part three
Sam: Yeah, there was that good little bit of dialogue about “I know how the words look, I just can't make them.” And it's little concepts like that that are nice icings on the cake. And that's the thing I think I like the most about (the film) is that the low budget doesn't become a character itself. Like a lot of films, you're like “Oh yeah, well that would be cooler if it had a little bit more money”. It never draws attention to itself - that it was made for seven thousand dollars. But, yeah – theoretically you should have made a film about teenage kids discovering their sexuality and instead… We appreciate this!
Shane: Oh, did they cut that part out?
(Laughter)
Sam: “I can go back in time and get her bra!”
Kevin: Sam, see - Hollywood's calling, man. You gotta get on the phone. So Shane, what is next for you? Are you still working at the job you had been (at) until the making of this?
Shane: No, I haven't worked at a real job since the late part of last year. The film at Sundance - it won the grand jury prize but it also won this award called the Alfred P. Sloan award for science and technology in films. And that came with a cash prize…
Kevin: Oh nice!
Shane: …unfortunately that I've needed to kind of pay for deliverables to get to the distributor so it can show up in theaters. But the other portion I get to eat off of. So, I've got another couple months at least, I think.
Kevin: So is there anything next filmwise for you? Any acting jobs too, I should say for that matter? You or the rest of the cast getting any filmwork?
Shane: Yeah, David Sullivan has moved to LA. He plays Abe in the film. He wants to be an actor, or he is an actor I mean… (chuckles) So yeah, he's seen what all that means for him out there. And I'm not an actor, but I'm hoping to get back to writing soon once we take care of the DVD materials for Primer.
Sam: Oooh!
Shane: And I hope I get to make another film. That would be very nice.
Kevin: I think it's gonna be one of the great ‘first films' actually. Certainly that I've seen anyways. And the great thing about it is (like the best science fiction things) it's all there on the page before you get to any concept of special effects or whatever. And that's probably what makes it work best no matter what the budget may be.
Sam: Yeah, how long did it take you to work on the script for this?
Shane: It took about a year to write. A large portion of that was also figuring out how to execute it. I had it set in my head from inception that I was going to be executing this. So when I was writing scenes, I was thinking about ‘How are they going to play out?' And if they required a dolly for a dolly shot or something I went to the facility to see how much they cost. And to see if I could afford that, and how much track you get with it before I went on to the next scene. And I was writing for locations that I had at my disposal, so there was a big puzzle to put together for that year.
Sam: Yeah, writing is different if you know that you're going to be doing it. Just like a spec script or something - you're not supposed to put in any camera movements or anything like that. It's a whole different experience.
Shane: Right. And that's something that I don't even think I knew at the time – that you're not supposed to be writing in directions. But luckily, it didn't matter.
Sam: It worked out.
Kevin: Primer, I nearly said ‘Primer' [rhymes with ‘simmer' –ed] again. Primer is…
Shane: You should start calling it ‘Primer' again.
Sam: Actually, yeah!
Kevin: Let's start the movement from the East Coast.
Sam: The Revolution.
Kevin: And our doubles will be out saying ‘Primer' too. Primer opens at Real Art Ways this Friday, November 5th . And you're talking to us from Dallas, Texas. You wanna make any calls on… events of this week, shall we say? Have you travelled forward in time?
Shane: Oh right. I'm sure that by March of next year we still won't know who the President is. I'll predict that. How about that?
Kevin: Good call!
Sam: Straight from the future!
Kevin: You got it! Shane Carruth, thank you very much for coming on Culture Dogs.
Sam: Yes, thanks!
Kevin: And folks, go out and see his movie. ‘Cause he needs to eat! You hear that? Another couple of months, and that'll be it! Send him your money now! Enjoy… it's a good head-cracking sci-fi movie.
Sam: Absolutely. Thanks a lot for coming on.
Kevin: Thank you, Shane
Shane: No, thank you.
Primer is now available on DVD from New Line Home Entertainment.
