dia sokol savage is an american film and television producer , director and writer .

she is best known as the executive producer of mtv ’s hit series 16 & pregnant and teen mom franchise and as a producer on andrew bujalski ’s films “ mutual appreciation ” and “ beeswax . ” she currently runs 11th street productions with her producing partner morgan j. freeman .

dia sokol savage

dia sokol - savage on the set of sorry , thanks . photo courtesy of dia sokol - savage
dia sokol - savage ( third from left ) alongside the cast of teen mom . photo courtesy of sokol - savage
dia sokol savage was born on january 3 , 1976 in denver , colorado , usa as dia jamie sokol . she is a producer , known for
dia sokol savage shares her experience as the executive producer of mtv ' s hit series
16 & pregnant
and
teen mom
.
he is a son of louann lelacheur savage of los angeles , and norm dennis savage of irvine , calif .
- timing is everything ( 2006 ) . . . ( story producer - as dia sokol )
- cats and dogs ( 2006 ) . . . ( story producer - as dia sokol )
- sketches of frank gehry ( 2005 ) . . . ( thanks - as dia sokol )
- in store for fabulosity ( 2007 ) . . . ( story producer - as dia sokol )
- kimora cam - pain ( 2007 ) . . . ( story producer - as dia sokol )
- kimora knows she cannes ( 2007 ) . . . ( story producer - as dia sokol )
- keepin ' it real estate ( 2007 ) . . . ( story producer - as dia sokol )
- the devil wears baby phat ( 2007 ) . . . ( story producer - as dia sokol )
dia sokol savage , executive producer : my day - to - day varies enormously . i help to oversee all the creative and editorial content and also manage the logistical details .
“teen mom og” is executive produced by morgan j . freeman and dia sokol savage . lauren dolgen is executive producer . larry musnik and kirsten malone are co - executive producers . nick predescu and janay dutton are mtv executives in charge of production . lauren dolgen , jessica zalkind and sara cohen are executives for mtv . concept by lauren dolgen , morgan j . freeman and dia sokol savage .
teen mom og
is executive produced by morgan j . freeman and dia sokol savage . lauren dolgen is executive producer . larry musnik and kirsten malone are co - executive producers . nick predescu and janay dutton are mtv executives in charge of production . lauren dolgen , jessica zalkind and sara cohen are executives for mtv . concept by lauren dolgen , morgan j . freeman and dia sokol savage .
production : an anxious engine production in association with film theory . produced by lauren veloski . executive producer , monte j . robison . directed by dia sokol . screenplay , sokol , lauren veloski .
executive producer of 16 and pregnant and teen mom , dia sokol savage , sits down and talks with us about the her shows ' educational benefits , the role of a producer and the biggest challenges on set .
dia jamie sokol and garret scott savage are to be married sunday at the evergreen lake house , an event space in evergreen , colo . jacqueline st . joan , a retired denver county judge and the bride’s godmother , is to officiate .
dia sokol savage began her career in the film industry as the in - house producer for acclaimed director errol morris on “the fog of war , mr . death” and his television series , ”first person . ” dia also produced andrew bujalski’s “mutual appreciation” and “beeswax , ” joe swanberg and greta gerwig’s “nights and weekends” and “girls” star alex karpovsky’s “woodpecker . ” .
teen mom executive producer dia sokol savage ( who ' s also worked on queer eye for the straight guy and kimora : life in the fab lane ) has been on board with the series since its precursor , 16 & pregnant . savage spoke to jezebel about her job , the show ' s reshaped format and what it might mean for reality tv in the future .
morgan freeman , executive producer : i oversee all aspects of the franchise in partnership with dia .
dia sokol - savage will discuss and screen clips from 16 and pregnant and teen mom 2 tonight , friday , november 14 , at 7 p . m . , at the college of communication , room 101 , 640 commonwealth ave . the event , part of the bu cinematheque series , is free and open to the public .
executive producers morgan j . freeman & dia sokol savage ( 16 and pregnant , teen mom ) are the principal partners of 11th street productions . freeman ( laguna beach , dawson’s creek ) made a name for himself as the sundance award - winning writer / director of “hurricane streets , ” and savage was an independent spirit award nominee for her work as an indie producer and winner of the adrienne shelly directors grant for her first feature film “sorry , thanks . ”
executive producers morgan j . freeman & dia sokol savage ( 16 and pregnant , teen mom ) are the principal partners of 11th street productions . freeman ( laguna beach , dawson ' s creek ) made a name for himself as the sundance award - winning writer / director of
hurricane streets ,
and savage was an independent spirit award nominee for her work as an indie producer and winner of the adrienne shelly directors grant for her first feature film
sorry , thanks .
the study’s findings were a validation for executive producer , dia sokol - savage , who also produces the mtv spin - offs teen mom and teen mom 2 . “that’s all you hope to do with a show like this—have a positive impact , ” she says . “especially for a show that garners the opposite opinion , where people say that we glorify teen pregnancy . ”
sokol - savage will be on campus tonight to talk about and screen clips from 16 and pregnant and teen mom as part of the cinematheque series , a college of communication program that brings accomplished filmmakers and producers to campus to screen and discuss their work .
* , who gave flavorpill hq one of their electric grills for the summer as long as we promised to interview interesting cultural figures and feed them free hot dogs . read on for an interview with dia sokol and lauren veloski , the talented filmmakers behind
sokol - savage , who was nominated for a 2010 independent spirit award for producing bujalski’s film beeswax , about a pair of twins , spoke with bu today about the early days of the shows , the behind - the - scenes work that goes into reality tv , and what it’s like to work as a producer for a major network .
reality producer 11th street prods . , the company behind the hit mtv teen mom franchise , has signed with caa . it was previously at uta . led by morgan j . freeman and dia sokol savage , 11th street prods . developed and produces teen mom and the series that spawned it , 16 and pregnant , for mtv . teen mom 2 is currently the no . 2 show in women 18 - 34 and 18 - 49 in all of primetime cable , only behind amc’s the walking dead .
dia directed and wrote her first feature film “sorry , thanks , ” which debuted at the south by southwest film festival in 2009 and was distributed by ifc .
reality producer 11 th street prods . , the company behind the hit mtv teen mom franchise , has signed with caa . it was previously at uta . led by morgan j . freeman and dia sokol savage , 11 th street prods . developed and produces teen mom and the series that spawned it , 16 and pregnant , for mtv . teen mom 2 is currently the no . 2 show in women 18 - 34 and 18 - 49 in all of primetime cable , only behind amc’s the walking dead .
dolgen , freeman , savage , musnik and kramer became acquainted with the foursome during ' 16 and pregnant , ' while malone met the girls during the inaugural season of ' teen mom . '
smith co - created the series with andrea seigel ( laggies ) , with the latter on board to pen the script for the comedy . smith will exec produce with morgan j . freeman and dia sokol savage of 11th street productions . trinkets expands the company ' s relationship with mtv , with the company also producing teen mom and 16 and pregnant . the comedy is the company ' s first foray into scripted programming . ( for his part , freeman ' s directorial debut hurricane streets won three awards at the sundance film festival . )
currently dia is the executive producer of the mtv hit series “16 and pregnant” and “teen mom” . she currently runs 11th street productions with her producing partner morgan j . freeman .
the directorial bow of dia sokol ( producer of films by joe swanberg and andrew bujalski ) , “sorry , thanks” stays true to mumblecore form in charting some aimless hours between san franciscan twentysomethings who probably aren’t right for each other . dramatic tension is ( expectedly ) slack . but with its improved packaging , pic could at least duplicate the limited [ … ]
dia sokol savage : the way that we ' ve approached this season is fundamentally , it ' s still a show about the girls and their lives and their relationships and their roles as parents . but we ' ve incorporated the fact that they are on a television series and the fact that teen mom is being filmed . so you see some of that production process , some of those conversations with producers . the cameras are there . basically , it ' s opened up the world a little bit so it acknowledges that they ' re in a room with people who are making the show .
