Susanna Fosse: In the film’s production notes you say that
you began to appreciate what an extraordinarily challenging
format the musical is. What were the most challenging aspects?

Stewart Schill:The great challenge of making a musical - which is also the great fun of it - is the amount of pre-production planning and design that goes into it: the process of developing the songs with the songwriters, pre-recording the vocals and performances and working with the choreographer, all with an eye towards how the sequence will be designed cinematically. It was a level of collaboration and pre-visualization - and stylization - that I had never experienced before, and really enjoyed. But it was also a lot more work than doing a typical narrative film. Also this musical presented a few unique challenges, such as how to make a character singing alone in a car visually interesting.

Susanna Fosse: The film is extremely well written. What is your
writing process like once you have your initial idea?

Stewart Schill: Thanks for the compliment. My writing process is pretty straightforward. Once I have the idea, and know the beginning, middle and end, I sketch out an outline, and force myself to spit out a rough first draft. Then I set about trying to refine it and make it better. This film, being a short, was a little different, and somewhat less intimidating than writing a feature. But the process was essentially the same; I liked the idea of a guy who hates musicals being cursed to sing. I tried to think of the most unlikely guy to burst into song and dance, and had the image of him doing it in a stuffy executive boardroom. I sketched an outline and wrote the film in a couple of days, indicating where the songs would go.

Susanna Fosse: Lucas Bryant does a great job in the role of Brad. What type of performer were you looking for when
you were casting the role?

Stewart Schill: I didn't have to look too far, and knew very early on that I wanted Lucas to play the part. I had worked with him on a short-lived TV series, of which he was part of an ensemble cast. And though the series wasn't great, I thought that Lucas was an extremely talented actor. I knew I needed someone who could go from being completely obnoxious, to a charming, singing and dancing fool in 20 minutes, and that Lucas could do that. And that he had the physical grace, and is a singer-songwriter. So snagging him for the short was a real coup for me.

Susanna Fosse: The film is beautifully shot by Student Academy Award winner Soopum Sohn. How would you describe his shooting style?

Stewart Schill: Soopum is a really gifted DP, and I think he got a chance to do some stylistic things on IHM that were new for him. He is also very collaborative, and we had a great time looking at old musicals and creating a visual style for the movie, and the subjective reality of the musical numbers. Soopum's natural style, both in shooting and in his own work, is very lyrical and poetic, so in some ways, he was an odd choice for such a broad film. But I think his sensibility brought a lot to the movie. Also we were working with an HD process, and a largely student crew, and Soopum was brilliant in bringing a cinematic quality to the film, and in making it a learning experience for his crew.