JAMES R. WALTERS IV - Director of Photography
I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Jim. When I started talking about making my own movie, I never thought he'd take me seriously and actually push me to make one. Jim went to film school and has made quite a few Super-8 shorts in the past. His expierence was invaluable, the wonderful look of the film is mainly his doing. I just told him where to point the camera; he made it look pretty. He's a very talented photographer, and always knew where to place the lights. My favorite shot in the movie, a stop-motion animated sequence from the bedroom right into the rat's cage, was his idea. He took something that I had written to be too complicated for our production, made it workable, and probably cooler.
This film inspired him, and he's jumped right into his own. He wrote a great screenplay called "Peephole", and plans on directing. I'm acting in it, which is scary, but with Jim behind the camera, I trust that it'll turn out good.
Aaron's work as an actor and the film's illustrator personifies the type of multi-talented people we had working on this movie. Being Jim's best friend, and soon a good friend of mine, led to his being cast. He looked the part and had acted in some plays and a couple of super-8 shorts that Jim had made previously. I made him grow the goatee, to come off as more "assholish". Most importantly though, the man will do anything to get the scene right. He gleefully subjected himself to being tied up and wrapped in plastic for three hours, under hot lights, after we had already shot for 12 hours prior. Later he threw himself off our bed over and over trying to get the perfect shot. The man is a maniac, and I love him for it.
Kristan and my pet rodents. Gisele is named after 
Franka is the brighter and more outgoing of the two, Gisele is much more laid back, it's amazing how their personalities shine through on screen. Franka taking after her namesake's profession was the easier of the two to work with, therefore she got most of the "money" shots. They sleep most of the day, so their good working hours are few and far between. There was often a cranky rat on set, but we treated them very well, letting them nap it off when they wanted to be done. It was a tough working situation, however, it wouldn't be eRATicate without them.
I'd like to say that I've been making movies since I was seven, like so many of my idols. But I actually have no prior experience working on film. I've taken a few writing classes and watched a million movies, but this was my first time on set. I've wanted to make a film for years, my chance was finally here, I wasn't going to let a little thing like inexperience ruin it. I knew I had talented people around me, so I went for it. For my first film, I think I did a good job of it. I wrote a story that I knew people would enjoy. My directing was okay; it could have been stronger. My favorite part was editing, that is where the film really came together. I hope I get the chance to make many more.
My life partner (that's a cheesy way of saying wife), we're technically not married. Although we did exchange vows in a theater projection booth while "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" was playing. What kind of crazy woman would agree to that? The kind that loves film as much as I do. Our tastes in films are nearly identical. It's an amazing relationship.
A very good friend of mine, who works at the Space Needle, and is currently completing his education at Cornish College of the Arts, with a composing major. I knew he was a good musician, but I had no idea how talented he was until he started working on this project. He was coming up with wonderful stuff before we had shot a roll of film. I'd tell him the moods I was going for and he matched them perfectly. After editing the film in complete silence, watching it a hundred times, I couldn't imagine what the music would sound like.
After watching it once with his incredible score, I couldn't imagine the film without it. I've found my music partner, he gets my ideas, knows what I want to hear without me even telling him. I hope he becomes the Danny Elfman to my Tim Burton.
A good friend of Kristan and mine (she performed the movie theater ceremony), who agreed to spend some of her free time helping out. Having made her own short films in the past, it was good to have another expierenced person on set. She kept everybody in high spirits with her great attitude, while moving around lights and taking very detailed notes. She was also our unofficial documentarian, which she did by taking hundreds of behind the scenes digi-photos and keeping the video camera rolling. It was very nice to have another good person to fall back on when we got in trouble.