05 Feb An interview with Martin Sommerdag, director of “The Mystery Man in the Dark”

Posted at 11:38h in Interviews by


Martin Sommerdag

 

«Storytelling is my life.»

 

BIO

Martin Sommerdag is a new breed of storyteller with no bounds and through all media. He is an independent filmmaker and published author with a critically acclaimed and award-winning filmography. He is a graduate of Filmtrain Film School and The Short and Documentary Film School of Denmark. He has created captivating cinematic narratives such as The Doomsday Confession, Dead Man Singing, and Tunguska Diaries. Martin is also the mastermind behind film-based web projects like the hyperrealistic videos in Not4cops and the award-winning vlog web series Finding Doctor X, which has taken film festivals and critics by storm. In addition, Martin has written a number of published eBooks, always adaptable to feature-length screenplays, with a unique voice, like The Wolf from Castle Hill, The Wrath of Wallâq, and the science fiction bestseller The Spacetime Fugitive.

 

 

The FINDING DOCTOR X series combines elements of mockumentary, mystery, and science fiction. What inspired you to create this unique blend of genres, and how do you approach maintaining a balance between them in your storytelling?

 

Finding Doctor X is inspired by my interest in conspiracy theories and unsolved mysteries, which are all shaken together with mockumentary elements. It’s like a unique cocktail; you stick to the recipe and maintain the balance of the ingredients.
There are also no scripts for the vlogs, only important taglines, and attention-grabbing phrases to ensure the high level of realism in the mysterious and sometimes supernatural vlog episodes. The vlog style is something that everyone around the world can recognize because it’s inevitable today.

 

 

In THE MYSTERY MAN IN THE DARK, the enigmatic Danish scientist re-appear.
Can you tell us more about the process of creating this character and the role it plays in the overarching narrative of the webseries FINDING DOCTOR X?

 

This enigmatic character, who was introduced in vlog 2, Project Octopada, is inspired by the Cigarette Smoking Man from the 90s cult classic series The X-Files, a mystery man that twists the plotlines of the overarching narrative in the story.

The cryptic Danish scientist in Finding Doctor X seems to have all the answers, but the vlogger only gets bits and pieces of the jigsaw puzzle to solve the mysterious disappearance of his father.

 

 

 

Low-budget projects often present challenges, but you have managed to create captivating narratives with mainstream appeal.
How do you approach maximizing the impact of your storytelling within budgetary constraints, and what advice do you have for aspiring filmmakers working with limited resources?

 

Join the search as a vlogger looks for clues into his father’s mysterious disappearance and stumbles upon his classified scientific research in human evolution. That’s the logline of Finding Doctor X, and it sounds like a big budget picture, but it unfolds from a vlogger’s point of view, and that makes it possible to produce on a low budget.

It’s important to remember, for aspiring filmmakers, that everything is possible even if you work on low-budget projects.

 

 

The web series FINDING DOCTOR X has gained recognition and success, both in film festivals and among critics.
What has been the most rewarding aspect of creating this series, and how do you feel it has resonated with audiences? Additionally, can you give us any hints about what we can expect from future installments?

 

The most rewarding aspect is to experience how a simple idea made on an iPhone can have such a major impact on critics and audiences.

I have 3 vlog episodes left to finish the web series, and you can expect a mysterious ending and possibly a gonzo cliffhanger. Maybe a season 2. Join the search and remember to subscribe on YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/findingdoctorx

 

 

What are you currently working on?

 

I am also a published author, and besides working on Finding Doctor X, I am currently writing my new novel. I always have many different projects running next to each other at the same time. Storytelling is my life.