Last month I had the privilege of reviewing one of the best independent comedies I've seen in a long time.  The film was called "Don't Shoot the Pharmacist", and was a technically great film filled with wonderfully funny characters played by a stellar cast of actors all backed up by an excellent story.  This film was Dave Broitman's baby from start to finish, and over the course of five years, he put his heart and soul into making sure it got made.

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Let's start off like I always do by having you tell everyone a bit about yourself and your background.

As I was graduating pharmacy school, I realized I'm a writer.  The writing bee just stung me and something told me to go and write a script after I wrote one poem that won the funniest poem prize out of 5,000 entries.  I won a trip to Punta Cana and realized there's some untapped writing talent lying somewhere in me and it can work to my advantage.  I never, ever thought about being a screenwriter until I turned 25. 

I also was the staff writer for the graduating pharmacy class for LIU and had the cool gig of writing silly captions for all the pictures.  Since then, I've been asked by various family members and friends to write school reports for them and it's always a nice feeling to hear their respective professors say that they should be a professional writer, lol.  That "lol" doesn't really mean what it stands for nowadays, does it?  It's such a security blanket, that expression "lol."  You can e-curse someone out, then write "lol." i.e. You're a two-faced scumbag, lol.  But, I can't knock the "lol" as I use it sometimes.  Do people really laugh out loud 100 percent of the time when they write "lol"?

I was born in Kiev, Ukraine (which was Russia at the time, hence I can speak some Russian, but not Ukrainian).  Grew up in Brooklyn, NY since I was 411 days old.  I'll give you a few seconds to do the math…  

Growing up in the Cold War era with the name of Dmitri didn't serve me well since I was always called a "Commy Bastard."  Hence, I changed my name to David (I was named after my great-grandfather David) at the age of 5 and actually like how the word Dave looks and sounds next to Broitman, so I go by Dave Broitman but I'm not one of those fruitcakes that are anal about being called David instead of Dave or even Dmitri.  I even wrote a coming-of-age script, titled Commy Bastard, partially based on this situation.

As I was graduating high school (I was quite the nerd, who even got asked out a bunch of times, including 29 times by Sau-Lin Wu and I had such a huge crush on this popular Asian girl, and still was too shy to accept, but promised myself that I would accept on the 30th time, but she gave up after 29 tries {that's a world record for the length of a statement in parentheticals, no?}), I didn't know what I wanted to do.  I was thinking of dentistry or psychology or, I don't even remember what else it was, and my mom suggested to just do pharmacy school and that's it.  Granted, my grandma was a pharmacist from Ukraine, and I did suffer ototoxicity from streptomycin when I was 8 months old, so becoming a pharmacist who can help prevent people from getting harmed by meds, would be quite ironic, although I didn't think of it at the time.

After graduating pharmacy school, I attended a ton of classes for writing/directing and producing and have a nice library of books for writing, producing and directing as well, including Dov S-S SImen's School of Film Producing, which really cleared many things up for me and made me start thinking about making my own movie down the road because trying to sell a script was such a long-shot for someone who didn't know anyone.

Today, I'm a pharmacist who's still pursuing a real career in filmmaking.  When I say "real," I'm really saying "getting to a certain level where I won't have to constantly rely on my pharmacy degree to make a living."  Granted, if I ever had to walk away from this film business, I'm too ambitious to just stay on as a staff pharmacist.  I would try to become the president of the largest pharmacy in the world.


You started out writing around the time you actually became a pharmacist when you were 25.  Dane Cook asked you to write a script for him.  What was the script about and was it ever produced?

I would like to clarify this a bit.  I met Dane Cook, I believe sometime in 1997, at the Laugh Factory in LA.  Dane was doing his comedy routine, and was interacting with the audience a bit.  He asked what I do, and I said I'm a screenwriter (but I never even wrote anything at the time).  Dane said I should write a script for him.  We spoke after the show and I'm not sure if he really expected me to write anything for him, but eventually I came around to writing something for him.

My first ever script, was titled "Gransby" and it was deemed really funny but there was a shallow story behind it.  It was essentially a story about Dane's character from Las Vegas who wanted to devirginize a girl, but when he found out she's not a virgin, he quit on her.  The story was set in an alternate universe, in a town called Gransby, where only people that are honest can enter the town.  I got the name from some small town in northeast that was essentially hidden from the world and you could only find it through a small bush opening on the side of a road.  That really struck me.  Turns out, the name of the town is really Granby, not Gransby, but Gransby stuck with me.
 
