Richie Moore is an award winning American cinematographer and director based in both Bangkok and Los Angeles. His latest production, Who's Watching Oliver, was his directorial debut and has garnered numerous accolades across film festivals worldwide. Richie has a fascinating story. At 16 he dropped out of high school and began working on film sets. Growing up on productions, he was basically raised by his father's film crew and learned to master the ropes from square one. It's obvious film-making has always been more than a career for him; it's his life. His perseverance as a young worker compelled his obsession for film-making and blossomed his love and respect for the duties and contributions of crew members. Over his career, he's done camera work on some notable titles in Hollywood, including The Hangover (parts two and three), Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol as well as Netflix's Marco Polo series. Most recently, Richie made the leap into writing and directing. His debut film, Who's Watching Oliver is an indisputable fan favourite in the film festival circuit. The film's popularity has gained some serious momentum already, winning seven "Best Feature Film" awards, five "Best Actor" awards and tallying up to more than 20 nominations. Guru spoke with the man behind the silver screen to get some insider information on his new flick and to see what makes him tick.
Tell us about your latest movie.
My latest film, Who's Watching Oliver, was originally the brainchild of Russell Geoffrey Banks (lead actor/co-writer) and myself. We knew that we needed a good producer who could help us cultivate the story and make the film with little to no funding, so we called our good friend Raimund Huber who had been a long time drinking buddy. He was the perfect fit and made us promise that we would follow through with the truly dark and disturbing themes of the story. Raimund was unflinching and fearless during the time we sat down and wrote the film together. The writing sessions were long and arduous but we had so much fun and laughed our asses off throughout the whole process.
What was the vision you had for the film? Has that vision been fulfilled?
We wanted to make a film about a serial killer that was brutally honest and very disturbing. The truth is that it's chockablock full of metaphors for my own life, so when I was directing the film I had a deep personal understanding of what the characters were going through. It was my life and my heart at the end of the day.
When it comes to projects, what's harder, starting them or keeping them alive?
When it comes to making films and getting a project off the ground, I think it's harder to find a story that so many individuals will believe in. But when you find it and you have some talented support, it soars and takes on a life of its own. The film almost shoots itself up. Mind you, it's critical to have a producer who believes in the story and all those involved, a producer who gives the director and the actors the time, support, love and space to let the magic happen.
What's the key to telling a good story?
I think the key to good storytelling is to stay within the realms of what it is you think would make a great story. I mean, what do you want? What do you like? What would YOU like to see? Make those movies!
How do you stay inventive during a creative slump?
Honestly, I'm the complete opposite to everyone I've ever known who struggles with writer's block or a lack of creative ideas. If anything, I have too many and it's hard for me to stay focused. I really love storytelling.
How do you know when a story is complete? Is it hard to walk away?
One of my favourite things in life and work is to be done and move on. I don't cling onto anything or attempt to make anything perfect. I just want to share it and let it go so I can go on to make more beauty.
What's next for Richie Moore?
I've just completed two new short films that delve into different genres. I'm careful about not getting too stuck into one genre. That said, I'm developing another horror film. I want to investigate the Jekyll and Hyde phenomenon that I personally have been dealing with. It's close to my heart and trust me, it will be twisted. g