PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Who’s Watching Oliver is one of the most unique horror films of the year. Currently, the film has already won 6 awards and has been nominated for 12! Recently, we got to talk to the film’s star, Russell Geoffrey Banks. Now, we had the pleasure to speak to one of the writers/producers of the film, Raimund Huber!
PopHorror – What inspired you to get into the filmmaking business?
Raimund Huber – The magic of visual story telling and to entertain people, or should I say, to shock them!
PopHorror – Did you go to film school?
Raimund Huber – No, I did not. I got my first experience as a filmmaker shooting and editing snowboard and scuba diving videos. Later, I would learn everything I know from books, working on film sets, and hanging out with crew members, constantly asking questions and making mistakes. Lots of mistakes.
PopHorror – What films and/or writers do you get your inspiration from?
Raimund Huber – That’s a really hard question because there are so many good films and writers and it also depends on my mood. But Sylvester Stallone’s journey to his first Rocky film is a great inspiration.
PopHorror – What kind of stories do you love to write?
Raimund Huber – I love stories that are not on the daily program, stories that are different.
PopHorror – What’s the most difficult thing about writing for you?
Raimund Huber – Romance and dialogue is the most difficult aspect of writing for me.
PopHorror – What’s the most enjoyable thing about writing for you?
Raimund Huber – I love to develop characters and then see the actors playing them, that’s the most fun. It was just amazing to see how Cecilia Belletti, Kelly Woodcock and Champagne Nuttanun played the victims. They were all amazing. Or Sara Malakul Lane who did a fantastic job playing Sophia and won a Best Actress Award for the role. And then, of course Russell Geoffrey Banks, who won 3 Best Actor Awards for the role of Oliver. I love it!
PopHorror – How did you come up with the story for Who’s Watching Oliver?
Raimund Huber – Actually, it was Russell and Richie who came up with the first concept of Who’s Watching Oliver but originally it was more like a crime story and too similar to a project I did in the past. My only demands to join this project as a producer/writer was to make it crazy, shocking, and most importantly, different.
PopHorror – When we spoke to Russell Geoffrey Banks, he mentioned that you were the one who came up with Oliver’s mother’s scenes and dialogue. How did you come up with the dialogue for that character?
Raimund Huber – Lots of beers. And I am so grateful for Margaret Roche accepting the role as Mama. She made the character even more crazy than it was written. Margaret also won an Award for Best Supporting Actress playing Mama. Thanks, Margaret!
PopHorror – What was your favorite scene to write for Who’s Watching Oliver?
Raimund Huber – Not sure if I have a favorite scene, but I loved to write the Oliver scenes and develop his character. I loved the simple things about the character; him just awkwardly walking on the streets, waking up and cleaning his room, getting dressed and having breakfast like a little boy getting ready for school. And this is where I came up with Oliver being a little bit of a mix of Forrest Gump and George McFly.
PopHorror – What was the most difficult scene to write for Who’s Watching Oliver?
Raimund Huber – The most difficult scenes for me were the park scenes with Oliver and Sophia. It was Russell who came up with all the dialogue about the dreams to break the ice between the characters. And it was Richie who developed Sophia’s background.
PopHorror – Would you say Who’s Watching Oliver was your favorite film you’ve written so far? If not, which one is your favorite?
Raimund Huber – It was absolutely my favorite film I’ve co-written. Russell, Richie and I had so much fun writing the screenplay for Who’s Watching Oliver. There were days were we couldn’t stop laughing for the whole night. As we were writing the script, Russell would actually play Oliver and I would play Mama. I wish we had recorded it for the behind the scenes.
PopHorror – What advice would you give to aspiring screenwriters?
Raimund Huber – To be honest, I am not so big into writing. I love to come up with and develop concepts, characters and stories. I prefer directing and producing. So, if I had to give an advice, I would say stay unique and don’t make the same movie as hundreds of filmmakers did before you. Be honest to yourself, do something different and don’t be afraid to fail or be rejected.
PopHorror – Are there any upcoming projects that you’d like to talk about?
Raimund Huber – There is an upcoming project but we are still waiting for the green light. As soon as we get approval, I will let you guys know.
PopHorror – When and where can our readers watch Who’s Watching Oliver?
Raimund Huber – Not sure yet, nothing has been decided yet on distribution, but I hope it will come out by the end of this year. Your readers can follow the updates on our Facebook fan page!
Raimund, thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us! To our readers, Who’s Watching Oliver is highly recommended and we will keep you updated on the release date! In the meantime, you can check out their Facebook page.
