Interviews can be a tedious affair. You drive over to a designated area and wait for the interviewee to show up. You can wind up waiting a while, and when they do finally show up, sometimes they’re not really in the mood to talk. You whip out your trusted pocket recorder and ask away as your subject pontificates endlessly. When you get home, you start transcribing the whole thing. Ambient noise is your sworn enemy. You try to decipher ever word. Rewind, play, rewind, play, pause, “What the Hell did he just say?”, rewind, repeat ad nauseam. I had first interviewed director Brett Sullivan back in 2004 at the Montreal Fantasia Film Festival (http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/interview/35). It was an impromptu affair and we both had a lot of fun chatting away about this and that, but especially about his feature film debut as a director: “Ginger Snaps Unleashed”. Brett was, by far, one of the coolest people I had met at the festival, or anywhere else for that matter.

Cut to 2008. Brett is getting ready to release his second feature: the low budget wonder that is “The Chair”. I had seen the film at its World Premiere last August and was quite taken by it (Read my review here: http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/film/974/review). So, of course, I wanted to interview Brett once again! But, since the price of gas is ridiculously high these days, driving to Toronto was out of the question. And then, it dawned on me: why not email each other back and forth? Which is exactly what we did. I’d send him a question and get an answer shortly thereafter. No ambient noise to deal with, no head scratching, no endless pontificating. Straight, concise, and to the point. All the flavor, none of the labor! It was, once again, an awesome experience.

What you are about to read is about four weeks worth of emails.

BD: Brett, where did you get the idea for "The Chair"?

BS: On the whole, the filmmaking process for The Chair was very quick. In April 2006, my friend, producer Doug Patterson, had been encouraging me to make something. He wanted to start the ball rolling (get used to the rolling ball metaphor, I'll probably use it more) on a project in order to jump start a small production company. I realized that I might as well "get something going" instead of "not getting something going." So Doug and I agreed to make a very small, incredibly low budget film. I had been interested in all the recent Asian horrors, and that for the most part, their American remakes were disappointments. I wanted to attempt an Asian style horror with North American story sensibility. We brought on Michael Capellupo as a writer and fellow producer (and) we all did everything, basically. There were several things we wanted to achieve in the story; strong character development, mixed media, female leads, disturbing boundary-pushing scenes, and so on. We then listed our assets: my old house, Doug's boat, I had an old friend with a Dentists office etc. And with those things, we struggled to find a story. It was a puzzle. I should also note, to the dismay (of) Michael and Doug, I wanted the film to be made without dialogue, a real challenge at pure visual storytelling. Well, we also wanted to start shooting in a few months, so that idea was abandoned after numerous valiant attempts. Regardless, our new company, Panic Pictures, got the tiny little ball rolling with all the 'outside puzzle pieces' to frame up a treatment in early summer, knowing we were shooting in the fall. And until we actually locked the picture edit, we were struggling and moving the puzzle around. The whole process was just us boys from Panic Pictures figuring things out as we went.

It was originally called "HUSH"... like the nursery rhyme suggests.... but in 2007, another movie came out with that title, so we decided to change it. After much debating, we decided on THE CHAIR... keeping with the style out of Asia; "the Eye", The Grudge, The Ring etc. Anyway, the story was a mixture of necessity and desire. We had financial limitations that forced many issues; cast size, number of location, amount of effects, both practical and visual etc. So we set out with one of my favorite themes: nature versus nurture… we actually allude directly to it in The Chair. And with that, we threw ideas at each other. Michael had recently read a whack of short stories from Edgar A. Poe, and one intrigued him; "The Facts In The Case of M. Valdemar." With that as an anchor, we peppered in the ingredients until we had the story. We also wanted to take advantage of some of the interesting visual aspects of my house, and one was the alcove with this great peak on my third floor… we knew something evil would happen there… not sure what though. Eventually, we came across the idea of a slow painful death that was brought on by actual living. Hence, the more you breathed life, the closer you came to death. The chair was created as a concept; then, when Adam Smith came aboard, it became a reality. Not just for the film, but for the physical building and functions of "the torture device"… that became the chair. Adam has been in the horror gadgetry genre for years working on the "Saws" and "Skinwalker" and the Romero's "Dead" films in Toronto. Adam took the idea of the torture device, went away for a while to stew in the disgusting juices of the creation we thrust upon him and the Chair was created.

