Alessandro Signore
Alessandro Signore
Sensory Perception
Sci-fi Drama/Thriller, approx 90 minutes, color
A recovering drug addict sees visions of an apocalyptic future.
Alessandro Signore is a self taught, professional filmmaker and photographer from Waterbury, CT. He has written, directed, and produced various short films and music videos in Connecticut. Notably, he is one of the first filmmakers to ever use the Canon 5d Mark II, and is a huge supporter of the HDSLR Wave. Recent work includes the short film A Dame Can’t Wait (2010), a silent, dark, drama about a neo-gangster, his girl, and a mysterious drink. He also completed a series of music videos for frontman/lead singer Kris Keyes (formerly of Gargantua Soul). Love Thing (2008) is based on a noir tale of undying, misplaced obsession, while Monsters (2009) is a parody on the zombie film genre. Sensory Perception (2011), a sci-fi drama that tells the story of a recovering addict who sees apocalyptic visions of the future, is Alessandro Signore’s first feature length film. He recently produced Ryan Casey’s American Jubilee (2011), another feature length film shot on the Canon 5d Mark II.
Alessandro owns and operates Pale Nail Productions LLC. His company facilitates the Public Access Short Film Initiative Program, a service that provides students in CT with free hands on training using state of the art HD and HDSLR camera equipment. His next project, louie. (2011), is an interpretative character study on one of the most famous figures in history. This edgy, thought provoking, short film begins preproduction in February 2011.
Alessandro has recently started a family, and is a proud father to two boys, Octavian and Atreyu Signore.
Born, where from, education…
-Waterbury, CT, trained in US military for computer electronics
-Self trained in filmmaking/photography
Film Industry Questions
Who are your role models in the film industry?
Robert Rodriguez is a role model for me, because he does everything for his films, from writing, directing, cinematography, producing, editing, and even scoring. I like his hands-on, get dirty approach, not necessarily his style of movies though. What impresses me about him is, he’s not directing from a tent 200 yards away next to a space heater looking at a monitor. Also, he has totally embraced digital filmmaking, which is encouraging for an indie filmmaker.
Who or what has influenced you as a filmmaker?
Definitely the French New Wave era, they are some of the most whimsical films you’ll ever see……..and Jean Luc Godard is probably my biggest influence. I feel my style has been influenced by him, Darren Aronofsky, and Terry Gilliam the most.
What are your top three favorite films? Explain for one what makes it a favorite.
-Alphaville (by Godard) is my absolute favorite film. It’s message is beautifully expressed through the story, cinematography and acting. It is really an authentic piece of cinema, and you’ll never see another movie like it. Furthermore, if you know the backstory behind the making of it, it becomes even more remarkable. (Jean Luc Godard and Anna Karina, the lead actress, had recently gone through messy divorce)
-Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (by Michel Gondry)
-Fight Club (by David Fincher)
It has been said that there are only a limited number of original plot ideas. In the midst of that, what nuances make your film stand out from others in its genre?
To add to that statement, every story/movie, or drama is always about one thing: Conflict. Without conflict, there is no drama, no story. And only two base emotions drive conflict: affinity and repulsion. You either like something (want it) or you dislike it. So it can be said that EVERY story, or film, at the root, is really about conflict.
What makes Sensory Perception stand out in the sci-fi/drama genre, is the expression of ideas throughout it. It will appeal to the high level, philosophical thinkers for it’s ideas, but the message of harmatia (the innate flaw in all of us) and overcoming weakness relates to ALL of us.
Furthermore, I believe it will standout visually as well.
What obstacles did you come across as you entered the film industry? What motivates you to persevere?
There are tons of obstacles, and I can on for pages and pages here about all of them, but I’ll focus on a few.
Finding the right crew locally was a challenge. It’s hard to find solid, experienced, and committed people when you can’t afford to pay them what they’re really worth. So you end up having to teach a lot of the crew, but I was fortunate to land some really talented individuals.
Another issue that you find from time to time, is people don’t really take you seriously when you say you’re making an indie movie. The technological revolution has been great, but it’s allowed everyone with an idea to try and make a movie, so……most people think it’s you and a couple friends running around with a handycam, on the fly, making it up as you go, with very little technical precision. So you’re always going up against that perception. But the passionate filmmakers always find ways to stand out, and always WILL stand out.
I’ve committed my life to making films, so for me, it’s do or die. I guess that’s motivation to persevere, but there’s no choice, really. This is what I’m doing. And I do it for my life, for my children and their future, for my crew that believes in me, for my ancestors that came here for a better life, but couldn’t succeed. I’m extremely grateful for the talent I’ve been blessed with, and quite simply, I owe it to the world to share these gifts, even if this world doesn’t appreciate them yet. I’m confident they will, even if it’s not in my lifetime.
Film Questions
What inspired you to create this film?
I have a lot of questions about the human race, and where we’re headed individually, and as a society, and what’s important to us. Can we change, or are we already past the point of no return. I wanted to express these questions through the story, and various characters/settings……..
What message do you hope your film conveys to an audience?
