BTS of New Short "Shadows"

This past Sunday we shot our newest film, "Shadows,” a super short horror film that explores living with trauma.

Logline:  a young man finds himself being tormented by a supernatural entity while alone in his house.

The idea for the short was born out of a conversation that I had with Christina and Kelsey, where the discussion somehow segued into me opening up about a certain incident in my life. I later found myself mulling over this traumatic experience again, but from a different perspective. I thought it’d be not only artistically gratifying, but genuinely therapeutic to unpack and explore this experience through genre. That’s when I decided that I was going to write a supernatural horror about this subject matter. Before that conversation had taken place, I hadn’t opened up about this matter to anyone. I brought it up to my mother on the day it happened, but brushed it under the rug and repressed the memory. It was fascinating to revisit this experience, and, when talking to Christina, realized that you don’t see these kinds of stories told often in narrative film from the lens of boys and young men. It felt important to tell my story, even if it wasn’t in an overt fashion where the social issue is obvious. I also liked the idea of telling a story that, if one chose to look into it, would understand the themes being presented… but that someone could also enjoy as a straight up horror.

When we decided to shoot it, Christina came up with the fantastic and ambitious idea to shoot two of our shorts over one weekend. Check out her BTS post on “Game Brunch!” It was such a great two days for me, working first as a Scripty on Christina’s film, which was packed with dialogue and hilarious performances, to directing my dramatic horror that had very minimal dialogue. Thanks to an amazing cast and crew, we made both of our days and saved a heck of a lot of money in the process!

See behind the scenes:

Check out a couple stills from our footage:

Thank you to:

• Peter Westervelt, for having the creative fortitude and just literally the physical stamina to take on being a cinematographer for two very different projects over the span of just one weekend. His genuine care and input was everything.

• Christina, for being the best damn producer and friend there is. I would not have made the film without her continuous support, direction and friendship.

• Erin Clayton, for literally taking on the position of AD last minute when we had complications with scheduling. She was super attentive and also slated every shot!

• Vivian Pullan, for being a fantastic gaffer, not only lighting our scenes but also helping us pull off our practical effects!

• Matt Gershowitz, for helping us troubleshoot our effects and being a part of this story as he will also be editing the piece!

• Kelsey, for partaking in an impromptu photo shoot with my actor when I realized I wanted photos to be part of the decor.

• Marlene, Christina’s mom, who has been an asset to literally every single project we’ve made. She provides the food, helps transport equipment and even picked up two of the props I needed for my film.

• My mom, for always supporting me, and this film in particular, as she knows it is a portrayal of the hard times we have been through and still wanted me to make it.

• Christina Remley, for pulling focus like a champ during all the more complicated shots in tight spaces (we were literally under a desk together at one point) and having such a great attitude and work ethic!

• Irina Chernikina for recording sound, and with whom I can’t wait to sit in with and look through hundreds of sounds for the film!

• And, of course, my wonderful actor, Daniel Strausman. He was such a light on set. It was a pleasure to work with someone so thoughtful and curious. We talked a lot about both of our lives and he really connected to what the story was about at its core.

  I couldn’t have done it without their collaboration. Now it’s off to post! Stay tuned for details.

  -Ryan

BTS of New Short "Game Brunch"

Over the weekend, we shot my new short, "Game Brunch.”

Logline: More than eating is in store when a couple invites friends over for a Sunday brunch.

It’s in the tonal world of Clue, one of my favorite movies from childhood. And like that movie, I’m not sure if it’d be considered a genre film. For a while I was referring to it as a horror farce, but that isn’t quite accurate because it’s not exactly a horror film, and that combo label doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue. Some other fun descriptors we played with are fantastical farce, spooky spoof, and paranormal parody , though all don’t quite fit either. I’d say at the end of the day, Dani Thomas, one of the actors in the film, nailed it by calling it a comedy-of-errors. Maybe I’ll start referring to it as a comedy of errors with a genre layer. In any case, I kind of love that it’s so uniquely hard to put in a box, though that does make my festival strategy a bit hard to plan (a challenge for another day).

