What was your inspiration for Butch Jamie?
A few years ago I directed a short called "Ballet Diesel."  It's about a diesel dyke with several closeted girlie habits like walking like a ballerina, hence the nickname "Ballet Diesel"...>>CONT.>>

How did you cast the film?
While all of the actors in the film have had acting experience, only two in the movie (Tiffany Anne Carrin who played Jill, and Nathan Edmondson who played Glen) actually consider themselves actors...>>CONT.>>

What was your rehearsal process like?
Since we filmed Lola's scenes first, she and I rehearsed all of our scenes before we started shooting.  I wanted to get our relationship arc down before we started filming...>>CONT.>>

How was it filming in Albany?
Well, I temporarily moved to Albany from L.A. a couple of years ago (and have since moved back).  I had studied writing and directing in L.A. and had shot a couple of short films there.  What struck me as the biggest advantage to Albany was price...>>CONT.>>

How much of the film is scripted versus improv?
Most of the film is scripted, although some scenes were mostly improv.  Olivia (Lola) improvised Howard's (the cat) headshot scene based on what his photos ended up looking like. The other scenes that we improvised were Jamie and Howard in the kitchen, Jamie talking to herself in the mirror as a man, and Jamie and Howard's audition...>>CONT.>>

Was it hard working with a cat actor?
Well, Huey (who played Howard) isn't trained to do anything on cue, but since I knew him and wrote the script, I knew he would be able to perform certain tasks...>>CONT.>>

What was your experience like being both an actor and director for this film?
I really enjoyed it; I know some people find it stressful to switch back and forth between the roles, but it doesn't bother me.  Everybody works differently...>>CONT.>>

What do you want people to get out of the film?
Well, first and foremost, the film's a comedy  -- I obviously want people to laugh and have a good time.  But ultimately, I would love for some people to walk away with a bit more...>>CONT.>>

What are you working on next?
Well, I've started writing a sequel tentatively titled "Heterosexual Jill."  I don't want to give away too much about the end of "Butch Jamie," so all I'll say is that in it, Jill wrestles with her heterosexuality.  I'm hoping that "Butch Jamie" will be popular enough to warrant a sequel, so it all depends on how this first one is received.