The script caught the attention of Ed Hansen and Buck Flowers who wrote numerous films including "Nine and 1/2 weeks."  They came onboard and we rewrote it and retitled it "Stuck In Vegas."  The story was now set primarily in Las Vegas and in this alternate reality version, one couldn't leave the City of Lost Wages because Las Vegas has a new law where anyone in debt has to be stuck in Vegas till they pay it off due to the fact that Las Vegas was in danger of falling apart financially. It was pitched around town, got a few bites, but I didn't like any of the offers and let it sit on the shelf and I moved on to other stuff in the meantime.  Granted, you could say that I could've sent it to Dane Cook, but this was during the time where Dane wasn't quite huge yet.  I ended up writing another script for Dane Cook recently and we'll see where that goes.  I'm really a huge fan of his, and consider myself a real fan compared to other folks because I followed him for several years before anyone knew him.  I'm one of his first 78 fans that he had on his old yahoo group back in the day.  Check out his 8 Guys DVD which also features an appearance by his longtime manager and producer Barry Katz.  Dane also won some awards for a short film titled "Spiral" and even starred in a feature with Dennis Rodman in his early days. 

Stars are being made every day thanks to the reality market, but Hollywood is really a tough town to get into nowadays and you really have to get after it yourself and it helps if you know someone who has some pull and cares for you.


It's been kind of a path for you in working up to Don't Shoot the Pharmacist!.  Let's talk first about a few of the earlier films you worked on.  You started out producing films.  Tell us about some of your first experiences with film production, arranging financing, etc...  What were some of your biggest learning experiences during this period.

I never arranged financing, I really am not a money guy, my wife can attest to that.  I'm mainly a creative guy, but I've been finding myself talking on roles where I'm linking actors with directors and production companies and so forth. 

The first movie I ever worked on was a 20 minute short titled "Opportunity Mutiny" that was directed by Vincent Vinas and starred Jayson Simba who was also the producer.  That's where I found my "Phil Freeman" for Don't Shoot The Pharmacist!  I also discovered Edwin Matos Jr. from this movie for the role of Ty Jackman, the Pharmacy tech.  Working on these other flicks really gave me an insight into how people carry themselves in various crew positions and I would find myself observing directors such as Jayson Simba and Vincent Vinas and watching how they interact with the cinematographer and the actors.  I started finding myself being attracted to the various aspects and talents that are needed in becoming a successful director.

In today's world, most upcoming filmmakers need to find fundraisers that can obtain the financing needed to make the movie.  I consider myself fortunate in that I was able to pay for "Don't Shoot The Pharmacist!" with my own money (and my wife's too).  Hey, that's another tip I would like to share: find a spouse that is able to foot some of the costs of film production.  I'm sure my wife will be thrilled to hear this.


You've done some acting in your films.  How do you like working in front of the camera as opposed to behind it, and how hard is it to combine the two in the short Mop That! for example that's included on the Don't Shoot the Pharmacist DVD.

First off, there was a short period of time where I was confused as to whether I wanted to be an writer/actor or a writer/director.  I realize I love to create and directing gives you more power to do that more effectively than being an actor.  Granted, acting can be creatively fulfilling, and I see how it enhances the exposure of folks like Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant and Larry David, who are my heroes.  If Matt Damon and Ben Affleck were writers and not actors, would they be as well-known?  Most people are usually fans of actors not writers & directors (I love Damon, Affleck, DiCaprio) since you see them on-screen and spend time with them.  The reason why Kevin Smith has so many fans, isn't just because of his directing, it's because he's seen in front of the camera as well. 

Let me back up a bit.  I knew I needed to go to acting school and I had the opportunity to enter the esteemed Deena Levy Acting School and was taught by Don Puglisi who is talented beyond belief as an actor himself.  It was a memorable experience and I had the pleasure of working with several talented actors, including my best female friend from pharmacy school, Larisa Chagan, who is now a big shot Pharmacist at Johnson & Johnson.  (Acting classes help with public speaking too, so that ended up coming in handy for Larisa).

My first acting partner for an audience showcase was Daniel Henney who went on to be the "Brad Pitt" of Asia and is now a regular cast member of the show "Three Rivers."  I really loved working with Daniel and hope to work with that talented dude on another project.  As a matter of fact, I got him an audition for a movie I was producing, but the director chose to go in a different direction for the lead male role which called for an everyman, and Daniel's main drawback were his half-Asian/half-European good looks.  Granted, Chris King, another good friend of mine who won the role, did a hell of a job in the movie, titled "The Apologist," which was directed by my best friend from Manhattan, Guy Shahar.  This flick entered over two dozen festivals and won tons of awards. 

