And I havent stopped making films since.
And what are your memories of one of your earliest projects, directingAmerican Yakuza 2?
That was a fun day.
The special effects guys used mothballs which it turns out are highly explosive to destroy the Bobcat dummy.
Your breakthrough film was the documentaryTrekkies.
Where did the idea for that come about?
Denise Crosby came up with it.
I couldnt believe nobody had done it yet, it seemed so obvious.
How hard was it to put together?
I like the fact thatTrekkieswalks a tight line, and never ridicules its subjects.
Were you always conscious of that?
Yes, we wantedTrekfans as well as non-fans to be able to enjoy the film.
But maybe one reason our film seems affectionate is because we liked the people we met.
When we laughed, we wanted to be laughingwiththe people on camera, notatthem.
Were you surprised by the response to it?
Did its success open up new projects for you?
We screened a rough cut for a group of non-Trek-fans and there were a lot of laughs.
you’re free to see the trailer for that film on the websitewww.TheNatureOfExistence.com.
Was it the response that led you to consider the sequel in the first place?
And how was it to go back to that world for another film?
Not everybody was happy with the firstTrekkies.
Some of the fans voiced a similar critique, saying, you should have shown more normal fans.
Its the exceptional people that make for interesting profiles.
Plus, I have no idea what the definition of normal is.
Also, we wanted to expand beyond the United States, and meet fans around the world.
Which of the two are you happier with?
You only have one first time, and its hard to top your first.
We received a lot of suggestions from fans for theTrekkies 2, and we tracked many of them down.
The suggestions are still coming in forTrekkies3.
And many have been very helpful to me as I travelled the world shooting my new documentary.
Well come to that shortly!
What led you to your Roswell documentary?
How do you turn down a chance to witness such an explosion of alien Americana?
Of all my projects Ive completed, its still the one that upon repeat viewings still amuses me immensely.
What challenges did you face doing that film?
There was so much to see in Roswell and so little time.
We barely took time to stop and eat the whole time we were there shooting.
My favourite moment was watching a performance ofRoswell: The Musical.
Where does the inspiration actually hit you?
Sometimes it takes somebody else suggesting it to me.
How was it going in and directing an episode of a show likeThe Office?
Directing television is much different from directing feature films or documentaries.
Television episodes are the domain of the writer-producers.
My favourite is always the next project, whatever it will be….
What are you up to now?
And what can you tell us about your new film,The Nature Of Existence?
Have you ever wondered whats the point of everything?
Why are you here?
Where exactly is the afterlife located?
Why does God seem so interested in our sex lives?
ts amusing, to say the least, to watch people attempt to answer some fairly unanswerable questions.
My questions are listed on the films site.
If youve got some of answers, let me know!
Finally, whats your thus-far unmade dream project?
Any book by Larry Niven that hasnt been made as a movie yet.
Roger Nygard, thank you very much!
Rogers next film,The Nature Of Existence, is currently touring several film festivals.
For more details, check out its website:www.thenatureofexistence.com
