Gregory G. Allen's Blog, page 18

Through the Rabbit Hole of Indie Filmmaking

I've fallen through it and I'm not sure I want to climb back out.

It all started three years ago when I was interviewed about my first published book PROUD PANTS and asked if I'd ever make it into a movie. I recently went back and saw that I had answered that perhaps it would work as a short film.

As an exercise, I wrote a small screenplay based on that book - but was juggling too many projects to give it much thought. Than I wrote a feature screenplay based on the book Missing by Drake Braxton when director Lois Munoz Merka wanted to turn that book into a film. I continued talking to friends about indie filmmaking. I watched and I studied. I attended a crash course on filmmaking and returned to the small screenplay I had written, threw out most of the characters and created an intimate six page script. I said to the universe I was working on a screenplay and pre-production was born.

I am now three weeks away from the actual shoot for MOTHER and every day my respect and my excitement for the industry grows. True to my pay-it-forward attitude that I love to do on social media, I thought I'd share some of what I've already learned.

1) Don't dream it: live it. If you want to do something, make it happen. However you can go about doing it. For me I need to tell more and more people so I'm held accountable to following that dream.
2) Surround yourself with smart people. I'm directing my first film. Sure, I've been a stage director for years, but I've assembled a team of people that know what they are doing in this medium. An amazing cinematographer, an assistant director that has done much more than I have, even a PA that spent this summer in the NYU Film School. We can always learn from those around us.
3) Surround yourself with people you trust. My years of working in the theater means I have a background of collaborating with very talented people that I know and trust. By bringing them on in crew roles means I do not need to have an aneurism over every single element of filmmaking. Let the costumer do what they do best. Trust your set designer to dress the location in a vision you both share. It will ease your stress factor tremendously!
4) Don't underestimate pre-production. There is only a finite amount of hours in a day for your shoot. Do everything in your power in pre-planning to make sure things run smoothly. I'm aware something may not go as planned - but meeting with crew members, rehearsing with cast, answering questions of everyone as they arise will hopefully allow me to concentrate on telling the story while on set and everyone else will be handling their own areas.
5) Make sure and enjoy the process. Being on the set for our short film (or any film) is the smallest part of the overall picture. If that's the only part you enjoy, you're in for a rough time. For me the process (in any project) is where I learn about myself while collaborating creatively with others. I love it!

Being an author or a screenwriter can be lonely. Working on stage or film is such a collaboration that while nervous of how things may go - I wouldn't trade it for anything. Yes, I've fallen headfirst down the hole and I am grateful to all of those tumbling down it with me. We're going to make a powerful film about family while creating our own family at the same time.

BTW - my blogs may not be as plentiful the next few weeks, but I will definitely update people after we get through the next phase.

Off-Broadway Play is Much More Than Its Title

Wow. Sex With Strangers. No, I don't mean the actual act. I mean the new play by Laura Eason (first seen at the Steppenwolf Theater in Chicago) directed by David Schwimmer running at 2econd Stage Theatre. What a smart, thought-provoking, funny and clever duet of a play. Olivia is an author who has retreated to a vacant inn during a snow storm only to find that Ethan has also made a reservation for the same weekend. The strangers have much in common and we quickly learn that Ethan has read her work and already feels he knows her. Yet Olivia knows nothing of Ethan who is a 20-something blogger and rising star in the literary world because of his book: Sex With Strangers. The setting is perfect for these two strangers to get to know each other - and they do…or they think they do.

Schwimmer keeps the play moving and playwright Eason keeps the audience guessing and questioning what is going to happen next. But the real chemistry is found between Emmy Award winner Anna Gunn and Tony nominated Billy Magnussen. These two light up the stage in a way not always found in a two person play. And I'm not only talking about their sexual moments…I mean the pauses between lines, the delivery of Eason's witty banter - I found myself falling for both of them. Ms. Gunn captures so much in her performance as a woman on the edge of turning 40 who feels
she has already lived it all. You sense her resign and yet she is pulled into the exuberance of the young energy of this other writer willing to show her a new world. I loved Mr. Magnussen when I saw him in Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, but he shines even brighter in this role. There is an ease about him and the way he turns a phrase on stage that you continue to turn and say "he's adorable." A realness to his delivery that is also multi-layered as you question his sincerity and motives. That's a sign of a great actor when he can constantly keep you wondering.

A writer myself, I was pulled in to so much of the themes in this play from fear of people reading your work to staying up with the ever change world of publishing and books and the question of 'who are we' in the vast world of the internet and social media. The show's website talks about ambition and reinventing one's self, but there are so many more layers to uncover with this piece. Sometimes, it's just easier to talk to a stranger - to open ourselves up to someone new in a way we could never do with our friends. And when you realize there may be something gained from this newfound relationship…well how are you to handle that? 

