Richard Lowry of Andromeda Motion Pictures: 5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Became A Filmmaker

Learn to dismiss excessive criticism when your film is released. If you feel you did the best you could and people genuinely like the film, that’s all that matters. The haters will go out of their way to trash your work, so just think of them as tomatoes thrown against a brick wall.

As a part of our series called “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Became A Filmmaker”, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Richard Lowry.

Richard Lowry is a prolific independent Writer/Director of genre-based films that have been distributed to the global market for over two decades. Lowry’s most recent film, AFTER THE PANDEMIC, was released on March 1, 2022, through Uncork’d Entertainment. Lowry penned the screenplay for the Scott Adkins film SEIZED, as well as HELLFIRE which is in pre-production and slated to film in Italy.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us a bit of the ‘backstory’ of how you grew up?

I grew up in a small Iowa town and have been a movie lover since I was a child. I began making short Super-8 films as a teen than when Star Wars arrived I was determined to become a full-fledged movie director. Over the years I’ve directed 13 independent feature films and I never plan to stop, I’m having way too much fun.

Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?

I was rejected by a California film school, so my father decided to fund my first feature HAWK JONES, a cops-and-robbers movie featuring an all-child cast. We shot it on 3/4 inch video and was it released to the home video market in the late 80s on VHS. Over the years, HAWK JONES has established a growing cult audience. Childish Gambino was inspired enough to make a song about it lol.

Can you share the funniest or most interesting story that occurred to you in the course of your filmmaking career?

I’ve always been primarily a guerilla filmmaker and have taken excessive measures to get my shots. While filming my actor at an Air Force base in Palmdale, California, three military SUVs raced out and cornered us. Officers stormed out and berated us for filming at the base without permission. They made me erase the footage I shot and warned me not to come back or we could be arrested. The next day I did go back to the base and got my shots from a parked car across the street. Making films can make one fearless — and stupid.

Who are some of the most interesting people you have interacted with? What was that like? Do you have any stories?

I’ve interacted with so many great people, but the two that stand out are Bruce Logan and Lisa Marie. Bruce was the DP for the original Tron and also performed visual effects for 2001: A Space Odyssey and Star Wars. He actually filmed the destruction of the Death Star! Bruce was a joy to work with and had no ego, he just loves the filmmaking process. Lisa Marie, who played Vampira in Tim Burton’s ED WOOD, was also a joy to work with. We filmed in rather rough conditions in the desert and she was so easygoing and pleasant, a very sweet lady.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

I’ve had the misfortune throughout my filmmaking career to somehow evade that one person that could push me to a higher level. Every project I’ve ever done was by my own stubborn determination to make it. Somehow all of the elements would fall into place. If you’re passionate about a project that can be made within reasonable means, find a way to do it no matter what.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

Always expect the unexpected. Making films with modest budgets means taking risks with no control over what’s around the corner. I’ve had to learn how to adapt to sudden changes or surprises. While making my film APOCALYPSE RISING, we were granted permission to film inside a $20 million dollar jet simulator. I had 6 hours to film nearly 8 pages and had my shot list prepared. As we began filming, my producer gave me the bad news — we actually only had 3 hours now. I had to suddenly reconfigure all of my angles and blast out a bunch of scenes that were primarily dialogue-driven — and a few of my actors hadn’t memorized their lines. It was an immense challenge but I got everything I needed within the 3 hours.

I am very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?

Diversity is extremely important and I utilize every type of actor I can. The star of my last film was a transgender who was amazing. My film PRESIDENT EVIL featured mostly non-white characters and it was a great experience for me. The movie audience is diverse and movies should represent everyone.

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?

I have three developed projects I’m really excited about — THE REINCARNATION OF EMILY TODD, a suspense/thriller that combines three themes that fascinate me — a reincarnation, a ghost story and a serial killer. For this film, we’re seeking name actors. The 2nd is FEARSCAPE, a gripping 1st person supernatural horror experience playing out in real-time. The 3rd is GUNSLINGERS, a Sergio Leone-inspired western with a high concept. I’m hoping to film this one in Italy.

Which aspect of your work makes you most proud? Can you explain or give a story?

The process of making a film is an exciting and fulfilling experience for me, but the real reward comes later when the film is released. While my films endure their share of negative responses, there have always been those who embraced them. One of my films is on YouTube, and with 1.5 million views there are hundreds of comments, most of which are very positive. This is the stage where I take pride in my work. My star of AFTER THE PANDEMIC, Eve James, relayed to me the great responses she’s gotten from her Tik Tok followers who’ve seen the film, two of which said it was their new favorite movie. This makes me extremely proud.

Ok super. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.

1. The larger the budget the less control I have making a film the way I envision it. Producers and investors at times think they are creative geniuses and will often attempt to interfere with my vision. This is precarious if they don’t understand the filmmaking process. I’ve had to stop production a few times to explain why an idea can’t work logistically.
2. Actors can be neurotic. I’ve learned along the way to employ child psychology with certain actors who are insecure or difficult to work with. Patience is a virtue for a Director and I have plenty of that, fortunately.
3. Get a qualified attorney to review a distribution contract. Many distributors are deceitful. I signed away one of my early films to a distributor who included a clause in the contract that he could ‘sub-lease’ my film to another distributor. He then sold it it to another company for $1. It turned out that this new company was a subdivision of his own. We never received a dime for that film.
4. Always have a contract with anyone you work with on a film, even if it’s a close friend, this will protect your interests. On one project, it was my long-time friend that became my greatest enemy when selling the film. He nearly derailed sales until I threatened to take legal action against him for $1 million dollars in damages and he backed off.
5. Learn to dismiss excessive criticism when your film is released. If you feel you did the best you could and people genuinely like the film, that’s all that matters. The haters will go out of their way to trash your work, so just think of them as tomatoes thrown against a brick wall.

When you create a film, which stakeholders have the greatest impact on the artistic and cinematic choices you make? Is it the viewers, the critics, the financiers, or your own personal artistic vision? Can you share a story with us or give an example about what you mean?

The films that inspired me are the mainstream movies I grew up loving. I’m not interested in making art films or experimental ones, I only want to make films that have entertaining escapist values. I always feel confident that I’m telling a story that will appeal to at least a portion of the movie-watching audience.

You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

I would like to see an organization formed with a ‘We Are The World’ theme, called something like ‘YOUNIFY THE WORLD’, pushing forth a movement and doctrine that all are created equal and everyone born on this planet should and deserves to live their lives as they please and to find happiness and fulfillment without judgment or persecution. Celebrities and social media influencers could rally behind it. Membership would be free to anyone who believes in the doctrine, helping to establish a growing community that could eventually influence laws and peoples’ perceptions. It potentially could expand into a vast, powerful force disabling hatred and bigotry worldwide.

We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might see this. :-)

I would like to meet and have lunch with Greta Thunberg. I’m astonished by her global influence at such a young age and I’m certain she will one day be in the history books for her lifelong commitment to serving humanity.

How can our readers further follow you online?

I”m not that active with social media but I do have a Facebook page under Rico Lowry.

This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!