before joining mtv , sokol - savage , a smith college graduate , produced and directed television shows such as abc’s wife swap and bravo’s queer eye for the straight guy , and worked alongside directors errol morris ( as a production manager on his oscar - winning documentary , the fog of war ) and andrew bujalski ( as an actress for his first film , funny ha ha , and as a producer on his next film , mutual appreciation ) .
lv : i think we probably do each have different relationships to max and kira . dia definitely knows kira in a way i don’t quite . but it was different for dia all around , because on - set , she had to be the go - to person for everything because she’s dealing with stuff from the director’s vantage . so it wasn’t like , “don’t tell me what kira would say here ! ”
the directorial bow of dia sokol ( producer of films by joe swanberg and andrew bujalski ) , “sorry , thanks” stays true to mumblecore form in charting some aimless hours between san franciscan twentysomethings who probably aren’t right for each other . dramatic tension is ( expectedly ) slack . but with its improved packaging , pic could at least duplicate the limited theatrical exposure of “funny ha ha” and “mutual appreciation , ” if not buzzier “humpday . ”
ifc films has picked up two alums of the 2009 sxsw film fest , “ made in china ” and “sorry , thanks , ” for on - demand distribution . helmed by judith krant and co - written by krant and dan sumpter , “ made in china ” scored the grand jury prize in the 2009 narrative competish at sxsw . pic follows an inventor who heads to shanghai in an effort to find a manufacturer for the household product he’s thought up . “sorry , thanks , ” directed by dia sokol and penned by sokol and lauren veloski , follows the comedic aftermath of a one - night stand . both pics will hit ifc’s on - demand platform in june . urltoken
the sokol movement ( from the slavic word for falcon ) is a youth sport movement and gymnastics organization first founded in prague in the czech region of austria - hungary in 1862 by miroslav tyrš and jindřich fügner . primarily a fitness training center , the sokol , through lectures , discussions , and group outings provided what tyrš viewed as physical , moral , and intellectual training for the nation . this training extended to men of all classes , and eventually to women .
although he ' s in a relationship with sara ( ia hernandez ) , max callahan ( wiley wiggins ) develops an obsession with kira ( kenya miles ) , his recent one - night stand . while he tries to figure whether he has a conscience , kira seriously questions her personal and professional choices . andrew bujalski co - stars as max ' s best friend , mason , and dia sokol directs this romantic drama that explores the heart ' s questionable emotions .
sokol - savage : i was an independent film producer and director , and my boyfriend saw a facebook posting from morgan j . freeman [ a director , not the oscar - winning actor ] , that he was looking for a coproducer on an mtv show . i was finishing up a movie i had directed , called sorry fix , and i went in and met him , and i think i got the job the next day . two days later we were on our way to the first shoot for 16 and pregnant .
the movement also spread across all the regions populated by the slavic culture ( poland ( sokół ) , slovene lands , serbia ( sk soko ) , bulgaria , the russian empire ( poland , ukraine , belarus ) , and the rest of austria - hungary ( e . g . present day slovenia and croatia ) ) . in many of these nations , the organization also served as an early precursor to the scouting movements . though officially an institution
above politics ,
the sokol played an important part in the development of czech nationalism , providing a forum for the spread of mass - based nationalist ideologies . the articles published in the sokol journal , lectures held in the sokol libraries , and theatrical performances at the massive gymnastic festivals called slets helped to craft and disseminate the czech nationalist mythology and version of history .
savage : there ' s not necessarily a reason for someone being selected or not , and in the case of that first group of six , it was devastating to us only to be able to continue to work with four of them because we knew that every single one of those young women faced unique struggles and had a story worth telling .
the 25th annual film independent spirit awards were announced on tuesday , and two austin - related projects were honored with nominations : christian mckay was nominated in the best supporting male category for his portrayal of orson welles in local filmmaker richard linklater ' s latest feature , me and orson welles . you can see photos of mckay and linklater in our photo essay from the me and orson welles red carpet in austin . dia sokol , producer of beeswax , was nominated for the piaget producers award . beeswax was filmed locally and starred many local filmmakers in acting roles . jette reviewed the movie at sxsw this year ; the above photo , with sokol in the middle , was taken at the sxsw q & a for beeswax . austinites may recognize many other titles on the list , which you can read in full after the jump . a number of the nominated films played at sxsw or at austin film festival this year .
lv : but dia’s being really humble . i think anyone — whether you’re a professional or not — when you’re told to act , your instinct is to feel like you’re supposed to “act” . she was able to communicate with non - professionals in a way where they knew they had to be real .
brittany snow , sharon osbourne , kelly osbourne , natasha leggero , jameeliah garrett , john roberts , jessica lowe and nasim pedrad are set to lend their voices to the mtv half - hour animated comedy series
fancy bastards
at titmouse inc . the story centers on a small town that is shocked to learn its five most awkward outcasts all share the same father - a notorious ginger cad who had an indiscretion filled night during a whirlwind visit to vegas nine years ago . . . and just happens to be a prince . the misfits turn into royal rock stars overnight . that isn ' t the only new series mtv has in the works though . the network will also team with young adult author kirsten ' kiwi ' smith on a tv series adaptation of the 2013 novel
trinkets
. andrea seigel (
laggies
) will pen the script , while smith , morgan j . freeman and dia sokol savage will executive produce . the story revolves around three teenage
dia sokol : i basically had a version of the script written a year before lauren came on . i kept trying to write this max character , and i kind of knew he was the key , but i wasn’t doing a particularly good job . i didn’t get it , really . so i reached out to lauren for help . but we didn’t plan — we just sort of took off with this idea that these two characters would be sort of separate , unrelated . she really just kind of creatively went off on her own and wrote that side of the story , and then we figured out where it intersected .
following on from the top 10 screenwriting tips from script to screen post , i thought i’d write a companion piece on pitching , as saturday’s script to screen conference also featured “pitch intermission” sessions in which a panel of experts fielded pitches and then offered advice on how the screenwriters could hone their spiel . the industry figures giving their insider expertise were : ron simons , the producer of gun hill road and night catches us ; dana o’keefe , a sales agent at cinetic ; dia sokol , a producer of both mtv reality shows and mumblecore movies ; and david young , head writer at collegehumor . com . below are [ … ]
savage : even though we have to remain objective , when one of the participants is struggling , it can be really hard to watch . it was very scary to see amber at the height of her drug abuse , so it feels like such a huge accomplishment to see her clean . and it makes me so happy for leah that she is able to have a mom who is drug - free .
savage : oh man , so many great moments throughout the years . obviously , hearing about the impact that the show has had is enormously gratifying but also just watching the cast members grow and develop and see the direction their lives have taken is kind of a documentary filmmaker ' s dream . to be able to be immersed in a subject ' s life for eight years has been an incredible privilege and honor .
the new york - based duo behind visit films - - the international sales agents responsible for such films the myth of the american sleepover , the taqwacores , trash humpers , the freebie and aaron katz ' s cold weather , are getting into the distribution game with the newly launched division called baxter brothers film releasing . fox searchlight and focus features need not worry , as ryan kampe and sylvan tron are likely going to stick to what they know best - - smaller films looking for an entry point into the u . s . a dvd release have been laid out for ivan sen ' s beneath clouds or dia sokol ' s sorry , thanks , and i wouldn ' t be surprised if they break the bread next year .
larry musnik , co - executive producer : i have a more unique type of position , similar in some ways to morgan and dia . but i think always , even from the very beginning , i’ve been a little bit more involved with the families , the cast , the show , the crew and the producers . i oversee everything - - all of the teams and groups on all of our shows and specials .
