WEBVTT 1 00:00:05.120 --> 00:00:07.960 Oh Gie is bot it's show time. 2 00:00:08.640 --> 00:00:10.599 People say, good money to see this movie. 3 00:00:10.919 --> 00:00:13.519 When they go out to a theater, they want cold sodas, 4 00:00:13.880 --> 00:00:17.199 pop popcorn, and no monsters in the protection booth. 5 00:00:17.359 --> 00:00:19.199 Everyone pretend podcasting isn't boring. 6 00:00:20.239 --> 00:00:20.879 Cut it off. 7 00:00:41.600 --> 00:00:43.280 So I was kind of surprised to hear that you 8 00:00:43.320 --> 00:00:44.159 were back in town. 9 00:00:45.759 --> 00:00:45.960 Yeah. 10 00:00:46.000 --> 00:00:49.759 I didn't graduate during the brain florn. 11 00:00:50.119 --> 00:00:58.039 Yeah, what happened? I uh, what's happened? 12 00:00:59.079 --> 00:01:00.000 What happened? 13 00:01:00.840 --> 00:01:04.079 What happens? 14 00:01:04.400 --> 00:01:05.319 Just what? 15 00:01:09.760 --> 00:01:12.079 I can't believe you, like, I'm going to finish. 16 00:01:12.159 --> 00:01:13.359 Why get your stuff? 17 00:01:13.400 --> 00:01:18.200 Honey, you lucked into being a teenager for the next 18 00:01:18.200 --> 00:01:18.719 few months. 19 00:01:20.879 --> 00:01:24.879 You neighborhood dude. You've had a crush on them since 20 00:01:24.879 --> 00:01:30.760 you were five. I say, go for it. Oh wow, 21 00:01:31.680 --> 00:01:35.480 you have a kid. Yeah, not a grade of keeping up. 22 00:01:36.799 --> 00:01:37.439 What are you doing? 23 00:01:39.200 --> 00:01:39.719 You sure? 24 00:01:40.879 --> 00:01:41.120 Yeah? 25 00:01:41.480 --> 00:01:43.400 Sorry, it's to be. 26 00:01:43.280 --> 00:01:44.120 My little blue jay. 27 00:01:44.159 --> 00:01:46.040 Now you're all grown up. What happened? 28 00:01:52.680 --> 00:01:55.280 I can't fall asleep without checking the lock. 29 00:01:55.560 --> 00:01:59.560 What if I'm being dramatic and I'll let you sing. 30 00:01:59.239 --> 00:02:01.920 Me with I mean, it seems like it was more 31 00:02:01.959 --> 00:02:02.239 than that. 32 00:02:03.200 --> 00:02:04.239 I don't want to talk about it. 33 00:02:05.599 --> 00:02:11.439 You don't have to, you know, eighteen to you, Mom 34 00:02:11.479 --> 00:02:14.360 and Dad and everyone else that I tell or who 35 00:02:14.520 --> 00:02:15.039 finds out. 36 00:02:15.080 --> 00:02:17.039 I just I am this same. 37 00:02:17.199 --> 00:02:22.039 You know, Jane and Will Derazzo and Jamee the Brain 38 00:02:22.400 --> 00:02:25.360 and Blue Jay and Janey and Jay. 39 00:02:25.439 --> 00:02:26.520 You're all of that. 40 00:02:26.759 --> 00:02:27.159 You're not. 41 00:02:28.680 --> 00:02:29.439 You're not this. 42 00:02:34.280 --> 00:02:36.879 Heny folks. Welcome to a special episode of the Projection Booth. 43 00:02:36.919 --> 00:02:39.560 I'm your host, Mike White. On this episode, I am 44 00:02:39.599 --> 00:02:43.479 talking with Anna Bombgarten. She is the writer and director 45 00:02:43.639 --> 00:02:47.599 of the new film Disfluency. See new film even though 46 00:02:47.639 --> 00:02:51.840 it has a twenty twenty one release date on IMDb. Well, 47 00:02:51.919 --> 00:02:56.000 wouldn't you know, got caught up in some pandemic shenanigans. 48 00:02:56.080 --> 00:02:59.400 But it is coming out now. We'll be available on 49 00:02:59.759 --> 00:03:04.599 I Tunes and I believe Amazon Prime, and we'll be 50 00:03:04.680 --> 00:03:08.719 playing at some local MJR theaters here in Michigan. Hear 51 00:03:08.800 --> 00:03:11.439 all about that in this interview. I really hope you 52 00:03:11.560 --> 00:03:14.439 enjoy it. I had a great time talking with miss Baumgarten, 53 00:03:14.840 --> 00:03:18.560 and it's so nice to help support other Michigan folks. 54 00:03:19.159 --> 00:03:21.599 Tell me about your journey into making films place. 55 00:03:22.439 --> 00:03:25.800 I grew up in Commerce Township, Michigan, and when I 56 00:03:25.879 --> 00:03:30.159 was very young, I fell in love with acting and writing. 