Guy Shahar also directed the short Mop That! that stars myself, Amy Shute and Ben Bailey. I also co-wrote/co-edited and co-produced this short.  So technically, it was pretty easy to do these roles because it was a short and also because I didn't have to focus on directing it.   

My one experience in directing and acting took place on the 2nd day of shooting "Don't Shoot The Pharmacist!"  It was the only time I was ever nervous in front of the camera.  See, I couldn't view the shots as we were shooting it and it was really bothering me since I put a lot of money into this flick and this fact really hit me hard.  I know if I get another chance to act and direct at the same time, I would be more at ease now that I know what to expect, but my recommendation is not to direct and act until you've done quite a bit of acting or a ton of directing first.  Then it's easier to manage the two. 

Anyways, my performance came out fine and I realize I might be pretty good, maybe even better than Kevin Smith's acting, lol.  I temporarily set up Josh Freeman to act as Director for the two brief scenes that I was in, and he helped calm me down a bit and said he will make sure the shots look right.  Granted, I could've come around behind the camera after every shot and check if it looks good, but I don't like to do that.  John Johnson (CEO of Darkstone Entertainment), who is probably the most influential B-movie director based in Virginia, is notorious for being able to do this brilliantly, but I like to focus on one job at a time in each scene, otherwise it makes me feel like I'm half-assing it. 


Was Mop That! your first time working with Ben Bailey?  Had you known him previously at all or was that your first time getting together with him?

Mop That! was actually my 2nd time working with Ben.  I discovered him while scouting comedy clubs in search of the actor to play the Pharmacist.  I handed the script for Don't Shoot The Pharmacist! about 6 days before production was set to begin.  I came back 2 days later and asked if he read the script.  He said he didn't read all of it and would get around to it.  It was down to 3 days before the shoot and I told him that Edwin and I would come to his apartment and read with him.  Edwin and I set up a little signal where Edwin would rub his nose if he thinks Ben sucks. 

We started reading the scene, I told Ben we'll read the first time and I'm not judging anything, just get a feel for the situation and each other.  Then we got into it during the 2nd read and it was going better than expected.  All of a sudden, Edwin starts rubbing his nose, and I'm thinking "damn, I really like Ben.  Edwin's crazy."  So, we thank Ben for his time after we read it a couple of more times, and went on our way.  I told Edwin I'm pissed. Edwin couldn't understand why, then realized he rubbed his nose.  Turns out Edwin just had an itch there.  Silly story, but true.  Why did we even need a secret signal?  Couldn't we just discuss it after we left?  And on cue, here comes the… lol.


When it came to doing Don't Shoot the Pharmacist!, it was your first time really taking on so many jobs in one film (writing, directing, producing, editing, etc...).  How did the film itself sort of take shape and come about, and what was behind your decision to take on so many aspects of the production yourself?  Also, how did you manage to deal with the pressures of doing so much?

I really didn't trust anyone to handle the preproduction arrangements and wanted to immerse myself into all facets of the production process.  I eventually brought on Amy M. Peters to serve as the production manager, and she was my right-hand girl during pre-production and helped take a load off of me (that sounds a bit x-rated, but I'm leaving it in).  She also found me some great crew members such as Kim Dullaghan as Art Director, Bryan Greene as Boom Operator, Josh Freeman as 1st AD, Boris Cifuentes as the Key Grip and several others.  And let's not forget my future wifey who supported me throughout the whole shoot. 

I found out I thrive under pressure, especially when I set a hard deadline to shoot the flick.  I just make things happen, and if I really need something done, it just seems to work out, and I hope I didn't just jinx myself.  Then again, screw the jinx.  Goodbye jinx.  Go jinx yourself you mythical little jinxie you. 

Anyways, now that I helped rid the world of the jinx (damn, why couldn't we think of this before?), we can make anything happen.  Actually let's leave the jinx for the terrorists (and I bet you just pictured a man with a turban, shame on you). 

Shifting gears, the film started taking shape when I realized that we need a pure pharmacy movie.  Over the course of 3 years that I logged as a graveyard shift pharmacist, I started gathering material and took mental notes of funny and weird stuff and wondered how to make it even more captivating.  Finally I knocked out the first draft in 3 weeks because I made up my mind to shoot the movie 5 months later.  Showed my script to a few folks including Robert Broomall (who ended up being my co-writer for Get Famous) and Chris Caldwell who went on to become a studio script doctor.  I wrote a second draft and polished it up.  The 3rd draft essentially came about during production as we would shoot scenes and tinker with the dialogue a bit.  And as many filmmakers know, the last piece of rewriting comes during the editing process.  And after I finally saw the final cut, the movie looked extremely close to what I visualized.  The essence of the movie really was captured the way I imagined it, and to me that's a really special and magical feeling.  Especially being able to do this on my first try.


