19w's Donnie Conty spent a week in Canada to check out the Vancouver Film School (www.vfs.com). This was the first time VFS offered a Summer Intensive Program where they have 13 different areas of interest to specialize in. Since Donnie has a background in sound, he attended the week long workshop in Sound Design for Visual Media. The VFS
campuses are located throughout downtown Vancouver so Donnie got
pretty familiar with the city having to walk everywhere.
There were 9 people in the Sound Design class from all over the world. Some were from Portugal and Sweden, but Donnie was the only one from the Washington DC area. They all have one thing in common though, a passion for film and sound. Donnie recalls the first day, "We were shuffled from place to place and the next thing I know we're in a class discussing the physics of sound. Then during our first lunch break I noticed no one was talking so I tried to break the ice by saying, 'For a bunch of sound guys, everyone sure is quiet.'" One of the other students just replied, "We're all just listening--to everything".
The week was broken up into two daily sessions. Donnie studied Sound Design in Film as well as Sound Design for Video Games. During the week they recorded their own sounds, worked on foley, ADR, and using ProTools edited a soundtrack for a student animation! The week went by quickly but you were so immersed in the experience, you didn't want it to end. The strangers you met at the beginning of the week turned out to be good friends you'll miss. All of the VFS instructors have their own unique style of teaching but without a doubt, are all invaluable contacts in the industry.
Donnie plans to make the move to Vancouver in early 2010.
Ghosts Don't Exist Production
Blog
To follow Ghosts Don't Exist
activities all throughout production, be sure to check out the
new blog at
http://ghostsdontexist.blogspot.com/. We'll be updating it
frequently to give you behind-the-scenes access every step of
the way!
Ghosts Don't Exist Casting Call
Yields Over 200
More than 200 talented SAG and Non-union actors crammed into
the Topaz
Hotel in Washington, DC Saturday and Sunday, eager for a
chance to land a role in 19th + Wilson's first feature film,
Ghosts
Don't Exist. The film, executive produced by Redskins
favorite Chris Cooley, continues to garner the positive
attention of prospective cast, crew, and distributors alike. The
steady stream of actors this weekend was testament to the
interest in this unique psychological thriller.
Producers Eric Espejo, Richard
Friend, and Aaron Goodmiller—along with casting director
Demetrius Parker—carefully observed and filmed auditions
virtually nonstop from 10AM to 5PM both days. With their
extended team on hand to sign the actors in and keep the
auditions on schedule, the group still found themselves faced
with a waiting room nearly thirty persons deep throughout the
day—a good problem to have when casting. "We had 96 auditions on
Saturday alone—which was more than all of our previous (short
film) casting calls combined" mused Goodmiller, who started the
company in 2001. On Sunday, that number ballooned to 122. "We
had a great turnout and are going to have some tough decisions
to make," Parker added.
Ironically—and certainly regrettably—the team actually had to
turn a few actors away. With the waiting room and lobby still
filled to capacity after 3PM, the group realized that they'd
have to cut off any additional sign-ins in order to wrap up by
5PM. "The hotel was extremely gracious to allow us to use the
space," said Goodmiller, "but we did have to keep our end of the
bargain and be out by 5PM." He added, "Some of the auditions
were a bit loud; we didn't want to scare the hotel guests.
Literally."
19W marketing specialist Nancy Yee elaborated. "Unfortunately,
one of the inherent risks with the open casting call format is
the steady stream of arrivals throughout the day," she explained
"We obviously hoped to see every single person who came out. The
guys were averaging about 14 auditions per hour, which was about
as fast as we could hope for." Nonetheless, those who couldn't
make it to the audition in time are encouraged to email
headshots and resumes, and to submit their auditions online via
YouTube—where the team had already received submissions from as
far away as Spain and Sweden, even before the casting call doors
were opened.
The producers and everyone at 19th + Wilson sincerely thank
everyone who came to the audition, the Topaz Hotel for providing
the venue, and the extended team who tirelessly dedicated their
entire weekend to this successful event.
19W
Announces Casting Call for "Ghosts Don't Exist"
"Ghosts Don't Exist", a
19th & Wilson production is casting a HD full length horror
about a ghost hunter whose wife dies and as a result he
loses faith in what he believes -- prompting him to retire.
However, he decides to take one last case when a potential
client makes a guarantee he can't refuse. When they arrive
to the home an unforeseeable and shocking event transpires
and they struggle with the decision to keep investigating.
See www.ghostsdontexist.com for more info. Please request
sides and location of auditions from
ghostdontexist@gmail.com and/or
gdecasting@19thandwilson.com.
Project: Feature film (Red One)
Location: Metro DC area, Virginia
Union: SAG and Non Union
Pay: Ultra low budget SAG agreement
Audition Date & Location: March 14th & 15th 10am-5pm both
days, HOTEL TOPAZ:
1733 N Street,
NW, Washington, DC 20036
Comments: Project marks the debut of NFL's Washington
Redskin player, Chris Cooley as Executive Producer.
Opening title credit roles:
Brett, 30's male lead. The ghost hunter who is ridden with
guilt over not being there for his wife when she died in the
hospital. A man who's looking for redemption after he
realizes he's focused on work more than his family.
David, 40-50, male. A critic of Brett and debunker of
paranormal activity. Brett's annoying antagonist whose only
friend is a bottle of scotch.
Jen, 20's, female. Jen is on the ghost hunting team and
wants to believe in the afterlife becuase of a dark secret
from her past. However, she's not exactly fearless and
getting through the night on a gig is challenging for her.
Richie, 20-30's male. Richie is on the ghost hunting team
and is in it for the money. His sense of humor helps ease
the tension during an investigation.
Kurt, 30's, male. Kurt is Brett's best friend and was there
with Brett's wife the night she passed away.
Travis Garner, 40-50, male. Travis is the mysterious client
and homeowner who makes Brett a guarantee that he'll find
the evidence he's been looking for.
19w Announces a Greenlight for "Ghosts Don't Exist"
After spending most of 2008 raising
funds, 19th & Wilson is pleased to announce that Ghosts Don't
Exist is moving into preproduction phase (with production slated
for May of this year). Thus far, production locations will be in
the Metro DC area. 19W is now accepting applications for crew
(gaffers, grips, Pas, etc.). Soon we will announce the date for
casting calls, which will most likely be in March.
We would like to thank Executive Producers Chris Cooley and
James Mercurio for their support, and Producer Tanner Cooley for
his significant work on championing the project. We also would
like to recognize Tony Cord and Chadleon Booker for their
assistance and hosting a great 19W event.
We are excited about the production and feel it creates an
opportunity in the DC area for indie film and other businesses
that support the arts. Having said that, we are now seeking
restaurants/caterers to sponsor a day of food for our film in
exchange for credit and publicity. We plan to have certain days
when media (such as the popular ESPN show E60) will be on
set—this would be great exposure for a local restaurant. Any
other businesses that feel they could help the production—please
do not hesitate to contact us.
We would like to thank all who continue to support us, and
especially thank the following people who have signed on and
made the production possible:
The Cooley Zone
Drew Crowder, NVblu, Inc./Live-blu.com
Edwin Espejo, Unisys
John Duffy, Compass Group
Pete Buttecali, Woodpile Studios
Art Bond
Rob and Bonnie Huie
Nitin Adsul, Darrel Cox, Clark McMillian of East West Films
Jason Fabini, Washington Redskins
Jason Cole, DC Hosts
Ghosts
Don't Exist... at the Shadowroom!
JAN. 11, 2009
Washington DC's
Shadowroom
opened its doors Sunday night for an exclusive red carpet
investors event and after-party—all for 19th + Wilson's upcoming
feature film, Ghosts
Don't Exist.