“Game Brunch,” like most of our recent projects, came out of our weekly writing group, where Kelsey, Ryan and I (and sometimes other CongestedCat collaborators) encourage each other to come in with new pages or pitches every time we meet up. After working on some darker projects, I wanted to jump into something light-hearted with actors I've loved working with in the past or have wanted to work with for a while. I sat down one evening and tried to come up with an idea that could be shot in my apartment (but in a way it hadn’t been used before) and could work as a short ensemble piece. I made a list of actors I like and started thinking about how I could pair them up. I recalled a game night I hosted years ago and found myself chuckling at the notion of revolving an entire film around one specific word (which I can’t reveal — you’ll have to watch the film when it’s done). I just started writing and an hour later I had an absurd 15-page script. When I sent it out to Kelsey, Ryan and some other trusted writers to read, I said that it’s a super silly Mel Brooks meets Edgar Wright kinda thing and asked them to let me know if it’s not too ridiculous to keep working on. Everyone got a kick out of it and really encouraged me to revise the script & direct it. A couple even said “please make it!” It was exciting to see such a positive response to it, especially from the actors I had in mind, once I eventually shared it with them. They all eagerly accepted the roles. I think they, like me, needed a break from the overwhelming amount of things to be outraged about in the world and loved the idea of just focusing on making something fun. And what fun it was to make!

Since Ryan had also written a new horror short that we were talking about making (check out his BTS post of “Shadows”), I pitched the idea of getting the most out of a weekend equipment rental rate by shooting both films back to back, Friday through Sunday. And so, we spent Friday and Saturday shooting “Game Brunch.” There isn’t too much to say about the days other than that they were truly a blast. The cast brought the characters to life wonderfully and everything went smoothly on set thanks to our phenomenal crew. I’ll shout everyone out at the bottom of this post. But first, see behind the scenes:

And check out a few stills from our footage:

Thank you to:

• Justin, Addie & Vic, my husband and cats, for putting up with yet another film production in our apartment.

• My amazing mom, Marlene, for catering & driving to pick up & drop off gear.

• Peter Westervelt, for being the best cinematographer & collaborator. Seriously, we had limited daylight both days, and day 2 alone had 34 shots to get through, nearly all of which were full run-throughs of nearly 10 pages. And we pulled it all off in 2 10-hour days without needing to cut any shots largely thanks to Peter’s ingenuity.

• Matt Gershowitz, our always dependable AD & excellent Editor who sets the jovial tone on set.

• Kelsey, for advising on the script early on and wearing multiple hats as script supervisor, bts photographer and set dresser when needed.

• Ryan, for advising on the script early on, including pushing me to really up the absurd during the climax, and for taking thoughtful notes as script supervisor on day 2.

• Vivian Pullan for doing an awesome job with lighting to keep us moving quickly through the day.

• Henry Hodges & Christina Remley for pulling focus like champs through non-stop handheld set-ups.

• Irina Chernikina for recording sound so thoughtfully, especially with so many actors and new set-ups to be on top of.

• Photographer Amanda Blount, who donated one of her beautiful photographs for set dressing.

• Filmmaker Sean Mannion for loaning his follow focus.

• Nathan DeCoux of Gotham Armory for doing beautiful & speedy work on my last minute order of a custom prop chef’s knife. (And filmmaker Cary Patrick Martin for the recommendation.)

• And, of course, our absolutely fantastic cast: Ricardo Manigat, Ricki Lynée, Dani Thomas (who also offered early script feedback), Alexander Alvarez, Miranda LeeAnn, and Jen Bendick.

Couldn’t have done it without any of them. Now on to post! Stay tuned for updates.

-Christina

BTS of New Short "Affliction"

Yesterday, we shot our newest short, "Affliction” (previously titled “Toxic Women”).  It’s kind of a chilling drama with a touch of body horror.

