October 4, 2023 • 41 mins
What happens when an automobile industry manager with a love for photography stumbles upon filmmaking? This podcast brings you the fascinating journey of Bill Howard, who swapped car engines for camera lenses and embarked on an unconventional path to become a filmmaker. This episode isn't just about Bill's career transition, it's about his deep-rooted passion for storytelling and the inspiration he found in the film "500 Days of Summer."
From the automotive world to venturing into the world of photography and filmmaking, Bill's journey is nothing short of amazing. Our conversation delves into his experience of writing an outdoors column for newspapers, which ignited his love for photography. We further explore his transition into full-time photography, the creation of his YouTube channel, and producing a feature-length film on a shoestring budget.
But it doesn't stop there. We also delve into Bill's artistic pursuits and his aspirations for his work. His profound interpretation of Tom's character in "500 Days of Summer" and its portrayal of relationships is a testament to the power of creative vision. Join us as we unravel Bill's hopes for his work to leave a lasting legacy, and how he uses film to capture life's precious moments and create conversation pieces for the future. This episode is all about the fascinating intersection of passion, creativity, and legacy.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Taylor D. Adams (00:55):
Have you ever stopped and thought about how
you got to where you are today?
The opportunities that camealong, the places you've been,
the food you've eaten all ofthese things are parts of your
journey, your experience beingyou, and one of the biggest
things that can affect how yourlife turns out is the people you
(01:16):
meet.
500 Days of Summer is atestament to this fact.
Starring Joseph Gordon-Levittand Zoe Deschanel, this film is
a quirky romantic comedy thatdemonstrates how the
relationships we buildultimately shape our character
and our lives.
There's lots of fun to be hadin this movie, but for my guests
today, the events that mimicreal life are what make this
(01:37):
film truly special.
Bill Howard is a photographerand filmmaker who feels the
effect 500 Days of Summer has asa film is the same as someone
searching for the love of theirlife.
That parallel, despite thisfilm's use of magical realism at
times, is a huge comfort toBill.
He and I chatted about hisunconventional journey to
(01:58):
becoming a filmmaker, the warmreception of his most recent
film, something Walks in theWoods, and the idea of leaving a
familial legacy.
We've got a lot of ground tocover here.
So roses are red, violets areblue.
Here's Bill Howard talkingabout 500 Days of Summer on the
Film Nuts podcast.
Bill Howard (02:19):
I'm actually doing wonderful.
It's a lot better than what itcould have been.
Covid could have put me out ofbusiness.
I would say.
Taylor D. Adams (02:27):
Yeah, because correct me if I'm wrong a lot of
your work in the past, for along time, has been
event-oriented.
Is that kind of right?
Bill Howard (02:37):
I do commercial, corporate real estate and core
sports, which is how you and Imet.
And when COVID hit, it hit usright there in the ACC
tournament.
I remember that.
Yeah, I never got back with theuniversity after that because
(02:57):
of the rules, but I picked uplike five customers, five
clients that did vacant landstuff and I had never been to
California until COVID hit andI've been to California seven
times.
I shot like 60 properties inthe Mahabey Desert.
(03:17):
Yeah, a whole lot different.
And then, of course, some ofthe dead time got me thinking
about getting into filmmaking,which is kind of a little bit
while we're here now to discussfilms too.
Yeah, because I was basically astills photographer.
Video never cost my mind.
Taylor D. Adams (03:39):
Well, why did it cross your mind?
Bill Howard (03:43):
Because, since I was traveling the country so
much once COVID hit and I got tosee places that I never would
have seen before If I had a nineto five o'clock in o'clock out
job, I'd never been able totravel like I did, and I got
into time lapses, and soinitially my filmmaking was
(04:05):
based on I wanted to be a timelapster, I wanted to do those
type of films and I upgraded myequipment where I could do 8K
time lapses and that type ofthing, because I was thinking
we're starting to get 8K TVs.
Now you get in early, then yourstuff's out there, and then it
just kept evolving.
Taylor D. Adams (04:24):
Well, like what ?
Like how did it keep evolving?
Like you did a time lapse, andthen from there you're like oh,
let me put more than one timelapse together.
Or like how did the train getrolling?
Bill Howard (04:34):
Yeah, I really liked Michael Sheenblum and his
time lapse.
Taylor D. Adams (04:41):
I'm not familiar with him and I started
doing some stuff trying to.
Bill Howard (04:46):
I just I weren't as good as he is as far as
combining everything, but I didsell a lot of stock footage from
time lapses.
But in October two years ago Ihad a guy approach me about
doing about being thecinematographer for a short film
(05:09):
and I read the script.
Script was okay, it wasn't abad script.
It was a horror short and Iended up co-producing,
co-directing and editing it aswell and I really liked the way
the visuals were coming out andhonestly, I think the
(05:31):
photography side of it reallydrives what I want out of
visuals.
But I enjoyed the experience ofhaving cast and crew where
doing time lapses is just me.
Taylor D. Adams (05:42):
Yeah.
Bill Howard (05:43):
Yeah, and my prior life before I got into
photography and filmmakingphotography I'm a little over
eight years now, full-time, butbefore that I always that was a
manager, a director not adirector of films, but in
automotive service and so itgave me that management
(06:04):
experience, logistics experienceagain, and I enjoyed that.
For ten years I wrote anoutdoors column for multiple
newspapers here in NorthCarolina and South Carolina, and
so I decided to write my ownscript.
I learned how to write a scriptin the proper format and and
(06:26):
instead of doing short filmsthat I was like, no, all a short
film is, it's just Sings andthat's all a feature film is, I
just need more scenes for thefeature film.
And so I wrote a feature lengthscript and it did very well and
in some of the film festivals,as far as the script part of it.
(06:47):
Obviously I hadn't filmed it atthat point I was just sending
in the scripts for submissionsToronto film a script awards,
for instance.
I did really well there, and soI just bit the bullet and
decided to start trying to filmit and, thank you, I've become
really good at making featurefilms for, like you know,
(07:07):
thousand dollars.
Taylor D. Adams (07:11):
Yeah, the low budget stuff.
Man, a little budget stuff isimportant.
Bill Howard (07:14):
Yeah, and so I started.
I cast the for the great dismal,which was the first feature
film I did, and then we ran outof time the great dismal space
and the great dismal swamp buteverything started getting
really green when I was filmingin the winter and it
transitioned spring and summer,so so we had to pause the film
(07:38):
and we would continue it whenthe winter came.
And while that was happening, Istarted thinking about
distribution and there was aFilm series I don't know if
you've ever heard of it theBlackwell ghost, and he's got
seven of them out now, and Ikind of studied what he did,
business wise, and so I wrote ascript called something walks in
(08:01):
the woods.
I did some marketing throughlike tick tock and YouTube
shorts and Facebook andInstagram shorts and and because
I was forcing this being realabout this little figure that
walks across the edge of thewoods, and so I wrote that film,
did I probably got four daystotal filming in it.
Most of the filming came forthe cameos.
(08:23):
I had during the end credits,but I Did it for 350 bucks, got
it on to be Is hit most popularhorror as number one and
documentary is number oneseveral times on to be and so
how did it end up as adocumentary?
