Dedication fuels motivation for crew

Adam Carroll and David Mickler grew up across the Ohio River from each other on the border of Indiana and Kentucky. They both came to IU in 2001, and they lived on the same hall in Wright Quad as freshmen.\nIn May, Carroll and Mickler will graduate and go their separate ways. Before they graduate, though, they must finish their film "Conversations With the Almighty," meaning they must stave off the general malaise of senioritis for another few months.\nThree years after living on the same hall and a few short months before graduation, Mickler and Carroll try to maintain their concentration so they can wrap up the filming of a story that, as a film, has been relatively latent for almost their entire college careers.\nAlthough they did not know each other before college, both Carroll and Mickler have drawn from their background knowledge to make "Conversations."\nCarroll, a New Albany, Ind., native, has made film a large part of his life. His room has an entire bookshelf of films arranged alphabetically. The bookshelf eclipses Carroll in both height and length. This wall of films includes a collection from directors like the Cohen brothers, Martin Scorsese, M. Night Shyamalan and Wes Anderson, who Carroll said shaped his vision for making films. \nMickler's experience in film came from working for Kentucky Digital Media, a Louisville-based company where his mother works. Mickler did voice-overs for company films, which he said gave him the experience in dubbing necessary for editing the film.\nAfter graduation, Carroll said he hopes to move away from directing and to pursue a job in television production. Mickler said he will take a different route, pursuing a screenwriting career and moving to Los Angeles, where he has friends already situated.\nBefore they head off into the proverbial sunset, though, they must work to finish their film. Cast member Ross Matsuda said he is impressed with their approach to the project.\n"(Mickler is) an excellent director with a real appreciation for the success of art as art," Matsuda said. "If it's not worth saying, don't bother saying it, and that attitude commands respect. Adam (Carroll) seemed pretty laid back but really engaged in this project," Matsuda said. "I knew he had to be good at what he did."\nBut Mickler dismisses the idea of being an artist.\n"I'm not an artist," Mickler said. "I'm just making a movie." \nCarroll and Mickler worked with Mickler's original screenplay over the past three years to adapt the script's action and dialogue to fit the film medium.\n"I wanted strong characters and good dialogue," Mickler said. "That is what tells a story."\nCast member Lauren Clemmons, a theatre and English major, said the screenplay reflects the work Carroll and Mickler have invested in the script over the last few years.\n"The direction (of 'Conversations') was different (from theater) because it was so specific," Clemmons said. "They knew exactly what they wanted each shot to look and sound like."\nAlthough Carroll and Mickler are producing the film to graduate, the cast has noticed them treating it as more than just a school project.\n"It's great working with people who are really focused on their goals but are sensible enough to keep their heads on their shoulders," Matsuda said. "(They are) relaxed but productive."\nDespite the perils of weather, scheduling conflicts and scrapped shoots, Mickler said he and Carroll, despite not being the closest of friends, are a team while filming "Conversations."\n"Everything (about the film) that is good is a collaborative effort," Mickler said. "And everything bad is a collaborative effort."\nCarroll, who has made several short films before this one, said the desire to make "Conversations" goes beyond gaining credit hours.\n"Even if this wasn't for school, we would be doing this project anyway," Carroll said.\nMickler said he is happy with the direction the film is taking, especially because it has been his project since he came to IU.\n"I'm very happy with what it has become," Mickler said. "It's my baby."\n-- Contact Staff Writer Josh \nKastrinsky at jkastrin@indiana.edu.