The Phillipian

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“Go green or go home.” Michael Kontaxis ’11 has enthralled the PA community with his winning music video of the Green Cup Challenge. He has won film festivals such as Trail Dance, has worked for professional companies such as Authentic Entertainment and will be working for MPower Pictures this summer. His films are on his website: http://twitter.com/bigbluenoodle. Kontaxis sat down with The Phillipian to discuss his passion for filming:

Q: When did you start filming?

A: I started when I was eight years old with little home movies of my brother...that turned into promotional projects for organizations such as Make a Wish and YMCA. Then they turned into slide shows and class projects, which moved into short films a few years ago. I hope the next step will be to move into feature films.

Q: What type of filming have you done most?

A: I’ve made mostly short films. It’s the best way to try a ton of new things and learn tricks that you could use when directing real movies.

Q: What is your favorite aspect of filming and directing?

A: My favorite part is the finished product. The process can get very tedious and really tiring, but if you have the final product, [the] goal that you’re reaching towards, it’s really great.

Q: What is the longest time you spent making a film?

A: Every film I’ve made has been filmed in a day. The time spent on the editing process has varied but never been more than a week. The longest story [I’ve filmed] was called “Free Parking,” which took a week to edit.

Q: What gave you the inspiration for the Green Cup Challenge video?

A: My aunt has a comedy rap group. And I’ve been doing comedy rap on a small scale for a few years now. I’ve never made a music video before so I thought it would be fun to combine the two.

Q: Where is your favorite spot on campus to shoot?

A: Wherever I can. Some of the classrooms have a very old feeling to them. The debate room, the bell tower and the chapel are neat too.

Q: Is it harder to work on-campus than off-campus?

A: Much harder. I don’t have access to transportation, [and it is] harder to get adult actors. I always look forward to going home so I can make short films.

Q: What are your favorite feature films?

A: My favorite live action movie of all time is Forrest Gump. It was funny at the start, grew intense toward the middle, became sad at parts but then ended somewhat triumphantly. I thought the way it all came together was genius. [My] favorite old movie of all time is Twelve Angry Men, which I think is one of the best movies ever made.

Q: Is there anyone who has influenced your filming?

A: God. In terms of the types of movies I make, I try to make things that can be enjoyed by a large audience. And I try not to make anything immoral. It’s not that there should be no immoral characters, but that there should be some sort of revelation of their wrongdoings. I’m not going to make a film that goes against my Christian beliefs.

Q: Do you plan to pursue filming in the future?

A: I think I’d like to do it for a living. I would like to become a director someday.

Q: Do you have any advice for budding film directors on campus?

A: I recommend filming a ton of movies and doing everything yourself. Don’t strive for perfection immediately because it won’t happen. Rather strive for completion and have every film be slightly better than the last one you made. If you keep at it and if each film is better than the last, you’ll reach the point where you’re making good movies.

Q: What are your upcoming projects?

A: This summer I plan to make at least one perfectly-shot short film without major technical flaws that can prevent it from seriously competing against better-budgeted films. My big goal for this summer is to complete a feature, full-length film. I think I’m at the point now where I can actually do it. And if I fail, I’ll be better prepared for the next attempt.