This play will keep you thinking about it long after the curtain comes down. But you need to get there soon as it's closing by end of August. I did notice some well known Broadway producers in the audience the night I attended. Let's hope they are thinking of moving this show. It definitely deserves to be seen by more.    

Well That's a First

There is a reason people always remember their first. Think about it for a moment - we all talk about first steps, first words, the first time we did "X". The first time is an exciting time because it's all new to us. New is an adventure plus we're not sure what to expect. First can also be full of uncertainty with a slight fear of the unknown. But it's how we approach those firsts and react to them often determines if we want to return to that particular thing again.

It's been four years this month since I wrote my first blog and I never knew if I'd continue doing it. That first blog was about getting published in an anthology and the excitement I felt from experiencing it. Now over 48 months and 81,000 hits later on this blog, I continue to share my opinions and feelings over many different topics. But oddly enough - many of those blogs have been about Firsts. Seeing my book on Amazon for the first time. That first review I read of my work. Walking into a bookstore and that overwhelming feeling of seeing my book on the shelf. Or the first time I visited a certain city or place.
Sometimes we experience something that we don't want to try again (ok, I won't give examples of those - but we all have them). I still honestly believe I learn during those experiences too. 
As I've walked into new territory the past year with filmmaking, I'm experiencing many firsts again. Trepidation. Excitement. A few let downs. It's all part of the package. Yet again, I find myself taking notice of each of those first moments and filing them away in my memory bank. I don't ever want to forget that feeling one gets when they see their film listed on IMDB,  an actor reads their screenplay and gives amazing feedback, or you get the exact right collaboration of people together to work on a project.
Think about some of your firsts. Take time to remember how it felt and allow yourself to enjoy it again. We all deserve that jolt of excitement now and again.

Young Filmmakers Get Their Moment

Can you remember when you were in high school and someone told you that they believed in you? You could accomplish whatever you put your mind to? Today I got to witness that first hand when a group of very talented high school students screened their final film projects at The Angelika Film Center in NYC. 

A very special young lady in my life was accepted to this prestigious summer program offered by the Tisch School of the Arts at NYU. I have watched her creating films for years, but the past 4 weeks she has been immersed in living the life of a non-stop filmmaker. Traveling the city to different locations. Acting as director, DP, editors - these students do it all. Today they each had a short film they had written and directed, but also worked as teams on music videos and would help out on classmates projects serving in numerous roles.

Greg & Filmmaker NatalieAs I watched the talent that filled that room - students that had traveled from all across the country to be there - it hit me how lucky they each are to have people that believe in them. These are teens that live/sleep/breathe creative arts! Not a field that all parents can get behind and yet each of them are chasing their dreams and got a chance to live it. (And to have their film screened at the Angelika, I hope each of them knows just how amazing that is.) Not only do they have the support of their families, but the faculty that spoke today left such wonderful words of wisdom for these budding filmmakers.

Natalie is heading into her senior year of high school and I can only believe this has changed who she will be this final year of her school career. I'm sure her mind (as well as the other students there today) will all be thinking about what happens after high school, what film school they'll get into, and dreaming of that moment they win their oscar.

I know I can't wait until that day I see her accepting her first award as I'm sure there will be many in her future.

Congrats to all of the young filmmakers today! It was awesome to experience this with you.

Summer Vacation Thoughts

It's no secret…I love to travel. I've been doing it for years. To see new sites, enjoy different cultures and yes - to rest. But I've also always loved the community you get when visiting a B&B or a small Inn. So different from a large hotel chain, you actually get to know strangers during breakfast. Talk about likes/dislikes. Where people are visiting from. It's all part of the experience. 

I've been visiting Provincetown off and on for several years and here are some things I've learned on my current trip to Cape Cod.

1) Just because a place felt small and intimate on a previous visit doesn't mean the staff, the guests, and the experience will be the same. Do your homework to find the place that best suits your needs. That place that had the community of a B&B may now be so large that guests are just one of many. (And socializing among the guests takes a back seat.)

2) I am not 22. Vacation late night drinking means a zombie day the following day. I should no longer think I can do that to my body and it won't revolt against me as revenge.  

3) One can only walk up and down Commercial Street in P-Town so many times during a week. It can get old. So plan day trips to go somewhere else on the Cape for a change of scenery.

4)  Wow. The Cape is one place I can really relax and let go of regular life. I have caught up on so much sleep this week. Amazing. Next week I hit the ground running, but for now - it has been heaven to be able to wake in the morning and allow myself the luxury of falling back to sleep.


5) Everyone will claim to have the best lobster roll, clam chowder, (fill in food here). Just go with it and know they all mean well.

6) Provincetown caters to different groups of people with different theme weeks. Be careful choosing or you may end up there during "Men Who ReFuse to Shave Their Backs" week. For us, it was "Family Week"…and as much as I love kids, it was a very different trip up and down the street than what we're used to in the past.

