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"I wanted to explore the complex, conflicted emotions associated with these relationships. When I wrote the screenplay, I kept this in mind and approached visual storytelling as a challenge. I was determined to focus on the image and its potential to convey what I thought was better left unsaid," he said.

In addition to his work as a writer and director of motion pictures, Porterfield teaches. He is a professor in the Hopkins Film and Media Studies department, and he teaches classes on screenwriting and film production. He certainly brings plenty of practical experience to the job. Like one of the overworked apprentices to a B-movie maker of olden days, Porterfield has been exposed to every stage of the filmmaking process.

"Because of the extended process and the division of labor inherent in film production, it's possible to become very myopic and focused on one stage of the process, like screenwriting, casting, editing or marketing. In order to teach, I have to be flexible and familiar with every facet of making a movie, and in class we go through the whole process in miniature every semester. It keeps me on my toes," he explained.

When touring the country with Hamilton, he was asked sometimes about his new project, Metal Gods. The producer would joke, "It's Hamilton, but with sex drugs rock 'n' roll!" But that description wasn't all that far off from what Metal Gods would become.

Keeping the realism of Hamilton as well as the use of music and poignant visuals to tell a story rich with emotion, Metal Gods will be "kicked up several notches," according to Porterfield. "It's a teen romance set in southeast Baltimore among a group of delinquents and misanthropes who live and love heavy metal."

So what is it that these delinquents and misanthropes find so inspiring in heavy metal music?

"Power. A lot of the kids in this story are dealing with feelings of powerlessness. And metal culture, to a certain extent, provides rites of passage that are more palpable and empowering than any of those presented by popular culture. The music is cathartic, too." Metal Gods is currently in development, with production scheduled to begin in July.

Continued...

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