On hand were Executive Producers
Chris Cooley
and James
Mercurio, as well as hosts Tony Cord and Chadleon Booker. An
array of interested investors as well as local media assembled
to hear Cooley, Director Eric Espejo, and CEO Aaron Goodmiller
describe this unique independent film opportunity, which is
expected to greenlight on February 1st. "I'm excited to be a
part of this—it's something I'm definitely going to have fun
with during the off-season," said the popular Washington
Redskins Pro-Bowl tight end. Cooley explained how he and brother
Tanner came to be part of the team of producers, while Espejo
elaborated on the risks and rewards associated with independent
filmmaking—making a clear case for the film's potential success.
"We've always said that it starts with a great story, and that's
what we have," said Espejo. "A script that made it into the top
15% of the Oscar's Nicholls Fellowship competition—the most
prestigious screenwriting competition in the nation."
Eric reiterated the significance of not only hiring one of the
top script consultants in the country, but actually signing
James Mercurio on as an Executive Producer. "Everyone knows in
business it's important to surround yourself with the right
team. We're surrounding ourselves with dedicated and successful
professionals who know how to follow through on a project."
Espejo also expressed the team's thanks to Tony Cord and
Chadleon Booker, who hosted the event at the elite Shadowroom
lounge, and who were key in making it such a success.
Goodmiller outlined the investment package options, explaining
the team's goal of raising the $250,000 budget from $5,000
units. "One of the key selling points is the fact that all
initial income for the film goes toward repaying the investors
first," he said. "That's a priority for us." In addition, after
the investors have been repaid, the profits will be split 50/50
between the investors and 19th + Wilson. "The LLC is set up to
truly benefit everyone involved."
NBC4's Lindsay Czarniak and Dan Hellie were on hand to interview
Cooley about his involvement in the project; and Washington Post
sports blogger Dan Steinberg attended as well, posting a
story the following morning. Washington Capitals stars Nicklas
Bäckström and Mike Green also showed up to lend their support,
much to the delight of hockey fans in the room—including the 19W
team itself.
The after-party lasted until the wee hours of the morning, but
the resounding message that potential investors left with was
the quality of the story and solid backing behind Ghosts Don't
Exist—and its potential. Citing the 2003 indie, Open Water, (a
film made for $130,000, bought for $2.5 million, and earned $30
million) Espejo drew parallels. "Open Water is the perfect
example of a horror that sells because of the story," he
remarked. "There weren't any big names attached. Not a big
director. They shot it in Mini DV, which people use for their
weddings. Yet it sold, because of the great premise."
"And I believe we have a great one," Espejo added. "Jim Mercurio
believes in it. Chris Cooley believes in it. Tony Cord and Chad
Booker believe in it."
19th &
Wilson Updates
Ghosts Don't Exist investors meeting
19th & Wilson held its first investors meeting at Champps in
Reston VA on Sep.18th. In attendance were Executive Producers
Chris Cooley and James P. Mercurio, as well as producer Tanner
Cooley. The meeting was well received as Jim, Aaron, and Eric
spoke to potential investors about the project. If you'd like
to find out more about how you can get involved feel free to
email contact@19thandwilson.com
Ghosts Don't Exist Live
The independent film being talked about by Washingtonian and
Redskin fans now has a live website. With the signing of
NFL's Chris Cooley as Executive Producer, the 19th & Wilson
film Ghosts Don't Exist is
moving full steam ahead and they'd like to encourage you to
visit www.ghostsdontexist.com.
Bear in mind that the intro page has sound, so be sure to
listen as well.
We will be using this group to send out communications in
the future. Don't miss out on calls for casting, crew and
events that we are holding for this and all projects!
Thank you for your support!
Chris Cooley to Executive Produce
19th & Wilson's "Ghosts Don't Exist"
19th &
Wilson is pleased to announce the addition of two new producers to
our latest feature film project, "Ghosts Don't Exist". Joining the
team are Executive Producer Chris Cooley and Producer Tanner Cooley.
Chris - a Pro Bowl player with the Washington Redskins - is widely
recognized as one of the NFL's elite tight ends in the game today.
Tanner is an entrepreneur, and is Chris' brother and business
partner. Their hard work, dedication and commitment to excellence
have brought them great success thus far, and will undoubtedly
propel this exciting project forward.
19W is still securing additional funding and aims to be in
pre-production in Q4 of 2008. To find out more about 19th & Wilson
and how you can be a part of this project and independent film,
please check www.19w.com.
Be on the lookout for more in the press about this unique venture,
and as always, we appreciate your support.
The Team at 19th & Wilson
19W Hosts "Killer Endings to Killer Movies" Event
With James Mercurio
On July
17th, local filmmakers, actors, screenwriters, and investors braved
heavy thunderstorms to attend 19th & Wilson's "Killer Endings to
Killer Movies" event at the beautiful JW Marriott in Washington
DC. Most had pre-purchased their tickets for just $10, and were
treated to a wealth of information from two very special sources:
entertainment lawyer Kirk Schroder and respected script
consultant James P. Mercurio --the type of program that
usually takes place only in Los Angeles or New York. The exclusive
event was organized by 19th & Wilson as part of a networking
initiative for the local film community.
Attorney Kirk Schroder began the evening by giving an overview of
the many legal pitfalls that filmmakers encounter, and opened the
floor to questions from an eager audience. "This is fantastic," one
attendee commented. "I just got terrific legal advice for my film
project, and it was free!" The ensuing Q & A session was brief,
however, due to limited time. "I wish we had more time to devote to
this," said guest speaker Jim Mercurio. "I had a lot of questions I
wanted to ask him myself!"
Mercurio took the stage for the main
event, a two-hour presentation on screenwriting and financing film.
The engaging Mercurio (known for the bestselling Screenwriter's Expo
DVD "Killer Endings") treated the audience to his unique views on
film; illustrating the keys to crafting a memorable, effective
story. He then explained how filmmakers can secure financing for
their projects, and showed the benefits of investing in film.
Meticulous notes were taken by everyone in the room as Mercurio
essentially gave a clinic, shifting between a comprehensive
Powerpoint presentation to actual clips from films such as LA
Confidential.
Several guests stayed long after the program to talk film with Jim
and the 19W team, and many expressed their gratitude for the event
and interest in attending future conferences. "A lot of folks really
thanked us for what they got out of this," said 19W producer Richard
Friend. "This was a very informative session for us all, and we're
glad we had the opportunity to host it."
Jim Mercurio recently produced "Hard Scrambled" starring Kurtwood
Smith (Robocop, That 70s Show) and Richard Edson (Do the Right
Thing), and is one of the leading script consultants in the country.
He has signed on to executive produce 19th & Wilson's upcoming
feature, "Ghosts Don't Exist". You can learn more about him at
www.jamespmercurio.com.
James
Mercurio to Executive Produce 19th & Wilson's "Ghosts Don't Exist"
After meeting with 19w president, Aaron Goodmiller, and VP Eric
Espejo, James Mercurio is set to executive produce 19th & Wilson's
horror full length feature, Ghosts Don't Exist. The pic is written
by and will be directed by 19w's Eric Espejo. Producers at 19w are
currently working on obtaining funding for the film and are hard at
work in preproduction. James Mercurio is a producer and a well known
script consultant with years of experience. James' latest feature is
the film Hard Scrambled starring Kurtwood Smith (That 70's Show) and
Richard Edson (Do the Right Thing), which had its world premiere at Cinequest Film Festival in 2006 and won best dramatic feature at
Garden State Film Festival.
