Interview with Terry Mills
Terry Mills has been in the local Mississauga/Toronto Indie Arts, Film and Music scene for over 25 years. Terry was involved in a few Indie Films back in the 1990's and his desire to make films has never left. It was in 2011, that Terry bought a Canon FS200 and being involved in the Indie Music crowd, began creating music videos, filming live performances; learning film editing and becoming comfortable using a camera. In 2018, after being on the set of the Indie Romantic Comedy "Therapy Dawg" as a Videographer and Assistant Director; Terry was inspired to finally create his own film. The short film was the award-winning "Tightrope Walker" that was completed in April 2019. Terry has since produced more short films and has been involved with production of other Indie Films produced by other filmmakers. Terry currently is in Post with The Beast of Love 3 & 4 finishing up the International award-winning short film series and working on the award-winning comedy series “Pay Your Bill”.
5/22/20222 min read
First of all we would like you to introduce yourself so that we can introduce you to our audience. Who are you? How long have you been making films?
I am Terry Mills and I currently live in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. I have been serious about making films since 2018.
And now we talk about your project. What will the audience find?
The audience will find a stylistic romantic comedy that tips its hat to the Silent film era.
Were you inspired by any other movie to make the film?
Actually, I wasn't inspired by any other movie to make this film but was inspired by a story my co-workers and I would joke about at work.
And now we would like to know about your cinematographic preferences:
When I was shooting “The Beast of Love”, I used natural lighting and no reflectors of any kind. I feel natural lighting gives the scene more depth.
That one scene with the White Angel was just a case of being there at the right time and it turned out incredible.
What does cinema mean to you?
Cinema is a way to entertain, inspire and perhaps educate people. It's a moment where I can forget a moment of reality and be absorbed into some great visual storytelling.
What was the first movie you remember seeing?
What was the movie I first remember seeing? That's a tough question but the first movie I can honestly say remembering was “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” My mom loved Leonard Nimoy.
Which movie is the best for you?
I have seen thousands of movies and have so many favourites. One of my all time favourites is “The Towering Inferno” The practical effects are amazing
What do you think a movie must have as an essential ingredient?
A movie must have a good storyline. The movie can be of low quality but if it has a great story behind it; people will watch it.
Your favorite actor or actress?
That's a tough question haha! My favourite actor of all time would have to be, Dick Powell. I just love watching him act. Too bad he was gone too soon. But asked me again tomorrow and I may say someone else.
What qualities do you see in that actor to have such consideration. What do you like most about them?
Dick Powell was just one of those actors that took on any role from being a detective to playing the lead in a romantic comedy and he could sing and dance. I just love watching him act. There was just something about his acting style I really like.
A good movie has to…
A good movie has to have a good story, good sound quality and be framed properly.
What genre of cinema do you prefer?
Believe it or not, I prefer horror movies.
How do you define yourself professionally?
I define myself as being an International Award-winning Indie Filmmaker.
Haha! Seriously though; as an Indie Filmmaker, it's hard to define myself as I wear so many hats from Actor to Director to Writer.
What movie have you seen most often
Let me put this in a different perspective because I've seen “The Big Sleep” dozens of times but the movie that I watched 25 times in the course of a couple of months was “Naked Lunch” by David Cronenberg. I've read the novel “Naked Lunch” and thought Cronenberg had done a good job catching the essence of the story.
What topics are the most inspiring for you?
Any topic can inspire me to create a story. It's really about how that story evolves in my imagination.