{"id":12226,"date":"2015-12-02T07:09:54","date_gmt":"2015-12-02T12:09:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kqek.com\/mobile\/?p=12226"},"modified":"2015-12-02T07:30:24","modified_gmt":"2015-12-02T12:30:24","slug":"dante-tomaselli-2014","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kqek.com\/mobile\/?p=12226","title":{"rendered":"Dante Tomaselli’s Nightmares"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Tomaselli_3CDs_combo\"<\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Between 2014 and 2015, MVD Audio \/ Elite released a trio of concept albums by writer-director-composer Dante Tomaselli, atmospheric works of sounds and fragmented music & voices that immerse listeners into a nightmarish yet eerily calming underworld.<\/p>\n

Scream in the Dark<\/a><\/b>\u00a0was followed by\u00a0The Doll<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>(an album which also\u00a0conceptualizes some of the sonic elements Tomaselli was experimenting with prior to filming his next movie), and Nightmare<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

As detailed in the following lengthy Q&A (originally published at Rue Morgue’s website prior to its 2015 revision), Tomaselli invests an extensive amount of time crafting the soundscapes for his films. His latest movie\u00a0<\/span>Torture Chamber<\/b>\u00a0features a rich sound design which is quite hypnotic, and in addition to discussing the aforementioned projects, we also touch upon <\/span>The Ocean<\/b>, a production that was ultimately cancelled; the amazing subterranean locations used for <\/span>Torture Chamber<\/b>;<\/strong> and his intimate relationship with sound.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

\"Ocean_poster\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Mark R. Hasan<\/b>: Before we discuss Torture Chamber<\/b>, I wonder if we could briefly talk about The Ocean<\/b>, which was a project long in planning with Michael Gingold, and was to follow Satan\u2019s Playground<\/b>. Is The Ocean<\/b> currently in stasis, or are there complicated circumstances that have prevented the project from coming to fruition?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Dante Tomaselli<\/b>: Well, that was a very uneasy period. And a real\u00a0life lesson. I had everything aligned, screenplay,\u00a0actors, crew, locations, everything but the\u00a0financing. It was\u00a0painful having pre-production\u00a0discussions with\u00a0performers like Adrienne Barbeau and Dee Wallace and then never shooting the movie. It felt like a knife in my heart.\u00a0The Ocean<\/b> was\u00a0very personal, centering on a psychic haunted by visions of a watery apocalypse.\u00a0I had no idea that it\u00a0would\u00a0turn out to be\u00a0nearly\u00a0my\u00a0own\u00a0apocalypse. When I discovered the funding was\u00a0not there I just\u00a0turned the lights off.\u00a0I was gone.\u00a0Done.\u00a0I went into a dark place.<\/p>\n

You know, I was having relative\u00a0success up until that point. Every movie I visualized was made reality by\u00a0the power of positive visualization. And\u00a0while not\u00a0theatrical releases,\u00a0the budgets were so low… the films\u00a0always\u00a0landed solid DVD\u00a0distributors like Image, Elite and AnchorBay.\u00a0I ended up seeing them sold in stores.\u00a0Each film\u00a0found its audience.\u00a0Like many independent films, there were some\u00a0years in between projects. Desecration<\/b>, Horror<\/b> and Satan’s Playground<\/b>…They materialized… and I sincerely believed The Ocean<\/b> would too.\u00a0I learned that\u00a0there’s an ebb and flow to these things dictated\u00a0by\u00a0a higher power,\u00a0beyond\u00a0comprehension.\u00a0It’s not\u00a0always\u00a0about the force of my\u00a0will.<\/p>\n

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\"TortureChamber_poster\"<\/a><\/p>\n

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MRH<\/b>: I understand Torture Chamber<\/b> was filmed in a short time-span and for a tight budget, both of which you transcended, crafting a really enjoyable nightmare. How did this project come about?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

