Filmmaker Interview: Christopher Lee Espinoza
Christopher Lee Espinoza is the producer, writer, and possible director of the movie Chasing love, which he is referring to as a drama. Charles “Charlie” a young successful man goes on the quest to find, LOVE. When Charles falls in love with many women, he soon is unclear as to what love really is and who he is truly in love with. However, Charles now must not only figure out who he is in love with, he must decided to further his career or stay behind and follow his heart.
I have been granted permission to read the first draft of the screenplay and to interview Christopher Lee. Though Christopher Lees schedule is a rigorous one, he has managed to spare some time to answer a few of my questions about the production. So, inside a 23 floor black building off Wilshire Blvd, I sit in a black marble room in which I had to be escorted from the 1st floor and then have my cell phone taken away before I entered the top floor, here there was another two security guards who padded me down before I was granted entry into the offices in which I was to meet Christopher Lee. During our conversation, he appeared to remain soft-spoken, honest, tired, and very private about his job description, the building we were in, and about the project.
This building, what is it, and what exactly do you do here?
(Smirks) Well, as you noticed on the way in, this building is occupied by many companies and production companies. Now, this floor is owned by the company that sponsors me and a few other individuals. The reason for it being so bare is actually due to the fact that they will be vacating this office space and returning to Denmark.
Getting into this office is harder than sneaking into another country. There is no insignia that represents the company or office we are in, what company is this and what exactly do you do for them?
(Laughs) I can’t tell you the name of the company, but all I can say is that they are worldly and if you think getting in here was hard, you should have seen what it was like to become part of the company. And as for what it is I do here, well, I can’t offer you too much information. However, I can tell you that I negotiate contracts for international film, it is my last month here. And I will be staying here and not going back with the company.
In the efforts to find out what you do and who you work with, I have come to very interesting conversations and have heard many things. Would you explain why it is I cannot find you in a rolling credit? And, why is it only the “Higher-Up’s” know who you are.
I have been under non-disclosure contracts for the past few years and up until recently I truly could care less about a credit at the end of a screen. It really made no never mind to me, give me an extra zero at the end of a paycheck. That was the old mentality, but I am happy to come out of that state with my new venture into web based media. The reason only as you put it “The Higher-Up’s” know me is simple, I work with people who have either decision making power over a production or the person with the money, rarely do I drift far from them.
Moving on, what is your reason for writing this film?
My whole life I have always searched for love. I have dated women, many women, all of different races, religions, professions, and ages. I have loved women, but never fallen in love with a women, until this past year. I found it, and it was more than I could ever expect it to be. You see, my friends and I grew up and I always watched one of them fall in love, broken heart, and it seemed to be an occurring thing. So, I decided that I would not fall in love over and over again, I would only fall in love with someone special. So after the feelings we provoked it seemed I noticed people around me in love, broken, hurting, looking, and so this story started to take shape. With the stories of my colleagues and my own comes “Chasing Love” which will actually be filmed in Europe.
You mentioned the film is a drama, after reading the screenplay I noticed, no happy ending, is that a personal experience?
I believe in open endings. Love is not perfect and it’s not one that I feel inclined to make happy or sad. Personally, my story is both, but there is little about my personal experience in this film, just the chasing and finding of love. The ending is one that I chose because I feel more people can relate.
I am curious about people who practice multiple forms of creativity. Do you have more than one creative outlet.
Yes, I am actually very talented at photoshop, and in my spare time I help write tutorials as well as just go-to-town on a blank screen canvas. I actually love photography, when I was a child I contemplated being a photographer, abstract and people photography. Next to that, read and write tons of stories, I probably write a short story each week, but it is rare that I actually develop my writing any further than the initial twenty pages.
I hear of a web series project that you and a colleague are interjecting yourself into. It involves 52 jobs, one job a week.
Correct, a friend of mine came to me with this project after a story he heard. I like it right away, and ever since we have both been getting a job every week. It’s harder than you think to get hired, especially every week. But a few of the jobs we have picked have been really fun and we have met some interesting people. We’re great employs, always early, do our jobs, offer to stay late, but all things come to an end. All I can say is, thank goodness for project “Jobless”, we have actually experienced a few of the jobs from that project.
Have there been any surprises or reawaken feelings since you have been writing Chasing love?
Yes, there has been a lot of reawaken feelings. Like many before me and the many after me, you must continue on. I just hope it isn’t the end, and that is one thing my character and myself have in common, HOPE.
Last but not least, what is next for you?
Chasing Love was loosely based on my quest to find love, and I guess the next will be a web series about a group of friends who are trying to make love work for themselves as well as the different forms of love you can find amongst a group of friends. And apart from this film I am developing some more web series and I am in the process of shooting a web "News Show" that is being called "RecessionX". But that is all you will be getting out of me for now.
