Robins Hays uncovers how Noodle Boy saves Miss Fortune in “Post No Bills”

indieactivity: Give a background of your personal experience with the story, writing, production and marketing
Robin Hays: My background is in live action. Post No Bills was my first animated film.

indieactivity: Did you start writing with a cast (You or any) in mind?
Robin Hays: I did come up with the idea of Noodle Boy as the main character prior to writing the script.

indieactivity: How long did you take to complete the script? (Do you have a writing process?)
Robin Hays: Not long, it’s only 5 pages.

indieactivity: When did you form your production company – and what was the original motivation for its
formation?
Robin Hays: Over ten years ago when I started directing commercials.

indieactivity: What was the first project out of the gate?
Robin Hays: There was a contest held by Treehugger and 7th Generation called A Convenient Truth asking
filmmakers to create a film offering solutions to Global Warming. I created a little piece called One
Person which one the Epic International prize.

Opening Shot of Post No Bills (Dir. Robin Hays)

indieactivity: During production, what scene (that made the cut) was the hardest to shoot?
Robin Hays: Post No Bills is animated so I guess one of the more challenging sequences was at the end. I
don’t want to spoil anything so I can’t say exactly what the scene is.

indieactivity: What works better in this latest production that mightn’t have worked so well in the last one
you did?
Robin Hays: Well Post No Bills is much different than anything I’ve done before because it’s my first animated
project. I love animation because pretty much anything can happen. I mean this is a film about a
Chinese take-out box and a Fortune Cookie.

indieactivity: You produced and directed the film, what measure of input did it take to don these hats?
Robin Hays: I feel very fortunate to work with so many incredibly talented people. I was surrounded by an
amazing team including Andy Poon, Daniel Roizman, Atomic Cartoons, Andrew Harris, etc. who all
played a vital role in bringing this film to life.

indieactivity: Is there anything about the independent filmmaking business you still struggle with?
Robin Hays: The most important thing to me is the idea. You have to LOVE it. If you don’t love it from the
jump it’s not worth your time. In my experience you know when an idea is right because it takes on
a life of it’s own. You don’t to sell it, it sells itself. The right people, the financing, it all falls into
place if it’s meant to be. If you’re forcing it, might want to brainstorm because a better idea might
be right around the corner.

Noodle Boy & Miss Fortune in Post No Bills (Dir. Robin Hays)

indieactivity: Where do you think your strengths line as a filmmaker?
Robin Hays: Whether it be live action of animation I want to evoke emotion and have viewers to feel when
they watch my work. I try to create authentic moments that feel honest and relatable. The look
and feel, the music, the art direction, everything assists in creating the right vibe that doesn’t feel
too forced or contrived.

indieactivity: Let’s talk finance, How did you finance the film?
Robin Hays: Through Bell Media

indieactivity: How important is marketing? Do you think a project can make any dent without it these days?
Robin Hays: I actually didn’t do any marketing. I just entered in film festivals.

indieactivity: What do you hope audiences get from your film?
Robin Hays: I hope they feel inspired to try something they’ve never done before. To face their fear!

indieactivity: What else have you got in the works?
Robin Hays: Few things cooking including something with Noodle Boy and Miss Fortune! Will keep you posted.

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