5 Questions with Nicholas Motyka
The free-for-all melodrama, “Young Shadow,” by director Nicholas Motyka, tells the story of a houseguest who begins to unravel after seeing a painting of herself. We asked Motyka about the genesis of the project, his filming approach, and working with his talented cast…
1) Can you talk briefly about your background and how you came to make films? What’s your connection to the art world, if any?
Born n' raised in the suburban pits of Western Massachusetts, the magic of movies and movie making entranced me from a very young age. A hobby that became an obsession, ultimately blossoming into a way of being. Now, for better or worse, cinematic language has become the language I feel most fluent in.
I went to film school and after two years of that, I dropped out, got the "brilliant" idea to go for literal broke and headed to New York City in search of a way to continue my exploration into cinema. (You know... just like in the damned movies) Luckily, through the generosity of wonderfully supportive friends, a few chance encounters and faith that all the trouble would amount to something, I survived long enough for the Ol' Apple to show a little mercy and guide me into the East Village where I'd meet Willard Morgan and Ideal Glass Studios, eventually beginning a wildly productive and long lasting collaboration.
Over the last four years at the Glass, I've acted as a sort of surveyor to a niche corner of an art scene filled to the brim with an array of endlessly fascinating personas, dramas, and adventures. A constant source of influence and inspiration.
2) How did this film in particular get started?
Naturally, the first thing that arrived was the idea for the film's finale but honestly I think it all got going when I woke up one day and said, “I'm going to work with Desmond Confoy on whatever I do next.” I’d only worked with Desmond once while at Purchase College. He starred in my freshman thesis film, Flesh Mannequin, in 2014 and I had greatly enjoyed the experience. I'm always interested in seeing what he'll dish out on screen or on stage but, at the time, I wanted to see him take on a heartier role in a film. So I gave him a random call to catch up and shoot around early ideas about the film. Pretty sure we even discussed potential shooting dates. Overall, Des seemed jazzed about playing an artist whose masterpiece, rather literally, destroys itself. He told me to send him a script when we got off the phone... That’s probably when I thought, “Shit, now I actually have to write this damn thing.”
3) The style is very raw / visceral / melodramatic. How were you able to visualize this / what was the process working with your D.P?
For every new project, I'm always on the lookout for a new type of shooting approach so that we can best reflect the inner energies of our particular subjects. With the characters in this film, I knew the look needed to be oddly calculated, rawly emotional and create a constantly quivering anxiety. Vuk L.K. (being a writer/director of masterfully crafted character dramas) is no stranger to close and intimate photography in his films. With Young Shadow being our sixth collaboration, I knew he'd have the right eyes for the project.
During the only meeting we had before shooting, we watched John Cassavetes' 68' opus, Faces. Being on a Cassavetes' kick at the time, I assumed handheld was the way to go but Vuk quickly pointed out that most of Faces was shot on sticks. Then the idea arrived; by having the camera locked down and rarely move with our subjects, we trap them. Suffocating them in a frame they can't escape. Indifferent and unforgiving. Each shot composed a bit like a painting. While on set, we'd firmly make a risky choice to not shoot coverage, opting for masters to play out. This being the key to our desired raw and unmerciful look.
4) I’m a big fan of Megan DeCino. This is a very different role for her, at least from what I’ve seen. What was the process like working with her to get to this, I don’t know, ferocious performance?
Megan DeCino is an incredible talent. Dominating every frame, she can truly make any role feel fully alive. I'd seen her in many student films and actually worked with her while at Purchase. It was a very brief collaboration. She provided the voice for a small fish in an experimental short, Far Away Blue. Having just finished the first draft of the script, I randomly bumped into Megan walking through the village. I hadn't seen her for a year or two so we caught up a bit and I told her a bit about the script. Then and there, she told me that the film's story sounded disturbingly similar to recent situations and feelings she had been experiencing. This would be reconfirmed tenfold when she read the script itself. I'd never seen Megan play exactly this type of character before but I was sure just from how she spoke about it, that she knew Lou 'personally'. And I don't mean the version of the character that I had dreamed up, but rather a Lou that was exclusive to Megan. I feel I had very little to do with the ferocious performance you see in the film. My contribution was only in creating an environment where Megan felt comfortable and safe to unleash and explore her Lou. I believe Megan presented us with a rare type of magic that I felt we successfully captured. I'll be most excited to see whatever project she's a part of next.
5) What comes next for you?
I've been a real busy bee since we finished Young Shadow. Lately, I've been working as a cinematographer/editor for soon to be released indie pilots; Loon, Les Fashionables and Under the Bridge. I've collaborated on a couple of music videos for the band, Floam and a few performance art videos for a project called Cosmic Rhythm by Takuya Nakumura and Azumi OE .
But over the last few weeks, I've been fully engrossed in directing and editing my most ambitious cinematic endeavor to date. It's a short flick called BOILER, adapted from a poem by Bob Holman.
BOILER will be released online by the Visible Poetry Project along with about thirty other short poetry films throughout April. If ya' curious, check Visible Poetry Project out on the Vimeo. Having just finished BOILER a few days ago, I thought maybe I'd ease on the brakes for a bit. That idea was quickly and pleasantly forlorn as I've just started laying down the foundation for, what I hope will be, my next short.
Bonus question: Can you discuss some formative films and filmmakers for you when you were first starting to get interested in movies?
I grew up with a lot of classic family flicks; musicals, blockbusters, occasionally catching old school Westerns and noirs when a grandparent would fall asleep with the TV on.
The seminal, earliest influences, being shows like, Mary Poppins, the Star Wars films, Sound of Music, Fantasia 2000, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Wallace & Gromit, the original Twilight Zone and, for some reason, the television run of M*A*S*H*.
Getting older and realizing that there were actual people that made these movies, I got hooked on, Spielberg eventually leading to a transformative, still standing obsession with Kubrick.
At sixteen, a neighbor would introduce me to a film that genuinely changed the way I thought about movies and the way I'd look at life. This film was Alejandro Jodorowsky's The Holy Mountain.
From there I'd discover and be endlessly inspired by the works of, Von Trier, Charlie Kaufman, Maya Deren, Harmony Korine, P.T., Lindsay & Wes Anderson, Lynch, Sofia Coppola, Welles, Refn, Tarkovsky, Cassavetes and so many more.
Contact info:
nictyka@gmail.com
(413) 537 - 1406