Long Gone Day Interview

The interview questions were ask by fans.
Here the answers of Tim Rozon (actor), Jon Deitcher (director) and Tommy Groszmann (executive producer)

Questions for Tim Rozon :

1)What made you decide to audition for this role? What made you think you would be right for this role?
Tim : Growing up in the 90's, i felt connected to the characters of the script. It was also at a time in my life where I was doing very safe TV roles and I was very interested to do film with harder themes.

2)What was it like to play this kind of character?
Tim : This was a very hard character to play because to portray someone you must try and become that person. The character of Christopher was very depressed and in the heavy stages of drug abuse. Im not method or anything like that but I do try and live truthfully under imaginary circumstances.

3)Were certain scenes harder to shoot than others? I can see on the previews this movie contains some hard scenes, how did you prepared physically and mentally to portrait a drug addict.
Tim : A lot of scenes were hard to do. If I'm crying on film, then i was really crying. If i was weeping or broken on film then thats how i really was at that time, in that moment. Long Gone Day was tough.

4)Were you able to draw from your previous experience with PURE or was this entirely different to you?
Tim : Pure was filmed while i was in my 20's and Lone Gone Day I had just started my 30's. Im not the same person I was last year... So a lot had changed in me in the ten year gap of filming Pure to Long Gone Day.

5)I can't remember where I read about or saw it, but I believe at the time you were filming this movie, I think you were trying to stop smoking or had just quit. In this film your role required smoking in a few scenes, how did it feel to start that up again, and then was it hard to quit again?
Tim : I smoked for the film because the character smoked. The minute we wrapped filming I quit.

6)When filming, I know you put your heart and soul into the roles you play, at the end of filming when you watch the final products do you ever critique yourself or say 'I should have done this instead' or 'I could've done better'. Were you satisfied with your performance and would you want to tackle another singing role?
Tim : I never regret choices. I don't really like to watch things after there done. The creative process is far more interesting to me than the final product. As per singing roles... If the script is something I believe in, then I'm in.

7)Did you relate to your character and how do you feel about him and his story now that you’ve been him?
Tim : They're is a huge part of me in every character i play but at the end of the its playing. acting is pretending. That is why I love to act because when I'm done pretending I get to be myself again.

8)Were you mostly nervous or excited about singing? Did you enjoy it? If you sang more than one song, do you have a favorite?
Tim : I don't love to sing but this character was a singer. So I just tried to do the best I could. I can't really remember The songs I sang in the film to be honest, It was a long time ago. I do remember the song i sang outside was the shot the first day of shooting and we did it in one take.

9)What did you think about working with your co stars?
Tim : Everyone was great but I would be lying if I didn't say I wasn't really happy to work with Morgan Kelly again. We are childhood friends and I hadn't seen him in ages. So it was a real treat to see and work with him again.

10)Did you have a favorite scene on the movie? Why?
Tim : The scenes with Morgan were special to me. It was like when we used to live together and just hang out.

11)Which do you prefer: the comfort and stability of a reccurring role in a series like Instant Star, or the excitement and challenge of constantly re-inventing yourself as different characters in new movie roles?
Tim : Can i have both :)

12)Since the movie is based on a true story, did you feel it was more challenging than fictional projects you’ve done?
Tim : No difference for me. Like I said before I just try and live truthfully under imaginary circumstances.

13)How familiar are you with the subject of the movie, and drug abuse in the music industry?
Tim : I've lived. I've seen and done things. Now I live like nun :)

14)Did you do a lot of background research on Christian Locke or just go with your gut?
Tim : Christian Locke was a fictional character that was loosely based on Layne Staley. I loved Alice In Chains music and I knew what flavour of film I thought this would be but really I got to create Christian because he never existed in real life. I would use whatever Direction Jon would give and try and give him what he wanted for his vision of the character for the film. Jon and I talked a lot about the character before filming. So once filming started we just went with what felt right.

15)How did you feel about the final product? Is there anything you wish now you had done different, any deleted scenes that you wish had been included?
Tim : I saw it once. I really liked it. I never regret or re-watch anything. Well not yet anyway....

16)Would you want to do another project like this? Why or Why not?
Tim : To be a lead in a feature film is why I got into this business. Its draining and hard but its also the most amazing and creative experience and actor can have.

Questions for Tommy Groszman :

1)When casting Christian Locke's character what were you looking for, and what factors were the decision that you chose Tim for the role?
Tommy : Soto and I came onto the project after the key casting was completed. The fact that they were such good choices influenced our decision in taking on the challenge of producing a movie with limited resources. Our instinct paid off as the performances were outstanding across the board, and of course Tim carried the film brilliantly.

