Kate Winslet in a Short Short
Interview by Briege McGarrity
Independent Film Quarterly interest level always piques when learning of a fashion and film collaboration, Yes, even short shorts! Multi-talented filmmaker, photographer/interviewer Matthew Frost has teamed up with Vogue to make an online short featuring Oscar-winning British actress, Kate Winslet, (Revolutionary Road, The Reader, Titanic).
In the video, we see Kate dressed in white and fumbling to answer a popular question posed by Frost: “Who are some of the Best Actresses of All Time?” After the press interview concludes, Kate, in an “alone” moment delivers a hilarious monologue beating herself up for now answering the question as intelligently as she should have. “Interviews: Of course, I come up with the best answer after the interview is over,” she laments.
Apparently Kate has never “Googled” herself and finds out, on camera, that her name is mentioned alongside such luminaries as Meryl Streep, Katherine Hepburn and Greta Garbo. Kate then calls herself a “weirdo” and quickly puts her phone away when her handlers enter her dressing room.
Frost, who is represented by LA/Paris talent agency Iconoclast seems to be carving out a career filming this type of spoof. In Fashion Film made for clothing line Viva Vena, actress Lizzy Caplan (Mean Girls, Cloverfield) gives a tongue-in-cheek performance as a self-indulgent model who thinks in French, likes 60’s records and has a seashell collection.
The Kate film may be super short, however it is definitely an alternative, behind the-scenes opportunity to poke fun and get a very brief insight into a day in the life of a celebrity, as opposed to in-depth interviews that typically appear in a magazine spread. Vogue, with Kate on their November cover, should see a noticeable spike in sales and both industries could use a welcome dose of comedy. IFQ enjoyed a brief chat with edgy filmmaker Frost on his projects, the concept behind the Kate short as well as revealing who he’d most like to interview.
Independent Film Quarterly: So tell us a bit about how you got into the film business.
Matthew Frost (MF): You mean the short short film business! I actually started being a PA on movies like Donnie Darko. I always shot stills but started shooting little films and videos until I had a variety of things that I felt comfortable showing as a “reel”. I was lucky to get repped from that as commercial and video director.
IFQ: Can you perhaps define what kind of filmmaker you are?
MF: I’m the kind of filmmaker who’s working hard to become a filmmaker.
IFQ: In terms of preferred projects, which genre do you prefer, photography and fashion, film or music? – Must be nice to work with hot models!
MF: I’m lucky to work with an eclectic selection of subjects from different fields… It’s always nice to experience them with a bit of distance and never get caught up in the respective worlds. It allows you to see the humor in it and maybe keep a fresh eye. I can confirm here that most models are slammin’ and nice to work with.
IFQ: Tell us a bit about the Vogue shorts.
MF: Vogue was interested in coming up with original scripted content to complement their already rich video content library. It’s also a way to have access to some of their cover girls. I jumped at the opportunity to shoot Kate Winslet as she’s an Oscar winning actress.
IFQ: Kate is of course great in the little short short. How did you come up with the idea to document her response to the question of “Best Actress of all time”?
MF: From the get go the idea was not to stray too far from the frame of mind she was going to be in when we actually shot: the promotion of a movie. To try and show something personal and relatable with someone who’s such a recognizable public figure was a fun challenge. I just thought that she was obviously one of the best but when you break that idea down you see how people are obsessed with rankings and putting people against one another. The artists or performers are always fighting this notion, it’s awkward and a bit embarrassing.
IFQ: The contemplative footage portrays Kate as vulnerable and just like us when we wish we gave a sexier or more intelligent answer to a question. Was there a script?
MF: Yes, everyone has been in a situation, maybe an altercation with someone, where they walk away thinking “what a shitty answer that was…I should’ve said…” and the way you formulate it retroactively is always smarter and more winning, like “that scene in that movie”… So for a film to be solely a moment like that but with a big star was a nice way to mix everything together, if that makes sense.
Yes, everything is scripted, with a script…that was written beforehand and “approved by her people”! So in a small moment we’re basically seeing the skill of a performer blurring the lines between her as an actress playing a part, her as “Kate Winslet” on a press tour in promotion mode, and Kate, who’s just getting through a moment in a day in her life…if that makes sense..!
IFQ: Has your career in commercial helped hone the skills for crafting these clever short films and vignettes?
MF: Commercials are great way to not be intimidated by crews and different sizes of productions. It helps you stay on course no matter what is around you. It also helps you be efficient in what you need to tell a story from the shot selection to the editing.
IFQ: Who would you most like to interview?
MF: Martin Parr in photography, Karl Lagerfeld in fashion (I shot him before but did not interview him), Coen bros on film, David Bowie in music and Zinedine Zidane in football (soccer). No one obscure but all solid.
IFQ: Do you have an interview style? And what kind of preparation or research do you do in advance?
MF: I’m by no means a professional journalist but whenever you establish any kind of relation with your subject I find it important to make them feel comfortable while remaining on course as to what you are there for.
IFQ: What are you up to next?
MF: I’ve been fortunate to shoot a couple more Vogue cover girls back to back. They will come out within the next couple months and together hopefully form somewhat of a small series around the same theme as Kate Winslet. I’m also in the middle of writing a long long long film that’s bound to garner me accolades with the independent film community as well as the general public.