Posts
2011, 08-02:
Review of film: “MEET MONICA VELOUR” + PANEL DISCUSSION ON “AUDITION NIGHTMARES” + a Q&A with the Director KEITH BEARDEN & Star DUSTIN INGRAM
PANEL DISCUSSION with MATT MILLER & DUSTIN INGRAM
re “AUDITION NIGHTMARES” =
Around a year ago, I attended an event held by the MIDWEST INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL, which holds special screenings of movies the 1st Tuesday of each month (at the Landmark Century Centre Cinema, 2828 N Clark Street in Chicago, IL; www.midwestfilm.com)...
... Last year, they had a fascinating panel discussion on FILM DISTRIBUTION, as reported in my writeup on the happening (which can be found at:
... At this year’s happening in early August, we were welcomed by one of the co-founders on the Festival, MIKE McNAMARA...
... Mike (who is also programming director) spoke about the year-round Festival, & how, as indicated by their name, they specialize in indie films made in, or produced by, filmmakers re the MIDWEST region of the U.S....
... There was a pre-show cash-bar Cocktail Reception starting at 6 PM (on the top floor of the Centre), which was sponsored by Heineken, Candid Wines & the Hidden Shamrock bar on Halsted...
... The nite’s film was to be the Chicago Premiere of the made-in-Michigan film “MEET MONICA VELOUR”, by writer - director KEITH BEARDEN...
... The film was produced by people who’d done “THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT” & “GARDEN STATE”, & was a pick of the TRIBECA Film Festival in New York City, as well as festivals in Deauville, France [in Sept., 2010] & the Williamstown festival in MA [11-28-10]...
... At 6:30 PM this nite, they held a PANEL DISCUSSION hosted by a young woman, on the subject of “AUDITION NIGHTMARES”. It featured Chicago Casting Director MATT MILLER, + the lead actor of tonite’s film, DUSTIN INGRAM, who were introduced to the listeners..
... After dealing with a problem of “difficult” mics (+ noise from a falling can of soda brought in by an audience member), the panel began its discussions...
... MATT related a story of problems he’d had re planning who to employ for “NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET”. He told about how a dog they’d considered using for it ended up with a long bout of DIARRHEA, which led to a lot of upset people!...
... DUSTIN INGRAM is a 21-year-old actor, who’s been performing in theater since he was 6 [being interested in it because both of his parents are stage actors]. As shown by IMDB, he’s been doing movie & TV work since 2003, including Disney’s “SKY HIGH” in 2005 & a “GLEE” role in 2010...
... Dustin, (after thoughtfully turning around & apologizing for accidentally bumping into my seat with his stool), commented that, as to his experience with “Audition NIGHTMARES”, “There’s been quite a FEW!...”
... He related how he went to audition for a food commercial, & the person running the try-out kept telling him he should “move around” more when CHEWING his burger...
... Dustin was a bit “confused” by that instruction, & the director kept saying, he wanted him to sort of “SWAY” back & forth “happily” with his shoulders to show his “PLEASURE” with the taste!...
... Dustin demonstrated it for us, & went on to say, the director “liked” it, but wanted his chewing to show even MORE “moving around” in happiness!... Dustin obliged him, tho it felt pretty ridiculous...
... At one point, Dustin commented on how he’s unusually tall & THIN, & thus he tends to mainly be considered for “NERD”-type roles. That’s all right with him, tho he would like to also be considered for other things...
... Dustin spoke of how, at times, when you go to do an audition, you’re not told in advance just what SCENE you’ll be asked to do. Once, a female he was auditioning with, read some WRONG words, so he was at a loss over how to “RESPOND” to her!...
... Another time, as he was trying to give his lines, the people leading the audition kept walking “AROUND” him to do some test filming, & that was very DISTRACTING to what he was trying to get “across” to them...
... The thoughtful hostess lady (whose name I didn’t catch & who wasn’t listed on the “program” for the evening) asked MATT, what he had “learned” from working with “NOTABLE” directors?...
