Interview with film artist JP DiScisco

GLVBX How did you first get interested in filming?  

JP When I was seven years old I became obsessed with ‘Jaws.’ I was really affected by how terrifying the story was, so much so that I was afraid to swim in the ocean. I kept imagining that iconic image from the poster of the shark creeping up to its unsuspecting victim.

I found a copy of ‘The Jaws Log’ at a used bookstore and was captivated by the blueprints of the shark and the grainy, behind-the-scenes photos. Suddenly I realized…I want to make movies…


GLVBX What was your inspiration for Scatterbrain and the music you chose for the film?

JP Its strange, there are many eclectic inspirations that arose in my life at the time that formed the basis for ‘Scatterbrain,’ but probably the most obvious are the music and life of Daniel Johnston, Buster Keaton, Maurice Sendak, and the enormous collection of toys and artifacts from my own childhood that I found decaying in my basement. 

I was also listening to Joanna Newsom on a continuous loop and thinking of different ways I could visualize and interpret her music.

GLVBX How long did it take you to produce this work and how did you fund this project?  What is your process?

JP From conception to completion, it was about one year. I saved money from my job driving a truck for Edible Arrangements and lived without a cell phone for some time to pay for props like the real “stuffed” owl that I had to special order from the UK. In the end, I think the overall budget was around five thousand. The one good thing about being a truly independent filmmaker is that you don’t have a hard deadline, so you can really take your time and pay attention to the fine details.

GLVBX What is your favorite part of the film and why?

JP I really love the final scene of the film where Joe rows to a tiny island in the middle of a lake to find solitude, all set to Daniel Johnston’s beautiful song ‘True Love With Find You In The End.’ I also love the last scene because it was never intended that way at all. I had planned for a completely different ending, but decided to change it at the last minute due to difficulties with shooting at a particular location. Now I couldn’t even imagine something different.

GLVBX When your not creating rockin' films, we could most likely find you....

JP Teaching teenagers from Cambridge how to make their own films at Cambridge Community Television.

GLVBX If your life had an album cover title, it would be....

Sleep Deprived, and Wide Eyed