Inclusion

Me in the Director's Chair

Boy, a lot has happened since my last blog post. Let me try to bullet point it all:

* We went into pre-production for Live To Tell. Suddenly some jackass (a man, FYI) in my school district decided to spread the rumor that I was filming a movie based on how I was bullied all throughout the school district. I received hate mail and harassing phone calls. My neighbor even posted about me on Facebook, where there was a smear campaign going on about me. Ironically, I found myself being bullied for planning to shoot a film about bullying. I decided to find another school in my town to film the movie, which I did... But I'm still awaiting all approvals. So...

* ...While all of the approvals were going through (and still are), it was suggested to me by a production company to write a spin-off series of What Happened Last Night. Shortly thereafter, New Dogs, Old Tricks was born.

* GVN Releasing picked up What Happened Last Night for distribution through SONY Pictures Home Entertainment.

* The pilot for New Dogs, Old Tricks was filmed.

* Safecracker Pictures picked up Whhttp://whlnmovie.com/at Happened Last Night for distribution in the U.K.

* I turned 40 on September 23rd and broke my ankle in six places the day after, thus sidelining me and all of my projects until now.

* What Happened Last Night is in contention for the Oscars, including four songs for "Best Original Song."

So, there you have it. You are now all caught up.

We are currently in the process of securing funding for the rest of the first season of New Dogs, Old Tricks, as well as other projects. This is genuinely one of the most frustrating things about filmmaking... Having someone with the finances to believe in what you do enough to fund it, then to wait for the return. I hope to eventually be able to finance everything myself, but I don't know when that will happen. With the DVD release date in the USA and Canada in less than a month, and the U.K. soon thereafter, there is certainly hope.

Last night, I was speaking with my dear friend Kodi. We were talking about the future of my projects, especially New Dogs, Old Tricks, which we are currently working on getting the funding for. We got onto the topic of what a diverse series it is, and somehow got onto the topic of whether or not the LGBT community would be interested in my show.

Joe Bruno as Bundy

I told Kodi that I have an LGBT storyline starting in episode seven, which I'm not going to share because it's really good. (If I do say so myself.) I also mentioned to him that one of our characters, Bundy (played by Joe Bruno) is gay... But he doesn't have a storyline about being gay. Why? Because he's just Bundy. He's accepted as he is by his friends and fraternity brothers. There isn't anything written specifically about Bundy to "make him gay." It's a choice that the actor made, and we just went with. Furthermore, it just fits the character. Then again, all of these characters are so relatable, he could easily have taken him in a completely different direction and still have fit in. It's a choice that Joe made for his character, and I'm going to support and encourage him. As the writer/director, it is something that I have the luxury of doing, and I even spoke with Joe about doing something with his character to have a storyline about the struggles of sexuality in college and when dealing with others (friends, parents, strangers, etc) and getting discriminated against because of it.

I've encouraged Joe to reach out to Gay News America to be a guest on their podcast (as per Kodi's recommendation). Bundy is a great character, and there should be more shows with LGBT characters that are just accepted, without having a storyline surrounding their sexual preference or bringing attention to it. There needs to be more inclusion, and my show is going to do just that.

If you or anyone you know is interested in contributing to New Dogs, Old Tricks, please visit the GoFundMe campaign for details.

It's a Man's World

Clayton Snyder as "Danny" in What Happened Last Night

People think I'm nuts for doing another project so soon... Before "What Happened Last Night" is even released. The majority of these people (if not all) aren't involved in the entertainment business. Their thought is, "Why don't you wait to see how your first film does?"

Folks, my first film already has a theatrical distribution deal in the USA and Canada. You can't get much better than that, especially since the first shot went off at the end of November last year. Having an entire film done - shot and edited - in less than a year (5 months, actually) is unheard of. It's desirable, for sure, but unheard of. Yet I, as a brand new filmmaker, was able to accomplish the feat that so many in the entertainment industry want to do. This was because of a fabulous cast, crew and production house (shout out to Gorilla Pictures). Frankly, I want to do it again.

Me (rt) with Mechelle Martz-Mayfield & Amber Rose

The issue with the entertainment industry is timing. The question isn't, "What have you done?" Instead, it is, "What have you done lately?" As a woman writer/director - and there is only 1% of women writer/directors - I need  to stay relevant in order to stay successful. The Coen brothers, the Farrelly brothers, Scorsese, Coppola, Spielberg, any other male director you can think of all have the luxury of taking as much time off between projects as they want and not have to worry about their next project. Heck, Joe Wright directed "Pan," which lost over $100 MILLION in the box office, has another studio picture in the works to be released in 2017.

