News Archive 2010:
December 30, 2010: We did it!!! We met our funding goal (and then some) on Kickstarter. That means we've got money for film festival entry fees and some of our post-production costs. Not only that, but "Mother's House" now has a lot of new friends... the crew just keeps on growing! Thanks, everybody!
December 20, 2010: Two big steps forward for "Mother's House"! The Kickstarter campaign passed the halfway mark (thanks, supporters!) and we locked picture. That means the little-movie-that-could is in the home stretch. Just for fun, check out the latest YouTube upload from Chris for some behind-the-camera silliness in "A Slice of Fried Gold"!
We're live on Kickstarter!
November 14, 2010: We've launched a trailer!
(Mother's House on YouTube)
(photo by Christopher Washington)
October 31, 2010: Andrew participates in the time-honored film set tradition of "clipping" other crew members (preferably one's boss) with clothespins... see him in action on Chris's latest behind-the-scenes YouTube video. Oh, and Andrew? If Roger catches you, you are so fired!
(photo by Christopher Washington)
October 11, 2010: We finally started uploading Christopher Washington's "making of" video! Click on the image above to visit our YouTube channel, or check out Chris' own blog.
(photo by Colleen Lynch)
August 29, 2010: Rule #1 of a film set: there's never enough elbow room. No matter how large a space you're shooting in, you will inevitably be tripping over each other... here Roger and the camera squeeze in next to the Hoosier cabinet, while Cherity looks for a place to plant her feet while booming the shot. At least Kathryn and Tim got to sit down!
No wonder the crew stretched their legs whenever they got a chance. Check out Dan, Charles, Andrew and Ian showing us how it's done:
(photo by Alexandra Grange)
(photo by Colleen Lynch)
August 24, 2010: Don't be fooled by Kathryn Erbe's peaceful, contemplative expression. She was a ball of energy during the shoot, keeping us all on our toes and focused. (Note to producers: if you want to shoot a mini-movie in only nine days, make sure you have actors like Kathryn and Tim heading up your cast.)
(photo by Kelly Marsh)
August 18, 2010: This would be an unusual sight on most film sets, but on "Mother's House" the cast and crew quickly got used to seeing Tim Guinee walking the tight wire while waiting for camera set-ups. Tim's pure poetry in motion; the rest of the crew demonstrated skill levels from "pretty good" to "hilarious" when he generously offered to let us try.
(photo by Kelly Marsh)
August 11, 2010: It's not all glamour on a film set. Just ask our very dusty star, Kathryn Erbe (yes, there she is, standing waaaay back in the old attic set). Fortunately, this was her last scene of the day, and she got to brush off the cobwebs and relax for the rest of the evening when Davis called "Cut! Everybody happy? Great... that's a wrap!"
(photos by Colleen Lynch)
August 10, 2010: Wrapped already? Yes, we are. And we've got lots of photos and stories from the set still to post!
Here actor Eddie Schweighardt shows director Davis Hall how a real pro handles a tire swing stunt. Eddie seems totally unimpressed with Davis' style... but both of them had a great time fooling around while the camera department set up the shot.
August 6, 2010: Author Susan Krawitz gave our project a great
write-up in the Blue Stone Press. Click on the image above to read the article!
(photo by Colleen Lynch)
August 3, 2010: If we can sum up day four of shooting in three words, it would be this: apple.....cider....donuts. That's right ladies and gentlemen, apple cider donuts were the talk of the day as we shot our car scenes in the towns of Stone Ridge and Rosendale. When we made a pit stop at Davenport Farms, we fell victim to the delicious taste of their donuts. Crew members were nearly fighting each other just to get a piece. But we eventually managed to concentrate on finishing the shoot for today.
We're nearly halfway done, but there are questions yet to be answered. Will Tim continue to intrigue us with more surprising facts about himself? Will Kathryn's run in with a skateboarder affect her psyche for the rest of the project? And will young Eddie steal the show as he continues to wow us with his energetic personality? All these mysteries will be solved as we continue shooting Mother's House.
(story by Christopher Washington)
(photo by Colleen Lynch)
August 2, 2010: What's going on here? Normally, you wouldn't find actor Tim Guinee playing with toy soldiers... he'd more likely be tending his bees, walking the high wire, or volunteering for the local Fire Department, all activities he enjoys. So how do we explain this strange behavior? Oh, wait, I almost forgot. We're in Mother's House, where strange behavior is, well... perhaps not so strange after all.
(photo by Colleen Lynch)
July 31, 2010: "This is life....this is fun!!!" These are the words of young Eddie Schweighardt as we began filming earlier today for "Mother's House." While today was very busy, there was no question that Eddie was the star of the day. He won everyone over with his acting as well as his humorous personality when the cameras stopped rolling. He was making people laugh with his jokes and his constant smiling, making the day go by smoothly. Even the director was impressed with the child star. "I'm really....really, really pleased with him. I think he's going to be great," said Davis Hall.
And while day one was exciting, we still have eight days left of shooting. And tomorrow, we're going to have Tim Guinee and Kathryn Erbie on the set. Despite being experienced performers, they have a big challenge in upstaging our young star of the day.
(story by Christopher Washington)
July 12, 2010: Magic Hour. That's the term cinematographers use to describe the first and last hours of daylight - when the sun slants low across a golden sky, the red paintbrush of dawn or dusk touching every surface. Peak Road rolls like a wave: it crests in sunny fields and drops into shadow in the little valley near Mother's House. The light plays tag in the trees... is someone there?
Or is it just magic hour?
July 7, 2010: Here is our Director of Photography... on this way to Siberia! Don't worry; he promised to be back in time to shoot Mother's House, but right now he's filming a documentary. We're interested to learn if the mosquitos in Yakutsk are as ferocious as the ones in upstate NY.
June 23, 2010: We have a winner! The old Palen farmhouse, built in the 1860s, stands lonely watch at the top of the road. A hundred years ago, the woods were fields. Now, the old stone fences are barely visible amongst mature trees, the horses and cattle are long gone, and huge lilacs tumble across the front yard. Soon, a film crew will wake up her sleepy rafters and floorboards... will we also wake up a ghost?
June 20, 2010: Countdown! Six weeks until the cameras roll. We've got a spectacular cast, headed by Kathryn Erbe (Law & Order CI, OZ) and Tim Guinee (Sweetland, Iron Man II, 24). The House itself is still a puzzle... there are so many choices. Do we go for the remote farmhouse? The cottage behind the lilacs? The eerie Victorian in town? Note to fellow filmmakers: if you want a deluxe menu of location choices... come make your movie in Ulster County, NY.
And in unrelated news, today there's an article about Ingrid in her hometown newspaper in Frederick, Maryland!
Davis will be appearing with Improv Nation at the Rosendale Theatre next Saturday night. The show starts at 8 PM, but get there early for the best seats!