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This interview transcribed
from the May 2005 publication of Valley News, v.1 issue 7. The
"Siren" of Film Speaks: An interview with Michele Fiore-Kaime Michele Fiore-Kaime is an amazing woman. Anyone who could take their very first script, produce it, and star as the lead is amazing. When I first met Michele, I knew nothing would stand in her way when it came to making "Siren", an incredible heart felt movie currently being filmed in Sandy Valley as well as Las Vegas. Her tenacity for the project has carried her through the many ups and downs of the movie's production, and that golden character trait is still serving her well midway through filming. "Siren" tells the story of Storm, a 36-year old mom who decides to give her dreams of music stardom another try after her 19 year old daughter leaves for college. The cast includes Gary Graham of "Alien Nation" fame who plays her husband and Erin Grey of "Silver Spoons" who plays her agent. I was granted the chance to interview Michele about her experience filming "Siren", and she gave me some insight into the reasons behind her unrelenting passion for the project. Natalie Summerlin: Tell me how Siren came about. Michele Fiore-Kaime: The idea came about in 2000. I was turning 30 and I was at a point in my life where I was dissatisfied. So I went back to college and started taking writing lessons from Robert Gosnell, who wrote "Firewalker" with Chuck Norris. When I started writing, I knew I wanted to make a movie about life and what happens when you surpass the chance to live out your dream. I decided to use my own character but modify it to a universal story to where it touches everyone's character. So with this in mind I wrote my very first script and brought it to Gosnell. I asked him to rewrite it, and he did along with adding a lot of humor to it. The inspiration for Siren grew from the lives of everyday woman and man who is working for a living but not living their life. In other words, they are working to give their children and loved ones monetary things in an effort to be a great provider but in exchange they are putting their dreams and passions on the backburner. NS: Have you always been interested in film? MFK: Yes! I love movies and have always preferred them to watching television. My biggest escape is to go to a movie theater and watch a film for two hours. Every time I see a movie, even if it's great, I always think to myself "what would I have done differently to make this movie better?". NS: In the movie, the main character Storm loses 4o pounds during her personal and physical transformation into a lead singer. Why do you think this is an important factor? MFK: There are a few important factors to that. I am the poster board for the average American woman. Most women in their mid-thirties have gained weight from becoming moms, are happily married and happily eating and happily not exercising. Once kids grow up and leave, they are left thinking "what have I done?" I want to make both men and women realize that once they look in the mirror and see something they don't like, they can change it. I needed to practice what I preach and show them that they too can do it on their own. NS: Why did you decide to take on the lead of Storm instead of casting the role? MFK: That was a big decision. For the role of Storm I needed a dependable person with the willpower, acting ability and singing ability that the role demanded. I wanted an actress to be unkown and also be able to make the transformation of losing 40 pounds midway through filming. In 2001, I found two actresses that were good candidates for Storm. I asked them to lose 10 pounds in 30 days in order to prove to me that they were dependable and willing to meet challenges of the role. Neither actress could do it, so from that point on I decided that if I wanted it done correctly I'd have to do it myself. NS: How have the demands of the role, especially with losing the weight, affected you? MFK: Everything has a schedule now. I have to get up earlier in the morning and be at the gym before I start my normal day. My days are now 14 to 16 hours because I have working out, nutrition, shopping, and cooking to focus on which allows me to stick to my weight loss routine. This affects me because I've begun to hold more people accountable. When I chat with my children now, I hear their responses differently then before. For example, simple things like asking "did you get the homework from your teacher?" and my daughter responding "no" cause me to view that as irresponsible. NS: Why did you decide to film in Southern Nevada? MFK: The number one reason is cost. I also live and work here and my children are here. Instead of filming in two different locations, as the movie plays out in both a middle America town and then in Las Vegas, we have chosen parts of Vegas that still have an authentic mid-western look to it. I also realized after chatting with Los Angeles and New York production companies, the warmth I felt with the Las Vegas based ones were much more friendly and comfortable. NS: What are some of the local locations you've chosen for the movie? MFK: For the first week of shooting, we've used many locations including the Haurprahaus, the Bootlegger, Sams Grocery store, and local residences. All the location have worked out wonderfully and were amazing to film. We will be filming at Suncoast Casino, a place in Nelson, and also at areas in Sandy Valley. I believe there is a total of 52 locations. NS: I know that music is an important aspect of Siren. Tell me a little but about the soundtrack and whether or not you believe it will be essential to the success of the movie. MFK: The acting along with the soundtrack will make or break this film. The music is so very important, and the majority of it is original. The heart and soul of music and singing is really what Siren is a lot about. We have an array of colorful sounds from rock and roll to rap to techno. On the soundtrack we have Little Anthony and the Imperials, who date back to the 1950's and 1960's and are one of the original rock and roll artists who are still performing. I saw them perform live in Laughlin at the Flamingo Hotel. They blew me away and I knew from that point that they had to be a part of my project. We also look at music done by Jefferson Airplane and Roy Orbison just to name a few. We wanted to appeal to an audience of all ages, and the music reflects that. The soundtrack will be incredible. NS: What has been the most challenging part of making this movie so far? MFK: It would have to be casting the team. I was looking for a team where everyone possesses an incredibly synergy. I wasn't looking for someone with a resume that could "choke a horse" and knows everything about everything. I was only interested in heart and soul. So when I say "casting a team", I'm talking about my interns to my producers, my camera men to my grips, my extras to my lead actors, and so forth. Finding and assembling a whole team where everyone has their heart in this film - that was the most challenging. NS: Tell me about Pat Kerby and why you chose him to direct this film. MFK: Mr. Kerby is such an awesome man. He actually put me through the wringer for about a month of negotiation because he would only direct a film that had real actors. He literally made me take a screen test to see if I could act before he would commit to the movie. He has done everything under the sun and is in demand here in Las Vegas. He lives in Pahrump and owns Kerby Brothers Productions. While I was getting everything together for the filming, people that I met in the film industry here mentioned his name on a consistent basis. It all came back to Pat Kerby's name. NS: Describe your experience working with the cast and crew on the first month of filming. MFK: That has been incredible. I personally could not have prayed or asked for a better crew, cast, and extras. When I think of the cast, I think of the extras because when we shoot a scene we literally have 4 cast members and 50 extras. I am very fortunate to have the people I am surrounded with. The cast is so very professional - all real actors and actresses. I am probably the only first timer on this particular project and surrounding myself with professionals has made this a wonderful experience thus far. NS: What are your ultimate aspirations for Siren? MFK: I want it to move people. Whether a thousand or a million people see this film, my biggest aspiration is for the audience to feel the heart and soul of this movie. The feeling I want them to experience is in comparison to the excited and "pumped up" feeling I got when I first saw Rocky. I want them to get that "I can accomplish anything!" feeling. If we motivate even a few people to go out there and live their lives the way they see them, that is my final aspiration. NS: Any final thoughts for our readers? MFK: If you think it, you can turn it into reality. |