Video interview: Dennis Bishop, newly-named director of Dallas’ KD Studios Motion Picture Production Program

You may also know Dennis from his role as director of Fort Worth's Lone Star Film Society (and Festival).

Dennis Bishop

When we last reported on the Motion Picture Production Program at Dallas' KD Studio, it was being headed up by Andrew Stevens. Stevens got the program up and running, and then for various reasons parted ways with the folks at KD.

Enter Dennis Bishop, who grew up in Oak Cliff and discovered his true passion in life while poking under the hood of exotic foreign automobiles. (The MGs and Jags he mechanicked were driven by people in the film industry.) Before long, Dennis was working with the folks at the Sundance Institute; later on he paired up with Horton Foote to work on the production of The Trip to Bountiful. More recently, he produced the pilot episode of Dexter for Showtime.

Bishop has served as an adjunct professor at the University of Southern California. He's an active member of the Producers Guild of America, the Directors Guild of America, and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. He assumed the directorship of the Lone Star International Film Festival (& the Lone Star Film Society) when that outfit needed to fill a leadership vacancy, and he has now taken over as director of the Motion Picture Production Program at KD Studio.

The KD production program starts its next term on Monday, February 8. The program consists of four 15-week semesters. Graduates of the 15-month program will be awarded an Associate of Applied Arts Degree in Motion Picture Production. Those interested are encouraged to learn more at www.kdstudio.com, or by calling 214-638-0484 (or toll-free 877-278-2283).

When Dennis came by our offices to talk about his background and his new role as program director, I have to admit I wasn't expecting the kind if great anecdotal filmmaking info I was going to find myself privy to.

I think I mentioned "passion" in regard to Dennis' filmmaking activities earlier in this piece, and that characterization genuinely applies: Dennis is WILD about the craft of (good) filmmaking, and he has some very strong views on the subject, involving qualities such as honesty and respect. (Say what?)

We talked for a long time, so I've divided our interview into segments arranged by topic. The first segment results from the fact that Dennis worked on one of my all-time favorite films, Local Hero -- and when I quizzed him about it, he came through with some fabulous stories about the part of the production filmed here in Texas. Fun stuff for film insiders.