My 7yo daughter "directing" a scene in WHLN

It isn't easy being a woman in this industry. It isn't fair. But, I don't do things because they're easy or fair. I do things because I want to. I don't need to prove myself to anyone. I'm a good director and a great writer. A lot of people want to work with me. If I have the ability to keep making movies, then why shouldn't I? I want to be an excellent example to my kids - especially my daughter - to show them that they can do anything that they put their mind to. I let my daughter "direct" a scene in "What Happened Last Night" because she asked me if she could. I told her what to do, and she repeated after me. I could tell how proud she was of herself, and how proud she was (and still is) of her mom. She keeps asking me if she can direct a scene in my next movie. I promised her that she can.

David Otunga let it be known that he is in "Live to Tell"

My next film is a drama entitled "Live to Tell." It is about bullying and school violence. Many of the people in "What Happened Last Night" have already committed to being in this film. As a matter of fact, David Otunga - a man that I absolutely adore and am proud to call my friend - has already publicized that he is going to be a part of this film. (David stars as Lt. Michael 'Lou' Ortega.) Other people in it from "What Happened Last Night" include Cody Calafiore, Alix Kermes, Natasha Coppola-Shalom, T'Keyah Crystal Keymah, Austin Davis, Shelley Regner, Matthew Joel Kranyak, Andrew Rogers and Brian Tyler Cohen. There are a LOT of other "big names" out there that want to be a part of the film, which is extremely exciting.

There are two different networks interested in the script, but I don't want to relinquish rights to it until the film is done because I don't want some network's political views or hidden agenda to make its way into my script. This story is about a school shooting, told from the inside of the school and the perspective of the hostages. It's about people, not politics. You won't see anything about gun control in my film. If you look and listen closely, you will see a commentary about the complacency of the media when it comes to these shootings. (Don't get me on my soapbox now...) This film will also make the festival circuit. The sooner it is completed, the faster it will be entered into festivals.

That being said, my dear reader, YOU can be a part of "Live to Tell." I have a GoFundMe Campaign going on in order to help bring in money for the budget. (Yes, we have investors, too, but this gives us the cushion that independent films need.) Check out the campaign and see how you can participate. Believe me when I say that every little bit helps...

I Think I Cannes... I Think I Cannes...

Original poster by Robert Peterpaul

It has been a little over four months since my last blog entry here, and I feel really bad about it. I wish I had it together enough to actually blog while I was going through the post-production process of What Happened Last Night, but I just didn't. Honestly, it was completely exhausting. I traveled back and forth from Los Angeles no less than six times from December until April. The first cut of the film was done on March 29th, which is a very important date to me and my family. (In a nutshell, it is the birth date of my Godmother, Elisa, who was killed in a car accident in 2000.) The final cut was done on April 19th. It was sent off to the Marche du Film in Cannes the following week, not to mention the four different screenings that we did. So, yeah, it has been a little bit busy over the past couple of months.  I apologize in being remiss of my blog maintenance!

With everything that has been going on with What Happened Last Night, Cain Casting & Talent Management has taken a back seat. Yes, I've been casting plenty of people in projects... I just haven't expanded my roster at all. Many of the people on my roster were actually featured in my film - something that I'm able to offer to them - and now work is starting to roll in again. Fortunately, What Happened Last Night has received theatrical distribution in the USA and Canada, but won't be released until August, so I've got a few months to myself where I can focus on Cain Talent again. I even started up the work from home business that I have been involved with since 2011. I mean, hey-- I need to stay busy. At least until the film is released, or I start shooting another film.

Austin, Mechelle & Dave their 1st Night in Cannes

Speaking of which, while I was in Cannes, I was asked to write a drama. I've never really written a drama, but I said that I would take a stab at it. I'm nearly done-- And I've been working on it for less than a week. I had planned on shooting Days Like This in August, but it will be difficult to do so with the release of What Happened Last Night. It appears as though I am going to have to push Days Like This until the Fall. Perhaps I can do the drama in August. I really want to work on another one of my films again soon. Like SOON soon-- Although Mechelle (my Line Producer) and Kristin (my Production Manager) may want to strangle me. I suppose I move too fast for my own good. Patience has never been a virtue of mine, that's for sure. (Is it August yet?)

My favorite gown, worn for The Nice Guys premiere

As I've mentioned, I had the opportunity to go to Cannes for the Cannes Film Festival and Marche du Film. It was INSANE!!! There were NINE people from my film in total: Me and Mechelle from the crew and seven actors: Austin Davis, David Eggers, T'Keyah Crystal Keymah, Shelley Regner, Lauren Mayhew, Brian Tyler Cohen and Natasha Coppola-Shalom. It was an experience that I will never, ever forget. Aside from my first film being picked up for theatrical distribution in the USA and Canada (have I mentioned that yet?), it was an extraordinary experience that I shared with extraordinary people. I recommend that ANYONE involved in the entertainment industry get to Cannes at least once in their lifetime. Who knows? Perhaps I will go again next year-- If I happen to have another film finished. And perhaps I will even be IN the festival itself!

Honestly, though, I feel very blessed. I never realized that I wanted to be a writer/director until I actually did it. Of course, I still LOVE casting and putting puzzles together... But it is so much fun to create my own puzzles and see what pieces fit.

