Mark Soldinger : Evening all! I'm in New York at the moment... Greetings!
kit : What on earth possessed you to go and hang out with a bunch of real life Vampires? I know it makes good Tv but.....They are Vampires.....
Mark Soldinger : Um, my first reaction was to say no. I wasn't interested in making a film like that. But I was then shown a tape of people who did exchange in human blood, and for the most part, these people were quite normal. That's something I found both interesting and difficult to ignore.
Kellaway : Mark, did you run across people who actually _believed_ all the mythology, or were most folks pretty straightforward about what they do?
Mark Soldinger : Hmm, tough question. I think the majority of the people knew the mythology and have always been attracted to the image of the vampire, but they were quite sane in what they did. It's a tough one to try to describe, but they were sane, and I think they were looking to attach what they did to this myth.
Colt45 : Did you comes across any evidence to suggest that violent/gang crime was related to this Vampire culture?
Mark Soldinger : I think the Columbine killings in '97 by Rod Ferrell were seen by the media as an extension of the vampire community because Ferrell wore long black leather trenchcoats, but the vampire community themselves dismissed him as nothing more than a psychopath. They were angry that he chose the vampire community as a scapegoat.
Chris : Is there any medical evidence to suggest that drinking blood actually produces physical effects or is it simply (as most of us seem to think) pyschological/psychosomatic?
Mark Soldinger : I spoke to one hematologist who accepts the fact that if you swallow someone else's endorphins at a time when they are physically and emotionally 'high', then you can get stoned from second-hand endorphins. But I wouldn't suggest trying it!
christhegoth : Does Channel 4 appreciate the amount of trouble this program may cause through fear mongering, especially under the current zero tolerance lynching climate? And are you going to do something to clarify that Goffs is harmless?
Mark Soldinger : That's a really tough one. I think in any movement there's always an extreme section, but I'd like to make it clear that the goth movement is for the most part pretty harmless. And is in fact the longest, most successful subculture that has ever existed.
Bubblymintyaero : Did you meet anyone who suffered from the disease Renfield's Syndrome? Where the people are truly / medically addicted to blood?
Mark Soldinger : No I didn't, but I would have loved to, because I've never heard of that.
verbal : would you be interested in making a programme about a rare sect of the community who have for decades being adopting the guise of a mythical figure and in doing so getting very close to our children... these guys turn up in red suits at christmas and are actually paid to sit in fake plastic caves and give presents to our children and I believe these so called santas should be investigated....
Mark Soldinger : I'd say no to that question. I'm making a film right now about what Wes Craven based Freddy Krueger on. That's enough character-delving for me right now!
Mark Soldinger grins
Banzai Kitten : How did you manage to get into the clubs and film them? They all seemed pretty open about it, were there any problems in the filming of it all?
Mark Soldinger : Yes, there were lots of problems filming. You must get permission from everyone, or everyone must be aware that there's a camera filming on that particular evening. We put up notices, and the actual crowd we filmed on those occasions are known as Vampires. They are actually a Vampire crowd, part of the Vampire community, and they're used to seeing those extreme shows all the time.
nny29a : whilst making the program was there an implication as to what sort of precautions/tests should be taken to minimise AIDS risks and suchlike?
Mark Soldinger : People who partake in this activity have regular feeding circles where each member is screened for any blood-borne diseases. They trust each other implicitly because they're dicing with their lives.
Spike_666_13 : Mark, are you english? If so, why didn't you make the documentry in England? As at the end it said that there is blood drinkers in the UK, so why not film it here?
Mark Soldinger : Good question. When we started the research we found a couple of blood-drinkers in Portsmouth...
Mark Soldinger grins
Mark Soldinger : But having searched the internet, initially most cases were from the States. Rather than making a film that had six American cases and a couple of international cases, it felt better to just keep it confined to the States. It was only at the end that we realised that there are blood-drinkers all over the world.
Reynolds : Why did you film in black and white?
Mark Soldinger : More of an afterthought! The truth is that the footage was so gruesome that the lawyers at Channel 4 wouldn't allow it in colour. We shot in colour, and in the edit we turned it into black and white and ran a grain through to make it look like film. But it was actually shot on colour tape.
kit : Did you have a genuine interest in vampires before recording the programme?
Mark Soldinger : No, not at all. But I do now!