With the knowledge that Martin Scorsese was in town, 19th & Wilson's
Eric Espejo, Richard Friend, and Donnie Conty found themselves at
the Kennedy Center in Washington DC during the rehearsals for the
30th annual Kennedy Center Honors for the Performing Arts. Legendary
director Martin Scorsese was one of five honorees.
After rehearsals for the 2-hour show, which will air December 26th
on CBS, the 19W producers had a chance to meet the visionary
director for the first time--and had the honor of presenting him
with a DVD set that included TechFellas and The Departed!
Understanding the premise of the parodies, Mr. Scorsese examined the
DVDs and exclaimed, "This is hilarious! Thank you!" He also recalled
an associate as having already seen TechFellas!
Espejo briefly explained the concept and inspiration behind both
projects, and how well each has been received online. "They're
internet hits!" replied an enthusiastic Scorsese. "That's terrific!"
It was a tremendously gratifying experience for Espejo and Friend,
who co-wrote both short films and have long admired Scorsese's
iconic work. "To have this chance to meet him, to thank him for what
he's meant to us, and to actually share our work with him--that was
special" said Friend.
TechFellas and The Department are both available on DVD at 19W.com.
With the Thanksgiving holiday upon us, we at 19th & Wilson wanted to
thank everyone who came out to support us at our Networking and a
Movie event. Check out some picture
here. It was great to meet everyone and it's especially
exciting to see that there are so many filmmakers in different
capacities in the Metro DC region. We hope that everyone had a great
time and were able to network with contacts like Paul Sherno and
Matt Simpson from Local Point TV, along with President of the
Asian
Pacific American film festival, Christian Oh. Please be sure to
check our website for more information on how you can become
involved with independent film.
As a result of the event, Paul Sherno and 19W's Aaron Goodmiller are
in talks to bring TechFellas and The Department to Local Point TV,
so please be sure to check for updates on Local Point (www.localpointtv.com).
Local Point is on HD air channel 7-3, Comcast channel 205, and
Verizon FiOS channel 867.
The Love Story of Henry & Carol production
That's a mouthful for a title. The Love Story of Henry and Carol (HC
for short), is a short film written and directed by 19w's Eric
Espejo, and is his fifth short film. With 2 of the past 3 films
being spoofs, the 19W team wanted to get back to telling original
stories and as such, this romantic horror is definitely a step in
that direction.
Henry and Carol takes us on a journey of the heart. Carol is a
loving wife who likes to play games, scaring her husband for fun.
When her shenanigans result in dire consequences, she has to
confront a life without Henry—but she may just find that loneliness
doesn't always mean you're alone.
The auditions were held in October and actors Chris Kennedy and
Kendra North were cast as Henry and Carol, respectively. HC was shot
in one day and one long all-nighter, at a model home provided by
Van Metre Homes in Stone Ridge VA. To say the cast and crew worked hard
would be an understatement, but they are proud of what they've
accomplished and are excited to see HC on the screen.
The Department, TechFellas, and Haunted Doll on DVD
The internet hits are now available to you on DVD! Visit our website
to get your copy of
The Department,
TechFellas, and
Haunted Doll. If
you missed our Networking and a Movie event, now is your chance to
see the films by grabbing your DVD copy.
Also available now is our first compilation DVD! FILM5 is a
collection of short films from 19th & Wilson, presenting the first
five projects from 2002 to 2006. You can purchase it by going to the
Filmography section of the www.19thandwilson.com website.
19th & Wilson
Casting for The Love Story of Henry & Carol
19th & Wilson &
D'Actor Enterprises is casting The Love Story of Henry & Carol on
October 27, 2007 2:30pm-6pm, at:
DC Arts Center
2438 18th St NW,
Washington DC 20009
(see
http://dcartscenter.org/plan_location.htm for more info).
Non-union, no pay (craft services and a copy of the DVD will be
provided), opening title credit roles and crew available. Shooting
will be on Nov 10 and 11 this year in Northern Virginia.
The Love Story of Henry & Carol is a consolidated epic about a
loving couple wherein a playful wife likes to scare her husband.
When her shenanigans go too far and end up affecting her husband in
the most negative way the consequences are beyond their control.
Roles:
Young Henry - 20's and/or 30's male
Young Carol - 20's and/or 30's female
Old Henry - upper 50's and/or 60's male
Old Carol - upper 50's and/or 60's female
These are both equal opportunity projects and all ethnic backgrounds
will be considered. We would like to have all female roles audition
from 2:30pm-4:30pm & all male roles audition from 4:30pm-6pm.
If you have any questions, please contact Demetrius Parker at
dactord@yahoo.com.
19th &
Wilson presents "Networking and a Movie"
On November 3rd, 4 PM - 6:30 PM at the
Arlington Cinema 'N' Draft House, 19th & Wilson will be hosting an
event to premiere their two latest short films as well as a
networking event.
Arlington Cinema 'N' Draft House
2903 Columbia Pike
Arlington, VA 22204
Kick off
your evening with this unique opportunity to meet Producers,
Directors, and Actors from the local and regional scene.
Tentatively scheduled to appear are
James P. Mercurio(Producer
of "Hard Scrambled" and well known script consultant), ABC
Channel 7's
Kyle Osborne, Paul Sherno of
Local Point TV, and
Johnny Alonso("One Tree
Hill", "Dawson's Creek") .
Bring your headshots, business cards, and resumes!
Enjoy the unveiling of 19W's latest films "The
Department" and "The Haunted Doll" and experience the cult favorite
"TechFellas."
Trailers can be seen at
www.19thandwilson.com.
Don't miss out on this one-of-a-kind exclusive event
- limited seating is available
Good food and great drinks sold separately at the
Draft House.
19W at Asian Pacific American Film
Festival
19th & Wilson's film Techfellas was accepted to the Asian
Pacific American Festival (www.apafilm.org)
and, according to the guys, it was a blast. The event, which took
place from Sep 27th - Oct 6, showcased films from Asian American
directors, writers, actors, and mostly involved stories representing
the Asian American culture. "APA is so well organized by a dedicated
crew of volunteers. Christian Oh and his staff are so unselfish with
their time and yet sustain an incredible energy throughout the
events," director Eric Espejo reflects.
Not only did this mark the first time a 19th & Wilson film made it
into a festival, it was also one of the rare times where the crowd
was filled with people they didn’t know. Aaron Goodmiller observed,
“It was interesting to see how the crowd reacted to all of jokes.
Showing it to our friends is one thing, but getting an unbiased
crowd to laugh, that’s something special.”
You can check out pictures of some of
the 19W guys at the Festival here.
Eric Espejo Pitches to L.A. Producers
19th & Wilson's Eric Espejo was in LA
for the Emmy weekend. Primarily, he was there for pitch meetings
with producers and managers, but the icing on the cake was on Sunday
when he got to attend his first Emmy Awards show.
The meetings were with Julie
Richardson (Collateral) from Surprise Pictures, Marilyn Atlas
(Real Women Have Curves) from Atlas Management, Michael
Kuciak from AEI, Lalo Vazquez from Shady Acres (I Now Pronounce
You Chuck and Larry, Evan Almighty), and Jenni Gold from
Gold Pictures. The pitches were a complete success as Eric was able
to obtain the contact info of all of the producers/managers and two
are already in possession of his latest thriller script, Offline.
According to Eric the Emmy show was a
blast. The pictures aren't quite there in quality as they were taken
with a cell phone, but nonetheless you can see it was quite the
experience.
We are
pleased to announce the Premiere of our latest short film, "The
Department". The film is a parody of Martin Scorsese’s "The
Departed" and we hope you’ll join us on July 19th at Gardel’s
located at 29 S Front St, Baltimore, MD 21202 (see
www.gardels.com “Contact Us”
section for directions). The film even stars Gardel’s very own
Johnny Alonso, and many more locally talented actors such as Joe
Hansard from HBO’s The Wire.
