tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55794816004793500532024-03-12T19:18:04.861-04:00THE BRIDE AND THE GROOMSTaylor Green is so nice. Too nice. She keeps getting engaged in conversation.Butch Maierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01876709774363132791noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5579481600479350053.post-57484507219929767662009-03-23T00:41:00.029-04:002009-03-24T03:51:39.956-04:00The Irish sweepstakes ... almostGoogle carefully.<br /><br />I Googled "bride grooms butch maier" Saturday night. Not because I like reading <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3MyMa7eqcVyk6UUog88zYG9cBYIZqq1_vQwjPjLCjEtcRv7M6giqltZItv4C0BDLgjQgN-1mtV9rbAc9Or_OBzOR-5wZ0KYJBbK_Oe8XVgD2mKso7CagBda2sJWWECAk6Q3mFmIUIUIU/s1600-h/google-logo.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 128px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3MyMa7eqcVyk6UUog88zYG9cBYIZqq1_vQwjPjLCjEtcRv7M6giqltZItv4C0BDLgjQgN-1mtV9rbAc9Or_OBzOR-5wZ0KYJBbK_Oe8XVgD2mKso7CagBda2sJWWECAk6Q3mFmIUIUIU/s320/google-logo.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316653060648131154" /></a> about myself. It was a way to check up on the movie's online presence. I need to make sure theaters put the poster image and movie info on their Web sites. I need to make sure press releases are reaching their intended audiences.<br /><br />In order, here's what I found:<br /><br />-- <em>The Bride & The Grooms</em> MySpace page.<br />-- <em>The Bride & The Grooms</em> trailer in a Radio Free Charleston episode.<br />-- <em>The Bride & The Grooms</em> listed on lovefilm.com.<br />-- <em>The Bride & The Grooms</em> trailer on YouTube.<br />-- <em>The Bride & The Grooms</em> crew bios on the movie's official Web site.<br />-- <em>The Bride & The Grooms</em> official Web site About page.<br />-- <em>The Bride & The Grooms</em> show times for a Dublin theater.<br /><br />Huh?<br /><br />I live in Ohio, but I don't remember talking to a theater owner in Dublin, Ohio, but I was thankful to have the movie in another theater.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB7hyphenhyphen5ebffqjDAJ0gpgUDPmhRhFMwxxMjBEn0NwY-yciLLqgyyQgRcmhI1LQq-7FM04FR3yfziXTBbzVChS42FUThN4KZ9ZJkp7n1asntlmfLDdYO12X65StI3veoG0kl3qskSbDixYro/s1600-h/Dublinks+logo.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 111px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB7hyphenhyphen5ebffqjDAJ0gpgUDPmhRhFMwxxMjBEn0NwY-yciLLqgyyQgRcmhI1LQq-7FM04FR3yfziXTBbzVChS42FUThN4KZ9ZJkp7n1asntlmfLDdYO12X65StI3veoG0kl3qskSbDixYro/s400/Dublinks+logo.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316650281311158594" /></a><br /><br />Until I realized it was a theater in Dublin, Ireland.<br /><br />(I'm all for having the movie seen internationally. It just would be nice to know about it ahead of time.)<br /><br />MY MOVIE HAD BEEN STOLEN! <br /><br />What?! But ... how?! Why?! I couldn't believe it. I. Just. Could. Not. Believe. It. This couldn't be real. But there it was on Dublinks.com. The movie poster I designed with Ryan Dawson. My name listed as director. My actors' names. My name listed as producer. It says "A BUTCH MAIER PICTURE" on the poster. It was mine ... but had been taken away. I thought I had been careful enough (Read: paranoid) by only sending out low-res screeners with scene gaps and warning labels throughout. To make it watchable, someone would have to go to a lot of trouble.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg505y25uaVw3UhyphenhyphenCGQkxv1sddkXO71U7cKycwVkXs2e5a9KgAshCHwusFJWSdgGuzWlNWmKwmzcosdpeYc71z_zXYSViYxgoKgksEX_QaRIpUkWIEvDifCaKa9PjNVW3xAlcjdCWMh7f4/s1600-h/TBATG+poster.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 230px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg505y25uaVw3UhyphenhyphenCGQkxv1sddkXO71U7cKycwVkXs2e5a9KgAshCHwusFJWSdgGuzWlNWmKwmzcosdpeYc71z_zXYSViYxgoKgksEX_QaRIpUkWIEvDifCaKa9PjNVW3xAlcjdCWMh7f4/s320/TBATG+poster.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316652403335916514" /></a><br /><br />Apparently, someone had. <br /><br />There it was, alongside 22 commercial films at Movies@Dundrum in a Dublin mall. It was listed right after Best Picture Oscar winner <em>Slumdog Millionaire</em>. There were five show times for <em>TBATG</em>: Sunday at 11 a.m. and Monday through Thursday at 1:10 p.m. (Check it out here -- http://www.dublinks.com/movies/the-bride-the-grooms -- though the Sunday and Monday show times are gone now)<br /><br />A lot of thoughts rushed through my head.<br /><br />1. Who stole my movie?<br />2. How did they steal my movie?<br />3. What do I do first? Get a lawyer? Call the police? Contact "Dateline: NBC"?<br />4. I am going to sue, and then I am going to get paid.<br />5. Couldn't they pick better show times?