DT<\/b>: Thanks.\u00a0I shot the film in\u00a019 days on a $200, 000 budget.\u00a0Torture Chamber<\/b> came about as a result of not shooting The Ocean<\/b>. There was a horrible, aching\u00a0void there.\u00a0I knew I needed to move on. The Ocean<\/b>‘s required\u00a0budget was relatively high… Shooting in and around water is always more expensive and there was a recession in the States at that time. I’m not trying to rationalize\u00a0not getting it off the ground but funding for independent films\u00a0was really\u00a0scarce in 2007.\u00a0Of course it would have been easier if I had a # 1 horror\u00a0film under my belt, a commercial hit.\u00a0Anyway I\u00a0realigned\u00a0my thinking completely.\u00a0I decided that Torture Chamber <\/b>would be very low budget, even lower than my last feature, Satan’s Playground<\/b>, which was around $500, 000.\u00a0I knew I needed to shoot another film. I poured all my torment and suffering into the screenplay.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

MRH<\/b>: Did you have a screenwriting and pre-production time-frame similar to prior works, or was this a more difficult project, if not one fueled by different pressures and adrenaline?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

DT<\/b>: I was brainstorming the project in late 2008 and started seriously\u00a0writing the screenplay\u00a0in 2009. The film was\u00a0shot in\u00a0May\u00a02010 and the final sound\u00a0mix was\u00a0completed in 2013.\u00a0I finally\u00a0realized…and it was a breakthrough moment… that as long as\u00a0my budgets stay\u00a0low, I can continue making films.\u00a0Pre-production on Torture Chamber\u00a0<\/b>ran pretty\u00a0smoothly. I was in my element.\u00a0Suddenly there was light in my eyes and I could breathe properly. I felt aligned with who I really am. A creator.\u00a0I even said to myself that if this is the last film I ever conjure,\u00a0I’ll be at\u00a0peace. I was glad to be given the chance.\u00a0It was like starting over.<\/p>\n

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MRH<\/b>: Back in\u00a02007 when we were discussing The Ocean<\/b>, you explained you liked to create the sonic world of a film before advancing to writing and visual designs. How difficult was it to craft the sound design for Torture Chamber<\/b>?<\/p>\n

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DT<\/b>: It’s always a challenge and my favorite part of the whole filmmaking process.\u00a0I\u00a0create a\u00a0soundtrack before actually shooting any film. A demo. It bubbles up\u00a0as I’m brainstorming or writing the screenplay.<\/p>\n

For Torture Chamber<\/b> I plugged into\u00a0a\u00a0collection of sounds and soundscapes\u00a0that\u00a0I’ve been developing over the years.\u00a0I have an extensive library and I’m main composer on all my film’s soundtracks. In Torture Chamber<\/b>, there were some soundscapes that were meant to be in\u00a0Satan’s Playground<\/b> or Horror<\/b> or Desecration<\/b>.\u00a0For certain scenes, I\u00a0worked with three\u00a0composers,\u00a0Kenneth Lampl, Joseph Bishara and Allison Piccioni. Basically\u00a0they supplied\u00a0me with some different\u00a0compositions\u00a0and\u00a0samples to mix and paint with.<\/p>\n

These composers\u00a0never screened any footage. I didn’t want them to. I\u00a0like to hear their own spin on the material, plus there’s a very strong chance I won’t even incorporate something. I reject most things.\u00a0The bulk of Torture Chamber<\/b> soundtrack or any soundtrack\u00a0is my own soundscapes.\u00a0So if I’m working with another composer,\u00a0I’ll\u00a0send off a script section with some direction. What comes\u00a0back is mostly not usable and they can retain their rights to it… but there’s a good\u00a0chance something\u00a0will stick and it can be magical. I love to be surprised.\u00a0Once I have all my chosen\u00a0sounds together, my palette,\u00a0the fun…or work, begins. I mix and\u00a0score it all to picture myself, like it’s a coloring book.<\/p>\n

