Q&A with UNC alumnus, filmmaker Estes Tarver

UNC alumnus Estes Tarver is working on a feature film called “Changeover.” Tarver plans to begin filming in May.

Staff writer Katie Hjerpe spoke with him about why he decided to begin filmmaking, and what he hopes his future audience will get out of this project.

Daily Tar Heel: How did your time at UNC and PlayMakers Repertory Company shape you and your career?

Estes Tarver: I was there from 2004 to 2007 and I loved it. The program is awesome with a lot of very experienced faculty that you wouldn’t know would be at Carolina in the acting industry. It’s a well-kept secret as grad programs go. From there I went to New York for three years and did a lot of plays.

DTH: What inspired you to try your hand in filmmaking?

ET: My goal was always to be doing narrative stuff — storytelling. I do a lot of things — act, direct, write — but what it really is that I like to do is tell stories. I started doing as much of that as I can do in a lot of different directions.

I wrote “Changeover” about two years ago, and went through four drafts. I got the idea working with a student, Madeline Taylor — the lead in the film — off of a tape that we made; I do a lot of taping and coaching.

It’s the first feature I’ve directed — before I’ve just done shorts and commercials. This is the right idea and the right kind of film to do because it’s producible and doesn’t require a $20 billion budget for something like a car chase. Low budget for us isn’t as low as for others because we own a lot of the equipment.

DTH: What is “Changeover” about?

ET: It’s about a girl whose parents die in a car accident while she’s in the backseat.

She starts to develop PTSD and depression, as she has to move in with this divorced guy (her uncle) and his 8-year-old kid. It touches upon post-traumatic stress, teen suicide, anxiety-related issues.

DTH: What do you hope viewers take out of the film?

ET: The film has a very positive message and touches upon the positive effects of seeking treatment — therapy, medication, whatever works best for the person. I hope it puts a positive message out there on how to deal with a lot of loss and how to come through the tough times.

Lately there have been a lot of things that are hard for us to see, and I think it’s time for a positive message.

I also love the message that art imitates life. You hope that you put out something that people connect to because they’ve experienced something like this, or dealt with someone that has.

There’s a lot of connection to a story and a lot of reality. I’m not a fan of the exploitative stuff on television — I like the truth coming to a story. This isn’t a true story, but it’s based on true things.

DTH: What impact do you hope “Changeover” has on North Carolina film?

ET: I want to create a certain level of quality that comes from North Carolina. I want to build the credibility of the talent here.

All the main cast members live in North Carolina and it’s amazing to see what they’ve done and that they’re not living in Los Angeles — putting the word out through original material helps those actors get jobs.

There are a lot of actors here that don’t get cast, not because they’re not good, but because they aren’t trusted. I want to help build a solid reputation for North Carolina film, which is growing like a weed.

I want to keep that coming so that people have more and more confidence hiring out here. North Carolina is called the Hollywood of the East because more and more work is coming — I just hope that reputation keeps getting stronger.