If you haven’t seen "The Department" trailer yet you can check it
out at:
That’s not all! 19th & Wilson will also be conducting a casting call
in the near future for its next project, which will be shooting
later this summer. It’s an original thriller short script. Please
note that the casting call will not be at Gardel’s on the 19th but
feel free to bring your headshots and resumes for us to collect.
Filming Wraps for "The Department"
19th &
Wilson officially wrapped filming on March 11th for The
Department, shooting their final scenes at
The Bean Scene Cafe
in Ashburn, VA. The Department is their forthcoming
short parody of The Departed-- Martin Scorsese's
Oscar-winner for best picture. And the team that created
TechFellas last year is excited about their follow-up.
"It's another office setting, focusing on the I.T.
department," explain writers Eric Espejo and Richard Friend.
"But it equates managers and techies to cops and gangsters,
respectively."
Where TechFellas succeeded in generating internet
buzz by recreating key scenes from Scorsese's classic
GoodFellas in an Office Space environment, The
Department promises to raise the bar considerably higher.
The parallels between original film and parody are even more
tangible this time around, as director Eric Espejo recognized
the depth of material Scorsese's latest masterpiece provided.
"This type of office setting is actually more believable, in a
sense, than TechFellas was," says Richard Friend.
Espejo elaborates, "They're both clearly parodies, and meant to
be funny. We were able to use the structure of The Departed
to really play that up."
Director of photography Chris Nuzzaco and sound engineer John
Urman were among the new faces behind the camera for this
project, which has yielded a new look of sorts for 19th &
Wilson. The group also brought in Stacie Jones, of Black Ink
Films, as production manager.
Johnny Alonso, Baltimore native and alumnus of Dawson's
Creek and One Tree Hill, stars as Billy. He's
joined by Justin Hopkins (Colin) and Demetrius Parker (Dignam).
But perhaps stealing the show is indie film veteran Joe Hansard
(Frank), who turns in a hilarious performance in the Jack
Nicholson role.
The Loudoun Times was on hand during the first weekend of
filming, and an article about the film appeared in their Go
section on Wednesday, March 14th. Photographer Rob McKnight was
also on set documenting the making of the film, and has
published several behind-the-scenes photos online.
Also be sure to catch Eric and Rich on Kyle Osborne's Channel
8 show, "Entertainment Forecast", where Kyle will interview them
about The Department. We'll let you know as soon as a
date for the show is set.
19th & Wilson completed filming on
December 3rd of the psychological thriller, The Haunted Doll.
A new genre to the expanding 19W short film catalog, it follows
Tammy, a young suburban housewife and mom who mysteriously receives
a doll from her childhood. Its arrival sets off a chain reaction
that mirrors a catastrophe from her past--one that could tear her
new family apart.
Director Aaron Goodmiller organized a
concerted effort, and shot the demanding script--44 setups, to be
exact--in just two days. "The cast and crew worked non-stop," said
Aaron.
With 44 setups needing to be done in
2 days, the work was fast and furious. "After the first day we had
only done a third of our shots," The director Aaron Goodmiller said,
"The second day turned into setup, shoot, onto the next shot, setup
shoot, onto the next shot."
Abigail Roots, Demetrius Parker and
Brandi Moskal portray the family in crisis. The Haunted Doll
is also the first 19W film to feature child actors; and they met the
often-intense subject matter head on. "There were a number of scenes
that were particularly intense," Goodmiller explains. "Intense not
just for the kids, but for everyone on set. It was a tremendous
experience."
The Haunted Doll is in
post-production, and is scheduled to premiere in late Spring--just
in time for Film Festival season.
It is with heavy hearts that we write
this news. Our dear friend and colleague, Edwin Pontanilla, passed
away suddenly on Friday, January 19th, 2007 of a heart attack. He
was 43 years old.
Edwin has been with the company since the first film we shot and has
been integral in every project since. From his quick wit, to his
ability to capture everything that was going on behind the scenes
with his camera, to his writing-- it all resonated throughout 19th &
Wilson.
Not only was he a great colleague, but he was the consummate friend. He was always there when needed, and willing to help out in any way
possible; the kind of friend that you would want standing next to
you whenever anything bad-- or good-- happened. Thankfully, we had a
lot of those good things happen with him around.
While we all had a love for making films, his greatest love was for
his two daughters. The amount of time he put into making sure he
was there for them whenever they needed him would put any man to
shame. It is this act of love for his family that will stay with us
forever and will help us to be better family members ourselves.
The plan for the services are:
Viewing: Friday, January 26, 2007 - 4pm to 9pm
Funeral Services: Saturday, January 27, 2007 - 1pm
Fairfax Memorial Park
9902 Braddock Road
Fairfax, VA 22032
Telephone No. 703 425 9702
Please contact the Fairfax Memorial Park for definitive information
on the viewing and funeral services.
The family has asked that in lieu of flowers, to please send
donations to the Edwin Pontanilla scholarship fund via the Spirit
Club. This scholarship fund has been set-up to help pay his girls
tuition for the remainder of this season and will be used in the
future to help the Pontanilla girls as well as other single parents
who need assistance. More details about the Edwin Pontanilla
Scholarship Fund will be coming soon to the Spirit Club website.
Please make all checks payable to Spirit Club and put Edwin
Pontanilla Scholarship Fund in the memo line and mail to:
Spirit Club
2579 John Milton Drive, Suite 105-303
Herndon, VA 20171
19th & Wilson Announces Auditions
for "The Department" December 23rd, 2006
19th &
Wilson & D’Actor Enterprises is hosting a casting call on January
13, 2007 10am-2pm, at Arlington Independent Media (see
www.arlingtonmedia.org for directions), 2701-C Wilson Blvd,
Arlington, VA 22201.
Non-union, no pay (craft services and a copy of the DVD will be
provided), opening title credit roles and crew available. Shooting
in Q1 of 2007 in the Metro DC area.
THE DEPARTMENT: The guys that brought you “TechFellas” are doing it
again with a spoof of “The Departed”, another instant Scorsese
classic.
Frank (chief information officer) – male, 50’s
Queenan (chief executive officer) – male, 50’s
Colin (information security engineer) – male, 20-30
Billy (systems admin) – male, 20-30
Ellerby (corporate security) – male, 20-30
Madolyn (coffee barista) – female 20-30
This is an equal opportunity project and all ethnic backgrounds will
be considered. We would like to have all female roles audition from
10am-12pm & all male roles audition from 12pm-2pm.
Please be prepared to cold read and to do some brief improv. If you
have any questions, please contact Demetrius Parker at
dactord@yahoo.com.
Eric Espejo's Interview With The
Loudoun Times-Mirror
Eric Espejo, an
independent filmmaker in Ashburn, and Matt Kazam, a comedian in
Lansdowne, have been using MySpace.com as a networking tool for
about a year. Both say the results seem promising.
The popular social
networking Web site has been expanding its career-oriented
networking services, which have proved more useful than many would
guess. The Web site allows users to post profiles, pictures, videos
and sound clips - all useful for filmmakers, comedians and
musicians.
Espejo, a full-time
information technology consultant, joined MySpace after the Web site
created a special section for film with a filmmaker search engine.
"Producers,
directors and screenwriters that are well-known in the industry
actually have MySpace pages," Espejo said.
Special sections on
the Web site allow profiles of specific pieces of work, such as
Espejo's short film, "TechFellas." A producer for Spring Creek
Productions noticed the film's MySpace profile and requested a
script from Espejo's independent filmmaking production company, 19th
& Wilson.
