We were lucky to catch up with William Greenberg recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, William thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

I have been lucky to have been a part of many meaningful projects over the years but I think the most meaningful one, and the most recent one, is a short film project titled “Til I Rot”. I met the writer/director of this project 8 years ago when I was still serving in the Navy. I was stationed in Connecticut teaching at the United States Naval Submarine School when I met Nate in one of my classes at Film School. We shot a very low budget feature film named “Leo and the Shark” that ended up on Amazon Prime and Tubi.

Once I transitioned out of the navy, I moved out to Los Angeles to begin the journey of my professional career. It took us 8 years to work together again but he sent me a script that was heavily influenced by the passing of his Mother. It’s a surrealist drama/thriller starring our Leo and the Shark lead actor, Scott Richardson. We initially raised enough money to shoot a big chunk of the movie but are moving back to raising enough funds to finish it the right way. This project is so special to me not only because it is my first opportunity in years to work with some amazingly talented friends back east, but because of how impactful the story was to me when I first read it. We all deal with trauma and we all cope in our own ways and sometimes the hardest thing we can do is escape the prison we set for ourselves in our minds. Til I Rot deals with all of those things in a way that I’ve very seldom seen done. It is a project that we have had on the docket for a few years now and we can’t wait to get it done and release it to the world.

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 think I always knew in the back of my mind that I wanted to be a storyteller. Growing up in a middle/lower class blue collar home tends to lead people to a more traditional and pragmatic career but once I realized that I wanted to make movies, it was the only goal I had in my head. Being stuck in a dead end job and not knowing how to begin a career in film, I joined the Navy in 2009. I spent the next decade as a sailor in the United States Submarine Fleet. I knew that spending my 20’s in the military would set me back a bit in my ultimate career but I think it has helped to craft who I am, not only as a person, but also as an artist. I grew up a LOT. One thing I learned from my time in the navy is the power of perseverance. I still have shipmates that I served with reach out to me to tell me that they can’t believe I’m actually out in LA doing what I love. It made all of the cleaning worth it, in my opinion.

I try to approach each project with the story and message in the forefront of my mind. What we are trying to say as filmmakers has a huge impact on how we approach the film aesthetically. The placement and quality of a light, the focal length and manufacturer of a lens, and even where we place the camera should all subconsciously tell the audience everything they need to know about how or what a character is feeling and each piece of the puzzle should be no more or less important than any other aspect of a film. I try and look at the film set the same way I would look at my watch team when I was stationed on my submarine. We are all, collectively, moving towards the same goal and we each bring a little piece of the puzzle that will be needed to achieve what we set out to achieve. All of that being said, what really drives me each day is just how much I LOVE making movies. I hope to be able to continue following my passion until I can no longer stand.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

Everybody loves movies. Sitting on the couch or in a seat in a movie theatre with friends and family and watching something fun and then talking about it afterwards is one of the greatest things we can do. Most people think about Hollywood and picture the top 1% of our industry and project that image onto everyone who does this job. The thing that few people know about the film industry, however, is just how close to impossible it is to make a movie, let alone a good one. Your favorite movie had hundreds, maybe even thousands, of everyday people just like you giving every once of their being to create something special. Just like in the military, the film industry is saturated with people from all walks of life and from every corner of the world waking up at the crack of dawn and putting in 12-18 hour days in blistering conditions for the furtherance of their craft. Some of the hardest working and decent people I’ve ever met work in the Film Industry.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I was lucky to find my passion pretty early on in life and have been pretty blessed to be able to pursue it. For me, the most rewarding aspect of working in the Film Industry is seeing the reactions from the audience as they watch a movie that I worked on. To see the highs and lows play out on their faces as they take a journey with us will forever be one of the most rewarding things that I have ever experienced.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7469015/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/willgbergdp/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WillGreenbergDP
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-greenbergdp/

Image Credits

William Greenberg