In this edition of Movie Making, I will update readers on my pre-production progress for my still untitled film — coming up with a title that doesn’t suck is not easy — I’m open to suggestions. With principal photography starting this upcoming weekend, there are still a lot of loose ends to tie up. The script is completed, but by completed, I don’t mean that it’s set in stone. One thing I have learned from the great filmmaker Alexander MacKendrick is the process of writing a script is one of revision.

The pre-production has gone well up to this point. The biggest hurdle to overcome on this project has been scouting locations to shoot. If you read the short story, you know the film opens and closes in a parking garage. Finding a parking garage that will allow me to shoot a film on location is no easy task. Finding a parking garage with white lights, not the dull orange lights that wash out all color, is even more difficult. I will not ruin all color and the picture by filming in an orange lit setting. Wish me luck working that “little wrinkle out.” The party scene in the film has a location, but not a date yet. I am currently in the process of recruiting extras to make this scene feel like a real party. If you are interested in participating, get in contact with me.

Through casting calls on the University of Minnesota Theater Server, I was able to get email responses from more than twenty actors. The next step was to hold auditions — ten of the emailers came to audition for Sarah Williams (Assistant Director) and I, and among those potential cast members, a fair amount of them were quite talented. Four of them were extremely talented. But I only could take on one female lead, so the decision between two seasoned actresses was our toughest one. Ultimately, I cast the three actors below.

On the right is Sarah Keller, and obviously, she will play the female lead Kara. She has taken classes that specialize in training actors for the camera at UCLA, is featured as a sociopath in another film called 21 Rounds, and will be moving to Los Angeles to pursue her dream of acting after she graduates in the Spring. In the middle we have Colin Marthaler; he will play the antagonist in the film Mike. Colin studied theater at the University of Minnesota — Duluth and has been in many plays, has done commercial acting, and has worked with talent agents before. On the left we have Rajiv Weliwitigoda, the man who will carry the film as the central character Weston. Rajiv is taking his talents to South Bea– ah, no, sorry that was Lebron. Rajiv was actually just accepted into the British American Drama Academy (BADA) at Oxford University. Sounds prestigious doesn’t it? That’s because it is. This film is lucky to have nabbed him up before he goes across the pond to hone his skills.

Of course any legit movie needs rehearsals, and so far they have gone very well. These three are not only talented actors, but have chemistry in their roles. The dynamics between the actors in character during rehearsals has shown great promise. Besides rehearsing together, the group got together on their own accord recently to get to know one another better. They need to truly seem like a group who has known one another since childhood, so this is a necessary step. Safe to say, these three, are dedicated.

When I look at this trio, I see the characters I imagined when I wrote them. How fitting, and perfect, that the actors not only have talent, but seem to “look” the part they are playing. On a quick note, The Movie Mash’s own Barrett Goetz will also have a small supporting role in this production. Barrett was a theater minor at the University of Minnesota, has quite a bit of previous acting experience, and fits the role he was cast in. Consider his contribution a plus.

With such talent headlining this film, everything else seems to be falling into place (minus finding a parking garage). I have the other shooting locations scouted, the camera, lights, and audio equipment rented, and have mostly been working on getting the smaller details wrapped up. These details include: finding and making an array of props, getting make-up so Rajiv and Colin will look strung out on drugs, and preparing the locations where we will be shooting. Though I summed all of that up in one sentence, trust me, it is an unreal amount of work. I’ll show you some of my tricks once I finish some of my smaller projects.

One of those projects was to make my own camera dolly. This necessary piece of equipment can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars for a cheap dolly to thousands of dollars for a great one. So, I decided I would spend less than a hundred and make my own. Following the instructions on a filmmaking forum, I finished my own dolly this weekend. It isn’t anything special, but will provide significantly smoother tracking shots than if I was simply holding the camera. Though I don’t love the final product and its functionality, the dolly will be a huge help while filming.

That is all I have to report for now. Like I said, the first of three weekends of filming starts this Friday. Wish me luck as I undertake this endeavor, and keep checking back in for updates. I will be shooting behind the scenes footage so Movie Mash readers can get an inside look on the set of this film and get a feel for how it all comes together.

What Do You Think Of The Cast? Are You Ready To See Some Footage Of The Film?