“Atomic Football,” by Jack Paradise is a hard-to-classify oddity about a group of community college students protesting a community plant being built in their town. We asked Paradise how the project launched, what his planning process was like, and a film that recently blew him away…

1) Can you talk a bit about how you first got interested in movies?

I was a very sullen and physical little guy growing up. I played every sport and was able to blow off a lot of steam that way, but was still quite sensitive. When I was ten, my grandpa Don (who plays Karmine in my film Golden Years) took a class on Hitchcock at a community college. We watched Hitchcock’s filmography together in quick succession, and that really set me off! I also practice visual arts along with my writing and directing, so that definitely gives me a visual bent that is conducive to filmmaking. 

2) What came first with this film in its earliest stages? The atomic bomb thread, the atmosphere, the character(s)? And then how did you build from that?

I had written Atomic Football as a story for a class at CalArts. The short story is more filled-out and less atmospheric than the film, but contains a lot of themes I would end up paring down for the film version. I wanted to combine a lot of heady and loaded story elements into one short piece; it’s a fun way to work up an audience’s expectations. I feel there is a strength in having high stakes and low payoff, it generates breathlessness. I don’t take nuclear proliferation lightly, but a lot of graphic and film material from the Cold War era is hilarious and overwrought. These elements inspired me to set the story in a timeless, airless town where ponderous, irritable characters live. I love films that produce an experience greater than the sum of their parts. If I can summon up an uncanny or speechless experience for someone, I am happy. 

3) I’d love to hear a bit about the production of this: How long did it take? How was the general experience, exciting, stressful? And also about your pre-production: what’s your planning process like? Do you storyboard? It seems like you have a pretty clear sense of how everything will be edited together. Did it go according to plan generally? Any mistakes or last minute discoveries come to mind?

The film took two months to make. It was not stressful. I am usually quite rigorous in preproduction. I pulled a ton of reference materials and inspiration so I had a lot to fall back on if I was ever shakey on where the tone should land. I storyboard the essentials, but it’s common for me to fudge the specifics of a shotlist or whatever when the time comes to shoot. It is crucial to set yourself up for success as best you can, but in the moment always go with your gut, dimestore wisdom sure, but true. Calvin’s friend J.J. doing Tai Chi to blow off nuke-anxious steam happened off the cuff, and it’s my favorite moment. I’m still operating on a scale (no budget) that allows for total freedom so I am liberated. I feel more confident in navigating the mercurial terrain of filmmaking each time I do it.

4) What’s a film you’ve seen recently, new or old, that really blew you away, and why?

I recently rewatched Over The Edge. That is like a perfect film. It is very well constructed but the form maintains a feeling of breathless, free-wheeling freedom that rings true to the story. It is almost like a stuffy pop-corn film, but it’s moments of grace really elevate it beyond that. When the main character Carl lays on his bed and listens to ‘Surrender’ by Cheap Trick, that is pure magic. The kids’ performance’s are all great too. 

5) What’s next for you?

I am now working on my first feature film. It is set in a logging camp at the turn of the 20th century in the Pacific Northwest. It will be a high-flying, homoerotic affair. I hope it will represent my ‘arrival on the scene’. I am also forming a company with my friend Amalia Irons called Agapé Productions!

Contact Info:

Email: jackparadise@alum.calarts.edu

IG: @jackparadise