Taylor D. Adams (08:41):
I got a question about that one man, I
don't know, because I watched ityesterday and I was like this
is not a documentary.
Why is this less than as adocumentary?
Bill Howard (08:50):
It's just what to be chosen to be.
I guess that's so weird and yousee, it's not even listed in a
horror, but it made most popularhorror.
So I don't know, and I call itsoft horror.
Yeah.
I can see that and it's amockumentary but it was fun
(09:10):
making it and it's now a fivefilms thing.
I'm working on film number twofor it now cool, you know you
said you watch it.
It's a slow burn and it buildsup at the end and so we're kind
(09:30):
of Film number two is gonna bekind of on a tangent film.
Number three brings it back towhat number one is and then Film
number four is actually gonnabe a narrative rather than the
mockumentary documentary thing,because my distributor has said
I've got to do it as a narrative.
(09:51):
So we'll have a narrative isnumber four and then we bring it
back to a mockumentary on five.
Taylor D. Adams (09:57):
Wow, well, I mean, that's exciting.
You got so much going on.
Bill Howard (10:01):
Yes.
That's really cool and I'mwriting another film, now called
the AT, which is gonna be.
It's like a mockumentary aswell, but it's a true true crime
type Rather than a war type.
Taylor D. Adams (10:13):
Okay, Cool, interesting.
Bill Howard (10:15):
Yeah, I'm just trying to play with all these
genres.
Taylor D. Adams (10:19):
So, yeah, I don't like to do this, but if I
had to judge a book by its cover, I Would not say that your
favorite movie is 500 days ofsummer.
Yeah, you would so.
So I would like to know, though, howard, why your favorite
movie or the movie at least youwanted to talk about today is
500 days of summer one.
Bill Howard (10:39):
I like Zoe Deschanel.
Hmm to I like Joseph GordonLeavitt.
Mm-hmm and then the way themovie made me feel it.
It's kind of reminiscent ofwhen you have the butterflies,
when you're, when you're stilltrying to find the person that
you're gonna love Mm-hmm, Iguess is it and that feeling
(11:04):
felt really good.
(11:31):
I also love the way it waswritten and and Performed on.
You know, on screen, hmm, thebounce and back and forth
showing the same scenes, but onone scene, you know, when you
see it the first time,everything's real giddy and
happy, and then, next time yousee it, it's real down and
(11:51):
depressing.
And you know it's like reallife.
Taylor D. Adams (11:57):
That make sense .
I See, I see what you're saying.
Yeah, I see what you're sayingwhen.
So when did you first see it?
What was that experience like?
Do you remember I?
Bill Howard (12:11):
Didn't go to theaters to see it.
I saw it on DVD the first time.
See COVID really messes withtiming.
I can't remember if I got itfrom blockbuster or red box, but
yeah, we rented it and my wifedidn't like it nearly as much as
(12:31):
I do and my friends don't likeit nearly as much as I do.
I could watch it all day long.
I could have it as background.
It every, just about everyscene in it makes me feel a
certain way and it again it'skind of like real life in that
(12:52):
you find that one person thatyou want the relationship to
work so badly, you're so smitten, and the other person just
doesn't reciprocate quite thesame way and it's usually that
next relationship it's the onethat really counts.
It's what happened with me andmy wife.
It's you know, and you look atit and you're going.
(13:15):
That's the way it was in thefilm for Joseph Gordon-Lemmett,
but it was actually the way itwas for Zoe.
She was the one that found, youknow, the person she loved
after the relationship broke up.
(14:03):
Yeah, it just reminds me so muchof real life, and not just
relationships.
It can even be work.
You know it.
As far as going fromphotography to filmmaking, going
from automotive to photography,everything Seem like there's a
pattern, but, just like in themovie, it may bounce around
everywhere.
You know that they bouncedaround from day one, today, 30,
(14:28):
today, 500, at that, today 10.
You know stuff like that.
Where In real life?
Yeah, you have these up anddowns that I played with
photography a little bit when Iwas an automotive Got.
Then got into it Much later andwent full-time with it.
It's all got its place.
Taylor D. Adams (14:48):
Make sense.
Yeah, I know, I get.
I think one of the things thatthat this movie is known for and
sometimes applauded for is kindof, in a ways, being a romantic
comedy but not being about theromance.
It just serves as kind of avehicle for those individuals to
Discover the thing that they're, you know, meant to be around
(15:13):
if they play around with destinyand fate in this movie.
Bill Howard (15:16):
Yeah, it's a passionate about another person.
Yeah, but yeah, exactly yeah,I'm.
Taylor D. Adams (15:24):
Going back for a second, I actually super
curious about how you ended upswitching from working in the
automotive industry to being aphotographer.
Bill Howard (15:33):
All right, so well.
Again, let's go way back.
Let's bounce all the way backright I went to.
Nc State for journalism and Ihad to.
I left school before Igraduated and first I ran a
restaurant and then I ran a theyheat and air company, and then
(15:55):
I got an automotive and I Was ona motor for 20 years and so so
were you bouncing around for,just like try and pay the bills,
were you following whims likewhat was, what was that journey?
Taylor D. Adams (16:10):
I?
Bill Howard (16:10):
got engaged when I was well, actually didn't get.
I met my wife when I was at therestaurant.
She was a frequent customer,okay, and I Wanted to ask her to
marry me, but I'm I was workingsix days a week at the
restaurant, weird hours.
So that's how I got in.
With the heat and air company,one of my customers I'm the heat
(16:34):
near company and he asked if Iwould run their like commercial
division, which I did.
I ran it for, ran it up untilour first born, and Once that
happened, that's how I got intoautomotive.
I just had to get a change ofcareer with that.
Automotives, good learning youand even if you decide to leave,
(16:57):
you can always find somewhereelse an automotive to go and
there's always a job openingthat has good money.
And so, yeah, 20 years,everything from Jiffy Lube to
mostly General Motorsdealerships.
The final five years ofautomotive I was, or maybe four
(17:19):
years of automotive I startedwriting an outdoors column for
the newspapers and that expandedup to about 16 newspapers that
were carrying the column eachweek.
So that was good side money andit also allowed me to go
hunting, fish and hike and campand do stuff like that too and
get paid for it.
I got a camera because I wasstarting to get magazine covers
(17:44):
and doing freelance formagazines as well, and I needed
something more than a cell phonefor my photos to go with my
stories.
And so I got a camera NikonD3300 and that got me into the
photography side.
We had a really good month atthe dealership in the service
(18:06):
and parts, and they redid mycontract and it wasn't favorable
, and so I landed a gig to shootdressage on a weekend, and six
weeks after that first paid gigI went full time.
(18:30):
So you just said, I'm doing thisvacation to go shoot some
commercial stuff for a selfstorage facility throughout
North and South Carolina, and sothat gave me the money for when
I would quit that I had hisbackup.
I did not want to do weddings.
I was doing everything I couldto stay away from weddings and I
think I've averaged maybe oneevery 18 months.
Taylor D. Adams (18:52):
So, yeah, I mean, that's just a.
It's just a wild journey tohear, I mean, anybody that goes
through those shifts to try, andeven if you're not trying to
end up somewhere, you end upsomewhere.
Right, you end up somewherewhere you maybe didn't even
start For for this movie, thiswas directed by Mark Webb.
