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Interviews 
March 10, 2010
Interview with Mike Manasseri, Director of Babysitter Wanted
Posted by Turk182 in Interviews
In Babysitter Wanted, a young college girl who believes she is being stalked accepts a babysitting job on an isolated farm, only to realize that there is no escape. There are elements of the familiar here, but director/producer Mike Manasseri leads cast and crew past the conventional pitfalls of the thriller genre and into the unpredictable terrain of Babysitter Wanted. Like Alfred Hitchcock, one of Manasseri’s main inspirations for the film, Babysitter Wanted hits home by creating a relatable, everyday world even as darkness creeps in from the shadows, until both characters and audience are trapped without a foreseeable escape.
The film is Manasseri’s first foray into directing. Approachable and straightforward with an immeasurable passion for filmmaking, Manasseri initially entered the industry as an actor. With several commercials and Broadway plays under his belt, he also starred in the 1988 movie License to Drive with the Coreys (Feldman and Haim) and Heather Graham, in her film debut. The movie was followed by the successful TV series Weird Science (1994-1998), based on the John Hughes hit. “It was a great time, but after that I got tired of acting because it had always been my life,” says Manasseri. “But I still wanted to be in the business so I started writing and wanted to direct eventually.” Although Manasseri had never gone to school to study filmmaking, he acquired most of his knowledge through the firsthand experience of producing independent films.
Director Mike Manasseri.
The opening film at the First Annual Detroit Independent Film Festival, Babysitter Wanted (which was also shown at several European film festivals and won the 2008 Audience Award for Best Feature at Germany’s Weekend of Fear), shows that Manasseri’s directing career is off to a promising start. Based on the foreign reaction to the film, fear clearly needs no translation; the suspense and surprises in the film speak to universal audiences. For inspiration, Manasseri and writer/co-director Jonas Barnes drew upon such influences as Rosemary’s Baby, The Shining, and classic Hitchcock films. However, Manasseri is adamant about using violence and bloodshed for a purpose, not just to get cheap reactions. “Yes, it gets gory,” Manasseri admits. “But we deal with doorways, we deal with what’s-around-that-corner kind of stuff, as opposed to blood and gore … and even when we get [to the gore], it’s character-driven.”
The poster art for Babysitter Wanted.
Manasseri soon discovered that his effectiveness as a director could be traced back to his years of experience as an actor. “Although I do feel like I have a good visual sense and a good storytelling sense, I think my main strength is communicating with actors because it’s what I did my whole life,” says Manasseri. With respect and understanding for his cast, Manasseri approaches directing with a combination of preparation and open-mindedness. “You want [the actors] to find the process, and you want to find happy accidents,” he adds. “Meaning something happens that you didn’t expect, the actor starts to cry or laugh or jump and you go, ‘Oh, we didn’t think of that. Great!’”
Mike Manasseri on the set of Babysitter Wanted.
© 2009 Big Screen Entertainment Group. All rights reserved.
Manasseri had nothing but good things to say about the cast of Babysitter Wanted, particularly the lead actress, Sarah Thompson. When asked what Sarah brought to the role that other actresses couldn’t have, he simply says, “She’s a great, natural, down-to-earth actress. She’s got such a great attitude, no ego, just a real joy to work with.” The film also starred child actor, Kai Caster, which necessitated some special considerations within the horror movie setting according to Manasseri. “We were very careful to make sure that he never really saw anything gory, and we were very respectful of him and his mother,” he says. “He’s a great young actor, terrific kid, and so easy to direct. [But] I don’t think he’s allowed to see the movie till he’s sixteen.”
Sarah Thompson as Angie in Babysitter Wanted.
© 2009 Big Screen Entertainment Group. All rights reserved.
In addition to his filmmaking roles, Manasseri is Senior Vice President of Big Screen Entertainment Group, a full-service entertainment company (check out the Babysitter Wanted site here). He has also been an instrumental presence in supporting the burgeoning Michigan film industry, which offers a 40% refundable tax credit and other exceptional incentives to film productions. Inspired by these offers and his family’s relocation to the state, Manasseri was alarmed to hear that certain politicians wanted to repeal the incentive. He decided to take action.
The theatrical trailer for Babysitter Wanted.
“My friend, Woody Robertson, had the idea that we should do something positive about the film industry because these politicians were coming up with all this negativity,” says Manasseri. After hearing painfully widespread stories from people who were laid off and unable to pay their mortgage or send their kids to college, Manasseri and Robertson interviewed Michiganders about how the film industry had positively changed their lives. “They were going to have to move out of the state, and after the incentive passed, they were working non-stop,” says Manasseri. “And we couldn’t ignore that. It’s all about making sure that people stay and [the incentives are] helping people. If anything’s rejuvenating the state, it’s this.”
by Allie Semperger
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