Director talks about "The Deposition" and his own brush with a bad wreck
By Michael Knox
Writer/director Eddie Mensore knows just what his character Adam Long is suffering through when Long accidentally kills a woman in, "The Deposition." In the film Long is forced into an investigation and giving his testimony after a car wreck that kills his passenger, the woman he loved.
"The story of the car wreck is based on the worst moment of my life when I was involved in a wreck where another person was severely hurt, I went through the surreal deposition process as lawyers attempted to turn a civil lawsuit into a criminal trial," Mensore said. "I then merged into it the simple theory that: love is a double-sided coin. Where you find the most passionate love between two people, you also find the most passionate fighting."
"The Deposition" tells the story a man is involved in a car wreck that kills his former lover. His life is derailed and his mind is splintered with guilt and the subsequent uncertainty about what exactly happened.
Now, a shell of his former self, he must piece together his identity, escape the harsh judgment of the community, and reconcile conflicting court testimonies of others involved in the events that lead to that tragic night.
"I usually take years to write a script, but 'The Deposition' was written in two months. I was working freelance and got a job filming depositions in LA." Mensore said. "I immediately got the idea and wrote the script during work hours over two months."
The turnaround time on writing script is not the only remarkable thing about the production of the movie. Mensore was able to shoot the movie for less than $25,000 with a total of 23 production days. And despite the strong performances of the movie, Mensore didn't have the budget for name actors, so the cast is composed of friends and family.
Charles Rashard delivers a powerful performance as Adam Long, and you believe him when he deals with the racism of his small community and being ostracized by locals since he is a black man responsible for the death of a white woman. Whether it was an accident or not doesn't matter to the people in the rural community.
"Growing up in Appalachia during the 1980’s, I might have been the only kid in my town that fell in love with rap music and Spike Lee movies. Both dealt with heavy race issues. People loved calling me 'Wigger,'" Mensore said. "West Virginia and Appalachia are deep in race stereotypes, so race was something that was always present, even though not one black person grew up in my hometown. Not many people in Appalachia are really racist, but the few that are (the same with any region in US), are very ignorant. Inspired by these circumstances I felt it was a compelling narrative to share."
Mensore's movie makes good use of the locations he shot at, including New Martinsville, West Va. and Ohio.
"I specifically wrote the screenplay based on the locations in WV and Ohio. I love my region and I would love to make every film there for the rest of my life," he said. "It affected my storytelling by giving me so much more that most filmmakers with no budgets can only dream about. 'Almost Heaven… West Virginia.'"
Mensore made good use of the community he grew up in, but he also saw, "The Deposition" as a chance to educate people about his roots.
"Growing up in West Virginia, people stereotype Appalachia as hillbilly, uneducated,racist. But racism didn’t really exist because everyone is white." Mensore said. '“The Deposition' also plays into an outsider’s stereotype of Appalachia. Every time I would bring a minority friend home with me, their first comment was always, 'Is somebody going to string me up and kill me?' All I could do is chuckle, but after so many different people saying the same comments over and over, it starts to really make you think about how people stereotype my hometown."
Filming a movie in the area he grew up in also gave Mensore a chance to see how friends and family would respond to the story he developed.
"Making a movie back home was the best experience. I love my community and my family," he said. "I live in Los Angeles and any excuse to go back home is a good one. I found overwhelming support from everyone in the town."
Mensore also talked about filming the multiple personalities of Adam Long, with Charles Rashard playing different versions of the same character; the do it yourself world of self distributing a movie; and the opportunity to watch one of his scripts be developed into a more than $15 million movie.
MODERN FILM FEST: One of the things I loved IN, "The Deposition" was the way you handled Adam's different personalities in the scenes were he appears to be losing his mind. How did you go about filming that and what were some challenges that aspect of the story that you had to deal with?
MENSORE: "Technically, we filmed his personalities through split screen. For instance, if two Adams’s are in the shot, we put a piece of tape right in the middle of the video monitor screen, filmed the image from a locked frame. The first take was everything that involved Adam #1, and take two was everything with Adam #2. Afterwards, in post-production, we merged the two takes/images and merged them into one single shot.
MFF: What were some of the most difficult scenes for you to film and why?
MENSORE: It was the deposition scenes in the law office. Frankly, it was because nobody was a professional actor and delivering dialogue was a major issue. It was also very hot and uncomfortable in the room for long periods of time."
MFF: How did you go about casting the movie and how did the different actors build on your script?
MENSORE: "I wrote the screenplay for specific family members and friends that I know would actually show up and help me out. Nobody, besides Charles Rashard (Adam), really wanted to be in the film."
MFF: What was the initial inspiration for the story of, " The Deposition" and what did you do to flesh out the idea?
MENSORE: "The inspiration came from exploring my past with my car wreck, my upbringing, and my town. I fleshed out the idea by having crew, friends and coverage services read the screenplay."
