Meet Oliver Ridge, a new filmmaker from Hampshire now looking to make LA his home.
Was there a particular reason you chose LA?
I fell in love with her. I came on holiday as a gift to myself for graduating from the Drama Centre in London. The whole city just breathes the things that I love, it’s exciting, it’s dangerous and there is such a respect for film and art.
What do you miss most from home?
Friends. Family. Jaffa Cakes (I’m a sucker for Jaffa Cakes)
What was your first impression of LA and has it changed since. If so, why?
Much like the movies I make, everything appears idyllic on the surface, but dig deeper and there is darkness at the core.
What do you find is the biggest difference is living here versus your home town in England?
My home town, Awbridge in Hampshire, has about as many people in it as can fit into screen five at the ArcLight cinema. So it took a while to adjust to just how many of us there are here. It’s like coming to a town that never sleeps, from a town that was always asleep.
Do you have a hidden gem in LA that you want to share with us?
I just directed a project based on the work of LA’s iconic barfly Charles Bukowski and was able to shoot at this character-and-soul-filled bar that he used to frequent called Monte Carlo in Koreatown (though any similarity to the Monte Carlo in Europe is in name only).
What would you suggest to others who are thinking about making the move here?
Trust your instincts about the people you meet, if there is a persistent voice in your head, or a growling in you gut, listen to it, it’s always right. Oh, and download Uber.
How can we find out more about you?
You can find more about my mind and musings on twitter @omridge. Or more about my films by following my company @bloodmooncreate
Are you working on anything at the moment?
I’m working the festival circuit right now with my (I’m proud to say) award-winning debut feature ‘Last Days of Summer’ which stars Prison Break’s William Fichtner as a suburban man obsessed with his new, young next-door neighbor. At the same time, I am developing my next feature ‘Low Country’ a criminal revenge story.
