15 Minutes drops the audience into the middle of tabloid reality -- into a sped-up, maxed-out New York City saturated with blaring color and hyped-up reality. The film's bold look becomes a mirror of the media circus at the heart of the film's suspense. Writer/director John Herzfeld, who drew accolades for his original exploration of Los Angeles' underside in the acclaimed independent feature 2 Days In the Valley, purposefully wanted his film to careen and cut across the screen like a gritty crime drama meets tabloid television. This, after all, is the terrain of 15 Minutes: where the reality of crime meets the surreal glare of television hype and fast-moving fame.
Herzfeld's exciting script for 15 Minutes arose out of his fascination with the increasing importance of celebrity and fame in contemporary American culture - and how much it has altered the American Dream, and even inspired a new criminal class. "Once the American Dream meant you came to America and, through persistence and hard work, you succeeded," explains Herzfeld, "but now this is a culture where no one is responsible for what they do and some people want recognition for nothing. From tabloid news to daytime talk to the litigious nature of everything from politics to sports to marriage, sometimes you just can't believe what you're seeing these days. People are willing to do anything so long as they do something that puts them in the spotlight." Mix this attitude with the "if it bleeds it leads" media mentality, and Herzfeld perceives an explosive situation.
Herzfeld combined his intrigue with where fame, television and the law collide with another of his fascinations: the crime of arson. "There have been a lot of movies about cops and detectives, but not arson investigators," he notes. "When I learned that arson investigators carry guns and make arrests, that they are the detectives of the Fire Department, I knew that there were great story possibilities there. Especially because a fire used to cover up a double homicide would be a high-profile case in which the media would definitely get involved."
To get himself further into the story, Herzfeld went on ride-alongs with cops and fire marshals throughout New York City. He also consulted with Mike Camello, a Los Angeles arson investigator, and with former New York City Fire Department arson investigator Louis F. Garcia, both of who served as technical advisors on the film. Once he came up with the character of celebrity-cop Eddie Flemming, Herzfeld did further research with NYPD Homicide Detective Steve Davis as well as other New York City police detectives, including public figure Mike Sheehan, who became widely known for the handling of the "Preppie Murder" case.
In the end, Herzfeld's script defied categorization, zooming through bittersweet romance, original action, dark comedy and back again. And that's exactly what drew an extremely high-profile group of award-winning actors and filmmakers to the project. "John Herzfeld's ability to seamlessly integrate different tones with an exciting visual style is especially provocative and appealing," says producer Keith Addis. "It's hard not to be intrigued by such a compellingly controversial film." Adds producer Nick Wechsler: "This film really establishes John Herzfeld's extraordinary talent as a director and contemporary story-teller. He has a rare ability to viscerally affect the audience and take them places nobody expects."
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