BD: You must be a very well adjusted (or absolutely demented) individual to shoot something as creepy as this inside your own house! I mean, it's a picture perfect setting for a spooky tale like this one. But you have to go back there every night! Do you find yourself paying more attention to creaks and squeaks in the middle on the night?

BS: Actually, not at all. The only creepy thing is that there actually is a part of my house that should have floor space but is walled in. I have never tried to break down the wall like Danielle did in the film. I don't know what is that space; Time Warp, Sasquatch Bones, My dignity, Old Dumbwaiter shaft, Whoville, Indian burial ground. Whatever is in there interests my cat though as every now and then she hisses at the walls. I have many fond memories in this house.

BD: Oh, it's a GORGEOUS house! I guess I'm just a bigger pussy than you are... It certainly is a cost-effective location! Speaking of financial limitations, this production was obviously a labor of love for the many people involved. Cast and crew went above and beyond the call of duty. You got AMAZING production values out very meager means. Do you feel that working on a modest budget makes people work harder, therefore, acquire a sense of pride, of belonging, that they wouldn't necessarily get on a bigger production?

BS: I would say that about 90% of the production crew were neophytes to a set... including the actors. It was huge learning curve for most of us. And seeing as it was soooo low budget, I was determined to keep the floor light and fun. People were there out of passion and the desire to be there... it certainly wasn't for the money. As an example, we went from a 15-day shoot to 22. It became a joke that we were on day 19 or 21 of 15. After the second day of shooting, and the completion of a very rushed and compromised scene (which didn't make it into the film by the way), I met with Doug and Michael and told them that I thought the schedule was too tight. Sure, we could get the story in the can but it would mean compromising the atmosphere and creepiness of the story. The shots and storytelling would have to be economized at the detriment of the sense of dread and eerie tone. They agreed and we gathered the crew together on the third floor. It was a very nervous moment for me as I told the crew my feelings and I felt guilty about admitting we had made a mistake in the scheduling. I told them I was afraid that a 15-day schedule was too short. I explained that with the 15 days, many of the scenes would end up being creatively compromised for economic reasons and lack of time, similar to the clusterf**k scene we had just shot under time duress. And if we extended the schedule by a week, we could do much better and have a film of which we would all be proud. We took a vote everyone agreed to the extension. I recall some crew approaching me later and mentioning that they appreciated being involved in the decision and having the situation explained to them. I learned from that experience to include people in the process and not just dole out the instructions or demands. Also, there were no real egos on set.... the crew all made the same pay, I made the same daily rate as a daily P.A., and we all ate off the same plates.

BD: That's incredible! It goes to show that enthusiasm is sometimes more valuable than experience! But you didn't just have neophytes working on the project... Let me start with Kurt Swinghammer. After doing what I consider to be one of the best scores of all time on "Ginger Snaps: Unleashed", he was back on board. How is it working with him? There was obviously a lot of attention paid to the audio in this picture because the music and especially the sound design in "The Chair" are absolutely incredible!

BS: AAhhhh… Sound work. To me, the sound work and mix are my favorite part of making a film. It is during sound that all the compromising is done. Anything can be achieved in sound and the time pressure is never as drastic as when shooting.

