Kickstarter

It's a wrap!

Well guys, after months of work, dating back to the inception of the Batesian concept, long before even an outline of the script had been written, the first episode of the Batesian project has wrapped! We shot our last shot, cleaned up our set, finished up our behind-the-scenes footage, and many of us flew home to our respective countries.

But just because our Red Scarlet camera is back in its case, that doesn't mean "The Passersby" is all finished! Now editing begins, music composition kicks into high gear, and we make serious considerations regarding distribution and the festival circuit. And hey: we have wonderful donors to reward! Now we have the focus to get our gifts out to all of you! (And of course, you will all be named in our credits, unless you chose otherwise, but this comes a bit later).

Our budget served us well, and it is all thanks to you guys! We were able to secure our location, rent our equipment, insure said equipment and location and feed ourselves on set! But it came to a relieving conclusion.

We are so excited to be in postproduction...We can't wait to share our completed project with all of you!!

Best,
-"The Passersby" Cast and Crew

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And here is a little insight into one of our 12h shooting days (day no. 3 our of 4):

Day 3

Day three of shooting, behind the camera, everyone is having a lovely time! Despite this being the third twelve-hour workday in a row, everyone has remarkably high spirits and dedication. We are all passionate about our work, and it shows! A good rapport is key, a good chemistry under the flagship of a commanding but welcoming director, someone who forbids slacking but invites a creative workflow. Everyone on-set can attest to Joe Berger’s responsible direction, Inka Malovic’s sensitive performance, Conny Presich’s excellent script work, Matthieu Elie’s sharp eye…I could list every member of the team! Meanwhile the producers and their assistants are conveniently close to the craft table, keeping a watchdog’s secure guard over our humble budget. And while everyone has a specific role on the set, no one is above getting coffee for their companions or below having an opinion on the madness in front of the camera (the best kind of madness, of course). A team is what we are, and a large group of people can only make great art as a tight, well-led team.

So the work is hard, but we know the rewards will be reaped. We are also playing hard with the behind-the-scenes footage, giving anyone who would watch a glimpse into the kind of fun we are having on set between takes and during meals.

Tonight will be a late night of shooting, so a few more rough hours are ahead. But dedication (and Red Bull) keep us going! Now, back to the fray….

“Und…BITTE!”

Hey everybody! It's the 17th, so production has officially begun! The whole crew is on set, the camera is rolling (as of 10:00 AM Montreal time), sound is rolling, and the actors are performing at their best! It's thrilling that all of our preproduction has come together, and now eveything is camera-ready.

Without giving away too much abut the story, the office looks incredible! Conny, our 1st Assistant Director, has created wonderful art that looks fantastic through the lens. We have already wrapped on Alessandro, one of our supporting actors. And Inka and Frayne are hard at work.

Thank you, donors! Stay tuned for more!

--The Production Team

Ironically, the least friendly people I have met in wonderful Montreal so far have been inside a church. I was scouring the messy tables of a charity flea market at St. Something's Chapel this rainy afternoon, looking for cheap, old office equipment that would be appropriate for our set, hoping to do so in time to make it back around the block to the Metro station before the rain got angry on me. Nearly all of the production crew spent today finding the right furniture, lighting, paint, and décor to suit our tiny room at the bottom of St. Something-Else (not to cheapen it, it's a gorgeous church), now the location of our one-room, one-woman prison of a set. An essential set piece remains to be installed, requiring a bit of minor construction work, but it's nothing too intense for our crew! If we can weather the weather, we can build a building.

Tomorrow is the first on-set dress rehearsal. Having seen Inka in costume for the leading role of Berta, it's incredibly exciting! An inanimate being who has dwelled only inside my head for so long is now a living, breathing woman...with all of her lines memorized.

We are all so happy to see the necessities come together, and it has been a scramble, but very much worth it. Of course, it's no time to celebrate: the most intense work is about to begin! 

As a screenwriter, I was shocked to not only be invited into the production team, but be embraced by it. I may even take on an offscreen role, given the lack of native English speakers here (and my excessive natural talent, obviously). I've heard shame stories of someone pointing out the film's author and asking "Who is this? Oh, the screenwriter? Why is he here?" But this is truly a filmmaking experience that is not only hard-working and (eventually) effective, but fun. Director Joe Berger eradicates any source of negative energy or bad vibes in the team and does it with a smile. Not like a sociopath, but like a dedicated professional who is also friendly and human.

Oh, and I have to take a moment to thank the staff of Kino00 (find them on Facebook), whose assistance, equipment, wonderful meals and central heating make this experience much easier on all of us and allow us to focus on the hard work. Speaking of which....

Thanks for reading, thank you kindly for donating, and we will back with another update soon!

--André Rios (Screenwriter, Producer, Set Decoration Assistant, Language Coach, Voice Actor, obsessed with my titles)

The night we received the delightful news that our funding goals had in fact been achieved, we pitched our film before the organizers and attendees of Kino00 in Montreal! Check out a (blurry) pic below of a few of us sharing our vision and last-minute needs. Things we can now pay for! 

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Shooting has been pushed back to the 17th of October, 2012 to make room for an excellent, reputable Director of Photography. This gives us tons more time to make sure everything else is perfectly organized; top of the list: we need food! Who knew? 

And now, here is a look at two all-new members of the team! 

1.) Frayne McCarthy, actor, supporting male role

Frayne is a bilingual performer whose stage roles have taken him throughout Europe and across Canada. Frayne is also a writer and director of children’s theatre for the Turtle Island Theatre Company; he’s collaborated with Daniel Boulerice on the musical “AutoPortrait” for the National Arts Centre of Canada; and most recently, working with composer and musical director Blair Thomson, he wrote and directed “The Virgin Courtesan” for Music Theatre Montreal. Coincidentally, Frayne also studied Studio Fine Arts at Heritage College and the University of Ottawa, where he trained as a painter and sculptor. His “skills” are available for the asking.

2.) Alessandro Merlo, actor, supporting male role

Alessandro is a university student studying Business. He has always had a love for acting and film. He started acting a few years ago in an ambitious independent film, for which he took the leading role. He has since been taking steps in perfecting his craft and augmenting his experience, now continuing with this wonderful project! 

We welcome both of them! See their photos below (Frayne, Alessandro).

Cheers! Another update is soon to come! Thank you for your involvement!

Dear Supporters,

Thank you so very much for your pledges. With your support, we have reached our $2,000 goal, and can now work to create the finest film we can! We promise to return your generosity with gratitude, frugality and an excellent completed project.

We cannot express our gratitude enough, but our pledge rewards are a start! We will notify each and every one of you soon regarding your special gift.

We will also continue to keep you posted on every milestone of the production! Our director projects that we will approve the final cut in the middle of November 2012! Stay tuned, you wonderful, wonderful folks! 

Again, thank you!

--The Passersby Cast and Crew

PS We may have reached our goal, but hey: contributions are still welcome! Think of what $2,500 could do!