5 Questions with Micah Welner
“Johnny,” by director Micah Welner, is a tale of two down-and-out New Yorkers looking for drugs, gritty and authentic, but told through a comedic lens. We asked Micah how the project started, how he developed the characters, and finding the right tone…
1) Can you talk briefly about your background, and how you first got interested in filmmaking?
I grew up on Long Island right outside of Queens watching video tapes on repeat. Being able to turn on a familiar world whenever I wanted felt like a lot of control, and gave me power as a little kid. Like everybody else, as tastes change you look for different things along the way. Before the internet you'd hear about a film for years before actually seeing it. Video rental stores had a limited selection of older titles, so the rest was up to you to search out. Beyond the blockbusters, I realized movies can do so much more than just entertain. Films have the ability to transmit art on a level other mediums can’t. Everybody loves movies! I strive to communicate my ideas and perspective with the worldwide audience a film can reach.
2) What’s the origin story here - what started the project, and what were some of the first steps to get it rolling?
Most ideas start with something I saw or overheard. I love listening to people’s conversations while commuting to work, that’s really how I get inspired. Either a snippet of conversation in passing that I’m left to finish in my imagination, or an entire life story on a subway ride. People talking about their family or friends, work or social life in a particular way excites me. When you live on the outskirts of the city in the outer boroughs, it’s very much like being in a small town. My girlfriend and I will often text each other if we hear or see something interesting. We’re both from New York and have a specific love for its people, how they’re living and what they’re up to. I wanted to make something that felt like a divergence from my everyday commute. What if I followed some fascinating subway person instead of going home?
3) I’d love to hear more about how you developed these characters - such classic NYC characters. They’re so funny in a way, but they’re also going through some pretty heavy stuff. I wonder how you found the right tone?
Thank you! That means a lot considering the lineage. Not surprisingly the two characters in Johnny are based on people from my neighborhood, fixtures for quite some time. I truly hope everything turned out decent for them. While their association was based on addiction, I never saw them in anyway romantic. That particular kind of relationship is rarely explored, though not at all uncommon. Jumping between comic and bitter, melancholy and blissful was something I wanted to chase from the beginning. I’m drawn to people who exist in extremes. Balancing the dark versus the light, and the grey, “normal” areas in-between where most of society exists—but they can’t seem to—was a big challenge. There were more than few times were I got lost and wondered if anything was making sense. But working on a film is such a group effort, on all levels, and I was lucky enough to be surrounded with incredibly talented collaborators and friends who helped along the way. Halfway through production I sat down with the cast and crew to talk about what was working and what needed to be changed. I’m forever grateful for that insight and honesty and believe it made the film stronger.
4) What was the hardest scene to get right? And/or were there scenes that you cut out last minute that weren’t working; or vice versa, happy accidents that occurred while filming?
Aside from limited time with the actors and crew, there wasn’t so much trouble during production. A small number of scenes from my script weren’t achieved, but time has healed those wounds. In the end, Blake and Layla gave me so much, editing proved to be the hardest! My initial directors cut was over 30 minutes because I was obsessed with their performances. Is that a happy accident?
5) What’s a film you’ve seen, new or old, in the last couple of years that you really loved and why?
I caught a screening of Ivan Dixon’s The Spook Who Sat By The Door last year and haven’t been able to shake it. Obviously it was meant to turn heads, as it was suppressed for a long time, but remains so powerfully direct and unforgiving—which most of my favorite films are. Existing somewhere between Blaxploitation and political satire, the film’s tone shifts beneath your feet, culminating in an unforgettable way. Though not particularly slick, it’s radical and revolutionary ideas told with passion and wit more than make up for technical shortcomings.
Bonus Question: What’s next for you?
Writing a short film about a psychic taking advantage of a grieving family, and a horror feature surrounding New York City real estate.
Contact Info:
IG: @body.god