Logline:  Two coworkers contemplate the aftermath of an encounter.

The short was originally born out of a weekly writing group between Kelsey, Ryan and me. We try to meet up every week to either give feedback to each other on new pages of ongoing projects or practice pitches that are either inspired by our own experiences or come out of challenges we give each other in session (like from news stories or a draw of the hat type of exercise featuring genres and settings). This particular piece was a script Kelsey presented that was inspired by contemporary frustrations. Ryan and I really liked the way it played with a both timely and timeless issue and did so through a high concept portrayed through a small contained encounter. We ended up workshopping it over a few meetups and eventually Kelsey and I decided to collaborate on it together with me as director.

Once we decided to shoot it, we reached out to our usual crew and everyone was really excited about it. Having worked with Nabil Vinas in About a Donkey, I was eager to work with him again and knew he’d bring so much to this project. We offered him the role, and thankfully he accepted! Briana Swann was a recommendation from our frequent team member Ricardo Manigat. Having never worked with her before, I can now say I’m very excited to do so again because she not only had so much nuance within her performance, she was also really lovely to have on set. Everyone truly was, and we’re so grateful to all who helped bring the film together! (Shout-outs below.) Other than our original sound person ending up in a car accident at the top of the day (thankfully she’s ok!), and losing a couple hours to a quest to replace her, the day was super smooth. We got everything needed and managed to finish within 12 hours. I’m really looking forward to jumping into the edit with Matt next week!

See behind the scenes:

Check out a couple stills from our footage:

Thank you to:

• Kelsey, for writing such a powerful script.

• My mom, Marlene, for catering & driving everyone to set.

• Extended family Joan & Larry and their generous coworker Georgia for letting us shoot in their office.

• My stepdad Jay for helping with pickups and drop-offs.

• Peter Westervelt, for being the best cinematographer & collaborator.

• Matt Gershowitz, our always reliable AD on set & excellent Editor in post.

• Ryan, for advising on the script early on & for taking such thorough & thoughtful notes as script supervisor.

• Sean Mannion, who jumped in for location sound last minute on a Sunday AND loaned his gear.

• Henry Hodges, for making double duty as gaffer & grip look easy.

• Diana Molina Sosa, 1st AC, who always pulls focus like nobody’s business.

• Shivanna Sooknanan, our Art Director (and my cousin), who has a great eye and really brought the look of our set together throughout the day.

• Mike Dimitroulakos, who killed it in creating a certain makeup effect.

• Kimberly Drew Whiten, who not only worked as a great 2nd AC but also shuttled people to & from Long Island.

• And, of course, our absolutely phenomenal cast: Nabil Vinas & Briana Swann.

Couldn’t have done it without any of them!

-Christina

BTS of New Short "The Gaze"

Over the weekend, we shot on our newest horror short, "The Gaze."  

Logline: An actress is repeatedly catcalled on her way home from a shoot until just the right guy comes her way.

I wrote the script back in June, 2017. I don’t actually remember writing this script. It’s funny, I have a very good memory and can usually remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when writing. I can basically see myself doing it. But this one seems to escape me, for some reason. I do know that I wrote it in one sitting, and presumably late at night, as I tend to do. And I know I had been catcalled recently (maybe that day), which wasn’t exactly something new; and I was having a bad sleep week (I tend to go through cycles with my insomnia); and I was in the midst of my latest rewatch of my childhood favorite “The Twilight Zone” that month (watching the less common episodes I didn’t remember as well); AND I was hoping to have something for an upcoming writing group session with Kelsey & Ryan because I had been so focused on About a Donkey production & then post that I was ready to take on something fresh. What came out was a meta horror with a kind of “Tales from the Crypt,” even “Goosebumps,” feel. It’s a pretty short short, definitely under 10 minutes (it’s 7 pages), but a lot happens in a short amount of time. I worried it was maybe too convoluted from being rooted in a lack of sleep & catcall-induced rage. But Kelsey & Ryan loved it, especially the qualities about it that made me fear it was too convoluted, as did Nicole of 4milecircus, who later came on to co-produce the film.

