Michael Schilf: Former Kenoshan Releases First Major Film Debut “The Wolf and the Lamb”
Feature Film Draws Solid Reviews
Former Kenoshan Michael Schilf recently wrote and directed his first major release titled “The Wolf and the Lamb”. KSE was lucky enough to catch up with one of our own to get some insight on this pretty outstanding achievement!
KSE: Start with an easy one…when you were a kid, growing up down the street
from Luigi’s, was “films” always the target?
MS: As a young boy coming of age in the 1980’s, three things saved me: my dog Flash,
high school athletics, and the movies. Flash—a portly mutt, missing a chunk of her tongue, with
one lazy eye—was my best friend, high school sports became my vital escape from fragility at
home, and the movies allowed me to transport myself—if only for a few hours—to another
world. Growing up in the 80s was the absolute best time to begin a love affair with cinema.
The 80s had everything: a DeLorean DMC-12 modified into a time machine; a Reese’s
Pieces eating Extra-Terrestrial; a T-800 cyborg with a preference for shotguns and
motorcycles; a wise-cracking cop single-handedly thwarting terrorists; a group of
misfits on a quest to find a pirate’s treasure; a trio of quirky parapsychologists who
start a ghost-catching business; an archaeologist with a penchant for antiquities and
killing Nazis; even a mockumentary of a fictional English heavy metal band on their
U.S. tour. There is a magic in storytelling, but movies held a special power over me. From sci-fi
(The Empire Strikes Back) to action (Lethal Weapon) to comedy (Raising Arizona) to
drama (Platoon), I was a cinephile through and through. Now, as a kid living just a few blocks
East of Luigi’s, would I have been able to articulate this? No. Did I know I wanted to become a
writer and later a producer and director? No. There was never a target. It was simply my love of
cinema that paved a path. I just followed the trail.
KSE: You have your own production company, Lunar Door, and without getting too
far into the weeds, is having your own production company beneficial in terms for
being able to get your idea made into film…or it is like the sports analogy…if you
are good, they will find you no matter how small or where you are?
MS: There is talent everywhere. The sports analogy, however, is flawed. When it comes
to being an artist, there are no regular seasons, no head to head competition, no
standings, no playoffs, and certainly no scouts attending games to identify promising
young talent. The truth is no secret. If you want to be good at your craft, you have to put in the
work. You have to put in your 10,000 hours.
KSE: If you could jet into KTown for lunch today…where ya going and what you havin?
MS: Tenuta’s. No question. Ravioli wins the gold. Gnocchi a formidable silver. Tortellini
Ah Funghi takes the bronze. Oh, and I ain’t leaving without a side of meatballs.
KSE: You graduated from USC film school. Most regular people in the Midwest hear
that and figure that is like the Holy Grail of filmmaker ground…is that true?
MS: The School of Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California is an
impressive accolade. My experience there was also an excellent foundation. However,
the Holy Grail of filmmaking — if there is such a thing — is not a place. Not an
institution. Unlike most professions, there is no clear path for becoming an artist.
Everyone’s journey is uniquely different. Despite the myriad of paths to get there, you
need five things: 1. Talent; 2. Luck (which is 80% hustle); 3. Network (It’s not who you
know. It’s who knows you); 4. Support (a cheerleader you respect); 5. Team (filmmaking
is collaborative. You build a team with other like-minded talented people). With that said,
you will face a lot of rejection. You will fail almost always. To persevere, you must be
relentless. I’d also add that authenticity and kindness will help fuel your tenacity.
KSE: One of the unique things about having a website is putting your stuff out
there and wondering if people are going to think it sucks or that they just don’t
get it. Now you have that type of scenario in spades, with The Wolf and the Lamb
being something you have written and produced. No way you’d even attempt this
if you didn’t believe in it…but I’m always interested in hearing a little about those
inter-brain wrestling matches that go on that no one can hear.
MS: The best analogy is baseball. The average batting average for MLB is
approximately .245. That’s 24.5%. Imagine taking a test — any test — and getting 3 out
of every 4 questions incorrect. That’s failure. In fact, that’s like not even trying. But in
baseball, 25% is nearing the ceiling, which redefines success. Yet we need to take it
one step further. Even though players know the statistics, they still must believe that
they will get a hit. Every time. Conversely, if a player walked to the plate thinking that he
will probably strike out, his batting percentage will be much lower. The thing is, when a
player picks up his bat, he must believe that he will get a hit. It’s that belief — along with
their tremendous work ethic — that earns a 25% success rate.