It was his first movie that hemade feature length.
(19:14):
He'd done crazy amount of musicvideos and think I read, he
made over 100.
And in my mind I'm thinkinglike what I use that number is
like a reason to then dosomething bigger.
But for you, with the projectsthat you've been working on,
like you mentioned earlier,you've always kind of like.
(19:34):
You know, you decided to at onepoint you decided to put
multiple pictures together tomake a movie.
Do you think there's any partof you that thought that you
were ready to make that move?
Bill Howard (19:50):
No, I mean, I created a YouTube channel to
kind of cover my landscape andsports photography.
So I was, I was getting moreand more comfortable in front of
the camera and, again, becauseof the photography side, I knew
what kind of visuals I wanted.
And, yeah, I never thought forsure that I wanted to do video.
(20:18):
I played with it.
I liked Ben Horn and ThomasHeaton for landscape photography
and I really tried to modelsome YouTube stuff out of that.
But it I just wasn't reallygood at it.
I didn't understand how to putthe story together and out.
(20:38):
Once I was able to startscripting things, it became a
whole lot easier to put thesestories together.
Taylor D. Adams (20:47):
So sorry for the interruption, but I will be
brief.
I am so grateful that youdecided to listen to the Film
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(21:08):
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(21:31):
people like yourself.
Okay, enough of me rambling Backto the good stuff.
What you've been working onspecifically within kind of the
artistic side of things, whetherit's photography, videography,
TV, film, what have you?
I think of stuff like that asmaking something, building
(21:52):
something kind of in some aspect, creating a legacy and when I'm
watching 500 Days of Summer,I'm looking at Tom's character
and the little.
It's not the main focus, butthe fact that you learned that
he's an architect and that hewants to be an architect and
(22:14):
he's currently writing for agreeting card company.
(22:39):
One thing works with buildingbuildings that last hundreds of
years, the other is a piece ofpaper that gets thrown out, and
he also is very concerned aboutbuilding a relationship with
someone.
So is there any part of youthat kind of connects with that
drive to make things thatoutlast you Absolutely?
Bill Howard (22:59):
This whole filmmaking side of it is really
the legacy build.
I won't have good stories.
I want something that peoplecan watch.
I'm not gonna have, obviously,I'm not gonna put out the best
movie there is for $1,000 or 350bucks.
(23:22):
I'm mostly shooting thesemyself.
Even when we had Cast and Crewfor the Tramping Ground, which
was that short I was telling youabout, I was the audio guy, I
was the light guy, I was thefilm guy.
I had a-.
Taylor D. Adams (23:36):
The life of low budget.
Bill Howard (23:37):
Yeah, I had a co-director and basically he
held stuff while I'd shot.
That's basically what it was.
Yeah, it really is about legacy.
It's something that maybe mygrandkids can.
My kids will tell their kidshey, you got to see this crazy
(23:59):
crap that your granddad used todo.
Taylor D. Adams (24:06):
So your idea of anything legacy oriented is
very direct within the family.
Look at what your granddad didnot like.
100 years from now, here's afilmmaker Bill Howard.
Is that kind of where yourfocus?
Bill Howard (24:19):
is I'm not trying to be Alfred Hitchcock Going
back to the Outdoors column, myOutdoors columns.
They weren't about fishing andhunting reports.
It wasn't about hey, the troutare now running.
That's not what it was about itwas.
They were stories each andevery week for 520 weeks,
(24:45):
because I stopped it on the 10year anniversary.
It was about reminiscing andtalking about going hunting with
my dad and my granddad, goingfishing with my dad and my
granddad, that type of thing.
Those were the stories I putout each and every week.
And then, as my kids would growlike, I did a three week story
(25:09):
on taking my youngest fishingfor the first time, about hyping
it up for and making him soexcited that he would pee his
pants if he caught a fish.
That was the goal and honestly,we're talking about the legacy.
I've got great photos with meand my kids doing things like
that that I probably wouldn'thave had otherwise.
(25:31):
I mean, even my two oldest kidsboth had state records.
It's conversation pieces, right.
But yeah, it's very much legacyoriented and, like you were
saying with Tom, especially withthe architecture side, it's not
(25:54):
just him building a legacy andtrying to find that relationship
that's solid.
He wants to build, not just arelationship.
He wants to build hissurroundings when he's sitting
on the park bench talking about,yeah, the park, a lot needs to
go.
(26:59):
He's designing his utopia, andwith filmmaking, that's kind of
what we get to do.
Taylor D. Adams (27:08):
Yeah, I think with that lens too, it comes to
mind that Tom's because the newmovie is seen through his eyes.
Yeah, and he's crafting theworld around him and yeah, it
goes beyond him sketching askyline that he's witnessing,
like it bleeds into the magicalrealism of it, of breaking into
(27:35):
a mosh pit.
Not a mosh pit, a flash mobdance scene.
Feature in the UCLA marchingband.
Bill Howard (27:43):
That is one of my favorites.
That's one of my favorites,especially the big brass coming
out right behind him at theperfect moment.
Oh yeah, I'll call you.
You make a mad dream come true.
Taylor D. Adams (28:00):
You, you, you, Wow, wow, wow you.
You make a mad dream come true.
Speaking of favorite scenes, doyou have a favorite moment or a
favorite scene other than thatone from this movie?
That's the thing about that.
That's why I said I like thismovie so much because every
scene is so great.
Bill Howard (28:18):
The tearjerker's the part where you know he's
going in for the interview atthe end and he comes back out
and he asked the lady's name andshe says autumn.
(29:14):
He's now.
He's now.
It's the turning of seasons.
Okay, hit that part that we alldesire to hit, right.
He's hit the part that Summerhit earlier in the film, when
she left him and then foundsomeone.
Taylor D. Adams (29:30):
And you know it was engaged at that point.
Do you think, at the end of 500days of Summer, that Autumn is
the woman that Tom ends up with,or is this another 500 days?
Bill Howard (29:40):
I think she's the one he ends up with.
Taylor D. Adams (29:42):
Why.
Bill Howard (29:44):
Because there's not been a sequel to Tell Me
Different.
Taylor D. Adams (29:48):
No, they haven't made it yet.
Bill Howard (29:53):
Again, there's the turning of the season and she's
the one for that maturity partof life.
And you know, summer found herperson.
Tom came off of his breakupwith Summer.
(30:14):
It's usually that next one isthe one you end up with.
It's what happened to me.
Honestly, it's what happened tomy oldest son.
He had a bad relationship thathe wanted to go all in with and
there was just something missing.
But the next one was the one.
(30:35):
It was the way it was with mywife.
She had her heartbreak and thenI came into her life.
I don't know, does it work thatway with you?
Let's turn the interview around.
Taylor D. Adams (30:50):
I didn't really have an interpretation of it.
I was just like, I'll be honest, when her name was Autumn, I
was like, really, that's a greattwist, that's really on the
nose.
But I did with.
The thing I had to keep in mindwhen watching this movie is
when it came out, so coming outin 2009,.
It feels very much like a 2009movie in the way that around
(31:13):
that, the era from like probablythat I wouldn't say that whole
decade, but the majority of thatdecade is very focused on it's
quirky comedy, it's norm core,the way this film looks like.