57 00:03:30.479 --> 00:03:32.280 I wanted to be an author when I was a kid. 58 00:03:32.400 --> 00:03:35.759 I love playing pretend, all the classic symptoms of being 59 00:03:35.759 --> 00:03:38.439 a storyteller. So when I got to high school, I 60 00:03:38.479 --> 00:03:40.840 was looking at options and the University of Michigan and 61 00:03:40.879 --> 00:03:44.599 Ann Arbor has a fantastic screenwrining program, so I went 62 00:03:44.639 --> 00:03:46.240 there for that, and along the way I fell in 63 00:03:46.240 --> 00:03:50.240 love with production and so that's how I got into it. 64 00:03:50.639 --> 00:03:53.719 And I'm sharing all that too, because you're a fellow Michiganders. 65 00:03:55.000 --> 00:03:58.919 Not a lot of filmmakers necessarily are working and doing 66 00:03:58.919 --> 00:03:59.639 things in Michigan. 67 00:04:00.039 --> 00:04:01.439 And a fellow Wolverine as well. 68 00:04:01.960 --> 00:04:03.319 Oh yes, oh wonderful. 69 00:04:03.560 --> 00:04:06.599 Yes, I loved talking to a fellow Wolverine. My whole 70 00:04:06.599 --> 00:04:08.680 family is Wolverin. It's me and my three siblings and 71 00:04:08.680 --> 00:04:12.080 my parents. I moved out to LA after graduation to 72 00:04:12.159 --> 00:04:14.919 pursue working in TV. I really wanted to be in 73 00:04:14.960 --> 00:04:18.720 a TV writer's room, but I also knew how to 74 00:04:18.720 --> 00:04:21.600 make short films. This story is pulled from a traumatic 75 00:04:21.680 --> 00:04:24.600 experience I had in college, and I was just dealing 76 00:04:24.600 --> 00:04:27.199 with it and ended up writing a short script about 77 00:04:27.240 --> 00:04:29.319 it and wasn't sure if I was going to make it, 78 00:04:29.360 --> 00:04:31.560 but I had I shared it with a few friends 79 00:04:31.560 --> 00:04:33.600 and they thought it was great, and they were like, 80 00:04:33.639 --> 00:04:36.279 you should really pursue this. I set out to make it. 81 00:04:36.560 --> 00:04:38.720 I wrote and produced the short film, brought on my 82 00:04:38.800 --> 00:04:41.680 dear friend Laura Holiday, who was a sundancing night fellow. 83 00:04:41.879 --> 00:04:44.240 We made the short film and then we turned into 84 00:04:43.879 --> 00:04:48.279 a feature, which is the very brief summary of that experience. 85 00:04:48.959 --> 00:04:53.160 You've done a lot of different things, costume design, production design, 86 00:04:53.360 --> 00:04:56.360 you know, obviously writing, shooting, all this kind of stuff. 87 00:04:56.600 --> 00:05:00.279 I mean, is that just all from the design to 88 00:05:00.360 --> 00:05:02.439 learn more? Were you just kind of like filling in 89 00:05:02.480 --> 00:05:05.800 wherever you possibly could and figuring out what you kind 90 00:05:05.800 --> 00:05:07.480 of wanted to be more when you grew up? Type 91 00:05:07.480 --> 00:05:07.759 of thing? 92 00:05:08.600 --> 00:05:11.240 So I did like a smattering of things in college 93 00:05:11.279 --> 00:05:13.360 and out here in LA I help out where I can. 94 00:05:13.839 --> 00:05:16.000 At the University Michigan, I did some production design and 95 00:05:16.759 --> 00:05:18.959 that kind of covered everything from like hair and makeup 96 00:05:19.000 --> 00:05:19.560 to wardrobes. 97 00:05:19.600 --> 00:05:21.160 So I've tapped in in different things. 98 00:05:21.839 --> 00:05:24.560 I do think when you have a familiarity with all 99 00:05:24.600 --> 00:05:27.519 the different departments, it makes you a better leader and 100 00:05:27.519 --> 00:05:31.000 a creative. So that's why I've touched on a lot 101 00:05:31.040 --> 00:05:34.879 of different things. But my bread and butter. My day 102 00:05:34.959 --> 00:05:37.839 job out in LA was working in TV development, so 103 00:05:37.920 --> 00:05:41.720 I was writing TV show pitches, helping sell TV. And 104 00:05:42.720 --> 00:05:45.639 that's the day job part of it, making your living 105 00:05:45.680 --> 00:05:47.839 and moving up in your career in one path, and 106 00:05:47.879 --> 00:05:51.879 then parallel, I've been making my own work and taking 107 00:05:51.959 --> 