DEON TAYLOR is a self-taught filmmaker who consistently thinks not only outside of the box but pushes to educate himself with all the tools in the cinematic storytelling toolbox, intent on making each film better than the last. It has been a privilege for more than a decade to watch Deon do just that. Surrounding himself with award-winning and skilled artisans, each helps bring Deon’s creative visions to the fore. His energy and creativity are boundless as he attacks each project and idea with the same ferocity and intensity as he did on the basketball court many years ago.
His latest feature, FATALE, is perhaps the best film he has made to date in terms of storytelling and executing his cinematic vision. Upping the production ante, Deon once again teams with two-time Academy Award-nominated cinematographer Dante Spinotti using light, lens, and color to create a telling metaphoric visual tonal bandwidth, punctuating the visuals with exemplary sound design, a discipline to which Deon has been lending even more focus over the past few films. On top of that, he reteams with Michael Ealy who delivers an emotionally fraught performance only to be countered in his excellence by the work of Academy Award winner Hilary Swank.
Together with screenwriter David Loughery, with FATALE, Deon takes the idea of “what happens in Vegas” to deliver one of the most psychologically chilling edge-of-your-seat thrill rides of the year. If you thought Taylor and Loughery had you jumping out of your skin last year with The Intruder, you ain’t seen nuthin’ yet as FATALE explores the darkness within each of us, the good and the bad and the motivations for each, as the driving force of this story. With FATALE, Deon has elevated his storytelling with more cinematic complexity, ramping it up with the underpinnings and the underlying themes that Loughery has on the page, delivering visual layers that tap into the psychology of the human condition to shocking result.
With unbridled mutual joy, Deon and I had a chance to catch up for one of our patented heartfelt and honest conversations. But after laugh-out-loud hilarity about cooking and other ridiculum, plus plans to explore cutting edge cinematic technology at this year’s NAB convention, things turned serious as we dug deep into the making of FATALE.
TAKE A LISTEN to this exclusive conversation with DEON TAYLOR as we talk about, among others:
- the story premise and how Deon reacted to the script with his cinematic vision
- the mastery of cinematographer Dante Spinotti
- scene-specific analysis of color and temperature and design in terms of storytelling
- selection of Hawk lenses
- casting of Michael Ealy and Hilary Swank and how each fulfilled Deon’s vision of the characters
- the film’s themes and the importance of each in today’s culture
- sound design, edit, and mix
- Geoff Zanelli’s score blended with needle drops
- how the physical production design translates metaphorically
- the importance and skill of producer Roxanne Avnet in bringing Deon’s vision to life not only with FATALE, but with all of the films under his Hidden Empire Film Group banner
by debbie elias, exclusive interview 01/08/2021