It's super beige and tan andbrown and muted, but it's
(31:34):
contrasted with quirkiness,magical realism.
So 2023 me rolled my eyes.
2009 me would have been like,oh, I think that's probably what
would have happened if I hadwatched this when it did come
out and I did appreciate thefact that, yeah, the day ticker
went back down to one, so youcould interpret it either way.
(31:55):
I think, yeah, did you have youshown this movie to your son,
who got his heart broken?
Bill Howard (32:02):
I've tried to get everybody in my family to watch
this movie.
I've joked on Facebook abouthow the greatest movie ever is
500 Days of Summer, and Iusually get a lot of people that
tell me how wrong I am.
Taylor D. Adams (32:16):
Well, they just don't have a heart, apparently.
Bill Howard (32:17):
Exactly.
They're cold hearted.
They're very bad people.
Maybe their next person willmake them realize that 500 Days
is great, maybe so yeah, allthey need is to get their heart
broken.
Exactly, but yeah, I don't know.
Sometimes you go into a filmand you study everything about
(32:39):
the film, but there's movies youwant to go in there and just
enjoy, and that was what 500Days of Summer did for me, and
everything about it was fun.
I mean the CGI or not the CGI,but the effect of adding Han
Solo on the TV.
Taylor D. Adams (32:57):
It's cheesy.
Bill Howard (32:58):
It's a carbon dance , but it was fun.
Yeah, it was fun.
The animated bird on hisshoulder during that scene.
It was cheesy, but it was funwhen the band came out with the
big brass.
If you did not smile when thathappens, then you do not have a
heart.
And then, if you, don't getdejected when that elevator
(33:21):
opens up and his head's hangingdown and he's ragged because of
the breakup.
I mean you're not following itfor fun, you're following it for
something else.
You know again, I know it'smostly in the writing Not only
the skipping of the days goingback and forth and they're not
(33:41):
real flashbacks because of theway the film was done but the
parts where you had people justnarrating in front of the camera
.
(34:12):
You know, all of that just hitshome for me.
Anyway, I just thought it wasbrilliant the way that they had
the little narrations here andthere throughout.
Taylor D. Adams (34:24):
Yeah, and in what way did that hit home for
you?
Bill Howard (34:28):
They were narrating life breaking the fourth wall
with it, and they're talking tothe viewer and it makes sense.
It's something that noteverybody's lived in, I'm sure,
but I've lived it, my wife'slived it.
I can see my kids live in thesame experiences that they're
talking about.
Taylor D. Adams (34:49):
Is that why, for some of the movies you're
working on, there is this senseof reality to it.
I mean, you're working on stuffthat's in the paranormal, in
the supernatural.
Some of it is doc, some of itis not, but they're all still
kind of grounded in either asetting that's super
(35:12):
recognizable or adirect-to-camera kind of thing.
Like, is that a filmmakingtechnique that you think you've
attached yourself to because itattaches the art to the real
world?
Bill Howard (35:23):
Yes, now I'll give you a couple of things here,
like the docs, the two that youcan see behind me back here.
For one, I'm an introvert, soit's a whole lot easier for me
to film something quick bymyself without other people
(35:44):
having to direct or even talk to, and I had to get comfortable
in front of the camera to dothat.
But I've also learned that inthose two films when I talk to
the camera, I've had so manypeople talk about how great I
acted.
I wasn't acting, it was me.
I'm just using the camera asthe person I'm talking to.
(36:07):
So it's not true.
Found footage and found footagehas got a strong following.
It's a very loyal niche.
Taylor D. Adams (36:19):
Well, found footage doesn't have to be
nonfiction Like found footage isjust it's a style, it's not
necessarily rooted in aparticular genre.
Bill Howard (36:27):
So the incredulous case of aliens, the US
government, arnie Smith that'sher true story.
But I hired actors to tell thestory.
Now, when I say it's a truestory, it's true as in it came
from somebody to me.
(36:48):
That's for the viewer to findout, because it goes way out
there.
Something walks in the woods isbased off of a tick top that my
wife showed me and I decided tomake my own figure walking
across the edge of the woods,and that would be a good reason.
To do a documentary is to findout if there's something really
there or not.
Taylor D. Adams (37:08):
I got to tell our listeners and our viewers.
If you're interested in any ofthe stuff that Bill has made, I
would say check out somethingwalks in the woods.
Because I watched it yesterdaywith, actually, a friend of mine
.
I sent her a link and wewatched it at the same time
because she's big in the ghost,and we started watching it
because it's listed underdocumentary and we're like I
start watching it and I tell youwhen I got so mad, whenever I
(37:33):
could tell that you added soundand the effects were being up, I
was like this is not adocumentary.
What happened?
And then I'm like I'mresearching more and I'm like,
oh, to be just like put it thereLike they did.
I'm like I know Bill didn't saythis is a documentary, because
even at the end of the movie yousay it's a work of fiction.
So, but I, but not knowing that, I was so mad.
Bill Howard (37:58):
Oh me.
Taylor D. Adams (38:01):
But yeah, yeah, it's, it's, it's, it's.
It's interesting that the workand like your for lack of a
better term idea of this likeart, artistic success, is
basically what you're doingright now.
Like, I don't doubt that youwould want to make like bigger
(38:23):
things, but I also completelyunderstand and believe that the
stuff you're making right nowyou would just continue to make.
Yeah, because of that, becauseof that legacy of whatever your
grand kid is going to think ofyou, I think that's a really
sweet idea.
I like that a lot.
Bill Howard (38:39):
And I mean they get .
They'll get to know me, youknow, because I'm acting it when
I'm on camera, I'm acting asmyself.
Now the narratives, you knowthat's a different story.
I've got one big narrative and,taylor, if you've got $50,000,
you want to invest, I'll happilyadd you on as an executive
producer.
Taylor D. Adams (38:59):
Oh man, I'll, I'll contribute, you contribute
in other ways.
I think the specific type ofBill's desired legacy pairs
really well with the idea thatour relationships with people,
loved ones, friends, whoever canreally shape who we become
(39:23):
Because of our intention is topositively affect those closest
to us.
That will inevitably instillthat same way of thinking into
the next generation and maybe,just maybe, we'll learn to
accept love in all forms and setout to achieve our dreams.
A huge thanks to Bill forchatting with me today and a
thousand greeting cards worth ofthank yous to you for listening
(39:45):
.
If you want to check out someof Bill's work, including links
to some of the films he's made,go ahead and take a look at the
show notes for all those goodies.
If you enjoyed what you heardtoday, please go ahead and
subscribe to stay up to date onall of our episodes on your
favorite podcast platform ofchoice.
And if you happen to belistening on Apple podcast,
please it would mean so much tome to leave a rating and review.
Doing that helps us get noticedby more awesome people like
(40:07):
yourself.
If you want to help the showgrow and get some really cool
perks in the process, pleaseconsider supporting the film
notes podcast on Patreon, muchlike our recent patrons route
and Jeff.
Thanks for the love guys.
If you want to be cool likethem, you can check out the show
notes or visit patreoncom.
Slash film nuts.
Our theme this season isbrought to us by the deep end.
(40:27):
Our artwork is designed byMadunga Super Hoodie and all
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Absolutely free by checking outthe link in the show notes as
(40:48):
well.