00:05:53.879 what I'm making of the day job and investing in 108 00:05:53.879 --> 00:05:55.920 my career on the filmmaking side. 109 00:05:56.560 --> 00:05:59.639 So tell me about that journey between Disfluency the short 110 00:05:59.720 --> 00:06:02.319 and Disfluency the feature film. 111 00:06:02.360 --> 00:06:05.680 And this is your first feature, Yes, this is my 112 00:06:05.759 --> 00:06:10.839 first feature, and I'm so glad. I feel so blessed 113 00:06:10.920 --> 00:06:13.160 and happy that I was able to shoot this in 114 00:06:13.279 --> 00:06:15.600 Michigan because Michigan is like such a big part of 115 00:06:15.600 --> 00:06:18.639 my heart. My whole family is here. When we made 116 00:06:18.680 --> 00:06:21.120 the short, we actually shot in Los Angeles because that's 117 00:06:21.120 --> 00:06:23.319 where I was based, That's where we had resources. 118 00:06:23.319 --> 00:06:25.560 But it was I think the. 119 00:06:25.519 --> 00:06:28.720 Majority of our crew was U of M alumni, So 120 00:06:28.759 --> 00:06:30.519 we just got together to make a short film. I 121 00:06:30.560 --> 00:06:32.519 was like twenty three, twenty four, so it was like just. 122 00:06:32.480 --> 00:06:33.040 Out of college. 123 00:06:33.079 --> 00:06:35.439 We were doing what we knew how to do, and 124 00:06:36.199 --> 00:06:39.920 we just started submitting that short to festivals and fellowships 125 00:06:39.920 --> 00:06:42.519 and all kinds of things. We just wanted to get 126 00:06:42.519 --> 00:06:44.959 whatever opportunity we could with this film and share it 127 00:06:44.959 --> 00:06:46.519 with people, so that's what we were doing. And one 128 00:06:46.519 --> 00:06:49.839 of those opportunities was the Short to Feature Lab, which 129 00:06:49.879 --> 00:06:52.040 is run by Jim Cummings and Ben Wisner, who are 130 00:06:52.079 --> 00:06:55.240 two indie filmmakers who came together to make this program 131 00:06:55.360 --> 00:06:59.079 to help filmmakers you turn their short film into a 132 00:06:59.120 --> 00:07:01.199 feature film, and a lot of us were first time 133 00:07:01.199 --> 00:07:04.120 filmmakers and how to go on that journey everything from 134 00:07:04.639 --> 00:07:10.240 development to financing, to story to casting, through distribution and 135 00:07:11.439 --> 00:07:16.920 their support and just their mentorship. 136 00:07:16.360 --> 00:07:17.920 And this is philanthropic for them. 137 00:07:17.959 --> 00:07:19.680 When I got there, I was like, what is the 138 00:07:19.720 --> 00:07:21.600 catch and they were like, no, we really just want 139 00:07:21.639 --> 00:07:24.639 to help you tell your stories. So they were a 140 00:07:24.639 --> 00:07:27.439 phone call away throughout the process. But I will say 141 00:07:27.519 --> 00:07:30.000 from the Short to Feature Lab till shooting the film. 142 00:07:30.600 --> 00:07:32.480 I came out of the Short Feature Lab with a 143 00:07:32.480 --> 00:07:35.040 short outline and then nine months later we were shooting, 144 00:07:35.879 --> 00:07:40.560 so very quick. But setting a date as an indie filmmaker, 145 00:07:40.720 --> 00:07:45.399 setting a date is like a huge factor and if 146 00:07:45.439 --> 00:07:47.759 it's going to actually happen, people who set dates and 147 00:07:47.759 --> 00:07:49.959 stick to them when it comes to making shorts, features, 148 00:07:50.000 --> 00:07:52.360 whatever it is, those are the people that get it done. 149 00:07:52.439 --> 00:07:53.240 And that was a piece of. 150 00:07:53.240 --> 00:07:56.360 Advice told to me early on by Ben Weisner, and 151 00:07:56.480 --> 00:07:57.000 I did that. 152 00:07:57.120 --> 00:07:58.439 I was like, September, we're. 153 00:07:58.279 --> 00:08:02.759 Shooting this early September, the perfect time in Michigan. I'll 154 00:08:02.800 --> 00:08:05.319 have a script by then, I'll have a cast, we'll 155 00:08:05.439 --> 00:08:08.639 be out there, we'll have money. And I just set 156 00:08:08.720 --> 00:08:11.000 my heart on it and went