FASHION NEWS LIVE:  Tell me a bit about the inspiration behind the film. What made you want to tell this story?

ROBERT E BALL JR:  My new short fashion film, THE ONE 3 : HORROR - SEX - FASHION, is a prequel, of sorts, to the award-winning fashion film festival favorites, THE ONE and THE ONE 2 : RESURRECTION OF THE VAMPIRES.  Together, they tell a Faustian story of a man who, as he lays dying, chooses everlasting life as a Vampire (a somewhat perverted one, at that!) and then, along with his fellow vampires, seeks the Holy Grail of Vlad before they perish from their faithlessness.  The themes are timeless.  THE ONE 3 will have its World Premiere in July 2016 at the La Jolla Fashion Film Festival.

Fashion is at the heart of all my films in THE ONE Series. Please know that I am a “Hollywood” director - I tell cinematic stories with glamour and style, not just shoot moving still photographs.  In the beginning, someone quite important to me suggested I make a “horror” fashion film. Werewolves, Mummies and Zombies are not terribly fashionable.  Vampires are…

THE ONE and THE ONE 2 feature clothing and accessories by Joshua Maddox of MADDOX LEATHER DESIGN.  In addition to MADDOX, THE ONE 3 will also present a new Haute Couture label by KALINA KOVTUN and from Tokyo's Harajuku District, Milktee-nu Tiara.

FNL:   Can you describe your favorite scene in the film and/or your favorite memory making it?

ROBERT:   In all my films, every scene is there because I want it to be there.  Like children, I have no favorites.

FNL:   What kind of equipment did you use to make the film? 

ROBERT:   I shoot on a sound stage so I can control all aspects of the film - creative and logistic - as much as humanly possible.  It also is the foundation for my aesthetics as applied to the camera’s framing, lighting, and production design - in other words, the stage is the foundation for the fantasy worlds of my films.  

FNL:   How long did it take to film everything?

ROBERT:   I shoot as budget and time allows.  For THE ONE 3, it means a 6 day shoot across two months.

FNL:   Where can people go to learn more about the film?

ROBERT:   My website and social media.

FNL:   What do you hope audiences take away after watching your film?

ROBERT:   I hope my audience is entertained, excited, and, yes, a bit turned on.  

“REEL” PERSPECTIVE:

FNL:   What’s harder: getting started on a film or bringing it to completion?

ROBERT:  What’s hardest is getting a film seen by an audience.  Also, making money.

FNL:   What is the one mistake most filmmakers make, regardless of experience?

ROBERT:   Believing that their film will change the world.

FNL:    Has filmmaking evolved since you first started? Any surprises?

ROBERT:   There have been many technological advances, especially in post-production. However, I am surprised by how undemanding audiences are today, as opposed to the past...

FNL:   Why do you think there are so few women in filmmaking?

ROBERT:   Women often make up the majority of my cast and crew.  I don’t know about other productions.

FNL:   What advice do you have for any young/aspiring directors who want to get started?

ROBERT:  If it’s not a “calling from beyond,” don’t do it.

FNL:   How do you know when your story is finished and when it’s time to walk away?

ROBERT:   When I run out of time or money.

BEHIND THE CAMERA:

FNL:   When inspiration is waning, what do you do to come up with fresh and original ideas?

ROBERT:   I steal ideas from other more famous directors whose work I admire, then mix and match everything together.  Luckily, this doesn’t happen very often...

FNL:   What/who were some of your major influences when you first started out? 

ROBERT:   The Italian Renaissance.  The Industrial Revolution.  Dr Seuss.  Playboy Magazine.

FNL:   Do you express yourself creatively in any other ways besides filmmaking?

ROBERT:   Sometimes, I entertain people at parties.

FNL:   What is your favorite part of your job? What is the most challenging part?

ROBERT:   I live for the realization of my cinematic ideas.  The hard part is making that happen - it’s always a matter of time and money.

FNL:   What’s next for you? How would you like to see your career evolve?

ROBERT:   I want to direct “Transformers 6” and “Mad Max 5” - seriously.  I direct fantasy - the bringing to life of other “Worlds."

FNL:   What do you wake up looking forward to?

ROBERT:   I wake up excited for my morning espresso, followed by composing a frame, eliciting an astonishing performance and cutting two shots together, then finally a glass of a Cote du Rhone after work. 

RAPID FIRE QUESTIONS:

FNL:   Current City:

ROBERT:   Hollywood

FNL:   Education (School(s) and degree(s)):

ROBERT:   I learned the most important things in my life; 1) inside the cinema, 2) on the streets and, 3) between the sheets.

FNL:   3-5 most important skills needed to be a filmmaker:

ROBERT:   1. The ability to see what others cannot.  2. The ability to convince others to follow your lead.  3. The ability to collaborate with crazy people.

FNL:   My top 3-5 favorite films are:

ROBERT:   I have many favorite films.  As you are asking me questions on making films, my favorite films about filmmaking are; 1. Federico Fellini's "Fellini 8 1/2,” 2. Jean-Luc Godard’s “Contempt,”

and 3. Vincent Minnelli’s "The Bad and The Beautiful."

INTERVIEW WITH FASHION NEWS LIVE