... He replied that, “Everybody really has their OWN style—” & ways of doing things...
... For example, one director once told him that, “I get overwhelmed if I see TOO MANY actors at one time.” That guy told him, rather than his seeing like “70” possible people for a certain role, he preferred that MIKE choose who he felt were the best 5, & he’d then audition them for the part in question...
... Another time, he had brought up an actor to be viewed, & the director didn’t really pay attention to the actor & what he was doing, as the director was in his “EDITOR” mode about some previous scene...
... The hostess then asked DUSTIN, how do you know when you’ve “nailed” an audition & GOTTEN the job?...
... He remarked that, one of the things he’s noticed is, when he at times feels he’s done really GOOD in an audition & expects he can “book” the role, he often doesn’t GET that “expected” role-- supposedly because he doesn’t seem as “right” for it physically as someone else, etc...
... But, sometimes when he thinks he’s done poorly, or people were LACKING in showing any “pleasure” from what they’d seen him do, he at times GETS those “UNexpected” parts!...
... There are occasions when you feel the audition leader may be “lying” or just acting “nice” when they say things like, “You were great!” in the audition. “But, a lot of times, you really DON’T KNOW—” what they truly think after a try-out...
... Once, he was told that he was “the best read of the day” during an audition. But, he DIDN’T GET the part, because they felt he wasn’t what they were “LOOKING” for physically or whatever...
... Sometimes, the auditoners may not even make clear just what they’re looking for BEFORE the try-out. Obviously, if they’re really looking for say a 9-year-old African-American guy, he’s NOT going to be considered!...
... He started actively seeking [non-theater] roles after he turned like 13... Overall, it’s a very crazy & at times DIFFICULT business!...
... MIKE was asked more about HIS job as a Casting agent. He gave an example, of a scene wherein “Your job as a Casting person is setting up a Thanksgiving dinner”. You must look at the “overall” plan & script re that scene, & try to recommend the BEST people who would seem to “FIT” in the scene...
... Mike feels, “There is a METHOD to the madness sometimes--”. You have to keep in mind what actors can “DO”, & utilize those that seem most likely to be successful in achieving what the DIRECTOR wants...
... Mike stated that, good preparation is key to hiring people who will give the Director what he’s seeking. You thus have to “know” the DIRECTOR thru research (including on his past work) & on the roles he wants filled by the actors, so you “know what you’re IN for” ahead of time...
... In certain ways, it’s like you have to “risk the preparation” since “REJECTION is PAINFUL!”...
... The hostess asked DUSTIN, what’s “NEXT” for him acting-wise?... He said yes, it’s true that he’d been working on an “ACTION” type role for once-- but, per PARAMOUNT, he’s “forbidden” to DISCUSS it in any detail. All he can say is, it’s due out Oct. 21, 2011!...
... The members of the audience were then allowed to ask questions or give comments to the panel...
... A young lady in the audidence asked Dustin, when he goes in for an audition, is he expected to do a “MONOLOGUE”? He said, that would be rare: it’s more likely he’d be asked to do DIALOGUE from a scene in the movie project...
... But, while you MIGHT be given the scene “ahead” of time, a lot of the time, you aren’t given it until you come IN for the audition. Also, due their wanting to be “secretive” at times, you periodically are shown only PART of the script pertaining to just “YOUR” scene, so you have no real “CONTEXT” to work with...
... Oftentimes, those doing the audition tell you very LITTLE ahead of time about the project...
... And, while you often are asked to read for the role you’re being considered for, they at times might have you read dialogue concerning some “OTHER” characters, just to get an idea “who” you are & what you can “do”...
... So, you in-effect SELDOM have any good “clue” as to just how you “did” -- & whether you’re going to be OFFERED any role you can “book” -- when the initial audition finishes!...
... A girl in the audience asked MATT, how does he choose just WHO he submits for consideration by a director?... He said, well, again, it’s a matter of preparation in advance-- learning “HOW” the director tends to “work” & what he seems to be seeking. He sort of puts himself into the director’s “shoes” concerning the role to be filled...
