Remaindered

Mock Ups

In case our first REMAINDERED posters are too "violent" for some venues or publications, our ace graphic designer Brian Bolin has put together these two mock-ups for an alternative poster. What do you think of'em? (The picture quality will be sharpened on the final posters).

Looking Backward and Forward

It's been almost two weeks since we wrapped REMAINDERED and yesterday I was finally able to see -- after some tech problems and delays -- all of the footage we shot and an editor's assembly of most of the movie (minus one scene).

I am extremely happy with what we've got and thrilled with the performances by the entire cast. The cast and crew did an amazing job....far exceeding my expectations.  

Today I sent the editors -- PJ Starks and Rodney Newton -- detailed notes on all the scenes and now I am eagerly awaiting their next pass, which I hope to see in bits and pieces over the weekend and into early next week. Hopefully, we can get the film locked next week so we can start working on the sound & music mix.

But this editing from afar is extraordinarily frustrating for me. I'm back in L.A. and the editors are in Owensboro, Kentucky. I'd much prefer to be able to sit in the editing room with them while they do my notes...as I have on the hundreds of hours of TV that I've produced.  If things bog down too much, either on the editing or the mix, I'll fly back for a weekend and work with them to get it done in time for our Oct. 16 premiere screening at Bouchercon in San Francisco.

While reviewing the footage and the editor's assembly, I was struck again by something writer/producer Michael Gleason taught me. You have four chances to make your show. There's the show you visualize in your mind... there's the show that's created in the script that you write....there's the show that's created in filming...and there's the show that's created in editing. There can often be a considerable difference between each of those creations...and each stage offers you the chance to "rewrite" the story, if not on the page than in the performances, the shots, and in the final editing.

The movie isn't exactly what I imagined when I wrote the REMAINDERED short story or the script. Surprisingly, in some ways, Lee the Writer and Lee The Director ended up being two different people with  sometimes differing takes on the material. I found myself changing the tone to some degree, and the characters, in the way I directed the actors and in how I chose to shoot it... and, now, in how I am choosing to edit it. It's been fascinating and fun for me.

I found that directing was like writing with cameras. I was surprised by how clearly I saw the movie in my mind when it came time to actually shoot it. I knew exactly what shots I wanted...which helped me make my days (time-wise and budget-wise) and made it easy to decide which of my crew's clever ideas to accept or reject.

I made some mistakes, of course.  There's one shot I'm kicking myself for not getting (I didn't think I needed it and I was wrong) and one scene I wish I'd staged a little differently in the master (but it's not a big problem).

There was one location I wasn't able, for various reasons, to see with my own eyes until we shot there (I approved it based on photos). The location was a big mistake in so many ways, but we were able to cheat it, thanks to the cleverness of my "indie" crew. It works, though not nearly as well as I would have liked it to. In that same scene, there was one seemingly simple prop I didn't see until it was time to shoot it...and took for granted that it would be right... and, of course, what I got was totally wrong. We had to cheat that, too, but we made it work, though again not nearly as well as it would have with the right prop.

And there was one critical piece of set decoration that turned out completely wrong, which would have been a crippling problem for us if not for some amazing, last-minute help from the terrific folks at the Evansville Barnes & Noble. 

We overcame all those issues... and made a film I know that I am going to be immensely proud of. But I learned an important lesson from making those mistakes, all of which were entirely my fault. Next time, no matter how overly meticulous or controlling it may make me seem, I'll make sure I see every single thing in advance and not take anyone's word that something was done the way that I wanted it to be. I will need to verify everything.

Oddly enough, my biggest mistake was on an issue not related to filming. I didn't personally see to it that we had an on-set photographer to take production stills... and that mistake has become a real problem for us now as we're preparing our publicity. We have hundreds of behind-the-scenes production photos taken by crew people...but we have only four...yes, you read right, four...pictures that could be considered production stills (scenes in the movie). And those were taken by chance by a member of our crew. We could use frame grabs, but since we didn't shoot this film in high-def, the quality is going to be poor.

But those are all minor quibbles in what was a fantastic experience with a great crew of talented, and hard-working, local actors and film-makers.  I loved directing and can't wait to do it again...and maybe, if I am lucky, it might be with the same group of people.

