Actors. I love 'em. I really do.
Yesterday we started production on another feature film. The writer/director is actually a first timer - after working as a production assistant on our first dialogue recorded short film Phish, Kent Sutton from Staten Island must have caught the film bug. As a constant, theatre-trained actor, Kent was cast on only a short notice as Mike, the van driver in Cookies & Cream. It was during this time that Kent was quietly writing his first short film, called Miranda.
Kent has since decided to turn Miranda into a feature, and after observing his work with actors in the short's auditions recently (no one can communicate with actors better than a director that acts), I was instantly intrigued, and decided to add Miranda to the list of 10 features we will launch later this year.
Yesterday, we shot on location at Essex County College in their public library. We weren't allowed to shut down the location (especially during mid-term season), but we were given a nice sized corner of the library in which to shoot our scene. It went off without a hitch. Kent, as to be expected, had a huge case of the first-timer gitters (as we all have had at one time). After a couple of false starts, Kent was good to go - throwing in unexpected choices for the actors to try (sometimes without warning the other actor what would happen). The results were exhilarating. I immediately stop thinking like a producer every time one of these zen-like moments takes place, and when you are watching a tense scene unfold with talented actors behind the wheel, you are no longer thinking about just "making your day." It becomes about taking your place in the creation of something that could end up exciting. Miranda has easily one of the best casts I have ever worked with on set. The lead, as well as Kent Sutton (and Chris Riquinha from Uptown) are veterans of the Groundworks Theatre Group in New York City.
Miranda, so far, is about a woman who hides an abusive relationship from everyone around her - her family, her friends, and even other men that are interested in her. As a feature, I'm curious myself to see where the story will take us. Our plan is to shoot exactly three scenes, give Kent and his editor Neal the footage to view and analyze, maybe even construct some sort of trailer/teaser, thus giving Kent some steam and creative energy in which to take his short from short to feature length script.
We kept a small, skeleton crew yesterday (that was the condition given us by the library), in order to vanish into the library atmosphere and not look like we were shooting a movie. Our small cast-crew consisted of our very own Cassandra Riddick as DP, Kent Sutton the director, Maria Guzman (Miranda), One Way's latest repository actor Derek McAllister (Arthur), and New Jersey based actor Tim Parham (Jamie) - a long time friend of mine. I was on as producer as well as boom operator! It was a blast, even though my arms are still sore from our Olympian-heavy boom pole and shotgun mic.
There was also a very funny moment (well it wasn't until I started letting go of my professionalism). There is a line in the scene where Jamie eludes to an injury on Miranda, and she passes it off as just a basketball accident, when in all actuality it is probably a result of her abuse at the hands of her fiance' Arthur. I took it upon myself to comment about how funny the line was, and risked destroying all the concentration that Kent had worked hard establishing with his actors. I thought the line was funny, everytime I heard it. "What happened to your fingers?" I lost it. Luckily, the cast are so professional, they never even blew one take (although on the side the producer is turning his head away about to burst). If I wasn't the producer, I would have immediately been fired.
Another reason this project intrigued me was the cast. You have a great cast, you have a movie. All of the actors yesterday are awesome, focused, and perform at higher-than-average levels of concentration. Maria Guzman as Miranda is the backbone of the film, who the story is about. Maria is going to be a joy to work with, I can already tell. Very focused, but also very fun and doesnt take herself too seriously. Always a great attribute on set. She even took behind the scenes pictures (posted here) without us remembering to ask someone to do so. Also Tim Tarham looks as though working with him will be a pleasure, just as I imagined - I saw Tim's work years ago in a play and Im so thrilled he stayed in the New York area so I could get a chance to work with him. And finally, Derek (from Cookies & Cream and Uptown), was amazing. Several times he scared the shit out of me when in character as the abusive fiance.' At one point, I didnt know whether to say "good job" or drop the boom and run. Stay tuned for more on this project, as there should probably be a trailer or teaser up within the next month or so.
For now, check out the very talented (and expressive with her eyes) lead actress, Maria Guzman in a 16mm short film she did a little while back called The Longing.
- Princeton
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