"This is one of our
biggest contacts that we've made and it happened to be through
MySpace," Espejo said. Through the producer's MySpace page, the
group also learned about a film-idea pitching event in California.
"Next thing you
know, I'm in L.A. and I'm pitching our stories to producers at
Warner Brother Studios, at Universal Studios," Espejo said. "It went
so well in the pitch at L.A, I just sent the script to those
producers."
MySpace has also
allowed 19th & Wilson to make contact with talent to star in its
films. "You never know when you're going to need help with casting
or crew," Espejo said. The film company also looks to MySpace for
leads to people interested in investing in its films, he said.
The ultimate goal
is to get a full-length IT comedy called "Left Clique" made into a
film, Espejo said. He makes at least one contact through MySpace a
month with someone interested in working with the group or helping
make the group's films.
Comedian Kazam
makes a lot of contacts through the MySpace special comedy section.
He said he will get five friends on MySpace after a show, whereas
his Web site will get only five hits after a week of shows.
"I've gotten gigs
from people who just searched the mediums on there, saw my video,
saw my page and booked me," Kazam said. "I [created a profile]
because I saw it was good for business."
Kazam has been a
comedian for 16 years. He currently hosts public-speaking seminars
and teaches comedy classes. He's writing his second book, "They
Laugh You Win," about how real people can use comedy in their
everyday lives. It will be published in February.
Kazam plans to
create a profile for the book on MySpace. "[Profiles] actually bring
these inanimate events to life," he said.
Not only does Kazam
use MySpace for getting gigs and letting fans know about upcoming
comedy shows, he also uses it for his comedy classes. He posts
information about classes and assignments on MySpace, and requires
that students post their own profiles in the comedy section.
"I actually have
started using it as a teaching tool, too, just so that [students]
can kind of get in there and network with each other," he said.
"Because MySpace is so fun, they bond a lot better as a class."
Kazam is a fan of
MySpace because of how low maintenance and user-friendly it is.
"It's working and
it's doing its thing, and I don't have to be managing it all the
time," he said. The Web site also shows Kazam how many people have
viewed his videos and allows viewers to rate his films.
"The hardest part
of anything is the marketing, and MySpace does that for you," he
said. "You can build fans without doing anything - how cool is
that?"
Kazam's only
complaints are that anyone can call himself a comedian online. Also,
it takes more time to log in and use the site than using e-mail on
the desktop, and occasional spam e-mail will show up in his MySpace
in-box.
Espejo warns that
some profiles on MySpace are not authentic. "You basically have to
use your common sense," he said.
19th & Wilson Announces Auditions
For Saturday Nov. 4th
19th& Wilson,
"The Producers that brought you the Internet hits "I.T. Never Ends"
& "Techfellas", & Demetrius Parker of D' Actor Enterprises are
looking to cast 6 roles for “The Haunted Doll”, a Short Horror film,
as well as 7 roles for “The Department”, a Short Parody of Martin
Scorsese’s latest film “The Departed”. Both “I.T. Never Ends” and
“TechFellas” garnered the attention of production companies
Slam-dance Media Group (SMG) and Spring Creek Productions after
their producers view the films on
www.19thandwilson.com.
These are both non-union projects.
Compensation: Food to be provided on location & a copy of the film
afterwards as well as Opening Title Credits for lead roles.
The Haunted Doll Roles: Tammy: Female Any Race Early to mid 30's – Mother & House
wife, has underlying mental issues that creep up every once in a
while. (Lead) Laila: 8-10 – Any Race Young vibrant girl, who is as smart as
they come at her age. (Co-Lead) Young Tammy: 8-10 (Race depends on the casting of Tammy)
Younger version of Tammy with some of the same mental issues.
(Supporting) Ed: Male (Race depends on Casting of Tammy) Late 30's to
early 40's – Tammy’s father A man who likes to kill a case a beer by
himself, every night. He loves his kids, but sometimes, when he's
drunk, the worst comes out of him. (Supporting) Detective: Any Race & Gender age - 30-50: Is a rescuer for
Laila and is very sympathetic to kids. (Supporting w/ a few lines)
Police Officer: Any Race & Gender age 30-50: Generic Police
Officer. (Supporting 2 lines or less) * Persons with access to
police uniforms strongly suggested.
The role of “Sam” the father has been cast.
Non-Union' Females- Mother and Daughter Team if possible- Mom Late
20's to mid 30's / Daughter 8-10 years of age.
The Department Roles: Jack Nicholson - CIO - Male, 50's any race Martin Sheen - CEO - Male, 50's any race Mark Wahlberg - Corporate Security - Male, 20-30 any race Matt Damon - I.T. Security - Male, 20-30 any race Leo D. - Sys admin - Male, 20-30 any race Alec Baldwin - VP - Male, 30-40's any race Female lead - Woman in HR 20-30 any race
These are both equal opportunity projects and All Ethnic backgrounds
will be considered. Bi-racial women and children for the roles of
Tammy, Young Tammy & Laila strongly suggested.
Auditions will be held November 4th, 2006 from 10am - 5pm at
45150 Business Ct. Suite 500
Sterling VA 20166.
(C) 703.926.3282
We would like to have all Female roles audition from 10am-1:30pm. &
all Male roles audition from 2:30 – 5pm. From 1:30 to 2:30 we'll
break for lunch. {However, we may try to work through} NO AUDITIONS
AFTER 5PM! Please be prepared to cold read and to do some brief
improv.
Shooting is to take place in Gainesville, VA on the weekend of Dec.
2nd & 3rd.
If you have any questions, please contact Demetrius Parker at
dactord@yahoo.com.
What's Up With
19th & Wilson
Tuesday September 26, 2006
You may ask, what’s
been going on with 19th & Wilson? Why haven’t I been
spammed by them lately? Well, we haven’t had an update in awhile
because we have definitely been busy. Our very own Eric Espejo met
with Producers and Managers in Los Angeles. Yes, you heard
correctly, he was on the lot and offices of Universal and Warner
Bros. The pitch went very well, so well that the Producers have all
agreed to read Left Clique and Bunnyman Bridge. The Producers are
from Fortress Entertainment, Catchlight Films, Inspired By Films,
Sentinel Entertainment, and Magnet Management. Eric has been
working diligently on a rewrite of Left Clique and Bunnyman
Bridge. We’ll be sure to keep everyone posted on the development of
those leads.
On another note,
our very own Producer and Graphic Designer, Richard Friend, has
worked hard to get our MySpace pages looking great. Check out our
MySpace presence in the form of all of our pages.
Our Techfellas
page, that featured our parody of Goodfellas, was viewed by Palak
Patel at Spring Creek Productions and he contacted us to say he
thoroughly enjoyed Techfellas. He then asked if we had any projects
or scripts to send him. Wow! What a contact to make off of MySpace. Palak is a producer at a company responsible for Analyze This,
Monster In-Law, and the new Leo Di Caprio flick Blood Diamonds. This contact led Eric to the other Producers in LA.
More news...Aaron
Goodmiller and Eric Espejo are going to submit applications to Mark
Burnett’s new reality competition “On the Lot” (www.thelot.com),
with Steven Spielberg. Should Aaron and/or Eric make it, for some
lucky reason, then be sure to vote for them!
Make sure to stay
in touch, and thanks for your support. Feel free to subscribe to
our
newsletter, and/or send us
feedback.
19th & Wilson Does The Hollywood Film
Institute
Wednesday May 24, 2006
Now entering their 6th year of
independent film production, 19th & Wilson is crossing above
the line from short story tellers to creating full length feature
films.