7) Piano bars are great places to meet new people when you are in your 40s and older. I can't stand at a dance club, listening to thumping music and think I'll be able to hear what someone is saying. But joining in on a 70s song or a show tune with a stranger opens one up to fun communication.

8) When all is said and done, I could still see myself retiring here at least during the summer months. Maybe one day.

Celebrating Creativity

I am embarrassed to say that I didn't know who filmmaker Robert Bresson was, but after seeing this quote of his yesterday I did my due diligence. I can't help but wonder if with all the films he made, being called one of France's leading filmmakers - if he ever had a clue a simple sentence he would say could touch generations to come.

It is wonderful to find inspiration in unlikely places. I know many that can't stand social media, but I'll see a tweet or a status update and feel as if I've been hit on the head. Lately, my creativity has taken a turn upward (yes, it comes in spurts) and I'm loving the place I've been living in this summer. Some may think it's living in my mind - but heck, I'm fine staying in there with my thoughts. If I'm not creating something, I feel empty. I often wish I could just enjoy life, but my brain is wired differently.

Friday night, I heard the creators behind [title of show] talk about their creative process. And the biggest thing that stuck with me was when Susan Blackwell said there isn't this group of people sitting in some room that get to create everything - like some special club that the rest of us are not invited to. We all have that right. You believe in it? Do it! You have an idea to make something happen? Do it! That is so true for many things in life…and you really never know who else is watching YOU, and drawing inspiration from what you are achieving.

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Today is all about celebrating those people in my life that I see living this way every day. There are too many for me to name them all here, but they know who they are and how they inspire me. To each of you, I say thank you for living your life in such a way that makes others stand up and take notice.  

Sorry - Grateful

Sondheim used those words in a title of a song from his musical COMPANY and there are times in my life I'm sorry for things, but lately - it's grateful. 
Today I celebrate my three year anniversary of being a published author with  Proud Pants .
I'm grateful to say that story has caused me to want to step into a new world and direct a short film.
At that same time three years ago, I was busy preparing my first novel  Well With My Soul  to be published three months after Proud Pants - three years later, a reading of that play based on the novel was done. Grateful.
Oddly enough, it was about a week later on July 21st of 2011 that I went to my weekly dinner with my godson and created a short story on a napkin. The story was the genesis of the Chicken Boy series and three years and two books later, I continue to share that story with children all over. (I will be taking it to Cape Cod in a few weeks to the Provincetown Library.)
So Grateful.
A friend told me recently this was my year, but if we don't stop and show how thankful we are for each and every year…well, it's like forgetting to stop and smell the roses.
Be grateful for each mountain you climb in life no matter how large or small. Your triumphs may be completely different from mine and that is what makes personal victories so nice - they are personal.

Artistic Spaghetti

I've been known to dabble in many creative worlds - not wanting to be told I can only do one thing. (Who really likes to be told anything?) Recently I've said I was just throwing things against a wall to see what would stick and a friend dubbed it as artistic spaghetti.
I LOVE my artistic spaghetti.
It makes me so happy to keep my mind going in a creative realm, whatever that may be. I realize how lucky I am to have a spouse that supports all my desires to be in the artistic world and June has been an amazing time in that world for me. 
SPT ReadingI officially started my new job as the Theater Manager of the historic Irvington Town Hall Theater in Irvington, NY. There I get to start new programming while being surrounded by creative people coming and going as they present wonderful productions and event.
I had a reading of my play Well With My Soul at the Seeing Place Theater in NYC and then turned around and submitted it for another contest dealing with LGBT themed works. The value of hearing your work come alive can't be measured. My hope is to get it into the hands of a theater willing to take the time to develop it fully. 
NJ Film SchoolI signed up months ago for a crash course in filmmaking as I wanted to be able to talk shop with my director on the film HE IS GONE while she was busy filming the teaser for our film and we're in fundraising mode. I've always wanted to do more film work.  We've been expanding ASD Publishing to ASD Media & Entertainment to allow for film, theater projects and other creative endeavors. That class at the NJ Film School opened my eyes to so much. As a theater director for years, I am now certain I want to direct my own short that I've written based on my book Proud Pants . And who knows what will come next!

And Chicken Boy continues to fly and keep me creatively involved in the autism world. I was involved in a fun twitter party with other MeeGenius authors as we discussed their author challenge they are doing again. I'm taking the books to Cape Cod next month to share with children there. And some other things may be in the works that can't be discussed publicly yet, but once I can - naturally I'll share them.
Yes - like an artist with a huge canvas that I've thrown paint on, I'm waiting for that one thing to stick and stay on the wall. But I also enjoy the process. It's not always about the finished product. I love learning and experiencing new things. If I stop learning and trying, I think that's when I'll just dry up. 
  So this non-Italian will continue cooking spaghetti until he's done!