I love working with Kurt Swinghammer. Just as a 'dude', working with Kurt leaves me inspired. The gentleman is so imaginative and kind and groovy. He is an artist is many mediums, music is just one. We were fortunate that Kurt agreed to come on and work on this project given our financial limitations. And as usual, he kicked ass. I was watching The Chair for the umpteenth time a few days ago and WOW, his stuff just fits. He work does it all.... It creates tension, builds the characters, informs the story... etc. He is so easy to work with. I am not musically trained so my direction to him is usually so vague and in layman's terms. Kurt has the difficult task of translating what I mean and putting to the score. And I can be pretty hard to please. And there are times, when I am unsure of some of cues, as they are not what I had imagined or become accustomed to with the temp music... but then the tracks grow on you and Kurt's genius shines through. I will always remember the title music Kurt 'cooked up' (Kurt's phrase) for GINGER SNAPS-UNLEASHED. We had given him the particular challenge to create a score without using traditional instrumentation. He created a library of sounds... like playing the guitar with a bow or a magnet. So when I first heard this track for the credits, I was overwhelmed. I thought it was extreme... perhaps too extreme. Then when went to mix the track, the very experienced lead mixer, Lou Solakofski, was blown away. He actually asked for time alone with the track so he could creatively listen and evaluate the cue that Kurt "cooked up". But like Unleashed, The Chair's sound track is also a combination of sound effects from the great team at Tattersall Sound. They have a great facility and they came on to help us out tremendously in all aspects of the sound. The Chair would not be nearly as good without their help and generosity. The mixers, Eric Apps and Kirk Lynds had the difficult task of pushing the limits as I wanted but yet keeping the mix with technical specs. I was always pushing for more... and then a little more still. To me, a film must also be equally interesting aurally. I love playing with sound. The other day, I read a review that specifically mentioned some of the audio tweaks and effects that were used and I was very glad that someone noticed them.. Most of the time, I think most of the audience don't react and notice the audio, which is a good thing too. So for The Chair, the music, effects and sound design worked together to create some tension and atmosphere and propel and thrust the story and creep factor.

BD: Another "Ginger Snaps: Unleashed" cohort who came back for more is Costume Designer Alex Kavanagh (she was also Associate Producer on "The Chair"). She seems to be everywhere these days! She wore two hats on "The Chair" (pun intended). How was it like working with her and how did she find the time to invest herself in such a capacity?

BS: Ahhhh.... Ms. Alex Kavanagh. She is indeed one of the busiest and best Costume Designers. She has become a sort of horror specialist by chance having worked on the Saws, George Romero's "Dead" series, and the Ginger Snaps. Well I asked Alex to help out on The Chair, expecting a refusal as she would busy and we definitely could not pay her what she would normally get. Instead, Alex enthusiastically agreed and wanted to participate more in the project. She read the script and had many great comments and ideas. As the original team for The Chair was three guys, Doug, Michael and myself, it was great to get a female perspective. Alex challenged the story and our motivations. She is keenly aware of the project we wanted to make and of our limitations. So with her help, she managed to to bring Adam Smith (the maker of the chair and other props for the film), and some other crucial effects and assets to the project. Alex went well above the call of duty and certainly brought the film to better levels in terms of story and character. Alex brought the idea of the 'buttons' to the script. A subtle hint and character trait of the spectre/killer Crowe that transfers to our heroine Danielle. She also managed to help tell the possession story thru the wardrobe. Alex also brought a huge amount of professionalism, talent and experience to the project. Many on the crew looked up to her as I think she was probably the most experienced crewmember. I know Alex was also key to advancing the quality of the special effects and gore. When I pushed our special effects/make-up department and challenged them to do better with their 'gags'. It was Alex who spearheaded the creation and solutions to some difficult and imaginative effects. The bloody nail on the floor gag immediately comes to mind. The freshmen effects team displayed many different examples of how to achieve this 'gag'. And to each one I was unsatisfied. They were getting very furious and frustrated with me particularly under massive time pressure when the scene was to shoot in 3 days. It was Alex that provoked and led the team to an incredibly unique and imaginative procedure that exceeded my expectations and desires. I think it is one of my favourite moments in the film where the nail draws blood. I think, I hope, Alex truly enjoyed wearing more than just the "Costume Designer" cap. She got to dapple in all aspects of the film. In fact, she also encouraged SAW II-SAW IV director Darren Bousman to a rough cut screening... and then he too gave many interesting and informed suggestions to better the film. Thanks Alex. You are kick-ass.