Thank you all so much forlistening today, and here's
hoping your next randomencounter in the elevator leads
to something truly remarkable.
Thanks.
Have you ever stopped and thought about how
you got to where you are today?
The opportunities that camealong, the places you've been,
the food you've eaten all ofthese things are parts of your
journey, your experience beingyou, and one of the biggest
things that can affect how yourlife turns out is the people you
(01:16):
meet.
500 Days of Summer is atestament to this fact.
Starring Joseph Gordon-Levittand Zoe Deschanel, this film is
a quirky romantic comedy thatdemonstrates how the
relationships we buildultimately shape our character
and our lives.
There's lots of fun to be hadin this movie, but for my guests
today, the events that mimicreal life are what make this
(01:37):
film truly special.
Bill Howard is a photographerand filmmaker who feels the
effect 500 Days of Summer has asa film is the same as someone
searching for the love of theirlife.
That parallel, despite thisfilm's use of magical realism at
times, is a huge comfort toBill.
He and I chatted about hisunconventional journey to
(01:58):
becoming a filmmaker, the warmreception of his most recent
film, something Walks in theWoods, and the idea of leaving a
familial legacy.
We've got a lot of ground tocover here.
So roses are red, violets areblue.
Here's Bill Howard talkingabout 500 Days of Summer on the
Film Nuts podcast.
Bill Howard (02:19):
I'm actually doing wonderful.
It's a lot better than what itcould have been.
Covid could have put me out ofbusiness.
I would say.
Taylor D. Adams (02:27):
Yeah, because correct me if I'm wrong a lot of
your work in the past, for along time, has been
event-oriented.
Is that kind of right?
Bill Howard (02:37):
I do commercial, corporate real estate and core
sports, which is how you and Imet.
And when COVID hit, it hit usright there in the ACC
tournament.
I remember that.
Yeah, I never got back with theuniversity after that because
(02:57):
of the rules, but I picked uplike five customers, five
clients that did vacant landstuff and I had never been to
California until COVID hit andI've been to California seven
times.
I shot like 60 properties inthe Mahabey Desert.
(03:17):
Yeah, a whole lot different.
And then, of course, some ofthe dead time got me thinking
about getting into filmmaking,which is kind of a little bit
while we're here now to discussfilms too.
Yeah, because I was basically astills photographer.
Video never cost my mind.
Taylor D. Adams (03:39):
Well, why did it cross your mind?
Bill Howard (03:43):
Because, since I was traveling the country so
much once COVID hit and I got tosee places that I never would
have seen before If I had a nineto five o'clock in o'clock out
job, I'd never been able totravel like I did, and I got
into time lapses, and soinitially my filmmaking was
(04:05):
based on I wanted to be a timelapster, I wanted to do those
type of films and I upgraded myequipment where I could do 8K
time lapses and that type ofthing, because I was thinking
we're starting to get 8K TVs.
Now you get in early, then yourstuff's out there, and then it
just kept evolving.
Taylor D. Adams (04:24):
Well, like what ?
Like how did it keep evolving?
Like you did a time lapse, andthen from there you're like oh,
let me put more than one timelapse together.
Or like how did the train getrolling?
Bill Howard (04:34):
Yeah, I really liked Michael Sheenblum and his
time lapse.
Taylor D. Adams (04:41):
I'm not familiar with him and I started
doing some stuff trying to.
Bill Howard (04:46):
I just I weren't as good as he is as far as
combining everything, but I didsell a lot of stock footage from
time lapses.
But in October two years ago Ihad a guy approach me about
doing about being thecinematographer for a short film
(05:09):
and I read the script.
Script was okay, it wasn't abad script.
It was a horror short and Iended up co-producing,
co-directing and editing it aswell and I really liked the way
the visuals were coming out andhonestly, I think the
(05:31):
photography side of it reallydrives what I want out of
visuals.
But I enjoyed the experience ofhaving cast and crew where
doing time lapses is just me.
Taylor D. Adams (05:42):
Yeah.
Bill Howard (05:43):
Yeah, and my prior life before I got into
photography and filmmakingphotography I'm a little over
eight years now, full-time, butbefore that I always that was a
manager, a director not adirector of films, but in
automotive service and so itgave me that management
(06:04):
experience, logistics experienceagain, and I enjoyed that.
For ten years I wrote anoutdoors column for multiple
newspapers here in NorthCarolina and South Carolina, and
so I decided to write my ownscript.
I learned how to write a scriptin the proper format and and
(06:26):
instead of doing short filmsthat I was like, no, all a short
film is, it's just Sings andthat's all a feature film is, I
just need more scenes for thefeature film.
And so I wrote a feature lengthscript and it did very well and
in some of the film festivals,as far as the script part of it.
(06:47):
Obviously I hadn't filmed it atthat point I was just sending
in the scripts for submissionsToronto film a script awards,
for instance.
I did really well there, and soI just bit the bullet and
decided to start trying to filmit and, thank you, I've become
really good at making featurefilms for, like you know,
(07:07):
thousand dollars.
Taylor D. Adams (07:11):
Yeah, the low budget stuff.
Man, a little budget stuff isimportant.
Bill Howard (07:14):
Yeah, and so I started.
I cast the for the great dismal,which was the first feature
film I did, and then we ran outof time the great dismal space
and the great dismal swamp buteverything started getting
really green when I was filmingin the winter and it
transitioned spring and summer,so so we had to pause the film
(07:38):
and we would continue it whenthe winter came.
And while that was happening, Istarted thinking about
distribution and there was aFilm series I don't know if
you've ever heard of it theBlackwell ghost, and he's got
seven of them out now, and Ikind of studied what he did,
business wise, and so I wrote ascript called something walks in
(08:01):
the woods.
I did some marketing throughlike tick tock and YouTube
shorts and Facebook andInstagram shorts and and because
I was forcing this being realabout this little figure that
walks across the edge of thewoods, and so I wrote that film,
did I probably got four daystotal filming in it.
Most of the filming came forthe cameos.
(08:23):
I had during the end credits,but I Did it for 350 bucks, got
it on to be Is hit most popularhorror as number one and
documentary is number oneseveral times on to be and so
how did it end up as adocumentary?
Taylor D. Adams (08:41):
I got a question about that one man, I
don't know, because I watched ityesterday and I was like this
is not a documentary.
Why is this less than as adocumentary?
Bill Howard (08:50):
It's just what to be chosen to be.
I guess that's so weird and yousee, it's not even listed in a
horror, but it made most popularhorror.
So I don't know, and I call itsoft horror.
Yeah.
I can see that and it's amockumentary but it was fun
(09:10):
making it and it's now a fivefilms thing.
I'm working on film number twofor it now cool, you know you
said you watch it.
It's a slow burn and it buildsup at the end and so we're kind
(09:30):
of Film number two is gonna bekind of on a tangent film.
Number three brings it back towhat number one is and then Film
number four is actually gonnabe a narrative rather than the
mockumentary documentary thing,because my distributor has said
I've got to do it as a narrative.
(09:51):
So we'll have a narrative isnumber four and then we bring it
back to a mockumentary on five.
Taylor D. Adams (09:57):
Wow, well, I mean, that's exciting.
You got so much going on.
Bill Howard (10:01):
Yes.
