An Evening with Murphy Rhodes
An Exclusive Interview with Actor, Director, Writer, Producer and Founder of XRhodes Films
with Chris Carmenère
09/04/2018 19:32
I've been lucky enough to interview some of the most famous names we know today: Di Caprio, Hardy, Cruise, Hanks, Depp. Tonight, I sat with a man looking to add the name 'Rhodes' to that list. Here's the interview transcript - in full, uncensored and unscripted.
CC: Murphy, nice to have you back!
MR: Yeah, good to see you, what's it been, like, six months?
CC: I can tell you - six months, 25 days and roughly.. 14 hours.
MR: I was making small talk, Chris.
CC: It's my job to know these things! So, Murphy, I'm gonna start easy and we'll just see where this goes.
MR: Sounds ominous. Okay, yeah, let's do this.
CC: So, I'm curious - was there a time, a moment, anything - where you realised filmmaking wasn't just a hobby? That it would be what you wanted to do as your life and your living going forward?
MR: *pauses*... I guess... I went through a heavy break up in 2014 after a nine year relationship, and I broke. I had nothing. Felt like there was no reason to carry on. Was very depressed. My friends and family felt it, too. It was a horrible time. But a few people lifted me out of it, pushed me on. A friend encouraged me to perform in a play that needed a villain, and I love playing the villain, and another friend broke up with his long term girlfriend round the same time, we struggled together. But we got through it. He was a big part of that. The pain came out in a script for him, he wrote, he wanted me to act. We'd worked together before. But he asked me to produce it for him, too. He said he believed I could do it. That it shouldn't be anyone else. I think what we'd both been through had given us a much closer bond. We made the film, it went down well. But during that process of producing for the first time ever, I got the bug. I went home and looked back at some basic scripts I'd written in 2014. They were okay, but they need work. So, I worked on them. And they became Forward Slash/Jobs - which is now in post-production. I realised that being on a set distracted me, gave me a reason to live, made me feel alive. I guess that was it. That was when I knew that I was in this for life.
CC: Wow. Seems like we're getting into the heavy stuff on question one.
MR: Yeah, I was supposed to save all that for later. Luckily, I've now found an amazing girl who's sorted me right out *laughs*. She also makes for a bloody brilliant production manager!
CC: Well, speaking of Forward Slash/Jobs, and your other work, would you say it's harder to get started or keep going?
MR: Get started, definitely.
CC: What challenges did you face? Or do you face as a filmmaker to get started?
MR: For me it's usually location. At the moment, our films are all working on zero budget, so you have to really think about locations you can get for free before going into production. Also, there's definitely a gap in crew quality. The problem with finding crew, is that you're either looking at working with someone who's had no experience, and while they may be fantastic, they have little to no work to show for it, so it's always a risk to give them a shot. The alternative is someone with lots of experience, who may not be able to put your project first. The last thing you want is to recruit someone who calls a day before to say they've been offered a high paying job for your shoot date and have to put that job first; they have to pay bills, after all.
CC: So, how did you get around those issues on 'To Whom It May Concern' and 'Forward Slash/Jobs'?
MR: We were really lucky with both. 'To Whom It May Concern''s DOP was an old friend of mine and Ben (Johnson)'s . He'd been at university and happened to be back home, so we pushed into production immediately and got the film made. It was really good timing. With '(Forward) Slash/Jobs' we enlisted Blue Almond Films, who luckily were looking for portfolio work. We had seven shoot dates for the series, and there were several times one of them couldn't make it, so on those dates, we asked some of the guys who'd offered their help, some of the guys with less experience, to fill in. And they did a great job, and have definitely cemented themselves in our plans going forward as a result.
CC: What would you say is the most important lesson you've learned so far?
MR: In filmmaking?
CC: Yeah.
MR: Probably that less is more? I've been sent so many scripts that have so much potential but I just can't get behind them because there's so much dialogue that could easily be said with a facial expression, an eye movement, a gesture... *pause* I mean, I was guilty of it myself, but it's been pointed out to me, and now I just.. get it. Writers, my advice? Stop explaining so much. I know you feel you need to explain everything that's happening in your scene description, dialogue, everything, to make sure that people understand what's going on - but if it makes sense, they'll get it. If you're not already conscious of all this, then trust me, cut your scripts in half. Minimum! I'll tell you another piece of advice. If you're new to the filmmaking game? Don't write a feature film. You're not ready. I don't care how good you think you are. My use of the English language is pretty fucking spectacular. But I've been screenwriting for five or six years and I still consider myself a beginner.
