Daniel Zirilli – Our Final Interview

Daniel, it’s fantastic to have you here. Let’s start with ‘Renegades Theme,’ the theme song for the ensemble movie. How did your partnership with rapper Shug Jackson come about, and what was the
creative process like when working on this exciting project?

I’ve directed several Shug Jackson Music Video’s and we’ve become good friends through the years and I love his voice as a rapper. I had this rhythm and hook in my head and wrote most the lyrics, and sent a scratch track of how I thought is should go, and he and his music producer, Daniel Echerivel came up with the music and recorded it, and Shug worked his magic on the Mic. We are working on some new songs together, including a track for INTERCEPT, in Post now. Shug also has a cameo in it as a soldier.

You have a remarkable background as a music video director, having worked with legendary artists like The Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson, and NWA. Could you share some memorable moments from working with these iconic figures and how those experiences have influenced your work in the film industry?”

I worked my way up through Music Videos, and was the production manager on NWA’s “100 Miles and Running’” and became friends with Dr. Dre and Eazy E, they invited me to their “wet & wild” parties in Malibu and Calabasas, and I ended up doing more videos with Ruthless Records. Later Dr. Dre gave me a “demo” tape of snippets from an artist he told me he just signed and was going to be huge. I still have it: EMINEM.

Not long after I started directing Music Videos through my production company Popart Film Factory in 1990, and after only a couple years I was shooting the film and video for The Rolling Stones Voodoo Lounge, and shooting choreography documentaries for Michael Jackson. I signed an NDA with Michael’s Moonwalker Entertainment, so not sure how much I can say still about that, but needless to say I was blessed early on working with some amazing talent in music videos and related content. I’ll drop some of my music related credits at the end if you care to share them. I have many stories working with The Rolling Stones was all I’d hoped it to be, just one is in San Francisco the band as a treat for the roadies through a big party for them, and The Rolling Stones were the Bartenders for the crew, So we had Mick, Keith and Ronnie serving us and the crew drinks from behind the bar. Legendary.

Speaking of collaborations, what was it like working with Johnny Strong and Marko Zaror on ‘Invincible’? This film seemed to fly under the radar for many. Are there any specific aspects of the movie that
you felt deserved more attention, and is it true that you were unhappy with the version that was released? Could you shed some light on what got cut from the film?”

There is a much better movie in there with INVINCIBLE, the post was sent to Chili for almost two years, out of my control, and yes- I’m not happy with post or the cut. Johnny Strong and Marko Zaror are very talented people though. Johnny especially is multi-talented, he also scored the film. Marko is one of the best martial artists in the world in my opinion, but let’s just say he disappointed me by having someone take over the Post where it got stuck. Some of the plot/story is of course is similar to past action films, but even in its current state I think it has some of the best action I’ve directed and has some very cool sequences. Not sure if I can ever release a directors cut, but I would be open to that in the future. The good thing that came of that is I started editing most of my work again. In music videos, I edited the first 100 plus I directed, then started using other editors as it’s very time consuming. But after what happened to with the Invincible post, you can see I edited RENEGADES and PHOENIX and am Co-editing INTERCEPT now. I taught myself ADOBE PREMIERE and love having more control over my work again. Old dogs can learn new tricks.

I’m really excited to hear about your upcoming film, ‘Phoenix,’ starring Randy Couture. Can you tell us a bit about the film’s premise and your experience working with Randy? Did the filming of ‘Phoenix’
coincide with his role in ‘EX4?

I was in Thailand and received a call from Executive Producer Michael Tadross Jr, who I’ve known and worked with on many films before including The Asian Connections with Steven Seagal with a cameo by my buddy Michael Jai White (Side note: Please support MJWs film OUTLAW JOHNNY BLACK- I connected him with some of my “western connections” and visited the Malibu Canyon set- Michael made a legendary, classic film!) I digress, so Michael T said he wanted me to write a script in a month in order to shoot out Randy Couture before he left to make Expendables 4. So I worked out some story details with EP Alexander Nistratov over the phone, and went into hardcore writing around the clock mode, and about a week later they said we needed to shoot even sooner, so after 11 days I had full rough script that they greenlit- and I jumped on a plane, and shot Randy in Miami for 3 days within a few weeks from getting the call. Then I had 4-5 days to Polish the script and shot the rest in Las Vegas and Miami. I studied Screenwriting at Pepperdine in Malibu and have written or co-written around 50 scripts that have been produced, but have never written so FAST, and it was liberating in a way, I actually over-wrote it and some subplots can become their own films in the future. It was just released as a Tubi original (August 30, 2023) with Natalie Eva Marie doing a kick ass job in the lead and fantastic Neal McDonough co-starring.

When it comes to ‘Phoenix’ or any of your films, do you have full creative control over the final product, including the editing process? How important is creative autonomy to you as a director?”

As noted previously with Invincible, unfortunately I don’t usually have Final Cut of the film, but I get involved in the post as much as I can, as it crucial. Many of my films are pre-sold so there seems to be a rush to get them out quickly as soon as they are in the can, and bottom line, some producers/EPs care, and others just hack them together and put them out as “good enough”. Hence I’m trying to control as much of the process as I can, and for certain I almost always know what is best for my films, and will go the extra mile in post when I can control it. I feel like in many ways I’m just getting started directing films I want to do, and I have several next level scripts….

As someone who has directed both music videos and movies, which do you find more challenging, and what unique aspects or skills are required for each? Are there any lessons from your music video career
that have been particularly valuable in your filmmaking journey?”

For certain movies are more challenging. After making so many movies when I direct music videos it feels so freeing and fun. The good news though about me coming through the ranks in music videos, you have so much freedom to experiment music videos – and it’s a directors medium. In commercials and TV, there is much more oversight from other executives, but in music videos and many independent films, the director is free to be creative as long as he’s serving the Artist and Script.

Finally, looking ahead, what other exciting projects do you have in the works, and are there any dream collaborations or genres you’d like to explore in the future?

I’m currently editing Intercept that we shot all around the world, and I have a bigger Action film that was delayed during the SAG strike, that I can’t talk about – but has a killer cast… and always writing developing several others, mainly action, though I have a very cool Roman Historical Action project in the works, and hopefully will shoot Trigger Fish this year, that was fully prepped in Miami and also was delayed. I’m also on a screenwriting assignment. Generally my dream is to continue to work with solid actors and actresses, and once I can share more I will! I appreciate your support as well as your readers. Being an Indie writer/director has is stops and starts and challenges – but it’s what I am built and trained to do… as I love telling stories…

Check out Daniel’s impressive filmography here