I originally set out to shoot it last Fall, but delays with finishing up About a Donkey and general travel for work forced me to push it back. I, then, rescheduled for May 2018, but again had to push back due to work travel (which actually was for the best because it made room to push up Kelsey’s & Ryan’s short films that I was helping produce). Finally, mid-September was a go. I finished casting the film over the summer (there’s one main character but quite a big ensemble), and lucked out with having enough existing talent in my circle to offer friends and/or IndieWorks acquittances most of the roles. Only 3 out of 8 key roles were actually auditioned. The 3 new players were all excellent (both in skill & to work with), and I’m so glad to have them as part of the go-to team now.

We shot over two days. Saturday was on Long Island, thanks to extended family loaning a garage for a set I had the most difficult time finding at first. We had 18 people to commute that day, and about 9 hours to pull off a minimal dialogue, but heavily visual scene. It was my first time trying out some stuff I've never done before, like shooting for advanced VFX. (It's also my first time dabbling in scfi, except for maybe "Hello," my sweet, and soulful (get it?), and sometimes spooky short from 2016. (Its genre is debatable.)) Overall, the day was incredibly smooth. The camera & lighting crew created & captured utter beauty. And the performances where so powerful. I’m extremely excited about that footage. We got everything we needed and got everyone to & from Long Island within a 12-hour day.

On Sunday, we shot in my apartment in Queens. My place gets a lot of natural light, and we had to light the whole space as if by moonlight. So, lighting ate up some of the day, especially because the color tone & shooting style needed to change depending on what room and/or what scene we were in (maybe now you’re feeling the reason I worried it was too convoluted, haha). We also had some action & stunts to pull off, as well as a block & a half long tracking shot with a lot of moving pieces in one take. It was a real challenge; definitely a fun one, and was incredibly satisfying when we finally got it - but it did take 14 takes to get. And it resulted in a full 12-hour day when I hoped to wrap people a bit earlier. Overall though, it was another huge success and I’m so happy with what we all made together. Fully creating & capturing the nuanced tone of legit creepy with a touch of campy, and overall fun & satisfying, is key to the success of this short and a puzzle I’m looking forward to putting together as Matt and I get into the edit next week!

See behind the scenes:

Normally, I’d share some Stills, but I worry the BTS is already spoilery enough. So for now, I’ll keep the actual footage under wraps. But here’s a look at a shot with some title design I’ve been testing out.

Thank you to:

• My mom, Marlene, for catering & driving everyone to set.

• My stepdad Jay, and stepbrother JJ, for building a giant wooden prop for the film.

• Extended family Joan & Larry for letting us shoot in their garage and just generally take over their property for a day.

• Justin, my husband, for clearing out of our apartment (and being the most supportive partner always).

• Nicole Solomon, who produced through pre-production & on set, and Sean Mannion, who advised on how best to shoot for the VFX that he’ll pull off in post; co-owners of 4milecircus. Rent their gear!

• Jeanette Sears, for being a brilliant cinematographer & collaborator.

• Matt Gershowitz, always the best right-hand person as AD on set & Editor in post.

• Kelsey & Ryan, for advising on the script early on & supporting through the process, as always. And specifically, Kelsey for taking great photos & stepping in as an extra when needed, and Ryan for taking such thorough & thoughtful notes as script supervisor.

• Adnan Malik, our Gaffer for both days, and always a great guy to have on set.

• Christina Remly, who joined us for the first time as our 1st AC and was just excellent. She pulled focus like a champ.

• Bradley True, who not only expertly recorded sound, but stepped in as two roles in the film, as well!

• Kim Barnes, our Art Director, who was super attentive and on top of things (all the more impressive as it was her first time in the role), and who stepped in as an extra when needed.

• Julia Berkley, who effectively pulled off double duty as a Grip & stand in.

• Rashida Bolden, who made a fake corpse look so good & legit (despite fighting a cold), and her helpful assistant Anastasia Samoylova.