(Pictured above: Eric Altheide and Sebrina Siegel in a frame-grab from the time-coded "dailies")

Same Poster, Different Tagline

Which do you like better... "The Bargain Bin is Murder" or "A Novel Way to Die"?

 

Remaindered Movie Poster

Here's the preliminary movie poster for REMAINDERED, designed by Brian Bolin and using a photo by Neil Kellen

(You can click on the image for a larger view)

The View from the Floor

Here's a blog post from  Joshua Taj Bozeman about his experience as a production assistant on REMAINDERED...

So, last weekend, I was a production assistant on a short film shot in nearby Owensboro and Henderson Kentucky. Lee Goldberg, executive producer of Diagnosis Murder, writer for Monk, Spenser For Hire, Psych, Nero Wolfe Mysteries, and a whole slew of other well known series, was the director on this project- his directorial debut from what I understand. Nicest guy you could ever ask for– very cordial on set, easy going, more than willing to sign any of his many books for you (if you ever try to get two books signed within 5 mins of each other, use a different name the second go around  …just a really cool guy all around.

I read the script for Remaindered a few days before the first day of shooting on Friday, and I loved it. It’s comical, there’s a bit of violence, but it’s balanced so well with the light nature of the whole project that it doesn’t ever really get dark in any manner. It’s got some really nice plot twists…I remembering reading– thinking to myself, ‘this seems rather mundane– pretty standard stuff’…until the end where you sit back and smile at the smart ending. Very clever, Mr. Goldberg, very clever, indeed.

So, production assistant isn’t a very glamorous job, and I spent most of Friday night outside just waiting for something to do. I had to miss Saturday’s shooting due to issues at work I had to deal with, and Sunday was fun. I met a lot of nice people Sunday– it was definitely nicer to be inside to see some of the shooting and the whole process as it takes place, even if I was lying on the floor in the produce department cueing extras into the scene for background action. It’s always nice to get any experience possible.

I’m nearly finished with this video and film program at school, hope to move somewhere in the southwest next fall to finish a bachelor’s degree in film or something closely related. My goal is directing, but I do love cinematography- just the way they make things look really fantastic in movies and TV. God knows the raw footage looks nothing like the finished project, and that process is just exciting in a lot of ways.

I’d like to thank Rodney Newton and P.J. Starks, whom I got in touch with about taking part in this whole process. I had a small role, but like I said, any chance to get more experience is worthwhile if you ask me. I hope to get the chance to do some more projects with them in any role they’ll have me fill. Same goes for the rest of the crew- Marx, Lewis, Neil, Sharon, and all the others who couldn’t have been nicer throughout our time together on this project and others.

I’d also like to thank Lee for being a cool guy. Friday night, I approach him, all fanboy nervous (I love Monk and the Monk books he writes), my voice cracking, trying my best not to sound dumb in front of THE Lee Goldberg, and what do I do, I awkwardly mention we had chatted online twice before about his first Monk book, and how I made a big deal about how he had the character of Monk eating cereal and milk (not realizing Monk is deathly afraid of milk). Shooting was about to start again, so our conversation was kind of cut short, so I kept hoping he didn’t think I was bashing him! He took it in stride, making note that around 10, 000 people had told him about the milk thing, totally cool about all of it.

Lee did tell us some really interesting and often hilarious stories while on set…about Hollywood, his experience in writing for TV, and even some of his experiences in years past in Owensboro where he comes to work with the Mystery Writers group.

I got that first Monk book signed and got a second stand alone novel of his signed as well. Now, I just need to get a Burn Notice book signed by his talented brother, Tod Goldberg, who is also an author (of course). Someday.

Can’t wait to see the final product of a weekend of hard work by all. I have a feeling, from what I did see, that it’s going to turn out great. A totally enjoyable experience, and hopefully there will be more to come.

Picture above: Joshua and Lee

Remaindered On TV

In case you missed it, here's the TV news report on REMAINDERED that appeared on News 25 last week.

 

REMAINDERED in the News, Again

REMAINDERED made today's Evansville Courier-Press. Out of all of my credits, why does the Evansville press keep rubbing my nose in BAYWATCH? :-)

 

‘Quiet on the set!’: Part of short film shot at local Sureway store

By Donna Stinnett

Sureway customers picking up their groceries this past Sunday at the Watson Lane location may have been a bit surprised to find a movie crew shooting in the store while they shopped.