BD: You obviously wanted to do something different with "The Chair". Indeed, the plot is something truly original, but, the way you cut the picture is something I have never seen before! What prompted you to go with such an unorthodox (and devilishly effective) editing style?

BS: I think you are referring to the scene(s) of the girls unpacking and talking. It was originally a series of very expository scenes. There have been a few movies that I have seen and/or worked on that used a simpler form of the intercut. In those, a conversation is carried across a few scenes. One conversation will start in one location and be continued thru to several other locations. Well I wanted to take that process one step further and actually have the conversation cut back and forth between the various locations. In reality it makes no sense and it is stylish for sure. I shot the same dialogue scene numerous times in various locations. I then intercut the shots seemingly random. The dialogue is linear whereas the location and visual story is non linear. Of course, had my 'experiment' not worked, I could easily have edited the scene more traditionally as well. I covered my ass. Luckily, most people 'get it' whilst very few are confused. I like it as it certainly is unique.... I think.

BD: Of course, such an editing style wouldn't have worked if the dialogue wasn't as strong as it is, or if the performances weren't as believable. Please tell us where you found your two incredible leads: Alanna Chisholm and Lauren Roy.

BS: Well thank you for the kind words about the dialogue and story. We were fortunate to have found both Alanna and Lauren. As the production was sooooo über low budget, everything we did was outside the 'system', meaning no unions. The producer, Doug and Michael, and I agreed thay we would hold auditions of non-union performers. However, if we couldn't find strong enough performers, we would re-tool and re-imagine the production and cast the net to include union actors. And we all agreed, they girls had to be not only be strong performers, but 'eye candy' too. Luckily, or stategically, Doug works for a talent agency. His client list included Alanna and Lauren. Once we saw them, we knew we could make the movie. Alanna's audition had this wicked combination of beauty and menace. She scared the crap out of me... she still does. Alanna embraced the role and took on the Crowe's male characteristics in a very natural yet nefarious manner.... she is terrific in The Chair and has been getting great reviews for her performance. Once I saw Lauren, I wanted to mess her up. She was so stunning and pretty I couldn't wait to cover her face with blood. In retrospect, I wish I made her more bloody and messy. But at the time of shooting, you can only do so much as duplicate wardrobe and other limiting factors have to be considered. Both those girls were fantastic on set and worked their asses off on our weird little movie with a horrific schedule and long hours. And a testament to Alanna, she is in almost EVERY scene, and I do not recall a single day where she struggled with her lines. A dream actor in my eyes... mostly because of her 'actor' roles, but partially because she did it all.... including cleaning toilets in the house. I'm not kidding.... Alanna is a bit of neat freak, and the chaos and mayhem that was my house/set drove her a wee bit insane, so she did her part to keep 'our prison' a little cleaner and ordered.

BD: Do you think that she used that in developing her character? At any rate, those two were quite a coup! Talented, beautiful, fearless, you were truly lucky to find them. Working under such conditions, you almost have to be lucky to make it all work. Either that, or the spirits that inhabit that walled-in floor space inside your house, they who freak out your cat so much, were on your side... All kidding aside, you invested yourself heart and soul into this production. When the time came to show it to people, what was going through your mind? Because, I remember seeing you before the film's World Premiere at the Montreal International Film Festival last summer... You were rather antsy...

BS: I was absolutely nervous. I was showing something of which I was extremely proud but knew had a few flaws. Films are such a subjective medium. I was hoping the audience would be able to look past the flaws and appreciate the story and film for what is was, not judge The Chair for what it wasn't. And what it was wasn't a typical American ‘horror’. The body count is low and there is a long suspenseful build. The gore is minimal and doesn't kick in until the halfway mark.

So I was antsy that the audience that showed for the screening would appreciate the efforts made to veer away from the current North American trends in horror and move towards the Asian style. It is something that we strived to do, but I wasn't sure if an audience would accept it.