I had NO idea...

Andrea Boehlke (l) and Shelley Regner (r) on set.

Aren't I cute thinking that I was going to be able to update this blog while making a movie? HAH! I literally had NO idea how little sleep I would get during that week and beyond. As a matter of fact, when I was out on Los Angeles after Christmas, I had a physical breakdown and ended up crashing in Shelley's bed while Mechelle and Kristin returned home. It was an awful experience - being sick, that is - but Shelley nursed me back to being human. (Thanks again, Shell! You'll make a great mom some day.) All I wanted to do was get home, and Shelley made sure I did.

In all sincerity, filming went very well. It was my first time producing and directing a feature film, so there were quite a few bumps in the road. Fortunately, the actors handled it all like champs. Unfortunately, there were issues with people that I trusted walking out on me and totally stabbing me in the back. But, hey, it's good to learn who is on my side before things get really big and exciting. They don't deserve to be along for the ride.

Add some of my cast

Once What Happened Last Night is released, I will tell the stories. And, believe me, we all have a ton of stories from set!! I must say that I had an absolutely unbelievable cast to work with. They were all professional and right on the money with their characters. My hair and makeup divas, Michelle and Jessica, were there EVERY SINGLE DAY, making sure that everyone looked amazing. (Okay, Jess had to miss one day, and Beverly stepped in for her, but we knew about that in the pre-production phase.) These ladies became two of my closest friends.

Speaking of friends, Kristin and Mechelle were on either side of me at all times, supporting me through absolutely everything. (You'll see, ladies, it will ALL pay off in the future. I promise.) They're the ones that are still working, even though principal photography is done. They're the ones ready for the next project, as we are wrapping up the first. They have my back-- No question.

My crew was pretty damned spectacular, too. From Jon to Elliott to Tom to Erica-- and everyone else that jumped in to help with things-- they kicked butt. They were a terrific crew to work with. I can't wait to see the final product. We are actually watching the rough cut this week, which I am super excited about. Plus, the trailer should be out by the end of the month.

We even have our very first screening scheduled, which is on April 8th in Mastic, NY. It's a test screening so that we can see the reaction of people, and gauge what the response will be through different demographics. Afterwards, we are having an after party, where people can mix and mingle with the stars of the film. (Open bar, too!) Would you like to attend? You can purchase tickets by clicking this link. Make sure you come say hi to me, and tell me you read my blog. I'll get you a drink or something. And, hey, maybe I'll use a picture of us in a future blog post.

There will be more about the making this movie at some point, including some fun behind-the-scenes photos. Stay tuned!

A Break from Gypsy Lyrics: I'm Making a Movie!

Austin Davis ("Freshie"), me and Rebecca Boughton ("Laila")
Photo credit: Katie Bogdanski

I'm making a movie. 

A real, full-length feature film.

MY movie. One I wrote. One that started out as a stage play back in 1995 and was turned into a film in 2000. TWENTY years after I wrote it, it is becoming a feature film.

With actors and stuff. Not just my friends that I hang out with. REAL actors. SAG-AFTRA people. Actors that are in the tabloids and stuff.

Oh. My. God. I'm making my movie.

My heart is pounding. My breath is short. My stomach is fluttering. My blood is pulsating in my ears. I feel like I'm about to bungee jump for the first time, and I'm praying that the cord doesn't snap. Holy crap, I'm scared. I'm really effing scared.

It's okay to be scared, though.  Everyone gets scared sometimes. Not everyone writes a feature-length film, casts known actors, raises the funds, and shoots the movie in less than four months. But, hey, we all have our own "things." (Right, Kristin?)

Me and Cody talking at an interview (cred: Katie Bogdanski)

I have had an enormous amount of fun getting to know the different actors that are a part of the film. I met Alix Kermes like seven years ago, so I'm really excited to see her again. (She just called from the airport... She flies in TONIGHT!!)  Mechelle (Martz-Mayfield, my Line Producer) and I had dinner with Jake Thomas one night, and then with Shelley Regner, Brian Tyler Cohen and Matthew Joel Kranyak another night. I know Judy San Roman, Mary Beth Kraese, Debra Cavaliere, David Eggers and Stephanie Katz personally. And Cody Calafiore... Well, I love that guy. I met him, and we just clicked. We actually clicked on the phone the first time I spoke with him. Now I look at him like a little brother. He is working so freaking hard on his role as Joe. He's flexible and accommodating and just so nice. He's going to go really, really far in this business.

And then you've got my crew, whom I cannot mention by name because I will inevitably leave someone out. Everyone knows that my core is comprised of my mom, Shannon, Joe, Kristin and, all the way from freaking Colorado, Mechelle. I've got an AMAZING support team. My crew rocks.

That's all for now. I'm going to try to document this process so that you all can see what we are going through.

(Jess, bring the Xanax. Fo' sho'.)