So I knew eventually I would want to "introduce" you guys to the best producer I have ever met or worked with in my life (and there have been SEVERAL).
I remember early on, the very first screenplay I wrote, American Woman, was in a way "optioned" by Andrea, after emailing me about it from a website posting, and flying in from LA and soon after meeting me near my bachelor's pad in Clinton, Ma. She found the hole in the wall pizza restaurant where I conducted my important film business, and met me there, on time and smiling as usual. She loved the script, asked me a couple of questions about it, then found that I needed a "super-producer" to make it happen. I needed someone to raise the money, attach the names, set up the shoot, AND help me on set to maintain my sanity. Lawrence Bender does this for Tarantino. Stephanie Allain does it for Craig Brewer. Woody Allen's producers do it for him all the time. And I had the nerve to want this early in my career, without having so much as shot narrative short or long form film. Andrea didnt laugh at me. She told me to simply "wait on her."
In the meantine, I would learn that I wasnt quite ready physically ord mentally to actually direct American Woman anyway - too many locations, too many storylines, too many actors. So I cut my teeth on a short, then did a bunch of music videos, commercials, etc, then went on to make my first feature Cookies & Cream. I became a producer in my own right, and Andrea went on to produce at least 4 more features, all with consecutive, escalating budgets.
But Andrea and I would always check up on each other. She, to this day, tells me to "save" American Woman for her. She wants to make it with me. And, you know what? I want to as well. I will work with her one day soon, and Im really looking forward to it.
She was always encouraging, and always available by phone and email if I need her, to give me advice, encouragement, and support. She tells me how many points I should offer a certain actor, or what budget should go for my camera crews, etc. She's always honest with me, the only honest, bonifide producer I have met in my entire film life. And that says a lot. She tells me exactly why she loves my scripts, what I can improve on in them, as well as telling me she didnt enjoy my short film Phish, and why. And everthing, from day one, has been constructive. Andrea is hands down the only legitimate producer I trust period.
She just completed production on a pretty large scaled indie production. Its a film called "We Got the Beat," and could be a major reason why indie films may shift in perception when it comes to the way audiences view them, as well as the way the majors begin doing business with us in the future.
Check out this Landmark Newspaper article written about her, and the film. Congrats Andrea. I love you.
- Princeton
The 'Beat' goes on for Andrea Ajemian
BY ERIK RADVON ERADVON@HOLDENLANDMARK.COM
Andrea Ajemian has seen the bright lights of Hollywood, but the Rutland native says there's something about Central Massachusetts that makes it appealing for filmmaking.
"I lived in L.A. for awhile, but this is such a great area to make a movie," she said from the set of her newest project, "We Got the Beat." The film is the fourth feature from AA Films, the Worcester-based production company run by Ajemian and partner Jon Artigo. Artigo wrote and is directing "We Got the Beat," with Ajemian producing.
Ajemian describes her latest project as a "mainstream high school football comedy." The film takes place in 1982 and tells the story of an all-star football quarterback who vies to transform his heavy metal garage band into the world's first boy band. The filmmakers say "We Got the Beat" has elements of '80s teen classics "Footloose" and "Sixteen Candles" mixed with the indie veneer of "Napoleon Dynamite."
The project is larger in scope than any of Ajemian's previous movies ("Rutland, USA" and "Freedom Park" among others), and presented a new set of challenges for her film production company. It's a period piece, with a laser-like focus on details and costumes an absolute must. The film also involves a number of large-scale sporting event shots that are pushing AA Films into new territory.
"We knew this was going to be a big undertaking, but every single person who has worked on this movie has really stepped up and put their handprint on this," Artigo said.
Following two years of preproduction, the cameras began rolling on "We Got the Beat" at the end of last month. Ajemian and her crew were in Leominster this week shooting pivotal football game scenes at the city's Doyle Field facility. Monday found Ajemian keeping tabs on a hectic set, which was bustling with football players, cheerleaders, a full marching band, cameramen, sound operators, lighting experts, and makeup artists — not to mention a crowd of hundreds of enthusiastic extras filling the bleachers.
"We've got 75 band people and something like 350 extras in the stands right now," Ajemian said. "The biggest challenge is making sure everyone is in period. We've got to get rid of all the current water bottles and things like that to make sure the shot is clear. We also have to make sure that the extras aren't looking directly into the camera, which is pretty common for people to do who aren't used to being on film."
The limits of Ajemian's producer title are hard to define. One minute she's looking over shots on a playback monitor, the next she's teaching a new routine to a squad of cheerleaders. A moment later she's pumping up the crowd with encouraging yells ("You guys are AWESOME!"). Then it's off to find a missing football that the director needs for a close-up shot.