As they build on their years of
talent and experience, they are also growing the company. To that
end, writer | producer Edwin Pontanilla recently attended a
class in Richmond, VA, taught by notable film instructor, Dov
Simens. Topics included production, budget, scheduling,
directing, shooting, and editing. This was a rare and unique
opportunity to learn from the industry's best and most experienced
instructor, as Dov seldom teaches his course outside of the LA, NY,
and London markets.
There is a trend in Hollywood, and
even the highly accomplished film producers are creating
award-winning films on smaller budgets. "Independent films don't
always have to be low-budget/no-budget, but they also don't have to
be made on multi-multi-million dollar budgets, either", notes Edwin.
19th & Wilson hopes to soon take advantage of film production
opportunities in the small to medium budget range.
This isn't the first time that one of
19th & Wilson's producers has been taught by Dov Simens. Nearly two
years ago, producer Eric Espejo traveled to New York,
attending and graduating from Dov's Hollywood Film Institute.
There, he learned about publicity, film festivals, film
distribution, and negotiating deals. "I strongly recommend any
filmmaker who's starting out to attend Dov's course. The content is
invaluable and even film students who have attended years of
schooling could not have some of the nuggets of info that Dov
provides" is what Eric recalls about the course. In return for the
knowledge that he gained, 19th & Wilson has hosted successful
screenings in Herndon, VA in front of potential investors, and also
in Baltimore, MD, where the market for Hollywood film production has
grown tremendously in the last 5 years.
For more information about how 19th &
Wilson is benefiting from Dov Simens' classes, or how you can
support independent film production in the Northern
Virginia/Washington, DC area, please send correspondence via email
to:
contact@19thandwilson.com
19th & Wilson Hits the Streets of DC for 48HFP
Monday, May 9, 2006
Right on the heels of their "TechFellas" launch on iFilm.com's
Viral Videos, 19th & Wilson is back in action with the 48 Hour Film
Project.
The concept is simple:
"put up or shut up"!! That is essentially the idea behind
48HFP, which commenced at 7pm at the Warehouse Theater in Washington,
DC on Friday, May 5. That's when 100+ filmmaking crews drew different
movie genres out of a hat, and literally hit the streets in order to
write a script, secure a set, cast actors, film, and edit a movie between
4 and 7 minutes in length!! Another twist to the plot? There were 3
required elements: 1) A character named Tim or Tina Tate, who, by
description, was a gay glass sculptor extraordinaire, 2) A prop, which
was a fire extinguisher, and 3) A mandatory line of dialogue, "This
is absolutely the last time.".
48 hours later, after a
whirlwind weekend of heavy coffee consumption and very little sleep, all
contestants submitted their projects at the same place where it all started
just two days earlier. Drama, fantasy, mockumentary, spy, action, horror,
these are some of the different genres that the teams drew from. So what
did 19th & Wilson draw as their genre?? Come to the AFI Silver Theater
in Silver Spring, MD on Tuesday night at 9:30pm to find out, as all projects
will be screened only once throughout the week. Order your tickets online
here, as they are selling fast:
The 48 Hour Film Project
began right here in Washington, DC in 2001 by notable filmmakers Mark
Ruppert and Liz Langston. This year, the 48HFP tour will see 30 different
cities and over 1,000 teams of filmmakers from all over the country. At
stake is continued exposure with backing from 48HFP at other screenings
and also at future film festivals. The grand prize this year will include
a distribution package.
For more information about
19th & Wilson's participation in 48HFP, or to find out how you can help
support independent filmmaking in the Northern Virginia/Washington, DC area,
please email us at contact@19thandwilson.com.
TechFellas Expanding to iFilm
May 3, 2006
TechFellas, 19th & Wilson's serial spoof of GoodFellas, has landed a coveted
spot on iFilm.com—being featured in its Viral Video Playlist among the likes
of The Daily Show, Reebok's Terry Tate commercials, and others. Each of the five
episodes generated over a thousand hits in the first week, and the collection is
receiving excellent reviews. You can view them all on iFilm at
April 2, 2006 Baltimore hot spot Gardel's featured two 19w short films—TechFellas and I.T. Never Ends—for its March 30th Cinema Lounge event.
TechFellas writers Eric Espejo and Richard Friend were present,
along with actors John Waldron, Phil Piruzzi Filsoof, and Demetrius Parker, among others.
The exclusive premiere allowed viewers a chance to see the popular viral video in its
entirety, a full week before the fifth and final serial episode is released on the web.
Those who attended weren't disappointed; the films were presented on large screens,
and the food, drinks, and Cinema Lounge ambiance made for a most enjoyable evening.
The event also marked 19th & Wilson's first foray outside of its Northern Virginia base, and
the warm reception promises many more to come.
For more information on Gardel's, and their Cinema Lounge Thursdays, please visit www.gardels.com.
March 10, 2006
19th & Wilson is proud to announce an exclusive evening of their two
shorts titled "TechFellas" and "I.T. Never Ends". Both shorts can be
seen on March 30th, 2006 at 7pm at Gardel's. The first show will
actually start at 9pm but feel free to come at 7pm to enjoy happy
hour and network with 19th & Wilson and other filmmakers in the Balt/DC
metro area. As always we appreciate your support and we hope to see
you there. Please note admission is $5.
For more information on 19th & Wilson and their short films please
visit www.19thandwilson.com
March 10, 2006
When 19th & Wilson decided to release TechFellas in vignette form,
they thought, what better way to reward people for taking the time
out of their busy days than by having a contest and giving away free
stuff?
Producer Edwin Pontanilla thought it would be cool to give away an
iPod. "What do people love more nowadays than the iPod?"
After adding a couple of 19w hats and shirts, the contest was set.
"Having it run throughout the release period of TechFellas will give
fans more opportunities to enter and win while they enjoy the
vignettes," Producer Donnie Conty reveled. The drawing will be held
on the Saturday following the release of the final episode, and the
winners will be notified by email. Good luck to all!
TechFellas: Putting a Hit On the Web!
March 1, 2006
The first installment of 19th & Wilson's eagerly awaited viral video
project, TechFellas—a GoodFellas parody
set in an information technology office—premiered last month
exclusively on 19w.com, and the website has been... well... mobbed
ever since.
Producer/CEO Aaron Goodmiller reported over 450 views on Episode 1
within the first week alone. "For a small, independent group like
ours—which doesn't have the benefit of extensive promotion—that was
an encouraging sign."
The short film, which follows the office exploits of systems
administrators Henry, Jimmy, and Tommy in a number of surprisingly
close parallels to Scorsese's modern classic, was designed to be a
fun vehicle showcasing the creative talents of the indie studio,
while generating return traffic to its website. For the latter, 19th
& Wilson decided to cut the film into five
separate vignettes for serial release. Overwhelming demand after
just the first two weeks, however, prompted a faster output; and the
producers made the decision to release subsequent episodes every two
weeks as opposed to three, beginning with "It Was a Glorious Time."
"Now it's just like payday," laughs writer/producer Richard Friend.
"You'll get your TechFellas fix every two weeks."
And the props aren't just coming from local fans. "We're receiving
positive feedback from as far away as Malaysia," Espejo says. "We
are catching a little heat, though—from people anxious to watch the
whole thing right now!"
Good things come to those who wait, and after the release of the
fifth and final installment, audiences will indeed have the
opportunity to watch TechFellas in its entirety.
Wanna stay informed? Fuhgeddaboutit! Click
here to receive email notification each time a new
TechFellas episode is released.