to work nine to 157 00:08:11.040 --> 00:08:14.040 five and all my other time was spent working towards this. 158 00:08:14.920 --> 00:08:16.959 How did you put your crew together out here? 159 00:08:17.639 --> 00:08:21.240 My producer Danny Mooney came on first, and between me 160 00:08:21.519 --> 00:08:24.079 and him, we knew so many you of m alumni 161 00:08:24.759 --> 00:08:28.360 and so many Michigan locals. Danny's shot more in Michigan 162 00:08:28.360 --> 00:08:29.800 than I have, So we had people come out from 163 00:08:29.839 --> 00:08:36.399 Grand Rapids and we flew some crew to Michigan. Again, 164 00:08:36.799 --> 00:08:38.759 all you have m alumni that we were working with 165 00:08:38.799 --> 00:08:40.840 for the most part, and that's how we crewed up. 166 00:08:41.399 --> 00:08:44.799 And our DP was somebody that I had gone to 167 00:08:44.799 --> 00:08:47.720 school with and worked closely with, so we already had rapport. 168 00:08:48.200 --> 00:08:50.320 But it was really a lot of our big first project. 169 00:08:50.399 --> 00:08:52.600 Most of the crew was under thirty and. 170 00:08:52.639 --> 00:08:54.480 You talked about you came out there with your cast. 171 00:08:54.519 --> 00:08:56.720 How did you find your cast, especially how did you 172 00:08:56.759 --> 00:08:59.960 find that person that was going to represent you. 173 00:09:00.080 --> 00:09:02.600 When we were casting the short, the only character that 174 00:09:02.639 --> 00:09:04.840 is also in the feature is Jane. 175 00:09:05.240 --> 00:09:06.360 So Jane is. 176 00:09:06.720 --> 00:09:08.440 A little bit of a different iteration of Jane, but 177 00:09:08.480 --> 00:09:12.120 it's still the character. And Libe Berrera plays Jane and 178 00:09:12.360 --> 00:09:15.159 Liebe has a sister, Ariella Berrer, who plays her sister 179 00:09:15.159 --> 00:09:17.960 in the film, Lacy. So I wrote the script for 180 00:09:18.039 --> 00:09:22.440 those two actresses and we cast around them. So Chelsea 181 00:09:22.440 --> 00:09:25.519 plays Amber is a friend of Libe's, and Kimmy Koe 182 00:09:25.600 --> 00:09:28.120 Singer who plays Kennedy, is a good friend of Mariella's. 183 00:09:28.240 --> 00:09:30.240 We had a lot of agents managers that we were 184 00:09:30.240 --> 00:09:33.279 working with send us tapes and things, and we were 185 00:09:33.320 --> 00:09:35.360 just looking at all our resources around us. We did 186 00:09:35.399 --> 00:09:37.360 not have a casting director, so this was largely me 187 00:09:37.399 --> 00:09:41.519 and Danny. But the first domino to fall circling back 188 00:09:41.519 --> 00:09:44.600 to Libay, Me and Laura were looking to cast somebody 189 00:09:44.600 --> 00:09:46.519 in the short and we had a big list of 190 00:09:46.559 --> 00:09:49.039 people we weren't sure who it was. I was watching 191 00:09:49.080 --> 00:09:51.039 Sneaky Peete on Amazon and I saw Liba for the 192 00:09:51.039 --> 00:09:53.159 first time, and I had this just gut instinct of 193 00:09:53.440 --> 00:09:57.399 that's Jane, and I reached out to her manager and 194 00:09:57.399 --> 00:09:59.720 I was like, Hey, would she be interested in talking 195 00:09:59.720 --> 00:10:01.399 to us out a short? And she came on board 196 00:10:01.440 --> 00:10:04.360 and she's been such a champion of this project. She's 197 00:10:04.399 --> 00:10:07.120 so talented. I want everyone to see Lebay. 198 00:10:07.679 --> 00:10:07.879 Yeah. 199 00:10:07.919 --> 00:10:10.480 I just think she's such a magnetic actress. I want 200 00:10:10.480 --> 00:10:12.320 to watch her do anything, honestly. 201 00:10:12.679 --> 00:10:15.440 And how is that working with actress? Was this your 202 00:10:15.440 --> 00:10:17.000 first time really directing them? 203 00:10:17.480 --> 00:10:21.200 So my thesis in college was a directing thesis. I 204 00:10:21.240 --> 00:10:24.440 made another short film after school called line Drive, but 205 00:10:24.480 --> 00:10:27.440 the first time I professionally stepped into a directoring role 206 00:10:27.480 --> 00:10:31.240 really was this film. And my backgrounds in acting like 207 00:10:31.240 --> 00:10:33.159 I do stage acting, I do community theater. 