5 Questions with Nick Beardslee ("Everything Happens to Me")

1) Can you talk briefly about your background, and how you first got interested in filmmaking?

I grew up in Michigan making little movies with my older brother in the backyard. They were mostly silly action movies where we’d get blown up by horribly composited explosions, but I loved every part of the process. I would listen to film scores all the time as a kid, and I was always chasing the feelings it gave me, trying to put together all the pieces in a way that earned music like that. You can still clearly see my interest in music throughout Everything Happens to Me. 

I went to school at Grand Valley State University and currently work at the University of Michigan, making videos for the art and design school. 

2) What was the initial idea for this project and how did it evolve from there?

I knew I wanted to make a film about what can’t be said on a first date. How there’s no going back when you cross that line. I also wanted to use a frame story, just for the fun of bouncing back and forth between two parallel timelines and seeing the ways they do or don’t add up. It was just about having enough disconnect there to make it interesting.

3) What was the biggest challenge in making this film? And the easiest part?

The biggest challenge was wearing all the hats. I was the only crew-person on set, and so from a technical perspective, if I didn’t catch something, nobody would. But for a film of the right size, it’s sometimes a fun way to work. 

The easiest part was bringing the cast together. I’ve got a lot of friends in the musical theatre department at the University of Michigan, and they’re some of the most talented, hard-working people I know. Andrew Cekala and Erica Ito are both from there. Hire them. They’re great. 

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

I haven’t stopped thinking about Steven Soderbergh’s Let Them All Talk. It’s a joy to watch that cast find their own words, and I love the handmade way Soderbergh works. He seems to always find a way to make whatever film he wants to make, and then he moves on to the next one without overthinking it. That’s kind of the dream.

5) What’s next for you?

I’ve got another short coming soon called Just Like You, about a guy who hears his ex is dating his doppelgänger. It’s a fun, spooky time. I’m also planning for a move to Brooklyn soon, where I’d like to start putting together a short series I’ve been wanting to make for a while. 

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nickbeardslee.com | IG: @nicholasbeardslee