"I actually had the opportunity to get represented as a writer and sell the screenplay, but nobody would let me direct. That’s when I took their valuable advice and decided to make a no-budget film on my own."
MFF: How would you describe your actor /director relationship?
MENSORE: "It is very frustrating, but fun and educational. I have now made two shorts and one feature back in WV with non-professional actors. My theory has always been that one day somebody will notice me, see what I can do with non-pro actors, and give me the opportunity to work with professional talent."
MFF: What advice do you have for director s to get their best performances out of actors?
MENSORE: "Find actors that are talented and then set them up in the perfect environment. Then, as their biggest fan, watch them work and deliver. Give guidance when it is needed, but give them the freedom to express themselves and embody their character with their craft. It will only heighten everything you first imagined."
MFF: How did you first get involved in filmmaking and how has your career developed?
MENSORE: "Growing up in WV, filmmaking doesn’t really exist. I was big into writing poetry. In undergraduate studies at West Virginia University, I took an advertising class and thought I found my niche. I remember turning in countless ideas for ads."
"One day the professor pulled me aside and told me about the NY Film Academy and thought I should look into it. Later that year, I graduated, went to NYC for six-weeks and took the basic filmmaking class. I was hooked."
"After that I decided to attend Savannah College of Art and Design where I got an MFA in filmmaking. My career developed exponentially when I moved to LA, first working as a production assistant on several Disney films. It was the first time I learned what a production designer, art director, props, etc. was. As soon as I learned the basics over my first few years, I have been off to the races ever since."
"Currently, I write for production companies, but am still on the mission to get people to let me direct projects."
MFF: "Do you have any other projects you are currently developing?
MENSORE: "This year, I co-wrote the screenplay version of 'Witness At Hawks Nest' with the author of the book – Dwight Harshbarger for a production company. (
"The story is about the largest industrial disaster in American history and its cover-up. It is going to be a $15-20 million dollar film. I will not direct it, but they have now brought me on as a producer. This project is green lit and is in motion."
"My next feature film as writer/director is a survival thriller called, 'Mine 9,' (The story on that one takes place) After a methane explosion causes a major collapse in a coal mine, and nine miners struggle to escape with their lives."
MFF: Charles Rashard deliver s a powerful performance, especially when his anger has to boil over and he fights back against the bigotry he is facing. How difficult was it to film those scenes and how did you keep people excited working on what could have been a very dark set?
MENROSE: "We had a very small behind the scenes crew of five people. We are all very lighthearted and serious. Speaking of Charles, he did do a great job being that he has never acted in a short or feature film. 'The Deposition' was his first real acting experience."
"Since my crew is experienced, having worked together on other projects, we knew it was our job to remain upbeat and supportive, even through the darkest of scenes."
MFF: What was one of your favorite scenes to film and why?
MENROSE: "Just shooting all of the scenery footage. They are the locations of my past childhood and when I close my eyes and think of beauty, that is what I imagine."
"As far as an actual scene, it was the M&K Bar. The bar is the oldest bar in New Martinsville and my grandma (God bless her soul) used to live across the street before she passed. The locals inside the bar are the locals in the bar every day. They were all so sweet and supportive. Plus we had a great cookout and small party after we wrapped."
MFF: How have people received the movie and what have been some of the scenes that audiences have connected with?
MENSORE: "Not having any press or advertising, it is a slow process. But, on our small scale, we are starting to win some awards, getting accepted to more festivals. People love the scenery, music, and VFX."
"Many people connect with the fair scene, and the scenes where Adam and Jill show their intense love for one another, and then scenes of intense fighting.'Love is a double-sided coin filled with intense love and anger.'I personally love that people take notice of this, because that is the basis behind the movie, not necessarily the racism aspect."
MFF: What are your thoughts on the current state of independent filmmaking and the environment of the distribution side of things?
MENSORE: "It is a DIY (Do It Yourself) world. We are lucky to have a sales agent, but it appears we still won’t make too much money unless I self-distribute."
"It’s a scary world out there for us filmmakers, but it is an environment we can succeed in. My goal is to make more positive, regional films and build my audience up – just as rap artists from the 1980’s (NWA, 2-Live Crew, Too-Short) did. They sold tapes/CD’s to their small region out of the trunk of their car. So no matter what, if they never sold millions of records worldwide, they were guaranteed to sell 100,000 copies in their region. This type of regional fan base is where I see independent filmmaking shifting. Tyler Perry, Spike Lee, Kevin Smith all started that way."
MFF: What advice do you have for people wanting to get involved in independent filmmaking?
MENSORE: "You better love it. There are no guarantees and every day is an emotional rollercoaster filled with many roadblocks and failures… but you do have many personal accomplishments, even if you’re the only one who notices them."
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