THREE/21 MEDIA

1. namiunreal1
   July 17th, 2008 - 09:30

   here is a Three/21 Interview from Japan from May 2008.. its interesting to read! Lenas question were not too typical, and she didnt ask me about specific artist or the usual questions.. it was more of how we usually just chat together!!hope you can enjoy something!
   nami

   ———————-

   Hi, i just finished to edit this long interview!! I’m soooo happy!!
   Pls. check the interview with Nancy Mitchell!!
   ———————————————-
   MAY 25, 2008

   INTERVIEW with New York Filmmaker Nancy Mitchell.
   Translation and questions by Lena for the
   Woman’s Filmmaker Collective in Japan.

   I am lucky I get this opportunity to interview a very good friend of mine Since high school years! She is an inspiration to my life and gives me so Much energy and power to live my dreams. She is a self taught director living and working mostly in New York City.
   Let’s chat with this incredible creative spirit, Nancy Mitchell.

   LENA: How did three/21 films get their start with filmmaking?
   (THREE/21 FILMS is a New York based production company founded by Renegade filmmakers Rik Cordero and Nancy Mitchell.)

   NANCY: Well, first I want to say how happy I am to have my first interview as A Director and Actor (filmmaker) with one of my best friends Lena! You know me so well from having countless hours of creative conversations for years! Three/21 was started by my partner Rik Cordero when he was in college, Three/21 is the date of his birthday. In 2004 we made our first feature film MEND (www.mendmovie.com). That is the first project as Three/21 Films really, It was a pivotal moment for both of us. I played the lead character in the movie and helped Rik with making it the best film possible. Before meeting Rik, I did make tons of music videos, shorts and features but mostly as an actor.
   Partnering with him brought out the best in me as an all around filmmaker. He saw in me what was always there, but only he could bring out and let it breathe into everything we made and make.

   LENA: Please tell me the good part and bad part to do acting and directing in your work.

   NANCY: Hmm…Well to me acting is the ultimate experience; I get to do research, write, direct myself, and feel everything in the story. for me I like to know about the whole story as much as possible but at the same time leaving much room for surprises
   because that is real life, no? You don’t know everything that is about to happen! Its fun also to be on set and be confused as an actor… because real things happen then. I like happy realities on set… the small things that occur unexpectedly… those are beautiful moments if you can capture them! Directing me in projects has been a challenging experience. If I am directing something and its right for me to act in the piece I much rather have someone (like my partner rik) be there to guide me. I tried it all alone before, without the co direction of anyone and it was a mess! I mean alot of people loved it but ahhh I could really feel the difference. I also like to be free for the other actors; I am very much an “actors director”.

   LENA: Please tell me what is the difference to make a movie and PV?

   NANCY: The way we make PV is very similar to how we approach a short or feature film. We are very narrative driven but can be very experimental at the same time. Its all made with passion, sensitivity and caring about the artist/characters and being in love with the story or being in love with something that’s happening in that moment…

   LENA: How do you feel when you act in someone¹s movie?

   NANCY: I’m guessing you mean a movie I am not directing? I feel so FREE! (*_*) although I still find myself naturally bringing more to each part than acting! Watching humans in moving pictures is not that old if you think about it. It’s incredible to see a human body moving, reacting, feeling, crying, laughing, eating, having sex, running etc… Because we can all do something, feel something. And humans are fascinated with discovering something about themselves through others. It’s an incredible feeling as an actor to give them my body to watch do all of these things, and have someone walk away with a feeling, a thought or take a memory away. Hope this makes sense… basically I want to make people feel something; discover something, inspire them that would be great! If I’m acting in one of my stories or someone else’s!!

   LENA: can you explain your process to make PV?

   NANCY: Hmm… Well, an artist or manager can come to us directly by email or phone call (we do not have representation) and the dialogue starts from there. Or if we feel a piece of music we might contact the artist personally to say we have to make this video! Sometimes we have made videos without the artist knowing until it’s done! We are also known for not using the artists in videos… using actors instead! Rik and I work very untraditionally. Even if it’s a treatment he wrote, and his name goes on as director I am right there with him giving all I can to the story making sure it’s the best possible PV or movie it can be! And he does the same for me! We balance each other out on set, it is very special working with us as a team, you get the full experience having a male and female director on set. I believe me being an actor is very helpful and Rik is very creative technically. So we basically cover everything!

   LENA: How do you make the situation or stories for someone¹s song?