208 00:10:33.320 --> 00:10:34.480 I love being on stage. 209 00:10:34.600 --> 00:10:36.759 I have no interest in being friend of a camera, 210 00:10:37.480 --> 00:10:41.000 but knowing the language of actors is so helpful. I 211 00:10:41.039 --> 00:10:43.360 think all directors, even if they don't want to be 212 00:10:43.399 --> 00:10:45.360 on camera, should take a class or something where they 213 00:10:45.399 --> 00:10:47.240 act a little bit so they just get a feeling 214 00:10:47.279 --> 00:10:47.559 for it. 215 00:10:47.799 --> 00:10:50.039 Because my job as a director. 216 00:10:50.200 --> 00:10:55.000 Is to cast great talent and then give them the 217 00:10:55.000 --> 00:10:57.320 tools to feel the most comfortable and confident to do 218 00:10:57.360 --> 00:11:00.759 their work and then just tap it just a little bit. 219 00:11:01.480 --> 00:11:04.159 But this whole past, I love them so much. They 220 00:11:04.200 --> 00:11:06.960 all brought so much to the table. And I knew 221 00:11:06.960 --> 00:11:09.879 these characters so well, and because I wrote the script, 222 00:11:09.879 --> 00:11:12.279 I really think a lot of what they were the 223 00:11:12.279 --> 00:11:13.879 script is what they pulled from. 224 00:11:14.639 --> 00:11:18.879 How is it seeing someone interpret what's on the page 225 00:11:18.919 --> 00:11:21.440 maybe a little differently than how it actually happened for you. 226 00:11:22.200 --> 00:11:24.399 So I'll say this first, All of this is fiction. 227 00:11:25.320 --> 00:11:28.440 Disfluency is very much like pulled from emotions that I 228 00:11:28.519 --> 00:11:33.240 hack going through an experience. But Jane is very much 229 00:11:33.240 --> 00:11:35.080 her own character. All of these people are very much 230 00:11:35.120 --> 00:11:38.679 their own people. They are influenced by people for my life, 231 00:11:38.759 --> 00:11:41.519 especially growing up in Michigan, like this neighborhood crew, all 232 00:11:41.519 --> 00:11:43.399 of these it's like composites of people. 233 00:11:43.120 --> 00:11:45.200 That I know, knew growing up and loved. 234 00:11:45.240 --> 00:11:49.320 And my dad watched the film and the first thing 235 00:11:49.360 --> 00:11:51.120 he said he was like, I like the dad. 236 00:11:51.879 --> 00:11:55.039 I think he did a great job. Like, okay, because 237 00:11:55.360 --> 00:11:57.200 my dad is I love my dad. 238 00:11:57.279 --> 00:11:58.919 We have a very close relationship, but we don't agree 239 00:11:58.919 --> 00:12:03.559 on everything, including politics or what have you. But he's 240 00:12:03.600 --> 00:12:06.080 such a you can tell he loves Jane and he's 241 00:12:06.120 --> 00:12:07.879 like there for her. So there are those things. But 242 00:12:08.320 --> 00:12:10.559 because these characters are fictional, it was really nice to 243 00:12:10.559 --> 00:12:12.960 see them all bring what they could to them and 244 00:12:13.120 --> 00:12:15.840 humanize them in their own unique way. One of the 245 00:12:15.879 --> 00:12:19.360 things I look for as a director what I'm casting 246 00:12:19.519 --> 00:12:21.759 is I want somebody who comes in the room and 247 00:12:21.799 --> 00:12:25.200 brings something that I didn't even think of. Whether it 248 00:12:25.240 --> 00:12:29.159 could be a tone of mannerism, just an attitude, just 249 00:12:29.200 --> 00:12:32.000 something to the character that makes me go, oh, you 250 00:12:32.159 --> 00:12:35.440 like rounded that out because I get eighty to ninety 251 00:12:35.440 --> 00:12:38.639 percent there in my head on the page or what 252 00:12:38.759 --> 00:12:42.480 I'm looking at a script as a director. But them 253 00:12:42.559 --> 00:12:45.440 coming in and bringing that last percentage to like round 254 00:12:45.480 --> 00:12:47.879 that character out, is that's the magic. 