That's really cool and I'mwriting another film, now called
the AT, which is gonna be.
It's like a mockumentary aswell, but it's a true true crime
type Rather than a war type.
Taylor D. Adams (10:13):
Okay, Cool, interesting.
Bill Howard (10:15):
Yeah, I'm just trying to play with all these
genres.
Taylor D. Adams (10:19):
So, yeah, I don't like to do this, but if I
had to judge a book by its cover, I Would not say that your
favorite movie is 500 days ofsummer.
Yeah, you would so.
So I would like to know, though, howard, why your favorite
movie or the movie at least youwanted to talk about today is
500 days of summer one.
Bill Howard (10:39):
I like Zoe Deschanel.
Hmm to I like Joseph GordonLeavitt.
Mm-hmm and then the way themovie made me feel it.
It's kind of reminiscent ofwhen you have the butterflies,
when you're, when you're stilltrying to find the person that
you're gonna love Mm-hmm, Iguess is it and that feeling
(11:04):
felt really good.
(11:31):
I also love the way it waswritten and and Performed on.
You know, on screen, hmm, thebounce and back and forth
showing the same scenes, but onone scene, you know, when you
see it the first time,everything's real giddy and
happy, and then, next time yousee it, it's real down and
(11:51):
depressing.
And you know it's like reallife.
Taylor D. Adams (11:57):
That make sense .
I See, I see what you're saying.
Yeah, I see what you're sayingwhen.
So when did you first see it?
What was that experience like?
Do you remember I?
Bill Howard (12:11):
Didn't go to theaters to see it.
I saw it on DVD the first time.
See COVID really messes withtiming.
I can't remember if I got itfrom blockbuster or red box, but
yeah, we rented it and my wifedidn't like it nearly as much as
(12:31):
I do and my friends don't likeit nearly as much as I do.
I could watch it all day long.
I could have it as background.
It every, just about everyscene in it makes me feel a
certain way and it again it'skind of like real life in that
(12:52):
you find that one person thatyou want the relationship to
work so badly, you're so smitten, and the other person just
doesn't reciprocate quite thesame way and it's usually that
next relationship it's the onethat really counts.
It's what happened with me andmy wife.
It's you know, and you look atit and you're going.
(13:15):
That's the way it was in thefilm for Joseph Gordon-Lemmett,
but it was actually the way itwas for Zoe.
She was the one that found, youknow, the person she loved
after the relationship broke up.
(14:03):
Yeah, it just reminds me so muchof real life, and not just
relationships.
It can even be work.
You know it.
As far as going fromphotography to filmmaking, going
from automotive to photography,everything Seem like there's a
pattern, but, just like in themovie, it may bounce around
everywhere.
You know that they bouncedaround from day one, today, 30,
(14:28):
today, 500, at that, today 10.
You know stuff like that.
Where In real life?
Yeah, you have these up anddowns that I played with
photography a little bit when Iwas an automotive Got.
Then got into it Much later andwent full-time with it.
It's all got its place.
Taylor D. Adams (14:48):
Make sense.
Yeah, I know, I get.
I think one of the things thatthat this movie is known for and
sometimes applauded for is kindof, in a ways, being a romantic
comedy but not being about theromance.
It just serves as kind of avehicle for those individuals to
Discover the thing that they're, you know, meant to be around
(15:13):
if they play around with destinyand fate in this movie.
Bill Howard (15:16):
Yeah, it's a passionate about another person.
Yeah, but yeah, exactly yeah,I'm.
Taylor D. Adams (15:24):
Going back for a second, I actually super
curious about how you ended upswitching from working in the
automotive industry to being aphotographer.
Bill Howard (15:33):
All right, so well.
Again, let's go way back.
Let's bounce all the way backright I went to.
Nc State for journalism and Ihad to.
I left school before Igraduated and first I ran a
restaurant and then I ran a theyheat and air company, and then
(15:55):
I got an automotive and I Was ona motor for 20 years and so so
were you bouncing around for,just like try and pay the bills,
were you following whims likewhat was, what was that journey?
Taylor D. Adams (16:10):
I?
Bill Howard (16:10):
got engaged when I was well, actually didn't get.
I met my wife when I was at therestaurant.
She was a frequent customer,okay, and I Wanted to ask her to
marry me, but I'm I was workingsix days a week at the
restaurant, weird hours.
So that's how I got in.
With the heat and air company,one of my customers I'm the heat
(16:34):
near company and he asked if Iwould run their like commercial
division, which I did.
I ran it for, ran it up untilour first born, and Once that
happened, that's how I got intoautomotive.
I just had to get a change ofcareer with that.
Automotives, good learning youand even if you decide to leave,
(16:57):
you can always find somewhereelse an automotive to go and
there's always a job openingthat has good money.
And so, yeah, 20 years,everything from Jiffy Lube to
mostly General Motorsdealerships.
The final five years ofautomotive I was, or maybe four
(17:19):
years of automotive I startedwriting an outdoors column for
the newspapers and that expandedup to about 16 newspapers that
were carrying the column eachweek.
So that was good side money andit also allowed me to go
hunting, fish and hike and campand do stuff like that too and
get paid for it.
I got a camera because I wasstarting to get magazine covers
(17:44):
and doing freelance formagazines as well, and I needed
something more than a cell phonefor my photos to go with my
stories.
And so I got a camera NikonD3300 and that got me into the
photography side.
We had a really good month atthe dealership in the service
(18:06):
and parts, and they redid mycontract and it wasn't favorable
, and so I landed a gig to shootdressage on a weekend, and six
weeks after that first paid gigI went full time.
(18:30):
So you just said, I'm doing thisvacation to go shoot some
commercial stuff for a selfstorage facility throughout
North and South Carolina, and sothat gave me the money for when
I would quit that I had hisbackup.
I did not want to do weddings.
I was doing everything I couldto stay away from weddings and I
think I've averaged maybe oneevery 18 months.
Taylor D. Adams (18:52):
So, yeah, I mean, that's just a.
It's just a wild journey tohear, I mean, anybody that goes
through those shifts to try, andeven if you're not trying to
end up somewhere, you end upsomewhere.
Right, you end up somewherewhere you maybe didn't even
start For for this movie, thiswas directed by Mark Webb.
It was his first movie that hemade feature length.
(19:14):
He'd done crazy amount of musicvideos and think I read, he
made over 100.
And in my mind I'm thinkinglike what I use that number is
like a reason to then dosomething bigger.
But for you, with the projectsthat you've been working on,
like you mentioned earlier,you've always kind of like.
(19:34):
You know, you decided to at onepoint you decided to put
multiple pictures together tomake a movie.
Do you think there's any partof you that thought that you
were ready to make that move?
Bill Howard (19:50):
No, I mean, I created a YouTube channel to
kind of cover my landscape andsports photography.
So I was, I was getting moreand more comfortable in front of
the camera and, again, becauseof the photography side, I knew
what kind of visuals I wanted.
And, yeah, I never thought forsure that I wanted to do video.
(20:18):
I played with it.
I liked Ben Horn and ThomasHeaton for landscape photography
and I really tried to modelsome YouTube stuff out of that.
But it I just wasn't reallygood at it.
I didn't understand how to putthe story together and out.
