FREEDUMB I Interview I
RSTMP: The title of your film is a creative play on words. How did you come up with it?
John: When I was writing FREEDUMB I wanted to subtly suggest that what we were watching as an audience was a Parallel Universe. The OTHER Earth. The Earth at the halfway point of the time space continuum or better stated, the halfway point of INFINITY. In this alternate dimension, Artificial Intelligence has gone ROGUE, allowing the robots to ignore their programming and make decisions to DANCE, SING and even choose PLANET KILLER SCENARIOS. Hence the name FREEDUMB.
RSTMP: Why choose this form of storytelling?
John: I can honestly say that FREEDUMB is a culmination of everything that I felt like doing at that specific place in time. I dream my films. The dream repeats itself over and over and after the third or fourth replay, I get up and say, “okay, time to write this down.” This form of storytelling is probably better described as dreamscaping.
RSTMP: The animation style of “Freedumb” harkens back to the time of classic stop motion animation and reminded me of David Lynch’s Inland Empire because of its uncanny nature. What films and/or games served as your inspiration?
John: Growing up, I was fascinated with three television programs. The Outer Limits, Twilight Zone and Lost in Space. The twisted endings always got me. I also loved shows such as, Clutch Cargo and Gumby and Pokey.
Tim Burton’s NINE and most recently Phil Tippet’s MAD GOD are incredible!
RSTMP: How long did it take to make this film?
John: From start to finish about nine months.
RSTMP: The film is quite Kafkaesque. What’s your philosophy on the future of humanity?
John: I think humanity can’t get out of its own way. This planet struggles with so many issues, too numerous to name them all. People find it difficult to accept the fact that we are all the same. We are all here for a very short time. We are all dying a little more each day. Eventually, the ride is over and it’s back to the mud. The future of humanity? WE ARE ALL FREEDUMB!
