THORNWHIP EXPLORATIONS, 7min., USA
Directed by Chase Korzep
In this short comedy film, Australian wilderness expert, Max Thornwhip, takes on the perilous Australian bush with his trusty partner, John Simmons. With danger lurking behind every corner, will Max make it out alive?

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Get to know Writer/Producer Michael Hooper:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

The idea for this film came when I was watching an Australian wilderness show, and someone got bit by a snake. I remembered that the way people can "stop" snake venom from killing someone is to suck it out before it reaches the bloodstream. I then thought that it would be funny if the person on the show got bit in a more private or intimate area. Then, I thought of how people pee on jellyfish stings to help stop the pain. It suddenly occurred to me that all the ways people can "save your life" in the wild, are somewhat perverted. So I decided to write a short skit about it, but obviously took it up a notch and made it more absurd/unrealistic as the skit went on.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

This film took about 5 months to complete, from first idea to final cut. The easiest part was writing and filming it and the hardest part was post-production and making sure everything looked good (editing, sound, picture, etc).

3. How would you describe your film in two words!?

I'd describe Thornwhip Explorations as: raunchy and outlandish.

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

I'd say the biggest obstacle was finding a place to shoot everything. We wanted it to look like the Australian outback, so we knew we had to pick a place where we could have a variety of different looking environments (beach, jungle, and grassland). We originally wanted to shoot in Malibu, but the cost for permits was too much, so we ended up going down to San Diego to shoot.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?

I thought it was extremely funny and I felt incredibly happy watching people talk about our film. It was very humorous to see the way people reacted to it and what they truly thought of it. It made me feel really good to hear all different kinds of feedback.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?

I think it was about 3 years ago that I realized I not only wanted to be an actor/writer, but I wanted to be a filmmaker.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?

The film I've seen the most is probably either "The Mask" with Jim Carrey, or "Super 8" by JJ Abrams.

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?

I think the only thing would be to have in person film screenings, just to make the feel of the festival a bit more satisfying. But, other than that, I thought it was a fantastic festival.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?

It has been great! (A little expensive though, lol)

10. What is your favorite meal?

Love me some Mexican food (carne asada burrito) and/or Indian food (chicken tikka masala). Mmmmmmmm

11. What is next for you? A new film?

Yes! We currently have 3 other comedy skits in post production. One is basically finished and the other two are also almost done. Once we finish those ones, Chase (our director) and myself (me) plan on shooting more of them, as I have about 100+ comedy sketch scripts waiting to be made. Also, Chase and I are working on a couple of sitcom pilots, a feature film, and a dramatic short film, so we are staying very busy doing that as well.