Random Acts of Kindness

When you think of an act of kindness, do you suddenly picture a boy scout taking an elderly woman across the street? There are numerous ways to show kindness throughout the day. A please. A thank you. Words can go a long way in treating someone in how you would like to be treated.

And then there are those pay-it-forward moments. We hear of those on social media. Someone pays for the person behind them in line. Leaves a note on a car window. Even using social media to share someone's story that may be trying to raise money to get an operation for their child. 

Some of those things don't take much of your time or effort. And guess what? It really DOES make you feel good doing something for someone else that is selfless and without prompting. Try it and tell me if you don't get a warm place in that chest like the Grinch!

Recently I stopped into a quick-stop Mexican eatery and noticed a long line. Yet the person at the cash register was working over time to make every customer feel special, at ease - going above and beyond. Her attitude also trickled down to the other employees working that line. I discovered she was the owner of the store and dealing with so much that day. The soda machine had given out,  water was leaking all around it, and she was using a smile and occasional queso and ice cream samples as apologies to customers. Her staff was working hard to keep water soaked up while serving customers, yet the owner wanted people to remember their experience and not the mess of the day.

After finishing my meal, I stood around waiting for her until she asked if she could help me. I just felt the need to tell her how great it was to watch her. I even said I wished I was on Undercover Boss and could tell her she was getting some great gift, but I just wanted her to know what she was doing was not going unnoticed. I threw some money into the tip jar for the hard working people, we exchanged names and she said said she hoped I would tell people about her place and I was on my way.

A small thing to do, but so many times we just move on with our day not even thinking about all the 'stuff' someone else may be dealing with. 

Random acts of kindness; paying-it-forward…it really doesn't take too much of our time to do it now and again.

To Franchise owner, Mia Diprizito at Moe's Southwest Mexican Grill in Paramus, NJ - I salute you for being an awesome owner and all around cheerful person! And if you are in the Paramus area, stop by and feel greeted with -  "Welcome to Moe's!" Know that when Mia says it…she means 'welcome'. 

Wyoming Returns to New York

One of the things I love about New York is that in every nook and cranny of the vast city, theatrical productions abound. The city is more than the league of Broadway houses that tourists know so well. Off-Broadway flourishes in a way much different than the rules of Broadway. And then we have off-off Broadway where artist can be artist and one can sense they are in the presence of performers who are there for the love of it.

That's how I felt attending The Seeing Place Theater on West 54th Street.

The company has been in existence for five seasons and have garnered wonderful reviews from their productions. They pride themselves on being an actor's ensemble where performers are allowed to change up their performance each evening - living in the moment. This makes for a unique and different experience and as an audience member - you can actually feel the spontaneity in the air. 

Laramie EnsembleFor pride month, they are in the middle of presenting The Laramie Project by Moises Kaufman and the Members of the Tectonic Theater Project. For those few that do not remember this amazing project, members traveled to Laramie, Wyoming after Matthew Shepard was brutally beaten and left to die on a fence - all for being gay. The story took the country by storm - bringing hate crimes and the LGBT community into the living rooms of all on the nightly news. The year was 1998, two years before same-sex marriage first was introduced to the US in Vermont and one month before Hawaii and Alaska passed constitutional amendments against same-sex marriage. In short, the world was different 16 years ago.

Cast of LaramieAnd this is one of the reasons I applaud Artistic Director Brandon Walker and Managing Director Erin Cronican who co-directed this production. They understood the importance of history. That one must be reminded so as not to repeat it. And what an incredible production they have in this small space on the 4th floor of a building where the story feels as timely today as when the horrible tragedy first happened. This fine ensemble of actors change seamlessly into different characters as they allow the people of Laramie to tell their story through monologues. Both Walker and Cronican are part of the 8 member ensemble and each actor brilliantly maneuvers their way across the terrain of diverse characters - bringing each to life. This is not a show in which one calls out one over another because they all carry so much weight, so much importance - and not a weak link in the bunch. Traveling to prop tables and clothes racks to morph into different ages, genders - real people…the ensemble is always in character no matter where they are on stage. I was spellbound of how they managed to transport us with few set pieces, string of lights to represent the vast night sky - and that chalkboard wall: wow. Powerful theater.

Jonathan Miles, Elle Emerson, Kathryn Neville BrownYou still have time to see this show. Don't miss it. Even if you've seen it before, you owe it to yourself to witness Kathryn Neville Browne, Erin Cronican, John D’Arcangelo, Elle Emerson, Logan Keeler, Jonathan Miles, Christina M Pastor, and Brandon Walker.  

The Seeing Place Theater located at 314 West 54th Street. The Laramie Project runs through June 29th.