Interview: Conrad Faraj – Director of Fighting the Sky
David Gelmini
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With the universe being as vast and expansive as it is, it’s not a question of if aliens will be revealed, but when. Until that time, we have movies about aliens to keep us satisfied. Conrad Faraj is currently working on one such film, Fighting the Sky, and talked to Dread Central about what we can expect.
Dread Central: Do you believe in aliens? And have you always been fascinated by them?
Conrad Faraj: Absolutely, and without question. Our universe is too vast and incredible for us to be the only species inhabiting it. I know they’re out there somewhere, and who knows? Maybe they truly have visited us a few times. Aliens, and everything to do with the unexplained, have interested me from a very young age. I remember reading a book when I was about 9 or 10 years old regarding the Bermuda Triangle and about the possibility of it being some kind of alien portal into another dimension. Since then I’ve been hooked. Making a film like Fighting the Sky is my own way of expressing my feelings about the phenomenon. It’s all about the intrigue and the mystery.
DC: There are a lot of alien invasion films these days; what makes Fighting the Sky stand out?
CF: “How do I make FTS different?” is a question that had been ringing in my head for months and months. During early pre-production I knew that the approach to the project would be different in its entirety. Aesthetically speaking, I wanted to be different and bold. I wanted to implement unconventional cinematography, jump cuts, and heavy atmosphere to the whole project. In Fighting the Sky, the camera barely ever breathes. It’s constant movement. The camera is always exploring and pacing the characters. I knew that an “invasion” film in a traditional sense has been done many times and by more practiced filmmakers, so I needed to sway away from that and instead focus on the mystery and the suspense. Hitchcock once said ,”There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it,” so I put that into practice on Fighting the Sky.
DC: How did filming go?
CF: Filming Fighting the Sky was such an intense and brutal experience. It was 19 days of pure high-concept filmmaking with intricate camera work, hundreds of extras, and a leading cast of 12 people. I don’t think I’ve ever worked as hard in my life, or on any other film, and I hope I’ve done the story justice. I am extremely anxious to see the fruits of our labor cut together and ready for its first screening. However, there’s still quite the journey to go, and a very complicated post-production lies ahead.
DC: What about the aliens themselves? What kind of look are you going for?
CF: Corey McCauley, an incredible special effects artist and the creator of our lovely “visitors,” worked alongside myself and co-designer Brennan Eden in creating something that felt fresh and original. Everyone is a fan of the classic grey aliens, and I know a lot of other filmmakers make their aliens a lot more beast-like (like Super 8). I wanted to go with something that I thought would feel more like a Universal Studios monster. So our “visitors” are a cross between grey aliens and the Creature from the Black Lagoon.
DC: What about their spaceships?
CF: To be perfectly honest, I don’t quite know what the final design is gonna be. We are still playing around with a few different possibilities, but I know I want them to be of a silver/black shade and very large. We shot the film in a way which allows for the CGI designs to be massive.
DC: Can you talk about how the characters from the film get mixed up in the events?
CF: I can’t quite go deep into the plot, as I love to keep everything as closely wrapped as possible because I believe there’s only one chance for a first impression, but I will say that the characters aren’t the typical “here’s an alien invasion; let’s try to survive” types. They are seekers and alien-nuts. They live for that kind of stuff. They are all ufologists who get exactly what they’re looking for, and that’s something that I think will be very different with this film. I drew a lot of inspiration from the film Twister and the way those characters interacted with one another and dealt with spectacular situations.
DC: How are you handling the VFX?
CF: We are working with a few talented visual effects artists out of New York who are handling all things visual effects. The team is headed by an incredibly talented VFX supervisor named Shandy Tam, who has worked on an impressive amount of features, music videos, and commercials. It’s quite an undertaking for such a small team we’ve put together, but I am more than confident that the visuals will be up to par with the film we just recently wrapped.
DC: So, you’ll be submitting this to the 2016 SXSW Film Festival?
CF: Our goal is to make the 2016 SXSW Film Festival. One of my favorite sci-fi indies, Monsters, premiered there, and I know of a lot of other incredible indie filmmakers who have opened their films there, and it would be an absolute honor if FTS can make their official selection. Austin would be a great city to host the official first screening.
Categorized:News