255 00:12:48.720 --> 00:12:51.559 Yeah, and I'm curious, how is the shooting in Commerce Township? 256 00:12:52.200 --> 00:12:54.399 Yeah, shooting in Commerce Toundship was super fun. We had 257 00:12:54.440 --> 00:12:56.360 a lot of people stop and be like, what's going on. 258 00:12:57.399 --> 00:13:00.879 It's not common to see film cruise and this part 259 00:13:00.879 --> 00:13:04.200 of Michigan for sure, but the community was so welcoming. 260 00:13:05.080 --> 00:13:08.919 Penny Lake Market let us come in and use their 261 00:13:08.960 --> 00:13:12.519 space as the grocery store, the creamy, freezing Commerce Township, 262 00:13:12.759 --> 00:13:14.960 let us come in and use their space. We hung 263 00:13:14.960 --> 00:13:17.399 a sign on the Veterinarians office across the street. Everyone 264 00:13:17.440 --> 00:13:20.320 was so welcoming, and even Pinelake Country Club where the 265 00:13:20.320 --> 00:13:22.559 pine tree was. We're like a movie that's so cool, 266 00:13:22.600 --> 00:13:24.919 Like we'd love to hear more about it. You can 267 00:13:25.399 --> 00:13:28.320 be on the course from these times. It was really 268 00:13:28.320 --> 00:13:30.519 a joy. And also being out on the lake with 269 00:13:30.559 --> 00:13:33.840 the camera was fun. Fifteen people on a pontoon but 270 00:13:34.000 --> 00:13:36.000 with a big camera at the end was something to say. 271 00:13:36.720 --> 00:13:39.799 Were there any big challenges or roadblocks for you? 272 00:13:40.559 --> 00:13:43.799 There always are with production, but there was. We always 273 00:13:43.840 --> 00:13:47.000 talk about the fourth of July night was way colder 274 00:13:47.000 --> 00:13:50.120 than we thought it would. Every other night in our 275 00:13:50.120 --> 00:13:53.120 shooting schedule was like warm, like we're out in t shirts, shorts, 276 00:13:53.159 --> 00:13:56.720 hanging out. We were like bundled up, so the hectors 277 00:13:56.720 --> 00:14:02.360 are like half in wet suits. Any they were such troopers. 278 00:14:02.360 --> 00:14:04.960 They did such a great job. We had to be flexible. 279 00:14:05.000 --> 00:14:07.000 We had to move around days a little bit. Whether 280 00:14:07.039 --> 00:14:10.440 it's always a factory in Michigan, but also being from Michigan, 281 00:14:11.120 --> 00:14:13.320 you get cloudbursts in the summer and then later in 282 00:14:13.320 --> 00:14:15.559 the day it's gorgeous again, so you can flip flop things, 283 00:14:15.559 --> 00:14:17.639 So we worked with what we had and we were 284 00:14:17.679 --> 00:14:20.080 scrappy and it was a blast. 285 00:14:21.159 --> 00:14:23.919 You talked about shooting this in August and September, but. 286 00:14:23.960 --> 00:14:26.279 Which we year was us, So we shot it in 287 00:14:26.320 --> 00:14:30.240 twenty nineteen and then COVID hit and we were stopped 288 00:14:30.279 --> 00:14:32.879 down for a while. We ended up doing pickup shoots 289 00:14:32.919 --> 00:14:38.039 during COVID and we started playing film festivals. We were 290 00:14:38.279 --> 00:14:42.039 at the Calgary Film Festival, Heartland and Austin Film Festival 291 00:14:42.120 --> 00:14:43.679 a very end of twenty twenty one, so we've been 292 00:14:43.679 --> 00:14:46.559 on the circuit for a minute. But we had the pandemic, 293 00:14:46.639 --> 00:14:50.039 we had strikes, we're releasing now that la fires are 294 00:14:50.080 --> 00:14:52.759 going on. All of these things are bigger than all 295 00:14:52.799 --> 00:14:55.480 of us, so we've been rolling with the punches and 296 00:14:55.919 --> 00:14:58.240 we're getting the film out now. It's going to be 297 00:14:58.320 --> 00:15:02.480 out on January twenty fe which is Friday on Amazon 298 00:15:02.519 --> 00:15:06.320 Prime and Apple TV for rent and purchase. So it's 299 00:15:06.320 --> 00:15:09.120 been a long time coming, but so excited to be here. 300 00:15:09.799 --> 00:15:11.759 When was the first time you saw with an audience 301 00:15:11.759 --> 00:15:12.559 and what did you think? 