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AN INTERVIEW WITH Krassimir Nikov, DIRECTOR


As a filmmaker, please introduce yourself.

I was fascinated with movies at early age because it was only way to escape from reality and use your imagination to create stories

 and characters that only exists in your mind and now those stories become alive on the big screen, where fairy tales become reality. 

My name is Krassimir Nikov and the name means a beautiful world, but I used a stage name called ‘Peter Boiadzhieff’, because 

it is easy to pronounce at least the first name and last name is actually my grandfather’s name that he wants me to change. 

If I knew that I can change the name when I became a US citizen, I will change it legally, that will solve the hard time spelling my name over the phone and nobody can spell it anyway. I grew up in a small town called Petrich /20000 people/ in small country named Bulgaria. 

The town is border between Greece and Macedonia former SFR Yugoslavia, located in Eastern Europe. 

The town was birth place of the famous oracle 'Vanga' the famous warrior 'Spartacus' he was fighting for freedom in early days. 

 
In these days there was no cell phones, no internet, we had a black and white TV with two channels. It was fun going out in the 

mountains that I knew almost like my fingers and went fishing in the river every week during the summer, all those days are gone 

and replaced with Instagram and cell phones. It is more like a feature film if I start talking about my live, I was bullied in school, 

it was a terrible time for me and I hate it because of that. After graduating went to the army in the fall of 1993, where I was 

telegraphist on R-140 radio station, I used to know the Morse code, later I moved in the capital city Sofia of Bulgaria where 

my career as software developer. I got lucky to come in Atlanta Georgia in the last 10 years ago and work as software developer 

during day time and be a film maker during the weekends.



Why you became a filmmaker as director and producer?

This is very interesting question and I really hate question that starts with Why, the simple answer is because I want to make 

billions of dollars, but in reality it is not about the money I was interested from the beginning, writing the story on piece of paper, 

creating the characters, casting the actors, calculate the budget, usually I self-funded my films, filming, editing, and finally 

distributing online on Youtube, Vimeo or just burn it on DVD. 
Imagine a job where creativity is endless and you knew that you won’t 

fail or if you fail does not matter because you can do it next time better and bigger and fulfill the satisfaction and fulfilment that 

you created something unique that can last forever. Becoming a film maker make me better listener and communicator and also 

give a possibility to solve challenges for example two of the actors do not show up on the set of filming or everybody show up 

plus three more extra, what do you do, you adapt you script in both scenarios and complete the filming.
Film making is not just 

a job it is a way of live that change my prospective how to look in real live and if I can say that you look at you live as a movie 

I think you will be able to concur and explore new possibilities that you never new existed before.


Give some more information about yourself and the films you have made so far, about your experience?


Again, I am a software developer using the Microsoft platform during the day and in any free time I am writing the scripts 

and putting together the next movie, I have been in Jacksonville two times for company business and able to take some footage 

around downtown and always get lost on the highways and people cut me off constantly while I am driving. 
However, 

I did lots of short films for fun and entertainment, but I can focus in a few projects that I did the “Secret Project 53” that is more 

like pilot and I am working on final version. I got some good feedback and some bad, the good is that has nominated in several festivals 

and I won for first time award for Best First Time Director, I do not expect to win even nominated, but I was very fortune 

and lucky also thankful for the opportunity. 
The other short film that I did is “Braaking Newz” it is parody comedy between 

two successful news anchors Lorra and Anna delivering the new with unexpected appearance of Bigfoot, the comedian and the President. 


I really love rafting and this lead to making the ‘The Reporter from Ocoee with Love’ because I had so much rafting footage 

but did not know how to make it interesting and tried to combine with comedy and after several years I realized that I am making 

 movies for myself not for what the audience wanted.
Also, I joined a filmmaking group ForkShop where I was part of making short films 

in just few hours, learned to make a movies in the had way trial and mistake which I do not suggest, but sometime 

this approach is better, you learn how to time yourself, make the set, and meet different people and able to work with them 

as a team and we filmed several films that we really enjoyed.


What are the films or people that had impacts on you and deeply inspired you to become a filmmaker?


There are many people that have some or big impact one is my favorite actor Pierce Brosnan from the James Bond, because 

I always wanted to play my own James Bond character. And After the Sunset 2004 where he played Max Burdett also the actor Woody Harrelson. 
The movie Oblivion where Tom Cruise playing Jack Harper, I watched 15 times in order to make sense and reminds me 

about me (Jack Harper) and my wife (Victoria), but this another long topic.
Also few Youtubers like Julian Smith with his amazing 

videos and quote “What is you dream, when I keep falling, and keep falling and before I hit the ground I wake up, any time”, 

Freddie Wong with famous video Gun Size Matters, and Casey Neistat with the video 'Do What You Can't’, this is what I am 

doing making films that everyone told me that I cannot do it because I do not have experience and the budget to make films, 

well I surprise everyone even myself I did the films anyway.  

You have made "Comedy Sketches". Why you decided to make it?

This was more a live long dream I wanted to make a comedy but I was not funny and I was afraid of speaking in the front of bigger audience. 

First, I joined Toastmasters where I practiced public speaking and writing and then several years, I took a comedy class with Jeff Justice 

where the idea about this movie came. Also, to proof to myself that if you have persistence you can accomplish anything.