following on from the top 10 screenwriting tips from script to screen post , i thought i’d write a companion piece on pitching , as saturday’s script to screen conference also featured “pitch intermission” sessions in which a panel of experts fielded pitches and then offered advice on how the screenwriters could hone their spiel . the industry figures giving their insider expertise were : ron simons , the producer of gun hill road and night catches us ; dana o’keefe , a sales agent at cinetic ; dia sokol , a producer of both mtv reality shows and mumblecore movies ; and david young , head writer at collegehumor . com . below are the best 10 bits of advice that were handed out . 1 . wear your heart on your sleeve . “put across why you’re passionate about in your project , ” said ron simons , “because that will help us be passionate about it too . ” 2 . keep it loose . “try and be personal and conversational ,
lv : they would just fail here . [ laughs ] they would absolutely fail , because we have a different speed here . they’re not totally unambitious characters , but they’re mellow californians . and i think it has a lot to do with pacing . there are a lot of silences in their conversations . which is definitely not the case in new york . in new york , everyone is anxious to fill the space . like when dia and i talk : not a lot of silences . [ laughs ]
savage : in the early days , i think the show allowed the audience to be privy to private conversations around unplanned pregnancy that you never would have heard otherwise , which is powerful . it opened up new ways for kids to talk to their parents about sex and birth control - - for example , it is probably much easier to start a conversation with your mom about getting an iud or a depo shot by talking about a decision maci made or discussing something that cate and ty were just doing . and as the show has evolved , people have just continued to be invested in the lives of the teen moms as they have taken different directions .
savage : i met amber before i ever saw her casting tape - - i ' d just talked to morgan about what was going on with her . our first shoot was on 4th of july weekend , and it was filled with a lot of drama because gary had just spent all of their money on a video game console . amber and her family were really upset , and everyone was meeting for the first time for a bbq ( take a trip down memory lane with part of her episode below ) . my first impression when i showed up at her house the night before we were supposed to begin filming was that she had a lot to say and wasn ' t afraid to articulate it , which is always something you are grateful for as a producer . and that she and gary were hilarious and that i could listen to them talk all day . and that she was stubborn !
marvel’s phase 4 gives the studio a chance to push for greater diversity when it comes to rounding out the next iteration of earth’s mightiest heroes .
paul rudd and evangeline lilly reunite in a marvel sequel that’s faster , funnier , and more cunningly confident than the original .
a prequel to the “purge” series , and the first set in the inner city , is a crude exploitation film that still manages to pack a timely punch .
a documentary about whitney houston offers a soaring testament to her art as well as an explanation for why she destroyed herself .
deliriously creative and ambitious to a fault , boots riley’s gonzo debut extends the rapper’s outspoken social critique .
as a detective story , it’s top - of - the - line , and its detective is a character that will endure long after the mystery is solved .
alison brie and betty gilpin lead one of tv’s best ensemble casts in a sharp season that’s even better than the first .
hugh grant and ben whishaw shine in a story of thwarted gay love and revenge in amazon’s new limited series .
“queer eye” was always fun tv , but , in ways that are realer than reality tv tends to get , it’s now verging on great .
in its pre - broadway version premiering in chicago , “the cher show” sings but doesn’t soar .
west coast audiences are treated to the rare pleasure of seeing tom hanks on stage as the actor reinterprets shakespeare’s buffoon .
lucy barton’s personal meditation blossoms into something bigger than itself — a portrait of america , even of history as a whole .
jim parsons heads a super ensemble in this revival of mart crowley’s landmark play about gay friends at a birthday party .
listening to “scorpion” feels less like taking a journey than circling around and around on a cul - de - sac in a luxurious gated community .
how does beyonce and jay - z’s “everything is love” rate as an album ? solid and generally satisfying , but not the best from either .
on christina aguilera’s “liberation , ” it’s clear she wants to move further toward hip - hop .
if this is all another chapter in his long saga of outrages he’s daring fans to indulge , maybe it’s time to say “enough . ”
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detailed a harrowing 2017 assault at a nightclub in vietnam that almost killed him , and the investigation he launched himself to find the assailants . after production wrapped on
, which went on gross more than $ 500 million at the box office in 2017 , vogt - roberts had decided to leave hollywood to relocate to vietnam , having fallen in love with saigon . the city…
are returning to the channel . check out the schedule below . targeting the 18 - 49 demo and reaching more than 97 % of the country , mynetworktv programs 10 hours of programming on weeknights . here is the 2018 - 19 fall sked :
8 - 9 p . m . : law & order : ci 9 - 10 p . m . : law & order : ci
, which bring bestiality , drug abuse , teenage pregnancy and prison culture to a place a lot like whoville , is parody and therefore “fair use , ” a u . s . court of appeals has ruled . the summary order brings a planned production a step closer to
.
the 2nd circuit’s decision is a win for both mr . lombardo and the first amendment ,
said lombardo ' s attorney , jordan greenberger .
on its face the play is a parody , and we are…
ava duvernay’s ‘central park five’ casts michael k . williams , vera farmiga & john leguizamo for netflix limited series
, sources said . sony would not comment and nobody would divulge smoove’s role but i’m told it is a lead in the ensemble . so far , he’s the first new cast member to be set beyond
, who is expected to play the villain mysterio . jon watts is directing , and
returns as the webslinger , with michael keaton , zendaya and marisa tomei expected to reprise . the film is dated for…
' s high - profile limited series , directed and executive produced by clooney . hugh laurie , kyle chandler also star in the series , written by luke davies and david michôd based on the seminal joseph heller novel . set in italy during world war ii ,
, which is being produced by steve lee jones’ bee holder productions and michael j . weiss’ webros entertainment .
will run from may 14 - 25 next year . after the 2018 edition began may 8 , the 2019 dates put the start back to mid - month where it’s typically landed in the past several years . however , in keeping with a tweak to the 2018 event , the proceedings will kick off again on a tuesday and close on a saturday with awards handed out that night . cannes made the announcement today on its twitter feed . on the…
may have only been revealed earlier today but it ' s already heading abroad .
has signed all def media , the media company focused on hip hop culture , for representation in all areas . adm touches more than 300 million fans each month through original programming , which is distributed via youtube and facebook , on television and through live events . through its new relationship with caa , the media company will look to accelerate its digital , brand and premium programming . the agency will work to create business opportunities for adm…
. the book gets published tomorrow by penguin . the novel follows a young woman ' s efforts to duck the ills of the world by embarking on an extended hibernation with the help of one of the worst psychiatrists in the annals of literature and the battery of medicines she prescribes . pic will be produced by atlas…
might be the hottest young film actress out there right now . several studios bid for her fall slot , and scrappy
it ' s a beauty pageant . of course they are judged on their looks .
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nr - not rated . this movie has not been rated by the mpaa .
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lauren veloski : so even though it was kind of incidental , it ended up being perfect . i purposely didn’t read her pages and i didn’t realize , actually , when she asked me to write the max character that she’d been working on it for so long . so to me , the whole concept felt really new , and i felt like she was very generous and gave me tons of freedom to completely invent this character with basically no information aside from his name and an entry point for the story .
ds : if we were rewriting — when you’re on set , you’re constantly figuring out what works , what doesn’t work , and you write jokes in your own voice and the actor brings something different to them . certainly , lauren was max’s person , for all the characters that originated in her head .
lv : no ! no , you weren’t like that . because on set , no matter how invested she was in the character , she just had to be the director . so , that part was really hard i think . i don’t know how you do like ten different things at once , anyway .
lv : yeah , i actually think it was really brave of us . to go the anti - chemistry route and approach max and kira separately . i think that a lot of scripts , indie or otherwise , fail because they’re going out of their way for the happy ending . they have this really organic story building and they go out of their way to make the characters come together .
ds : or the coincidences are just so big . i think our coincidence is pretty organic and very small . i think you need to feel like it’s authentic , otherwise it becomes this story where magical forces are at work , intervening…
fp : the kira character maintains this emotional consistency throughout the film . working with a non - professional actor in the role , was that something that scared you as a director ?
ds : i think in a traditional hollywood narrative you have the character who has a lot going on , who’s really internal . i think that might be more challenging for a traditional actor to tone it down and not be overly emotive . i just think that her great skill was to really make things natural .
fp : you both live here . why did you decide to shoot this in san francisco ?
ds : we really wanted to set the movie in san francisco because it’s vibrant and it’s got a good vibe . but we also thought san francisco was kind of a mindset within the film — the way that the characters are not the same characters that you find in new york .
fp : how did wiley wiggins get hooked up with the project ? i can’t remember seeing him in anything since dazed and confused .
ds : i met him when i was at south by southwest back in 2005 , and we’ve been friends ever since . i was producing a film in austin , and i was walking down the street thinking about who could play the character of max . suddenly i realized , “wiley wiggins is max ! ”
lv : i didn’t really know who he was , so i wound up being shocked by how uncannily well - suited he was for the part .