19th & Wilson Shoots Their 6th Short Film - TechFellas
August 1st, 2005
19th & Wilson wrapped up production on their latest short film
titled TechFellas, a satire of the popular film
Goodfellas by Martin Scorsese. The film is a comical look at
the parallels between everyday scenarios from an Information
Technology (I.T.) field perspective and actual scenes from
Goodfellas. The short parody will be made available on the
19th & Wilson website as viral video vignettes following a staggered
schedule. This will be the latest project for the Northern
Virginia-based independent film company whose next project is the
full-length feature Left Clique, (another comedy
centered on the IT world). "Our objective with this project is to
create a buzz on the internet and gain interest from potential
investors to finance Left Clique. I know
Napoleon Dynamite was initially a short film and because
audiences thought the story and character were hilarious it led to
funding for the full length version," says Director Eric Espejo who
joined 19th & Wilson in 2002.
There was a special treat for the cast and crew on set when 19th &
Wilson's own publicist Ben Roa, who plays a role in
TechFellas, brought in his uncle Alvin Anson, who recently
played a speaking role in Miramax's The Great Raid.
Ben and Alvin attended the Red Carpet premiere of the film at the
Uptown Theatre in Washington D.C. "It was my first taste of
Hollywood...what an experience rubbing elbows with some big names in
the industry. It's only a matter of time until 19th & Wilson will be
part of one of these events," expresses Ben. Alvin got to work with
Director John Dahl and actors Benjamin Bratt, James Franco, and
Connie Nielsen among others. "Meeting Alvin was inspiring for the
cast and crew - he's proof that hard work, perseverance, and talent
can lead to success in this industry," comments Aaron Goodmiller,
who as CEO, showed his commitment to his company by fulfilling the
role of Production Manager, ensuring all went smoothly for the two
day weekend shoot.
The TechFellas concept derived from emails and office
horror stories exchanged between 19th & Wilson Producers Aaron
Goodmiller, Richard Friend, Eric Espejo, and Donnie Conty. Writing
most of the script was accomplished by Richard Friend who primarily
is responsible for all graphic design elements of the company on top
of producing. "I've had so many people come up to me and comment on what a great concept this was," said Art Director Richard Friend. "And that's the most rewarding aspect—watching it come to life. When actors are on the set laughing as hard as we are, I know it's working." For more information about 19th & Wilson please visit
www.19thandwilson.com, and to keep abreast of their latest short
film check the TechFellas section of the website
www.19thandwilson.com/techfellas, feel free to also register to
receive updates.
Exclusive 19w Interview: A First Look at Left
Clique
June 22, 2005
Eric Espejo is a busy man these days. The 19th & Wilson VP is also
the writer/director of the upcoming feature, Left Clique—the
first full-length film undertaken by the independent studio. In this
exclusive interview with 19w.com, Eric sheds some light on the
eagerly anticipated geek comedy.
LET'S START WITH THE NAME, "LEFT CLIQUE". GIVE US SOME
INSIGHT ON ITS MEANING.
A brief synopsis of the story would be to say that it's about a guy
who's been faced with being labeled and associated with a certain
clique of people throughout school and later on even in the
corporate world of office politics. Then it's just a matter of play
on words with regards to a left click button of a mouse, and the
story being centered on a group of 'techies" at the office.
TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT I.T. NEVER ENDS, AND HOW IT INSPIRED THE
WRITING OF THIS FILM.
When 19th & Wilson was just starting out we were so eager to start
learning and experiencing filmmaking that we wanted to start
shooting anything. We would exchange emails and vote on what would
be a good subject for a short film. Most of us at 19th & Wilson are
in the Information Technology field and going on the sound advice of
'write what you know" we decided to film a sort of day in the life
of a stereotypical Help Desk guy. When we all started sharing war
stories it was evident that stuff that happens at the office from
the IT side of the house can be hilarious. It was also funny with
regards to the type of characters that are in IT to the actual
customers, the USERS. With the success of a film like Office
Space we felt that a story about IT guys could definitely be
marketable, and when people told us they enjoyed ITNE it
justified going forward with Left Clique.
IT IS MORE THAN MERELY A FULL-LENGTH VERSION OF I.T. NEVER ENDS,
THOUGH, CORRECT? ELABORATE A BIT ON THE GENERAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN
THE TWO.
In some ways a short film has a lot less restrictions as far as
story and structure. You can get away with a nonlinear method of
entertaining an audience when the running time is a mere 5-10 mins.
When you're going to attempt to entertain and keep an audience's
attention for at least 90 mins. then it has to have a solid story.
Everyone knows that the most important thing is the story so to me
it was about finding the story within IT. It's still about a group
of IT guys but there's going to be a lot of support in characters
from people involved with office politics to non technical people
such as the Users. While ITNE didn't have a specific story,
(it basically followed around a 'techie" for a day), Left Clique
will have a clear central character and a story unrelated to ITNE.
LEFT CLIQUE INTRODUCES A WHOLE NEW CAST OF CHARACTERS. CARE
TO TELL US ABOUT ANY IN PARTICULAR?
I think Phil the security guy is one of my favorite characters. He's
paranoid because he feels like anyone at anytime can read his email
or see where's he's been on the web, etc. However, it also amazes me
how little people know about security and their own personal PC's
and while Phil can exaggerate at times, he isn't far from the truth
when it comes to some particular organizations.
YOU'VE STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE OF "WRITING WHAT YOU KNOW." YOU'RE
VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE I.T. INDUSTRY--CAN YOU ELABORATE ON WHY THIS
WORKS SO SUCCESSFULLY?
Robert McKee is a very well known "guru" of screenwriting and a good
chapter in his book about story and structure describes what is and
why there is CLICHÉ. Filmmakers, especially Indies, will always try
to avoid being cliché. Well, cliché as Robert McKee describes it, is
when a writer does not know enough about a subject and attempts to
write about it. The character he creates and the dialogue that he
writes then becomes cliché because that writer will turn to what
he's seen in film or television to guide him in writing for that
unknown subject. That's why you'll notice, (if you watch "behind the
scenes" or "making of…"), a lot of the great Directors and/or
Writers talking about all the extensive research they've done in
regards to the subject of that particular film. Having said all
that, it has definitely helped me in writing the script because my
research is my day job.
DESCRIBE THE PROCESS OF WRITING THIS SCREENPLAY. WHAT HAS BEEN THE
MOST DIFFICULT ASPECT?
The process is rewrite after rewrite. Once you have the skeleton of
the story then you have to really try draft after draft to get the
flow and the content to a comfortable level of having someone else
set eyes on it. The most difficult aspect has been time. Since I'm
not a full-time writer, finding time to write and get into a rhythm
without interruption is tough. It can definitely lead to writer's
block when you step away from the story for over a week.
IN THE SAME VEIN, WHAT HAS BEEN THE MOST ENJOYABLE PART OF THE
PROCESS?
Collaborating with the team and visualizing scenes and characters
are the most fun. Writing comedy is tricky. What's hilarious to me
might not be to someone else so you have to trust your instincts and
you have to tell stories or jokes to your friends…if they laugh at
it then you hope you're on the right track.
WILL THIS FILM SHOW THE I.T. FIELD IN A PARTICULARLY GOOD OR BAD
LIGHT, OR CAN WE ASSUME THAT THE SETTING IS REALLY ALL IN FUN—IN
OTHER WORDS, YOU WON'T HAVE TO BE AN I.T. GUY TO ENJOY IT.
The goal is definitely for everyone to enjoy it and yes it's all in
fun. There isn't a hidden agenda to present IT in a negative or
positive light. I will say that I have tried my best to stay true to
the industry as far as the language and technology is concerned.