The scenes were for a short film called “Remaindered” by writer and director Lee Goldberg, who has written for the television shows “Monk” and “Baywatch” and who was an executive producer for “Diagnosis Murder.”

Goldberg has had an association with the International Mystery Writer’s Festival in Owensboro. “Remaindered” is being sponsored by The RiverPark Performing Arts Center, Kentucky Wesleyan College, Brescia College and Owensboro Technical College.

This current film, which was largely created through the production and acting assistance of local volunteers, will premiere Oct. 16 at the World Mystery Convention called Bouchercon being held this year in San Francisco.

Lewis Chaney, who premiered his own locally made feature-length film, “victimEYES,” last fall and who worked with Goldberg on “Remaindered,” described it as a “very dark comedy” about an author who commits a murder then realizes he’s done away with his only remaining fan.

A crew of about 25 to 30 worked on the scenes shot at Sureway all day Sunday, Chaney said.

“It looked like a full-scale production,” he said. “And Sureway was wonderful to us. They gave us tons of access.”

“It’s giving local filmmakers and local actors a chance to experience the way we make movies and TV shows in Hollywood,” Goldberg said in an interview with WEHT Channel 25, where Chaney is an assignments manager in the newsroom.

“Obviously it’s not a full $25-million Hollywood production or weekly TV series, but we’re using the same principals of pre-production and shooting on this little film that we’d be using in a Hollywood production,” he added.

Henderson residents Chaney and Neil Kellen, who is a co-worker, fellow filmmaker and who was technical consultant for “victimEYES,” designed the lighting for “Remaindered” working with independent filmmakers P.J. Starks and Rodney Newton, who made “Hallows Eve: Slaughter on Second Street.”

“This really helps legitimizes what we’re doing,” Chaney said. “It’s really cool for the local indie filmmakers.”,p> Other locations used in “Remaindered” included a private residence and Danhauers Drugs in Owensboro and “a couple of desolate areas around Owensboro for driving shots,” Chaney said.

The Indie Spirit

From Todd Reynolds, who played Detective Bud Flanek...

So yesterday afternoon saw a wrap on the shooting of the short Lee Goldberg film Remaindered. Today, as I bask in the afterglow, sipping a cup of Sassafras tea, I cannot help but reflect on how nice it is to be involved in interesting projects. To forge new friendships and cement old ones. To be around creative people, working together in good humor on something that they love.

It's very exciting to see what is happening in the Ohio River Valley, in the area of Independent Film-making. My first foray into the world of Indy was waaaaaay back in the mid 80's, when a couple of guys named Lewis Chaney and Dave Snyder adapted a short story I'd written into a short film by the same name; Puppy Love. Lewis allowed me access to the process in several ways after he'd adapted the story to the screen. I got to play one of the characters, he took my suggestion to film in black and white, and explained shots and ideas to me all along the way. I'd always wanted to film something...ANYTHING...and submit it to the Kentucky Educational Television Film Festival, and these guys had shared that idea. So in it went, and who would have guessed....it won!

Fast forward to 2008. My next step into Indyland was when two new guys....PJ Starks and Rodney Newton sat on the couch in my living room, spinning the tale of mayhem that turned out to be their project, Hallow's Eve: Slaughter on 2nd Street! Slasher flicks weren't really my cup of tea, but helping out two creative young guys who had a clear passion for what they were doing was. I jumped in with both feet, and eventually got fake blood all over them, (my feet, that is...) appearing in the film as Buck Masters. Those guys still call me that, and as goofy as the name is, I love it every time they do.

Proving that one good thing leads to another, when Rodney and PJ were talking to a fellow named David Breckman about a short film project to be produced in conjunction with the International Mystery Writer's Festival for their awards show, they mentioned to the LA Writer/Producer that they had, indeed, just completed a film. He immediately showed interest and excitement in their work, and one viewing later, asked if I was available to help on his film, Murder in Kentucky, in the role of the Policeman. Well, I was already busy doing the Radio Shows in the festival, and it would be a heavy workload so I would really have to give it a lot of thought YES I'LL DO IT!

