Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Night Sweats’ Andrew Lyman-Clarke

Andrew Lyman-Clarke poured his blood, sweat, and tears into his latest feature. He not only directed the must-see thriller Night Sweats, but he also wrote, produced, and edited the project. Pop Culturalist caught up with quadruple threat Andrew Lyman-Clarke to chat about Night Sweats and discovering his voice for storytelling.

PC: How did you discover your passion for storytelling?
Andrew: I have had it as long as I can remember. When I was little, I loved comic books and chapter books. I decided I would write a full-length book in first grade and I pretty much did—it was a space odyssey. I remember saying that when I grew up I would either be an author, actor, or musician. I used to watch a lot of Star Trek with my parents and also a lot of cartoons. Then as I got older, I was always doing film, music, and theatre. I finally started to make movies for real in high school.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Andrew: My father. He is an experimental filmmaker and was a film professor. He didn’t push me to become a filmmaker but encouraged me when I started showing an interest. He shot my first real movie, an adaptation of Jean Genet’s Deathwatch, and then he got me access to an editing suite and we edited it together. That was so much fun! His experimental style has had a big effect on the way I look at movies and movie making as well.

PC: Tell us about Night Sweats and the inspiration behind the story.
Andrew: Night Sweats was inspired by true events. When producer Seth Panman first moved to New York City, he worked for a strange self-help company which the company in Night Sweats, True Healing, was based upon. He was filming testimonials from people who had experienced traumas and how they overcame them. Despite the humanistic motives of the company, Seth was abused both physically and emotionally by the boss, and the company ended up packing up in the middle of the night and stiffing him on his last paycheck.

A few months later, he was contacted by an individual he met through the company who wanted him to film them spreading a deadly disease in New York City as a kind of twisted documentary. He turned down the project but told me about it, and we decided to make a narrative film expanding on these events.

PC: You started writing the script about a decade ago. How has the story changed and evolved since its initial draft?
Andrew: It changed a lot. I wanted to make sure there were these two major twists in the story, so I kept re-writing it until the structure was right. There were almost 30 drafts of the screenplay. One of the biggest changes was that at one point, the self-help company was an independent film production company making a movie about Mary Magdalene…I’m glad I changed that part.

PC: You co-wrote, produced, directed, and edited the film. How challenging was it to wear so many hats? Which was the most difficult?
Andrew: I have always worn a lot of hats on my movies, so I’m used to it. I used to do literally everything, so this film was actually the least roles I’ve played—although, it was still very hard because it was a very ambitious movie and we had a twenty-five-person crew. The whole thing with independent films is to be scrappy and just do what needs to be done in order to get the movie done.

I think the hardest part was dealing with all of the egos and personalities on set—there was a lot of drama and people feeling slighted. It was tempting to lose my temper on so many occasions, but I’ve learned that it’s important to keep control because not only could you have a falling out with a crucial cast or crew member (and your movie is basically screwed), but also the way the director conducts him/herself really sets the tone and trickles down to everyone else.

PC: With the film out now, what do you hope audiences takeaway? What was the biggest takeaway for you from this experience?
Andrew: I hope that audiences take away that it is a jungle out there. Young people, who are the primary audience for the film, need to be aware that they have to protect themselves from diseases, corrupt institutions, and self-interested individuals. I was sheltered growing up, so when I moved to New York City, I had an abrupt bursting of that bubble. I made the film to convey that experience—made more dramatic and thrilling—in an hour and a half.

To keep up with Andrew, follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Catch Night Sweats on Amazon or iTunes.