We had the fantastic opportunity to speak with Bruce Wabbit about his film Just to Be Frank. Check out the interview below.
Hi, Bruce! Thank you for granting the interview. Congrats on your new film Just to Be Frank. Tell us what inspired the film.
Thank you. This film was something of a pleasant accident. It wasn’t something I wanted to make or was trying to make. One day out of pure frustration I decided to quit being a filmmaker. I mean I was done. But then my wife, wouldn’t let me walk away from it so easily. So I was challenged into trying something different. Something out of my comfort zone. And Just to be Frank was the end result.
Did you have to do any specific research for the film?
Well the story of Frank, a seasoned veteran of boxing and MMA, who becomes disenfranchised with his profession, was inspired by a few places. The lost passion I had for being a filmmaker, the experience of being an amateur kickboxer and the admiration for life and career of a dear friend and former middleweight champion, turned actor John Duddy.
There’s a brilliant Irish film called Emerald City written and directed by author Colin Brodrick which also played a part in inspiring Frank. I was in awe of the development of that film. It was like being transported back in time to film school when the passion and community of film making were invigorating. And I wondered, what it would be like to create something with that much heart. So I consulted with a few past mentors and friends in the industry and was invited to sit in on a few master classes and updated my skills in visual editing and Cinematography and things just kind of snowballed from there.
It’s having a marvelous film festival run. How excited are you?
It’s very surreal. The invites have been overwhelming and I’m grateful for each and every one. Same with the awards it’s earned. Every time I think it’s over I get a few more contacts requesting Frank to be part of another festival or event.
Have you faced any challenges making the film?
Yes. There are always challenges, especially when you’re coming from a place of defeat. I didn’t know how to tell this story or if anyone would even understand or care about the character. Hence why it started out as a 5-minute blurb. Even though Frank is a fictional character, he still represents what was real in my life. There’s a fine line between trying to be sympathetic to anyone going through similar issues and just coming off as pretentious. It’s a simple film about overcoming yourself as an obstacle so it can go either way.
How did you choose the talent to feature?
Funny story with that. The original short was only 5 minutes long and not intended for festivals. I was contacted by the NY international film festival association, who enjoyed the short online and wanted to invite me to their event. But there was just one problem. It was too short. In order to qualify it needed to be 15 minutes minimum. And the deadline was that following Thursday which was a few days away. I contemplated just calling it a lost opportunity but decided to just try and see what happens.
So the first call I made was to my mate in Belfast Joseph Sharkey who pays “Joe” in the film. Joey and I wrote and came up with a few extra scenes and came up with a clever way to film them. Joe’s performance in the film mirrors our own friendships and how passionate we are when it comes to the other’s well being. Then Matt Palmer who plays’s “Jimmy” was our next natural choice. I love working with Matt. He didn’t even flinch on such short notice. I told him the situation, sent him the script and he was ready to go. The MVP though was my wife Salma who plays “Ari”. She walked in the door and I stuck a few papers in her face and said “Memorize that and stand over there. Ok, you ready? And Action!” and a few takes later we had what we needed. And yes we made the deadline adding an extra 15 minutes to it’s final run time.
What is going to surprise people about the film?
Probably the thing that surprised me. How relate-able it is. It’s not a fight film. It’s a film about someone who’s fighting his way through life. It’s something a lot of people experience in their lives. Being good at something vs. Loving that thing and then losing your entire life or identity to that thing and becoming resentful. And the realization of it’s too late to become anything else. And having a real moment with yourself. And learning that a Loss doesn’t always have to be a defeat but rather a lesson maybe. We take what we learn from the experience and we move forward.
Without giving anything away, what’s your favorite scene and why?
I would have to say the meet-cue between Frank and Ari and the confrontation between Frank and Joe. Joe goes after Frank really hard with some brutal honesty.
When looking back at the production, what is resonating with you the most and why?
How much I’ve evolved as a filmmaker. And how wrong I was about a few things. I didn’t think I had it in me to tell this kind of story in the manner that I told it. I had a lot of advice and guidance through it. Anyone who knows me knows I’m a Guy Ritchie meets Tarantino kind of filmmaker. I like the stylish gritty, harsh crime drama approach. Now, since Frank, I’ve done a few different genres and it’s working better than the one I had more of an interest in. The lesson here was to try different things, even if it scares you. You never know.
Do you have anything else you would like to share about Just to Be Frank?
I hope when the film is released on Amazon that people will enjoy it for what it is. An independent art house type film about an MMA fighter isn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea. Hell, it wasn’t mine. But it’s honest and Like the title, it’s Frank and direct.
Do you have anything else you would like to share about Just to Be Frank?
The film will be out on Amazon and Amazon Prime soon so stay tuned. And thank you to all the festivals who hosted the film and reached out personally. And awarding the film where they saw fit. And a huge public Thank you to Matt, Joe, and Salma for helping with the development and fellow filmmaker Clint D’Souza for all the pointers. And to everyone who supported its success. Thank you for all the kind words. And to John and Colin for being an inspiration.
Thank you for chatting with us about Just to Be Frank. I hope we can catch up in the future for another interview.
Thank you for the chance to sit down and chat with you guys. It’s always a pleasure and we will definitely catch up soon.
Learn More About Just to Be Frank:
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7466738/
About Author
