By Mi-Ling Stone Poole –

Recently, I spoke with critically acclaimed director Kevin Willmott (“Ninth Street,” “C.S.A. Confederate States of America”) about his most recent film, “The Only Good Indian,” starring Oklahoman Wes Studi (“Avatar,” “Dances with Wolves,” “Last of the Mohicans”) newcomer Winter Fox Frank and J. Kenneth Campbell (“Bullworth,” “Ulee’s Gold”).

“The Only Good Indian” is a story about an American Indian boy who struggles to hold onto his heritage after being separated from his family and forced to attend a government boarding school where he learns English.

From a design perspective, I asked Willmott how he overcame these obstacles.

Mi-Ling: When creating a set or finding a location, what is the most important factor?

Willmott: Budget is always the first factor in a low-budget film. You write locations and scenes that you can use on a limited budget. Then you dress and detail the location to accent the scene.

Mi-Ling: Do you hire a professional set designer?

Willmott: I always have a professional set designer but they are limited by the budget. The fun and the challenge for the designer is to detail and bring out the art of a world within constraints.

Mi-Ling: Do you use old photographs to research locations and set designs?

Willmott: We used National Archive photos and other period images to research “The Only Good Indian” and I used photos from the “World of the Blues” for “Ninth Street.”

If you’re looking for a period look to incorporate into your home you can take some of Willmott’s advice and create an interesting home with little effort.

For more information about the film go to www.theonlygoodindian.com.  To book Kevin visit www.exactimage.biz

What is the last independent film you watched?