Interview with Filmmaker Cameron Kostopoulos (PERSON(A))

PERSON(A) was the winner of BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY at the February 2019 Experimental FEEDBACK Film Festival in Los Angeles.

Matthew Toffolo: What motivated you to make this film?

Cameron Kostopoulos: I was fascinated by the idea of the persona, and the separation of the persona from the body. I wanted to portray the human identity as one that is understood through action and repetition, a daily set of behaviors and mannerisms that create what we believe ourselves to be.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this short?

The entire process spanned just over 6 months.

3. How would you describe your short film in two words!?

Playfully introspective.

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

Believe it or not, the biggest obstacle was in working with those damn mannequins. They were constantly crashing, falling apart, limbs breaking; it was a nightmare.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?

Appreciative, both for the time that the audience took in seeing my film and responding, and for the opportunity to screen my film in such a venue.

Watch the Audience FEEDBACK Video:

6. How did you come up with the idea for this short film?

PERSON(a) came to me while stumbling across Jackson Pollock’s “The Mask”, a work centered around his Jungian approach to art and psychology. Wanting to translate this portrayal of philosophy into a contemporary medium, I decided to use similar tropes and aesthetics as Pollock to create a story out of the paint.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?

Life of Pi, without a doubt.

8. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway, what are you feelings of the submission platform from a filmmaker’s perspective?

It is a very useful tool for organizing projects, submitting, and receiving responses, even for different films, on the same platform.

9. What song have you listened to the most times in your life?

Svefn-g-englar by Sigur Ros.

10. What is next for you? A new film?

I just wrapped an experimental piece entitled “Requiem”; Currently, however, I am in development for a VR experience to be premiered in an installation later in 2019.