... Matt said, there are TIMES when he knows a role & certain specific actors just “POP” into his head as being potentially “RIGHT” for the role. He might then suggest that person be considered for an audition...
... Continuing, he said, “I’m not going to take a lot of RISK UNNECESSARILY—” by suggesting a “far-out” possibility for a role. He’d rather do careful “BACKGROUND” work to decide the best people likely to do well. And, again, “I often don’t have a lot of TIME—” to come up with recommendations...
... Where certain roles are “known” to be available for casting [such as concerning a BOOK being made into a film], various AGENTS will contact him about their clients advising him they’re interested in being considered for playing a specific character...
... And, then again, he himself -- + others he knows -- might have a clear idea of people who have the “LOOK” being sought for a role, or a certain type of ACTING ability where they’ve shown they “FIT” certain types of characters...
(... Matt at one point spoke of how he’s worked for lots of DIFFERENT directors, such as Michael Mann in “PUBLIC ENEMIES”, & each director has a certain “WAY” of working that he tries to in-effect “mesh” with in his casting efforts...)
... An audience member asked DUSTIN, what does he do for PUBLICITY to enhance his being considered for certain things?... He said, well, “Currently, I’m MEETING with publicists—” about specific things, but, he’s LIMITED in what he can do in that regard...
... He commented that, as to the “MEET MONICA VELOUR” film we’d be seeing that nite, he was 18 when it was shot 3 years ago. He’s been meeting with a lot of publicists & agents for years... Sadly, he’s found that you can’t especially TRUST a lot of them or what they say!...
... Sometimes, he’ll send a SCREENER of some of his past work, to try to encourage his being considered for an AUDITION... Sometimes, he might deliver info to them about himself, if the “personal” touch might do some good...
... He implied, they often just give “nebulous” statements about how they’ll “CALL” him, tho they seldom follow-thru... He kidded at one point that, “I’m a ‘BARGAIN’--!”...
... Someone in the audience asked MATT, does he have “influence” with the people in LOS ANGELES as to casting they “control” from THERE about projects to be filmed in the CHICAGO area with Chicago-area actors?...
... Matt said, to be honest, “I have very LITTLE control” over such a situation. If it’s a big role, the studios often make their OWN arrangements with the actors they want, & then they’ll come to him to cast the “SMALLER” roles locally...
... When MICHAEL MANN shot here for “PUBLIC ENEMIES”, he was very “OPEN” to suggestions re casting. But, being realistic, we know that “big names SELL movies” nowadays, particularly if it’s a “major” type film...
... For Mann’s film, they used a number of “great Chicago actors”, sometimes even when the characters had only “2 lines” or so of dialogue. But, when the studios can get a Christian Bale on board for a major role, they DO that [using a “bankable” name] rather than think of comparative “unknown” local actors...
... So, while “Chicago has a lovely REPUTATION for actors we breed here” (because of their well-known theater work & all), he “had to disappoint” a number of people who were HOPING for roles that simply weren’t “available” to be given to them... Thus, at times, he doesn’t “have a lot of CONTROL over” such things...
... An audience member asked DUSTIN, does he feel he has a “TYPE” as an actor? He said, “I ‘book’ the extremely ‘NERDY’ male roles...”, because of his build & looks & all....
... And, overall, that’s OK with him, in that, “I’m getting to play a lot of awesome CHARACTERS” in his work, such as in “MEET MONICA VELOUR”...
... Thus, even when he’s playing a “nerd” type role rather than a “leading man” [“stud” guy], he goes into the role feeling that “maybe I can ‘REINVENT’ the nerd” in the way he plays him...
... Dustin continued, saying, “I want to continue to play CHARACTERS rather than ‘TYPE’—”. He’s more concerned with doing GOOD work than having everyone know his “name” for what he does...
... MATT was asked, what does he “look” for when seeking a Chicago actor to cast in a role? He said, naturally, it depends on the story & the roles available in the production...