• Our great Co-Gaffer Brandon Lee, who joined us on set for the first time for Day 2, and our resident IndieWorks videographer Kim Drew Whiten, who was our 2nd AC for Day 2.

• And our absolutely phenomenal cast: Matrika Hay, Jason Zednick, Latresa Baker, J.B. Rance, Dani Thomas, Maya Jasmin, Alexander Alvarez, Miranda LeeAnn, and Anthony Rojas Jr.

Couldn’t have done it without any of them!

-Christina

BTS of New Short "Still Water"

Yesterday evening we wrapped on our newest work, "Still Water," a short-form horror film. 

Logline: A young girl takes some much needed advice from her mother on how to overcome her fear of the water... or so she thinks.

The idea for the film came to me after one of our writing groups with Christina & Kelsey. Location is always one of the toughest things to acquire when shooting on no budget. I don't like to restrict my writing to location, but when I thought of the fact that I could have access to a pool during the summer for a shoot, my mind began to race, grasping for ideas for a film in my favorite genre. I fell in love with the idea of a mother daughter relationship, where I could explore the horrors of how your imagination can be both your best friend and your worst enemy at such a tender age. I also wanted to delve into themes of parenting and the struggles of wanting to find a balance between being a "cool" parent and being an overprotective one. I'm not a parent myself, but I can sympathize with how they may want to give their kid the freedom they desire, while also smothering them at times, fearing the what if's if they were to turn their head for just a second.

We started the day a little late after a speed bump. Our AD, Matt Gershowitz, got a flat tire upon arriving to the location, but championed through the obstacle by quickly replacing it with a spare and working in some time to get a new tire during our lunch break. Principle photography began just after 9am. We pushed through the day with a skeleton crew of hardworking and lovely individuals, who all created an atmosphere that allowed me to thrive creatively as well as work through obstacles when they presented themselves.

One of the aspects of the shoot that none of us have had experience with prior, was shooting under water. Jeanette Sears (Director of Photography) and Christina (Producer) had the same thought in pre-pro to organize the shot list with the under water scenes last, as the lighting would be less affected as the sun changed. What I didn't account for was being down an HDMI, which Christina quickly thought to check my parents' television. We pulled the cable and used it to enable the monitor, but the amount of slack was minimal, as you can see in some of the pictures in the slideshow at the bottom.

Still, we worked with what resources we had, and pulled off a successful shoot! It was great to already have a working relationship with Jeanette as my DP, because when there were moments in the water where we couldn't use the monitor, I knew I could trust their judgement. I'd tell them to roll it three times and then go for playback as time became an issue. There were moments that it was tough to see the playback through the DiCAPac (underwater camera encasement) and when we were pressed for time, I'd give it a look over and have to make some quick decisions.

When those restraints came into play with the addition of practical FX, that's when I knew we just needed to get as many takes as possible for options in the editing room. There were a lot of variables in achieving the image, even when something that will be on screen for the blink of an eye.

I was extremely happy with both of my actors. Colleen Slattery was an absolute pleasure to work with and Kaylin Hedges was a warrior, being in and out of the water so frequently can take much more of a toll on you than you'd initially think. Colleen would let me know if Kaylin or herself needed a break when I was focused on the monitor or making changes to the shot list, and having Kaylin's mother there to support and help out was essential to the work flow.

Through all the excitement and the chaos, I couldn't have asked for a better team to collaborate with. On this particular project, I not only had the aide of my film family, but my actual family. We shot in the backyard of my parents' house and they both did everything in their power to make it an enjoyable experience. I can't thank them enough for their love and hospitality.

The film will soon enter post production, where I'll work closely with Matt (also editing the project) and a post sound designer. I'm currently looking for someone with experience in post sound mix/design/editing on a micro budget, as this film is heavily reliant on its soundscape. If you have any recommendations or inquiries, you can email me at rkramer47@gmail.com

Updates to come in the near future!

- Ryan