Our Interview with „Sinners & Saints“ Director William Kaufman
William Kaufman sprach mit uns über seine Karriere und seine zukünftigen Projekte. Copyright: William Kaufman
William Kaufman began his film career after graduating from the University of North Texas, first in the special effects department, then as a producer and second unit director on feature films and commercials. Since his directorial debut “The Prodigy” he has become a household name among action fans. The action movies shot by the former Reconnaissance Scout are marked by their realistic shoot-outs and scenes of hand-to-hand-combat. As William Kaufman’s new movie “Daylight’s End“ premiered recently, we talked with the director about his experiences on set, influences on his films and future projects.
William Kaufman’s way in the film industry
Could you give us some biographical info about you?
William Kaufman: I was raised overseas… Son of a second generation German American, I was born in Japan, raised in London till I was 12 then moved to Texas for what we call Jr High and then went back overseas to Bangkok for High School at the International School of Bangkok. From there I went into the Army. Ultimately I returned to Texas for university attending the film program at the University of North Texas and after that began working in the business. I live in Dallas and I’m married to my beautiful wife Nicole and we have four amazing children, Payton, Sara, Colton and Max.
William Kaufmans Filmdebüt: The Prodigy Copyright: Splendid Film
I actually got my break when I was putting together a short film and reached out to a Special F/X coordinator for help and he ultimately brought me on staff as an assistant. From there I continued to develop my own projects and along with the help of my Executive Producer Ken Dundon and a team of bad ass Texas filmmakers got my shot with my debut horror/thriller, “The Prodigy”. From there I went on to “Sinners and Saints”, which ultimately got my foot in the door with the studios.
Can you tell us more about the production of “The Prodigy”, which is a low to no budget production by today’s standards? How did you get the production off the ground?
William Kaufman: “The Prodigy” was designed as a calling card for the lead actor Holt Boggs and myself. We co-wrote a script that we thought could best showcase our strengths. We then managed to talk a good friend of mine from university, David Rucker, to sign on as our producer. The three of us then filmed what is now called a “proof of concept”, what we referred to at the time as a “fake trailer” and managed to get it in the hands of Ken Dundon and Ron White, our executive producers, and the rest is history.
Idols and favorite movies
Do you have any films or directors that inspire you?
William Kaufman: That list would be endless… It would be easier to talk about the legendary directors in the industry that I looked up to…. Guys like John Carpenter, James Cameron, Steven Spielberg, David Fincher, and of course the Scott brothers, Ridley and Tony… They were the ones making the films that made me want to become a filmmaker.
William Kaufman am “Sinners and Saints” Set. Copyright: William Kaufman
What are your favorite action films?
William Kaufman: Another long list. “Raiders of the Lost Ark”, “Blade Runner”, “Escape From New York”, “Road Warrior”, “Terminator”, “Aliens”, “Man on Fire”, and “Heat” would definitely be a good start for my William Kaufman movie marathon.
Studio Movies vs. Indie Films
Some of your films, like “Sinners and Saints” or the new “Daylight’s End” are more independently produced and basically driven forward by you and your team, others, like the sequels “The Marine 4” or “Jarhead 3”, seem more like ‘gun for hire’ jobs. Is there a difference in the way you approach these two kinds of directing jobs?
William Kaufman: Well, first off I approach everything that I sign on to with the goal of making the best film possible. Indie films and studio projects are a completely different animal. For me the indie filmmaking process is always much more rewarding because there is so much more creative control. In the studio system, at least at my level you are definitely brought on to do a very specific part of the process but ultimately it is their movie, with all of their risk at stake.
What are the perks and the downsides of each?
“The Marine 4” war eine Auftragsproduktion für 20th Century Fox.
William Kaufman: As mentioned before the perks of producing and creating your own work are the creative control… Love them or hate them, “The Prodigy”, “Sinners and Saints” and “Daylight’s End” are my responsibility, my creative stamp, their success or failure lies at my feet. But that freedom and control all comes with a price. Doing it outside of the studio system is a very long and difficult road to go down… With endless hurdles and pitfalls. On the other hand going the studio route is completely different. It’s a very methodically planned out business… There are no concerns about having the money to complete production or what the distribution plans are. That’s all set out for you before you begin. I’ve had FANTASTIC experiences collaborating on both of these paths. The studio route has given me so much incredibly valuable experience and the opportunity to work with many super talented filmmakers… Relationships that I plan on hanging onto throughout my career. I feel very blessed to have had the opportunity to make films both ways.