Filmmaking works the same. As artists — like ball players — we must believe that every
project we create will be a hit. Yes, we know the hard data. We know that most will fail.
In fact, our success rate is even worse than in baseball, probably closer to 10 percent.
An artist’s life is defined by failure, their work ethic, their belief in their abilities, and their
resilience to keep going. Every project is a swing of the bat. Every project has the
potential to be a home run.
KSE: Your favorite St Mary’s grade school memory?
MS: Two memories stand out: 1. playing after school basketball with Father Jerry and 2.
conquering fellow classmates on the snow hills during recess out on the playground. If I
had to choose a favorite, it would be the snow hills. If my memory serves me right, I was
“The King.”
KSE: The IMDb calls The Wolf and the Lamb a drama, thriller, horror, mystery, and
Western. That covers a lot of territory. Is that your “wheelhouse” or does this film
just happen to be the one that was chosen for your directing debut?
MS: The Wolf and the Lamb definitely embraces multiple genres. I would describe the
film as a slow burn western that morphs into a psychological thriller and ends with an
uppercut of horror. As for my “wheelhouse”, I’m naturally drawn to the drama, crime, and
thriller genres; however, it’s the theme — not the genre — that is most inspiring. For me,
that theme is self-sacrifice. I love altruistic protagonists, regardless of genre.
KSE: Which was more difficult, writing it or directing it? Why?
MS: First off, both are extremely difficult, and in many ways, the comparison is apples
and oranges. Definitely not two of a kind. I have been writing for nearly 30 years, so in
that way, the writing process is second nature to me. Directing, however, is an entirely
different beast. You have a million different things that require your attention: casting,
locations, sound, camera, production design, costume, make up, props, and of course,
the actors.
When you are writing, it’s just you and the material. You and the story. You and the
characters. Once you put on the director’s cap, you don’t have the luxury to explore
much. There are two constants attacking you at both flanks: not enough time and not
enough money. When writing, I was not thinking about how much a particular scene or
element would cost. However, once you are in pre-production and later production,
every hour costs thousands of dollars. You’re in constant compromise, we don’t have
time for that shot, we need to cut that scene, we have to do this in one take. None of
which is ideal.
And then there is the weather. When you shoot on location, Montana doesn’t care that
you are trying to shoot a film. In any particular day, we could go from clear skies to
thunder and lightning to hail back to sunshine followed by a downpour. Directing — in
my experience — is your ability to pivot and adjust while staying calm. The director is
the captain steering the ship, and if the rest of the cast and crew begin to feel negative
emotion from their leader — be it fear, anger, frustration, annoyance, etc. — the trickle
down effect is severe. When on set, it is a healthy perspective to expect problems.
Things will go sideways. A good director responds. He does not simply react. And that…
is an extremely difficult line to balance.
So what was harder? The original script took place in central Texas, but when we lost
$2M of the budget and chose to relocate to Montana in order to save the film, the script
required a massive overhaul. Even though I had only three weeks to rewrite the entire
script, directing the film was much harder.
Not enough money. Not enough time. We shot the film in 16 days, which is insane,
considering that comparable films would have a 25 day shoot. But the biggest challenge
was my inexperience. The Wolf and the Lamb was my directorial debut. It’s impossible
to have all the answers, to have it all figured out, when you’ve never done it before. You
just have to dive in, do your best, and learn from your mistakes. Then on the next film,
apply what you learned and make different mistakes.
KSE: Was there a “I had no clue” moment that happened during this most recent
journey, that grabbed your attention?
MS: It was a Monday and the first day of shooting. I stood in front of the entire crew and
delivered a speech about problems. I acknowledged that there would be
inconveniences, obstacles, and challenges. But a problem — a real problem — I said
was something like cancer. I went on to share the 6-month battle my then 13 year old
son had with cancer. I then instructed that I didn’t want to hear the word “problem” on
set. Mic drop.
Fast forward through week one of production. Now it was the following Monday, and I
found myself delivering another speech to the crew. “Corrections and retractions,” I
declared. “There are problems. Real problems. They happen all the time. Every day.”
