This week ECHG writer Adam Holtzapfel had a chance to chat with writer, director, and actor Nate Coulmobe about his latest short If The Shoe Fits and his upcoming projects. You can catch If The Shoe Fits at Days of the Dead: Louisville on September 3rd as part of the Sunday Shorts block.

 

Adam Holtzapfel – What was the inspiration for If The Shoe Fits?

 

 

Nate Coulombe – Shitty people. Haha! What you see me doing in the movie is really what I do everyday. We also have some customers who are very “particular” about their foot wear. So I guess art imitated life in this case. The end of the movie is just something that everyone in the shop has wanted to do at one point or another. The movie was also inspired in part by a drama short that my friend Benito Garcia shot at the shop called “Walk A Mile”. Tony was also the lead in that one. We wanted to take that setting, and that character, and put a Horror/Dark Comedy spin on it.

 

 

AH – The short clocks in at just over 18 minutes, did you have an issue deciding on whether to do a short that length or try and cut it back?

 

 

NC –  I just wanted to tell the story. That’s really how I feel about any project. This one was actually a little over 20 minutes at one point, so it was cut down some. There were a few scenes that I liked, but ultimately deemed unnecessary. I know a lot of people think that a short shouldn’t be much more than 10 minutes. In my opinion, if it has a decent story, I’m willing to go along for the ride. Also, it’s Art. There are not supposed to be rules!

 

 

 

 

 

AH – You worked with co-workers and family as the cast, was it easier to go that route?

 

 

NC – Really there were only two co workers, my brother and my son. I worked with Tony at the shop, but he had done some acting in my previous films. It was really just a bonus that he knew what he was doing with the shoes. The other co worker was Jennifer, our “Angry Black Woman”. From just working with her everyday, I knew I wanted  her in the movie. She’s hilarious! My brother Anthony did me a favor by filling in last minute as another angry customer, and did very well also. And my son. I needed a kid to say a cuss word, and I was okay with letting him do it, so that’s the way it went. Haha! Always a pleasure to share my passion with my son. The rest of the folks were local actors and filmmakers. It was a pleasure working with all of them as well.

 

 

AH – You’ve worked with Stephanie Hensley on  The Last Time, what was that experience like?

 

 

NC – Yes! Stephanie and Erin are good friends, and we have been wanting to do something together for a while now. Shooting my part(Heroin Addict) was extremely brief, but a lot of fun. They have assembled a great cast and crew for this one, and I’m excited to see how it comes out! It was slightly nerve racking almost sticking a needle in my arm. Haha!

 

 

AH – What upcoming projects do you have planned?

 

 

NC – Well, I just wrote a comedy short, yes a comedy short. This one will be under 10 minutes. Lol! Hopefully we’ll be shooting that within the next few months. It’s called “The First Time”. No relation to Stephanie’s movie. Trying to get back to writing on my feature also, which proves to be quite difficult most of the time. Just due to life being busy mostly. But that will be a killer film once I actually complete the script and get moving on production. As far as acting goes, I have nothing on the horizon at the moment, but I’m always on the lookout for another opportunity!