Your more independently produced films seem to have it harder to find a distributor. “Sinners and Saints” was released in Europe before its US DVD release, but still only a year after its festival release in the US. Can you comment on the situation of finding distributors for films that do not have the help of a studio like Sony (“The Hit List”) or 20th Century Fox (“The Marine 4”)?
William Kaufmans großer Durchbruch: “Sinners and Saints” Copyright: Eurovideo
William Kaufman: Ignoring the rules of how most films are produced these days in favor of what satisfies you the most creatively comes with a cost. As I mentioned that is the inherent challenge of going down the independent road. All we can do is keep plugging away and chasing our dreams.
Which of your films do you like best?
William Kaufman: As much as I love and am proud of what the team and I pulled off with “Sinners and Saints”, “Daylight’s End” is my true pride and joy. It is my best film… It is the film that I would say best represents me creatively as a filmmaker. What I really love about it beyond the guilty pleasures of its action genre roots was the chance to work with such an incredibly talented ensemble cast.
Realistic action and cheesy CGI effects
Your action scenes have a tendency to strife for great realism, be it in the handling of weapons or combat scenes. How do you approach staging and shooting action scenes?
In “Jarhead 3” arbeitete Kaufman erstmals mit Scott Adkins zusammen. Copyright: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
William Kaufman: In my opinion there are two paths to go down when approaching action. You can shoot for “fun” and “thrills” or you try and ground the “action/violence” as much as possible and portray it as something gritty, terrifying and ugly which I ultimately find much more engaging and “thrilling.” To do that I lean heavily on guys who specialize in that reality of violence. For firearms my go to tactical advisor is my good friend Sonny Puzikas, a former Russian Spetsnaz commando, who has overseen the majority of my films. I also had the pleasure of teaming with combat veteran and former Marine Pete Stone for “Jarhead 3”. For physical hand to hand combat I’ve leaned extensively upon stunt and fight coordinators who are also very much the real deal. Guys like martial arts experts Dan Rizzuto and Ron Balicki.
Some modern B-action films rely on cheesy CGI effects and overuse of shaky cam, features which you both avoid. What do you think of this development?
William Kaufman: I totally get where you are coming from. The way I see it CGI is something to use to enhance practical f/x not replace them. The audiences of today are much more educated then when I was coming up, so the bar has definitely been raised on what is acceptable in regards to vfx. That said I was incorrectly called out for using fake muzzle flashes and such on “Sinners and Saints” which simply isn’t true. I think people were just surprised to see the volume of f/x in such a low budget film.
William Kaufman and the Film Noir
“The Hit List” mit Cuba Godding Jr. atmete etwas Noir-Luft. Copyright: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
We noticed that there are noir elements in some of your films like “The Prodigy” and “The Hit List”. Also one of the production companies of “Sinners and Saints” is called Noir Blanc Films. Do you consciously try to update film noir or channel aspects of it into your films?
William Kaufman: I am just such a huge fan of that aspect of cinema… That’s why movies like “Se7en” and “Blade Runner” are definitely at the top of my list. “The Prodigy” was specifically designed fall into that category. That was my attempt at combining a modern day take on a film noir detective story with action and horror. I love that style of filmmaking.
We cannot help but notice that you regularly work with the recurring cast and crew members, including actors like Johnny Strong, Holt Boggs and Matt Beckham, martial arts experts like Ron Balicki and Diana Lee Inosanto and screenwriters like Chad Law. In what ways do you boost each other’s careers? How is it to work with this sort of “family” across a variety of sets?
William Kaufman: Absolutely… When you have something that works you hang on to it. Johnny and I have a very special working relationship. Creatively I feel like Johnny in a way has become my muse… I see him as a throwback to the tough guy actors of the 70s… Kind of my modern day Steve McQueen. Someone with the action chops to deliver and the raw energy and charisma to own the screen…. The two of us are very in tune creatively and he has a work ethic beyond measure. As a director you can’t ask for much more than that.
As for Ron and Diana, they are a super talented duo that have been instrumental in getting my career started. Same with Chad, he was the one that got me in the door with the studio system and paved the road for the opportunities that came from that. An excellent screenwriter who loves the kind of films I love… I would guess if you asked him for favorite film list, it would look pretty damn similar to mine. I’m not letting go of him anytime soon.
