From helming multi-billion dollar productions like “Dumbo” and “Alice in Wonderland” to crafting award-winning independent films in the vein of Bergman and the Coen Brothers, Derek Frey has mastered the art of creative duality. As Tim Burton’s longtime producer and an accomplished independent filmmaker, Frey’s latest short film, “Viaticum”, exemplifies his ability to weave between grand studio productions and intimate personal projects. In a revealing conversation with Indie Shorts Mag, the filmmaker discusses how this deliberate balance between Hollywood blockbusters and independent ventures has become not just a career strategy but a creative necessity.
Indie Shorts Mag: Your career spans both major studio productions and independent films. How does your experience producing blockbusters like “Dumbo” and “Alice in Wonderland” influence your approach to directing intimate independent films like “Viaticum”?
Derek Frey: It’s therapeutic between big studio projects to work on more intimate films and music videos where I have the freedom to create entirely on my own terms and schedule. I’ve always had the impulse to make original, outside the box projects, so the indie works help keep me in touch with that impulse . It’s challenging to find the time, but I do my best to shoot one or two projects each year between the larger studio productions.
Indie Shorts Mag: “Viaticum” masterfully balances dark comedy with atmospheric tension. What drew you to this particular story, and how did you work with The Minor Prophets to achieve that delicate tonal balance?
Derek Frey: Viaticum is a black comedy with twisted sensibilities. The goal was for it to be comedically measured, repressed, and at times shocking. Tonally I compare it to one of my favorite films, Blood Simple, by the Cohen Brothers, which is brutally violent and shockingly funny in equal measure.
Throughout our eight previous collaborations, the Minor Prophets and I have weaved tales of overbearing coaches, parents, bosses, and stalkers. Characters have contemplated infidelity, suicide, and gravy. We’ve explored workforce woes, crossed collar lines, and strived to walk the paved road. We’ve depicted nationalism gone astray and followed the trials and tribulations of men gathered to discuss literature without the threat of ridicule or embarrassment. It has been a diverse, creative journey but strikingly we’ve never squarely dealt with the great equalizer: Death.
When confronted with their own mortality, many seek absolution in the form of religious ceremony, the most well-known being the Catholic church’s performance of Last Rites. But what if the dying person has committed a sin so egregious that it calls into question the church’s own moral underpinnings? And what if that same individual, in the delirium of death, makes an absurd request that threatens the ritual’s sacred orthodoxy? The Minor Prophets and I wrestle with these questions in Viaticum.
Indie Shorts Mag: Having worked closely with Tim Burton for over two decades, what key lessons about visual storytelling have you carried into your own directorial work?
Derek Frey: The marriage of mood and tone through visual representation is essential and should, even subtly, be considered a key storytelling element. On a larger budget film it’s easier to have the means to represent visual storytelling on a grand scale, so within smaller projects it requires creative workarounds to achieve the desired visual impact. Fortunately, by taking advantge of limited means it can lead to welcome surprises. I remember on Sky Blue Collar we had a grand finale where two men escape a warehouse on a forklift, driving it onto a road. We lucked out with a freak snow squall which absolutely made the scene and fit the mood perfectly.
Indie Shorts Mag: Your independent films have garnered numerous awards, with “Kill The Engine” winning 45 awards and “Green Lake” securing 50. What creative freedoms does independent filmmaking offer that you might not find in studio productions?
Derek Frey: It’s becoming increasingly difficult to create truly original work within the studio system. In this era of franchise there’s unfortunately not as much room for new, unique stories and storytellers. The creative freedom within indie-filmmaking is exactly what draws me to it. Awards and reactions aside, I think it’s apparent my work is unique because I’ve had the complete freedom to create it.
Indie Shorts Mag: The cinematography in “Viaticum,” particularly the use of black and white and claustrophobic framing, creates a distinct atmosphere. Could you walk us through your visual decisions for this project?
Derek Frey: As a visual reference to represent the themes, I drew inspiration from Ingmar Bergman’s Wild Strawberries, a masterful and definitive take on reflection at the end of one’s life. I was also excited to shoot in black and white, which served as a solid parallel to the moral battle that unfolds – and the grey area the story often occupies.
I’ve also admired the work of artist Andrew Wyeth, ever since I first visited the Brandywine River Museum as a child. His work occupies an inviting space between the light and dark and comes alive in the shadows. Though subtle, I used his work as inspiration to keep the static camera shots alive through the lighting while evoking a sense of solitude. Filming Viaticum in Chester County, Pennsylvania, close to environments that inspired Wyeth, helped to infuse aspects of American Regionalism in the exterior glimpses.
