Sandy Chukhadarian is a director who started her career as a member of the editing and effects crew on the television hit “Entourage and Rome”. Since branching out into directing, Sandy has evolved her career and is now preparing for the release of her all-female feature-film, “Psychos" which melds suspense and horror. Sandy Chukhadarian was pleased to discuss this film and her plans for future creative projects.
Films
Blasting News (BN): What inspired you to enter into the filmmaking profession?
Sandy Chukhadarian (SC): I’ve always been creative and could paint and draw from early on.
It excited me to bring art to moving pictures and sound. The crafting of a story via filmmaking is the ultimate fusion of expression of these skills.
BN: What are some of your most favorited genres?
SC: I’m open to any genre that produces blood, spit and/or tears...this could apply to any genre from Melodramas, comedies to Horror.
BN: How did you get involved with “Psychos” and can you tell us a little bit about it?
SC: A group of colleagues and I working at the post production department at NBCUniversal decided that I would write a script and we would bring our resources together and make a feature film modeled after the Hitchcock film “Rope” in which one location was used to cut down costs. One thing led to another, and Hollywood’s “all talk / no action” reared its ugly head as people started to drop out one by one.
With the script in my hand, there was nothing that was going to stop me. It is “inspired by true events” as stated on the cover poster. And, it most definitely is taken from recent events from the Cleveland abduction of three females who were kept in the same house for 10 YEARS. That’s mind-boggling! Insane! I simply can’t get used that idea of captivity.
So, I decided on a different take on the story but from within the minds of these tragic characters...I decided that in my film “Psychos,” they would emerge TRIUMPHANTLY.
Process
BN: Did you have any say in the casting of the parts?
SC: Yes, I had lots of great advice and assistance in casting by other cast members. Not only did they do the research for these complex and disturbing characters, they were gracious to assist in the under-served departments as it happens in low budget.
Everyone worked as a team. Angelica Chitwood, who played Sasha and Will Ahrens, who played the Transient, assisted with Casting.
BN: Do you have any forthcoming projects that you are really excited about?
SC: In keeping with my fascination with the brain and its unique quarks unknown still, I’m writing a script on the REDEFINED explanation of what makes a zombie since George Romero’s (genius) initial definition from which artists always take. We love zombies and need a new take on their Movies. It’s time! My Zombie script takes place in a 16-hour period and uses events like the recent Ebola scare. The root of the redefinition could be racially charged though but genetically factual. I see the movie in a combination of “The Birds” and “Shawn of the Dead.” Yeah, it’s going to be funny.
BN: What advice would you give to someone who is aspiring to be a full-time filmmaker?
SC: Hollywood indie film communities have lots of Naysayers who do not go into a film project wanting to get anything started or even completed because the vision is lost with big budget delusions of grandeur. I say to anyone out there, keep pushing forward and DON’T stop at anything. But, of course, be kind too!
