Texas Filmmaker Jessica Schoenbaechler’s Documentary “Hooker” Is Unique Look at Women, Art and Pornography.

Film Title: HOOKER
Producer, Director, and Cinematographer: JESSICA SCHOENBAECHLER
Editor: JENNIFER HORST
Starring: WHITNEY LEE, SYDNEY MOON

Original music: MOSTLY CHICO
Additional photography: MIKA FERRIS
Production Assistants: CAIMEE SCHOENBAECHLER, MATTHEW MACCARTHY

SHORTFILMTEXAS (SFT): What is the your film “Hooker” about?
JESSICA SCHOENBAECHLER (JS): Hooker documents a unique relationship between two seemingly different women – one a textile artist in Austin and the other a nude model in San Francisco. After a coincidental introduction to each others work, they forge a friendship. The film depicts their first meeting and the discussion that stems from the differences in their jobs.

SFT: How did you come across the idea for the film?
JS: Through friends, I became aware of the work of Whitney Lee, the textile artist. Her nudes were contemplative in the way she reworked pornographic imagery in a kitschy medium – latch hook rugs, which many of us did as children in the 70s. When we spoke for the first time, she told me about her chance meeting with one of the actual nude models, Sydney Moon. I wanted to make a film that was fun, interesting, and lighthearted. At the same time, it speaks volumes about how women and their work are valued in popular society.

SFT: What did you shoot on? Edit on?
JS: I shot on miniDV, and my editor edited on Final Cut Pro. I used school equipment, even when I traveled to Chicago by myself. Negotiating public transit and hostels with a giant tripod and camera certainly made me nervous, but it turned out well.

SFT: That brings ups a good question. Were you all on your own or did you have a crew?
JS: The crew was minimal. My sister PA’d, friend Mika Ferris acquired the strip scene off of the computer, and Jennifer Horst edited. Austin recording artist Mostly Chico provided original music.

SFT: How long was the entire filmmaking process?
JS: I shot about 3-4 days spread out over a period of time. I was actually in the midst of making a longer film – my thesis film for UNT’s MFA in documentary production entitled “Beach Drive: Public Rights and Private Property” – so I just worked on this one in my spare time. My editor was also entrenched in many other assignments, so her task took a few weeks. Overall, the post process was pretty painless because we knew what the story and structure was going into it.

SFT: What was the most challenging part of making the film?
JS: This was one of the easiest films to make because the two women were incredibly articulate and completely candid. I got along well with them, enjoyed our conversations, and used the opportunity to learn more about the craft and myself as a filmmaker.

SFT: What was the most interesting thing you took away from the experience?
JS: I learned that my previous ideas about women in the adult industry were judgmental, ill-conceived, and inaccurate. But I also learned that a lot of men pay huge sums of money for these media products and inordinately value women’s depiction as sex objects…often much more so than they value womens’ vocational or intellectual skills.

SFT: What advice would you give a first time documentary filmmaker?
JS: Stick with it and find a day job that you enjoy equally as much. Few people make a real living from documentary. It is largely a labor of love. At the same time, filmmakers come to documentary from all walks of life, diverse careers, and a variety of ages. Your prior experiences inform your story, technical, and interpersonal skills, so think of everything you do as preparation for your life as a documentary filmmaker.

SHORTFILMTEXAS: What are you working on now?
JESSICA SCHOENBAECHLER: Currently, I’m a writer/coordinating producer at AMS Pictures in Dallas. It is the largest production house in the Southwest, and we make a variety of industrial, commercial, and educational videos. We have also had success recently breaking into network television with various reality shows.

My first love, however, is documentary, and through AMS I’ve been able to produce a full-length doc about civil rights leader James Farmer. Entitled “The Good Fight: James Farmer Remembers the Civil Rights Movement,” the film chronicles his early days as a “great debater” at Wiley College, his instrumental role in the fight for equality, and his legacy as a professor. I am also on the board of WomenInFilm.Dallas and have enjoyed programming the Chick Flicks Film Series and Festival.

(Film Contains Adult Subject Matter and Nudity. Parental Discretion Advised.)

CONTACT:
To contact Jessica about her films please email her at jessica@purlproductions.com or visit her website http://www.purlproductions.com

——————————————————

Are you a Texas filmmaker (yes, actors are filmmakers, too!)? Was this post helpful? Receive more posts like this via email and RSS to stay current with Texas casting calls, crew calls and Texas film news . Sign up for our newsletter and RSS feed.