Indie Shorts Mag: Throughout your career, you’ve worked across various mediums – from feature films to music videos to museum exhibitions. How does this versatility influence your storytelling approach?
Derek Frey: I thrive on being completely immersed in a myriad of arts. It’s what fuels me. My first passion was music, which through film scores and regularly going to the movies as a kid lead to my great love of cinema. From film, music and art, it helps drive and inform my approach to storytelling. When making a film my decisions aren’t usually concious reference pulls from things I’ve seen or appreciated. It’s more of a subconcious approach based on a feeling I had from listening to music, watcing a film or viewing a piece of art.
Indie Shorts Mag: Your recent works like “Viaticum” and “The Book Club for Men” seem to explore darker themes with comedic elements. What draws you to this particular intersection of genres?
Derek Frey: The Minor Prophets and I have always been drawn to dark comedy. We also appreciate the absurd, wrapped around a theme of truth. It’s through absurd characters and situations that we allow viewers to take a step back and laugh at the ridiculousness of life. The comedy in our work often is conveyed in a slight but satisyfing way.
Indie Shorts Mag: Having overseen both massive productions and intimate independent films, what advice would you give to emerging filmmakers about navigating both ends of the spectrum?
Derek Frey: Stay true to your passion. If that’s in the indie space, then continue to cultivate that. Filmmakers today are very fortunate to be creating in an age where the technology is affordable and within reach and there are so many forums to have your work seen. My best advice is to just keep creating and embrace limited means. Sometimes it’s those limitations that stimulate your creativity and help you to achieve something beyond what you thought was possible.
On the other end of the spectrum, if you find yourself on a path learning the ropes within larger productions, there’s a wealth of knowledge to be found and climbing that ladder wihin the studio system can be tremendously exciting and rewarding.
With so much of the industry in flux it’s key to stay flexible and learn as much about all aspects of filmmaking.
Indie Shorts Mag: You’ve been instrumental in translating Tim Burton’s creative vision across various platforms, from films to exhibitions. How has this experience shaped your understanding of maintaining artistic integrity across different mediums?
Derek Frey: Tim is a tremendously gifted and prolific artist. He truly is one of a kind. His work inspired me at a young age and redefined my understanding of how deeply movies can make you feel. For me this was especially important as someone who felt different and that I didn’t belong. His films, drawings, sketches, sculptures, etc. touch on a profoundly visual and emotional level. Tim continues to be an inspirational figure for countless fans, myself included! That’s really a testament to his artistic integrity.
Indie Shorts Mag: The success of “Viaticum” on the festival circuit speaks to its resonance with audiences. What upcoming projects can audiences look forward to, and how do you choose which stories to tell next?
Derek Frey: I’m in the process of eyeing the next short project. The Minor Prophets and I will meet up around the holidays to decide what’s next – perhaps something we’ll film next Spring. We’re still eager to shoot a full length feature. We’re certainly overdue! Our previous short Awkward Endeavors was originally intended to be a feature film, however the pandemic put a pause in those plans and we decided to shoot and scene and reconform that into a short. It had a solid run on the festival circuit but we love to still create the feature version.
I’m also working with UK director Tim Pope (famous for his music video work with countless artists, most notably The Cure) to produce his thriller The Beating of a Moth’s Wing. It’s an exciting project and we’re hoping to get that in front of cameras in 2025.
Lastly, I’ve been developing a indie-horror film Die in the Dark with screenwriter Michael Greene. I’ve worked Michael a number of times over the years and it’s always a pleasure. I feel like we’re really onto something exciting and terrifying with this one.
Die in the Dark proof of concept trailer:
As always when choosing what’s next I stay true to what turns me on aesthetically. That’s usually something that makes people laugh or scares them (or both!). Music usually plays an important role in any story I’m a part of.
As Frey looks ahead to new horizons, including a thriller collaboration with legendary music video director Tim Pope and an indie-horror project “Die in the Dark,” his artistic compass remains steadfastly focused on what he describes as “something that makes people laugh or scares them (or both!).” His journey demonstrates that in an era dominated by franchises, there’s still room for filmmakers who dare to dance between worlds – finding creative freedom in the shadows between studio machinery and independent artistry. For Frey, these shadows, much like the black-and-white palette of “Viaticum,” aren’t limitations but opportunities for stories that occupy the compelling grey area between light and dark, between comedy and contemplation, between the mainstream and the magnificently peculiar.