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Visioneers is a fantastic trip in the dark corners of an ordinary life.  George gets up every day and labors at his job as a Level Three Tunt at the Jeffers Corp.  Even though is life is comfortable, he wants something more.  As his co-workers worry about exploding, George is forced to confront aspects of his existence.

This is a winning film by Brandon and Jared Drake, offering a different and wildly skewed take on urban life in a not to distant parallel future. 

How did you come to crafting this project?
My brother and I graduated from UCLA at the same time and decided to start making movies together. He writes, and I direct. So we set out to make one with whatever resources we had. It grew from there. Pretty straight forward with lots of hard work and some good luck.


What is harder writing or directing and why?
Well, I’m not much of a writer, so I find writing much more difficult than directing. Brandon is the writer. For the most part, I’m really horrible at small talk and get anxious at social events, but when I’m directing I seem to know what needs to be done and where to go and am strangely at peace. So I guess you could say directing comes easier to me than going to the grocery store.


Who was the hardest character to cast and why?
George. By far. He has so few lines and his arc is so subtle that we knew we needed someone who could bring another layer of complexity to the part without doing a whole lot. Zach, our lead, has such a unique flare. The way he moves and interacts is interesting and complex, which gave me a lot to play with in this very quiet role. Also, because the story is so much about his relationships and the people that enter his life, all the other parts hinged on how we cast George. 


What was the biggest challenge in making this film?
Having to serve as a producer. Our company owns the project, which means we personally manage everything, from the website to the emails to the applications to the checks to the accounting to the taxes to the investors, etc. We’re so thankful for the opportunity and for the support of all those involved, but are excited to simply be writer and director on our next one. With that said, it’s been an amazing learning experience and I know I’m a million times stronger for it. 


I found this film to have a very Terry Gilliam feel to it, almost along the lines of Brazil.  At times, I felt it had elements of Fahrenheit 451 and Network.  Was this intentional or just a happy accident?
I think my brother’s writing generally leans in that direction simply because of his influences (Kurt Vonnegut, Paddy Chayefsky, etc) but in making the film I really just wanted to focus on George’s journey as opposed to the world he lived in because I felt it would make for a more interesting and emotional experience for the audience.  I don’t believe Brazil follows that rule. Yet, I needed to bend the world enough to set it apart from the realities of today in order to justify the absurd elements of the story – exploding people, middle finger greetings, inhibitors, etc. It was a difficult line to draw, especially with such little money. I would compare the approach to the world more to Being John Malkovich than Brazil.


What advice would you give young filmmakers?
Go out and make a movie! And don’t be afraid to fail. It is sad to see so many talented people wither away in this business because they’re afraid to really go for it.


What is your favorite scene and why?
I love the sequence from George going baserko on the Dreamnaut hat through Julieen’s blindfold pole-vaulting. Every time in the edit when I got down I would remind myself of that sequence and say, “Awping to cuddle crew to human explosion to visions of George Washington to blindfolded pole-vaulting…yeah, this is something nobody has seen.” And I would get reenergized. I really believe this movie, a timeless story of a man chasing his dream, has a few things to offer that nobody has seen before. 


What are some of your favorite movies and why?
I recently saw Slumdog Millionaire and loved it. It was honest, but not painful, and left me with a bit of Hollywood magic without pounding it in my face.


Did you have many disagreements on the set and how did you resolve them?
Some. Disagreements are not bad, unless they are about ego. Ego arguments are bad, and difficult to resolve. Other arguments, though, tend to come from a place of passion, which is a good thing to have. Those can typically be resolved by digging and digging until a solution that is better than both presents itself. 


Who is your favorite filmmaker?
I really love Soderbergh, Ang Lee, Sam Mendes, Marc Forster, Spike Jonze, etc. They seem to have the strongest grasp of their craft, and understand their voices better than anyone. It is why they can jump from theater to film to short form to low budget to high budget and back again. I really respect that. It’s not about being this or that type of filmmaker, it’s just about being yourself.


What did you learn about filmmaking in making Visioneers?
A lot. Listen to your gut. Mainly because it is generally right, but also because if things go south, you don’t want to be blamed for choices that you, as the director, didn’t make.


What did you learn about yourselves in making Visioneers?
So much. There are a lot of bitter people in the industry, and you can let that influence you if you’re not careful. I realized that if you want to make crap out of apples, you probably can, and vice versa. It is your decision.


Do you have a fear of exploding yourself and in your minds, is exploding a metaphor or just a dramatic device?
I was never really afraid of exploding until the guy down the street from me blew up. The metaphor, which comes through clearly in the film, is in reference to the anxiety and frustration one feels when not pursuing his or her passions.


How do you see this film, more hopeless in a hopeful world or hopeful in a hopeless world?
Hopeful in a hopeless world. Regardless of what happens today or in the future, you can always have hope, and you can always dream.


What are you working on now?
The next script with my brother. We’re both very excited about it. I can’t wait to get it out there and turn it into a movie. It is a wonderful script. 

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