Peter Boiadzhieff

Director/Writer/Producer/Actor
United States

1. Your TV Series Braaking Newz won the Official Selection. How was the film inspired?

The idea of the film Braaking Newz came up one night while I was siting down next to the fire place, watching the fire and dreaming to have my own TV show. I love standup comedy and I have already a comedy sketch, but the problem that it was just 4 minutes long, too short. I wanted to have at least 1 hour of content, then my assistant director, her name is Marta suggested let’s make a series, will be easier to film and you always could come with crazy, great ideas. This is what I did, placed my small ideas together, like I really wanted to make announcement that I am running for president of America, adding some drama and crazy staff like BigFoot, is coming from the forest and kidnapping Anna, then he is preparing her for dinner, but the prince is coming and saving the day. Because of some budget restriction we did something else, also I mistaken the costume for BigFoot with Yeti costume. All these challenges do not prevent me to cast few actors and film the movie, which at the beginning supposed to be a feature film about myself. However, we decided to make series instead with running time of 30-40 minutes per episode.

3. Films that inspired you to become a filmmaker?

There are many films that inspired me over the years like ‘After the Sunset’ 2004 with Pierce Brosnan, Salma Hayek, Woody Harrelson. “Stargate Atlantis” the series with Joe Flanigan, Jason Momoa, Torri Higginson but most interesting is “John Carter” – 2012 by Walt Disney. I really love the story telling, the acting, the effects, and how they are able to go back and forward in order to support the story.

4. Who is your biggest influence?

My biggest influence is one of the local film makers his name is Keith Smith because he is able to make any bad situation a positive outcome.
Also, my wife, when she says this is not possible and cannot be done, makes my day. This actually inspire my imagination and I am trying to proof her wrong, yes anything can be done you just need to put some effort and always believe in you dreams.

2. Tell us about your background and when did you decide to become a filmmaker?

I am a software developer, my name is Krassimir Nikov, but I used a stage name “Peter Boiadzhieff”. I was born in Bulgaria, in capital city Sofia. As a child growing up back there, I watched lots of old movies on black and white TV, then I joined the army which is required by the law, learned morse code and became Radio Telegraphist on R-140 Russian Cold War Mobile Radio Station. In other words, my entire life felt like a movie. Later I moved to America where I was able to make my filming dreams come to reality. I was fascinated with film making because it gives me a freedom to escape really, you can be whatever you want to be. I joined toastmasters club for public speaking where I was able to practice and improve my writing skills, then I took a comedy class few times and begin collaborating with small film makers in Atlanta Georgia.
In other words, I always wanted to be a film maker but did not have a chance to do it for one or another reason. In recent years I got lucky to work with very skilled people on the set, actors like Paul Black, Brittany Black, Gordon Giddings, Ruby Singleton, Marta Sand, and many others and was able to pursue several film projects.

I love film making from writing the script, casting the actors, get the crew, find a location, begin filming, editing the movie and finally make the final cut for distribution online or via DVD.

5. Do you have a favorite genre to work in? Why is it your favorite?

One of my favorite genres is Comedy, but I really love Science Fiction and Fantasy. To make funny story and make something with unexpected ending to make audience guessing what it is going to happen next.

6. What’s your all-time favorite movie and why?

One of my favorite movies is “Lucifer” and it a TV series where Lucifer Morningstar is the actual devil and helping the detective Chloe Decker solving crimes. I love the acting, the chemistry between then and how their characters are developed during the series. The idea that the devil is actually a person who helps people and every day is a party, drinking, smoking, and the concept of hell, when you die if you are going in hell. The hell is actually torturing you performing the same task over and over for eternity, like never ending dream. Great drama, and lovely love story and romance between them and the rest of the characters are amazing, too like Detective Daniel "Dan" Espinoza, Mazikeen, Amenadiel, Dr. Linda Martin.

7. If you could work with anyone in the world, who would that person be?

I would love to work with Pierce Brosnan one of my favorite actors, Michael Bay the best director, one of his movies The Island, Margaret Lawson she played in the series Psych, and Daniella Alonso.

8. The one person who has truly believed in you throughout your career.

I have many people that do not believe in me and lots of haters, in most of my life they told you can’t and won’t be.
The person who believed was one of my co-worker David, he always encouraged me and helped me to make my dream as film maker becoming a reality.

9. What was the most important lesson you had to learn as filmmaker?

I have leaned many lessons, but the most important one is do not get discourage from you mistakes. For example, you have an idea in you mind how to film a particular scene but when you are fuming it, looks totally different. The most important lesson is practicing the scene before you actually filming it, what this mean, brake down the scene in small segments and think how you are going to film it, from which angle, lights, what do you want the actor to say, react. I believe this will save you lots of time while filming it and then will be easy to edit the scene later.

10. What keeps you motivated?

The biggest motivation I found in the nature, being outside enjoying the sunset and sunrise and forget about the social media, you cell phone at least for one day in the week. For me this is clearing my mind and make me feel alive.
I love rafting in Ocoee Tennessee and the beautiful view of the maintains which one way to get motivated.

As you look around the nature you will find many things and activities to get motivated.


11. How has your style evolved?

learning from mistakes

At the beginning of my filmmaking I did not realize that I was making the films for myself and to fulfil my desire, or ego. I focused more of story details and the message to have a meaning to the audience. In other words, making a movie for the audience that will enjoying to watched it.
Also, to be able to adapt you script to the location and to you actors. For example, not writing a script that won’t be able to film with current resources, because sometimes my imagination can create scenes like mermaids, jumping on the buildings, or train running on fire.

12. On set, the most important thing is …

One of the most important things on the set is timing, I have been in several films where people are coming late, then the filming runs more then expected.
In other words, time all of your scenes and organize the actors to come when their scene is ready to film. For example, if the actor had just few sentences, he or she does not need to be all day on the set. Another thing explains to all crew that timing is very important and when you are saying filming at 9 AM, everyone should be ready and camera is rolling at 9 AM.
Again, timing and timing is the most important on the set even in most scenarios the time won’t be enough and you always run out of the time, but at least you are going to have a better experience if you plan your timing in advance.

13. The project(s) you’re most proud of…

I am proud of few projects that I was able to finish last year. One of them is “Comedy Sketches” which is one of my dream to be able to perform comedy stand up. Another one is “The Secret Project 53” where I was inspired by a true story and make it as science fiction, and finally “The Reporter from Ocoee with Love”.

14. The most challenging project you worked on. And why?

The most challenging project was a music video that we filmed last year for one of the rappers in Atlanta. It is called “Quarters”. I was part of the video playing as Homeless Man on Park Bench. We filmed in a small studio where we build the sets, like church, jail, office, and etc. The biggest challenge was that we need to take the all scenes in one take. Not sure if the right word for this one is Blocking.
However, we rehearsed several times and start moving from one set to another until we get it right, I think we did the whole thing more than 50 times, but yes we are able to do it and if anyone tell it is not possible I would say anything is possible with practice and film crew that is not afraid to try something new.

15. What are your short term and long-term career goals?

The short terms goals are to finish my short film projects, have lots of rafting videos, few older films, and make one documentary video about the nature.
The long-term goals are to make a feature film and able to distribute to the Theatres and make a tv series like Money Heist distributed on Netflix.

16. Your next projects?

I have few short films to finish, make a new version of The Secret Project 53, complete the Braaking Newz next episode, and I love to create a new web series about the detective and his buddy that are going to solve crimes, at least 5 episodes up to 40 minutes and hope to finished in 3 months.