We recently connected with Kevin Schreck and have shared our conversation below.
Kevin, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.
I think all of my films have a personal element. If you’re going to spend a tremendous amount of time, money, and resources into a project like that, it helps if it matters to you. I’m inclined to say that “Tangent Realms: The Worlds of C.M. Kösemen” (2018) is my most personal film so far. It was made out of pure passion, art for art’s sake. Memo and I became close friends while making the movie, confiding in each other, building trust, and discovering a lot of shared values and interests. But for all of them, there’s the element of the autobiographical. Unless it’s unavoidable, I try not to be seen or heard in my movies. My subjects are far more interesting than I am. But I relate to the subjects in my movies, so, in some therapeutic way, there’s me in there, albeit accidentally. I think that’s just a byproduct of making sincere work. “Tangent Realms” might just be the most personal of them all because it’s about an artist who wants to share amazing, unique visions and stories with an audience, simultaneously using that art production as accidental therapy and catharsis, all while trying to sustain a career in doing so.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I’m a documentary filmmaker. I love telling true stories. One thing that excites me about documentary is it isn’t just one genre. It’s really a vague term that attempts to categorize any work of non-fiction cinema. As a result, you can explore so much in it, and do so artistically, while still adhering to the facts. I tell my students, “Documentary is the attempt at capturing an objective reality through an inevitably subjective lens.” I think the subjective aspect is something to embrace. It’s what makes documentary art.
Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?
Building community is vital, especially with the people who share you values and want you to succeed as much as they want themselves to succeed. It has never been easier to make a movie today, so it’s very easy to just stay in your little bubble and make your own work, which is fine. But filmmaking is collaborative at all stages. Even if you are able to make a film solo, the final stage of a movie’s production is getting it shown and seen out in the world. You need to find people who support that and champion your work with sincerity, and it’s important to build those friendships and reciprocate.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
It’s really obnoxious to say this, as this philosophy has been hijacked by a lot of tech bros and corporate salesmen in order to sound more human, but it’s true: we are a storytelling species. Data isn’t enough in a documentary. You can still present the facts while getting at a resonant emotional truth. We seek moments of emotional significance in art, even non-narrative work. I hope to share that zeal for entertaining, honest storytelling in my movies with the world.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://kevinschreck.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/kevinschreckproductions
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/AntarcticVoyage
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinschreck/
Image Credits
Kevin Schreck Productions