Q&A WITH JULIEN ZENIER - DIRECTOR OF SNIP
July 30th 2010 03:13
Julien Zenier: Well, I don’t know if we can speak of “new wave” for the Europe horror genre. I’ll say, firstly, that the French and the Spanish movie, although close, are different. France’s conception is a little more “arty” while Spain is maybe more “hand-crafty” (in a traditional, pure cinematographic way). For instance French production companies sometimes seem to risk more (Vinyan by Fabrice Du Welz or Gaspar Noe’s features) but are often unable to produce a good genre flick. In Spain films are generally produced in a way that is similar to the Hollywood studio system, without its economic potential. On the other hand, they’ve got this great sensibility and knowledge in making interesting genre movies. We have some great emerging and experienced directors, and that’s fantastic because it develops a kind of a healthy “competition”. I think it strongly stimulates you to do something of your own, and maybe one day be a part of this adventure.
H: When were you first seduced by the horror genre? What are some of the first movies that caught your attention?
JZ: I was a huge fan of horror films in my adolescence, but everything began in my childhood: My father had this big VCR and I remember watching (while hiding myself) entire sequences of Alien, The Shining, The Terminator, and Blade Runner. I was completely mesmerized by those images! Later The Exorcist really disturbed me for a long time; I love the film and at the same time, watching it was always a painful experience.
H: What directors’ work, either living or dead, do you particularly admire, or that provides you with inspiration?
JZ: I particularly admire Verhoeven’s work and audacity, the movies of Mikhail Kalatazov... Aronofsky, Antonioni, Cronenberg, Kubrick... Jonathan Glazer and Gaspar Noe are also in “my” top list.
H: The sound design in Snip is very prominent, almost abstract. How important is sound in a movie? Describe the differences between sound design and a musical score and how they should work together?
JZ: The audio represents more than 50% of the whole movie experience. I think the sound design holds and lets breathe the images when a musical score takes more “space” and interacts directly with the emotions. All is about finding the best alchemy, knowing when the sound design or the score must be pointed up; a very subtle work.
H: Are you able to tell me a little about the special effects work in Snip? Was it all entirely prosthetics? Which special effects make-up artists are you favourites and why?
JZ: Snip was all entirely shot with prothestics for a simple reason: I don’t believe in CGI for those kind of effects. It often looks synthetic and your eyes automatically detect it. I needed it to look as real as possible; if the prosthetic work was fucked, the audience would have laugh and that wasn’t the purpose. I remember the work was barely done in one month by Gorka Aguirre and Cristina Iglesias from Quimera FX. We’d spent hours talking about making it the most realistic, with me repeating like a protecting mantra the words “visceral” and “organic”. We also checked a lot human anatomy books ... and they’ve made a fantastic job. As for special effects make up artists, I don’t have a favourite one.
H: Can a horror movie operate purely on visceral terms, or does it need to manipulate an audience on a psychological level just as strongly? Can you give me some examples of movies that you appreciate on a visceral level and/or on a psychological the other?
JZ: There are no rules. Ideally a good horror movie should operate both on a visceral level and on psychological level. The perfect example is what David Cronenberg did with his horror tragedies The Fly and Dead Ringers.
H: What are your thoughts on the current Hollywood trend of making tame horror movies i.e. PG-13 rated movies aimed at a much broader demographic?
JZ: Today’s movies are the result of the lack of good idea, economic pressure and the lack of time; it’s easier, safer and faster to remake or reboot something known by the audience than create something new. These are strange times, creatively speaking. You know, Hollywood movies are funded by The Majors. The Majors want to make a lot of money, so what they are doing is making sense.
H: Are there any taboos in cinema? If so, what are they, and should they be broken?
JZ: Of course, there are taboos in cinema! The taboos you can see in theaters are generally the same you can observe in our societies. Each year plenty of films talk about racism, incest, explicit sex, full nudity, war blunders, etc, but how many of them are doing it well and frankly? I tend to say that yes, taboos exist to be broken; at the very least we should try to play with them.
H: Too many horror movies rely on the use of CGI simply because it’s cheaper. What are your thoughts on the use of CGI in horror movies? Should CGI be employed in a horror movie at all?
JZ: I’m neither a hardcore fan of classic sfx nor an enemy of the CGI. As a filmmaker, you just have some different tools and try to use it the best way. The main criterion must be the story: How do I see this sequence? Does it work better with physical effects or can we do it with CGI? Again and again, I think it’s all a matter of balance.
H: Have you had any negative reactions to Snip from film audiences and/or critics?
JZ: I’ve read some negative reactions, for sure, but in general film audience and critics reactions have been, surprisingly, very encouraging.
H: It’s a very powerful, but very confronting film, what movie-watching experience has been the most confronting for you?
JZ: Aftermath by Nacho Cerda, without a doubt. Pasolini’s Salo made me also feel very uncomfortable.
H: What plans for a feature do you have?
JZ: Since Snip, we’ve been busy working for almost two years on a script adapted from Jim Thompson’s Child of Rage novel.
H: Would you be interested in being a hired hand for a big budget Hollywood movie (for example the remake of Hellraiser, which Pascal Laugier pulled out of), or would you prefer to make a movie from your own original screenplay?
JZ: I would be very glad in being a hired hand for a big budget Hollywood movie. It could be a fantastic opportunity! You can tell them I’m interested! More seriously, I’d like my first feature to be something smaller, but who knows?
You can discover more about Snip at the official website here
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Comment by ShaunK
Screen Adventure
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
Fine interview with some intelligent questions and revealing answers.
Not that i expect any less from you Bryn