BD: Did they?

BS: Hmmm good Question.... I am guessing based on reviews, that the answer is yes... for the most part. I am always skeptical when people tell me they like the film, as of course that is what they are going to say that to me... But I am thinking yes, most people appreciate that The Chair is more 'traditional' in its storytelling and horror approach.... and it is a refreshing change of pace from the torture porn. The Chair has been honored with a few awards, and not just 'horror' awards as well as entry to some pretty prestigious festivals. And honestly, I have to admit, I like it... and I am a pretty tough critic of my work. I have seen it MANY times, and it's always amazing to me how much story and content we fit into the 90 minutes. The Chair is a good film... not just a good horror... but don't take it from me... look up some reviews online.

BD: Or better yet, buy it on DVD starting May 27th and make up your own mind! What can we expect to see (and/or hear) on the disc? There has been speculation going around that this is, sadly, a bare-bones release. Brett! Say it ain't so!

BS:From what I understand, it is NOT a bare bones release. There is definitely a commentary track with me and Producer Doug Patterson and Writer/Producer Michael Capellupo. There is also the full intact Zymytryk Film. But the big added extra is the Behind the scenes footage we put together. There is some fun and informative stuff there. Some of the complicated choreographed shots are explained and some of the 'failed' takes are there. They make me laugh, because, c'mon, in reality, what a ridiculous thing we are trying to achieve with some of these scenes. And some outtakes and moments with the crew.

So my understanding is that the DVD should be loaded with wicked and groovy stuff. And of course the DVD has a kick-ass 5.1 Dolby soundtrack.

BD: Phew! I'm relieved! Some directors are against special features on DVD, saying that it can "de-mystify" or "cheapen" a movie. For instance, Steven Spielberg and David Lynch will probably NEVER record a commentary track, which is a shame because a Lynch commentary on "Eraserhead" or "Blue Velvet" would make my life complete! Woody Allen goes even further, stating in a 2004 interview for Total Film: "I'm not interested in all the extra stuff. [...] I want my films to speak for themselves. And hopefully they do." How important is it for you to give the fans something extra when it comes to DVD? God knows I'm not the only film geek out there who lives for that stuff!

BS: I know as a viewer, I love the extras. If there is something interesting in the film, I want to learn more about it, I'm curious as to the creative team and the process. What I do not like about some extras, is that it ends up just being promo stuff for other productions.

If I am presenting a movie and have any say over the DVD contents, which isn't the case mostly, I want to pack it with cool extras. The reasons are two fold; it makes the DVD more attractive to the viewer, bonus content and if a fan/viewer wants to know more or see more, that is great. It means they are involved and interested in the film/project and possibly the production team. And that will translate, hopefully, into an interest in future projects. And c'mon, I certainly like pulling back the curtain sometimes and revealing the 'cinematic magic' or for the most part, the simplicity, hard work, and repetition or imagination involved in the film. You know the saying... give them what they want... but also leave them wanting more... meaning a future project. That's my two cents.

BD: I agree 100%. Speaking of the future, what's next for you?

BS: I am scheduled for the end of May to direct and edit for a great new kick-ass, high profile Canadian series called "The Border". It's a fast paced action drama show about an elite team that defends Canada and its border.

But Panic Pictures and I are planning on shooting our next wickedly perverse and twisted comedic feature called "Denise's Back". We are going to take all we have learned from The Chair experience to make this film. And as expected, we are awaiting financing, as it will be slightly more expensive to make than The Chair. It is more drama/dark comedy than horror but still contains a foreboding tension and sense of evil and dread. I can't wait.

BD: You're obviously a fan of dark humor. A few scenes out of "Ginger Snaps Unleashed"are downright hilarious, albeit in a sick and twisted way. It's going to be very interesting to see you swim in those waters, that's for damn sure! Thanks for your time, Brett.

BS: It was my pleasure...

Thank you.

THE CHAIR is on DVD May 27 from Lionsgate Home Entertainment