Zack Snyder (Believe Media) will be the first to admit that he expected his adaptation of Frank Miller's graphic novel 300 to be a genre film that appealed to the fan-boy set. Instead, it drove a spear right into the heart of the cultural zeitgeist, dominating the box office. Snyder recently kept one hand on the wheel and one on the phone to discuss his graphic gore-fest's success.

What about 300 was appealing to you?

It was the graphic novel that made me want to do it. I'm a huge fan - I'm a bit of a comic book geek.

What's it like creating a film about something that you're a fan of?

We made the movie with a lot of passion and everyone involved with it wanted to do something cool and different. I felt a lot of responsibility to be faithful to the source material and not to screw it up.

When you're doing a graphic novel, it's open to interpretation - what were you trying to convey with the film?

It was about examining the graphic novel, taking it apart and adapting it into a movie, but also trying to keep the elements of the graphic novel that I loved. Then, when it came to shooting, it was about always referring back to the novel and trying to keep it in the forefront. You can't help that as a director you're going to influence it and change it - there's nothing you can do about that, as long as you keep that respect in mind.

Talk a bit about the visual aesthetic. How much came from you and how much came from the novel?

I think it's a combination. It's really a movie that's all about aesthetic. I don't think you can make that movie without embracing its aesthetic. You'd be surprised, about 90% of the scenes in the movie aren't in the graphic novel. But the 10% that are are so big and so iconographic that they transcend it. The relationship that Frank and I have is a very visual relationship. It's different from what I'm used to. It's also really fun.

It was shot largely on stage, right?

We shot the entire thing inside, except for one shot with the horses running into Sparta. And we only did that because the horses couldn't run fast enough inside. They're completely rotoscoped off that environment and put into a digital environment anyway.

What was it like to shoot the entire film out of the environmental context?

We shot the entire thing in an abstract environment, so it was my job to know where everything was for the actors because they didn't know what was happening a lot of the time. I really had to make sure they understood the reality of the moment. Not just the reality of the emotion of the scene, but also just where the hell they were.

Was there anything unexpected or surprising about the filming process?

I think the strange aspect of shooting on stage and having to rely so much on blue screen. Other than that, it was just hard work. You never realize how exhausting it's going to be. You think it's just going to be on stage, but it was so physical.

In terms of working in commercials and film, what's your career balance between the two?

I love commercials and I don't ever imagine a time where I wont' do them. I just finished a Miller Lite commercial last week and I feel like the two compliment each other for me as a filmmaker. I think both sides benefit - commercials benefit from my success and experience in movies and the movies benefit from my experience in commercials. It's a win-win.

Aside from knowing that Frank Miller fans would love it, did you have any idea the film would be so big?

We didn't. In my opinion, we had made a pure graphic novel that was R-rated with no stars that would appeal to more of a cult audience. Our main goal was to be true to the novel, so it's a plus that the movie resonated as it did.

It seems the films you make are quite genre-specific. Is that intentional?

I don't really think about it like that. I just ask, 'Would I really like to see this movie?' I happen to love genre films so it's not hard for me to fall in love with a particular movie.

Do you apply that same philosophy to the commercial work you do?

I have more latitude with commercials; I do pretty much every genre. It's about a new challenge in a commercial.

What's next for you?

I'm working on Watchmen right now. After that, we'll see. That's really my big priority right now.

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