   NANCY: I listen to the song and feel it! (or not) Then I usually go to sleep and dream! For me, alot of my concepts come from my dreams. Sometimes an artist will have a few ideas of what they want, so I take that and mix it up with my dreams. Translating dreams is one of the most challenging things to execute. But I never give up and try my hardest with what ever resources we have naturally. I like to make things with my hands as much as possible, to do as much in camera as possible as opposed to shooting on a green screen or using tons of graphics. In my dreams it looks very much like a reality more than an anime but with all these magical things happening. I think one of my favourite directors that don’t abuse special effects, but uses them very well is Jean-Pierre Jeunet. The way he uses the effects is seamless and really captures that magical realism I love so much in story telling.

   LENA: When are you going to come home to Japan and make something!?

   NANCY: ahhhhhh—–it’s been my dream for along time to act in a Japanese film working with the great directors over there like Shunji Iwai and Hirokazu Koreeda! Hopefully that will happen one day sooner than later! And of course I want to direct some music videos for some of my favourite Japanese artists one day like Chara or UA!! I think they are super brilliant! And I would love to bring my partner Rik over there to make some films together with the talented Japanese actors over there like my friend Jai West (we still have to make a movie together, ne?!)

   LENA: What was your favorite video game of all time?

   NANCY: Hmmm… Interesting question… I have to say I looove super old stand up arcade games! I love all the Games in Japan, I use to always go to the game center in Shibuya (CINTA) remember? I went with you too! (*_^) but… I remember finding this American one (think its American) called TEMPEST… ohhh I LOOVEE that one… I think it was more for the sound effects!

   LENA: If you could go back and make your own soundtrack to any video game, Which one would it be?

   NANCY: Hmm… there is this other old one called WIZARD OF WAR… I wanna make that soundtrack!!

   LENA: Are you listening to music right now?

   NANCY: Wow… I’m not! How boring huh! It’s funny because I have my headphones on too! But i’m not listening to anything!!

   LENA: Please tell everyone about your Nami Unreal character and how that happened.

   NANCY: oh oh fun! Well Rik and I made a short film called BURU SERA. (http://youtube.com/watch?v=0IGhtn8yna4) I play the female lead in the short film. But I also thought it needed more than that. So I created an alter ego of sorts for the female lead called Nami Unreal. She is a half Japanese pop star that use to sell her panties for cash too! One day I was chatting with a friend online and I started “rapping” he got very excited and basically said I really had something there… so, in short, Rik had his friend Eric Sanicola make me a beat (I sent him a bunch of J-pop references for the beat) and then he sent it over to me and I wrote the lyrics in Japanese and English for me and the other rapper Y.U. I never considered myself a singer or songwriter or anything… but I was so inspired and it all came out so naturally!
   After that I got many offers to be a “pop star”!! hahahaha.. I turned them down though.. I wanted to focus on acting and directing. I love making songs and I’ve collaborated a ton since then and will continue to do so as long as people feel it and keep asking me to make songs!! Hey, I even made one with you!!! (*_^)

   LENA: What inspires you?

   NANCY: Wow… everything, living, breathing…life, magic, moving and still images, LOVE, creating, encouragement from the ones I love and that Love me especially when Rik gets inspired by me or encourages me… WATCH OUT when that happens (*_^), and my lovely dog… I think being loved by her is the most genuine purest form of love ever! Do I sound nuts??!! And of course having a tea or sake with Lena and chatting for countless hours about the power of belief! My family in Tokyo…And their Sunday morning private concerts for me in the music room! All of my beautiful talented nieces!! Watch out for them!

   LENA: What is next for Nancy Mitchell?

   NANCY: Much more of everything! I hope to act in more feature films this next year and direct more commercials, PV’s and Movies! I have some more collaborations coming up for Nami Unreal as well. We also just finished our second feature film called INSIDE A CHANGE so look out for that! Storytelling though time and geography!

   Im guessing this is the shout out section!? Thanks and love to my best collaborator, my partner in everyway Rik Cordero, you give me so much and we make magic together every time! Thank you to Brady Nields who gives us so much on a daily basis personally and creatively! Mike Fox for coming on board and kicking our asses! Steve Careless for answering my crazy mails and taking care of my baby! All of our supporters who believe in us and keep us going! Lena for your true friendship and inspiration… POWER UP! Three/21 Films makin it new!

   Thank you again Nancy for taking the time to chat with me tonight! You gave me energy as always!

   Please find out more about Nancy(Nami) through the links below:

   http://www.three21media.com
   http://www.myspace.com/nanan
   http://www.myspace.com/namiunreal
   http://www.youtube.com/three21media
2. namiunreal1
   July 17th, 2008 - 09:56

   I thought id post this here its from my blog..
   an interview I did back in may for a womans filmmaking collective in japan and i got to be intereviewed by one of my closests friends.. so its interesting.. not too typical. As most of you know I dont usually talk about myself or do interviews.. I dont mind doing them.. but anyway maybe you can get some interesting information from here! Im not good at only talking about myself.. i think other people should do that (*_^) and I dont do this job SOLO either.. so Im always mentioning peoples names and we… so i guess its an interview about me.. they are all apart of my daily life and the work you see.

