Bruce Wabbit is a filmmaker with roots from Wellington New Zealand. After moving to New York to pursue a career in visual art and filmmaking, he studied graphic art and design at F.I.T and later enrolled in the NYU film and directing program. Since that time he has worked mostly in the industry as a visual editor. With inspirations such as Quentin Tarantino, Ridley Scott, and Kathryn Bigelow. Bruce now takes the next steps to becoming a full-time film director.
We had an amazing opportunity to speak with Bruce, a talented creator! Check out the interview below.
Hi, Bruce! Thank you for granting the interview. “John The Thief” is on Amazon Prime and is receiving good reviews. You must be excited over all of the love.
Thank you for the opportunity! I’m nervous more than anything because you never know how these things are going to go. But yes, I am grateful for any kind words of encouragement.
The awesome part about appearing on Amazon Prime is reaching a broader audience. Do you see this as becoming a trend for the new series?
Honestly can’t say for certain. I think it’s a wonderful outlet to get content out there but you don’t know what the reception will be.
What is your favorite scene of “John The Thief,” thus far?
I have two. The first is when John and Marcus meet Mr. Moon for the first time. John’s reactions to things always give me a good chuckle. And When Stan is being interviewed in episode 3. That entire episode is just interesting to watch I think. Clint and Matt do amazing work bringing John Phelan’s vision to life.
You have an excellent and talented cast. They bring the characters to life. How did you go about casting the roles?
Gosh they are a talented bunch, aren’t they? Interestingly enough, when the story was first developed, John and Marcus were written for specific actors. It was Jay and another actor I worked with previously. But there was a concern that he didn’t fit the role. So Danny was brought in and aced the audition. He really made John come to life. Matt I’ve worked with before and I like his acting and work ethic, so I offered him the role of Stanley Rouse and he accepted. Drew was discovered after a few failed attempts to cast Richard Moon. It was the role everyone wanted but no one could agree on at the same time. Very bizarre but it worked out in the end. Nicole’s talent agency got in contact with us about the role and we had her come in for an audition and she instantly became Ellen. Ben did a screen test for his role that went swimmingly and that’s how it all came together.
Do you see “John The Thief” as setting the bar for comedy/drama? It does offer a refreshing look a criminal behavior, not often portrayed on network television?
It would be nice to say yes but the reality is, it’s a climb. From where it starts to where it ends is a huge evolving mass. Think, first ever episode of The Simpsons to current episodes. The animation is crude and not very appealing to look at in the start but over time begins to smooth out a bit. Now imagine that in a 4 episode span today. Not many people are going to have fun with that concept as much as I do. If they do make it through to the end they’ll probably say, “You cheeky little bugger. I see what you did there.” And then we’ll move on to season 2.
What advice would you have for aspiring filmmakers?
Don’t do it if you don’t love it. If you have real talent for it and think you can go somewhere with it, then, by all means, go for it. But you need a thick skin because there’s always a mob ready with their pitchforks. I like to have fun with everything I do. It’s serious but it’s still just fun at the end of the day. It’s entertainment, not the cure for wellness. Everyone is just trying to tell their story the best ways that they can in the best way that is available to them. And finally don’t be bitter just because someone else can do it better. I have a ways to go before I’m as good as my fellow friends, filmmakers, and mentors. So my advice is, Watch, learn, try, fail, try again, fail hard, have a wee cry about it, watch some more, listen closely and try again. And don’t be afraid to branch out and try a new approach. You never know.
You continuously hone your craft. Do you have any special productions planned?
Yes, because I am so unorthodox with filmmaking and I color outside the lines so to speak. I have to constantly try and learn and try new things. I have a few experimental short films in the works. One I’m doing just for the fun of it is based on the Luther series. There’s a group of us who really like the show so we’re putting together a fan film series. Nothing too serious just for the sport of it.
Thus far, what has been the best experience working in the industry?
Oh dear, I’ve been in and out of the industry for almost 16 years. I’ve experienced a lot. Worked with some life-changing directors and producers and actors. But if I had to choose, I’d say the friendships made along the way and being able to see some of the masters in the business at work and getting their professional advice and feedback.
Do you have any upcoming projects that we haven’t mentioned?
I do. I have a small film that’s in and out of festivals at the moment “Just to be Frank”. It’s a different kind of film that I’m used to doing. It get’s very personal and speaks to a wider audience. Doing a comedy short with my good mate Joe Sharkey in Belfast. There’s the second part of The Counterfeit Detective titled “A Name to kill for.” that we get back to filming soon. My wife has a project she’s developing that I’m gonna help out on. And Clint D’Souza and I are trying to figure out what’s next for our future team up. I’m experimenting with a lot of new things as well so we’ll see what comes out on the other end.
Thank you again for the opportunity. Hope it didn’t put you to sleep.
Connect with Bruce:
IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm6109487/
Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/brucewabbit
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kiwiwabbit/
Connect with “John the Thief”:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/John-The-Thief/dp/B076KRYNMR
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