During the filming of Murder in Kentucky, which took place in the reportedly haunted environs of RiverPark Center, I'd noticed something strange all during the shooting process. On the periphery, there seemed to be a presence lurking. Movement would register out of the corner of your eye, but turning to see who or what it was....nothing was there! It happened time and time again in that single night and following morning of filming. Movement in the shadows, what sounded like a clearing of the throat, more people in a crowd than there had been a moment before...and always nothing or no one there! Finally, toward the end of filming, I caught sight of the entity. A tall, dark man....he looked a bit like Owensboro native Johnny Depp, but with a slightly larger nose.Just a glimpse, mind you....and then he was gone. But I knew I would never forget that face.

I attended the Awards Show that year with family and friends, other members of the Murder in Kentucky cast and crew, along with my dear pals among the Radio crowd, a unique breed who have learned to read the printed word without rattling papers. Imagine my surprise when the emcee of the evening appear from beyond the curtain, and it was the ghost from filming! Lee Goldberg! Holy Cow! He's Famous!!

So now here we are. 2010. Having gotten no black marks from the experience from his buddy Dave Breckman, Lee asks me to be a cop again. And who, in their right mind, would refuse.

Remaindered has been a wondrous experience. The thing I liked best, was being able to hang around and watch the process. Engage with the people. Reconnect with old friends, like Lewis Chaney and Theresa Chadwick from Puppy Love; PJ Starks, Rodney Newton and Robert Denton from Hallows Eve. Adam Tyler and Laura Ambrose from Murder in Kentucky. To get to meet and work with talented actors such as Eric Altheide, Sebrina Siegel and Lisa Baldwin. To schmooze with ALL of the talented, dedicated people on the crew, starting with First Assistant Director Rachael Nunn. The person who made the experience such a pleasant and rewarding one, was Director Lee Goldberg. Setting the tone with humorous tales of Hollywood hijinx, butchering a French accent in stories of his wife (and yes, she knows he does this...I've spoken to her on the phone, and she doesn't sound a THING like Inspector Clouseau), and jumping in to even the smallest tasks.....such as trimming shrubbery and moving furniture...Lee showed that it was to be a truly "All for one, one for all" sort of affair. He was, with assistance from AD Rachael and script Supervisor Pablo Gallastegui, able to keep things running apace, bringing the filming in on time, and doing it without a "Snidely Whiplash" attitude. He allowed everyone to flex their creative muscles, soaked up their input and made decisions on the fly in a seemingly effortless manner. He was an actor's director, a technician's director, stayed true to his script, and made it all look very easy, which was the result of months of hard work with his feet up on his desk, meticulously planning for every detail and eventuality. It was a pleasure to watch him work.

And the effect that the weekend has had on the Ohio River Valley Independent Film community? It remains to be seen. However, each time these folks meet to collaborate, wonderful things happen. It had started before shooting Remaindered...this mingling of the teams. I hope it is a snowball that continues to gather momentum until it rolls over everyone who needs to be a part of it, turning into something truly remarkable. Who knows where it will lead? All I know is, I want to be a part of it.

It's a great time to be alive!

Thank you Lee. Thank you everybody!

Pictured above: Todd Reynolds and Sebrina Siegel

The Afterglow

From Todd Reynolds, who plays "Detective Bud Flanek" in the movie...

So yesterday afternoon saw a wrap on the shooting of the short Lee Goldberg film Remaindered. Today, as I bask in the afterglow, sipping a cup of Sassafras tea, I cannot help but reflect on how nice it is to be involved in interesting projects. To forge new friendships and cement old ones. To be around creative people, working together in good humor on something that they love. It's good to be alive!

Everyone's photos reflect just how much fun the process was and what a great time the people involved were having. They also show how much I need to start walking again and lose another 400 pounds or so...

(Pictured above -- Todd Reynolds and Lee Goldberg confer on a scene)

From Lewis D. Chaney, who did our lighting...

Remaindered is wrapped. It was a tightly run 2.5 days of shooting but it all got finished and looks great. We had a fantastic crew and great cast working under Lee Goldberg as director. As on any movie, we hit some snafu’s along the way but managed to push thru them and get what we were after.

Once it’s out there, I will get a chance to show you what happens with Hollywood meets Indie in Kentucky.