... Once he knows all the “parameters” of what a director wants, he looks for people who can show PREVIOUS work done, especially concerning THEATER. He feels that, if you haven’t done much theater in a town that’s KNOWN for its theater, it looks kind of “suspicious” re the talent the actor is claiming to have...
... The hostess THANKED Matt & Dustin for their panel work, & said Dustin would return for the Q&A AFTER the film screens...
... In the hallway, I introduced myself to DUSTIN, & commented on how I was pleased to hear what he’d said about wanting to play “CHARACTER” roles rather than “name-recognition” ones...
... I commented that, his words reminded me of an actress FRIEND of mine named IRMA P. HALL, who ALSO has expressed similar feelings!..
... Almost no one in the “general public” would recognize her name— but they recognize the ROLES she’s played, often coming up to her & excitedly greeting her as “BIG MAMA [JO]” from “SOUL FOOD”...
... She’s made more than 66 movies, but she doesn’t care if her own name is a “household” one, being more interested in the public’s APPRECIATING the CHARACTERS she’s portrayed, such as:
... The “Lady” in Tom Hanks’ film “THE LADYKILLERS”; the nurse who helps Robin Williams in “PATCH ADAMS”; Witch “Minerva” in Clint Eastwood’s “MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD & EVIL”, etc...
... Dustin seemed pleased to hear that other actors feel as he does. When he learned I intended to use notes I’d taken during the Panel Discussion to do a write-up on it for the web-site, he commented that, I’m clearly a “very fast writer!” based on how many notes he saw...
... He agreeably posed for a PHOTO with a young woman, taken by her boyfriend. The boyfriend commented, he knew what MOVIE Dustin will be seen in as of October 21st, & gave its “P.A. 3” name. Dustin said, he was unable to “confirm” anything about that (following his promise)!...
... Dustin commented to the guy that, he’s even taller than Dustin’s own 6’3” height! The man said, yes, he’s 6’7”. Dustin wondered, did it sort of “HURT” -- as it did for him -- when he’d had his main growth spurt? The BF said, yes, it HAD!...
... He remarked that, he was already like 6’4” at 16, & like 160 pounds. Now, he’s like 200 pounds. Dustin said, he himself is just 155 pounds or so, which is why he looks so thin!...
... He added that, for his new film role, he’d had to eat like 4000 calories of food EACH day-- because it’d been found that he had an unusually “fast metabolism”...
... Dustin made a funny comment when I requested that he please move to the nearby small “side” hallway which had a bit better light for a couple PHOTOS I wanted to take (with my low-level “dumb”-phone camera) for use on the web-site...
... He asked that I please use the one of him appearing “reflective” with his head in his hands & looking “sideways” at me; I said, don’t worry, I attended to use pretty much ALL the photos I was shooting!...
... Not long after that, people gathered in the theater for the showing of his “MEET MONICA VELOUR” movie...
(o_
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THE MOVIE “MEET MONICA VELOUR”...
This is a “QUIRKY” little drama – comedy...
... Tobe (DUSTIN INGRAM) is (appropriately enough) a “NERDY”-looking awkward kid who’s operating an old-time “WIENIE WIZ” HOT-DOG food truck. He agrees to “front” some food to a neighbor kid named Kenny (DANIEL YELSKY), & then drives both of them home...
... As he drives, he happily listens to old 1930’s songs, which he loves... At home (where he lives with his grandfather “Pop Pop”, played by BRIAN DENNEHY), he comments on how he’s tired of selling food for a living...
... As a [high school graduation type] present, Brian decides to GIVE him the truck, which Dustin says he intends to SELL to try to get some money to start building a little FUTURE for himself...
... Dustin has a sort of crush on a neighbor girl named Amanda (JEE YOUNG HAN), but she is sort of “undecided” about him, & her father does NOT like him & the way he “acts”...