Some of the crew laughed, some even cheered. I told them the word “problem” was
back on the table. Use it as will.
I really had no clue how many things go sideways every day on set. Problem solving is
really the secret ingredient in producing a film.
KSE: Can two people possibly play a 2-man amoeba defense in a game of driveway
hoops on the south side of KTown?
MS: Before I answer, I believe your audience could use a little more context. I assume
you’re referring to your brother Perry and me hooping it up in my mother’s driveway
back in the 80s. The driveway was narrow — only 10 feet wide. Perry was the taller,
more skilled player, with a basketball IQ that was off the chart, but I had mastered the
terrain, navigating hedge, flower garden, and dog leash zip line with prowess. On
offense Perry was the maestro. On defense, however, I was an amoeba — a perfect
parasite.
KSE: I know the term “starving artist” has like 50 different translations and means
many different things to many different people. How has your personal journey
been going from Kenosha St Joe’s to USC film school to what is undoubtedly
your life’s greatest work so far…an interview exclusive with Kenosha Sports
Extra? Easy…never easy…or somewhere in the middle of all that?
MS: Not easy. Here’s the thing about being an artist. You’re not truly an artist unless
there are times when you wish you weren’t one. You wish you wanted to be an
anesthesiologist, a dentist, or a lawyer. All of those professions are difficult, but they all
have a similar path. For every artist, however, the journey is different. You are
constantly trail blazing through uncharted territory. Moreover, you’re never properly
prepared for the journey. It’s a nearly impossible quest.
So why do we do it? We do it because if we tried not to, we would still be drawn back.
I’m a writer. I’m an artist. I’m a creator. If I’m not building something, I’m not whole.
KSE: In looking at michaelschilf.com I can see there are plenty of things working
and populating the pipeline. How much time do you get to spend promoting, and
maybe even enjoying, this recent film and its release?
MS: Great question. I’m always promoting in one way or another. You have to have
talent, but you also need luck, which is 80% hustle. The hustle is real. And promoting,
which is a form of networking, is all about getting people thinking about you or your
project. It’s not who you know. It’s who knows you.
The lion’s share of the promotional work for The Wolf and the Lamb is complete. My
team and I spent nearly three years on that film, from inception to theatrical and digital
release. Certainly, we will still continue marketing, primarily through social media over
the coming months up through securing a subscription video on demand (SVOD) deal
with a streamer. At that point, as hard as it is, you have to let it go. The film is out in the
world, and it will do what it does. Some people will love it, some will not. And that’s okay.
It will have a life of its own. And if we’re lucky, it will not be short lived.
KSE: What is a fun fact about Mike Schilf that very few people in CA would
know…or even care to know. People in KTown LIVE for that kind of inside
knowledge…as you well know.
MS: I was almost the 1986 United States LEGO Champion. I was the Midwest regional
winner, and faced off against two other finalists at FAO Schwarz in New York. After a
hard fought battle, I earned 2nd place. I was ten years old.
KSE: Since everyone has the ability to take a whack at, or give a cheer to,
something you have worked very hard and are obviously very proud of…it is only
fair I get my own reviews from a guy that has experience getting reviewed. Out of
the usual 5-stars…HONESTLY…what is your review of this piece.
MS: I would give The Wolf and the Lamb 4 stars. It’s not a perfect movie. There are
flaws. The audience, of course, doesn’t care that we had to change locations just a few
months before shooting. They don’t care that I had to rewrite the script in three weeks.
They don’t care that we only had 16 days to shoot the film. Nor should they. It is not
their job to care about such things.
I will always know what we didn’t get, what we weren’t able to achieve, where we
dropped the ball. I give The Wolf and the Lamb a passing grade because the film has
substance. It is about something. There is heart in the film. It’s a story about a mother’s
love for her son. It’s about self-sacrifice. And that… is universal.
KSE: Any last parting words or shout-outs to KTown…who you know is here
pulling for a native son?
MS: I would just say that no matter where you go in life, no matter how far your journey
takes you, always remember where you came from. Embrace your roots. K-Town was
and always will be my foundation. I am who I am — in part — because I grew up in
Kenosha. For a large part of my life, I was trying to run away from my own origin story.
Now, after many years, I have grown to not only embrace it, but to love it.