(Pictured above... Lewis D. Chaney and actors Todd Reynolds and Sebrina Siegel)

The Happy Accident

From Sebrina Siegel, our leading lady on REMAINDERED...

I once had a friend ask me what a “happy accident” was, and I explained the term (which I had learned as a photography student and frequently used) as best I could. I so wish I had had the filming of today’s final scene for REMAINDERED to give as an example....

We’re at the Sureway in Henderson, Kentucky, surrounded by about 20-30 crew members, extras, and local observers, and we’re filming our last scene…which is actually the first scene of the film.

It’s a wide shot, an attempt to get the entire master scene and include the grocery store background, the extras picking their produce and ignoring “Kevin” (actor Eric Altheide), the crazy wart lady (actress Lisa Baldwin) walking in for a short, absurd discussion, and finally, the fatal meeting of “Kevin” and “Megan”. The steadicam is slowly making its way around the area and just as the scene begins an old (very) man walks in to frame behind his grocery cart. He slowly pushes it up to the table, looking curiously at the books that are displayed just so and the “author” next to them, likely wondering, “Now just who the hell is this guy?”

The man, his gums smacking and lips actually flopping around a bit, touches one of the books, maybe trying to figure out if it’s something he’s read. And on cue, Suzy, the wart lady, comes into the scene, choosing to stay in character as she asks about wart cream and steadily ignoring the elderly gentleman standing next to her, gums visible as he gapes at her rudeness.

After a few looks at this crazy woman, the man slowly takes his hand off the book, and glances again at our “author”, now even more curious but not about to interrupt the wart lady. He backs his cart away from the table…and over to the bin of potatoes behind our “set”.

Somehow…and we really don’t have any idea…he still hasn’t noticed the many lights around the table, the steadicam or its operator, Adam Tyler, who is slowly moving around the space, the gigantic, fuzzy boom that is directly over our “author’s” head, or the huge crowd of onlookers just past the table who are stuffing their fists in their mouths and banging each other on the back, trying so hard not to laugh out loud.

The other extras are cued in as the dialogue continues between the actors, and they wisely, as if they’ve done it a million times, ignore the gentleman at the potatoes and still hit their marks, even if he is a bit in their way. The wart lady is discussing cats now, and the man continues to glance over a few times, even while holding his potatoes up in the air for inspection. They look pretty good, so he moves over to the apples…which happen to also be within the frame. These don’t require as much inspection so he chooses his select few and hobbles out of frame, slowly pushing his cart, and our scene continues to its finish…without a hitch.

It took our AD, Rachael Nunn, a few tries to get this man to understand that he’d wandered onto a film set, and that we really, really needed him to sign the release…this footage was not to be lost!

And so ends the third day of shooting REMAINDERED, the short film written and directed by Lee Goldberg. It seems to me that just the fact that I was lucky enough to be cast as the female lead in this project was a happy accident. I learned of the auditions only the day before they ended, and learned from casting that the video auditions needed to be in that day as well. But a call to the producer bought me a weekend, begging John to video it and play my off-screen partner got me the audition tape, and I was lucky enough to get the part.

I was a bit nervous, working with a director who has that caliber of success in Hollywood, but numerous email conversations about character, wardrobe, and angles eased the jitters.

I won’t go day by day, but I will say that I’ve learned so much about…well, so much working on this project.

I learned that nerves are good for me. I learned that having a kick-ass, completely together AD on set is imperative to the film’s success.

I’ve learned that I want to hire Pablo as my own personal assistant – just long enough for him to organize everything around me.

I’ve learned that implied nudity means that it’s easy to cover you in ways to make the audience think you’re uncovered, but it’s much more difficult to keep covered while the crew is trying to “imply” the nudity (I am happy to report that we were completely successful with this…thanks to the use of many safety pins).

I’ve learned that it’s possible to wrap on time with the right amount of preproduction preparation and a strict AD.

I’ve learned that the lighting crew can literally save a scene.

I’ve learned just how much talent we have in N.W. Kentucky.

And I’ve learned that Lee Goldberg is not only a great writer and producer, but an outstanding director who is not afraid to give direction, and when he does, does it well and with purpose.

Really, what a great experience.