We recently connected with Paul South and have shared our conversation below.

Paul, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

One of the most meaningful projects I have worked on was an indie horror film I shot in 2022 called The Bellman.

The Bellman is a throwback to the golden age of slashers. It was heavily influenced by the Italian giallo genre and filmmakers like Dario Argento, Mario Bava and Sergio Martino.

To add to this retro vibe, we shot the movie entirely on Super 8mm film using equipment from the 1960s. We set the locations in older parts of Kansas City like the art deco Hotel Phillips and the River Market. Many audience members have told us that the film looked like something that came out of a time capsule.

The project was especially meaningful to me for a couple reasons. First off, it was a new experience to shoot on film. I had always heard it was expensive, and yes it was, but I wanted to give it a shot. Shooting on film offered different challenges than digital filmmaking. We had to ration cartages of film. We could not shoot 5 different takes of everything. We also did not get to preview or playback any of the shots we filmed. We did not get to see what we had actually captured until weeks later when I got the film developed and digitized.

The second reason The Bellman remains meaningful to me is because it was the last movie I filmed with local actor and comedian Steve Williams. I had filmed about a dozen movies with Steve over the years and used to joke that he was the DiCaprio to my Scorsese. Not only was he a great, reliable actor but he was also a close friend. He passed away after we made The Bellman and I always get a little nostalgic when I see the movie and think of our friendship together.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am the owner of the Northeast Film Group, a company that has been in Kansas City since 2008.

The Northeast Film Group has created a variety of films including a feature film, dozens of short films, documentaries and music videos.

Our work has screened coast to coast and internationally and has received a variety of awards.

We usually write, produce, direct and edit our own films and collaborate with local cast and crew to achieve our final product.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding part of being a filmmaker is when you see your final product on the screen and you are pleased with how it looks.

Some filmmakers have big goals of making it in Hollywood or striking it rich. I just want someone to look at a movie I made and say “That was really good!” and to actually mean it. There is no greater compliment to me than hearing that.

Any advice for managing a team?

One of the best ways to maintain high morale is to try imagining being in your team members shoes for each project and to direct them accordingly.

I used to work as a crew member on movies and started to learn which sets were good to work on and which were not. I tried to replicate and things that I liked on the good sets and avoid the ones I disliked on the bad ones.

One thing I started doing that I think boost team morale is to always stick to a schedule when it comes to filming. If I am going to tell the crew that we will be finished by 9PM then it is my job to stick to that and not keep them later. I had been on sets where directors would keep me hours longer than the original schedule and I noticed my morale would decrease because of this.

Another thing I do on my sets is I keep a dedicate time for lunch/dinner. I have been on sets where I would be moving lighting equipment while also eating a piece of pizza. This can be mentally exhausting. Just letting everyone sit down for 30 minutes and eat and talk about things other than the project helps everyone fully recharge and give a stronger effort when it is time to get back to work.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.nefilmgroup.com
• Instagram: @northeastfilmgroup
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@northeastfilmgroup