You actually got four of your favorite comedians to appear in this film, including Ben.  Did it take much convincing or did they all pretty much jump on it?

Once they read the script, they were pretty much sold on it.  Comics are a rare type of actor.  They are a one man show that has to be able to command an audience's attention and get regular laughs from them.  The comic goes through a basic script on each joke, has to react to hecklers once in a while, hence this improves their improv skills and essentially, the comic is really doing theater.  Hence, if it came down to two guys with similar talent for one role, I'll usually pick the comic because they have more tools to help them succeed and make me look good as a director.  I took Godfrey to dinner after meeting him in his usual haunt, the Comedy Cellar in New York.  I convinced Godfrey to look over the script and he fell in love with it.  Same deal with Steve Byrne as I had him come in for a read.  Ardie was recommended by Godfrey and it went from there.

If you want your favorite comic in your movie, go and meet them at the comedy club and see what happens.  If it's a huge star like Dane Cook is today, you can't just assume he'll say "yeah sure, I'll do your little movie even though it may ruin my career."  So, think about which comic may be right for your film and give it your best shot.


The rest of the cast was just spectacular as well.  Tell us about some of the various cast members and how you came to have them in the film.

I received over 1500 headshots in my mailbox.  It is such a crapshoot to pick out faces from this pile and decide who will audition for what.  Almost all of the actors were found through the audition process.  I already mentioned some actors previously, and I'll mention a few more, but the rest of the actors will probably kick me in the left nut ( 'cause it hangs a bit lower than the right, or is it the other way around?  I should double-check with the wife), for not having time to mention them, but it's not really my fault.  I had over 30 actors with speaking roles in the flick. 

Erik Davies (Dmitri the Junkie) blew me away with his pothead Kevin audition.  I had Erik read for junkie Dmitri as well, and he blew me away with that role too.  When I snatched up Godfrey for the pothead Kevin part, Erik fit perfectly as junkie Dmitri.  I hope he doesn't get typecast as a druggie since he just came out with another movie where he plays a different yet unique variation of a pothead in HIGH SOCIETY: A POT BOILER (it's available on iTunes).

Daniel Werzinger (Jock Itch Man), auditioned for the role of Johnson.  He did a great job and I was sure that I'm giving him the part, but then Myles MacVane came in and I realized that Daniel Werzinger is my Jock Itch Man and I was able to have both of these guys in the movie.  When Daniel auditioned for the Johnson role, he was performing a scene where Johnson gives some change to the Pharmacy Tech, Ty.  I loved the way Daniel took each coin and slowly slid it across the table as he counted each coin.  It was hilarious and I ended up borrowing that move and you see Myles perform that action in the movie.  Actually, I never gave back the move that Daniel came up with, so I technically stole it, but now I paid him back as I officially credited him with that move. 

Myles Angus MacVane (Johnson) - He was Johnson from the moment he walked in.  I was sold right away and some people actually think he's really semi-senile, but I urge you to check out the DVD when it comes out, and you'll see an interview with Myles and myself and get to enjoy his real personality. 

Vadim Mantelzak - He is actually my best LA buddy, and my best overall friend (does that make sense?).  He played the role of Scott who needs a penis reduction because his lower back hurts.  His scene plays during the end credits sequence and he was a vital sounding board for me during the editing process (along with guys like Guy Shahar, Jayson Simba and Rick Engelsher).

Shaun Taylor-Corbett (Pico the Shitter) - I actually met him at the Ripley-Grier Studios where he worked at the time and asked him to audition for me on the spot.  He nailed it and is now the most famous diarrhea-prone man in NY, and soon hopefully, the most famous in the world.  Shaun went on to star in the children's series Hi-5, and I can only imagine the horror that this role will bring to parent's faces when they show the movie to their 7 year old kid.  He is now a broadway star and is part of THE HEIGHTS, an award-winning musical in NYC.

Emily Sproch (Janet) - She plays the love interest of one or maybe two of our main characters.  You're probably wondering why I seem uncertain about the number of characters that she serves as a love interest for.  Guess you'll have to watch the movie to find out (and yeah, this is a lame way to try to get someone to watch your movie).  Emily brought a sweetness with the slightest hint of sensuality to this leading female role and I am really proud of my casting choice.

Roger Anthony (Sai Wauh) - Roger pulled off a great scene with Edwin where they yell "Sai Wauh" back and forth.  It required specific comic timing and they were able to nail it.  Roger ended up misspelling "Sai Wuah" and I just let it be because I'm a strong believer in allowing things happen the way they do.  Admittedly, I don't even remember which way I wanted "Sai Wauh" spelled or which way he spelled it, so I don't even care… lol.