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MRH<\/b>: When you begin to compose the elements for your next film\u2019s soundtrack, what are a few of the stages you follow, in terms of finding sonic themes, specific sounds, pre-existing music and a structure?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

DT<\/b>: I can say that there is sound work happening constantly. I’m a sound hunter so I’m always searching for new sounds… or old. I like all kinds of sounds… clean… dirty… obscure… every day sounds,\u00a0sounds that you’ve heard before in TV commercials. You know, stock sounds.\u00a0I like that I can\u00a0twist something until it’s unrecognizable. Or maybe it is recognizable, and\u00a0you might feel\u00a0a pang of deja vu\u00a0in this disorienting\u00a0context.\u00a0I tend to use many, many tracks while mixing. It’s\u00a0always been my instinct.<\/p>\n

Back in the day, while sampling other sound studios in Manhattan I\u00a0learned that… even though I had the lowest budgets… I was told that I\u00a0incorporated\u00a0the highest number of tracks, layers,\u00a0more tracks\u00a0than\u00a0any other\u00a0director that\u00a0these companies ever\u00a0worked with.\u00a0I’m a pretty low-key, laid back filmmaker but in post production sound phase, I’m tense or\u00a0intense.\u00a0It’s just me, every day or night\u00a0with the engineer, alone in the studio\u00a0with my sounds, my paint.\u00a0 I’d arrive with bags and\u00a0suitcases of sounds,\u00a0a crazy huge\u00a0amount of material to digitize. I’d take notes at home\u00a0and\u00a0listen\u00a0to\u00a0each sound\u00a0and mix them all\u00a0in my head. Like there was\u00a0a reel\u00a0playing over and over.<\/p>\n

The unconscious mind remembers everything.\u00a0I’d synch the soundscapes up to\u00a0different scenes,\u00a0mixing and matching, mixing and matching… I’d really go inside the movie. There was another world poking\u00a0through…the spirit world.\u00a0While at the expensive Manhattan\u00a0studios I’d work deep into the night\u00a0or morning and\u00a0set\u00a0the sounds to different\u00a0categories like: staccato… low tones… stingers…. and I’d paint. I’d mix and mix and mix, I mixed Torture Chamber<\/b> for\u00a0a full\u00a0year.<\/p>\n

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MRH<\/b>: How complex is your sonic experimentation? Are there sections or effects where you\u2019ve spent considerably more time problem-solving and developing than others?<\/p>\n

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DT<\/b>: The sound design.\u00a0I’m very sensitive about it.\u00a0It’s not easy finding the right\u00a0temperature for imagery that exists at the hazy intersection between life and death.\u00a0Since Torture Chamber<\/b> was told through a series of dreams, flashbacks and hallucinations, I put an emphasis, sound-wise on those specific sections and of course\u00a0all of\u00a0my films are mostly comprised\u00a0of hallucinogenic events so it’s very delicate to…you know, to transition… to\u00a0weave in and out.\u00a0It’s\u00a0easy to overkill or overstate and I try to avoid that. Sometimes\u00a0silent is better. Those moments of stillness.<\/p>\n

For example,\u00a0there’s a dinner sequence in\u00a0Torture Chamber<\/b>, an uncomfortable\u00a0family dinner that is\u00a0the heart and soul of the movie, the centerpiece of the film…and I went through countless sound design versions. More than any other part of the film, I was stuck on it.\u00a0Each version\u00a0had a different vibe and finally after all that exploring…I arrived at a place of mysteriousness. It was like an incantation…a spell being cast. I found it! Alignment.\u00a0You could feel the\u00a0emotional violence in the air. It finally\u00a0glued to the picture.\u00a0Tactile.\u00a0Subliminal. Invisible.\u00a0Mostly I believe\u00a0the sound design\u00a0shouldn’t\u00a0call attention to itself but there are no rules and definitely… definitely\u00a0sometimes I like for\u00a0it to dominate…it can\u00a0jump out.<\/p>\n