   She didnt ask me what my favourite video is that we made,
   I would have to say there are two.. one is Ive been lost by +/- , both rik and i drected that and acted in it.. it was %10000 collaborative project that made us understand the special bond we have and the magic we can make together telling a story, trusting each other a million percent and giving our all. It was Riks first performance as an actor as well which is amazing.
   and GOOD GHOST.. neither one of us acted in that one, just a small cameo… but we directed it together and again… its magic.. but yes I love all of our work for one reason or another.. but those two are pivotal in our personal and creative lives and have brought us to where we are now and where we are going!!!!!

   ENJOY!!!
   nami

   ———————-

   Hi, i just finished to edit this long interview!! I’m soooo happy!!
   Pls.

   check the interview with Nancy Mitchell!!
   ———————————————-
   MAY 25, 2008

   INTERVIEW with New York Filmmaker Nancy Mitchell.

   Translation and questions by Lena for the
   Woman’s Filmmaker Collective in Japan.

   I am lucky I get this opportunity to interview a very good friend of mine Since high school years! She is an inspiration to my life and gives me so Much energy and power to live my dreams. She is a self taught director living and working mostly in New York City.

   Let’s chat with this incredible creative spirit, Nancy Mitchell.

   LENA: How did three/21 films get their start with filmmaking?
   (THREE/21 FILMS is a New York based production company founded by Renegade filmmakers Rik Cordero and Nancy Mitchell.

   )

   NANCY: Well, first I want to say how happy I am to have my first interview as A Director and Actor (filmmaker) with one of my best friends Lena! You know me so well from having countless hours of creative conversations for years! Three/21 was started by my partner Rik Cordero when he was in college, Three/21 is the date of his birthday.
   In 2004 we made our first feature film MEND (www. mendmovie. com). That is the first project as Three/21 Films really, It was a pivotal moment for both of us. I played the lead character in the movie and helped Rik with making it the best film possible. Before meeting Rik, I did make tons of music videos, shorts and features but mostly as an actor.

   Partnering with him brought out the best in me as an all around filmmaker. He saw in me what was always there, but only he could bring out and let it breathe into everything we made and make.

   LENA: Please tell me the good part and bad part to do acting and directing in your work.

   NANCY: Hmm…Well to me acting is the ultimate experience; I get to do research, write, direct myself, and feel everything in the story.

   for me I like to know about the whole story as much as possible but at the same time leaving much room for surprises
   because that is real life, no? You don’t know everything that is about to happen! Its fun also to be on set and be confused as an actor… because real things happen then. I like happy realities on set… the small things that occur unexpectedly… those are beautiful moments if you can capture them! Directing me in projects has been a challenging experience. If I am directing something and its right for me to act in the piece I much rather have someone (like my partner rik) be there to guide me. I tried it all alone before, without the co direction of anyone and it was a mess! I mean alot of people loved it but ahhh I could really feel the difference. I also like to be free for the other actors; I am very much an “actors director”.

   LENA: Please tell me what is the difference to make a movie and PV?

   NANCY: The way we make PV is very similar to how we approach a short or feature film. We are very narrative driven but can be very experimental at the same time. Its all made with passion, sensitivity and caring about the artist/characters and being in love with the story or being in love with something that’s happening in that moment…

   LENA: How do you feel when you act in someone¹s movie?

   NANCY: I’m guessing you mean a movie I am not directing? I feel so FREE! (*_*) although I still find myself naturally bringing more to each part than acting! Watching humans in moving pictures is not that old if you think about it. It’s incredible to see a human body moving, reacting, feeling, crying, laughing, eating, having sex, running etc… Because we can all do something, feel something. And humans are fascinated with discovering something about themselves through others. It’s an incredible feeling as an actor to give them my body to watch do all of these things, and have someone walk away with a feeling, a thought or take a memory away. Hope this makes sense… basically I want to make people feel something; discover something, inspire them that would be great! If I’m acting in one of my stories or someone else’s!!

   LENA: can you explain your process to make PV?

   NANCY: Hmm… Well, an artist or manager can come to us directly by email or phone call (we do not have representation) and the dialogue starts from there. Or if we feel a piece of music we might contact the artist personally to say we have to make this video! Sometimes we have made videos without the artist knowing until it’s done! We are also known for not using the artists in videos… using actors instead! Rik and I work very untraditionally. Even if it’s a treatment he wrote, and his name goes on as director I am right there with him giving all I can to the story making sure it’s the best possible PV or movie it can be! And he does the same for me! We balance each other out on set, it is very special working with us as a team, you get the full experience having a male and female director on set. I believe me being an actor is very helpful and Rik is very creative technically.

