THE INTERVIEW
November, 2023
HARRIS JOSEY
DIRECTORS OF THE SEAL OF DEATH 2
BEST ACTION
Harris, tell us a bit more about yourself. Where does your desire to be a director come from?
My desire to Direct was cultivated back in College. My film Professors’ took me under their wing and taught me the ins and out of Filmmaking and Directing. This type of mentorship made me want to grow and learn all I could about Directing. Now in days, I only Direct if I have a story to tell. I’m very picky and choosey on what I want to Direct, and will only do it if the idea is undeniably great.
What is your background?
I have a BA in Film Production from Birmingham Southern College, and have been lucky enough to do a couple internships at The Cannes Film Festival through The American Pavilion. These internships led to other internships like working for SeriesFest in Denver, CO and for Myriad Pictures in LA. Eventually after interning for SeriesFest, I got to be involved and helped with Programing the Festival for a year. On my off days, I would PA on sets and soak in all that’s happening. I would watch the DP and Director talk to each other while also analyzing all the lighting set ups. I didn’t want to miss a thing. My background in film is vast, but there is always more room to grow and that’s what I’m looking forward to the most.
What were your reference for The Seal of Death 2?
The Original “The Seal of Death” was my main reference point as far as where to take the story. I also drew upon films like Chinatown and anime like Bleach. The actors and I had seen Bleach before, so when filming we often referenced Bleach for scene tonality and character choices. I also drew upon many different inspirations through still images during the writing process. Most are typical Film Noir stills and some are from the film “Rear Window” Directed by Alfred Hitchcock.
Harris you won Honorable Mention for Best Action at the RED Movie Awards, what does that mean to you?
It means hope. It means that there’s still a chance to be apart of the Annual Event. A chance to see my friends who live in France, and to be reunited like we always talk about. This Award also means the world to me. It means that all the handwork and effort my cast and crew gave was worth it. I would give anything to my cast and crew, and I’m glad their hard work is being recognized and appreciated.
Can you tell us about your work with actors?
This is one of the best experiences I’ve had working with actors. The actors chosen for this film put in the prep time which made Directing them easy. There were only a couple of times where I had to tweak an actor’s performance. Like I said though, they put in the work ahead of time. Due to that, we were able to improv on set and mix things up to have fun. We all grew closer together with each other on set and have formed bonds that will last a lifetime.
What was the biggest challenge in this shooting?
We actually didn’t have to many challenges throughout shooting. I guess our biggest challenge was battling with the cold weather. It was about 20-30 degrees Fº outside so making sure everyone stayed warm was a priority.
Do you have an anecdote to share with us in particular?
Due to the cold, I wore 5 layers of clothes throughout shooting, which is why I was in sweats the whole time, even though I really wanted to do the Christopher Nolan Thing and rock a suit with the rest of my actors, but I couldn’t handle the cold. I had to layer up. Brrrr….
You have had a health problem which affected you, how has this nourished your cinema?
Yes, I had a 15mm Brain Aneurysm which required treatment and rehabilitation.
During this time, I got to watch a lot of TV Shows and Films, further growing my film base knowledge. Once I had the Aneurysm, the way I viewed Cinema changed. I know our time on Earth is short and it’s important spending every minute of every day doing something you love. I loved working on the first “The Seal of Death” film so much that I wanted to create a sequel.
One big reason I loved working on that film, is because I loved working with everyone and collaborating to make this project. I loved the world building and the idea of pushing the story forward. They say do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life. I’ve tried to follow that mantra ever since the Aneurysm happened.
Can you tell us about the production methods, is a film produced in a classic way? Or self-production?
The film is an Independent Film, mainly funded through our Fiscal Sponsorship with Fractured Atlas. Other than that, the film was produced just like most films.
What is your next project?
As of right now, I’m working on a TV Pilot for “The Seal of Death”, to try to make it a TV series. I’m mainly just writing right now and marketing ”The Seal of Death 2”, as well as, enjoying going to all these festivals. Like I mentioned earlier though, I’m not going to force an idea and make a movie about it. The idea for my next project has to be perfect. It has to be undeniably great, otherwise I’m uninterested. That’s the bar that’s been set, and I can’t wait for the day to come when that brilliant idea hits me so hard in the face that I can’t ignore it. No matter how long it takes, I’ll wait for the right idea to come.
