Filmmaker Johnny Martin chatted about directing the new action movie “Off the Grid,” which was released on June 27th via Lionsgate.
The film stars Josh Duhamel, Greg Kinnear, Peter Stormare, and Maria Elisa Camargo, among others.
Background on the movie
The synopsis is: After a morally-bankrupt company tries to weaponize a brilliant scientist’s revolutionary technology, he goes off the grid to safeguard humanity.
When the company sends a strike force to find him, they make their biggest mistake of all – they weaponize the man they are trying to catch. Armed with unrivaled brains and brawn, the wild genius turns Guerilla warfare into a deadly science.
‘Off the Grid’ thriller
On directing the new thriller “Off the Grid,” he remarked, “It was quite the experience. My last movies were all thrillers and dramas, and even though I came from the action world, I was hesitant to do an action movie because I wanted to make sure I could do it right. Action movies take time, and I took a chance on this one.”
“I thought I was going to have 25 days, but they cut it down to 19 days, so I kicked it into gear and took the old unit that I used to take with action and did what I needed to do for the studio movies, and just kick ass,” Martin explained.
Daily motivations
On his daily motivations as a filmmaker, Martin said, “I am so passionate about movies. To me, there is no such thing as watching a movie once.”
“I think I saw ‘Mission Impossible’ six times in one week just because there is more to learn every single day, and I just love filmmaking so much That’s why I got started in it,” he elaborated.
“Ever since I was young, all I wanted to do was become a filmmaker… that’s all I cared about,” he added.
The digital age
On being a filmmaker in the digital age, he responded, “I am not happy about it. Back in the Blockbuster and VHS era, people really recognized movies in a different way.”
“Now, they are being hidden,” he noted. “They are being packaged into three movies in one, to where you don’t know what a movie is tracking at; they will always make your movie look like it’s going to lose, no matter what, and that’s really unfair to all movies.”
“In other countries, if they want the movie to do well, they will let it, if they don’t, they won’t,” Martin added.
Working with Josh Duhamel as the male lead
On working with Emmy winner Josh Duhamel, Martin said, “Josh cared so much; he and I were talking every week where we were trying to find ways to make the script better and better.”
“We kept pushing the script to go further and further and further, and that’s what we did on set each day as well. I developed a friendship, a bond and a brotherhood with Josh. So, working with Josh was just awesome,” he elaborated.
Working with Maria Elisa Camargo as the female lead
On working with Maria Elisa Camargo as the female lead, he said, “I really wanted a Latin girl for this role, and when I reached out to all the agents, and they sent me everyone.”
“The one that I connected to the most was Maria,” he admitted. “Once I know I want the actors, I would call them up and we would talk just to get to know each other better.”
“That was very important for me to find out who they truly are, and how endearing she was, and to ensure that Josey was represented in the right way,” he added.
Working with David Lipper as producer and actor
Martin praised actor and producer David Lipper for all of his hard work and vision for this project. “David saved the day,” Martin said.
“We were set to go to Italy first, then they told us to go to Spain, so I re-wrote the script for Spain. We were all set to go and then the funding fell out. All of a sudden, we were without a movie,” he noted.
“Sure enough, David Lipper ,came in and he came on as a producer and he took over the film and he got the funding in five days for us, and it was just amazing,” he acknowledged.
“David really cared and he really let me do my thing, which was very important. That was very genuine of him, and I really appreciated him as a producer,” Martin elaborated.
Greg Kinnear
On working with Academy Award nominee Greg Kinnear as the villain, he said, “Greg tested me every day in the best way I could possibly be tested. He was overly prepared with pages of scripts in his hand, and he was very precise and meticulous with the things on set.”
“Greg was so on it; I wanted a villain in this movie that didn’t want anyone to hate him. With Greg, I wanted people to see that greed and selflessness are part of being a villain. I thought he was the perfect choice because I wanted the audience to love him but hate what he is doing.”
Lenka Padysakova as costume designer
Martin went on to praise Lenka Padysakova’s work as costume designer of this movie.
“Working with Lenka Padysakova was great,” Martin exclaimed “She and I designed this movie together, and we didn’t want the audience to think that the characters were dirty all the time.”
“We went as far as we went with the clothing, yet we made everyone look good. She was able to fit these actors in a way that was brilliant.”
Lessons learned from this screenplay
On the lessons learned from this screenplay, Martin reflected, “I wanted this screenplay to be different from any other action movie that has done before. Of course, I can’t compete with the big blockbusters, but I wanted this to be unique and different.”
Advice for young and emerging filmmakers
For young and aspiring filmmakers, Martin said, “Stay away from the Internet about reviews, just make sure that you did your very best. Go above the call of duty.”
Success
Regarding his definition of the word success, Martin said, “Success means being able to entertain the audience. I just want someone to forget about their problems, and that’s why I go to the movies myself.”
“I am learning so much from watching movies with my favorite actors in them. Right now, I am watching films from Gene Hackman’s catalog. There is never a moment to stop learning,” he noted.
Closing thoughts on ‘Off the Grid’
For fans and viewers, he remarked, “I hope people can watch ‘Off the Grid’ and see these great actors in it!”
“Everyone gives a solid performance and I try to keep the forest as its own character in the movie. I really want to make sure the audience gets to see what I was trying to say,” he concluded.
To learn more about director and filmmaker Johnny Martin, check out his IMDb page.
Read More: “Off the Grid” review.