Steve Montague (Mr. Braun) - He was the proud recipient of the dangerous kick to his groin area.  Steve is actually a comic as well and has his own production company nowadays.  Steve brought a certain originality and weird element that I was looking for in this character.

Sabin Lomac (Jeff) - Sabin only had one scene, but our protagonist, Zack the Pharmacist, ends up in his predicament directly due to Sabin's character's actions.  I liked Sabin's audition and the dickheadish sensibility that he brought to this role.  He ended up beating out a former friend of mine, Phil Lagana, who I ended up losing touch with, shortly after the movie.  I'm not sure if it's because Phil was upset about not winning the part, but Phil Lagana really believed that I didn't pick him because he was my friend.  Totally not the case, but it showed me that I was putting the movie ahead of friendship and maybe this is not a good thing for me on a personal level, but if I feel I'm harming the integrity of the movie, then I can't go ruin a movie due to friendship.  Granted, Phil Lagana is a great singer and a pretty good actor, but Sabin won the role in my eyes. 

I have so many other talented cast members to list, but I don't want to bombard you guys with a 20 page interview.  To the not-yet-mentioned Cast members, forgive me, but at least your face is in the movie.


Tell us about the pharmacy where the film takes place.  It's not there anymore is it?

The movie wouldn't be what it is without Pharmacist Jeff Appel who let us shoot in Goodyear Pharmacy, an old-fashioned corner Brooklyn pharmacy.  He's a super cool and laid-back dude.  The charms of the pharmacy really played well into the overall look of the movie.  It had all kinds of offbeat things like a huge jar with some unknown red liquid in it and you can see it in several scenes. There's a puppet doll that hangs from the ceiling and a bunch of pictures in the background which made the pharmacy feel even cozier and that's the feeling I wanted the audience to have.  To sort of feel cozy with our pharmacist as we spy on him and his going-ons.  That's one of the main reasons the movie was shot hand-held with Erika Silverstein serving as the Director of Photography.  By having most of the movie being shot hand-held, it makes you feel like you're a part of the action - as if you're standing off to the side in the pharmacy and looking on.

The pharmacy closed down and now it's a real estate office.  There'a a major retail pharmacy across the street from it now.  Pharmacist Jeff Appel moved to New Jersey and works for the largest retail pharmacy in the world, CVS.


The film took five years to complete, which needless to say is a huge amount of time, and yet, you don't really notice any changes in the actors as you're watching the film.  How did you manage to keep it all together over the course of five years and to keep the continuity so solid? 

Let me clarify something.  It took 3 weeks to shoot ninety percent of the movie, and then some pickup shots 3 months later.   I shot the Las Vegas fantasy scene 3 years after initial principal photography.  The reason why it was easy to keep the continuity:  Ben didn't have to look the same in the fantasy scene that I shot 3 years later, as he can imagine himself to be however he wants to be.

Here's the main reason why it took me so long:

I couldn't afford a full-time editor, so it took at least 3 years to make 4 different edits on the film till I finally had the movie the way I wanted it.  I had a certain vision for the movie, but at the same time, I had to remove certain shots if we didn't like the sound, lighting, etc. and that really hurt. But I would be darned if I didn't take my time making it perfect. 
 
I'm not an editor per se, but after lead editor Rick Engelsher made his final cut, my close director-friend Guy Shahar (who directed Mop That!) and I, completed a polish on Rick's edit.  Rick did a wonderful job, and I realize that I was extremely anal about every cut for this movie. Hence, the only way I would ever be satisfied, would be to do the final polishing cut with Guy.  Then it took another year for color correction by Jack Daniel Stanley, music composing by Quentin Chiappetta and Sound Design by Joachim Horsley.  I pretty much taught myself about each aspect of production as I moved through the process step by step.  Granted, I could've finished the movie in 2 years if I did all these things simultaneously, and knowing what I know now, I can finish a movie in 18 months nowadays.


Did you finance this film on your own, or did you have some outside financing as well?  Also, what roughly did the final budget end up being?

Everything came out of my left pocket (I keep my blackberry in the right pocket), and this may sound a bit off-beat, but I don't really know how much the movie cost me over the past few years, but I can reveal that it was under 200k.


Did you rent or buy the equipment you used to make the film, and what kind of gear (cameras, sound recording, mics, etc...) did you use?  Were you happy with the gear and how everything came out or do you feel some of it limited you technically in some ways?   

