SL: All I can say is that my film is definitely not a glorification of these images.

THC: Let's talk about the technical decisions you made for filming. Why did you choose to use digital video and what benefits did it bring to the production?

SL: Considering the small budget for the movie - it cost just under $10 million - I thought that the Sony VX 1000 worked well and was appropriate for the look of the film. Digital video made sense aesthetically since it's a film about a television show - and it also made sense practically because it allowed us to shoot quickly.

THC: On a quick shoot, do you abide strictly by the script or do you allow your actors to improv?

SL: The way I work, in any film that I do there's always some improv; there's definitely some in this film too.

THC: How did the actors feel about blackening up?

SL: They absolutely, absolutely dreaded it. There's no question that they felt it was dehumanizing. Some of the cast and crew weren't familiar with blackface, actually. They didn't know what to feel and I could tell that they were just dumbfounded.

THC: Not only are they dealing with blackening, but their characters are "bloody" as well. Are there any characters that you feel are more despicable than others?

SL: I would say that all the characters are "bloody." Everyone is equally guilty of something and I think it is important to stress that everybody is in cahoots.

THC: If everyone is guilty, then isn't that a possible basis for giving the film a clear resolution? Why did you decide to leave it so open-ended?