[Archive 2008-03-19] Wikinews interviews author and filmmaker John Gaspard

Historical archive — originally published 2008-03-19. This report records what was known on that date. It is not current news; subsequent events may have changed the situation. Wikinews closed in May 2026.

Wikinews held an exclusive interview with author and filmmaker John Gaspard. His films Resident Alien, Beyond Bob and Grown Men, besides opening to positive critical response, were all made on very low budgets; costing around US$30,000. He says this is because "I despise the process of trying to raise money to finance movies."

Gaspard has written two other books as well. Fast, Cheap and Under Control: Lessons Learned From the Greatest Low-Budget Movie of All Time features interviews with some of the world's most well known low budget filmmakers, including B-movie king Roger Corman and actor-turned-director Tom Noonan. Fast, Cheap and Written that Way: Top Screenwriters on Writing for Low-Budget Movies features interviews with successful screenwriters who have written for low budget films.

((Wikinews)) : You've directed three films (Resident Alien, Beyond Bob and Grown Men). Tell us about them.

Mr. Gaspard: Since I despise the process of trying to raise money to finance movies, each movie was written specifically to be shot on an ultra-low budget.

Resident Alien and Beyond Bob were produced on 16mm film, and each cost a little under $30,000 to produce.

Resident Alien, a science fiction-comedy feature film, is the story of a UFO crash that changes the lives of two down-on-their-luck people in a small Midwestern town. The Minneapolis Star Tribune newspaper said, "Resident Alien is the best low-budget project to come out of the area."

Beyond Bob, an award-winning comedy from the other side, is a story of love and friendship, of passion from beyond the grave, of a love that was made in heaven ... and was just too darned important to stay there. Beyond Bob was recently awarded the "Best Feature" award at the Forx Film Festival; it also received an Honorable Mention at the Seventh Annual George Lindsey UNA Film Festival, and a Bronze Award at the WorldFest Houston.

Grown Men is a digital feature, consisting of five interlocking stories from four Minnesota writers: Rewired by David Fields, It’s A Date and The Late Mrs. Boynton by John Gaspard, The $1,000 Wedding by Tom Poole, and Red Velvet Handcuffs by Matthew G. Anderson.

Grown Men premiered at the Ashland Independent Film Festival. It was named "Best of the Fest - Best Feature Screenplay" at the Black Point Film Festival in Lake Geneva. It was also featured at the New York International Independent Film & Video Festival; the Waterfront Film Festival; the Oxford Film Festival; and the Tambay Film Festival.

((WN)) : You're the author and co-author of several books, most notably Digital Filmmaking 101. Tell us about them. What inspires you to write?

Source and licence

Text adapted from Wikinews interviews author and filmmaker John Gaspard by Wikinews contributors under CC BY 2.5. Paragraphs have been selected and abridged, and formatting adjusted. Contributor history.