... Neighbor Daniel visits Dustin in his room, & comments on all the old POSTERS & photos Dustin has on his wall. Dustin explains, they’re mainly of an oldtime “PORNO” movie star named “MONICA VELOUR”, who was the “biggest” thing in the industry around like 1979 into the ‘80’s...
... Dustin at one point relates how he’d gone to shops & collected all her old FILMS, & loves them!...
... Dustin shows Daniel some VIDEOS of young “sexpot” Monica [played by JAMIE TISDALE], including of her in a “STAR WARS” take-off...
... Later, following thru on his plans, Dustin places an AD for selling the old hot-dog truck... In time, he gets a call from a guy named Claude (KEITH DAVID), who’s familiar with the truck (asking, does it have the big metal HOT DOG atop of it?, which it does)...
... Keith said, he’s willing to pay Dustin’s asking price of $ 5,000, but he wants the truck DRIVEN to him, which Dustin said he has to “think over” since it’s a fairly LONG TRIP to where he is in Indiana...
... As fate would have it, Dustin learns on the internet that MONICA VELOUR -- who’d been unheard of for like 20 years – had agreed to perform live at a CLUB in Indiana. Since he loves her character, he’s dying to see her in person...
... Because the club is in Pinhook, which isn’t far from where Keith lives, Dustin agrees to DRIVE the truck to him, to sell it after he sees “MONICA” perform nearby...
... Dustin sets off on the trip, happily playing more 1930’s songs as he drives along in the old truck...
... In Pinhook, he finds the club where Monica is to appear, & realizes it’s actually a STRIP club...
... In Pinhook, he finds the club where Monica is to appear, & realizes it’s actually a STRIP club...
... It turns out Monica’s real name is Linda Romanoli (now played by KIM CATTRALL). Dustin gets quite drunk in the club, & he’s THRILLED to see Kim do her strip-tease-- despite the fact that she’s now 49 years old & a fairly “frumpy” person compared to how she “USED” to look...
... Dustin’s the ONLY one really eager to see her, & demands the other “rowdy” booze-drinking patrons stop making FUN of Kim & her act...
... The guys he’s “correcting” don’t like his attitude, & soon set to BEATING HIM UP...
... The guys he’s “correcting” don’t like his attitude, & soon set to BEATING HIM UP...
... Kim feels sorry for Dustin, & takes him home to her TRAILER to recover from his hangover & beating, & to help him with his WOUNDS...
... That makes shy Dustin grow even MORE “attached” to her, & he eventually shows her the SCRAP-book he’d put together about her career...
... That makes shy Dustin grow even MORE “attached” to her, & he eventually shows her the SCRAP-book he’d put together about her career...
... Dustin soon learns that Kim has a young daughter (around 10 years old), & one reason she’d agreed to do the strip-club job is to try to get MONEY to help her RAISE the kid, whose custody she shares with the father whom she’s “DIVORCED” from...
... The father (who the young girl mostly lives with) wants to get “BACK” with Kim-- but she wants NOTHING to do with him overall... Dustin at one point sees him trying to BREAK-IN to Kim’s trailer when Kim is away...
... The fight “caused” by Dustin at the club made them unwilling to hire Kim, & he feels bad when she’s unable to get any OTHER job...
... Kim gets so depressed at her inability to get a paying job, she returns to BOOZING it up, & Dustin eventually has to help bring her HOME by wheeling her in a shopping cart back to the trailer...
... As Dustin grows increasingly attached to Kim, he works to try to HELP her out in various ways, cooking for her, etc...
... At one point, Dustin takes the food truck to KEITH, & finds Keith also LOVES old “Americana” items, collecting many such objects & even utilizing them to make some ARTWORK at his “barn” home...
... But, following Brian’s previous urgings, Dustin insists Keith must have CASH rather than the offered check for the purchase of his truck...
... Keith’s agreeable to that, but says it’ll take a few DAYS to get it in cash form. That’s fine with Dustin, who returns to stay with KIM for a while...
... Kim talks of her “dream” of having enough money to move to OREGON with her daughter... Dustin at one point shows her an old 3-D porno flick she’d done years before...