I have something called synesthesia. Sound-color synesthesia<\/a>.\u00a0In my films I\u00a0like\u00a0the overall atmosphere to be otherworldly.\u00a0Psychedelic funhouses. There’s a sensation of floating.\u00a0I\u00a0want certain moments to feel like\u00a0out-of-body-experiences.\u00a0These are\u00a0unconscious sequences yet I want the viewer to feel awake… conscious… very conscious… like\u00a0a lucid dream. Colors and sounds are pristine.\u00a0There’s a blur of sounds… I don’t need clarity, ambiguity is\u00a0its friend. It should\u00a0feel hazy, indecipherable, like\u00a0a real nightmare.\u00a0There’s very little dialogue and I never plan for it to feel one-note so I try to give\u00a0the sound design a lushness… texture,\u00a0nuances, shading, like a sculpture. I’m a sound sculptor.<\/p>\n

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MRH<\/b>: Is there a point where you set aside sound, focus on writing, then switch to developing imagery during the pre-production, production, and post-production phases, or do you work on these areas simultaneously?<\/p>\n

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DT<\/b>: There is no point where I set aside sound.<\/p>\n

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MRH<\/b>: Part of Torture Chamber<\/b>\u2019s characters include the locations, and I wonder if you can describe how you discovered the tunnels and caverns which Jimmy uses to hide and torment his victims, and whether these locations were especially tough to light?<\/p>\n

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DT<\/b>: I knew the look of Torture Chamber<\/b> was crucial. I do consider the\u00a0locations to be characters. Sometimes even more than the actual characters.\u00a0Those underground tunnels… A circular, never-ending maze of underground tunnels.\u00a0The New Jersey Film Commission were a big help.\u00a0While I was writing the script and the bizarre\u00a0story was swirling in my mind… at night\u00a0I would have dreams about what might happen next.\u00a0I experienced this\u00a0on Desecration<\/b> and\u00a0Torture Chamber<\/b>, more\u00a0than any of my other projects.\u00a0The whole\u00a0final part of the film, where the characters are going through the tunnels and caverns…I dreamt those locations.\u00a0In the middle of the night, I’d\u00a0jolt up\u00a0from my bed gasping for breath because I was just frantically\u00a0running around there. When I finally\u00a0found\u00a0the locations in everyday\u00a0reality they were beautiful.<\/p>\n

We shot at an underground mine<\/a> in Ogdensburg, New Jersey and an old\u00a0underground military\u00a0base in Fort Totten<\/a> Queens, New York.\u00a0Both locations allowed\u00a0for lots\u00a0of atmospheric lighting and striking\u00a0photography.\u00a0The caverns of hell.\u00a0I remember back to when I was in college in\u00a0a psychology class by an instructor named\u00a0Judith Kuspit\u00a0at New York School of Visual Arts. There was something about the course that would release serotonin in my brain.\u00a0She was a fascinating, inspiring\u00a0lady and soon\u00a0had us creating dream diaries. I really got into that.\u00a0I did the same thing while dreaming\u00a0Torture Chamber<\/b>. I’d visit places.\u00a0I was studious about it.\u00a0I’d get out of bed,\u00a0turn on the light,\u00a0and\u00a0transcribe….<\/p>\n

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MRH<\/b>: Although called Torture Chamber<\/b>, the film does not fall into the torture porn genre, and I wonder if you have any thoughts on that particular genre \u2013 in terms of its viability, and limitations in almost exclusively showcasing details of physical trauma?<\/p>\n

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DT<\/b>: I really\u00a0have no interest in torture porn. I cringe at the thought of it and not in a good\u00a0way.\u00a0I avoid movies with that kind of sterile sadism. I crave atmosphere. Gothic horror.\u00a0I realize it’s a double edged sword, the title, Torture Chamber<\/b>.\u00a0Maybe it\u00a0sounds ugly and harsh\u00a0but the\u00a0film is actually\u00a0candy-colored and painterly. It’s really about\u00a0a\u00a0family in deep psychic\u00a0pain… a metaphysical bond between a mother\u00a0and her two sons.\u00a0Torture Chamber<\/b>\u00a0is a place,\u00a0a state-of-mind. I’m not interested in actual torture for the sake of torture.<\/p>\n

