I’m really proud of Blair Witch Project as a film, but as far as the cultural phenomenon of it – that was just weird luck. – Joshua Leonard
Mike and Heather and I rapped once or twice in New York and then we all wound up on a train together on the way out to Maryland. I think it was about a month and a half from the time we got cast until the time we shot the thing. – Joshua Leonard
We ended up with 19 hours of footage and had to narrow it down to an hour and a half. Our instructions were to film everything that came up, including the more mundane moments. – Joshua Leonard
I think as long as there are folks on the fringe who want to make movies, the indie scene will still be around. I do think it’s getting harder to get them seen though. – Joshua Leonard
Sony could have $50 million and a sound stage and A-list actors and never make the same film. The constraints on this film became the essence of this film, became the power of this film. – Joshua Leonard
Being behind a camera, in front of the camera, is my own little deconstructionist niche. – Joshua Leonard
The first thing I do when I read a part is see if I can identify emotionally with a character. If I make that connection, everything else is just working on knowing their life circumstances and manifesting those through practice and research. – Joshua Leonard
I’m less interested in slasher, and go more for roles that can affect you on a personal level. I’m interested in human empathy in the movies I see, and in the ones I am a part of. – Joshua Leonard
In horror, character development is often pushed aside in favor of the shock value. The best genre movies to me are movies like The Shining. You had a connection to the characters in that film. – Joshua Leonard
Even in the realest American cinema that I see, there’s still not that sense that this is reality. There’s still that sense that you are watching a movie. And hopefully, if we did get our jobs right, that sense disappears when you watch this movie. – Joshua Leonard