In a 2012 interview you mentioned working on a film called “Stolen”. Was this the film which then became the Nicolas Cage vehicle or something else? What happened to the project or your involvement?
William Kaufman: Yes, that’s a project that’s been simmering for a long time… As I mentioned, the indie path is a long and difficult one. To clarify it is completely unrelated to the Nicolas Cage project. In fact we have retitled it “Burning Sun” because of that film. Currently “Burning Sun” is in active development with Cole Hauser starring and produced by my long time creative partner King Hollis. Finger crossed it’ll be something I can update you on in the near future.
Dolph Lundgren is like a heat seeking missile
“Last Bullet” brachte Kaufman mit Dolph Lundgren zusammen. Copyright: Splendid Film
How was it to work with Dolph Lundgren on “One in the Chamber” and Scott Adkins on “Jarhead 3”? Can you tell us anything about your upcoming film with Scott Adkins?
William Kaufman: Dolph is a one of a kind…. He’s like a heat seeking missile, he knows what he wants and he goes for it 100%. As for Scott, he’s amazing, I’m very proud to call him my friend. I LOVED working with him and can’t wait for the chance to do it again. As for future projects, the two of us have a few things in the works, definitely going to happen just a matter of when.
“Daylight’s End” – A post-apocalyptic action horror film
What caused the delays in the release of your new film “Daylight’s End”, which now has finally debuted?
William Kaufman: I suppose the biggest delays were due to our desire to make the best film possible and so everything comes down to money or time…. We didn’t have money, so we chose to spend the time doing it right.
What can you tell us about “Daylight’s End”? Is there an upcoming DVD and Blu-Ray release?
William Kaufman: “Daylight’s End” is a post-apocalyptic action horror film, a hybrid of the world of Richard Matheson’s book “I Am Legend” thrown in a blender with “The Road Warrior” and John Carpenter’s “Assault on Precinct 13”. Best compliment yet was a review who said the third act was basically “Aliens” with Vampires. :) As for our release, the international release is coming very soon. Fingers crossed, I expect the domestic release date to drop in late October.
What if…?
If you had no budget limitations and complete creative freedom, what kind of film would you like to direct?
William Kaufman: Wow, that’s really opening Pandora’s box… I would love the opportunity to circle back to the post apocalyptic world on an even bigger level or maybe something like a dark science fiction, action thriller set in a near future, dystopian world like “Blade Runner” was. That said I’m really trying to stay focused on the present and what’s real right in front of me. I just want the chance to keep telling stories. So it’s really more about the opportunity to do good work than anything else.
Is there any action star with whom you would like to work in the future?
William Kaufman: The guys I’m currently working with are pretty bad ass so to be honest I’m not really looking any other direction. That said there are some great actors out there, so obviously I’m open to any opportunities to make a great film with great people.
“Sinners and Saints 2: Vengeance” and future plans
Kann William Kaufman seinen Erstling toppen? “Sinners and Saints 2: Vengeance”
The clear favorite among your fans seems to be “Sinners and Saints”. Can you tell us more about shooting it? You have announced plans for a sequel. Can you also give us some info on your plans for “Sinners and Saints 2”?
William Kaufman: As I mentioned before “Sinners and Saints” is very near and dear to me… the culmination of years and years of me chasing my dreams of having a shot at making a movie in the vein of the movies that inspired me as a very young filmmaker. I got to work with an amazingly talented team of cast and filmmakers. Which is why I’m so excited to announce that we are moving forward with “Sinners and Saints 2: Vengeance”. Produced by my partner King Hollis and Marc Clebanoff and actor producer Louis Mandylor, “Sinners 2” is really more of a standalone film than it is a true sequel. In the vein of the Man with No Name trilogy, “Sinners 2” is really more of the further adventures of NOPD Detective Sean Riley. This time around though we’ve opened up the canvas to a much bigger, more dangerous international storyline… I like to describe it as a “John Wick” meets “Sinners and Saints” on steroids. Or in the words of Sean Riley: “Better, Faster, Stronger.” If you’re a fan of the original you’re going to love our follow up!
What are other projects that you have lined for the future?
William Kaufman: The immediate plans are “Sinners and Saints 2: Vengeance” and the projects with Scott Adkins and Cole Hauser.