Tracey Birdsall is quickly becoming a powerhouse in the sci-fi realm, largely due to her well-regarded performance in ROGUE WARRIOR: ROBOT FIGHTER. Birdsall tells us how that film came about, her upcoming roles, and… her love of brussels sprouts.
So, a Robot Fighter! C3PO better look out! Why do you think writer-director Neil Johnson thought you’d make a good Robot Fighter!?
Neil and I had a similar work ethic — we would stop at nothing to make this the best film that we could within the budget. It was a no-brainer to work together due our mutual persistence, drive, and talents.
How long was it that you completed the film? What’s been happening since then – been a busy trek?
We finished the film back in September 2016, but Sony didn’t release it until June 2017 — it was a long haul! Since that time, in addition to doing publicity for the film, we’ve been shooting the next film — THE TIME WAR.
Did you find it relatively easy to find the movie a home?
Yes 🙂 It had a relatively easy landing, to say the least.
What’s the best funnest part of the post-production process?
Post-production is very much like a holiday meal where everyone chips in with their strengths! It’s quite enjoyable – the whole process — to watch it come together.
Some love it, some hate it – how do you like doing press?
We can’t focus on the love/hate thing, because it’s sci-fi! The fans are all commenting — which is a level of success as long as they keep talking about it. I love doing press, and I love the process of creating. The only thing I don’t love is the negativity when reviewers diss the movie that didn’t log in to even watch the movie (yes, we keep stats), or when people illegally download the movie and then go out of their way to criticize it. If you want to critique a movie peeps, at least buy it first… Most of all however, it’s been overwhelmingly positive.
What about brussels sprouts?
OMG! I adore brussel sprouts!!!
Do you try and only do movies that appeal to you or are you sometimes forced to cave in and accept something merely because you need the money?
I’ve done a couple of films over the last decade that were a good paycheck, so to speak. For the most part I try and do films that are highly appealing to me.
Are you big into Googling yourself and the film? What pleasant surprises have you found?
Googling yourself can be a dangerous thing. I don’t feel that I can take the criticism for the most part. I mean, people have so many opinions about the things that don’t matter and that I can’t control (my hair color, my age, my breast size…) Although the positive far outweighs the negative, I find that I can’t do the research due to the hateful body-shamers and criticisms. I’m a human being, an actress (which for the most part means sensitive, vulnerable, and self-aware). I prefer to just do the best work that I can and to make a living. The negative people in the world make me live in a bit of a bubble… they don’t realize the pain that they inflict otherwise. No thanks.
What about unpleasant surprises?
I have to just focus on the work. I think I answered this in the previous question.
Any positives or praise you get for your films, do you make sure to do ‘more of that’ next time around?
You know, I just always do the best “work” that I can in any given environment. I am a bit of a fanatic when it comes to preparation. I adore the process.
And I imagine, by the same coin, you do less of what you might have been criticized for?
Absolutely not. In sci-fi, the criticism isn’t really relevant. The comments that are over-the-top good balance out with the criticism. None of it can be taken truly to heart — we are just human beings that act for a living. We are not what the public defines us by. The public sees our characters, not our true selves — so the positive and the negative must remain separate from ourselves.
Is there a fine line, sometimes, between doing a movie for an audience and doing a movie for critics/the business?
We simply do the best and most interesting product we can do. We have wide distribution across the world, and do not focus on the individual aspects. The word “critic” is self-explanatory in itself and I’ve found through experience that they don’t even log into the movie oftentimes before writing their reviews (we keep stats.) Our job is to take the budget and make the very best possible movie that we can.
What’s the best thing you’ve read about ROGUE WARRIOR: ROBOT FIGHTER?
I loved this quick review so much that I screen-grabbed it!!!
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Tags: Action Film, Interviews, Neil Johnson, Rogue Warrior: Robot Fighter, Sci-Fi, Tracey Birdsall, Vegetables
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