My DP and gaffer helped me find and rent equipment and I dealt with a wonderful company called PAL east which rents cameras and some expendables.  Shadow Studios rented out some lights at a reasonable price.  The camera we ended up using was actually Jayson Simba's camera, the Canon XL-1.

On a technical level, I was happy with how the movie turned out although I wish I was able to rent more lights to effectively light the night scenes, or perhaps even shoot the scenes during the day and then fix it in post, a method called day for night.  We enhanced scenes with color correction and made the movie look as good as possible.  I'm chalking this up to another learning experience.

If I was to shoot the movie today, I would go with the RED ONE as I feel that is just as filmic looking as 35mm.  Did you know that the movie JUMPER, starring Hayden Christensen, was shot with this camera?


What were some of the more difficult aspects for you of getting this film made, and how did you deal with them?

I was extremely diligent with the casting, and as each day got closer to the production shoot date, I realized I will never push back the shoot since I had the crew and the rest of the cast locked in (in addition to having 3 weeks off from work).  My biggest concern was finding the right actor to play the Pharmacist.  I literally cast Ben Bailey 2 days before the shoot.  I really feel that good things happen to those that are really determined to make things happen.  Everything was kind of difficult for me, but the one thing I had going for me is that I had a clear vision of what I wanted to make and was going to do everything in my power to make it.  If I had to pick the most difficult aspect of this movie, it would have to be the editing process because of the amount of time it took.  The editing process would be pretty easy for me nowadays, but I didn't know a thing about editing until after I shot this movie. 


What are some of your best memories from the production?

I got cranky a couple of times because of my obsession with this movie and making it perfect, and it was refreshing to have guys like Edwin Matos Jr. (who played Ty the assistant) and Ben Bailey (Zack Wright, the Pharmacist) keep things loose.  Edwin even told me something to the effect of "Dude, I'm gonna keep my mood up and you do your crank thing."  And that's exactly how it should be.  The actors cannot be worrying about the production problems as they need to keep performing at a high level.  There are so many wonderful memories, the laughs, the thoughts of "I'm actually making the freaking movie."  The times where my little brother Zack (who played the shorter kid that the Junkie Dmitri babysits) and his buddy Sean Harding, who played the taller kid, would bother the crap out of Edwin Matos Jr. and Ardie Fuqua (plays the Robber).  Seeing Erik Davies (plays the junkie Dmitri) show up and looking like a junkie and fully committed to his part, really jacked me up.  Seeing Ben and Edwin develop this special onscreen chemistry that was essential to the movie's success.  The list can go on and on.

I guess the most exciting and memorable moment for me came when Ben Bailey, Myles MacVane (playing Johnson), Emily Sproch (playing Janet) and Didi Avant (who stepped in on a half day's notice to play Mrs. Little, Johnson's wife) were reading lines while we were waiting for the camera to set up.  In the scene, Johnson has to turn to Mrs. Little and say "I'm sorry, I love you." But as he read it, an idea popped into my head.  When the Pharmacist tells Johnson to say "I'm sorry, I love you", I told Myles (playing Johnson) to say it to the Pharmacist first.  So Johnson says to the Pharmacist "I'm sorry, I love you" and Ben playing the Pharmacist responds: "Not to me you schmuck, to her." and then Johnson turns to his wife and chases after her with his shorts down as he says "I'm sorry, I love you." This directorial improv moment stuck with me as I've been chasing the high ever since.  To have a funny scene escalate to a higher level was incredible.  There were many moments where actors, including polished comedians such as Ben Bailey, Godfrey and Ardie Fuqua would come up with some funny lines and those are moments I love as well. 

That reminds me of how I literally had to rewrite scenes on the set because a couple of times an actor couldn't show up.  The scenes ended up turning out better, so I can't say anything negative about this, but if you're an indie filmmaker, be prepared to rewrite a scene or two on the spot. 

Lastly, my girlfriend at the time, Alla, would show up for many of these 14 to 16 hour days and it really was nice to have that. 


You included subtitles on the DVD release, which I praised in my review.  What made you decide to do the subs, how long did it take and do you think it would be beneficial if more indie film makers did the same?

First off: Why would an indie filmmaker make his audience even smaller by cutting out the hearing-impaired folks?  Would you cut out the visually-impaired folks (this sounds silly, but you get the gist)?  Of course not, it's bad business.

At one of my screenings, I noticed a deaf person watching the movie, and she had her own interpreter.  Do you know how seriously intense and ridiculously funny this interpreter was?  When the F-word was spoken, the interpreter would do a vulgar sign for it and when a couple of the gross-out scenes were happening, the interpreter really found a way to express it to the point that I had to watch the interpreter instead of my movie because it was amazingly hilarious to me.

