Meet Chris R. Notarile, the star behind Blinky Productions!

Chris R. Notarile is an American Film director and Screenwriter but presently, he’s taking a plunge into an independent film production series. Along with his spouse model/actress Niki Notarile they have set up a production company called Blinky Productions. Wanna know more about him? Well, scroll down and have a look at this interview, which we took via e-mail:
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1. How were you able to resurrect ‘Silver Age’ of comic books to ‘Silver Screen’?

Chris: Well I guess it just came down to a matter of “wanting” to do something. I specifically chose characters like Blue Beetle, who yes is considered a Silver Age character, but my intent wasn’t to specifically say “I am only doing Silver Age”. I guess it was just the luck of the draw. But once I figure who I want to make a movie about, it’s generally pretty easy after that, the hardest thing is making the costume.

2. Do you experience some kind of evolution in your work?

Chris: Yes, definitely. I really feel I as a filmmaker have evolved and matured extremely over the last three plus years that I’ve been doing this. From costume making, to actual production and FX, I really feel that I have come very far and my production value clearly reflects that.

3. Is there any comic book character, which has tremendous influence upon your personality?

Chris: Oh yes. I think it’s safe to say I am the Blue Beetle. He really is the only character I can fully relate to. From his sense of humor to his disposition in comic continuity, I really think he has become my alter ego. I am Ted Kord.

4. You might have experienced some interesting incidents while shooting films, would you like to share any such episode with us?

Chris: LOL. Yeah I got a whopper of a story for you. In January of 2006, while filming a short called “The F Train”, I was arrested and sent to jail for 20 hours. The movie was a kung fu film and we were in the middle of shooting a fight scene on the moving train when someone called the cops. They said two guys were mugging another guy and well, the cops came. Guns-a-blazing, they arrested us all and sent us to jail for the following- filming without a permit, disturbing the peace and possession of a deadly weapon (I had a real knife tucked away in my jacket that I completely forgot I had and when they frisked me, they found it and I was screwed after that). Long story short, I spent the night, day and night again in jail. The good news, all charges were dropped and they let me out. I do have a more indepth version of this story on my blog which you can read at: www.myspace.com/blinky500 the blog is entitled “The F Train”.

5. In your opinion, what is the best story that you have written so far? Is that piece your favorite?

Chris: Ooooh, hmm. My favorite story by far, that’s a tough one. I would say usually it’s the most recent thing I’ve done. My most favorite story that I’ve written but have not filmed, is probably this feature horror script I’ve been working on lately. It’s very intense and really captures everything I love about horror movies. My most favorite script that I’ve shot, that would probably be either The Question Series, or The World’s Finest, which is due out in June.

6. As a screenwriter, what have been some of your most memorable experiences in the industry, good and bad? What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned from your tryst with life?

Chris: Hmm, my most memorable (GOOD) experience would be every time I whore it up at a convention in costume. I love being in front of the cameras, taking pictures, meeting people and handing out flyers for my films. I really think that’s such an energetic environment, I could do that 24/7 if I had to. I really feel that by me being there in costume, I really connect better with people and there is always something more endearing about talking to the Blue Beetle than getting a flyer from some guy. People identify with fictional character way better than they do with strangers. It’s all about familiarity.

My most memorable (BAD) experience, probably that night in jail I had mentioned before. But then again, I really don’t look at anything as a negative, just a learning experience.
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7. What’s next up the charts?

Chris: Oooh, coming attractions. Ok, here we go. Coming soon from Blinky Productions: What happens when a serial killer picks up a deadly hitch hiker? Find out in Cat and Mouse, a suspense noir thriller guaranteed to make you think twice before picking up a stranger. Also on the chopping block, Methodic: The story of a demon possessed man on hunt to find the only person who can save him. That’s all I can say for the moment, everything else is up in the air, so I can’t confirm any other projects just yet.

8. Chris, what are your other interests besides your work? How are you able to snatch out time for so many things? I would appreciate if you could share your working and lifestyle with us.

Chris: Well I’ve actually been a fulltime filmmaker since college. Though, freelance work is never a guarantee, so in those times, I tend to get a little part time work until something comes along. My lifestyle is pretty simple. I love making movies and as I tell all my friends, when I’m not making a movie, I’m usually making a movie. My other interests generally surround my profession. I love comics, movies, costumes and all those other nerdy things that come with being a comic geek. So I try to make it so that my work (filmmaking) can become part of my interests. That’s the big reason why so many of my films are comic oriented. It’s just a great excuse to play make believe. I’m a big kid when I think about it.

9. Chris, please share one thing that changed your life, if any?

Chris: Grade school. You wanna screw your kid up for life, send them to a grade school with little to no tolerance for people who are slightly different. I went to school and from 1st to 12th grade, I did not have it easy. Kids picked on me. Made my life hell. Called me names. All because I didn’t do what they did. I wasn’t a sports kid. Didn’t care for it. I liked cartoons, comics, drawing etc. And because of it, I got made fun of. But screw it. That was my attitude and as I grew up, no matter how mean people were to me, I didn’t let it stop me. I just kept going. And I feel it was that attitude that made me who I was. No matter how hard people tried to get at me, I said screw it and kept doing what I love. I think that’s what made me what I am now.

10. What advice would you like to leave for our readers?

Chris: I think Rocky said it best, “Life is not about how hard you hit, but how hard it hits you. And it never stops hitting you. It’s about how much you can take and no matter what, you keep on going.” I’m paraphrasing, but yeah. I think that’s the best advice I can give anyone. Just keep doing what you want to do no matter what because at the end of the day, the only person you truly have to answer to, is yourself. No one else.

11. Finally, we would like to have your thoughts on the Instablogs News Network and all its related sites. Which one is your favorite?

Chris: Well I don’t want to come off as shallow, but I do love my movies and entertainment. So I would say that- movies and
entertainment. I care about current events, but I’m not too big on reading about it. I’d rather watch the Daily Show. LOL.

Before signing off, I’d like to thank Chris for taking time out to do an interview with us, it is greatly appreciated. Also, we’d like to wish him success for all his future endeavors.

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