Bill Nicoletti has over 75 national awards for excellence in film and television production spanning a 30-year career. Following our recent article on the news of Bill Nicoletti’s project ‘Wake Up Everybody’, we had the opportunity to speak to him about his career and the making of the film.
Thank you for agreeing to this interview with Occhi Magazine. How did you get into filmmaking?
From a young age, I was very much interested in art and my mom recognized this and had me in art school from a young age. I loved to work with all mediums but my favorite was watercolors and acrylics. I was not the greatest artist on the planet but I did have a good eye for lighting and composition and that eventually would be a skill that would translate into directing. Also, my father worked for Sony which back in the early ’70s and ’80s was like Apple is today when it came to innovation so as a kid I was always around brand new technology and discovered early on that I could figure out new technologies pretty quickly. I really did not pay much attention to it at the time but I loved music and was always listening to different styles of music. I also loved television and movies and could not get enough of either as a kid. I would say the path into filmmaking for me was as a young freelance editor I met an owner of a production company in Philadelphia and he invited me to come to his studio and learn editing at a higher level. From there I was able to land a freelance position for a company that would springboard me into owning my own studio and from the clients, I would attain having the opportunity to learn how to produce and ultimately to direct.
Who and what has influenced your approach to documentary filmmaking?
So I would say it’s not so much who inspired me for documentary filmmaking as much as who has inspired me for the craft of filmmaking and it is a very eclectic list. As an editor and business owner, Joe Tarsia the founder of Sigma Sound inspired me to always strive for perfection and excellence. Having the opportunity to direct at NFL Films put me in the company of some of the most talented camera people, engineers, and editors and that helped tremendously with my education of filmmaking. The movies that I grew up and loved as a kid and still remain my favorite of all time; Rocky, Jaws, Heaven Can Wait, Back to the Future, The Godfather, still inspire me with, in what is my opinion how important a score is to filmmaking and how a score can be almost another character in a film. For me I try and do this with documentary filmmaking, really taking into consideration how important the role music plays in telling the story and stirring emotion.
For our readers, please tell us more about the Marian Anderson Documentary and what viewers can expect?
I think it may be easier to say what not to expect. The title and sizzle would lead you to think you are going to watch a documentary on opera singing. What the viewer I believe will find is it is not so much about classical singing but more about this amazing person who had this amazing spirit and by the oh by the way she sang classical music.
What were the most challenging aspects of making the film?
With independent films the biggest challenge I believe is always funding and distribution. We were fortunate early on to get distribution commitments but the funding was and even till this day remains the biggest issue for this film. The thing that I did not expect when we set out to make this film was how willing people were to help us make this film and that made the responsibility to me even higher as I was even more grateful for everyone who participated in the process and wanted to deliver a very special film.
You’ve attracted some notable assistance for your next project. “Wake Up Everybody,” which documents the 1970s phenomenon known as’ The Sound of Philadelphia’. Please tell us more about the project and what we can look forward to?
What I hope the viewer will come away with is being highly entertained, educated, and inspired. I think it is important to make the viewer feel like they are smarter after they watch a documentary. People love talking about the latest documentary they saw and sharing, did you know this or that. This film, without question, will be a roller coaster ride of the highs and lows that took place in Philadelphia. It’s not just the music scene but with many events that took place in Philadelphia that were on a global scale and how these events shaped the music that came out of Philadelphia that remains relevant today. Very grateful to have John Legend and his team from Get Lifted as our EP’s as well as Al Roker and his Entertainment company.
Where can our readers find out more about you and your projects?
http://goingthedistancefilms.com
Photo: Courtesy of Bill Nicoletti.
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