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MRH<\/b>: How has the distribution of Torture Chamber<\/b> differed from your prior films, in terms of the legal \/ financial complexities and\u00a0exhibition venues available? (I\u2019m curious if, from your stance, it\u2019s become harder to market a film and reach a specific target audience, or whether there are venues which give more power to the filmmaker, and enable him \/ her to recoup some of the expenses and be able to begin a new production much sooner than compared to\u00a0prior years.)<\/p>\n

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DT<\/b>: Well, so far it’s similar to my other films but more promising. I worked with Image, Elite and AnchorBay in the past and they were helpful and nurturing. One thing I learned is to never ever rely on another filmmaker for financial assistance.\u00a0Never place your hopes\u00a0on one person.\u00a0I’m not talking about my independent filmmaker\u00a0comrades from the east coast. They’re warm and caring. It’s when you start dipping into so-called Hollywood. Anyone who’s waiting for a Hollywood producer to fund your low budget horror film is sorely misguided. You’ll wait forever. You just have to do it yourself. Find\u00a0investors\u00a0who believe in you.\u00a0It’s not easy but there’s no other way.<\/p>\n

Just recently,\u00a0my entertainment lawyer wanted me\u00a0to contact Oren Peli, you know the director of Paranormal Activity<\/b> (2007), and\u00a0offer him a copy of my new film. He forwarded me an article where\u00a0he talks about\u00a0horror\u00a0directors who work\u00a0on low budgets or something like that. Micro budgets.\u00a0My lawyer said, “That’s you.”\u00a0I thought nothing of it but\u00a0followed through and\u00a0contacted him and offered him my new film.\u00a0I got a\u00a0response back from Oren\u00a0that\u00a0read, “Thanks, but I’m already overwhelmed with screeners which I frankly never get around to watching.”\u00a0 And that was it.\u00a0 My lawyer was surprised,\u00a0I wasn’t.<\/p>\n

Torture Chamber<\/b>‘s sales agent, Shoreline Entertainment\u00a0premiered Torture Chamber<\/b> at Sitges Film\u00a0Festival in Spain and recently it was released on DVD\u00a0in USA and Canada. Vivendi Entertainment purchased\u00a0the rights\u00a0and then\u00a0Vivendi\u00a0was bought by Cinedigm. The film seems to be in good hands.<\/p>\n

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MRH<\/b>: All of your films currently exist on DVD \u2013 Are there plans to release any titles on Blu-ray, especially Torture Chamber<\/b>, which was shot on Red?<\/p>\n

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DT<\/b>: Yes, Torture Chamber <\/b>will be released on Blu-ray in Germany\u00a0next month. It should start popping up in different territories. \u00a0To me Blu-ray is the only way to screen the film but I realize not everyone owns the players. There will be an English language Blu-ray, I would assume, at some point. \u00a0[Ed.- the Region B Blu-ray<\/a> was released by Ascot Elite Home Entertainment September 23, 2014.<\/i>]<\/p>\n

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MRH<\/b>: Some directors involve themselves in crafting detailed special features for the home video release, and I wonder if that\u2019s an aspect of a film\u2019s publicity which you\u2019re comfortable in fulfilling, or do you feel in your case less apocryphal information about the technical and creative processes is better for the filmmaker, and perhaps the viewer?<\/p>\n

