Interview with executive producer Todd
Parker
By Beatrice Davis
We appreciate that you allow us to interview you and giving our readers a view behind the scene.
NSAEN: Todd you graduated with a degree in English Writing from St. Lawrence University. At that time, did you already have goals set in the film industry to use your skills as a writer?
Todd: No. My original thoughts were to pursue a career in Journalism. Writing was something that came easy to me. However, it was the arduous task of chasing people down for interviews and quotes that changed my mind about pursuing that profession.
NSAEN: After you graduated you worked in film distribution. Could you say that it was of help to you to learn about the other side of the film industry and to get a better understanding of how the whole process works?
Todd:Not really. My experience, while working at FILMS FOR THE HUMANITIES AND SCIENCES, was primarily of a customer service/call center nature. At this point, my future goals were primarily set on developing a sales career. I did have some brief exposure to the editing equipment and procedures, but it was really more tape duplication, rather than video production.
NSAEN: Todd you also have an actor’s background mostly in theater, is this something you would like to pursue further?
Todd: Yes, I have always had plans to keep an involvement in theatrical acting. However, I don’t think that I would ever pursue that as a career, as there is far more creative freedom as a writer and director.
NSAEN: What are some of the challenges you have encountered working with advertising and marketing companies?
Todd: The biggest challenge is dealing with what, at times, seems like an infinite number of decision-makers. It is such a compartmentalized industry and it is very tricky to get the left hand of a company to work in sync with the right .
NSAEN: Your creative writing reaches from a romantic comedy feature (which you optioned to a producer in Montreal, Quebec) to four episodes of a crime drama television series,, to a feature about the Underground Railroad, to one of your newest projects, a vampire film. Where does your creativity come from and where do you get your inspiration from?
Todd:I enjoy writing stories about the human condition. I like to create characters that are trying to escape from something. This is a model that seems to work well for me across several varying genres. My inspiration usually jumps out from the most unexpedted of places. I named one of my films EQUINOX, simply because I was stopped at a red light and saw a car in front of me with that word on the back.
NSAEN: Are you
considering working in the future in
Todd: I would consider working anywhere that allows me creative expression and steady income.
NSAEN: Is there any project you would love to work on?
Todd: I recently had the pleasure of reading a dynamic script about a female spy in World War II. Hopefully I will be able to be a part of that production if all goes well..
NSAEN: What is your opinion about today’s film and movie industry?
Todd: I have found that most people in the industry are very welcoming of newcomers and are willing to give advice and referrals. However, I have yet to find out where the people are who have the multi-million dollar bank accounts.
NSAEN: Do you think the film budgets of today are increasing and can we see an increase in ticket sales in the future?
Todd: Yes, budgets are definitely increasing as every producer strives for “bigger and better”. As for an increase in ticket sales, I guess that will probably depend on how positive the word of mouth about any given film is. What I do anticipate, however, is an increase in ticket sales of independent films.
NSAEN: What are the biggest challenges today for a new up-and-coming director and producer?
Todd: I think the biggest challenge for a new director is to prove himself to the audience. My experience has shown that new directors are very welcomed by veteran actors, but are far less amicably embraced by the general public.
NSAEN: Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years and what would you have love to have accomplished?
Todd: Hopefully five years from now I will have at least three feature films to my credit, either as director or writer or both.
NSAEN: What advice could you give new producers who are just learning how this industry works?
Todd: Talk to everybody in the industry you possibly can about their experience and never take “no” for an answer
NSAEN: Thank you for taking the time to be interviewed by No Strings Attached E News and wish you luck and success in your future ventures and we hope to see you soon on the red carpet!