I hope the film inspires people to evaluate themselves and society, and helps them realize how truly connected we are, not just in the land and possessions we share and fight over, but in mind, body, and soul. I feel like humans have a lot of work to do to better ourselves individually, and as a society.
What are your aspirations for this film?
My aspirations for the film are, but not limited to, a short theatrical release with DVD distribution, after a successful festival run. Some awards would be nice, but more than anything, I just want people to notice.
How difficult was it to stay under budget for this film? What is your favorite guerrilla filmmaking tactic?
It wasn’t difficult, with a lot of planning, and working with local municipalities, we were able to keep costs down. My favorite guerrilla tactics were building our own support systems, such as a Snorricam (for interesting POV), and using the light sensitivity of the Canon 5d Mark II to shoot in natural light for night exteriors……
How did you choose which festivals to enter?
We looked at the biggest, most prestigious festivals, and then work down from there.
What was the most challenging part of this film?
Technically speaking, there are a couple high end scenes that were difficult to shoot. But the most challenging part for me personally was never having enough hours in the day.
What was the craziest or most unbelievable moment that occurred while making your film?
There were a few. One was getting into an accident with the 1968 Cadillac that one of our producers procured for us (we repaired it, and no one got hurt, but we still had scenes left with it, and at the time, didn’t know if we could get it back.) We did, though………
One of our actors, while blocking a scene out, fell in a funny way. He got up, looked fine, so we continued blocking out the scene. He went to blow his nose, and then turned to me and one side of his face was completely swollen, instantly!! Apparently, he broke his nose, and when he blew, air caused it to swell his face up. He was okay and we shot the scene a month later (without incident)
The crew played a nasty joke on me at one location. They got some local cops to “shut us down”, citing that we weren’t cleared to be there (even though we were). The cops claimed they had to confiscate ALL the equipment, and we’d be able to get it back in a couple months. A couple months??!!!! We still had a lot of days left to shoot! They got me really good…….I loved it (afterwards)….
What is one thing you wish you had on set?
A professional massage therapist? No, seriously, a more stable dolly system would have cut down some time on certain shots.
What type of junk food did you consume the most of on set?
Not sure if this counts, but PB sandwiches (some w jelly, some w fluff, and even cheese) were a staple on set.
Which moment of your film reflects your “signature?”
I’d say all of them, but you’d probably say I was dodging the question lol…..
There’s a point in the film where the lead character is being interrogated/drugged, meanwhile, the antagonist is questioning a child about her parents. To me it’s signature for the film, because it reflects the duality of what is going on with both protagonist and antagonist.
List four adjectives that describe your film.
Innovative, Thought Provoking, Edgy, Visually Striking
Personal Questions
Why did you choose film as an expression of artistic medium?
It just seemed natural for me……and nothing is bigger than film. No other art form encompasses so many other art forms. It is story, it is photography, it is music, it is theatre, etc etc, and that really appealed to me, because it gives the freedom to express ideas in so many different ways.
Is there any other artistic medium that you work with in your spare time?
I do a lot of still photography, and it definitely helps drive/inspires my filmmaking.
What is your favorite piece of art?
Alphaville………..but I love several paintings by Salvador Dali. Although I’m not too religious, the Bible is often overlooked as a piece of art. But it is a huge volume of some great stories, and I appreciate it as such.
Did you ever consider another career besides filmmaking?
When I was younger……..but since I was about 19, no……
What sparked your interest in becoming a filmmaker? Was there a specific moment/experience that encouraged your interest in this artistic field?
It’s hard to reflect and come up with an answer here. It seems like my love for film has been infinite, even though I know there was a time long ago when it wasn’t the first thing I thought of. I may not really be able to answer this question until I’m on my deathbed, and all is said and done.
In what ways have your friends and family supported you?
To be honest, not too many friends/family have helped out a great deal. They are either too lazy, indifferent, or have their own agenda to worry about. But my wife (and mother of my two sons) has made countless sacrifices to help me make this film. Without her, it wouldn’t have been possible.
What advice can you give to aspiring filmmakers or artists?
I’d say keep learning the craft, absorb as much knowledge from books, people, internet, etc as you possibly can. Keep your head in the game, and know that it’s a challenging endeavor. If it wasn’t, everyone would be doing it. You WILL have moments you’re not proud of, but learn from them, and keep progressing.
Even more important, be yourself, and stay true to YOUR vision, not anyone else’s.
EXPERIMENT!!!! People will laugh at you at first, then despise you, before they admire you. It’s all part of showing people what they didn’t even know what they wanted to see.
If you had an unlimited budget and could shoot anywhere, what would your dream project be?
My dream project would be a remake of Alphaville, and I would shoot it in Monaco, with Al Pacino playing Lemmy Caution, and Christina Ricci as Natacha Von Braun.
Where do you see yourself five years from now?
Living in San Diego, making higher budget films, but staying true to my artistic sensibilities. Success to me is making a living doing what I love, and that’s making thought provoking, visually stimulating films that have deep messages.
Sensory Perception