Christopher Lee Espinoza is the producer, writer, and possible director of the movie Chasing love, which he is referring to as a drama. Charles “Charlie” a young successful man goes on the quest to find, LOVE. When Charles falls in love with many women, he soon is unclear as to what love really is and who he is truly in love with. However, Charles now must not only figure out who he is in love with, he must decided to further his career or stay behind and follow his heart.
I have been granted permission to read the first draft of the screenplay and to interview Christopher Lee. Though Christopher Lees schedule is a rigorous one, he has managed to spare some time to answer a few of my questions about the production. So, inside a 23 floor black building off Wilshire Blvd, I sit in a black marble room in which I had to be escorted from the 1st floor and then have my cell phone taken away before I entered the top floor, here there was another two security guards who padded me down before I was granted entry into the offices in which I was to meet Christopher Lee. During our conversation, he appeared to remain soft-spoken, honest, tired, and very private about his job description, the building we were in, and about the project.
This building, what is it, and what exactly do you do here?
(Smirks) Well, as you noticed on the way in, this building is occupied by many companies and production companies. Now, this floor is owned by the company that sponsors me and a few other individuals. The reason for it being so bare is actually due to the fact that they will be vacating this office space and returning to Denmark.
Getting into this office is harder than sneaking into another country. There is no insignia that represents the company or office we are in, what company is this and what exactly do you do for them?
(Laughs) I can’t tell you the name of the company, but all I can say is that they are worldly and if you think getting in here was hard, you should have seen what it was like to become part of the company. And as for what it is I do here, well, I can’t offer you too much information. However, I can tell you that I negotiate contracts for international film, it is my last month here. And I will be staying here and not going back with the company.
In the efforts to find out what you do and who you work with, I have come to very interesting conversations and have heard many things. Would you explain why it is I cannot find you in a rolling credit? And, why is it only the “Higher-Up’s” know who you are.
I have been under non-disclosure contracts for the past few years and up until recently I truly could care less about a credit at the end of a screen. It really made no never mind to me, give me an extra zero at the end of a paycheck. That was the old mentality, but I am happy to come out of that state with my new venture into web based media. The reason only as you put it “The Higher-Up’s” know me is simple, I work with people who have either decision making power over a production or the person with the money, rarely do I drift far from them.
Moving on, what is your reason for writing this film?
My whole life I have always searched for love. I have dated women, many women, all of different races, religions, professions, and ages. I have loved women, but never fallen in love with a women, until this past year. I found it, and it was more than I could ever expect it to be. You see, my friends and I grew up and I always watched one of them fall in love, broken heart, and it seemed to be an occurring thing. So, I decided that I would not fall in love over and over again, I would only fall in love with someone special. So after the feelings we provoked it seemed I noticed people around me in love, broken, hurting, looking, and so this story started to take shape. With the stories of my colleagues and my own comes “Chasing Love” which will actually be filmed in Europe.
You mentioned the film is a drama, after reading the screenplay I noticed, no happy ending, is that a personal experience?
I believe in open endings. Love is not perfect and it’s not one that I feel inclined to make happy or sad. Personally, my story is both, but there is little about my personal experience in this film, just the chasing and finding of love. The ending is one that I chose because I feel more people can relate.
I am curious about people who practice multiple forms of creativity. Do you have more than one creative outlet.
Yes, I am actually very talented at photoshop, and in my spare time I help write tutorials as well as just go-to-town on a blank screen canvas. I actually love photography, when I was a child I contemplated being a photographer, abstract and people photography. Next to that, read and write tons of stories, I probably write a short story each week, but it is rare that I actually develop my writing any further than the initial twenty pages.
I hear of a web series project that you and a colleague are interjecting yourself into. It involves 52 jobs, one job a week.
Correct, a friend of mine came to me with this project after a story he heard. I like it right away, and ever since we have both been getting a job every week. It’s harder than you think to get hired, especially every week. But a few of the jobs we have picked have been really fun and we have met some interesting people. We’re great employs, always early, do our jobs, offer to stay late, but all things come to an end. All I can say is, thank goodness for project “Jobless”, we have actually experienced a few of the jobs from that project.
Have there been any surprises or reawaken feelings since you have been writing Chasing love?
Yes, there has been a lot of reawaken feelings. Like many before me and the many after me, you must continue on. I just hope it isn’t the end, and that is one thing my character and myself have in common, HOPE.
Last but not least, what is next for you?
Chasing Love was loosely based on my quest to find love, and I guess the next will be a web series about a group of friends who are trying to make love work for themselves as well as the different forms of love you can find amongst a group of friends. And apart from this film I am developing some more web series and I am in the process of shooting a web "News Show" that is being called "RecessionX". But that is all you will be getting out of me for now.