(20:38):
Once I was able to startscripting things, it became a
whole lot easier to put thesestories together.
Taylor D. Adams (20:47):
So sorry for the interruption, but I will be
brief.
I am so grateful that youdecided to listen to the Film
Notes podcast today.
If you are enjoying what you'rehearing, please consider
supporting the show on Patreon.
With a small monthly amount,you can get access to behind the
scenes goodies, early access tofull episodes, and you can vote
on what movie we watch thefirst Monday of every month on
(21:08):
the Nut House Discord.
The Nut House itself is free tojoin and is full of other film
and TV lovers, so you'll fitright in.
You can check out info on allthese things in the show notes,
and if all of this sounds like abit too much, that's totally
okay.
But if you wanna keep up todate on all of our episodes,
please be sure and subscribe onyour favorite platform of choice
, and if you're listening onApple Podcasts, go ahead and
leave a rating review so we canget in front of other awesome
(21:31):
people like yourself.
Okay, enough of me rambling Backto the good stuff.
What you've been working onspecifically within kind of the
artistic side of things, whetherit's photography, videography,
TV, film, what have you?
I think of stuff like that asmaking something, building
(21:52):
something kind of in some aspect, creating a legacy and when I'm
watching 500 Days of Summer,I'm looking at Tom's character
and the little.
It's not the main focus, butthe fact that you learned that
he's an architect and that hewants to be an architect and
(22:14):
he's currently writing for agreeting card company.
(22:39):
One thing works with buildingbuildings that last hundreds of
years, the other is a piece ofpaper that gets thrown out, and
he also is very concerned aboutbuilding a relationship with
someone.
So is there any part of youthat kind of connects with that
drive to make things thatoutlast you Absolutely?
Bill Howard (22:59):
This whole filmmaking side of it is really
the legacy build.
I won't have good stories.
I want something that peoplecan watch.
I'm not gonna have, obviously,I'm not gonna put out the best
movie there is for $1,000 or 350bucks.
(23:22):
I'm mostly shooting thesemyself.
Even when we had Cast and Crewfor the Tramping Ground, which
was that short I was telling youabout, I was the audio guy, I
was the light guy, I was thefilm guy.
I had a-.
Taylor D. Adams (23:36):
The life of low budget.
Bill Howard (23:37):
Yeah, I had a co-director and basically he
held stuff while I'd shot.
That's basically what it was.
Yeah, it really is about legacy.
It's something that maybe mygrandkids can.
My kids will tell their kidshey, you got to see this crazy
(23:59):
crap that your granddad used todo.
Taylor D. Adams (24:06):
So your idea of anything legacy oriented is
very direct within the family.
Look at what your granddad didnot like.
100 years from now, here's afilmmaker Bill Howard.
Is that kind of where yourfocus?
Bill Howard (24:19):
is I'm not trying to be Alfred Hitchcock Going
back to the Outdoors column, myOutdoors columns.
They weren't about fishing andhunting reports.
It wasn't about hey, the troutare now running.
That's not what it was about itwas.
They were stories each andevery week for 520 weeks,
(24:45):
because I stopped it on the 10year anniversary.
It was about reminiscing andtalking about going hunting with
my dad and my granddad, goingfishing with my dad and my
granddad, that type of thing.
Those were the stories I putout each and every week.
And then, as my kids would growlike, I did a three week story
(25:09):
on taking my youngest fishingfor the first time, about hyping
it up for and making him soexcited that he would pee his
pants if he caught a fish.
That was the goal and honestly,we're talking about the legacy.
I've got great photos with meand my kids doing things like
that that I probably wouldn'thave had otherwise.
(25:31):
I mean, even my two oldest kidsboth had state records.
It's conversation pieces, right.
But yeah, it's very much legacyoriented and, like you were
saying with Tom, especially withthe architecture side, it's not
(25:54):
just him building a legacy andtrying to find that relationship
that's solid.
He wants to build, not just arelationship.
He wants to build hissurroundings when he's sitting
on the park bench talking about,yeah, the park, a lot needs to
go.
(26:59):
He's designing his utopia, andwith filmmaking, that's kind of
what we get to do.
Taylor D. Adams (27:08):
Yeah, I think with that lens too, it comes to
mind that Tom's because the newmovie is seen through his eyes.
Yeah, and he's crafting theworld around him and yeah, it
goes beyond him sketching askyline that he's witnessing,
like it bleeds into the magicalrealism of it, of breaking into
(27:35):
a mosh pit.
Not a mosh pit, a flash mobdance scene.
Feature in the UCLA marchingband.
Bill Howard (27:43):
That is one of my favorites.
That's one of my favorites,especially the big brass coming
out right behind him at theperfect moment.
Oh yeah, I'll call you.
You make a mad dream come true.
Taylor D. Adams (28:00):
You, you, you, Wow, wow, wow you.
You make a mad dream come true.
Speaking of favorite scenes, doyou have a favorite moment or a
favorite scene other than thatone from this movie?
That's the thing about that.
That's why I said I like thismovie so much because every
scene is so great.
Bill Howard (28:18):
The tearjerker's the part where you know he's
going in for the interview atthe end and he comes back out
and he asked the lady's name andshe says autumn.
(29:14):
He's now.
He's now.
It's the turning of seasons.
Okay, hit that part that we alldesire to hit, right.
He's hit the part that Summerhit earlier in the film, when
she left him and then foundsomeone.
Taylor D. Adams (29:30):
And you know it was engaged at that point.
Do you think, at the end of 500days of Summer, that Autumn is
the woman that Tom ends up with,or is this another 500 days?
Bill Howard (29:40):
I think she's the one he ends up with.
Taylor D. Adams (29:42):
Why.
Bill Howard (29:44):
Because there's not been a sequel to Tell Me
Different.
Taylor D. Adams (29:48):
No, they haven't made it yet.
Bill Howard (29:53):
Again, there's the turning of the season and she's
the one for that maturity partof life.
And you know, summer found herperson.
Tom came off of his breakupwith Summer.
(30:14):
It's usually that next one isthe one you end up with.
It's what happened to me.
Honestly, it's what happened tomy oldest son.
He had a bad relationship thathe wanted to go all in with and
there was just something missing.
But the next one was the one.
(30:35):
It was the way it was with mywife.
She had her heartbreak and thenI came into her life.
I don't know, does it work thatway with you?
Let's turn the interview around.
Taylor D. Adams (30:50):
I didn't really have an interpretation of it.
I was just like, I'll be honest, when her name was Autumn, I
was like, really, that's a greattwist, that's really on the
nose.
But I did with.
The thing I had to keep in mindwhen watching this movie is
when it came out, so coming outin 2009,.
It feels very much like a 2009movie in the way that around
(31:13):
that, the era from like probablythat I wouldn't say that whole
decade, but the majority of thatdecade is very focused on it's
quirky comedy, it's norm core,the way this film looks like.
It's super beige and tan andbrown and muted, but it's
(31:34):
contrasted with quirkiness,magical realism.
So 2023 me rolled my eyes.
2009 me would have been like,oh, I think that's probably what
would have happened if I hadwatched this when it did come
out and I did appreciate thefact that, yeah, the day ticker
went back down to one, so youcould interpret it either way.
(31:55):
I think, yeah, did you have youshown this movie to your son,
who got his heart broken?