After the movie, I spoke with the deaf girl and somehow I ended up promising to provide subtitling.  I realize I owe something to the hearing-impaired folks out there and the whole reason why I got into pharmacy, as mentioned previously, was because of a side effect I suffered from streptomycin when I was a baby.  This side effect messed up my hearing quite a bit, and that's my connection to doing these subtitles. 

I love watching subtitles on movies in case I miss a word here and there, and also when my little Mikaela is sleeping, I can watch the movie on mute with subtitles, although it sucks to not hear the music and sound effects during these types of viewings.  It would have been extremely hypocritical of me not to include subtitles.  It took me a long hard month to do it, but now I know there are some subtitling programs out there that speed up the process.  Granted, I like doing it the hard way the first time, it's the only way to learn and truly appreciate something.  It makes me feel like, along with the help of many dedicated folks, that I really did "make" this movie in every way imaginable.


What film festivals did you send the film out to, and how was it received?

As any filmmaker will tell you, you have to send your movie out to a couple of the big ones before you send it out to the others.  The big ones like Toronto and Sundance want to premiere your flick.  If your movie played at a festival already, then your chances are paractically zero for Sundance or Toronto.

I premiered my movie at Hoboken International Film Festival and SINY Film Festival in the same week.  It was such a memorable time, and I'll never forget the June 7 screening in Brooklyn for the SINY Film Festival.  It was the culmination of my dream to have my movie play in front of a nice audience that also included my family and some of my closest folks.  The laughter was extremely gratifying and it's one of the greatest experiences of my professional life.

Having said that, I realize I should've waited to get accepted at one of the bigger festivals first, but I jumped at the first two festivals that accepted the movie.  I realize I made a mistake in this respect, but it's just gonna make me work harder to promote the DVD release.  The movie just missed out by one vote on winning the Best Comedy award at the wonderful SINY festival (the movie lost to a dramedy, go figure).  The movie was well-received in the other fests such as Red Bank International Film Festival and won the BEST FILM and BEST SOUND awards at the Director's Chair Film Festival

The smaller fests provide a memorable experience, provide networking opportunities and these fests are getting bigger every year.  Granted, even a slot at Sundance doesn't guarantee success in this time of recession and an overabundance in films out there.


Do you have another film in the works right now, or are you going to take a break for a bit?

I'm in meetings with several folks and some projects being discussed are GET FAMOUS, THE BALL BOY and WAKE FOR JAKE. 

Get Famous is the story of mega-film star who goes undercover as an everyman in order to win an academy award and gain the respect of his peers.  It's a unique take on Hollywood, and dear to my heart because I love how the movie star tries so hard to hide his secret and the audience is in on it and you feel like you're sharing a secret with this movie star.  We are a culture that is fascinated with our celebrities, and to have someone big trying to be like one of us, that's just a swell feeling.

Wake For Jake is a project that I've been tabbed to direct, and I've been helping writer Matt Florio develop the script along with David "The Voice" Stein.  It's a funeral comedy with an amazing twist and it kills me that I can't reveal the twist.  We're in the fund raising stage and we'll see what happens with it.   

The Ball Boy is the story of London Bell, an amateur ball boy who rises to fame as Women's Tennis' most prolific showman.  We're taking the cameras away from the tennis players, and focusing it on the invisible folks who make tennis matches run quickly and smoothly.  It's set in the hardcore world of tennis ball boys and this will be the most ridiculous sports comedy you'll see, minus the tons of cheesiness. 


This was your first feature film you did on your own.  What advice would you give to other film makers out there getting ready to do their first feature?

Get an experienced DP that will make you look good.  Find actors that fit the role perfectly (and don't stick your best friend into a crucial role unless your friend is as talented as a Leo DiCaprio), so that you don't have to worry about directing them so much.  Make sure that script is perfect and have some trusted non-family members give you notes on the script.

Have someone else handle the production duties so that you can worry about directing only.  If sound is crappy, then your movie is doomed.  If lighting is poor, then your movie will seem to have weaker production value.  Don't set a hard production date until you have the money and budget in place already.  Fund raising will be a bitch.  Using your credit cards will be easier to get the movie made, but will suck for you in the long run unless you have a nice paying gig.

