The gang (right to left): Stephanie Moulard, Serge Lartelier, Carolyn Palmer, Gregory Lee Kenyon, Raiya Corsiglia, and Laura Corsiglia in behind the scenes of "Ancanar." © 2001 Elemental/Light Pirate

From your notes on the early days of lining up support for "Ancanar," it seems that the Tolkien Estate was less than cooperative — pretty big blow to your plans. How did you stay so focused?

Originally, the project was "Elessar," which followed the early days of Aragorn. Saul Zaentz said no (mainly because New Line Cinema retained the rights to many more years), so the project stopped. It was depressing, not being able to proceed on something that I was very passionate about. A few months later, a new story started emerging, that was inspired by some of the events told in The Silmarillion. To make sure I couldn't use the actual names and places, I contacted the Estate — very quickly I was turned down. Unfortunately, they do not want to release the rights to The Silmarillion and Lost Tales...ever.



What did you learn about the film industry that you did not know before embarking on this project, and how do you think this knowledge will change the way you approach any future projects?

Every director learns more on each production, those who you work with teach you, especially the actors. I'm still excellent friends with many of them, especially because our time together was so bittersweet. We endured heavy rains, snows, high mountain winds, desert fields, snakes, and mosquitoes together. We spent a chilly night camping out in our Ceredin Camp location, and watched damn emerge. I think lessons learned in filmmaking are life lessons, not restricted to the set. Filming "Ancanar" was a perfect adventure, there and back again.



Without "big name" talent attached to the project, did you find the investor(s) were reluctant to attach any money to the project?

Oh yeah! At the time, we had three deadly strikes against us. 1. It was a digital production, 2. no big names, and 3. a sci-fi fantasy genre. We got our share of blank stares. Right now, many of those things have turned around — Lucas is shooting all digital for Episode 2, Indies are hot items, and "Fellowship of the Rings" has been nominated for thirteen Oscars. It's a good time for independent fantasy films.



Were you intimidated by the whole "Tolkien" mystique when writing the screenplay?

Right: Co-directors plotting together (Raiya Corsiglia and Sam R. Balcomb). Left: Within the caves of Ceredin: Fred Albert, Gregory Lee Kenyon, Sam R. Balcomb, and Dan Francis. © 2001 Elemental/Light Pirate

It's easy for anyone to be intimidated by Middle-Earth, it's huge. It's history is so vast and sprawling, it's languages and races so diverse, that it can take years of study to get familiar with it all. Luckily, I've been reading on the history of Beleriand, Numenor, Valinor, et al, for a long time, and had a very in-depth knowledge long before starting the script. Not many people know that the Elves celebrated the "Gates of Summer," but that tidbit (and many more) is taking up valuable real estate in my memory (ask me about my country's history and watch my blank stare).

Who are the directors you admire the most, and why (I had to ask!)?

In no particular order...Lucas for his inspiration (Star Wars: first movie I ever saw); Spielberg for his imagination and eye; Burton for his moods; both Tony and Ridley Scott for their visuals and passion; Woo for his joy; Altman for his sensibilities; Kubrick for his craziness; Malick for his soul; and, last but not least, Peter Jackson for his gift.



You bypassed many of the issues facing "up-and-coming" filmmakers by starting your own production company, Elemental. How did you find the funding to start the company? Did you encounter any difficulties to convince investors to come on board, and if so, how did you counter their reservations?

Beginning a production company doesn't require as much funding as one would think — especially if many of the resources are already in place. It's just a lot of paperwork. Investors like working with production companies (as opposed to individuals with scripts) simply because it's more professional, and they feel more secure in their investment. Confidence in the project and the filmmakers — that's the highest priority.



Can you give on distribution of the film?

Right now we're heavily in the FX process. Before we assemble a future package to promote the film to distributors, we want plenty of impressive special-effect shots to woo them with!



Do you have any other projects in the works?

I have plenty of scripts that (in time) I'd love to shoot, but right now I'm finishing up my commercial reel. It's something I've wanted to do for a while, and commercials give you a terrific chance to work in different genres and styles in a short amount of time.

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