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OGDEN: Did you have a business model in mind when you made the film? If so, how did you plan to recoup the initial investment?

OSBORNE: There was really no plan to recoup the money. We thought we might be able to get some back, but certainly not the whole budget. The reality is that short films are for love (or for your reel) but definitely not for money.

But I am hoping all that will change in the very near future. Now that the internet can connect filmmakers like myself directly to an audience, it may be easier to make shorts like MORE possible. I was approached by a really cool guy and savvy entrepreneur Justin Sewell of a company called Despair, Inc. He was a fan of the film and had great ideas to help me create and fund the MORE documentary I was hoping to make and take my film into a new realm. In a brave online experiment Despair, Inc. and I have partnered to launch an online store called HappyProduct.com.

The mission is to reach out to MORE fans, gather them into a community, showcase upcoming projects and sell my films and other cool stuff directly to my audience. If the experiment works, it will be much, much easier to make my next film. It’s a very exciting time, I hope it works!

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OGDEN: How did you get the time to make this film?

OSBORNE: I was teaching at CalArts while I was conceiving the film. And then I was off for the summer while I was in production. Once school started again it was really hard to get everything done, but the students were so excited that I was actually making a film so they were very understanding of my schedule. Also, during the ramp up to do the film, I (along with the whole crew) did a job for TBS creating the opening sequence animation for my brother's now defunct TV show “The Movie Lounge.” It was a gig I couldn't pass up and in a lot of ways it helped get our moviemaking machine up and running.

OGDEN: I'm always curious to know if artists are affected by their own art. Obviously, this piece is important to you, and was intensely personal for you right from its inception. What sort of effect does MORE have on you when you watch it?

OSBORNE: At this point, I don't really watch it. There have been many times in the past where I'll be doing something with the film or screening it at a festival or something and I get to sit and watch it, and that is always surreal. It is so strange to see it now. I just sit back and wonder how we all made it happen. It’s all such a blur and frankly, it is so beyond me at this point. I know the production almost killed me, but somehow we all managed to get through it.

But what really freaks me out is I am still learning what the film means and where the film came from deep inside me. The film continues to evolve even for me as I have new perspective on it and as I see others reacting to it. I do love seeing it with an audience, it really validates the process for me and encourages me to keep making films.

OGDEN: You were nominated for an Academy Award. They say it's nice just to be nominated. Care to comment?

OSBORNE: I won't lie, it is completely amazing to be nominated. And truth be told, I was broken hearted I didn't win. It is so hard not to dream about actually winning when you are in that position. I feel like the luckiest guy in the world to have had the experience with the film that I have had. It went way beyond anyone's expectations, even my own. And in some ways I'm glad it didn't win, it may have sent me down a path I would not have necessarily enjoyed. It's really hard to say. Plus, I was completely unprepared physically and emotionally to go on stage and speak coherently. It would have been a total humiliating disaster with some sort of pants wetting or violent upchucking.

OGDEN: What has the Academy Award nomination meant to you? (Both in your professional life, and if it has had any effect in your personal life, what has it been?)

OSBORNE: Well in my professional life it has been a huge help in getting my foot in the door of the industry. The film itself keeps my foot from being kicked back out, but the nomination definitely gets me in. In my personal life I would have to say it has made a huge impact only because I am so much more empowered now to pursue this crazy dream of making films. Everyone in my family and in my life totally supports this odd and risky profession even more than they had in the past (and everyone was completely supportive already!).

But to be completely honest, the nomination has affected my personal life in an unexpected way. When all the agents and Hollywood types came a knocking, it really disturbed my family, homelife and the discovery process I was undertaking to find my voice and find my way in the world. I have just recently been able to re-focus myself on what it is that started me off – my love for my family and my interest in pursuing making films about my personal point of view. It sounds crazy but it is really hard to stay true to your instincts and vision when you have all sorts of idiotic offers from the “film industry” that only cares about the bottom line. I am just grateful that my amazing wife stuck through this with me and has helped keep me grounded in what's really important.

