Pressure Now available on DVD

Jakob Karlsson: Hi Richard, thanks for taking the time to do this interview.

Richard Gale: My pleasure.

JK: What made you start to work in the movie business?

RG: I've been writing stories and illustrating them for as long as I can remember. I drew lots of comic strips, which I didn't know at the time were the same thing as storyboards. I've been making short films and videos since I was eleven. I don't think I'd be happy doing anything else. After I graduated college (at UCLA), I got a job directing shows for a local cable TV station, and then financed my first feature length movie with credit cards, which I shot on video. Positive response to that film led to directing "The Proposal" and then "Pressure."

JK: Pressure was filmed in 19 days and had a tight budget, It was great to listen to the commentary and see the documentary(dvd features) to hear all your solutions in the shooting of Pressure, and I'm so impressed with the result!

RG: Thank you.

JK: From the start of writing to the completed shooting of Pressure, what is your story and feelings about the development and result ?

RG: I wrote "Pressure" because I wanted to make an action movie that would have suspense mixed with dark humor. I wanted it to be fast and funny. I'm pleased with the result. One of my favorite sequences happens in the woods, when Lochlyn steps in the bear trap. It's a scene that arose because of our limited budget. In the script, we had a scene where their car crashes down a mountainside, and since we couldn't afford to shoot that (you need several cars, which was too expensive), I wrote the barbed wire and bear trap scenes as a cheaper alternative to get Lochlyn's character injured, so Kerr Smith's character could use some of his med school skills. Now that scene stands out to me as one of the best examples of dark humor in the movie. So having limitations can sometimes be a good thing.

Whether it was shot in 19 days or 99 days... the only thing that ultimately matters is the quality of the finished film. That makes it really tough-- you have to shoot a feature film in less than four weeks, which must compete in the same marketplace with hundred million dollar films that had many months of production. You have to be extremely well prepared... do all your homework in advance and refine the story as much as humanly possible before the cameras roll. As I said in the behind the scenes, we were really under a lot of "pressure" while making the film, but come to think of it, go visit any film set and you'll find people under some kind of pressure.

JK: The camera work and angles are very good and interesting, to name one scene when Steve is drawn to the forest by Bo, you can really see it from Steve's point of view. Did some of these ideas come along in the shooting process or did you have it all figured out?

RG: I planned out most of the camera angles in advance. When he's being dragged into the forest, I operated the camera for the "steve POV" shot. I put on Kerr's pants and shoes and laid on a dolly on a track, handholding the camera on my chest. Bo (Adrien Dorval) held my legs and pulled me while I shook and struggled. It was really fun to do.

JK: How was it to work With Lochlyn Munro?

RG: Fantastic. Lochlyn is a consummate professional, and a genuinely nice guy. He's great to work with because he understands so much about the filmmaking process, he makes things easy for a director. He's also one of the funniest people I've ever met.

JK: Do you think there is a possibility that you two will work again?

RG: I certainly hope so. We had a fun time working together on this one.

JK: Please share with us some of the funniest moments in the shooting of Pressure.

RG: I remember when we were in the woods at night shooting Lochlyn caught in the barbed wire. It was very, very late, we were up all night, and Lochlyn was doing an impersonation of the Crocodile Hunter, whispering that he was hunting the wild razor wire.   He whispered "shhhhh! It's the mother." and had us all cracking up. He just kept it fun. He also told some very funny jokes which I don't think I can repeat here. It's always good to have an actor with a great sense of humor on set. It makes the process a lot more enjoyable.

JK: You are currently writing a horror film, want to share some details about it?

RG: I'm working on the script right now for a very scary film with a ton of action, but I'll have to wait until it's done before telling you about it. You'll be among the first to know!

JK: What's your plans for the future ?

RG: I'm writing, producing and directing my next film, and am developing a company that will produce the films that I will direct in the future. Most of the projects I am planning are thrillers or horror films. I just want to make a lot of movies that will entertain and excite people, and scare the pants off of them! I'm also interested in developing interactive entertainment, a hybrid of movies and interactive computer games.

JK: To end this interview, do you want to say something to the fans ?

RG: Thanks for watching!

JK: Thanks for taking the time to do this, and good luck in the future!

RG: Same to you, Jakob, it was fun. Thanks for your interest.