... Eventually, Dustin goes to Keith & collects the cash MONEY for the truck he’s selling...
... At one point, to try to cheer Kim up, Dustin buys some FIREWORKS...
... He then uses them as part of taking Kim on a PICNIC out in the country...
... While on the picnic, “one thing leads to ANOTHER” (as they say in the “coming-of-age” films), & Dustin grows ever “CLOSER” to Kim...
... But, Kim is uncomfortable with Dustin’s increasing “attachment”, & decides she needs to make more efforts to get MONEY for her & her daughter...
... Looking at herself, she gets very DISCOURAGED at how she’d aged & all...
... Reluctantly, she agrees to do another cheapo PORNO movie to earn a bit of money...
... Dustin is UPSET when he learns of her intention, & he visits a X-rated video store & buys a pink G-string as part of a plan to try to STOP her from doing the movie...
... He then concocts a complicated plan where he personally intervenes to try to SHUT-DOWN the porno shoot...
... Kim does not react “KINDLY” to what he’d done, & Dustin goes to visit KEITH to TALK OVER his feelings about her & get some ADVICE from him...
... Will Kim go back to DOING Porno movies?... Will Dustin be able to STOP her plans?...
... Will Dustin find a way to HELP Kim with being able to care for her DAUGHTER?... What will eventually “happen” between Kim & Dustin?... What will we learn of his life AFTER he leaves Indiana?...
... Will there actually be the “promised” NUDE scene with BRIAN DENNEHY?... How will things “TURN-OUT” for everyone?!...
... This is, in a number of ways, a SWEET little quirky film. It was (as promised) an “irreverant comedy”, with fine “understated” work by Dustin, Kim & Keith, & appropriately “overstated” work by Brian...
... The flyer for the event claimed that “[KIM] CATTRALL gives a career-defining performance in this offbeat love story that appeals to the dreamer – and the nerd – in ALL of us”; & that’s actually an ACCURATE description...
... It’s the situations rather than any clever patter that form the “base” of the comedy, but they’re EFFECTIVE in moving the story forward...
... Thus, with the GOOD acting & enjoyable story, I’m rating this at 7.5 out of 10 stars...
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(o_
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The Q&A with director KEITH BEARDEN & star DUSTIN INGRAM
AFTER the film, the MIDWEST FILM FESTIVAL’s MIKE McNAMARA hosted a Q&A session for people remaining in the audience...
... A comment was made that the film in-effect deals with “male FANTASY vs. female REALITY”... At one point, it was stated that the film will be released on DVD (seemingly by the ANCHOR BAY dvision of STARZ) on August 16th...
... Using some high-tech “prestidigitation”, they were able to use SKYPE to bring in & project a live transmission of the DIRECTOR KEITH BEARDEN from New York onto the large MOVIE SCREEN...
... He “fearlessly” announced he was going to do something you normally can’t do in theaters anymore, namely, light up a CIGARETTE!... It was a very “funny-looking” item he lit up, but he seemed quite “happy” with it...
... Dustin (standing near the screen beside Mike) was so impressed at looking at the HUGE image of director Keith, he at one point took his personal camera & went back towards the audience to shoot a PHOTO of Keith on the screen (which I’d done earlier on my camera phone, as shown below)...
... With Dustin & Mike looking “up” at him from beside the screen, Keith spoke of his recollections of having HIRED Dustin for his film we’d just seen:
... Keith recalled that, when he 1st met Dustin, he DIDN’T LIKE the audition Keith had done... But then, after looking at try-outs of various others, one of his producers urged him to take a “2nd look” at the work Dustin had done...
... Dustin was called in, Keith LIKED his work, & he was thus HIRED for the film... It turned out that, “He’s a really hard-working actor, & a SWEET kid!...”
... Dustin seemed surprised at hearing that (saying, “Uh, THANK you, Keith!”), & he apparently quite appreciated Keith’s words (tho it seemed to make him a bit “self-conscious”)...