2)Did you make an audition for all the character? Or did you contact directly some actors?
Tommy : As I understand it, both.

3)With Christian Locke's character being brought to life before your eyes by Tim in certain scenes did it affect you in any way?
Tommy : yes in two ways, firstly how one can be terribly derailed by love, and how helpless one can be when someone they love has an addiction issue, and two how filmmaking or being an artist, also kind of an addiction, can easily become destructive. Following through with producing an indie movie can be a very risky proposition, and a producer must be careful to balance ambition and passion for a project with life.

Questions for Jon Deitcher :

1)What steered you into doing independent films and documentaries like 'Long Gone Day' 'Shuckers' and the others you've made?
Jon : I’ve always been interested in telling stories, whether fiction or documentary, about characters. People on the fringe of society who are part of a niche with unique interests or
ideas.

2)Was it difficult for you to direct a film like this where the main character is going through so much mentally, physically, emotionally and psychologically?
Jon : When trying to get into the psyche of a complex character like Christian the first thing is to communicate the characters struggle with the Actor playing him. Tim really understood this and made it easy for me. I gave him the backstory of the character and he really took it from there.

Questions for Tommy and Jon :

1)How did you come up with the idea of making a movie about a singer/drugtaker?
Tommy : Jon brought me the project.
Jon : The writer Michael Penning and I were really into the grunge bands of the early 90’s. Many musicians at the time were addicted to heroin and ended up destroying their careers and lives. We wondered what would go through someone’s head and what would cause them to spiral out of control when they have so much.

2)How many times did you need to make this movie?
Tommy : Jon and Natalino developed the script and project for some time prior to production in 2009, Soto and I came on board at that time and are still involved in producing the movie. After a lengthy post production the sales and distribution has been challenging because although it is a well crafted movie it is not a typically commercial mainstream product. Which in a way is very satisfying. The movie will find a niche audience because it's solid.

3)What was it like to work with Tim? And the others actors?
Tommy : Tim is a pro. Very talented, dedicated, and a really great down to earth guy. He was a quiet leader and the whole cast followed suit. Which is a big reason the film is so good.
Jon : Working with the actors on Long Gone Day was a great experience. They all really understood the story I was trying to tell and really were able to get in the head of the characters. They would even propose aspects to the characters backstory to help illustrate certain emotions they were going through. It’s nice to work with people who go that far for their craft.

4)What was your favorite scene to work on
Tommy : I really only got involved creatively in the edit stage. My favorite part was working with what Natalino and Jon provided from the set and what Jon and Geoff provided in the initial edit along with all the creative elements such as Nash's sound track and of course the acting to find what we called the " magic moment" in each scene. But if you would like a specific example i could provide a simple one... When Cindy's character gives Tim's character a guitar we realized it would be really impactful to play as a reveal, from the character's point of view, and not have a cutaway shot to the guitar before Tim's reaction to the gift. But to play the surprise all off his ( and Cindy's) facial reaction and finally as he goes to the guitar the audience sees/feels the moment with them. Also, now that im recalling we reversed one of the time flashbacks ( tim daydreaming about when Cindy was alive) when Tim was in the tub and very high and it really made it more powerful. It was really just a lucky experiment to try and not have all the flashbacks in the same order.
Jon : My favorite scene was the scene between Vincent and Christian, when Christian needs to ask Vincent for more money. The psychology between the two characters was an integral part to the scene. Each knowing the other doesn’t like them yet needing to get something out of them is very challenging to portray. Both David Schaap and Tim Rozon did a great job of illustrating that psychological battle.

5)For you, what was the most challenging part of making this film
Tommy : Financing. We worked with the theory that you cant be fast, good, and cheap so we were forced to do everything slow and get the best quality we can with what we had.
Jon : The most challenging part of Long Gone Day was to shoot a movie in only two locations with 6 characters and make it interesting enough for the audience to want to know more and stick with the story as it unfolds.

6)I would like to know how was the reaction to the movie on the montreal film festival and if they have plans for international distribution.
Tommy : Yes it was a very good reaction. We are expecting international of course.

7)Will you in the futur work together again?
Tommy : When you work so long on a film, especially with two companies, usually you end up going off and doing your own projects alone. Nat and Jon are doing well and producing new product and Soto and I are doing the same. I believe we all learned a lot from this project, from each other, and from just making a film. Which in the end is what you have to do to gain experience.

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