ds : but then we had to convince wiley to do it . he had a life down in austin . he’s been a few friend’s projects over the past few years , but nothing major . and maybe i wasn’t clear when i said to him , “oh i’m making this movie in san francisco ; you should come be in it . ” he said sure , but when i called him to schedule things , he was like “whoa , wait , rehearsals ? ” i think he must have read the first scene and that was it . i was like , “you’re the star . ” he was surprised , but he was totally on board .
ds : honestly , no . i mean there are subtle things . i think that we might have a different perspective . for example : there’s a kind of alternative buddy movie in this film that may or may not be attributed to lauren being a female writer . but in a more traditional script , the friend would intervene . here , he just watches his friend self destruct .
lv : but that’s just good writing . [ laughs ] i think it doesn’t necessarily behoove us as writers or filmmakers to talk about “women writers” as a single , uniform group . i think it’s really limiting . but the stuff that we do that’s unique is judged more harshly because there are so few of us . i’m really proud of the fact that we very contentiously made a story that plays equally well for men and women . i don’t like stuff that get’s called chick flicks . i think it sucks . here , you have the humor and you have emotions — but it’s not a sappy story .
lv : not for me because i had just gone through a really tumultuous time and i was just hating the world . [ laughs ]
ds : no , i think aesthetically we’re not that sappy . neither of us were looking to make a film that neatly tied up everything . we were looking to make something with the rhythm of a comedy until things got more serious in the script .
lv : comedy is seen as a man’s form . it’s assumed that women make social issue documentaries . i think that’s changing , with women like tina fey and amy poehler , getting huge deals and making a lot of money — and of course they have men in their audiences like crazy . but if you look at who’s on top on the roster specifically at comedy agencies and management firms , it’s like 99 percent male . so it’s really difficult .
lv : i feel like a pioneer everyday ! [ laughs ] it’s sad but true . but i hope that it’s changing . humpday has done well — really well . it was warmly received at sundance . it got a standing ovation . and [ lynn shelton’s ] very much the force behind that film . so i really hope it’s changing because i hate talking about it in this way that sounds so frustrated and victim - y . but really if you’re a male writer and you’re 22 years old , it doesn’t matter . you are taken seriously instantly . it’s much easier to get an agent and find jobs . so i think the approach needs to be : you have to be positive . you have to take yourself seriously . you cannot afford to take yourself less seriously or get bitter because you’re not part of the boy’s club because then you will get locked out .
we won the adrienne shelly director’s grant a year and a half ago . at the beginning of the night , they had this quote from adrienne about how when she first started her career , all she wanted to do was talk about how challenging it was to be a female director . and then supposedly she didn’t want to talk about it anymore . after about ten years , she wanted to talk about it again because she saw it was a real problem . it wasn’t just bullshit . you are up against different challenges .
lv : i think she both embraced that female filmmaker label and kind of hated it . but it’s important . you have to be able to say , yes , it has been a struggle ; yes we need to change this . because , let’s face it , regardless of your gender , making any movie is war . it’s really like war . [ laughs ]
images courtesy of alan parker , a new york - based photographer and stylist .
* stay tuned for details on how to enter to win a weber q 140 for your apartment .
stays true to mumblecore form in charting some aimless hours between san franciscan twentysomethings who probably aren ' t right for each other .
with : with : wiley wiggins , kenya miles , andrew bujalski , ia hernandez , donovan baddley , moshe kasher , mackenzie keegan , raluca ioanid , ryan tresser .
still - babyfaced wiley wiggins of “dazed and confused” is max , a senator’s jaded office assistant . even his few close friends consider max a bit of a jerk . at the start , he snoozes through the walk - of - shame departure of one - night stand kira ( kenya miles ) , who’s just severed a lengthy relationship and is downsizing from her travel - heavy corporate job to a much humbler one . the majority of the pic traces the separate paths of the middle - class hipster leads as they deal with uninspiring employment , critical friends , promiscuity , preexistent relationships ( max already has a g . f . , played by ia hernandez ) and general bored ambivalence . none of which is terribly interesting . still , youthful post - collegiate life is well captured , the perfs ring true and tech aspects are above indie average .
crew : camera ( color , hd ) , matthias grunsky ; editor , jennifer lilly ; music , team love . reviewed at mill valley film festival ( u . s . cinema ) , oct . 12 , 2009 . ( also in sxsw , sarasota , nashville film festivals . ) running time : 93 min .
with : with : wiley wiggins , kenya miles , andrew bujalski , ia hernandez , donovan baddley , moshe kasher , mackenzie keegan , raluca ioanid , ryan tresser .
this new film will resonate with every struggling musician you know .
- urltoken
buy special edition ( $ 15 . 95 usd ) + download / stream play it safe in hd . + commentary with chris pahlow & clayton jacobson . + deleted & extended scenes . + behind the scenes interviews . + q & a from the world premiere .
rent ( $ 3 . 95 aud / $ 2 . 95 usd ) + stream play it safe in hd for 72 hours .
buy ( $ 9 . 95 aud / $ 7 . 50 usd ) + download / stream play it safe in hd .
a sharp - witted and effortlessly quirky dramatic comedy that’s deftly judged and hugely likeable . . . with “play it safe” pahlow marks himself out as a director to watch and an exciting new talent who’s not afraid to follow a curve ball .
“play it safe” is what i want other australian films to aspire to . pahlow has created a film that is refreshingly real and startlingly engaging . . . there’s an authenticity that a lot of films struggle to achieve , with all the emotion , conflict and woes that come along with being twenty - something .
first time director chris pahlow is a talent to watch . . . “play it safe” is a film to relish – something fresh and brave but with likeable characters you’ll easily engage with , and a heartfelt connection to the city of melbourne and its vibrant music scene .
there is a sense of immediacy and a fresh rawness to this style of filmmaking that reminds me of john cassavetes’ films . . . chris is a terrific director , and it was a pleasure to be part of the first of what i think will be many great films from a great talent .
. the film stars nicholas kato as jamie , a 26 - year - old musician who is out of work and down on his luck . when jamie ' s band breaks up , he ' s left with no money , no career and no girlfriend . now he teaches piano at a soul - destroying music school . will he take a risk and follow his dreams ? or will he surrender to his new - found unhappiness and play it safe ?
following in the footsteps of filmmakers like andrew bujalski , lena dunham , noah baumbach , and the duplass brothers , play it safe explores a generation caught between endless opportunity and the pressures of conformity . the film features unobtrusive black and white camerawork , naturalistic dialog , and unaffected performances . the result is an engaging , refreshing look at twenty - something life filled with authentic emotion , humour , and pathos .
part of our mission with play it safe is to support great independent music , and in many ways the film is a love letter to melbourne ' s music scene . the soundtrack features music from over twenty incredible melbourne - based acts , including :
with plans starting at just $ 4 . 99 a month , dvd netflix offers a huge selection of new movies , hard - to - find classics , and premium tv .
awesome illustrations inspired by masters of the universe , magic 8 - ball , barbie , and more .
highlights from the folio society ' s new editions of two sci - fi classics .
a ' cat in the hat ' animated feature and ' green eggs and ham ' netflix series are on the way .
a handsome new edition ( and art ) for your pre - movie re - read .
plus ' go , ' ' the voices , ' and ' our nixon . '
our mini - reviews of ' blindspotting , ' ' sorry to bother you , ' ' eighth grade , ' and more .
alex campos redesigns the
pee - chee all season portfolio
with a retro pop culture slant .
plus ' female trouble , ' ' the virgin spring , ' and ' shutter island . '
plus ' george carlin : commemorative collection , ' ' quest , ' ' super fly , ' ' bowling for columbine , ' ' el sur , ' and ' two weeks in another town . '
tom bob brightens up our boring city streets by seeing more than a meter or a fire hydrant .
ava duvernay’s ‘central park five’ casts michael k . williams , vera farmiga & john leguizamo for netflix…
greg goldman to leave ‘undercover boss’ producer studio lambert after 5 years as u . s chief
hotel transylvania 3 : summer vacation stars plan their dream summer getaways to some memorable movie settings .
