Podcast: EP. 1772: Filmmaker Sherill Quinn (WHEN FIGHTING MONSTERS)
27m
WHEN FIGHTING MONSTERS, 18min., USA
Directed by Sherill Quinn
A bereaved detective struggles to make sense of his daughter’s untimely death.
https://www.instagram.com/when_fighting_monsters_movie
Get to know the filmmaker:
1. What motivated you to make this film?
I’ve always believed that to make art is to make sense of the world you live in. The things you’ve experienced and the lessons you’ve learned. When Fighting Monsters was meant as a portrait of grief, and a reminder to be there for your loved ones amidst the growing mental health crisis in America.
2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
Two years. The original idea I’d had was a solo scene. I wrote that scene while on an airplane, then basically forgot about it for a year. Then in 2024, I picked it up again and thought, why don’t I just finish this? Once I started writing, I couldn’t stop. I finished the first draft in a few days and reached out to a producer friend to see if he would be interested in working on it. Fortunately he said yes, and pre-production quickly followed. We finished principal photography three months later, and the film was finalized almost exactly a year after I’d finished writing it.
3. How would you describe your film in two words!?
Dark, Gritty
4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
I think the biggest obstacle was learning to trust myself. I spent all of pre-production terrified that I was going to screw it up, or that something would go terribly wrong in the middle of filming. Then once we had finished filming, I had to trust myself to edit the film. This was equally daunting, knowing that everyone’s time and hard work was all wrapped up in a tiny hard drive on my desk. I think that’s a natural part of every creator’s journey. You don’t know what to expect until you jump in.
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