When most folks think "Documentary", what may come to mind is a film that sets out to correct some horrible social injustice or maybe to inform and warn us all of a fringe, obscure, hidden danger that threatens our terrestrial existence.
It's a difficult task to elevate the behind the scenes of THE GRIND to such a level yet the best stories and the best films inevitably boil down to the persons involved. It's about the people. No matter the setting or scenario, with any film, the human stories compel the viewer to invest themselves. During this project I was fortunate to be invested each day, in real time.
It was truly an honor to spend 2 weeks with C. Thomas Howell during principal photography and then sit across from him during our formal interview. I remember thinking to myself, "How is this guy not in the current, common, pop consciousness?" His artistic wisdom, industry insight and general set savvy were impressive to witness and I'm proud to say, since we completed THE GRIND, people have taken notice.
Each day was a lesson and as Director John Millea stated to me..."Someone was teaching class everyday." Sometimes the lesson was one of "what to do." Sometimes it was a course in "what not to do."
In the end my lesson was one of persistence. We could not have known what we began on Jan 1, 2008 would lead us to May 1, 2009. So here it is...fade to black...SUNSCREEN here we come.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Opportunity knocked...
I answered...
and found myself entrenched within a film production fueled by a failed, reworked erotic screenplay and driven by a cast of nubile ingenue. Leading the charge, 80's film icon C. Thomas Howell and our band of film renegades would battle the realms of extreme low budget movie making during the tumultuous WGA strike of 2008, all the while financed on a budget of that less than an unacceptable Hollywood craft service bill.
Truly, THE GRIND would not have been an achievable film without first spending the blood, sweat and tears of its cast and crew.
This documentary feature stands as a testament to everyone who gets up each morning with the hopes of SURVIVING THE GRIND.
and found myself entrenched within a film production fueled by a failed, reworked erotic screenplay and driven by a cast of nubile ingenue. Leading the charge, 80's film icon C. Thomas Howell and our band of film renegades would battle the realms of extreme low budget movie making during the tumultuous WGA strike of 2008, all the while financed on a budget of that less than an unacceptable Hollywood craft service bill.
Truly, THE GRIND would not have been an achievable film without first spending the blood, sweat and tears of its cast and crew.
This documentary feature stands as a testament to everyone who gets up each morning with the hopes of SURVIVING THE GRIND.
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