Interview with Filmmaker A.D. Cooper (ACE)

A.D. Cooper’s short film ACE played at the Family FEEDBACK Film Festival in March 2016.

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Interview with A.D. Cooper:

Matthew Toffolo: What motivated you to make this film?

A.D. Cooper: A cinematographer thought my previous film (“The view from the window”) had too much dialogue in it. See for yourself https://vimeo.com/35188341

MT: From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

ADC: I’d written the script some years ago. However following the comments from the cinematographer, I removed all the dialogue as an experiment in visual storytelling. Also I thought it would be interesting for kids to be silent when they are normally so chatty. From crowd funding to completion took around 9 months.

MT: How would you describe your short film in two words!?

ADC: Forever playful

MT: What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

ADC: The availability of the composer and the sound designer – both of whom were working on the project in their down time without payment. These two windows of availability had to dovetail and there was no space for the music not to be right.

MT: What were your initial reactions when watching the Toronto audience talking about your film in the feedback video?

ADC: Exactly the response I’d hoped for. Positive. Engaged. Subtleties observed e.g. the playing cards. Plus it was good to hear that there was laughter during the screening. Other North American family festivals have rejected it because it they didn’t understand the story – which is baffling. For info, the ‘no fun’ park is actually in Mamaroneck, New York state but we did the filming in west London in the UK.

MT: How did you come up with the idea for this short film?

ADC: I wanted to show that being old doesn’t mean that you’ve lost your sense of fun and playfulness. Once the old guy gets that the kids don’t mean any real harm, he rises to the challenge. I imagine that they will have lots of fun hanging out in the future. I also wanted to show that these kids and the old man have more in common that you’d expect, but in normal circumstances they would never engage or met.

MT: What film have you seen the most in your life?

ADC: The last of the Mohicans

MT: What is next for you? A new film?

ADC: So far in 2016, I’ve finished a documentary short called “Writing the peace” (Hurcheon Films) and written/directed/produced a one-woman play at a London theatre about the only woman to serve in the British Army during World War 1 – something I’m now writing as a feature called “A Small Dot On The Western Front”. I’m also working on a nature/wind/weather project as the spring arrives in the UK, and planning to film a spooky drama short later this year. Also pitching for corporates. I’ll film one about a new holiday destination in northern England in September that probably will include using drones.

Watch the Audience FEEDBACK of ACE: