5 Questions with Justin Casselle ("Valentine’s Day First Date")
Justin Casselle (left) with writer/actor Maame-Yaa Aforo (center) and actor William Basham (right)
1) Can you talk briefly about your background, and how you first got interested in filmmaking?
Like most of us, I’ve always loved tv and movies but early on in my life I didn’t think of them beyond entertainment. Sure, some tv shows or movies stuck with me but I wasn’t in a space and didn’t have the language to understand the medium of filmmaking as something that could shape and move culture. Thankfully, that all changed. The desire to create kicked into high gear in college when I had the opportunity to perform in theatre (shoutout to Hairspray), write sketches, and create short films. My synapses firing, I knew deep down that from then on all I wanted to do was make movies. I worked for a number of years after college producing TV commercials in Chicago. I was feeling myself, no lie. Traveling the world, shooting commercials that I’d always see on TV, sometimes with high-profile directors and actors but ultimately I was unfulfilled. The work looked great and the experience was my own version of film school, but none of it was anything I could truly put my heart into. So as I was climbing the ranks as a producer, I was also writing and directing my own work whenever I could. Chicago has a beautiful independent film scene full of wildly talented Black, brown, and queer folks that show up and work hard for each other. I was fortunate enough to find a tribe to make some work that had an impact and I never looked back. And then one day I realized I’m doing the thing younger me didn’t even know was possible.
2) What was the initial idea for this project and how did it evolve from there?
“I had the idea to write this short after a discussion with friends about how we wished dating was easier and more practical. I always start my writing with a character’s perspective and it genuinely made me laugh to think of this woman who had no time to waste falling in love but was simply focused on the bottom line. Around this time last year I had planned to shoot something every month (thanks COVID) and I’m so glad that I was able to collaborate with Casselle on this piece before the world changed.”
-writer, Maame-Yaa Aforo
The first time Maame-Yaa and I met we really hit it off. She told me she wanted to collaborate on something, but knowing how successful she already was already, independently and with sketch group Obama’s Other Daughters, I was cautiously optimistic. But then she sent the script over to me and I couldn’t stop laughing. I could visualize the short so clearly! She’s a great writer and creative partner, and from pre-production all through post we were on the same page, pushing each other to make it better.
3) What was the biggest challenge in making this film? And the easiest part?
I don’t know if I would describe the process of making this film or any other film I’ve made as easy because I don’t think filmmaking is ever easy. But it’s so rewarding when things go right and you have the right people in place in case they don’t. But what made this production such a smooth one was the effort and willingness our talent and crew put in. Maame-Yaa wrote a great script that I quickly was able to visualize in my head and each and every one of our crew members were game. As for the difficulties? We filmed this with a skeleton crew so everyone was pulling maybe a bit more weight than usual. I typically work well with a smaller crew, but every production I find myself wishing for just one more person. Thankfully, the crew I brought on along with the folks my cinematographer Taylor Russ brought on all had connections to Chicago and if there’s one thing about Chicago filmmakers its that we’re always going to be down for our people.
4) What’s a film you’ve seen recently, new or old, that you really loved and why?
I recently watched The 40 Year Old Version, written and directed by Rhada Blank. If you haven’t seen it, it’s a personal and hilarious story about this down-on-her-luck playwright who turns to rapping to reconnect with her voice. Personally, I love a good character journey and this movie takes you all over the place, emotionally and quite literally all over New York. The city is depicted beautifully, filmed stunningly in black and white, and the film puts front and center a Black woman in her 40s who, simply put, is just going through some shit. I found kinship with that film through the struggles the Rhada’s character goes through and the films tightrope balancing of comedy and personal hardship. And I also really want to shoot something in black and white so there’s that.
5) What’s next for you?
Writing, writing and more writing. In the works are a pilot, an outline of my second feature script, and nascent ideas on what my next short will be. But, ya know, mainly just trying to survive.
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Justin Casselle: www.casselle.us | Twitter: @Casselle IG: @Casselle_
Maame-Yaa Aforo: Twitter and IG: @yaamaams
