Meet Richard Turke | Filmmaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Richard Turke and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Richard, how do you think about risk?
Risk is essential. It can get you ahead , especially when you do something different from everyone else. Making you stand out. Although sometimes a risk can back fire on you. Then you would have to start over again. But that is the nature of a risk.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Someone describe my work as a whirlwind of emotions. I love to tell stories about the human condition. I do this with humor and thought. I’m an intuitive director. I feel my way through the process. I plan every shot with storyboards. but not afraid to make changes on the set. I love working with actors. Making films is a collaborative process.

Im proud of the film I wrote and directed called ”Watch this”. A drama about and father and daughter coping the loss of their mother. That film was eventually shown on television. It was cool that Billy Ray Cyrus called me up to tell me how much he enjoyed the film. Lately, I wrote a lot of scripts trying to get the next movie made. The industry is changing. We’re saturated with so much content. This industry is not easy. Not everyone succeeds. Even from their best efforts. I am grateful for what I achieved so far.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would take them to Paradise Cove in Malibu. A cool visit to the beach.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?

In High school, I was known as an artist and cartoonist. Art really excited me. When it came time to pick a college. My art teacher Mrs. Pollice sent me to the library to look at colleges. We used books back then. This was before the internet. I only looked at Art college’s that were listed as very difficult to get in. She was my biggest supporter. Police saw something in me that is didn’t see myself. She was alway encouraging.

I always wanted to go to California and knew California of the Arts was the school for me. I started out in fine art, then moved to Film/ Character Animation. After Cal Arts, I had a few animation jobs here and there but nothing consistent. The Freelance jobs in my early twenties was pretty difficult.

I was approached by someone at Michael J Fox‘s company. He asked me if I had any ideas for live action films. . I wasn’t sure why he thought I would be interested in live action or what he saw in me. I told him “I don’t know how to do live action” he reply. “Same thing. Filmmaking is filmmaking”.That is where my career shifted to live action

I still did independent animated films. Animated films that were in AFI and Slamdance and other notable festivals. One of the films was required by Warner Brother. I also explored live action films. I produced a film at Scott Free (Ridley Scott Company ) Bladerunner star Rutger Hauer was in our film. I wrote and directed an animated pilot that was shown on “Funny or Die”. Then I got a big break. I wrote and directed a feature film. The film stars Tom Sizemore and the cinematographer was Jacques Haikin from Nightmare of Elm Street fame. I learned the most from Jacques. The film won best picture at the Shockfest film festival. Making films is like a drug. You want to keep going and improving to make new films.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/animationturke/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-j-turke-507a19158

Twitter: https://twitter.com/rturke

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/richard.turke/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/rturke/videos