Larry Eissler III
First of all we would like to know a little more about you. So that the audience has as much information as possible. Who is Larry Eissler III?
My name is Larry Eissler III, and I’m a director, producer, and cinematographer. I primarily love to film in dark, spooky locations where things tend to move in the shadows. Outside of that, I love documentaries and honing my craft to make each interview a little better than the last. My hope is to keep improving as a I grow and become a recognizable name for when someone suggests me for the directors’ chair or behind the camera.
How many years have you been making movies and how did you end up making movies?
As of now, I only have two student narratives under my belt and the rest are all documentaries. I originally started my journey on a YouTube gaming channel, pumping out three videos a day for next to no pay. Around that same time, the first iteration of our series “Expedition Entity” came into development on YouTube, and I started to really enjoy that process. Between 2015 and 2017, we filmed six episodes before I hung up my camera and decided to go back to school to get my Bachelors in history. Somewhere around the start of the pandemic, I decided to enroll in a field production course at Northern Illinois University and I learned that I really had a passion for filmmaking. We revived “Expedition Entity,” reworked a lot of the show concepts based on what I learned during my film courses and ended up landing on the PARAFlixx Paranormal+ network. “Expedition Entity” is now a docu-series with six episodes per season that can stand alone as individual documentaries, but collectively at the time of this interview I’m editing our 14th.
Let's talk about your project. How long did it take from the initial idea to have it ready to be released?
“Expedition Entity” was an idea that my partner Dan and I had back in 2014 and it took us until 2020 to really fine tune the idea. However, it wasn’t until our Brodhead Manor episode, in January of 2023, that we knew “Expedition Entity” was finally in a good place.
Can you tell us a bit about the process you've had with Expedition Entity? Is it self-financed or were you able to get financing?
All of “Expedition Entity” is self-funded, including the location rental fees, the equipment, and all associated travel costs. We’re very fortunate to have a cast that is willing to chip in to keep these costs down for us. However, if anyone is looking for a ghost show or documentary to finance… feel free to reach out!
No spoilers, but what will the public find in Expedition Entity?
In “Expedition Entity,” you’ll find lesser known haunted locations that are just as haunted as some of the most well known locations around the world. You’ll also get a sense of who these spirits were and how they still interact with our world today. Finally, you’ll get to see how our cast interacts with those spirits and the kind of effects that interaction has on us.
Have you been inspired by any other film of the same genre?
For an inspiration, I would have to say Zak Bagans’ documentary “Demon House.”
There are many creators who seek inspiration from other artists, literature, music, painting, etc. To create this work have you used references from other arts? If so, what are they?
I used to love the first couple seasons of “Ghost Hunters” on the Travel Channel in the early years of my ghost hunting days. If anything, I would say they played a large part in where I am now. Otherwise, I try hard not to be influenced by others because I want to develop my own style and not take pieces from everyone else.
We would also like to know more about your film preferences. We would love to know which directors you like and which are your favorite movies.
For directors, I’d have to say Tarantino and Burton are pretty high on my list. I really enjoy what Burton did with “Wednesday” and look forward to what he is going to do for the second season. As for films, my tastes are kind of all over the place. I love westerns like “Tombstone” and “Young Guns,” but I also love trillers like “The Lost Boys” and “The Shining.” If you name a genre, I can probably come up with a movie or two that are my favorites.
There are great classics of cinema considered masterpieces, but for us cinema is subjective and we also love films that critics may consider bad. Do you have movies that are not considered masterpieces but that you could watch over and over again without stopping? Which are?
“Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.” No one would consider that movie a masterpiece, and its ratings have it around a 6 or 7 out of ten. Not bad by any measure, but not the peak of cinema. But I love it. Martin Freeman is perfectly cast in that movie, like many of his movies, and Mos Def comes in and supports him very well. Add to that the amazing Alan Rickman as the voice of Marvin the robot and you have a great film that is enjoyable for what it is… not how much money it made the studio.
