Rob Imbs: Director

DIRECTOR STATEMENT
Improvisational strength has guided my experience in film and media. My projects are rarely scripted; this gives me alot of freedom throughout the creative process. However with COUCH, I wanted to take a departure from the improvisation and focus on a more traditional workflow. I wanted to write a full script, have a complete shooting schedule, and make the filmmaking process as painless and professional as possible for my actors and crewmembers.

Major influences for COUCH came from movies like, the BIG KAHUNA, TAPE, and ROGER DODGER. These films focus very heavily on the art of conversation. All of the little nuances that take place inside of a conversation excite me. I knew that I wanted to write COUCH in a way that made it feel like my actors were having real conversations. Also, both TAPE and the BIG KAHUNA take place in a single location. I liked the idea of doing this with COUCH for two reasons. One, shooting a film entirely in one location is less stressful on your actors. Two, I knew that a single location would challenge me to write compelling and interesting dialogue.
Having never written a feature length script before I initially found the process overwhelming. As I became more experienced with my script writing software my confidence grew. Before I knew it I had written a 78-page feature and was ready to start shooting.

Casting came down to which of my friends I felt would give the best performance. It was also essential that they were going to be available throughout the entire shooting process. I considered doing an open casting call but I didn't want to make this movie too big. I wanted a controlled set without any complications or discomforts.

I also didn't want a big crew, and I was lucky enough to get two of my friends to do all of my lighting, sound and cinematography. Having alot of experience with no budget filmmaking, I always prefer to have several dedicated crewmembers instead of bevy of inexperienced nitwits.
I’m a perfectionist when it comes to angles, so before we started shooting the movie I took over sixty digital stills of the set. Before each night of shooting I would review the relevant section the script and create a shot-by-shot of which angles we were going to be using.

COUCH was the first project I had done in which I was not the cinematographer. In the end, I think having to forfeit control of the camera made me less of a control freak and gave me more respect for the directorial process. I still remember the first night of shooting, I couldn’t get comfortable because I kept imagining my performance from the perspective of the cinematographer. It was unsettling but I feel that it made me a more trusting director and gave me a greater understanding of how to oversee an entire set.