Meet the Finalist: David MacLean, "BOUNCE"

Tell us about yourself, and about BOUNCE.

I have a wife and two kids, all beautiful and brilliant. I call my son a lummox but he's a really lovely guy.

BOUNCE is my first film though I've worked in the art department for years. Before film work, I wrote plays, and did some directing and acting in theater.

I was a concept and storyboard artist on Battlestar Galactica and other projects. After some set design, art direction, and production design I went back to storyboarding as a bridge into directing.Our stories are image dependent and I really like this.-Drama happening inside art. It fills a hole.

BOUNCE is a replacement project written late to substitute for a more complicated piece that I had to abandon when I lost my producer. Born of desperation, it 'came' quickly and I wrote two drafts. I thought it was small enough for a first time director. Not so sure about that now.

Share a memorable moment you experienced working on this project.

Well, tough stuff happened. All of our A camera footage for day one was accidentally erased so we had squeeze in a miracle re-shoot. I thought we were toast. Very hairy.People worked hard and gave it their all. Actors, grips, camera, everyone. Preparation allowed us to adapt, but we really needed to. Chasing beauty, authenticity, and the light.

Name 3 collaborators that you'd take with you to any other project.

Robert Grieve did my sound design (don't think I begged him to join in but I might have), Bill Baxter was a great DOP, and Jason Cooper the best editor. Also Wade Howie rescued VFX for the film. I feel these people saved my life and I hope to go forward with them. I know that's four.

3 tips you’d like to share with aspiring artists in your field:

Don't give up. Don't give up. Don't give up. Really that's it.

What do you hope to achieve in your career in the next 5 years?

I have some stories surfacing and they mean a lot to me that I want to get on the screen. One or two I 'REALLY' want to see happen. The story is the important thing. Let's say 'five projects' in some form of development with one or two finished. -And to be a working director.

David MacLean is nominated for Best First Time Director of the Year at the New York Film Awards.