Phil and I stopped by Brendon’s set in Goshen, NY on November 23rd and were pleased to see things running relatively smoothly. Brendon kept his crew small, which saved budget and allowed him to roll with the punches on set. He seemed to have formed a great bond with his small cast (with whom he spent two long, cold days).

Brendon McQueen and So Yong Kim

Brendon McQueen with DP Lindsay Mann

So Yong Kim stood by and made some helpful suggestions on lighting setups, the coverage of scenes, and more. She commented that she was pleased to see Brendon and Lindsay (his DP) working so well together and staying calm under pressure.

What a thoughtful and unexpected experience this has been so far!!! Cinereach has been incredible in all regards; from providing knowledgeable advisers and experts to offering us free film stock from Kodak! Last week was paramount for all of the fellows who I’m sure feel just as pampered and lucky as I do. 

Brendon McQueen at Cinereach HQ

Steve Garfinkle from Kodak shared his expertise on film stock, followed by a meeting with producers Jeremy Kipp Walker and Susan Leber who shared the importance of working with what you’ve got, mastering the economy of story telling and thorough pre-production; followed by an eye opening sit down with Director Edet Belzberg who stressed the significance of emotional trajectory; followed by a devastatingly funny and educational dinner with DP Ellen Kuras whose veteran status among today’s film makers is legendary. Followed by, Followed by, Followed by – it has been dizzying with all of the crucial information swirling about.

I liken it to a couple years of film school bundled into a couple days! Afia Nathanial’s script workshop was as insightful as it was fun! Getting a fresh perspective on our scripts has meant all of the difference as we begin plowing through pre-production. I meet with Paola Mendoza this week and can’t wait to hear about directing actors – especially children as this process is a concern of mine – having never done it before on such a well funded or well supported project. I can’t wait to meet my adviser So Yong Kim – I have a thousand questions for her. 

It should also be mentioned that the fellowship has not only provided top tier industry advisers, but has also been hard at work providing press, software, and endless moral support. I’d like to take a moment and sincerely thank all of the Cinereach staff, for without their hard work and dedication, none of this would have been possible. 

I anticipate the next couple of weeks being a labor of love as my team and I figure out pre-production. I recently locked locations up in Westchester (see the pictures here).
and look forward to casting over the next 10 days or so.

I’d like to welcome DP Lindsay Mann, AD Ben Goldman and Producer Victoria Katz on board!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!