Larsson_chick_2001 : y do the vampires wear fangs if they use blades to cut the skin
Mark Soldinger : Hmm. The people who wear fangs are known as 'role-players'; they like to flirt with the image of the Vampire. The people who drink blood are known as 'life-stylers', and they adopt the religion of the Vampire. Which goes a lot further than wearing fangs!
zigiweeble : Do you think that shows like Buffy that show the vampire culture to be romantic and exciting are going to attract kids to the culture?
Mark Soldinger : Another very good question!
Mark Soldinger ponders
Mark Soldinger : I think there'll always be a romanticism with the image of the Vampire. I don't necessarily think that means that people become so consumed that they turn to blood-drinking.
NailBunny : Did you partake in the blood drinking?
Mark Soldinger : Hah! I was waiting for that question! Whenever I tell someone I made this film, they immediately ask me if I drank blood. The truth is, I was making a film, and I was very much a voyeur.
Dire : did you ever see the effects of some of the 'life-stylers' after they had no blood for a while? if so what changed about them?
Mark Soldinger : I never saw the effects personally, but I was told that these people can become quite depressed and withdrawn.
Lamia : May I ask, from a psychological perspective, did you find that many of the individuals involved in vampirism became through an obsession with horror culture, or do you feel that it has stronger links with the phenomenon of blood letting in a context of bodily harm and purging, such as bulemia?
Mark Soldinger : For the younger generation, the Vampire community definitely came through horror flicks, along with being an outcast. For the older generation, I think it came from having a fascination with tribal mutilation, exchanging of blood, religious aspects and so on.
Angelus : how would you feel if your child got in to the whole 'Vampire' cult and blood drinking
Mark Soldinger : I'd be very shocked, and I would do everything I could to steer them clear, because I feel that that scene is far too dangerous.
Julian Morrow : Most of the blood donars and drinkers in your programme seemed to be/considered themselves to be outcasts when at high school. Do you think there is a strong link in the US between feeling you are not at the centre of things at school and adopting 'shocking' behaviour?
Mark Soldinger : Yes, I do. I think that one sadly leads to another. Outcasts tend to stick together, as in the case of Sue Lee.
Bread Butter : Question: Was it difficult to market this programme, considering the generally high levels of TV exec conservatism? Or generally what way did you decide to sell a typically 'not safe' programme?
Mark Soldinger : That's why I only make films for Channel 4!
Mark Soldinger grins
Mark Soldinger : It was them who came to me with the idea.
Andy aka Carpathi : what did you think of the guy that went to the level of passing out and then having a girl paint with his blood?
Mark Soldinger : What did I think? I didn't know what to expect that evening! The crew hadn't yet arrived when I was filming that scene. I'd had a couple of Jack n Cokes, and I was told that some guy was going to 'do a show'. Twenty minutes later, I felt like fainting.
animalchin : where vampires spawned by the myth or was the myth spawned by vampires
Mark Soldinger : Some people say that the Vampire myth was spawned from people in the Middle Ages who had Porphyria - the condition that Raven had in the film - and that in fact there were never any 'Vampires', only people who suffered from this disease. That's a very controversial statement.
Chat Ed : OK y'all - our half hour is up now, so last three questions now, thanks!
Reynolds : Was there anyone who _didn't_ want to be filmed? Or were you met by nothing but exhibitionists?
Mark Soldinger : There were several people who wouldn't be filmed. They're the ones who aren't in the film!
Mark Soldinger grins
Azathoth : presumerably you met a number of 'fakes' on your journey such as Live Role Players (like myself, i play a vampire) did you notice any difference between these 'fakes' who took on a vampiric lifestyle and the actual blood drinking vampire?
Mark Soldinger : The main difference was when I asked them whether they drank blood and they said yes, compared to those who just shied away from the question. I think I'm a good judge of character to know when someone's telling the truth. Again, if this guy just plays a vampire, he is in fact a roleplayer, rather than a lifestyler.
Elizabeth Bathory : Did you end up with admiration for these people and a clearer understanding of them?
Mark Soldinger : I can never understand what they do. But I did learn that this subculture exists, and that's something that I'm taking away from the experience. I don't admire them, but I'm sympathetic. I can't pretend to understand what they do though.
Chat Ed : That's it! Thanks for coming Mark, that was fantastic. And thanks for all your questions, folks! Hope you all enjoyed it!
Mark Soldinger : Thank you all for watching the film! Watch out for my next film, called 'The Entity', on Channel 4 Hallowe'en Night.
Mark Soldinger smiles
Mark Soldinger waves. Night all!
Mark Soldinger leaves the room