   So we basically cover everything!

   LENA: How do you make the situation or stories for someone¹s song?

   NANCY: I listen to the song and feel it! (or not) Then I usually go to sleep and dream! For me, alot of my concepts come from my dreams. Sometimes an artist will have a few ideas of what they want, so I take that and mix it up with my dreams. Translating dreams is one of the most challenging things to execute. But I never give up and try my hardest with what ever resources we have naturally. I like to make things with my hands as much as possible, to do as much in camera as possible as opposed to shooting on a green screen or using tons of graphics. In my dreams it looks very much like a reality more than an anime but with all these magical things happening. I think one of my favourite directors that don’t abuse special effects, but uses them very well is Jean-Pierre Jeunet. The way he uses the effects is seamless and really captures that magical realism I love so much in story telling.

   LENA: When are you going to come home to Japan and make something!?

   NANCY: ahhhhhh—–it’s been my dream for along time to act in a Japanese film working with the great directors over there like Shunji Iwai and Hirokazu Koreeda! Hopefully that will happen one day sooner than later! And of course I want to direct some music videos for some of my favourite Japanese artists one day like Chara or UA!! I think they are super brilliant! And I would love to bring my partner Rik over there to make some films together with the talented Japanese actors over there like my friend Jai West (we still have to make a movie together, ne?!)

   LENA: What was your favorite video game of all time?

   NANCY: Hmmm… Interesting question… I have to say I looove super old stand up arcade games! I love all the Games in Japan, I use to always go to the game center in Shibuya (CINTA) remember? I went with you too! (*_^) but… I remember finding this American one (think its American) called TEMPEST… ohhh I LOOVEE that one… I think it was more for the sound effects!

   LENA: If you could go back and make your own soundtrack to any video game, Which one would it be?

   NANCY: Hmm… there is this other old one called WIZARD OF WAR… I wanna make that soundtrack!!

   LENA: Are you listening to music right now?

   NANCY: Wow… I’m not! How boring huh! It’s funny because I have my headphones on too! But i’m not listening to anything!!

   LENA: Please tell everyone about your Nami Unreal character and how that happened.

   NANCY: oh oh fun! Well Rik and I made a short film called BURU SERA.
   (http://youtube. com/watch?v=0IGhtn8yna4) I play the female lead in the short film. But I also thought it needed more than that. So I created an alter ego of sorts for the female lead called Nami Unreal. She is a half Japanese pop star that use to sell her panties for cash too! One day I was chatting with a friend online and I started “rapping” he got very excited and basically said I really had something there… so, in short, Rik had his friend Eric Sanicola make me a beat (I sent him a bunch of J-pop references for the beat) and then he sent it over to me and I wrote the lyrics in Japanese and English for me and the other rapper Y.U. I never considered myself a singer or songwriter or anything… but I was so inspired and it all came out so naturally!
   After that I got many offers to be a “pop star”!! hahahaha.. I turned them down though.. I wanted to focus on acting and directing.

   I love making songs and I’ve collaborated a ton since then and will continue to do so as long as people feel it and keep asking me to make songs!! Hey, I even made one with you!!! (*_^)

   LENA: What inspires you?

   NANCY: Wow… everything, living, breathing…life, magic, moving and still images, LOVE, creating, encouragement from the ones I love and that Love me especially when Rik gets inspired by me or encourages me… WATCH OUT when that happens (*_^), and my lovely dog… I think being loved by her is the most genuine purest form of love ever! Do I sound nuts??!! And of course having a tea or sake with Lena and chatting for countless hours about the power of belief! My family in Tokyo…And their Sunday morning private concerts for me in the music room! All of my beautiful talented nieces!! Watch out for them!

   LENA: What is next for Nancy Mitchell?

   NANCY: Much more of everything! I hope to act in more feature films this next year and direct more commercials, PV’s and Movies! I have some more collaborations coming up for Nami Unreal as well.

   We also just finished our second feature film called INSIDE A CHANGE so look out for that! Storytelling though time and geography!

   Im guessing this is the shout out section!? Thanks and love to my best collaborator, my partner in everyway Rik Cordero, you give me so much and we make magic together every time! Thank you to Brady Nields who gives us so much on a daily basis personally and creatively! Mike Fox for coming on board and kicking our asses! Steve Careless for answering my crazy mails and taking care of my baby! All of our supporters who believe in us and keep us going! Lena for your true friendship and inspiration… POWER UP! Three/21 Films makin it new!

   Thank you again Nancy for taking the time to chat with me tonight! You gave me energy as always!

   Please find out more about Nancy(Nami) through the links below:

   www. three21media. com
   www. myspace. com/nanan
   www. myspace. com/namiunreal
   www. youtube. com/three21media

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