... They talked about how the film was made 3 years ago, with very little money. A comment was made that, “He couldn’t AFFORD a FAKE mustache!”...
... Dustin spoke of how he was initially in “awe” at working with people like Brian Dennehy & Kim Cattrall & Keith David, & he was THRILLED at the way “they pretty much all ACCEPTED” him & worked to ENCOURAGE him in his work...
... Keith expressed his feeling that, “Kim was really COURAGEOUS” in the way she did her role, purposely looking “dowdy” & down-in-the-dumps rather than “glamorous” or the like...
... He feels she brought a fine perspective to her role, &, in his opinion, “She’s the BEST she’s ever been in a movie!”; the audience showed with applause that they agreed with him...
... Keith commented that, he feels Kim felt “SAFE” with him, & she soon learned to trust DUSTIN also...
... Mike asked Keith how he got respected actor Brian Dennehy to do his “NAKED” scene. He said, originally, he wanted ED ASNER for the role of Pop Pop”-- but a producer urged him to try for BRIAN, who happily accepted the role...
... In general, Keith feels Brian is a pretty fearless actor, & he quickly announced that, “I’ll do WHATEVER you f***** want!...” But, the final “formal” signed approval from Brian was gotten when he was in a fairly “SLEEPY” state of mind!...
... After it was done, Brian didn’t seemed to “mind” the scene, saying, it may be the “last” time he’s able to get “big LAUGHS with an old man’s ass!...”
... Keith said, he felt Dustin did “a GREAT job” with his portrayal... Dustin was happy to hear that. To a question, he said, he found Keith David a bit “intimidating at first”, but then he relaxed & they happily “sat for hours discussing the PROCESS of acting” & the like...
... An audience member asked how LONG the shoot had taken, & director Keith said, it was 26 days for the shoot itself...
... He added the information that, while they’d shot the film with virtually no rehearsal time for the main cast, he spent like 3 months working with KIM alone BEFORE the film was started, going over what seemed like the BEST ways of doing things...
... They’d filmed in the area of Livonia, Michigan... Dustin said, since it was done so long ago (3 years, when he was just 18), he’s not able to remember a lot of “little” details about that shoot, as opposed to the MAIN things like how SUPPORTIVE the cast was towards him (which he much appreciated)...
... Keith said, he really was grateful to MIKE for showing the film & to the audience for specially coming to SEE it & listen to the Q&A...
... Mike said, they were about to adjourn to a post-show RECEPTION (at the Forno Diablo restaurant at 433 W Diversey a few blocks away), & he wanted the public to keep in mind that Dustin is “SINGLE” &, being 21 now, he also can DRINK there!...
... A reminder was given about how the film will be out on DVD on August 16th, & Dustin said he hoped we’d go to “IMDB” or the like & give it very good REVIEWS!...
... As we were about to leave the theater, I commented to DUSTIN that I felt he’d done a very GOOD job in his role, & it was a fine INTRODUCTION to him & the work he could do... And, I also agreed with Keith that it was probably KIM’S finest role...
... Dustin THANKED me, & soon joined other people at the restaurant for a relaxed & enjoyable time (with good food)... The Midwest Festival’s next get-together will be Tuesday, September 6th (with a film still to be announced)...
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POSTSCRIPT added 08-25-11:
It has been announced that SEPTEMBER'S film will be a comedy called "INCREDIBLY SMALL", to be shown on the 6th...
... This indie movie was shot over 14 days in Minneapolis. Following the film, there will be a Q&A with the writer - director DEAN PETERSON + its lead actress SUSAN BURKE. Further information can be found at http://www.midwestfilm.com/ ...
POSTSCRIPT added 08-25-11:
It has been announced that SEPTEMBER'S film will be a comedy called "INCREDIBLY SMALL", to be shown on the 6th...
... This indie movie was shot over 14 days in Minneapolis. Following the film, there will be a Q&A with the writer - director DEAN PETERSON + its lead actress SUSAN BURKE. Further information can be found at http://www.midwestfilm.com/ ...
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