CC: What makes film great for you? Are there certain qualities that make a film better for you?
MR: For me, I love atmosphere. Silences, pauses, realism. In life, how I've experienced it, people don't respond with amazing quotes, powerful messages, 'be all and end all' comments. People respond awkwardly, most people aren't ready for small talk, they're caught off guard, I know I am. And if there's nothing to say, nothing gets said. Picture this for me: you're on a park bench. A stranger sits next to you. It doesn't matter who - an elderly person, a teenager, a homeless man, a business woman, a black man, a white woman... what happens next? What happens in real life? Do you turn to them, say something wise? No. Nothing gets said. If they speak to you? It's small talk. If it's not? It's confusing and weird and you're not expecting it. So why do films show these moments to be something else? It's not realistic. Someone sits next to me on a bench, I'm immediately uncomfortable - there's other benches, right? If they speak to me? I'm off guard. I want to show that. I want to be truthful to the situation and as to what happens. I love that uncomfortable moment.
CC: XRhodes Films' debut film 'To Whom It May Concern' was recently screened at a brand new film festival: The Escapist in Liverpool, where you are of course based. Has this helped in any way? What do you think are the benefits of having your film screened at a film festival?
MR: The Escapist was also our first film festival screening! Benefits-wise, honestly, I guess for me it was a kind of.. confirmation? Is that the right word? The fact that we were chosen made me think 'Maybe it's not just us that like our film after all!'. It definitely gets us seen by other people in the industry, veterans, newcomers - it's a networking opportunity, for sure, and it gives you the opportunity to show your film to people who have no choice but to watch it because they've paid for a ticket! *laughs* The Escapist was great, there were some excellent films shown, and to be on that list was awesome. Whether having the film screened has helped? I guess it's helped mentally - now I just want to get back out there and keep making magic.
CC: I've seen this question posted around the internet to many filmmakers, often with the question being ignored. Looking at 'To Whom It May Concern' which of course, I understand, was a two person cast, and also 'Forward Slash/Jobs', there is a lack of non-white actors. Why is that?
MR: Honestly, I'm glad that's being asked. I imagine a lot of filmmakers squirm when that question is asked, and I'm glad they do. It's certainly something that needs to be addressed. But I'll add to it: What's with the lack of strong female roles? I'll be completely honest, not that I have a reason to be anything other than that: I've gone through a certain change with my writing. After noticing these issues myself, I began to think, well, how can I incorporate other genders or other ethnicities into my work? And then I realised very, very quickly that I was asking myself the wrong question. In fact, there was no question. Sure, as a writer, I'll have a vague idea of the look of a character I'm writing, but if someone blows me away in an audition, I'll consider changing my view. You shouldn't change your writing for a different ethnicity or a different gender. Why can't someone non-caucasian or non-male play what you may have originally considered as a white, male role? A prime example is that when I was casting for 'Forward Slash/Jobs', which does actually have a non-caucasian actor in, I was casting for a male for episode two. The character's name was Graham. My co-producer Jazz, a girl, was holding the auditions with me. I'd really enjoyed the audition process and had several male actors in mind for it. Jazz, also a female actor, had mentioned several times, seemingly jokingly, that she'd love to audition for the role of 'Graham'. We ended the auditions and she mentioned it again. So, I obliged her. She left the room and came back in as 'Graham'. She was amazing. And I cast her. We didn't even change the characters name! It comes down to this, and Jazz proved it - You can write with a character in mind; a certain gender, a certain race. But at the end of the day, what separates us? What can a white, male play that a female can't, or a transgendered person can't? Or a black male can't? Or an Asian female can't? Nothing. It's an issue I feel very strongly about, and for me, it just comes down to who played it best at the audition.
CC: That was clearly heartfelt. A strong response, and one I completely agree with you on. I think we'll end with this - what's next for you? And what's next for XRhodes Films?
MR: Need to calm down after that monologue *laughs*. Uh, for me, I've been writing with a close friend and excellent director and creative, a Mr. Emmett Meehan. We're working on a short comedy series, potentially under XRhodes Films, or potentially under a different name with a XRhodes affiliation. For XRhodes Films, specifically? Well, 'Forward Slash/Jobs' is making major headway now in post-production, so that's on it's way. We do also have several other short films, written by yours truly, that we're planning to push into post-production this year and next year, so hopefully we'll have a few more films out by 2019. These films are hopefully going to change the landscape of indie film and I really, really believe in them.