"It's fantastic working with all these people," Ajemian said. "The extras are so great; they're really invested in their roles."
To film the big football scenes, director Artigo studied Hollywood sports classics and films like "Friday Night Lights." With a dash of movie magic, the few hundred extras at Doyle Field will be made to look like thousands, Artigo said.
"If you watch a lot of those movies, you notice that those crowd shots are mostly computer generated, or they just use cardboard cutouts," he said.
Artigo wrote the first draft of "We Got the Beat" in 2002 and Ajemian calls the project their "baby."
"It was kind of surreal when we began getting ready to finally shoot the first scenes. It was like, wow, this is finally happening!" Ajemian said.
Once filming wraps at the end of next week, Ajemian and her production company will shift gears and work to edit the film into its final form, which is expected to be finished by December. While her previous efforts have been financially viable, Ajemian hopes "We Got the Beat" will break through into the mainstream.
"We want to show that independent movies don't all have to be bleak, black and white, art house stuff. Our goal is to sell this to a major, mainstream distributor," she said.
Track the progress of "We Got the Beat" at http://www.wegotthebeatmovie.com/ or http://www.aafilms.com/
BY ERIK RADVON ERADVON@HOLDENLANDMARK.COM
Andrea Ajemian has seen the bright lights of Hollywood, but the Rutland native says there's something about Central Massachusetts that makes it appealing for filmmaking.
"I lived in L.A. for awhile, but this is such a great area to make a movie," she said from the set of her newest project, "We Got the Beat." The film is the fourth feature from AA Films, the Worcester-based production company run by Ajemian and partner Jon Artigo. Artigo wrote and is directing "We Got the Beat," with Ajemian producing.
Ajemian describes her latest project as a "mainstream high school football comedy." The film takes place in 1982 and tells the story of an all-star football quarterback who vies to transform his heavy metal garage band into the world's first boy band. The filmmakers say "We Got the Beat" has elements of '80s teen classics "Footloose" and "Sixteen Candles" mixed with the indie veneer of "Napoleon Dynamite."
The project is larger in scope than any of Ajemian's previous movies ("Rutland, USA" and "Freedom Park" among others), and presented a new set of challenges for her film production company. It's a period piece, with a laser-like focus on details and costumes an absolute must. The film also involves a number of large-scale sporting event shots that are pushing AA Films into new territory.
"We knew this was going to be a big undertaking, but every single person who has worked on this movie has really stepped up and put their handprint on this," Artigo said.
Following two years of preproduction, the cameras began rolling on "We Got the Beat" at the end of last month. Ajemian and her crew were in Leominster this week shooting pivotal football game scenes at the city's Doyle Field facility. Monday found Ajemian keeping tabs on a hectic set, which was bustling with football players, cheerleaders, a full marching band, cameramen, sound operators, lighting experts, and makeup artists — not to mention a crowd of hundreds of enthusiastic extras filling the bleachers.
"We've got 75 band people and something like 350 extras in the stands right now," Ajemian said. "The biggest challenge is making sure everyone is in period. We've got to get rid of all the current water bottles and things like that to make sure the shot is clear. We also have to make sure that the extras aren't looking directly into the camera, which is pretty common for people to do who aren't used to being on film."
The limits of Ajemian's producer title are hard to define. One minute she's looking over shots on a playback monitor, the next she's teaching a new routine to a squad of cheerleaders. A moment later she's pumping up the crowd with encouraging yells ("You guys are AWESOME!"). Then it's off to find a missing football that the director needs for a close-up shot.
"It's fantastic working with all these people," Ajemian said. "The extras are so great; they're really invested in their roles."
To film the big football scenes, director Artigo studied Hollywood sports classics and films like "Friday Night Lights." With a dash of movie magic, the few hundred extras at Doyle Field will be made to look like thousands, Artigo said.
"If you watch a lot of those movies, you notice that those crowd shots are mostly computer generated, or they just use cardboard cutouts," he said.
Artigo wrote the first draft of "We Got the Beat" in 2002 and Ajemian calls the project their "baby."
"It was kind of surreal when we began getting ready to finally shoot the first scenes. It was like, wow, this is finally happening!" Ajemian said.
Once filming wraps at the end of next week, Ajemian and her production company will shift gears and work to edit the film into its final form, which is expected to be finished by December. While her previous efforts have been financially viable, Ajemian hopes "We Got the Beat" will break through into the mainstream.
"We want to show that independent movies don't all have to be bleak, black and white, art house stuff. Our goal is to sell this to a major, mainstream distributor," she said.
Track the progress of "We Got the Beat" at http://www.wegotthebeatmovie.com/ or http://www.aafilms.com/
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