Bill Howard (32:02):
I've tried to get everybody in my family to watch
this movie.
I've joked on Facebook abouthow the greatest movie ever is
500 Days of Summer, and Iusually get a lot of people that
tell me how wrong I am.
Taylor D. Adams (32:16):
Well, they just don't have a heart, apparently.
Bill Howard (32:17):
Exactly.
They're cold hearted.
They're very bad people.
Maybe their next person willmake them realize that 500 Days
is great, maybe so yeah, allthey need is to get their heart
broken.
Exactly, but yeah, I don't know.
Sometimes you go into a filmand you study everything about
(32:39):
the film, but there's movies youwant to go in there and just
enjoy, and that was what 500Days of Summer did for me, and
everything about it was fun.
I mean the CGI or not the CGI,but the effect of adding Han
Solo on the TV.
Taylor D. Adams (32:57):
It's cheesy.
Bill Howard (32:58):
It's a carbon dance , but it was fun.
Yeah, it was fun.
The animated bird on hisshoulder during that scene.
It was cheesy, but it was funwhen the band came out with the
big brass.
If you did not smile when thathappens, then you do not have a
heart.
And then, if you, don't getdejected when that elevator
(33:21):
opens up and his head's hangingdown and he's ragged because of
the breakup.
I mean you're not following itfor fun, you're following it for
something else.
You know again, I know it'smostly in the writing Not only
the skipping of the days goingback and forth and they're not
(33:41):
real flashbacks because of theway the film was done but the
parts where you had people justnarrating in front of the camera
.
(34:12):
You know, all of that just hitshome for me.
Anyway, I just thought it wasbrilliant the way that they had
the little narrations here andthere throughout.
Taylor D. Adams (34:24):
Yeah, and in what way did that hit home for
you?
Bill Howard (34:28):
They were narrating life breaking the fourth wall
with it, and they're talking tothe viewer and it makes sense.
It's something that noteverybody's lived in, I'm sure,
but I've lived it, my wife'slived it.
I can see my kids live in thesame experiences that they're
talking about.
Taylor D. Adams (34:49):
Is that why, for some of the movies you're
working on, there is this senseof reality to it.
I mean, you're working on stuffthat's in the paranormal, in
the supernatural.
Some of it is doc, some of itis not, but they're all still
kind of grounded in either asetting that's super
(35:12):
recognizable or adirect-to-camera kind of thing.
Like, is that a filmmakingtechnique that you think you've
attached yourself to because itattaches the art to the real
world?
Bill Howard (35:23):
Yes, now I'll give you a couple of things here,
like the docs, the two that youcan see behind me back here.
For one, I'm an introvert, soit's a whole lot easier for me
to film something quick bymyself without other people
(35:44):
having to direct or even talk to, and I had to get comfortable
in front of the camera to dothat.
But I've also learned that inthose two films when I talk to
the camera, I've had so manypeople talk about how great I
acted.
I wasn't acting, it was me.
I'm just using the camera asthe person I'm talking to.
(36:07):
So it's not true.
Found footage and found footagehas got a strong following.
It's a very loyal niche.
Taylor D. Adams (36:19):
Well, found footage doesn't have to be
nonfiction Like found footage isjust it's a style, it's not
necessarily rooted in aparticular genre.
Bill Howard (36:27):
So the incredulous case of aliens, the US
government, arnie Smith that'sher true story.
But I hired actors to tell thestory.
Now, when I say it's a truestory, it's true as in it came
from somebody to me.
(36:48):
That's for the viewer to findout, because it goes way out
there.
Something walks in the woods isbased off of a tick top that my
wife showed me and I decided tomake my own figure walking
across the edge of the woods,and that would be a good reason.
To do a documentary is to findout if there's something really
there or not.
Taylor D. Adams (37:08):
I got to tell our listeners and our viewers.
If you're interested in any ofthe stuff that Bill has made, I
would say check out somethingwalks in the woods.
Because I watched it yesterdaywith, actually, a friend of mine
.
I sent her a link and wewatched it at the same time
because she's big in the ghost,and we started watching it
because it's listed underdocumentary and we're like I
start watching it and I tell youwhen I got so mad, whenever I
(37:33):
could tell that you added soundand the effects were being up, I
was like this is not adocumentary.
What happened?
And then I'm like I'mresearching more and I'm like,
oh, to be just like put it thereLike they did.
I'm like I know Bill didn't saythis is a documentary, because
even at the end of the movie yousay it's a work of fiction.
So, but I, but not knowing that, I was so mad.
Bill Howard (37:58):
Oh me.
Taylor D. Adams (38:01):
But yeah, yeah, it's, it's, it's, it's.
It's interesting that the workand like your for lack of a
better term idea of this likeart, artistic success, is
basically what you're doingright now.
Like, I don't doubt that youwould want to make like bigger
(38:23):
things, but I also completelyunderstand and believe that the
stuff you're making right nowyou would just continue to make.
Yeah, because of that, becauseof that legacy of whatever your
grand kid is going to think ofyou, I think that's a really
sweet idea.
I like that a lot.
Bill Howard (38:39):
And I mean they get .
They'll get to know me, youknow, because I'm acting it when
I'm on camera, I'm acting asmyself.
Now the narratives, you knowthat's a different story.
I've got one big narrative and,taylor, if you've got $50,000,
you want to invest, I'll happilyadd you on as an executive
producer.
Taylor D. Adams (38:59):
Oh man, I'll, I'll contribute, you contribute
in other ways.
I think the specific type ofBill's desired legacy pairs
really well with the idea thatour relationships with people,
loved ones, friends, whoever canreally shape who we become
(39:23):
Because of our intention is topositively affect those closest
to us.
That will inevitably instillthat same way of thinking into
the next generation and maybe,just maybe, we'll learn to
accept love in all forms and setout to achieve our dreams.
A huge thanks to Bill forchatting with me today and a
thousand greeting cards worth ofthank yous to you for listening
(39:45):
.
If you want to check out someof Bill's work, including links
to some of the films he's made,go ahead and take a look at the
show notes for all those goodies.
If you enjoyed what you heardtoday, please go ahead and
subscribe to stay up to date onall of our episodes on your
favorite podcast platform ofchoice.
And if you happen to belistening on Apple podcast,
please it would mean so much tome to leave a rating and review.
Doing that helps us get noticedby more awesome people like
(40:07):
yourself.
If you want to help the showgrow and get some really cool
perks in the process, pleaseconsider supporting the film
notes podcast on Patreon, muchlike our recent patrons route
and Jeff.
Thanks for the love guys.
If you want to be cool likethem, you can check out the show
notes or visit patreoncom.
Slash film nuts.
Our theme this season isbrought to us by the deep end.
(40:27):
Our artwork is designed byMadunga Super Hoodie and all
episodes of the film that'spodcast are produced and edited
by me, taylor D Adams.
If you want to get in touch,you can email film that's
podcast at gmailcom or follow uson Instagram, tiktok and
Twitter at film nuts podcast.
And don't forget to join thenut house discord community
Absolutely free by checking outthe link in the show notes as
(40:48):
well.
Thank you all so much forlistening today, and here's
hoping your next randomencounter in the elevator leads
to something truly remarkable.
Thanks.
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