When I told some of my friends that I am doing comedy nobody believed me, even my wife she told me no way, that you going to be funny. 

It is the same thing with Toastmasters I completed more than 70 speeches and no one believed me. When I showed the video to my English teacher, she won’t believe it either, because I was the bad student and barely pass the English class.
Making “Comedy Sketches” 

is a big millstone for me like building a bridge on the top of the river and putting you name on it. I hope that this is make sense 

why I make it and I am very glad and happy that I did it. Also, the main goal is to have series of comedy at least for five seasons 

in the next 5 years, but how someone said you need to start form something. 



Did you have any challenges you faced in making this film?

As every filmmaker I had changes too, one of the biggest challenges was that I wanted to make a comedy DVD, but the problem was 

my routine was just 5 minutes and I need to add more material over the years and add other sketches in order to be like a feature film. 

Another issue happened why I was filming my first sketch I had an ear infection and that affected my vestibular system and for one week I lay down on the bed, because simply cannot stand up. I got lucky and recover quickly, but someone already said that I quit and 

I am looser and pretend to be sick, again no one believed in me. 


What was it like to work with your team in this film?

I have some great moments and have some bad moments, lets start with bad ones, one of the actors is deciding to 

make a phone call during the filming and entire team is waiting for him almost 2 hours until he finishes his conversation. 

I asked, what was so important, he said it was emergency the cat die and we need to arrange the funeral. What ? 



I have great moments working with different talented individuals and I am very impressed from the big talent that is out there. 

I want to delegate the tasks as possible but at the beginning you must do it by yourself execute you vision and when you are ready you can delegate the tasks and the film making is the people collaborations, I used to say it is my movie, but now I say it is ours movie. 

I can use a metaphor like the great hero who fought to free us back in Bulgaria from Ottoman Empire, his name is Vasil Levski, 

he said “If I lose the fight for freedom, only I lose, but if I win everybody wins”. The same in the movie making If my movie is bad, 

only I lose, but if the movie turn out to be just fine, suddenly I got too many friends.
 Also I am blessed to work with different culture, 

women, men, gay, color, whatever you are if you are on the set I will make you sweat you are going to work like you live depends on it. 

I used to tell Ruby you did not ‘broke the camera’ and she replied back, I am very happy that you do not need to buy a new one. 

It is a term when I am casting the actors, they are photos in their profile are perfect very well Photoshoped and when the come on 

the set the camera does not like them, like they are totally different person.
However, I am very thankful to work with different people 

and everyone brings something unique to the set, and make the movie very interesting. 



For you what was the biggest lesson you had to learn after making it?

There are many lessons that I learned while filming like, check the sound, check if the camera is recording, shorten you dialogue 

and give room to actors to act. 
For this particular project "Comedy Sketches" I waited very long time almost 5 years, 

if you have an idea just try to do it in 3 months period of time, even shorter period of time if possible.



What keeps you inspired to continue filmmaking?

This question is more like why did you eat every day, because I am hungry. I love film making and enjoyed so much and to able to tell 

the stories and create characters and using your imagination to create them, the possibilities are endless.
My inspiration is coming 

when people tell me this is not possible, no one will come to you movie, you cannot do it. Another inspiration is when my wife says 

this movie is terrible and in the most times, she is right and to prove her wrong I make it better for next time.
The biggest inspiration is 

coming from the nature. going rafting, hiking in the forest, or just simply watching the leaves falling down from the trees during the Autumn. 

We forget how to enjoy our self and that there is other live outside not just internet and Instagram and how many likes you have.



The most important part is distributing the film. What did you do for distributing your film?

I really do not tough about that, because my goal was to write the script, get actors and crew together filmed and release the final cut on internet. Is the video could get lots of views may be or may be not, it was more of the journey of making the film.


However, I got very talented actors and I have no choice need to understand how to distribute some of the videos even pitch some of 

the ideas in AMC Theatres, but they said it need to be approved first and we can run a test in few theatres and they suggested you must have a celebrity in you movie otherwise will be really hard to sell tickets as independent film maker.
Only option for distribution for now is 

to use Vimeo on demand, and make the dvds by myself
Someone suggested to me to enter in competition in the film festivals 

and this why I applied in few festivals and ‘American Golden Picture International Film Festival’ and I hope to find some answers 

from your festival, too on how to distribute the video content. 
maybe I will find it may be not, but I am very thankful for 

your nominations for "Comedy Sketches" I really appreciated and again, thank you so much! 



What are your filmmaking goals?

I would like to make a horror movie and like to focus in particular area where I can use some special effects or something that not anyone 

could be able to do it. I would love to make a web series like Money Heist on Netflix Official Site.


What is your next project?

I am working on few projects Love Drama Story a romantic story, The Secret Project 53 make a feature film, few rafting videos, 

and we are filming the next short project just finished the casting of the actors and hope to film it in a few weeks.


GOOD LUCK

Krassimir's Links:


Website:

https://www.knvideostudios.com/


IMdb Page:

www.imdb.me/PeterBoiadzhieff


Instagram: 

https://www.instagram.com/knvideostudio/

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