We got a chance to attend a screening of the new movie “Creative Control” which premiered at the Sunshine Landmark on Thursday night. We also had the opportunity to catch up with the director Benjamin Dickinson and two of the cast members Gavin McInnes and Austin Ku.
Due to the film being so technological, we asked both Dickinson and the cast a few questions about that subject.
What made you want to showcase this film in a futuristic way?
Dickinson: I think the core of the film is the human relationships and the future is just fun. It’s a fun way to explore it and make it a step away from reality. But it’s coming quick. This technology is coming quickly. Also just visually, I aesthetically don’t like just a close up of a phone. So this was a way to get our virtual life in a way that was more cinematic to me, to have it physically in the space with you just seemed more visually interesting and more fun.
Being that you created this film in futuristic way, do you believe Hollywood should produce more futuristic films to showcase what’s to come?
Dickinson: I think it’s a natural thing to do because we are living in science fiction times already but the shift is happening to quickly that we can’t catch up. I think it’s almost traumatic because technology moves so much faster that human evolution with Moore’s Law and everything. So I think that we need art to reflect these changes we’re going through because it gives people a context to discuss it rather than just letting it happen to us. And I think almost everybody has felt the impact of smart phones in their personal relationships. It has really changed the game and it’s just going to keep coming faster and faster. So in all I do think we need more films that are really looking at the psychological human aspects of technology not just in action movies, but in everyday life. We’re moving into the computer. Everyone is dealing with it … I believe we need as much art as possible to help us have conversations because if we’re not involved in shaping the future as citizens then the corporations will decide for us and I think that can be very bad.
What influences do you think inspired this film and why?
McInnes: Well Ben is a film nerd. So it’s nothing modern that would influence this film. I think old timey european indie flicks are where he gets his inspiration from and Woody Allen and stuff. I think that culturally is what influenced him film wise, I mean thats his background. But as far as the content goes, he’s obsessed with social media and the future. He’s a real deep thinker and when he found that I wasn’t a atheist like pretty much everyone we know he insisted that we meet and talk in a cafe for hours about it. I think it confused him. He’s a very curious guy who recognizes that social media is changing our world daily and that mindset and obsession is combined with old timey European indie flicks and it makes a weird juxtaposition.
Where do you see social media and technology being in the next 10 years or so?
McInnes: It’s bad news. People are crossing the road right now staring at their phones. I have this weird millennia’s in love thing where people go on dates and all they are doing is staring at their phones the whole time. My wife is on hers right now and we’re old. So people can only get more separated from each other and more lost in their phones looking at more irrelevant garbage and wasting even more time. Einstein predicted that technology will get to a point where people decrease human interaction. Social media has helped in a few fun ways but for the most part is has been a gigantic scourge on society.
What technology aspects do you think inspired and influenced this film?
Ku: I think the new precipice of virtual reality like with the Google glasses and all of the virtual reality technology. I think it describes what life will be like in the near future.
Being that this film is so technological, where do you see technology and social media in the next 10 years?
Ku: I think it’s already pretty pervasive in our society and I think it’s gonna be even more so. Like kids today are on tablets and phones more than the adults are. They’re getting more used to knowing how to operate computers and such. I’ve also heard they’re starting to teach coding in school instead of hand writing. I think it’s pretty crazy and it’s going to be taking over.
An after-party followed at Goldbar where guests enjoyed Serpent’s Bite Whisky cocktails.
The film hits theaters March 11.
