Based on true events!  I got the idea for the film when I attended our neighborhood fair, Glover Park Day, in 2001,  and saw people actively avoiding the Good Guys table, and I saw the humor. 

Then I took it one step further. 

The Good Guys does participate in Glover Park Day.  Both groups supported the filming of the story.

 Filmed on location in the Glover Park neighborhood (north of Georgetown, or as the real estate agents call it,  North Georgetown) of Washington, DC.

Yes, we actually shot at the real club! 

No, the actresses are not really strippers. You can put your tongues back in your mouths now, thanks.

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FILM PRODUCTION NOTES  FOR THE ACTORS

Just for fun for those of you who may not have been on a film shoot before, I thought I’d include a couple Q&As about what we, THE CREW, were doing all that time.

Who was the guy with long red hair and why was he telling me what to do?

The Director of Photography, being behind the camera, has a better view then I do of the frame-(what’s actually getting on film).  I saw all the action, but he knew better if you didn’t get to the right place at the right time.  He’s taking the pictures for me because I trust him to get a good image, just as I trust the other crew to know what they’re doing and get the necessary sound or just get things in place, like lunch or actors back on the set.

Are they professionals?

Yes, and like you, they also volunteered their time on my film.  Some of them I have helped or will help on projects.  I also try to recommend people who volunteer with me for paying jobs I hear about.

If it was perfect, why did we have to do things again?

Sometimes things look perfect but when the film is processed you see a piece of dust that was stuck in the camera during the shot, or something could go wrong in the processing.  Or someone could be turned the wrong way but we didn’t notice making it impossible to match with the next shot.  That’s why we usually take one more for safety.  And that’s why a couple times we said it was rehearsal but we took the shot anyway.  We also recorded sound at various times when you may not have been aware.

Why did it take so long to set up?

Well, a variety of reasons. There are a lot of details to deal with on a shoot and it’s my job to coordinate all of them. On Sunday with all the lighting equipment it was more problematic because we had to worry about how light was hitting everyone, that there were no shadows from the light poles covering people’s faces and we had to practice our moving shots.  We also had to deal with the management of the club and a few blown fuses.

 On Monday, we had to change the part of the park we were shooting in, dress the set, replace balloon props as they burst (so there wouldn’t be a different number of them in the next shot) And with about 35 actors there, it took a long time just to place everyone and give them an action.  Then we had to make sure you weren’t going to end up in the wrong place for the next shot.  This is why some of you may have walked or run out of frame.  Occasionally, the light would change and we’d need to do a shot again because there may have been more light than we planned for which would make the film looked “washed out”. 

Why didn’t you have 2 days of shooting in the park then?

What are the chances I could have gotten all of you back on the same day again?  Even with just those 2 days, with all the people involved, I had 4 people cancel due to deaths or illnesses in their families, 2 because of school conflicts and 2 because of work emergencies. Whew!

Was it a success?

YES!  The shots looked great and the acting was excellent!  Also, the weather was perfect, no one got hurt or too sunburned, we solved the sound plug-in problem, there was enough lunch…  These are all parts of the day that I had to think of, too.  I could always have gotten more shots, but that day had to end at some point before the light was completely different.  This is why we kept moving the tables around at the end.

How much did it all cost?

I don’t know yet. The spending is not over. But in general, for short film, you can estimate $1,000 per minute for the budget (this includes a film print but many people just finish films on video now).  My estimate was close to that but I’m trying to get as many deals as I can!

©2003 glamorama pictures

last updated Saturday, 08 February 2003 20:27 -0500