Over the last year, he’s worked as a Showrunner’s assistant, paid voice actor, and writer punching up lines and story points for an animated feature. He details his writing experiences at “Boring Future Generations“, and you can view samples of his writing at WeissRoessler.com or follow his Twitter feed @boregenerations.
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Juliana Weiss-Roessler is a writer living in Los Angeles. To read more of her writing, visit WeissRoessler.com. You can also follow her on Twitter: @jul_weiss. 