CC: Murphy, thank you for your time.
MR: Thank you! Any time!
I've been lucky enough to interview some of the most famous names we know today: Di Caprio, Hardy, Cruise, Hanks, Depp. Tonight, I sat with a man looking to add the name 'Rhodes' to that list. Here's the interview transcript - in full, uncensored and unscripted.
CC: Murphy, nice to have you back!
MR: Yeah, good to see you, what's it been, like, six months?
CC: I can tell you - six months, 25 days and roughly.. 14 hours.
MR: I was making small talk, Chris.
CC: It's my job to know these things! So, Murphy, I'm gonna start easy and we'll just see where this goes.
MR: Sounds ominous. Okay, yeah, let's do this.
CC: So, I'm curious - was there a time, a moment, anything - where you realised filmmaking wasn't just a hobby? That it would be what you wanted to do as your life and your living going forward?
MR: *pauses*... I guess... I went through a heavy break up in 2014 after a nine year relationship, and I broke. I had nothing. Felt like there was no reason to carry on. Was very depressed. My friends and family felt it, too. It was a horrible time. But a few people lifted me out of it, pushed me on. A friend encouraged me to perform in a play that needed a villain, and I love playing the villain, and another friend broke up with his long term girlfriend round the same time, we struggled together. But we got through it. He was a big part of that. The pain came out in a script for him, he wrote, he wanted me to act. We'd worked together before. But he asked me to produce it for him, too. He said he believed I could do it. That it shouldn't be anyone else. I think what we'd both been through had given us a much closer bond. We made the film, it went down well. But during that process of producing for the first time ever, I got the bug. I went home and looked back at some basic scripts I'd written in 2014. They were okay, but they need work. So, I worked on them. And they became Forward Slash/Jobs - which is now in post-production. I realised that being on a set distracted me, gave me a reason to live, made me feel alive. I guess that was it. That was when I knew that I was in this for life.
CC: Wow. Seems like we're getting into the heavy stuff on question one.
MR: Yeah, I was supposed to save all that for later. Luckily, I've now found an amazing girl who's sorted me right out *laughs*. She also makes for a bloody brilliant production manager!
CC: Well, speaking of Forward Slash/Jobs, and your other work, would you say it's harder to get started or keep going?
MR: Get started, definitely.
CC: What challenges did you face? Or do you face as a filmmaker to get started?
MR: For me it's usually location. At the moment, our films are all working on zero budget, so you have to really think about locations you can get for free before going into production. Also, there's definitely a gap in crew quality. The problem with finding crew, is that you're either looking at working with someone who's had no experience, and while they may be fantastic, they have little to no work to show for it, so it's always a risk to give them a shot. The alternative is someone with lots of experience, who may not be able to put your project first. The last thing you want is to recruit someone who calls a day before to say they've been offered a high paying job for your shoot date and have to put that job first; they have to pay bills, after all.
CC: So, how did you get around those issues on 'To Whom It May Concern' and 'Forward Slash/Jobs'?
MR: We were really lucky with both. 'To Whom It May Concern''s DOP was an old friend of mine and Ben (Johnson)'s . He'd been at university and happened to be back home, so we pushed into production immediately and got the film made. It was really good timing. With '(Forward) Slash/Jobs' we enlisted Blue Almond Films, who luckily were looking for portfolio work. We had seven shoot dates for the series, and there were several times one of them couldn't make it, so on those dates, we asked some of the guys who'd offered their help, some of the guys with less experience, to fill in. And they did a great job, and have definitely cemented themselves in our plans going forward as a result.
CC: What would you say is the most important lesson you've learned so far?
MR: In filmmaking?
CC: Yeah.
MR: Probably that less is more? I've been sent so many scripts that have so much potential but I just can't get behind them because there's so much dialogue that could easily be said with a facial expression, an eye movement, a gesture... *pause* I mean, I was guilty of it myself, but it's been pointed out to me, and now I just.. get it. Writers, my advice? Stop explaining so much. I know you feel you need to explain everything that's happening in your scene description, dialogue, everything, to make sure that people understand what's going on - but if it makes sense, they'll get it. If you're not already conscious of all this, then trust me, cut your scripts in half. Minimum! I'll tell you another piece of advice. If you're new to the filmmaking game? Don't write a feature film. You're not ready. I don't care how good you think you are. My use of the English language is pretty fucking spectacular. But I've been screenwriting for five or six years and I still consider myself a beginner.