After we screened ITNE we had "techies" come up to us and say
that we got it right as far as their jobs were concerned. Another
concern of mine was to not get too technical or else you lose the
non-technical audience. However, again to borrow from Robert McKee,
people go to movies to experience the unfamiliar and I think I
needed to stay true to the technical side to get the audience
interested, but present it in a comical way. As for the 'techie"
audience, I think they'll enjoy it too because they can empathize
with the main characters and while it's not the Backdraft for IT
guys it certainly tries to clear up some of the stereotypes of their
profession.
HOW MUCH OF WHAT WE'LL SEE IN LEFT CLIQUE IS BASED ON YOUR ACTUAL
EXPERIENCE? ANY PARTICULAR WAR STORIES?
There are a lot of traits that I've integrated into certain
characters that have derived from co-workers. A lot of the dialogue
is what I hear everyday. There is one particular scene that actually
happened exactly the way I wrote it but I don't want to give it
away…you'll have to find out or even guess which one it is.
Left Clique is scheduled to be in pre-production in late
2005. Be sure to visit the official
Left Clique
site for updates in the coming weeks.
19th
& Wilson Announces Opening of 19w Shop
May 13, 2005 You can now show
your support for independent film by purchasing authentic 19th &
Wilson apparel and other merchandise! 19w announces the opening of
the 19w Shop, offering t-shirts, hats, coffee mugs, messenger
bags and more!
The 19w Shop is
part of Cafepress.com, a revolutionary custom gift company with over
2 million customers. “This is a chance for people to make a
donation, and actually get something in return”, says 19w chief
Aaron Goodmiller. Indeed, with every purchase, a portion goes toward
funding the next 19th & Wilson project. “Obviously, not everyone is
in the position to be able to invest in a film”, explains
Goodmiller. “But folks are constantly telling us how they’d like to
help. This is a great way for them to support us, and they get some
really cool merchandise as well.”
The shop
currently offers a variety of short and long sleeve t-shirts for men
and women, sweatshirts, coffee mugs, hats, messenger bags and
stickers. Each features the 19th and Wilson logo, and many sport the
new “creatively independent” tagline. “19w is growing; people are
seeing our work and we’re moving into full-length features—this is
another opportunity to get our name out there.”
You can get your
own 19th and Wilson gear now by visiting
www.cafepress.com/19thandwilson,
or by clicking on the 19w Shop link above.
April 9, 2005
The creative
minds at 19th & Wilson have completed filming of Home Invasion, a
seven-minute short written and produced for the Amazon.com/Tribeca
Film Festival Online Contest.
Taking advantage
of a mere 30-minute window at dusk, directors Aaron Goodmiller and
Eric Espejo filmed an extensive tracking shot on location in Reston,
VA that had been practiced the entire day. “It was one of those
things where we knew—if we want to do this right, we may only get
one shot”, explains Espejo. “We can’t control that kind of lighting,
or the weather, so we simply made sure we were prepared to get the
shot we wanted when the time came.”
The practice
paid off, as they were not only able to get the shot they
wanted—they managed to film three takes.
The film’s
premise centers on a mysterious man’s journey to a residence, where
a housewife appears alone and unprotected. “Of course, there’s a
twist” adds Goodmiller.
Home Invasion
will be available soon on 19thandWilson.com.
May 12, 2005
If you've
followed the work of independent film studio 19th & Wilson, Inc.
over the past couple of years, you've undoubtedly noticed the recent
change in their website. You may have also logged on during their
lengthy construction phase, and wondered exactly what they were up
to. "When 19th & Wilson began making films," says CEO Aaron
Goodmiller, "we knew that we needed at least a placeholder—an
online presence. We've come so far in the last couple years, that we
simply needed to update the site to better reflect who we are—and
where we're going."
Like so many
other small businesses that enjoy a taste of success, the filmmakers
were faced with the need for rapid expansion. "We've made it to the
point where we've completed several short films, and have a number
of larger projects in the works," explains Goodmiller. "The website
we had just wasn't going to be able to handle it anymore."
Enter 19W Art
Director Richard Friend, who was only too eager to revamp the site.
"When we initially took 19thandWilson.com online a few years ago, we
knew it'd be a work in progress. It was really just an online
presence to hold us over while we made some progress with the films
themselves—which was obviously the priority." That progress came
fast and furiously. "Within just a few months, we knew we'd have to
revisit the website.”
The updated site
is geared towards promoting the Northern Virginia-based independent
studio itself foremost, rather than any particular film. “From a
marketing standpoint, we understand that first-time visitors aren’t
going to recognize our films—but our site can introduce them to and
reinforce our branding, and that’s key.”
The branding
that Friend speaks of begins with the 19w logo, and its dynamic
intersection of roads and filmstrips. Gritty, yet elegant
backgrounds and other design elements appear throughout the site,
carrying forth the look and feel of 19w through color and
typography.
Goodmiller was
also pleased to finally be able to feature the work his crew has
labored so diligently on for the past several months. “Now that we
have an actual filmography, it’s great to be able to showcase it.”
Both the Filmography and Current Projects pages give visitors a
quick visual reference of 19w’s work, along with a synopsis of each
film. In addition, the links will eventually direct visitors to
complete sub-sites for each project. “The bottom line is that we’re
looking to achieve a more comprehensive site. One that will give
folks a glimpse at the films we’ve made, as well as the projects on
the horizon. More importantly, we want to keep them coming back.”
The new 19w
Shop—another exciting feature of the updated site—also promises to
be a welcome addition, as fans can show their support by purchasing
authentic 19w shirts and other merchandise.
Be sure to
bookmark 19thandWilson.com to stay abreast of all the latest
happenings!
January 24, 2005
Cast, crew and
fans alike gathered at Jimmy’s Old Town Tavern in Herndon,
VA—braving the elements to show their support for independent
filmmakers 19th & Wilson, who premiered three short films at the
popular establishment.
Jimmy’s had been
the filming location of the 19w short, Happy Hour, the previous
winter—a shoot that also saw plenty of bad weather. Actors braved
icy roads in the wee hours of the morning to make the film, and were
happy to do the same to be a part of its premiere.
The night marked
a special occasion for the indie studio, as it was in fact its very
first premiere of any kind. “We’d finished three short films prior
to Happy Hour”, notes 19w CEO Aaron Goodmiller, “but were very low
key in terms of premiering them at the time.” Because many of the
people involved in the making of Happy Hour had also participated in
the previous shorts, “This was the perfect place to show them all at
once.”
The premiere
opened with the geek comedy, I.T. Never Ends, which was punctuated
by laughter at all the right moments. “It was really great to see a
room full of people reacting that way ”, said Donnie Conty, one of
the producers of I.T.N.E. “There were a lot of rather technical
jokes in there—and they just got them all. It was amazing.”
The comedy was
followed by 19w’s highly experimental drama, Pictures, starring
Demetrius Parker and Dana Hicks—both of whom were tasked with
speaking a fictional language throughout the short; essentially
acting out a charade. Filmed in stark black and white, the emotional
drama may have prompted more than a few extra drink orders at
Jimmy’s!
Last, but
certainly not least, Happy Hour hit the screen. The terrific staff
at Jimmy’s were as thrilled as anyone, as their ambient tavern took
center stage. “Jimmy and his entire staff were so great, so
accommodating—we literally couldn’t have done any of this without
them”, said Goodmiller. “From start to finish, their hospitality was
just incredible.”
The night was
filled with laughter, fond recollections and good cheer. “It was a
great night for our favorite tavern, and it was a great night for
19th & Wilson.”
With the knowledge that Martin Scorsese was in town, 19th & Wilson's
Eric Espejo, Richard Friend, and Donnie Conty found themselves at
the Kennedy Center in Washington DC during the rehearsals for the
30th annual Kennedy Center Honors for the Performing Arts. Legendary
director Martin Scorsese was one of five honorees.