- teen mom og : unseen moments ( 2018 ) . . . ( executive producer )
- teen mom og finale special : check - up with dr . drew part 2 ( 2018 ) . . . ( executive producer )
- teen mom og finale special : check - up with dr . drew part 1 ( 2018 ) . . . ( executive producer )
- season 6 finale special : check up with dr . drew - part 2 ( 2015 ) . . . ( executive producer )
- season 6 finale special : check up with dr . drew - part 1 ( 2015 ) . . . ( executive producer )
- where are they now ? 5 ( 2015 ) . . . ( executive producer )
- life after labor finale special 5 ( 2014 ) . . . ( executive producer )
the fog of war : eleven lessons from the life of robert s . mcnamara
mr . death : the rise and fall of fred a . leuchter , jr .
explore popular and recently added tv series available to stream now with prime video .
in revisiting the drama of the original teen mom cast in the new season premiering tonight , mtv ' s six - year - old series adds a twist to the format . besides following the lives of these now - adult moms—farrah abraham , maci bookout , amber portwood and catelyn lowell—the show will also break the fourth wall and document their adjustments to fame .
it ' s an evolutionary fix to one of reality tv ' s biggest problems . as the recurring stars of franchises like teen mom or real housewives find themselves all over the tabloids , producers face the challenge of incorporating that madness into storylines . most of these shows choose to ignore the cast ' s transformation into celebrities ( think : jersey shore ) . teen mom og ( aka
original girls
) is trying something new , which means we ' ll see its young cast not only interacting with producers , but also speaking directly about being famous . exposing some of the show ' s programming guts has the effect of creating a more honest viewing experience—it ' s an extension of a refresh that started with real world : ex - plosion and real world : skeletons .
jezebel : this new season of teen mom og sounds similar to the changes i ' ve seen on the real world , where they showed producers talking to the cast and scenes with cameramen . how will that play out on teen mom ?
we hadn ' t filmed with these girls in two years . and i think we are tasked with trying to tell their stories in the most accurate way possible . the biggest motivation was just to be true to what ' s going on with them , like who they have become in those two years is a big part of them having been on the show for four or five seasons prior to that . they ' ve become spokespeople for teen pregnancy . caitlin and tyler travel around and speak about adoption . it played such a big part in what they did between the last season and this current one that i think it would ' ve felt inauthentic not to address that . that was really the motivation .
right , i always thought that ' s what was weird about jersey shore . we saw the cast becoming famous in real life , but not on the show . these are real people who blew up . i like that this format acknowledges that there ' s a world outside of tv .
absolutely . and by the end of teen mom , it was something we really did have to produce around . they would walk out of buildings and there would be paparazzi or people coming up to them in the middle of our shooting and asking for autographs and those kinds of things . their roles shifted so much in the time we were making the show that it was really the big motivator for when we came back with this season to sort of be true to where they are in their lives . it felt like you had to acknowledge that they ' d been on a show called teen mom and they occupied that role in their lives in every way . it really changed things for them . it changes the way they go and get a cup of coffee , so being able to show that lets us do our jobs , which is to portray in an accurate way what their lives are like .


julien magnat is a film and television screenwriter and director .

he is best known for bloody mallory ( 2002 ) and faces in the crowd ( 2010 ) .

julien magnat

he also appeared alongside sandra bullock in the 2007 supernatural thriller premonition . mcmahon co - starred in 2011 with milla jovovich in julien magnat ' s thriller faces in the crowd .
my account was hacked . sorry about the crazy recommandations that my ' hacked ' alter ego sent unbeknownst to me . the real julien is back !
julien temple is an english filmmaker and music video director who began his career directing the sex pistols documentary the great rock ‘n’ roll swindle ( 1979 ) .
one of the most visually distinctive filmmakers to emerge from the french national film school , julien attracted international attention with his short student film , ' the all - new adventures of chastity blade ' , which garnered him an academy award nomination in 2001 and marked him as one of france ' s rising talents . julien ' s micro - budget debut feature . . .
born in london , england , on november 26 , 1953 , julien temple showed little interest in film throughout much of his childhood . a troubled student who didn & apos ; t always fit in at school , temple was enrolled at king & apos ; s college , cambridge , when he discovered french filmmaker jean vigo .
born in london , england , in 1953 , julien temple was in his teens when he discovered his love for films and filmmaking . he cut his teeth shooting footage of the sex pistols early in the band & apos ; s run , and later directed the landmark pistols documentary the great rock ‘n’ roll swindle . in the 1980s he became a noted music video director . he & apos ; s also directed several other full - length feature films .
i’ve been putting on shows and playing characters since i was a kid . i got my first taste for the stage in 6th grade when i played huck in the stage play
when i realized i could make a whole room of people laugh by “playing pretend” on stage i knew that this is what i wanted to do for a living .
and thought that the dollar baby program was an awesome idea . i immediately submitted to audition .
i think it is the tension the audience feels as they watch the story unfold . it is very dark and controversial , but ends with the good guy getting the bad guy , which is what we all want . 😉
( director ) had actors chose a scene or monologue from a stephen king screenplay and i was thrilled to have my choice in the matter . i chose the final scene in
max is a young director who clearly worked hard to make this production happen . i was impressed by his vision and his patience in working with everyone on set .
the actor who played the young boy never ran out of energy . he was running around all day , having fun , being a kid . but the moment we got the shot ready and max called “action , ” he was a professional actor who hit all his lines every time ! honestly , he knew his lines better than i did !
erin grote was on sound for the production and we still keep in touch . i’ve also talked with max through email .
i am currently involved in a large project with a production company i help manage called wadworth productions . it is a web series called
. it’s a comedy that follows the story lines of characters working in the service industry .
sksm : thanks for taking the time to answer my questions . is there anything you want to say to the fans that read this interview ?
my name is jackie perez and i love horror . i’m first and foremost a screenwriter and direct whenever i get the chance . i lived in los angeles for the past 5 years , but i just moved around the world to bahrain which has been quite the change ! i used to be a nuclear engineer in the navy before i discovered my passion for screenwriting . i love writing genre features and had my first contest win last year at
. i also work remotely as a grants manager for stem , creative , and veteran non - profits .
movies had always been my escape growing up but it wasn’t until i was studying at mit for undergrad that i realized filmmaking was an actual career option . of course by then i was already well underway into an environmental engineering degree . i heard eli roth speak at a preview screening of
in late 2005 and he answered a question from an audience member about the necessity of going to film school to “make it . ” roth answered that it didn’t make a difference if you went to film school or not , that the difference was hard work and perseverance , that he graduated with an entire class of wannabe filmmakers but he was there with a movie on the big screen because he did the crappy jobs , got experience , and kept at it . i was hooked . i was self - taught and wrote and directed three short films before graduation . when i got out of the navy , my first stop was hollywood .
i’d been developing the script for over a year but things kept getting in the way of nailing down production dates like grad school finals and wedding planning . once the honeymoon was over , the holidays hit and by the time 2018 rolled around it was now or never because i had the big overseas move looming on the horizon . my producer brian campeau ( oneninth media ) and i set a date and the train started moving .
it turns out we were incredibly lucky with the date we chose to shoot on location at the glamis sand dunes . the day before it was extremely windy and no good for drone shots , and the day after the temperature jumped into the mid - 90s and it would have been way too hot . i was really worried because we were shooting around spring break and didn’t know how tracked up the dunes would be from buggies , but we caught the perfect day in late march . it was still hot , but wind was manageable , the alexa camera didn’t get damaged from any sand , and no one got sun burned or passed out . the camera kept shutting down so we lost almost an hour switching out batteries until we figured out a fix . our dp sarah phillips did an amazing job .
we shot one day on location on the glamis sand dunes and finished up with two days at pollution studios in los angeles . as for cost , it was the biggest budget i’ve ever worked with which was awesome , but we were stuffing 20 lbs of film in a 10 lb bag so there were plenty of challenges to overcome , favors to ask , and incredibly talented people who worked for way below their normal rates .
