Meet the Finalist: Maximillian Remmler, "Sleep is for the Week"

Tell us about yourself, and about Sleep is for the Week.

I've been making short films since my high school days, although I made my first “movie” at the age of 9. As many do in high school, I had a lot of insecurity built up which led to embarrassing clumsy behavior. I treated Sleep is for the Week as an escape from that behavior. It was a way for me and so many others to look back on their former selves and think, “Wow I'm not this person anymore, but remember when I was?”

Share a memorable moment you experienced working on this project.

There were so many! So many in fact that the amount of behind the scenes footage was far longer than the actual film. One moment I loved was when my producer grabbed his speaker and played “It's Raining Men” by The Weather Girls after we wrapped. Everyone was dancing and it later became the cast & crew anthem for the film.

Name 3 collaborators that you'd take with you to any other project.

It's obviously hard to narrow it down to three people, but my dear friends who were most involved with the project were my director of photography Joey Mezzatesta, my producer Nikai Morales, and my behind-the-scenes photographer Nina Lego..

3 tips you’d like to share with aspiring artists in your field:

The first tip is test shoot. A LOT. The more you film test shots of scenes you know you want in the final film, the better off you'll be when actually shooting those scenes. I shot multiple tests of the rapid-cutting bedroom scenes. The second is know what you want on shooting day. Time is very important on set, so make sure you're using it to get the shots you want and not idling around. The third is have fun. Very cheesy I'm sure, but it's true. This is some of the most fun I've had on a film set, and I hope to keep that trend going for as long as I can.

What do you hope to achieve in your career in the next 5 years?

I'm a director and an editor at heart. If I can find a full time editing job to support my directing of indie films on the side, I will be incredibly happy with my situation.

Maximillian Remmler is nominated for Best Student Film of the Year at the New York Film Awards.