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DT<\/b>: I\u00a0don’t really like that side of\u00a0making films, the salesman side. I never did.\u00a0To me, the film should feel like a magic trick. Not a sales pitch.\u00a0I’d rather\u00a0take myself out of the equation.\u00a0I push cameras away for any kind of behind-the-scenes thing. I don’t like to talk\u00a0too much because often times it diminishes\u00a0the spirit.\u00a0I like to communicate almost telepathically.\u00a0There’s a power in\u00a0stillness, in the presence of the film itself.\u00a0At the same time, I know it’s a\u00a0necessity… Behind-the-scenes materials.\u00a0\u00a0There is a\u00a0featurette, a making-of piece on Torture Chamber\u00a0<\/b>and I did record a commentary. A very stream-of-consciousness commentary.\u00a0You’ll hear and see them when the film is re-released with the\u00a0extras intact.<\/p>\n

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MRH<\/b>: You\u2019ve shot on video, film, HD, and had your films released in various formats, and I wonder what form and viewing stream represents the best venue to experience your work \u2013 the cinema, a home theatre, or the intimate relationship some viewers have in watching movies on laptops or tablets?<\/p>\n

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DT<\/b>: I despise the idea of watching a horror movie on a tablet or home\u00a0computer with thin speakers. The viewer is missing out on\u00a0so much. First of all the screen is way too small! And the sound! Awful. So thin.\u00a0I feel so out of sync with this generation. I was shocked to discover that many\u00a0critics requested Torture Chamber<\/b>, the finished film,\u00a0as a computer link.\u00a0Eeek. I just don’t understand that.\u00a0If I had my choice, my films would only be watched in a theatre environment\u00a0or on\u00a0a TV set with\u00a0surround sound speakers.<\/p>\n

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MRH<\/b>: Lastly, the CD release of The Doll<\/b> contains some of the sonic concepts in your next film. How close will the film be in comparison to the various aural effects, music, dialogue, and textures, and will the CD function as reminder of a project\u2019s original, pure concept, so that if you find yourself straying or losing focus, the album will rekindle those primordial ideas, and realign your focus?<\/p>\n

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DT<\/b>: The demo or\u00a0conceptual soundtrack\u00a0will probably be very close to the finished film’s score…The spirit of it. On all my films, I never stray too far from my original sound\u00a0demo.\u00a0I have a history of\u00a0sleep problems, nightmares, sleepwalking.<\/p>\n

When I’m composing these preliminary soundtracks it feels like I’m sleepwalking. The Doll<\/b> is\u00a0about a violent haunting at a family owned wax museum in Salem.\u00a0Wax museums scare me. And the Salem Witch Trials. I have\u00a0a\u00a0connection to that unsettling\u00a0period, with its\u00a0emphasis on purity, damnation and hell.\u00a0The Doll<\/b> is\u00a0set in the\u00a070’s\u00a0with\u00a0flashbacks to\u00a01692. Michael Gingold is co-writer. I’m an avid lucid dreamer and lately\u00a0I’ve been\u00a0entering the world of The Doll<\/b>.<\/p>\n

For example, before\u00a0I go to bed at night I’ll stare at my hands, visualize them.\u00a0I’ll tell myself that I want to find my hands in my dream. I say it to myself over and over. I make it my intent.\u00a0Once that happens,\u00a0I’m conscious in the unconscious. I can navigate the dream. I can visit places from the past or conjure new landscapes. And that’s what I do.\u00a0The Doll<\/b>\u00a0script is coming at me in that way.\u00a0I’m tinkering with a draft while experimenting with soundscapes at my home studio. I’ve been doing more composing than writing but they flow into each other.\u00a0At the moment, I’m marinated in The Doll<\/b>.\u00a0This demo\u00a0allows me to explore what kind of movie I really want to\u00a0create.<\/p>\n

— 30–<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

A\u00a0lengthy interview with Tomaselli from 2007 regarding the DVD releases of Horror<\/a><\/b> (2002) and Satan\u2019s Playground<\/a><\/b> (2007), and pre-production on The Ocean<\/b> is also available<\/a>. (The Q&A also includes a link to a demo track of sound design and the film\u2019s MySpace page.)<\/p>\n

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Those interested in a taste of the visuals being conceived for The Ocean <\/b>can view a water montage on YouTube:<\/p>\n

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