Posted in: Movies, Recent Updates | Tagged: brian pulido, film, garth ennis, stitched

Brian Pulido On Mashing Up Horror And War For Garth Ennis' Film STITCHED

Published Tue, 12 Jul 2011 18:30:38 -0500

Bleeding Cool was the first to tell you that Garth Ennis is about to premiere a short film called Stitched at San Diego Comic Con. The film is the first arc of a story that will continue in an ongoing comic book series and a planned feature-length movie. We've talked to Garth, and actors Tank Jones, Kate Kugler, and Kevin Tye about what's going on with this ambitious project, and now we continue behind the scenes with the Producer Brian Pulido:

Brian Pulido's involvement in the STITCHED film was instrumental in transforming Garth Ennis' vision of a desert war-and-horror story into a cinematic reality. Most people in the comic book arena know him as the leading independent comic publisher of the 1990s with Chaos! Comics, and also as the creator of Evil Ernie and Lady Death. While he did relaunch of LADY DEATH alongside co-writer Mike Wolfer in 2010, Pulido's focus in recent years has shifted to filmmaking.

Pulido serves as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer for Mischief Maker Studios, a multimedia entertainment company that acquires, develops, produces, and packages intellectual properties and storylines. He produced and directed THE GRAVES, a feature film distributed by After Dark Films, Lionsgate, and SyFy (to name a few). His award-winning short film, THERE'S SOMETHING OUT THERE, has garnered eight film festival wins. He also wrote and produced the animated feature LADY DEATH from ADV Films that sold over 300,000 DVDs. Of his experience in filming STITCHED, Pulido has the following to say…

Keith Davidsen: What's the story behind your involvement in the production of STITCHED?

Brian Pulido: The head of Avatar Press, William Christensen, approached me and asked if I'd consider producing Garth's directorial debut. I didn't know Garth very well before we got to work on STITCHED; we had met only briefly at a convention a decade ago. But of course, I knew his work, and count myself as a fan. Actually, his story, Punisher: The End, is an all-time favorite comic for me!

We all met and discussed how it was going to work. It's very forward-thinking of William and Garth to roll out STITCHED as a film that spirals off into an ongoing comic series. I thought shooting in Arizona would be perfect, and I appreciated that Garth's story was a mash-up of war and horror. Everything they had in mind seemed very reasonable, so I agreed to join them on the venture.

For those comic book fans who may not be familiar with what producers / editors do on a film, can you briefly sum up the kinds of responsibilities you handled on Stitched?

As a producer, I am responsible for accomplishing every aspect of the film: budgeting, hiring the cast and crew, overseeing pre-production, production, post-production, and delivery of the film. It's comprehensive. As editor, I put together all the shots in a manner that accomplishes the script. I love editing!

As a person experienced in transitioning from comic book storytelling to cinematography, did you find yourself frequently assuming the role of mentor to Garth Ennis in the technical process of filmmaking?

I think Garth referred to it as "directing the director." I was there to support / protect Garth's vision. I was surprised at how much fun that turned out to be, supporting Garth throughout the process. We had him come in a week before shooting and put him through a "director's boot camp." Everybody involved had lots of fun.

Reflecting on the production of STITCHED, what were the challenges in making this film?

Well, in scouting out a location, it was difficult to find exactly what we were looking for. First, the Phoenix area, which is a huge valley, has tall Saguaro cactus everywhere, and Afghanistan doesn't have them. Second, the bleached desert look we were going for was almost impossible to find because we had lots of rain and everything was in bloom. I'd also say that, from my perspective as producer, costuming was a challenge; Brooke Wheeler and Francisca Pulido had to pull elements of the wardrobe from all around the world. But besides those few things, it went smoothly – you'd be surprised at how little drama we had.

How does it feel to know that you'll be premiering the STITCHED film at the incredibly large venue that is San Diego Comic-Con?

It's terrific. This was a well-run project – many people worked very hard on STITCHED, and had fun in the process. As a reward to those folks, it will be great to screen STITCHED at an event where lots of people will be able to see it and appreciate all their efforts.

***

Stitched will premiere at SDCC and the DVD is available for preorder now. You can find out more at www.FearTheStitched.com.