because of my proximity to the largest dunes in ca . it was a tough love decision because
is my favorite king short story but the snowy setting was something i didn’t want to compromise on and it’s so much trickier working with child actors because of union rules .
when i first read the story , i was drawn to the isolation theme . my longest time out to sea when i was in the navy was 84 days in between port calls on deployment . when you are crossing the pacific ocean without a ship in sight or on radar , the empty vastness is both serene and terrifying . i was wrapping up my mfa and i had never written an adaptation but i knew i wanted to put my personal stamp on the story . there are quite a few changes that were made for either creative and budgetary reasons and as a huge horror fan , i had to make it bloody .
it took me quite some time to figure out how i wanted to approach the story , but once i made a specific character decision , a lightbulb went off and everything else clicked into place . i’m really excited to hear what people think , especially those who are familiar with the source material because i wrote a very different ending ,
and i was like “what ? tell me everything ! ” i was actually angry with myself for not knowing about dollar babies being such a big fan and all , but the timing was perfect because i wouldn’t have been ready as a filmmaker if i had tried to make this earlier and the final product just wouldn’t have been as good . i sent in my pitch with some of the changes i wanted to make and got the ok . i think it’s such an amazing way to give back to the emerging film community and i am forever thankful for the opportunity .
really the most special part about it was being able to come together with my friends to make something i loved and have them all supporting me and bringing my vision to life . it was extremely bittersweet knowing i’d be moving but so many of my friendships deepened because of this project and i just feel so lucky to have found those friendships in the first place during my time in los angeles .
my goal is to get it out to as many stephen king and horror / sci - fi fans as possible within the boundaries of the option contract . we’ll definitely share a trailer ( our teaser is out ) and with a strong festival showing i’m hoping a lot of fans get to watch . everyone who is interested can sign up for updates on our website and we’ll keep them updated on when / how / where they can watch .
so far so good ! we’re really close to locking picture and still have to finish sound design , music , and vfx so hardly anyone outside of the production has seen it but the feedback has been really positive , especially with respect to the final scene .
we haven’t started submitting it to festivals yet since we’re still in post - production , but i would love to see it screen at screamfest this year . last year i was on my honeymoon in new zealand during the festival when i found out i won an award . i mean , the honeymoon was great and all but i was so bummed to miss out on the fest ! it’d be great to fly back and experience it with the cast and crew of
since they are all in la . another film festival i’d love to have it screen at is citizen jane which is all about achieving gender parity in film and telling womens’ stories . there are so many amazing female - forward and genre film festivals we want to submit to ! we’ll share festival and screening updates on our facebook page and website .
. kathy bates is magnificent and it’s one of the rare books that you can read back to back with the film and still cringe even knowing what is coming next . i would have expected nothing less from william goldman adapting .
my all - time favorite king book is the girl who loved tom gordon . i’d love to get mr . king’s permission to adapt that into a screenplay , moving from the isolation of beachworld to the isolation of the maine woods . the stories i write explore the choices we make and the people we become when shit hits the fan . we either step up , shut down , or go insane . the story of survival against the odds is one of pure human instinct . resilience against fear and the unknown is universal .
i do have to mention this : only 2 of the almost 71 feature film adaptations of king’s works credit women as writers ( co - writers ) . i want to be the one that turns that dismal 3 % stat to a slightly less dismal 4 % and watch it go up and up from there . i want to also point out only 2 adapted features have been directed by women . it was inspiring seeing bridget carpenter helm 11 . 22 . 63 but i don’t think i have to run through the rest of the television stats and the adaptations and remakes in development to prove that women are grossly underrepresented in the king to film and tv world . which is quite disheartening for me because he writes such amazing , complex women . i hope he’ll consider my pitch to adapt trisha mcfarland’s story for the big screen and i hope hollywood starts hiring more women to lead these projects .
no , but i’ll be taping a special message to go with the film when i send it to him .
which is inspired by the mexican legend of the lechuza , an ancient shape - shifting woman that has sold her soul to satan in exchange for dark magical powers . the proof of concept short script was a semi - finalist in the
people are always surprised by the whole mit / nuclear engineer to horror screenwriter career shift . what can i say , i dream big .
well , my name is andrew olszewski and i am a filmmaker ! i specialize in video editing and producing . i recently graduated from
, in chicago illinois with a bfa in film and television with a concentration in editing .
sksm : in addition to playing a role in this film you were the producer and the editor . what was more difficult to do ?
the hardest part in my opinion is producing . that involves so much planning and communication that it can be overwhelming if you don’t plan every single aspect of the film . editing is almost second nature to me , so i would say producing and the pre - production was the most difficult part of the film .
my acting role in this film was pretty minimal ( i was a thug throwing some kicks at the beginning ) but i have been acting in other films and shows for a while now . i always just thought acting was fun , and over the past year i have taken it a little more seriously .
my buddy max ( director ) and i had been wanting to make a larger scale film for a while now and he came across this program . we thought it was a no brainer to see what we could do with this opportunity !
i think the weirdness of it all is what attracts people . stephen king has a way of making an audience become engaged from the very beginning . also , because it is stephen king , a viewer already knows that there is going to be a weird twist at the end !
i sort of fell into the small part i had . instead of making it a huge deal and casting a thug , we decided i could fill the part easily enough .
max and i have been great friends since the beginning of college . we have a great friendship and work very well together . we have made many films together and so far and this was the biggest production to date . he is a great director and knows how to capture the moment of each and every scene .
well , every production has its funny moments , i think the behind the scenes video captures some of that , but overall the entire production was a great experience .
most everyone involved i still have at least some contact with . whether that be simply friends on facebook or friends in real life . noah sliwa was actually an old buddy from michigan that made the trip to chicago to film and help out on set , so that was pretty cool !
max and i are currently in post production on another film . it is called “
” and explores some pretty heavy topics . we are really excited to finish the film and send it out to some film festivals , and hopefully leave an impact on viewers .
i would say it is hard to not be a fan ! he has an amazing way to craft a story and keep a viewer on their toes . i think everyone can learn something after reading / watching a story stephen king has made .
i love sports ! though i sit behind a computer most my days i make sure to stay active and shoot hoops when i can . also , i have a youtube channel with almost 10 million views !
he played in viktor hernandez ’s dollar baby one for the road as booth .
my name is robert l . edwards , i am orinally from emporia , va . i currently reside in the great charlotte , nc . i have been living in this area for 8 years . my primary occupation is a collage profesor and director of bands in addition to being an actor , i am a doctoral student pursing a doctoal degree in education and leadership . one of my strongest quilities in music is composition and arranging for bands . i am also an advocate for the performing and visual arts , especially for children and teens . i believe that the performing and visiual arts can help develop soft skills and prepare students for their profession no matter their focus .
i wanted to become an actor since high school , but it was only a thought in the back of my head until 3 years ago . my insecurities prevented me from pursuing acting earlier in my life . music has always been my main focus until now .
for startes it’s a story by stephen king , even people that don’t like horror movies love stephen king , i’m gussing because he writes for different genres . i believe that people are attacted to this story because it takes place in the same universe as his movie
” back in 1931 . since then people have always been attracted to these types of movies . i could go deeper but my statement would be longer .
i auditioned for the role of booth . i was so excited that viktor decided to cast me for this project . when he told me that i was booked , i was so excited to be apart of a film connected to stephen king .
viktor is a great director , i learned so much from him and his directing leadership . he knows what he want and how to communicate his vision . he is a very humble and profesional guy . once i found out about his previous works and found out that he is also a great actor i was so excited and he did not disappoint my expecations of him as a director .
yep , trying to avoid stepping in dog poop while on set at 1 am in the moring .
i do keep in contact with the other two actors jacqueline dorry and ligia pressley via social media from time to time . i really enjoyed working with them on this project , they are great actresses .
i am working on two other film projects at the momento and auditioning others projects . i am also working on a film myself which i hope to start sometime by the end of this year in addition to a pilot for a reality show with an up and coming actress maritalyn frazier . my goal at this point is to conitue my acting classes , build my acting brand as well as my acting resume , and learn more about this industry .
