LOVE SICK SASQUATCH: ZFA INTERVIEWS BIG FOOT IN LOVE DIRECTOR CLINT GREEN

There were many things about Big Foot in Love that charmed jurors this last season. Perhaps it was the idea of a serial killing sasquatch that still had human qualities, such as partaking in (a little too much) booze from time to time, befriending and hanging out with children, and even falling helplessly in love. Perhaps is was the off-centered comedic undertones and costume. Perhaps it was that quirky score. Perhaps it is because BFIL reminded us of our favorite b-movies of the 90’s and 2000’s. Or maybe it was a little of everything. ZFA was honored to interview director Clint Green about inspirations, locations, and everything that made us want to go “a-squatching” despite the winter weather. Big Foot in Love took home the following awards: Best Music Score and Best Drone Cinematography.

ZFA: What a quirky and fun project. What inspired you to create this film?

Clint: I grew up in upstate New York, in the Catskill Mountains in the 80's. I was  surrounded by stories of magical creatures and tall tales. I lived in a very remote  area with no TV reception, and I had a wild imagination. So I would make up my  own stories and see things in the woods every time I went for a walk. The legend of  Bigfoot was always close to my heart. 

ZFA:  Where did you film it? And how long did it take?

Clint: I've been going back to my hometown in the Catskill Mountains for the past  several years, which has inspired many of my short films. Big Foot in Love was  shot in the wilds, in and around the small town of Andes, NY. We completed  filming in about a week, because that was all the time we had for our family  vacation. I then edited and added music and sound over the course of about 3  months from my home in Los Angeles.  

ZFA: The jurors commented on how "charmed" they were by the comedic  undertones in the production. What do you attribute to its uniqueness and  success as a whole?

Clint: I've always gravitated to quirky storytelling and anything that is a little off-center.  My wife Mary Tamaki (who played Mary in BFIL) and I met doing performance  theater in the downtown LA art scene, where the stranger the better caught our  attention. I also love the nature of where I grew up and every time I go back to  my hometown it stirs up countless ideas and stories to tell.

ZFA: What was the biggest challenge you faced during production and/or post production? 

Clint: I had no budget to speak of and a very short time to shoot. I had to rely on my  family and friends to be our cast and crew (my wife, my son, his whole family,  some of our local NY childhood friends, even my mom and step-dad). It was their  vacation time-off and I had to just believe we could pull this off as a fun, family  vacation thing to do together. It truly is a labor of love. Thankfully, I had very few  post-production problems. I had great musician friends, Pam and Ted Finkle, to  support me on the soundtrack, but the biggest challenge was learning to use  Final Cut Pro on the fly, because until this one, I only used iMovie. It was difficult  but a great decision to upgrade my editing software.

ZFA: What was the most memorable moment on set?

Clint: Working with my beautiful 4-year old granddaughter, Bowie. She had to be  coaxed into being comfortable with Big Foot (who was played by me and my son -her Dad Ian). Even though she knew it was us inside the creepy bigfoot costume,  she was still a very wary. I loved how cautious she was, but yet took my direction  and performed beautifully.  

ZFA: Any lessons learned or things you would have done differently?

Clint: I always want to improve every scene. However, the biggest thing I've learned is to just let it go. Put it out there, and keep looking forward. Just keep on growing  as an artist. As soon as we wrapped, I started dreaming about the next one. I  can't wait to shoot our next short, already scheduled for the Summer of 2023.

ZFA: Any advice for aspiring filmmakers?  

Clint: Do it! Don't procrastinate. Don't make excuses. A smartphone and an idea/story  is all you need. A nice microphone and a set of lavaliers is a small investment  that can make a big difference as well. Recruit your friends to help, and keep  your family and loved ones close! As a musician, I always try to find the perfect  soundtrack to move the scenes to come alive. Follow your heart and put it out  there!  

How can we find you and follow your work?

Clint: My instagram is clintjgreen@instagram.com

Interview: Alicia Oberle Farmer