Today marks a homecoming for UW-Madison alum Dave O’Brien. He returns to Madison to begin the production of his new short film “Straight Boys.”
O’Brien, a Verona native, became interested in film through theater experiences.
“I did a lot of theater … [and] I always loved directing it,” he says. “Then, my senior year at UW, I took a couple of Com Arts classes and just fell in love with it.”
For the past few years O’Brien has been working toward his MFA from the University of South California. He gained entrance to USC’s renowned School of Cinema-Television after working for MTV for a couple of years.
“There was a period where I was in New York with a job working for ‘The Real World.’ It was a great experience to work and learn alongside some talented people,” O’Brien says. “I’d worked on a film in Madison, but ‘The Real World’ was my first professional experience and really gave me a taste of documentary television. I applied to USC while working on that and, much to my surprise, was accepted.”
While O’Brien is quick to note that the program he’s in is quite intense, it’s apparent by talking with him that directing is a true passion in his life. He expresses his sheer excitement at finally beginning work on the project he’s been planning since June of this year, while saying that he is incredibly thankful for the immense support from people in both Madison and Los Angeles.
This short film tells the tale of a gay college student who slowly realizes that he’s attracted to his roommate. O’Brien says that although the film isn’t a true story, it’s based on a “confusing situation involving a guy [he] had a friendship with. I wrote a short story about it a while ago, and it’s just something I’ve always wanted to develop upon. I think anyone who has had feelings for another person who didn’t feel the same way about them can relate to this film.”
By setting the film in Madison, O’Brien hopes to capture the city’s atmosphere.
“It’s a place with a lot of meaning for me,” he says. “I feel that films without a clear setting suffer from it. By setting a film in a specific location, it tends to make it more interesting. Also, I grew up here and went to school here, so I really wanted to film something in Madison.”
Regarding his homecoming, O’Brien says people have been very welcoming to him.
“It’s been really fabulous so far. Businesses are opening up for us, people are donating food and time … this is something that you’d never find in L.A. Instead of looking for an angle to get out of helping us out, people here have been more than excited to lend us a hand.”
O’Brien describes his own directing style as valuing “creating a safe space for actors.” He explains that his mentors were very meticulous about finding the right actors for the right situations, which has rubbed off on him. Even though he prefers to work with smaller actors because “[he] just feel[s] more comfortable with them,” O’Brien would never pass up an opportunity to work with a bigger-named actor/actress.
“I’d enjoy working with Sally Field,” he said. “Meryl Streep would also be great. I’d love to work with Liam Neeson, Mekhi Phifer … I’ve been on this big Peter Sarsgaard kick lately, too.”
His tastes in films range from “It’s a Wonderful Life” to “Hero” and anywhere in-between. “I have so many favorites, there is no way to ever narrow it down to only one film,” he says.
“One of the better films I’ve seen recently would have to be Alexander Payne’s ‘Sideways,'” O’Brien says. “It was just a really simple story, nothing flashy … just two guys dealing with their issues. ‘Hero’ was just spectacular, as well. It had really amazing use of visuals and lighting. I didn’t grasp the full impact of it until I saw the whole package … it left me impressed.”
When asked if there were any films that he’d like to go back and re-direct, O’Brien laughs before responding, “Honestly, I’d like to remake ‘Back to the Future.’ It was one of my favorites as a kid and really sparked my love of films and filmmaking. I remember being impressed by it way back then, so it would be cool to get a fresh take on that.”
When it comes to future goals, O’Brien simply wants to keep making movies.
“A lot of people have grand plans for their career … I just would love to keep making movies by whatever means necessary. If it’s low-budget films and constantly borrowing money from family and friends, fine. If it’s something else, that’s cool too.”
Filming of “Straight Boys” will get underway today, taking place all over the UW-Madison campus. Although O’Brien brought a number of crew members along with him from Los Angeles, he says they are still looking for help.
“People can go to our website (straightboysmovie.com) and send us an e-mail if they are interested in helping us out,” he said. “It would be great if people come out to our set and discover a real love for the industry.”
