FIRST VIEWING!

FINANCIERS DESERVE
THEIR OWN SCREENING

    Like many independent projects these days, we used Kickstarter to fund our movie. Rewards ranged from Thank You videos and online copies of the film, to T-shirts and signed blow-up dolls (from the movie.... or the most random reward ever) and we even offered to throw you your own Reunion!  (That was for $7000.  In hindsight, knowing that our movie ultimately cost about $8000 including Post and reshoots, unless we had sold that one AND $3000 in other rewards, perhaps not the best idea. But if you'd like to give $7000 now, I will still gladly throw you a reunion and show you my next movie that I make with it!)

     Because many of the backers lived in or near Los Angeles, we were able to throw a party at Jonny's house to thank them, show them the movie, and drink. (But hey, who needs an excuse for THAT?) We'd saved almost all of the decorations from the movie, so we decorated the place appropriately to recreate the atmosphere.

Jonny prepping the screen.

Costume and set pieces chillin'.

     This was one of the more rewarding experiences of the whole process. It's been a few weeks since we officially finished and I'm far enough away now that i can enjoy the movie again. But still, it hasn't been in front of an audience - we've had individuals view it and one viewing party for five or six people to discuss what was and was not working in the edit, but not a whole audience watching finished product. 

     I knew most of the people there, many very well, so it was a relaxed party atmosphere, and the vodka punch was helping whatever stress I may have been feeling. My cinematographer was unable to make it, but we had Charlie, our lead actor; Harry, my A.D. (and fill-in director for one scene); our Associate Producers; and some P.A./background people, plus backers and some very close friends. 

     After about forty-five minutes of catching up with people, I ushered everyone into the living room and gave a quick "Oh my God, Thank You, guys, we LITERALLY could not have done this without you" speech (all very true) and handed it off to Jonny, who did some of the same.

Our first audience.

Jonny toasting our backers. 

     Then, we watched the movie.

     Charlie hadn't seen it since we had a very rough cut late last year and we'd done some significant work on it since. He was standing with his wife (one of our casting directors) and me in the back. So when HE laughed along with the crowd, I knew we had done something right. We got all the appropriate laughter and "awww"s in all the right places, and the requisite applause afterward. Then, back to drinking.

     I had three important interactions after that: the first was Jonny's uncle David who was one of the Associate Producers. He was very happy and impressed, so it was great to please one of the financial backers and family members - nothing worse than someone financially and emotionally connected watching something they helped fund say "Well, I didn't get it, but glad you guys had fun..."

     Next was Alyson, my good friend Geoffrey's girlfriend who also happens to work in the Festival world and watches tons of these things. She was impressed and remarked about not only how the story was complete, but that there was a lot of heart. These were the two most important things for me, as Jonny's goal was to make a movie that had a true story (beginning, middle, end, and JOURNEY) and that it, even at twelve minutes, made you care about the character and what happened to him.

     Then was my color correctionist who, in my opinion, took this movie and made it something truly great. Never underestimate how sound and color can tell a story on their own. The subtle tweaks and major shifts in color changed the way I saw the story, in a way that I had planned and hoped when in pre-production, but had faded into the background since. There was ONE shot where I noticed a problem a while back and I mentioned this to her after the screening - and she hadn't noticed it. And since everyone involved in a movie tends to pay the most attention to what they were involved in (ask a costumer how the movie was and you get "splendid! Those dresses looked spectacular," etc.), I was happy that she was involved enough in the story that she even missed the one scene that needed her help.

     Possibly most importantly, Charlie was really happy. I asked if he would be interested in attending a Festival if we got in and he responded quickly with "Absolutely. Wherever and whenever you need me." I've gone on a terrific night-long drinking binge with Charlie, so a Festival will be amazing...

Moi, Charlie, and Jonny