Thursday, June 23, 2011

What's All The Foz About? - Part 2

Now that you are more familiar with @TheMightyFoz, you can appreciate that he's one of the rare few who was with "Heroes" from the beginning right to the very end.

After spending 5 years in a special workplace like this, memories become all the more precious. Foz has begun writing a "Heroes" retrospective in his own Tumblr where he shares some colourful stories and details of his foray in the Hollywood entertainment business. Go check it out!

Post-"Heroes", Foz has been pretty busy in many aspects and he has also found a new gig at Stargate Studios. Stargate Studios is a high-tech company offering visual effects and production services for TV and film business. Their VFX work can be seen in shows like "Heroes", "Ugly Betty", "CSI NY", "Eli Stone" and "The Walking Dead".

Watch this very magically awesome showreel and see if you actually noticed of the virtual effects involved in some very familiar scenes!


Find out what Foz has to say about his new job and that mysterious movie called "Pizza Man" panel which was supposed to happen at SDCC last year.

------------------------

Q8: Is sci-fi a genre that you have always enjoyed, or is it just where your career path has taken you?
Foz: I get that question a lot. Yes, I am a huge nerd and have always loved sci-fi, but it has been amazing to me that I have done so much of it. I feel truly blessed. I was terrified that after I did "Mercy Reef" (Aquaman pilot) and "Smallville", I was going to end up on like "Dawson's Creek" or something else awful, but "Heroes" came along, then "Green Lantern", then "Pizza Man", then Stan Lee stuff, and now Stargate.

But I do have a couple other things up my sleeve that will become more clear in the next couple of years that will require no powers, walking corpses, monsters, or magic at all. I know... weird right? But true!

Q9: How did you get the Stargate Studios gig?
Foz: I know these guys for years while working at "Heroes". We had worked together endlessly. After "Heroes" ended, we all wanted to work together again. I am very happy to be involved with them. The vision and plans that Stargate have are unbelievable... and earlier this year, the time was just right and boom! here I am!

Q10: How did your previous experience prepare you for your new role in Stargate Studios, and with your experience what do you hope to bring to the table?
Foz: I think being on different sides of the camera allowed me to bring a unique perspective to the table. Working with Stargate on the VFX side of "Heroes" allowed me to see things from a Producer's position, and it really shaped a better understanding for all aspects at every project I was involved in afterwards.

The reason I was hired at Stargate was to help bring it to the next level on the original content side of things. Lots of great ideas and things are in the works that will make for some more great Stargate ONLY produced projects for TV and Film soon. Stay tuned!

Q11: Do you prefer TV or film work?
Foz: Pros and cons... the money is more enjoyable in film thats for sure. I also like that once the project is over, it's over and you move on. But with TV, you have a chance to develop stories and characters and watch them grow and expand, plus I like the family atmosphere on a TV show much more.

Q12. Curious people want to know - why was the "Pizza Man" panel cancelled at last year's SDCC, and what is the status of the "Pizza Man" movie?
Foz: The "Pizza Man" panel was cancelled because at the time we had two perspective buyers for the film. One asked us to not go to comic con, and the other told us that if we went to SDCC, it would raise the movie's value to where they would not be interested any longer.

I wish we hadn't canceled. As you can remember we had a great host - Jack Coleman, and some great surprises, including an appearance from Stan Lee, Milo Ventimiglia, Ali Larter, and Zach Quinto. But I was out voted on the decision.

Some good came out of it. The film was sold, and now a major movie studio owns it (can't say who) and it will be released at some point, although it is out of my hands now. Plus, I also got to actually go on the Comic Con floor!! For 7 years running, I was at Comic Con but had to work there. Last year, I was able to enjoy Comic Con as an attendee.

Q13. Are there any special goals you aim to achieve in the near future?
Foz: This sounds clichéd, but I want to direct. I will be directing a short web-series entitled "Angelenos" in the next couple of months. It is written by a good friend and another "Heroes" alumni, Jon Harmon.

This is one of the projects I mentioned which does not involve anything super-powered. I also have a great script that I wrote that just might be seen somewhere soon (wink) that I will also direct. What my ultimate goal would be just to make (more) cool stuff. Direct, write, and create - and be lucky enough to keep making a living at it.

------------------------

And if you have missed Part 1 of @TheMightyFoz interview. Click here!
Do check out Foz's Tumblr and follow him on Twitter!

Photo Credits: Foz McDermott

No comments:

Post a Comment