Your favorite black and white movie?
“Sin City,” though my favorite parts are the splashes of color.
Have you seen anything by David Fincher? How would you define it in one word?
Gritty. To list a few of his movies off the top of my head: Fight Club, Zodiac, Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Seven, and World War Z 2. They all have a gritty style that I really enjoy.
Your favorite 2010-2020 movie or series?
Grown Ups 1 and 2, The Hobbit series, the Insidious series, Legion, and The Martian. To name a few, but there are so many that it’s a hard question to answer.
Your favorite actor or actress?
I used to say Tom Hanks because I loved a lot of his early work, and I still love his stuff now. “Sully” was masterfully done, and I still enjoy watching it. But as my tastes have changed, so have some of my favorites. Leonardo DiCaprio in “Shutter Island” and “Django” landed him as a favorite for me, Martin Freeman in “Hitchhikers” but also in “The Hobbit” series, Keanu Reeves in his “John Wick” series, and Jenna Ortega due to her portrayal of Wednesday. I haven’t seen her in “Scream” yet, but from what I’ve seen she does a really good job in that as well.
Changing the subject, one of the concerns of many creators is the lack of financing or opportunities that producers provide. What do you think about this?
In all honesty, I think these are legitimate concerns, but I couldn’t begin to explain how to go about fixing them properly. What I can say though is, there are many more people trying to be directors and cinematographers than trying to be producers. Anyone can buy a camera, or a cellphone, shoot some video, and put it on YouTube. You’ve now acquired the Cinematographer title and can start your own production company, congratulations. This is the exact same route that I took, so I know it works well enough to get you started until you can prove yourself. But I only know of one person who has said from the beginning that she wants to be a producer. So, when the producer you’re working with doesn’t give you many opportunities, it’s probably because he or she’s working with 10 other creators that can do the same thing you can do. What creators need are more producers that can get them access to financing, who can open doors that get projects finished, and can help get the film across the finish line and into the hands of someone who can distribute it properly. If you can’t do those three things, what really are you doing as a producer to aid in the production?
A very personal question, but… What are your strong points and weak points?
I think my main strong point is my tenacity, and everything stems from there. I’m confident in what I can do, and I try to make sure I communicate clearly what it is I need in order to get stuff done. For weak points, I don’t have the financial knowledge to fund these projects aside from opening my own wallet. I’m also not a very social person, so in large public gatherings I struggle to market myself and have to rely on others. We participate in several conventions every year for our series and I’m more comfortable presenting on a stage in front of a thousand people than trying to market myself to two people.
Do you have experience on the festival circuit? As a filmmaker, how do you see film festivals? Where do you think they should improve?
As of this interview, “Expedition Entity” has 14 IMDB qualified indie film festival wins and 5 nominations. I would say my experience is still small because I haven’t entered into any of the larger festivals yet. However, I will say that film festivals can be a double edged sword. In the beginning, it feels great to think that a film festival thinks you’re worthy of winning Best Documentary or Best Director. But after a while, you realize that the only thing your $65 has bought you is a laurel for your poster and a chance to spend an additional $265 for a cheap trophy. At least make sure the festival is IMDB qualified so you get something for your money.
I think if film festivals are to improve, then they need rewards that are actually worth the cost to submit. Verifiable distribution potential (past winners), cash prizes, and a free trophy for winners would be a great way to start that. Throw in an IMDB review and I’m ready to sign up. Though, that should be just as much FilmFreeway’s responsibility to monitor that as it is the festival director’s to offer it.
Do you have any other project in mind? Can you advance us something?
We currently have 5 documentary projects in pre-production, 2 narrative projects, and a published book of 17 short stories that can be adapted to film. All of which are in desperate need of financing and an experienced producer to help lead the way. Nothing that I can advance here and now, but I’m always willing to discuss things in private if need be.
Would you like to add something else?
The best way to watch “Expedition Entity” is on the PARAFlixx network, but you can also find all of our social media information by going to our Linktree.