Lastly, find your niche and stick to it till you become huge (and I'm not talking about gaining weight).  In my opinion, it's better to be known for something specific, such as Kevin Smith is known for comedy.  Then you can try your hand in a different genre such as Drama, in which Kevin Smith received mixed reviews, but at least it's easier to forgive.  If you do a thriller, then a comedy, then a documentary, all you're really doing is not letting yourself become very well known as people can't pinpoint a movie of yours and say "Oh, that's an M. Night Shylamalan film."   Establish your voice in a specific field and once your name is out there, then it's safer to jump into other genres.  I'm trying to be the go-to comedy director with a unique voice.  If I end up doing a horror next, then I'm wasting my time, unless it's a comical horror spoof.  You need to be able to have people identify your films and say "that's a Dave Broitman film."  I cannot stress this enough.  


When is the DVD of Don't Shoot the Pharmacist going to be available for people to buy?

Oh, everyone and their spider monkey will know about the movie when it become available.  I work with a sales agency, WonderPhil Productions, and we're planning on releasing it by 2010 at latest.  We're working all the angles with distributors and such and already have a 12 country broadcast deal in place and looking to expand further.  I'm thinking of making it available via internet and plan on doing the first phase of marketing by myself.  Pretty much use word of mouth and hit all the pharmacy colleges, conventions and organizations and let them know there's a comedy about us.  And of course the film fans that love comedies and even Kevin Smith fans, will get a kick out of this.  After all, this is essentially an homage to Kevin Smith and the world of pharmacy and independent cinema.


Do you have anything else you'd like to mention before we wrap this up?

I really want to discuss my style of directing and perhaps offer up some directing tips to other folks who may be curious about this.  I'm not saying I'm the second-best filmmaker in the world, but here are some philosophies that you may find interesting and maybe even apply it yourself.

My style of directing actors involves the influence of Stanislavsky.  Now, I'm not saying I totally believe that all actors should use every aspect of this method since I don't necessarily agree with every facet of Stansilavsky's philosophy on acting.  I do agree with having the actor drink real tea if they're "drinking tea." I hate to have people fake that they're drinking or eating something.  If they are doing it, then do it for real, it comes off more natural since you're not faking it. The less acting one has to do, the more natural the performance.  Hence, I want to see some of the actor's personality in the character they play, and this is another point of the Stanislavsky method.  There's a reason why people weren't too crazy about seeing Jim Carrey in some of his earlier drama flicks because he tried to suppress his Jim Carrey personality from these drama characters.  If   

However, the main thing that I don't really agree with is the constant use of emotional memory.  For example: There's a scene where Ty cries about the Pharmacist's death (and no, this isn't a spoiler, but I'm sure it will confuse some of you). With the Stanislavsky method, Edwin Matos Jr. would have to resort to using a personal experience of his own, such as the death of a pet, and apply these emotions towards crying over the Pharmacist's death.  Now, there's nothing wrong with this method, but I would never push this aspect of Stanislavsky on every single actor.  A five year old actor normally won't have a severely tragic experience to fall back on for emotional memory.  Not every actor's mind can respond effectively to emotional memory, whether it's for a tragic or happy experience or anything else in between. 

Sometimes Ben Bailey would ask if he should walk around the counter to the right or the left, I would respond with "which way would your character go? I'll have the camera set up to cover you."  And this allowed Ben to have his character breathe even more naturally.  I believe that the less direction I have to give, the more natural the scene will be.  I also wanted a certain awkwardness between the characters for this movie, and I accomplished that by virtually having no rehearsals.  I would just throw the actors in and let them go for it.  It's a clever move to film their first try (unless you're shooting on expensive 35mm film), because it can come out better than the 2nd or later takes..  Even if the first take is horrible, you can put it in the outtakes.  The main advantage to filming the first take without rehearsal is the element of surprise and the reaction of the opposing actor.  For example: If Ben Bailey is expecting the other actor to say "hello pharmacist" but the actor instead says "do you work here?,"  now Ben, talented as he is, improvs his dialogue and the scene starts taking a different shape.  Even if I don't like the direction the scene went in the first take, I find myself grabbing some of the reaction shots from the first take because those tend to be the most natural and effective reactions. 

Also, the better casting choices you make, the easier it will be for you to direct and focus on other aspects of the production.  Bottom line, the less directing you have to do in order achieve your vision, the better the movie will become.  At least that's how it worked out for this movie.  I'm sure that in a suspense remake of a Hitchcock movie you may have to be extremely specific with direction, but in comedies, as long as the comic timing is right, just let your actors go and see the comedy magic happen.

Hence, I leave you with 2 quotes:

"Don't wait for your break.  Make your break."
I saw this quote from Kevin Smith, and it had a profound effect on me.  This movie is an homage to this lunchbox dude.

"Screw the pretentious quotes, just get some 'nads and make shit happen."  - Dave Broitman