Ari Taub is an independent filmmaker. His latest film is called 79 Parts, a period comedy set in the 1970s. We caught up with him to ask about the film and a little about himself and how he got the movie made. Here’s what he had to say.
Hello Ari. Thanks for taking the time to talk with us. It’s great to have this chance to get to know more about you and your new film. So, let’s start with you. You’ve been in the filmmaking business for a long time. Tell me about how you got started and a little about the journey from then to now.
Ari Taub: Wow that is a grand question. I started when I was 3 years old working on my dad’s films in the late 1960s. Made animations on film when I was 8 years old. Made double sync Super 8 films in high school in the 1970s to early 80s. Made many award winning shorts at NYU Film school in the 1990’s. Could not get a foothold in Hollywood, so made independent features in NYC with indie money only.
What are three words to describe your directing style?
AT: Calm, Focused, and Precise. Remember I work only in film, so can only afford to do 2 to 3 takes as film stock is so expensive to buy and process.
Tell me three movies that have been influential in your career?
AT: I will have to go back in time—only because I need to mention films that motivated me to make 79 Parts: Dog Day Afternoon, Dirty Harry, The Taking of Pelham 1, 2, 3.
Let’s talk about 79 Parts, your latest crime comedy. First, what drew you to the time the film is set?
AT: My childhood.
READ MORE: Our Full Review of Ari Taub‘s 79 Parts
How difficult was it building and maintaining the 70s look?
AT: Very difficult. We could not afford to build anything, so we had to find what was left of old New York and re-dress it to work for the look of the film (READERS: Check out this behind-the-scenes video to learn more).
How about the cars? So many cool and classic vehicles show up in the film. What’s the story behind them?
AT: Every one had to be found from an owner willing to give them to us for $50 per day and take very good care to them. Sometimes they broke down and I had to push them over bridges or keep them from catching on fire…that’s the price of low budget. You save money in one place but spend it in another, like buying a new carburetor for the guy if it failed during your shoot.
Was this always going to be a comedy?
Yes. It was written as comedy, although there could be a discussion about the level of comedy, I don’t think my comedy was as consistent with the screenplay as a I would have liked. I think the humor is uneven, but when u have a large cast – and many rewrites – it can be hard to maintain a consistent level of humor…too many cooks can spoil the stew, so it’s a flaw at times (like humor over-the-top or under-the-top so to speak).
How did you get Sandra Bernhard and Eric Roberts in the cast?
AT: I have to thank my casting Director Donna McKenna – she got them for me. Eric appears in a lot of movies big and small so I think he really likes to keep working, and so having him does not help with distribution since he is in too many films, but he is a fantastic actor, and fun to work with. Sandra is an amazing person and actress, but I did not use her to her full potential. She had a very small part and I regret that I did not give her a more three dimensional character.
What’s been the biggest benefit for you as an independent filmmaker?
AT: None … Self control. I have had to work 1000x harder to get money to shoot anything. It takes me one year to raise enough money to shoot only a few scenes of my movie – hence 10+ years to finish one movie. I average one feature per decade – which stinks. I never could get past Line Producer working on other people’s films, and that’s thankless work, anyway. Do well and no one cares – do bad and u get blamed for everything.
What’s next? Any projects maybe our readers could keep an eye out for?
Like I said, it take me about a decade to make a film, and depending on how 79 Parts does, it will determine if I do another one. I don’t want to make a film with three people in a house for under 3K on my iPhone. It’s not what I was trained to do, so unless I raise a few million quickly, I won’t waste my time chasing investors. However, if I get lucky I would like to make another war film, any based on any one of these books: War in Val D’orcia an Italian War Diary 1943-1944 by Iris Ortega, Messerschmitts Over Sicily by Johannes Steinhoff and GULAG by Peter Schwarzlose. These are heavy war films from the enemy’s POV during World War II. All true stories. I’m into that kind of stuff so if I don’t raise 3 to 10 Million for the next low budget film, I’m out of here.