i’m a fan , lord yes ! i have been a fan since i was a kid . i use to read stephen king’s books and watched all his movies when i was younger . i’ve been a fan since i first saw the move
back in 1989 . stephen king can do no wrong in my eyes . i hope that i will be able to meet and work with him one day .
i believe my decisión to pursue acting over music at this point in my life surpised a lot of family and friend . i believe that people would be more surprised that acting is a stress reliever it helps me to escape my life and live the life of someone else .
please support this project by watching and sharing once it has been released . i believe that the cast , myself , carmen the writer , and viktor’s interptation of this story will not disappoint you .
i am so grateful that viktor gave me the opportunity to be apart of his project and that i wish him and the other cast and crew member all the best in their future pursuits . i would like to also thank you for offering me this interview opportunity .
in chicago . i got my degree in film producing and am looking to move to los angeles in the next few months to continue my career there . although my degree isn’t focused on anything in particular , in my time at college i’ve found myself more often than not at least doing the directing or cinematography for the work i’m involved in , if not both .
i’ve loved movies ever since i was a little kid . i definitely grew up in a family that gave me a much greater appreciation for what film can be than i think most kids are privileged with and i’ve been obsessed with the idea of creating my own movies for probably more than half my life .
our producer and i read through all of the stories that are available for the dollar babies program and then narrowed it down between a few that we really wanted to adapt . from there it was mostly a matter of practicality ; which story did we think we could most reasonably adapt given that we are going to be working with a very small budget ?
was the natural cross - section of feasibility and our own personal desires . plus , i like vampires a lot .
i began reading king’s work avidly back in spring of 2017 , and while i was browsing a forum for fans of his stories , i found a thread talking about the dollar baby program . i was honestly completely dumbfounded that such an amazing program could be real . it didn’t seem possible that such a great opportunity could be missed by so many other students . i still haven’t met anyone in film school who knew about this program before hearing about our work on
not a particular moment , but i just wanted to give special thanks to one of crew members , noah sliwa . he was a friend of our producer’s , and while he’s not actually involved in the film industry at all , he just wanted to help out on set because he likes movies a lot . i didn’t know exactly what to expect out of him but he unbelievably helpful for us , and i genuinely don’t know that we would have been able to make the movie turn out as well as it did without him . if every set was full of noah’s then every movie would be great . or at least better .
as part of the stipulations for the dollar babies contract , the film is not allowed to be listed online publicly in its entirely . only 2 minutes of footage can be shown at most . as a result we’ve had to keep the film hidden behind a password - protected link , which is unfortunate for all the people who may want to see it , but i do understand the importance of king protecting his properties . what he is doing already is far beyond what most writers would ever dream of doing i think . hopefully one day we can show it to everyone . i’d love to see all the other dollar babies films out there as well .
everyone at home who donated seems very happy with it from what i can tell . i’m hoping it stays that way !
we’re hoping to get into some , but no , there aren’t any particular festivals we have in mind . we’re still in the early stages of submitting it , we just want to keep our options open and expectations realistic .
absolutely ! i’ve read nearly twenty of his books in 2017 alone . so far i’d have to say that
only insofar as securing the contract . i actually just sent a dvd of the finished film to his estate a day ago , so i’m hoping we’ll get to hear his thoughts on it personally !
, but it looks like amazon may have beaten me to the punch in that regard .
that you can find on my vimeo page pretty soon . we’d like to collaborate on one or two more projects over the summer before i move out to los angeles , but really we have no concrete plans as of now .
he played in joseph horning ’s dollar baby one for the road as booth .
well , in a word , i’m an actor . i tend to play age - appropriate roles ( read “old” ) for either an angry , funny , cranky , or homeless old man . most of the time i’m a supporting character , rather than a lead character . i consider myself a character actor .
i guess i really didn’t… until i became one . i spent most of my life as and engineer and high school teacher . then one summer , a film company from new york was shooting a feature film in my hometown ( a film called “
” ) and they needed extras . i had nothing else to do that summer , so i joined the production . literally fell in love with it the first day on set . i continued doing extra work on weekends until i retired a few years later…then i started acting full - time .
, the producer - director for a while . i answered a casting call on “backstage” and went in for the audition . i loved the story , loved the character , and joseph gave me the part . it was really that simple .
oh , it’s the vampires…lol . i mean , we’ve all read and perhaps seen the story of salem’s lot . well , imagine going back to visit that área after 30 years . humans have long since stayed away from there… that is , until this unsuspecting family gets off the highway and ends up stuck in the middle of it all . who among us hasn’t wondered how we’d react to an incomprehensible , unbelievable situation that threatens us and our loved ones . how far would we go ? how much would we sacrifice ? would we survive ?
and besides that , it’s stephen king… i know i love stephen king . i assume other fans of this story do too .
no , even though i knew the producer - director , i was still required to audition . but i really wanted this role . so , i studied hard for that audition . and i gave it my best . i guess my best was good enough , because he gave me the role .
it was really amazing . we worked long hours in some tough conditions , but joseph kept cool and collected through it all . it really helps when the person in charge doesn’t get fazed and frazzeled when things go wrong… because on a movie set , things always go wrong .
the story takes place in one winter’s night…much of it outside . so we shot in northern pennsylvania , at night , along an abandoned bridge and road , in the middle of winter . one night we shot until 3 : 30 am and it was around 9 degrees ( f , about - 12 degrees celsius ) . we were cold . we were shivering . there was snow on the ground . but we were stoked . it was that kind of set .
much of our film is set in an abandoned “salem’s lot” , 30 years after the original story . one night we were shooting along an abandoned road and we really had no facilities available . so the producer had a production assistant with a car available to run us up to a store with a restroom when we needed . that night we had several extras as vampires and while we were all warned to make the trip before we got in makeup and costume , one young lady tried to wait but had to go to the restroom after all her vampire makeup was on . well , someone noticed and called the pólice , thinking maybe she was hurt or had been assaulted .
pretty soon we had a couple of pólice cars on our set to check out what was going on . they actually were very nice and seemed more interested in watching us work . not many films are shot in that área , so they hung around for a while . but it was a little disconcerting when it’s after midnight and the pólice show up in the middle of a field . lol .
actually , i do stay in touch with joseph , with our makeup artists , with chris wagler , one of our producers , and eric slodysko , one of the lead actors . i see others from the production from time to time , too . and we have some upcoming social events and promotional events that will get many of us back together .
” where i am the lead . i also have several other projects starting in july and august , including “
” , a faith - based film from a california production company . i’m very fortunate to be working several projects and will be busy for most of the summer .
i love stephen king . i’ve read most everything he has written and as i told joseph when he gave me the role , i was honored to be performing mr . king’s own words . life just doesn’t get much better than that .
perhaps the most surprising thing is that i started acting later in life . most of my life i was a computer engineer and then a high school math teacher . after retiring from teaching i took up acting . my third career… and my most satisfying .
first i want to thank all fans of film , especially those who take the time to watch indie film . without you , our work would all be in vain . we do this for you . yes , we enjoy what we do , but most of all we love to see the fans of our films enjoy our efforts . you make it all worth while . i hope all the fans get to see our film .
only that i want to thank you and the dollar baby film festival for giving me this opportunity . i hope you get to see our film and i hope you enjoy it . and , of course , a big “thank you” to stephen king… for the stories… for the dollar baby project… and for giving us a life time of fun and fear… he’s truly an artist .
as far back as i remember i always wanted to try acting due to being a fan of film growing up , but i was a shy child growing up . when i went to university i became involved with the
society ( gust ) which give me opportunities to appear on screen , which helped me get comfortable in front of the camera .
’s meetings and i liked the idea . afterwards i talked to landon to ask if he needed any help with the project , which opened the door for my involvement .
are relatable and there is a sense of romance involved with a loved one watching over you from the afterlife . also , it’s a stephen king adaptation and the man writing is incredible , always worth seeing his adaptations .
someone in the crew suggested to landon about auditioning me the part of bill , i originally came on board to help behind the scenes , however i agreed to read for the part and landon then offered me the role .
it was a great experience , landon had a lot of great ideas and he made the cast and crew feel very welcomed during the production of the film .