CC: What makes film great for you? Are there certain qualities that make a film better for you?
MR: For me, I love atmosphere. Silences, pauses, realism. In life, how I've experienced it, people don't respond with amazing quotes, powerful messages, 'be all and end all' comments. People respond awkwardly, most people aren't ready for small talk, they're caught off guard, I know I am. And if there's nothing to say, nothing gets said. Picture this for me: you're on a park bench. A stranger sits next to you. It doesn't matter who - an elderly person, a teenager, a homeless man, a business woman, a black man, a white woman... what happens next? What happens in real life? Do you turn to them, say something wise? No. Nothing gets said. If they speak to you? It's small talk. If it's not? It's confusing and weird and you're not expecting it. So why do films show these moments to be something else? It's not realistic. Someone sits next to me on a bench, I'm immediately uncomfortable - there's other benches, right? If they speak to me? I'm off guard. I want to show that. I want to be truthful to the situation and as to what happens. I love that uncomfortable moment.
CC: XRhodes Films' debut film 'To Whom It May Concern' was recently screened at a brand new film festival: The Escapist in Liverpool, where you are of course based. Has this helped in any way? What do you think are the benefits of having your film screened at a film festival?
MR: The Escapist was also our first film festival screening! Benefits-wise, honestly, I guess for me it was a kind of.. confirmation? Is that the right word? The fact that we were chosen made me think 'Maybe it's not just us that like our film after all!'. It definitely gets us seen by other people in the industry, veterans, newcomers - it's a networking opportunity, for sure, and it gives you the opportunity to show your film to people who have no choice but to watch it because they've paid for a ticket! *laughs* The Escapist was great, there were some excellent films shown, and to be on that list was awesome. Whether having the film screened has helped? I guess it's helped mentally - now I just want to get back out there and keep making magic.
CC: I've seen this question posted around the internet to many filmmakers, often with the question being ignored. Looking at 'To Whom It May Concern' which of course, I understand, was a two person cast, and also 'Forward Slash/Jobs', there is a lack of non-white actors. Why is that?
MR: Honestly, I'm glad that's being asked. I imagine a lot of filmmakers squirm when that question is asked, and I'm glad they do. It's certainly something that needs to be addressed. But I'll add to it: What's with the lack of strong female roles? I'll be completely honest, not that I have a reason to be anything other than that: I've gone through a certain change with my writing. After noticing these issues myself, I began to think, well, how can I incorporate other genders or other ethnicities into my work? And then I realised very, very quickly that I was asking myself the wrong question. In fact, there was no question. Sure, as a writer, I'll have a vague idea of the look of a character I'm writing, but if someone blows me away in an audition, I'll consider changing my view. You shouldn't change your writing for a different ethnicity or a different gender. Why can't someone non-caucasian or non-male play what you may have originally considered as a white, male role? A prime example is that when I was casting for 'Forward Slash/Jobs', which does actually have a non-caucasian actor in, I was casting for a male for episode two. The character's name was Graham. My co-producer Jazz, a girl, was holding the auditions with me. I'd really enjoyed the audition process and had several male actors in mind for it. Jazz, also a female actor, had mentioned several times, seemingly jokingly, that she'd love to audition for the role of 'Graham'. We ended the auditions and she mentioned it again. So, I obliged her. She left the room and came back in as 'Graham'. She was amazing. And I cast her. We didn't even change the characters name! It comes down to this, and Jazz proved it - You can write with a character in mind; a certain gender, a certain race. But at the end of the day, what separates us? What can a white, male play that a female can't, or a transgendered person can't? Or a black male can't? Or an Asian female can't? Nothing. It's an issue I feel very strongly about, and for me, it just comes down to who played it best at the audition.
CC: That was clearly heartfelt. A strong response, and one I completely agree with you on. I think we'll end with this - what's next for you? And what's next for XRhodes Films?
MR: Need to calm down after that monologue *laughs*. Uh, for me, I've been writing with a close friend and excellent director and creative, a Mr. Emmett Meehan. We're working on a short comedy series, potentially under XRhodes Films, or potentially under a different name with a XRhodes affiliation. For XRhodes Films, specifically? Well, 'Forward Slash/Jobs' is making major headway now in post-production, so that's on it's way. We do also have several other short films, written by yours truly, that we're planning to push into post-production this year and next year, so hopefully we'll have a few more films out by 2019. These films are hopefully going to change the landscape of indie film and I really, really believe in them.
CC: Murphy, thank you for your time.
MR: Thank you! Any time!