A short time ago, we brought you a review of an indie film that has been tearing up the festival circuit called Choppertown: The Sinners. Now, Co-Creator’s and Director’s Scott Di Lalla and Zach Coffman sit down with us for an interview about the whole movie making experience. If you are interested in Motorcycles, film, or what it takes to make your own, this is an absolutely fascinating must read…
Scott Di Lalla and Zach Coffman 
Scott: I’ve always loved motorcycles. I’ve been riding since I was a kid, but as I got older my appetite for choppers grew. One of the best summers of my life was when I got my hands on a basketcase and built my first chopper (a ‘72 Sporty) before I could even legally drink. As farback as 1998 we had been discussing ideas for a bike film; we knew motorcycles were going to come back in. There was just too long of a period since Easy Rider and On Any Sunday. Our feeling was that a bike film that could express the true spirit of motorcycling would have a real shot at capturing people’s hearts and minds. When choppers broke into the spotlight on TV, we knew it was time to buckle down and get moving. We couldn’t relate to a $100,000 show bike that never sees over a mile of road. We wanted to make a film about the regular Joe building a bike in his back yard. Built to ride!Jonathan – Was hard to find a group of bikers to cooperate with your vision?Scott: How we found the Sinners is a great story! We were flipping through a new issue of “The Horse” magazine and there was a feature about this guy Kutty and The Sinners. For some reason the name “The Sinners” just popped off the page as if it was speaking to me. There was this energy, a mystique about Kutty that seemed very interesting. He was a young guy, buteverything about him was old school; his chopper, his style, even the grease in his hair. There was this sense of irony that we felt had to be captured on film. Zack agreed and we got to thinking, this seems like a cool bunch of guys with something to say about the true spirit of motorcycling. It was nearly impossible to find them though because they are so underground. It’s not like we could just dial 1-800-Sinners. But luckily Kutty was wearing a Salinas Boys Customs t-shirt so we thought he must know these guys or he wouldn’t be wearing their shirt. We looked them up and Zack called the owner Cole [Foster]. They really hit it off and talked for about two hours and Cole gave us Kutty’s number, right after admitting that he was actually a Sinner! Before we could call Kutty though, we got a call from Rico. His first words were, “I’m Rico and nothing happens with the Sinners without my say-so.” We said “right on” and set up a meeting with Rico and Kutty for some beers. It was like finding lost brothers and within two weeks wewere shooting.
Jonathan – Your documentary has been pretty successful thus far. How exciting has it been that the response has been so positive and has it been submitted for any other festivals? Do you plan to submit it for the Oscars?Zach: We have to say that the success so far has been truly a dream come true. To live off of your art is a gift not to be taken for granted. We are always looking for creative ways to get the film out there so everybody has a chance to see it.Jonathan – Have you started planning your next project? Will it be another documentary or will you try something else?Zach: We have some ideas for a follow-up doc now that we have so many interesting friends in this world and we feel like we’re getting a grip on the medium. But we also will eventually do fictional features as well.Jonathan – Were you inspired by other documentaries?Zach: We love all kinds of films, from French dramas to modern shoot ’em ups. We definitely wanted our film to have an “Outsiders” feel to it. The rough edges had to be a part of it, both aesthetically and because of our limited experience and finances. Another hero for us is Wong Kar Wai; the way he shoots over people’s shoulders and plays with untraditional focus and light.Jonathan – What was the most frustrating part in trying to get the movie made?Scott: Probably the financial part. We made the whole thing with our credit cards which is not necessarily the safest way to borrow money, but with some juggling it became the most flexible way for us.Jonathan – What was the greatest challenge when actually shooting it?Zach: An old college buddy of ours was attending AFI for cinematography and we asked him to come on board. The first night’s shoot was great, we got some excellent footage and were feeling confident that things were going as planned. Then two weeks later, things got hairy because he became swamped with his school responsibilities and we had to either put the film on hold or find a replacement…That’s when our friend, veteran stuntman, Michael Baron came to the rescue. Michael had met Scott at the doctor’s office where Scott was working for another friend’s father. Michael was recovering from a stunt accident and he and Scott became friends through their love of film. He had recently purchased a couple of XL-1 digital cameras for his company and lent one to us along with some excellent sound equipment.So while Scott practiced with the camera setting up mock interviews for us in the apartment, I read the entire manual for Apple’s Final Cut Pro editing software. That was definitely biting off a big chunk for both of us.
Jonathan – Did you ever feel like giving up?Zach: Never.Scott: We couldn’t afford to!Jonathan – Was the actual shooting or the editing harder to do?Zach: In the end, I’d have to say they are both equally daunting and eminently exciting. The shooting is more physically demanding and more dangerous if you take into account that we almost lost Scott a few times while he was shooting out of the sunroof of our low budgeted dolly (’84 Benz). In addition to that there was also this underlying stress that maybe you’ve missed the shot and in a documentary you can’t recapture certain emotional moments. Luckily, we didn’t have any missed moments and we’re thankful for that. With editing it’s more of a cerebral battle, trying to find the right shots and weave them into a coherent and entertaining story.Many long days and nights sitting in close quarters and staring at the same few sequences can make you a bit loopy after a while; oh and did I mention carpal tunnel?Jonathan – In case any big shot Hollywood type is reading this, what’s your dream project?Scott: We have a couple of ideas for a true horror film, ala The Shining that will hit a nerve and hopefully be the cause of a lot of missed nights of sleep! We’d also love to do an epic someday that is based on a historic event, a film to get swept up in.Jonathan – What do you hope the audience takes away from the movie?Scott: We hope that people will empathize with the common bonds that bind anyone with a passion or hobby. The idea that you don’t need to be rich to be happy, but just need some loyal friends along with your passions and good times will follow.Jonathan – Choppertown is the only movie I’ve seen where the core value of why a bunch of guys would build a bike is captured, rather then the focus being on the bike tself. Do you think that helps you stand out among the crowd? Scott: Definitely. We knew that the focus had to be on the heart and soul of these guys, the bike is a beautiful work of art, but in the end that’s almost secondary to the effort it took to build it. Despite the obstacles it takes to build a bike, the work and the journey are just as fun as the ride.
Jonathan – What is the next phase of release for Choppertown? Are you hoping to find a distributor for a mainstream theatrical or television Premiere?Zach: We’re in discussions with several domestic and foreign “entities” about working with us to expand the release. Choppertown is the kind of film that is timeless because the emotions are real and there’s a history to it. While we figure out the best way to get it into people’s hands, we’ll just keep plugging away working our asses off to get it into the hands of every person that wants one!Jonathan – A signature question here at EyeCraveDVD.com is – If you were stranded alone in space with a plasma TV and home theatre setup, which 5 DVDs would you want to have with you?Zach:
The Sinners“ While this DVD is an independent production and resources were limited, it’s obvious that a lot of thought and hard work went into creating the best possible product. Choppertown: The Sinners is an excellent look at motorcycle culture…“
Read the Review Here