, luss which was north of glasgow and the location was beautiful . when i had arrived , landon informed me that there was a slight change in the script and that i would have to sing . as much as i enjoy singing , i’m not very good at it and it took a few takes to get it right . that was a funny moment for me .
i’m still in contact with iona macritchie and i have exchanged a few messages with landon .
i am currently starring in a new project directed and written by david campbell , which is a mockumentary about one man who wants to realise his dream of becoming a wrestler , and the hapless camera crew who follow his every move . in preparation for the role , i began my professional wrestling training at the
which i am very fond of and i would argue has to be one of the best movies ever made .
i think due to being 6ft 2” people would assume i was good at sports like basketball , however i’m terrible at sports . also , i think i surprise people with my cooking as i have been told i can cook a good steak .
thank you for the interview , it has been great . i would like to say to anyone reading this who’s maybe a little worried about getting into films . first of all , try and get involved with anything film related , don’t worry about messing up because it’s a learning experience and although the process of coming up with ideas and making them happen can be difficult , it is so rewarding seeing it all come together .
i’m viktor hernandez , i’m an actor and filmmaker originally from el salvador and now residing in north carolina , usa . i have been acting professionally for over 17 years now . i have had the opportunity to be in a few big hollywood movies and just a few years back i started writing and directing .
i think it was when i was 12 years old when i realized that i enjoyed telling stories in a unique manner . i enjoyed watching movies and wanted to be in them . the dream didn’t come true until years later when i had the opportunity to become an actor and be part of a film . after acting for many years i also wanted to tell my stories and started directing my own short films just a few years back .
we started filming in september of 2017 and finished principal photography in march 2018 . we have had many difficulties making the film but we are hopeful that it will be finished by july 2018 . the main reason it took this long to film is due to the budget for the production . we actually had no budget to film it . everyone involved in the production donated their talent and time and expertise to make it happen , therefore we had to schedule the shoots in a way that everyone would be available without causing disruption to their other jobs or engagements . that being said , the cost to make it would be over $ 2000 plus some additional miscellaneous expenses and including some of the actors accommodations and refreshments .
i saw a posting in one of our filmmakers groups on facebook by the writer of the adaptation ( carmen smith ) that wanted collaborators to make the short film and i submitted my name to be consider to direct it . after the producer / writer saw some of my work , she sent me the script , and i really liked the way that the suspense is built throughout the whole story without giving too much away .
i really had no clue that something like this was available until the writer mentioned how the process worked . carmen smith had done all the paperwork and investigation before i came on board . this is a really good opportunity .
there were several funny moments on set , mainly having to do with the dialog and the way that it was delivered by the actors and also on occasions the way that i would try to recreate certain scenes for the actors . the special moments really happened every shoot day , with the collaboration of everyone involved in the production , but also having to get some shots using diy gear and doing some conventional make believe for several scenes .
that is one of the things that i wasn’t aware when i signed up to direct this short . i understand that the film can be shown at film festivals and special private screenings but i think it would be nice to have a platform to show all of the work based on the short stories from this great author .
since we haven’t finished the film , i haven’t gotten any good or bad reviews so far , but its coming together and i will be open to any constructive criticism like with any of my previous work .
we are planning on submitting the film to several festivals in the us and other countries .
no , since the producer carmen smith was the one who has handled all of the process regarding the dollar baby . we will send a copy to stephen king when the film is finished and we hope to get some kind of response from him .
“ . it may not be easy to set up and execute , but i would like a different challenge and the surprise factor of the story is always something that gets my attention .
right now we are still in post - production for the short film and i am doing the editing , but also i’m writing another script to hopefully shoot by the end of the year . it will be another thriller .
i imagine we are talking about stephen king fans , i would like to thank all the fans out there for having an interest to see how my version of the short story comes out . i hope that we can share it with you and all the fans that follow the dollar baby stories .
i want to thank you for reaching out and doing this interview to allow me to talk about my project and help to get the word out . thanks a million ! ! i invite everyone that would like to find out more about my previous work or new projects to visit my website
my name is steven mcdonald . i am an actor living in edinburgh , scotland . i do mostly screen acting but also some stage work . i have been a songwriter for 30 years and release albums with my band
. i am learning to direct and devise screen and stage plays just now and would also love to write novels in the future .
i was used to performing on stage as a musician but was persuaded about 7 years ago by a friend to have a go st musical theatre . i realised quickly that i enjoyed being on stage and after having finished acting in a production of bugsy malone , i started auditioning for lead roles and found myself being cast . i decided in 2016 to turn pro and started screen acting in 2017 . i was involved in about 25 screen projects last year .
i saw an advert by landon kestlinger and immediately contacted him . i am a huge stephen king fan and already knew the story from
. i wanted to play the part of alden as i thought it would suit me . and it was an honour to be involved .
a lot of people think stephen king is all about horror . but that is far from the truth . this is a touching story about relationships between people who care deeply about one another . there is a supernatural element of course which adds stephen king’s unique signature , however the sentimental journey of the characters for me makes it special .
i applied online and sent a cv with links to my previous work and some headshots and stills from other film projects .
he was great . a pleasure working with him . he is a talented and driven director and i loved the script for
. i felt it facilitated very well the transition from book to screen . the last lines get me every time emotionally .
some really special moments , mostly because i was working with great people . the cast and crew were lovely to work with . i knew carrie already so the fact we were playing family friends felt pretty natural . and it was the first time i had worked with freda but the scenes together were really enjoyable . i hope i can work with both actors and crew again .
. the version i will be doing is in english and is based on polish folklore . i am also going to be playing live gigs over the summer with my band
yes . huge fan . i usually download his audiobooks as he narrates a lot of them . my favourites are classics like
i am a qualified lawyer . i practiced full time for 20 years before i turned pro as an actor .
i really appreciate being asked and if you want to follow what i do or keep in touch i have a facebook page . see
my band are also on facebook . see urltoken or you can find us on apple music , spotify etc .
thank you again for asking me to do this . and a huge thanks to landon for asking me to play alden . i really appreciate it . and a shout out too to carrie , freda and the crew . hope to see you all soon .
i am actor local to atlanta . i have lived and travelled abroad but the film industry took a foothold here in atlanta , georgia a few years ago and so i returned to take my place in it . i am also a floral assistant , culinary and hiking enthusiast .
hahahahaha . i want to be an actor long before i gave in to the deep desire to do so , probably 15 years ago but i tried to suppress the need and ultimately decided to pursue it professionally . you see , i tried not to be an actor because i do value stability and this is not often an industry that provides monetary or geographical consistency but my heart won . if you were born to do something it is difficult to ignore . also , film acting is a bit different because the lens strips away all facade and sees into your soul - that can be a scary thing .
i saw a posting on actor’s access and submitted an audition , i was fortunate enough to be entrusted with such a rich character as ellen .
we all walk around as multiple versions of ourselves and i loved seeing a duplicitous main character who is an outwardly “put together” woman and has a take charge / even violent alter ego . the characters all have layers and that is always attractive as it allows and audience to explore the levels of themselves too .
stephen cast a large net and posted on actors access and luckily i was granted an audition and brought ellen to life .
he is a great communicator and very generous as a director . also , as the writer of the screenplay ( as adapted from stephen king ) he was not tied to his vision alone . stephen invited collaboration and watched out for our well being . he is an actors director so to speak .
the night we filmed not much went as planned and it was a very cold night but we huddled together and made jokes in between scenes to distract ourselves . it fostered a collegial environment in which to work and with very intense scenes like mine one needs to be able to build in a positive and safe space as well .
i don’t . atlanta is a smaller market but it is quite saturated and i can only hope to work with some of these folks in the future .
yes i am a fan . although , i must admit that it has been at least 10 years since i have read one of his novels .
i am an only , a middle , and and oldest child - i know that can be a bit confusing . i am quite positive that each of those rolls has helped to shape me uniquely .
the pleasure was mine . thank you for your support and time spent reading my thoughts . please support small film productions in your local areas and never ever convince yourself that you are too old to chase your dreams . i believe that you only live one and since you can fail at something you don’t like doing , you might as well spend your life chasing what you love . be brave and live boldly .
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