302 00:15:13.320 --> 00:15:15.399 We did a test rereading early on and that was 303 00:15:15.480 --> 00:15:18.279 really nerve wracking, but so delightful. 304 00:15:18.639 --> 00:15:21.039 I love watching this movie. In a room. 305 00:15:21.960 --> 00:15:24.799 I love to see people laugh, like where they laugh, 306 00:15:24.960 --> 00:15:27.600 and I will say I step out of the room 307 00:15:27.639 --> 00:15:30.600 a lot towards, like halfway through, I step out because I. 308 00:15:30.519 --> 00:15:32.240 Don't need to rewatch that every time. 309 00:15:32.919 --> 00:15:35.360 But the first time I watched it, it was such a relief, 310 00:15:35.440 --> 00:15:38.679 Like when we got the first little giggle the parents 311 00:15:38.679 --> 00:15:41.320 in the drive through. I know it's a drama, but 312 00:15:42.200 --> 00:15:44.519 there's jokes in here, and there's seeing the audience really 313 00:15:44.559 --> 00:15:47.720 engaged and feeling. It is unlike anything in my life, 314 00:15:47.799 --> 00:15:51.960 and life is so much more complex than black and 315 00:15:52.000 --> 00:15:54.000 white good and bad things. 316 00:15:53.759 --> 00:15:54.919 That happened to us. 317 00:15:55.519 --> 00:15:59.320 I made this film largely because I hadn't seen the 318 00:15:59.399 --> 00:16:02.200 nuanced experience that I had gone through and am still 319 00:16:02.240 --> 00:16:05.080 going through. I still wake up and have imposter syndrome 320 00:16:05.399 --> 00:16:07.759 and feel like, oh my gosh, I lied about this 321 00:16:07.799 --> 00:16:09.440 thing that happened to me. I made a movie and 322 00:16:09.480 --> 00:16:13.120 now I'm like being interviewed about it. That is how 323 00:16:13.159 --> 00:16:18.000 deep it goes. Being a survivor is like you second 324 00:16:18.039 --> 00:16:22.240 guess yourself all the time. You get angry, there's mania 325 00:16:22.639 --> 00:16:23.600 you're apologizing to. 326 00:16:23.799 --> 00:16:24.000 You know. 327 00:16:24.080 --> 00:16:26.600 I was so afraid of hurting my friends and family 328 00:16:26.639 --> 00:16:28.559 around me, just by them having to carry this with 329 00:16:28.600 --> 00:16:33.320 me that I wanted to share that part of my 330 00:16:33.360 --> 00:16:37.440 story with people because that and meeting fellow survivors are 331 00:16:37.440 --> 00:16:38.840 the two things that have. 332 00:16:38.879 --> 00:16:40.080 Brought me peace. 333 00:16:41.120 --> 00:16:46.600 Not scary TV episodes in courtrooms and whatnot. That's just 334 00:16:46.720 --> 00:16:50.159 not what a lot of these experiences are actually, truly, Like, 335 00:16:50.960 --> 00:16:53.240 I wanted people to feel seen, and I wanted to 336 00:16:53.279 --> 00:16:53.759 feel seen. 337 00:16:54.799 --> 00:16:57.759 Oh yeah, we always talk about how important representation is, 338 00:16:57.799 --> 00:17:00.360 and to see yourself up on screen, I mean it 339 00:17:00.440 --> 00:17:03.000 must have been great for you, well great and probably 340 00:17:03.000 --> 00:17:06.599 scary for audiences to come up to you and tell 341 00:17:06.599 --> 00:17:08.440 you how much they connected with it. 342 00:17:09.359 --> 00:17:12.279 And after almost every single screening I get somebody who 343 00:17:12.640 --> 00:17:16.160 shares an experience, discloses, tells me that a loved one 344 00:17:16.160 --> 00:17:20.519 has gone through this. And something I didn't set out 345 00:17:20.519 --> 00:17:24.119 to do or fully realize was what a tool that 346 00:17:24.200 --> 00:17:27.839 this can be to give to somebody else. If you've 347 00:17:27.880 --> 00:17:30.359 been through an experience, maybe you can say, hey, watch 348 00:17:30.359 --> 00:17:32.440 this movie disfluency. This is some of the feelings I'm 349 00:17:32.440 --> 00:17:35.519 going through right now. People kind of sharing that and like, oh, 350 00:17:35.519 --> 00:17:37.200 I really want to share this with somebody because I 351 00:17:37.240 --> 00:17:40.200 want them to know or this is so accurate to 352 00:17:40.240 --> 00:17:43.799 how I've been feeling all of those things. That has 353 00:17:43.880 --> 00:17:48.720 been this little surprise. Yeah, and knowing that I've made 354 00:17:48.759 --> 00:17:51.960 that impact. It's also strange like I've imposter cinem around 355 00:17:52.000 --> 00:17:54.559 being a creative too. I think most artists do at 356 00:17:54.559 --> 00:17:55.680 some point. 