Amy Driver
She is the filmmaker of The Deathroom Dollar Baby film.
SKSM: Could you start with telling me a little bit about yourself? Who are you and what do you do?
Amy Driver: My name is Amy Driver, I studied film & television production in Dublin and currently I live in Wellington, New Zealand. I’m a freelance video producer, editor and social media manager.
SKSM: When did you make The Deathroom? Can you tell me a little about the production? How much did it cost? How long did it take to film it?
Amy Driver: We made The Deathroom back in 2013, in our final year of film school. It was shot on a micro budget, raised through fundraising, bake sales and raffles.
SKSM: How come you picked In the deathroom to develop into a movie? What is it in the story that you like so much?
Amy Driver: My producer, Leeona Duff, came to me with the script. I thought she was crazy trying to make a film just a few months before our grad films were due to start filming but I love a bit of crazy so I jumped at the chance.
SKSM: How did you find out that King sold the movie rights to some of his stories for just $1? Was it just a wild guess or did you know it before you sent him the check?
Amy Driver: I had made a Dollar Baby before, Willa, in 2012. I came across the Dollar Baby idea because I was struggling to write a script and found myself wishing I could afford to adapt a story that was already written. A quick google search, led me to discover Willa.
SKSM: Was there any funny or special moment when you made the movie that you would like to tell me about?
Amy Driver: We filmed The Death Room in the dark, in the countryside. It was freezing, we were running 4 generators to keep the lights and heat going, and at various times they all blew. For the last scene, I had to transport cast and crew across to a different location, I was new to driving and a little nervous doing so in the pitch black on unfamiliar country roads. My car was making the most awful noise and just generally being difficult to manage. When we got to the second location, I realised I’d just gone the whole way with the hand brake still on.
SKSM: How does it feel that all the King fans out there can’t see your movie? Do you think that will change in the future? Maybe a internet/dvd release would be possible?
Amy Driver: It would be great if there could be internet release for the Dollar Babies, these days social media is a great free advertising tool for film makers and Dollar Baby filmmakers could really utilise that.
SKSM: Are you a Stephen King fan? If so, which are your favorite works and adaptations?
Amy Driver: I really enjoyed the recent series, The Outsider but as a film student I think my favourite Stephen King adaptation has to be Shawshank Redemption, of course.
SKSM: Did you have any personal contact with King during the making of the movie? Has he seen it (and if so, what did he think about it)?
Amy Driver: No, I never had direct contact with King for either of the films.
SKSM: Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. Is there anything you want to say to the fans that read this interview?
Amy Driver: Thanks for reading!
