Lone Star State natives on the silver screen
On a roll
By MICHELE MARCOTTE
Cox East Texas
Thursday, February 07, 2008
Write. Direct. Act.
"That's what I do," said SFA alumnus Derek Johnson, displaying the same charismatic smile that appears in his mock film, "Innocent's Way."
The 24-year-old filmmaker, a resident of Shreveport, La., recently wrapped up a promotional version of what will soon be his full-length feature, and he stopped by Buzz to chat about the film and life in the fast lane of Hollywood South.
"Innocent's Way is a film about a 90-year-old man who recalls his life back to his grandson who is writing a book about him," Johnson said, leaning in towards the chaos of my desk, eyes wide with excitement. "... It deals a lot with race, and about how everyone, no matter what, has the right to exist. The whole story (the grandfather depicts) changes the grandson's perspective on life."
Johnson, a 2006 graduate of SFA's School of Art with a concentration on cinematography and filmmaking, said he had the idea for the film for about five years before he actually began writing the script last spring.
"At that point, I just felt that it was time to go ahead and put pen to paper," he said.
He completed the manuscript in late June and wrapped up filming of the mock trailer, a marketing tool filmmakers use to entice investors into a project, this past fall. Johnson said he has had interest from both Warner Brothers and United Artists, but nothing is definite.
"I'm hoping to get one of them, but we will have to see," he said.
The film is not based on a true story, however, its story line was inspired by Johnson's family.
"I took their situations," he said. "The film takes place in the 1930s and 1940s, in Louisiana. I play the younger version of the grandfather, Ethan McGowan, growing up through the depression and World War II."
The film is being produced by Johnson's own production company, AJ16 Entertainment, which he formed in 2007 in dedication to his late brother, Adam.
The company's name comes from Adam's initials and his favorite number, 16.
"Innocent's Way" will be AJ16's first production.
The feature film is in the beginning stages of casting, but has secured Brad Maule, a well-known actor best known for his role as Dr. Tony Jones on General Hospital, and Marc Macaulay, who has played numerous supporting roles in major Hollywood films including, "Bad Boys," "Monster" and "Passenger 57." Johnson said filming will begin this summer or next spring in East Texas and Louisiana.
Some of the actors have worked with Johnson in the past. In 2006, Maule, an SFA adjunct faculty member, starred opposite of him in the School of Art's feature film "Within Us," which Johnson also wrote and directed.
Most recently, the two actors worked together on the set of a small, independent, untitled film that was written and directed by fellow SFA alumnus and current graduate student, Rob Senska.
"Rob is working with me on some other films, and (last year) approached me about a film that he wanted to shoot on a low budget in his spare time, to kind of fill the gaps between (our next film) 'Supergirl,'" Johnson said. "We have all these films we're shooting in 2008 and he was like, 'Until then, let's just have fun and shoot a film.'"
Filming recently wrapped on the untitled project, which is set for release later this year.
Both men are currently gearing up for Leading Edge Productions' first feature film "Supergirl," which will be Johnson's final project before he begins production on "Innocent's Way."
In addition to working behind the scenes as the director of the film, Johnson will play Dick Malverne, who befriends Supergirl and later becomes a love interest. Senska will also work behind the scenes as the film's director of photography.
"Supergirl is really my big break," Johnson said.
Johnson first became interested in acting and films while at Carthage High School.
"I was always acting and directing," he said. 'Then when I went to SFA, I just continued with it."
In 2005, during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Johnson broke into Hollywood films.
"When Katrina hit, everything that was being filmed in New Orleans got moved to Shreveport," he said. "I started hearing about casting calls and ended up being cast in a lot of Hollywood shows."
Johnson has acted in made-for-TV-movies such as "Ruffian," and "The Initiation of Sarah," big-budget feature films including "The Guardian," and he worked in a variety of off-screen positions, including assistant director, production assistant and unit production manager.
"I owe SFA a lot for what I do ... I'm proud to say that I was a part of it," he said.
