Meet Cole Webb Harter | Author & Filmmaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Cole Webb Harter and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cole, do you have some perspective or insight you can share with us on the question of when someone should give up versus when they should keep going?
As long as you still enjoy it, there is no reason to quit. People psych themselves out, especially artists, worrying if they’re doing the right thing or not. My advice is just to relax and do what comes naturally. You may not be able to do what you love all the time or even make a living at it (at least at first), but if you really enjoy what you do, you will find the time to do it. It will come naturally. So if this is a question that haunts you, the answer is to change your psychology. Reframe the question not as a “should” but as a “want”. What do you want to do? Do you want to keep going? If so, do so. Don’t make it too complicated or too hard on yourself.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I like things that are slow. I love a mood. A certain feeling apropos to whatever it is I happen to be working on. When I got into filmmaking, most of my ideas came from the mood or emotion I wanted to experience, often combined with one singular, striking image. We did a little short called Lactose Intolerance a few years ago which is about a fellow who sews his nipples to his elbows. It was that shocking image combined with this angsty feeling of suspense – like waiting for something terrible to happen on a hot summer day – that inspired me.

Most recently, I released a film called Erzsabet and the Mystery of Iniquity about the infamous Mojave Phonebooth (some of you may remember this). What stood out to me was this image – alone, forgotten, abandoned telephone out in the middle of nowhere. A telephone that still rings. And the empty desert wind blowing silently across some barren basin. So if there’s anything that sets me apart artistically, at least from other filmmakers, it’s my willingness to let a scene breathe and just be what it needs to be. I hate how fast-paced movies can be these days. It’s unwarranted. Everything is prettier when you can sit with it for a while.

Right now I’m transitioning (at least for the near future) into publishing. This simply grew out of necessity as I wanted a platform through which to release my esoteric mystery/thriller The Land of Giants. So I founded Lonely Places Press. I think we’ve got a few other books coming out soon. This month we’re re-releasing Demoniality, a public domain text on demonology from the 17th-century. Anyone interested in cryptids or UFOs or that kind of thing would eat it up (and my book too, to be honest).

I suppose I have a similar artistic philosophy when it comes to the printed word. I wouldn’t exactly say it’s “art for art’s sake” but I do think beauty has value in and of itself. So I like words that sound pretty to me. And of course anything dramatic, a story, which would apply to both a movie and novel, can be beautiful even when it goes into dark or “ugly” territory. It’s part of the catharsis of storytelling, like Aristotle said. The Land of Giants has taken me over three years to get off the ground because I just couldn’t get that catharsis right. The ending was all screwed up. Of course I was distracted by other things too. But now, after some time has passed, I think I’ve finally got it to a place that evokes that feeling, that mood, that I feel when I imagine it. I want it to be a suspenseful thriller and a conspiracy theory and a Bigfoot hunt and a theological treatise all at once. So striking that balance has been difficult. Getting to that harmonious golden ratio, where everything is perfectly proportioned.

The most important thing I’ve learned so far is that I would rather the project turn out the way I want it than the project be good. So if I had to impart some advice, I’d say don’t worry about whether your book or movie or song is “good” per se, just worry about if it’s turning out the way you want it. The thing is the thing, right? The worst thing that can happen to you artistically is you get so worried about pleasing everyone else that the thing stops being the thing and becomes something else. That’s just a tragedy. If you have reasonably good taste (which is a big “if” in these long latter days), somebody is bound to appreciate your vision. It’s bound to happen eventually.

I would also say it’s important to consider whether your endeavor is commercially viable or not. A lot of artists don’t want to think about business or money, but that’s just silly. We all like money, okay? No need to get on a high horse about it. You’ve got to at least bring in something. That’s why we’re republishing old books like Demoniality (our version has the best cover design and typesetting), to support the other original work that I’m trying to do.

But I suppose in answer to your question, disregarding everything I just said, the best way to overcome challenges is to have a loyal support team. It is essential to engender loyalty in your collaborators. It’s not even that hard, so it’s shocking to me how few artists have this. All you have to do is make fun projects and not be a jerk. So if you’re not doing one of those things, change that. It will be night and day. You get a lot more freedom to do crazy things, too, when people are on your side and want to be there.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well, definitely you’d want to get out of the hustle and bustle of the urban areas. I don’t like noise and crowds. I’d take them out to the South Mountain preserve for a hike, or go on a night drive up through the Superstition Mountains. I have to say, I do find the Mesa Historic District charming. A lot of fun shops there.

If they’re in a dessert mood, I’d take them out to PussyCat Gelato in Scottsdale. It’s a charming, real Italian gelato shop themed after Spaghetti Westerns and Hannah-Barbera cartoons. Iconic. They might also check out All Pierogi in Mesa. It’s a Ukrainian/Polish store and restaurant where we get our kolbasi for Christmas and Pascha. They have lots of good beers as well. If you have kids, I’d say head over the train park in Scottsdale. You can ride on a little miniature locomotive. It’s a hoot. I’m glad I have kids or I’d feel left out.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Maria Schloeder (nee Oscilowski), who produced all my early short films and continues to be a collaborator and trusted confidant. One of the few whose opinions I will listen to.

Website: colewebbharter.xyz

Instagram: @cole.webbh.harter

Youtube: youtube.com/theandalusianpeafowl

Other: If you could link directly to my movie, Erzsabet and the Mystery of Iniquity – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqQyhyqi37Q&t=2035s – that’d be peachy keen.

Image Credits
Sam Carts Susana Duenas Kim Johnson