I'd also have to say that the nomination makes me afraid I'll never get that far again. I am actually pretty terrified to make another film only to have it be sub-standard and not good enough for a nomination. It's hard to think just about making a film without thinking ahead and wondering if it will be Oscar worthy. It can really mess with your head (hence the slow start up on the next one…).

CLICK TO VISIT OSBORNE'S HAPPY PRODUCT WEBSITE

OGDEN: The MORE Special Edition DVD is due to be released in December. How can people get it, and how much will it cost?

OSBORNE: The simple MORE DVD ($12.95) will be available right away for those that can’t wait another minute. In the spring, the jam packed Archival Special Edition MORE DVD will be available exclusively at HappyProduct.com, the new online home of MORE and all things MORE and Mark Osborne related. The Special Edition DVD is designed to be a 5th anniversary archive of the entire insane production complete with an extensive 45 min documentary on how the film was made. The doc details the arduous and epic journey of independently shooting a stop-motion film in the IMAX format. There is tons of great material including on the on-set B-roll, pictures and sketches of almost everything, animatics, commentaries and everything else. The Special Edition DVD will also include all of the original footage in full IMAX screen ratio, a very cool and rarely seen tape.

Also at HappyProduct.com some of my other work will be available too along with high quality art prints and t-shirts. Down the road we hope to create lots of other interesting and special stuff for the fans of the film, while also opening the site up to be a home for experimental and independent animation on the web. There is a whole universe of filmmakers making personal and relevant films out there and they need a way to directly connect to their audience. I am very excited about it.

OGDEN: In addition to the website, will the DVD be available in any Brick-and-mortar outlets?

OSBORNE: Not just yet. We are hoping to create a new business model for independent short films, and selling directly to our audience might be the best way to pave the road for future films that can't happen within the Hollywood system. We are calling it a big experiment because we are truly seeking to build a better mouse trap.

OGDEN: What are you working on now?

OSBORNE: Aside from seeking funding for my next short, I am currently in pre-production for some really cool sequences I will be directing for the Spongebob Squarepants Feature Film that is due out November or 2004. I previously directed a bunch of live-action sequences for the TV show and I am thrilled and honored to be involved with the feature.

I am also still in the early stages of a new short film, THE BETTER HALF, that I would love to have done by the end of 2004. It has been brewing for a long time and I do believe it is ready to start coming together. HappyProduct.com will also hopefully be the online diary of that production so that fans of the process can follow along and get an idea of what actually goes into the making of a stop-motion short film. And since I will most likely be making the film with my own money, it should be fraught with peril, chewed up fingernails and lots of horrific tales. It may also be the first time I am creating a film all by myself using a combination of old and new technology to create a groundbreaking and hopefully timely and relevant film.

OGDEN: It's been 5 years since MORE's release, and it's still affecting people today. What do you feel is its appeal, and what do you hope people take away from the film when they finish watching it?

OSBORNE: Really I am thrilled the film still continues to find an audience. And I am amazed each time a complete stranger emails me to let me know how much the film means to them, or how the film sticks with them. I am so lucky to have a constant trickle of support and positive vibes.

But what is the appeal? I don't really know for certain. I guess in some ways it's appealing because it's a sincere expression of an oftentimes indescribable and yet universal experience. It seems like anyone can somehow apply the themes of the film to their own situation in one way or another. Somehow, everyone can see themselves in the main character.

And there isn't really anything in particular I want people to take away from the film. The most that I can ask for is that someone comes away from the film wanting to see it again and wanting to discover what it sparks in their mind, in their conversations about the film and what it starts to speak to in their world. It seems like the film surprises people, so I’d like for them to investigate their surprise in it.

OGDEN: Thanks for making the film, as it's one of my favourites, and thank you for talking to us today.

OSBORNE: Well thank you for coming up with such great questions. It is so strange to think it has been five years since the film was completed. It has been a pretty neat experience and it's nice to reflect on it.

Thanks so much for letting me yammer on and on about it all. I hope everyone can take a peek at HappyProduct.com and please, if you like the film, please tell your friends about it.