357 00:17:55.839 --> 00:17:58.519 So I know you made this in twenty nineteen, it 358 00:17:58.559 --> 00:18:02.480 comes out to festivals twenty twenty one, after getting sidelined 359 00:18:02.480 --> 00:18:04.759 by the pandemic and all of the other things that 360 00:18:04.799 --> 00:18:07.160 you mentioned. But in the meantime, what if you've been. 361 00:18:07.000 --> 00:18:11.039 Working on I've been writing, I've got some new projects 362 00:18:11.680 --> 00:18:14.200 that I'm hoping to get off the ground. I'm attached 363 00:18:14.240 --> 00:18:18.319 to a friend's script to direct it, which hopefully we'll 364 00:18:18.359 --> 00:18:21.359 do soon. Here we were planning on releasing, and then 365 00:18:21.359 --> 00:18:23.680 the strikes happened. I didn't want to sit on my 366 00:18:23.720 --> 00:18:25.519 hands with the film. I knew I wanted to continue 367 00:18:25.519 --> 00:18:28.680 sharing it, So I started doing a school tour, a 368 00:18:28.720 --> 00:18:32.039 college tour, and I just started reaching out to Total 369 00:18:32.119 --> 00:18:35.400 nine at schools and sexual self prevention programs and being like, Hey, 370 00:18:36.079 --> 00:18:37.240 do you want to bring this film in? Do you 371 00:18:37.279 --> 00:18:39.839 want to bring me in as a speaker to talk 372 00:18:39.880 --> 00:18:42.000 about this? Can this be used as a tool for you. 373 00:18:42.359 --> 00:18:44.880 So I personally visited thirteen colleges as a speaker in 374 00:18:44.920 --> 00:18:48.720 April and then three to five other colleges later in 375 00:18:48.759 --> 00:18:49.279 the year. 376 00:18:49.160 --> 00:18:50.880 And we're doing it again this April. 377 00:18:51.319 --> 00:18:53.759 Anyone out there wants to book as fluency and have 378 00:18:53.799 --> 00:18:58.519 a conversation about sexual violence prevention and the ins and 379 00:18:58.559 --> 00:19:02.000 outs of it, by standard inner mention, being a survivor, 380 00:19:02.000 --> 00:19:04.000 how to support survivors, all of those. It's been so 381 00:19:04.160 --> 00:19:07.319 cool to connect with college students across the whole country. 382 00:19:07.440 --> 00:19:11.400 We've been east coast, Middle America, West coast, Midwest South. 383 00:19:12.000 --> 00:19:14.759 It's been incredible taxing but very rewarding. 384 00:19:15.480 --> 00:19:15.680 Yeah. 385 00:19:15.759 --> 00:19:17.319 No, it sounds like that would take a lot out 386 00:19:17.319 --> 00:19:19.960 of you, not just the travel, but just the emotional 387 00:19:20.000 --> 00:19:22.599 experience of going through all that, especially with all these 388 00:19:22.640 --> 00:19:24.039 new people every single time. 389 00:19:24.839 --> 00:19:25.160 Yeah. 390 00:19:25.200 --> 00:19:30.039 Absolutely, it's a combination of after long screening and a 391 00:19:30.039 --> 00:19:32.880 lot of talks, I'll be exhausted, but it's also fuel 392 00:19:33.000 --> 00:19:35.680 in the tank to keep sharing the movie and to 393 00:19:35.759 --> 00:19:39.240 keep going out. So it's what little both, do you 394 00:19:39.240 --> 00:19:40.400 mind if I share one more thing? 395 00:19:40.599 --> 00:19:40.839 Yeah? 396 00:19:40.839 --> 00:19:41.200 Please. 397 00:19:41.799 --> 00:19:44.400 Something really exciting that is like Michigan specific, is that 398 00:19:44.440 --> 00:19:48.960 we're playing at MJR, which is huge for me, people 399 00:19:49.000 --> 00:19:52.039 who know MJR. You know, like it's more fun at MJR. 400 00:19:52.480 --> 00:19:55.279 That theme song, the clapping my childhood. 401 00:19:55.400 --> 00:19:57.440