Their film still hasn’t been released anywhere, and yet Wonder Wheel Productions’ indie action-thriller The Shoot has been the talk of the web the past few months. A classy, well-written ‘90s throwback – in the vein of John Dahl’s Red Rock West – The Shoot has already put husband-and-wife filmmakers John Adams and Toby Poser on Hollywood’s watch list. We spoke to half of the filmmaking team, John Adams, who also plays the lead in the movie.
The Shoot has reaped a whirlwind of praise online. How is it to get those great reviews?
It feels GREAT! THE SHOOT has been a fantastic learning experience for us in terms of how the critics see our storytelling. Negative critiques have also been good for us. Whether we agree or not it’s helpful to see how others are affected by our art.
Has the internet been a powerful source of promotion for you? Any element in particular?
The internet is millions of TV’s and theatres to us. It is not only a limitless source of promotion, it is also the equalizing platform. We could not do this without the power of the internet. Thanks, Al Gore.
Before Wonder Wheel Productions, where were you at? Were you an actor like Toby? [John’s wife]
I was on a TV show for the FUSE channel called ROCK and ROLL ACID test and I’ve done a lot of commercials but rock and roll and art were my field. I played in a regional east coast band called Banana Fish Zero and then Statues of Liberty. I’ve also been hustling my art to keep me happy.
Did you always intend on being in the films yourself?
No. I like acting but would rather be behind the camera. I love storytelling. However, I am the cheapest actor I know and I can beat the crap out of myself and no one will ever hear about it. So until we have a fat budget I’m gonna keep on acting.
What’s the greatest advantage of doing a film like The Shoot independently?
The advantage of doing EVERY film independently is that we get to tell the story we want, use the music we want, frame the shot how we want. We love the process of making films together. Life is about filling as many days with joy as possible. Doing this as a family means we block out the stress factors. It also means we have a mode of operation that inherently brings a different shine to our films.
Where would you like to take the film – cinemas? DVD? Or are you happy with VOD?
We will hit a bunch of targeted cinemas beyond the festival showings. We may forgo DVD because the internet platforms and VOD are so effective.
What are you onto now? A new film?
YES! Our next film is in the pre-production phase and it is feeling amazing! It’s a story of a broken family that reunites to collectively flip their middle finger at the odds.