<br /><br />Admittedly, I thought to myself, "This will be great publicity!" Struggling indie filmmaker has movie stolen and shipped to Ireland. Film at 11. Yes, film at 11. MY film. At 11 A.M. Who goes to a movie theater in Dublin at 11 a.m.?<br /><br />Then my mind switched back to how hard this process had been. That I had spent two years in a zombie-like state getting this picture made -- sacrificing time with family, time with friends, money, a life. And ... gone.<br /><br />Around 3 a.m., I was brainstorming. Who do I know in Ireland? (Answer: no one.) Who do I know who might know someone in Ireland? Who might know about the movie business in Ireland? Then it hit me.<br /><br />Our film critic at The PD is Irish and reviews international movies. He might know someone. There was hope, I reasoned, to reclaim what was mine. U2 could write an anthem about it: "Bride (In the Name of Love)."<br /><br />(While we're on the subject of puns, here's my favorite Irish joke:<br /><br />Q: Why is Ireland the richest country in the world?<br />A: Because the capital is always Dublin.)<br /><br />Onward ...<br /><br />I can't call the theater because then they'll get rid of the movie and claim it never happened. A lawsuit would be expensive, and the theater probably has nothing to do with it. It's just some guy who makes his living off of movie piracy and can never be found. Then I thought to call "Dateline: NBC," but would they scrap their plans to do an expose on child trafficking to track down my Little Movie With Big Dreams? Uh, no.<br /><br />So I will call our local TV affiliate. No, I need to contact my paper first. Not that flying to Dublin is in our budget. Maybe we could do a newspaper exchange. The Irish Times could do an investigative piece on how my movie made its way to a Dublin theater, and we could do a piece on whose agenda keeps the University of Notre Dame and St. Vincent-St. Mary High School using the stereotypical term "Fighting" in their Irish nicknames.<br /><br />I'll contact both movie critics at The PD. They could do a double-byline story. I could fly to Dublin and wear a hidden camera. I would buy a ticket to my movie and sit in the theater. After the movie, I would pose as a distributor. I would infiltrate the tangled Web of movie piracy. Or at least get an invite into the manager's office.<br /><br />Then, reality bit.<br /><br />The Web site I had found was not the Dublin mall's Web site. It was simply a link site, where movies showing in Dublin were linked. <br /><br />So I Googled Movies@Dundrum, the theater's name.<br /><br />And there it was.<br /><br />A movie with the exact show times as my movie.<br /><br />"Bride Wars," starring Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZn3puoPOC_ATUoeZWEjJ0stjatv8focZMSPs2yW3TynjCt8_lEbc3RVGIhd3hvpq7isxwd6V8QVYlwpti2wgWYvmYwBYSMVgmY1pAc2IWG6I8KxcKxckfitkmOcGJnC7iUQpCHk5TWBI/s1600-h/bridewars.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 135px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZn3puoPOC_ATUoeZWEjJ0stjatv8focZMSPs2yW3TynjCt8_lEbc3RVGIhd3hvpq7isxwd6V8QVYlwpti2wgWYvmYwBYSMVgmY1pAc2IWG6I8KxcKxckfitkmOcGJnC7iUQpCHk5TWBI/s200/bridewars.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316651747547142626" /></a><br /><br />The link site had posted the wrong poster with the wrong movie information.<br /><br />My movie's not in Dublin. People in Dublin might be looking at my poster, but my movie's not there.<br /><br />Yet.Butch Maierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01876709774363132791noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5579481600479350053.post-12326963755992659722009-02-19T04:28:00.001-05:002009-02-19T04:29:15.582-05:00Launch is servedMy movie's official Web site, thebrideandthegrooms.com, has been launched! Check it out!Butch Maierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01876709774363132791noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5579481600479350053.post-77165808464942896632009-02-11T02:52:00.020-05:002009-02-11T03:56:17.564-05:00I have a daydream<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIVUrHCEDlcvemwKQWs3NPdpZrYf46PWErnnnwXL8ybSD_vsyM2xRIS4nqZNfpSG7QZ3DpaKtcyfzZ-bu4BwZ1DwSP9zsSRFCFo8c9IPdMcvGO7T89ZMQfLA15aeJQP_cgV8K-lUWMihU/s1600-h/david-letterman.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301458866625565250" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 265px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIVUrHCEDlcvemwKQWs3NPdpZrYf46PWErnnnwXL8ybSD_vsyM2xRIS4nqZNfpSG7QZ3DpaKtcyfzZ-bu4BwZ1DwSP9zsSRFCFo8c9IPdMcvGO7T89ZMQfLA15aeJQP_cgV8K-lUWMihU/s400/david-letterman.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>"OK, kids, here's tonight's top 10 list." *</div><br /><div></div><div>(Applause.)</div><br /><div></div><div>"Here are the top 10 rejected titles for the upcoming romantic comedy movie, 'The Bride & The Grooms.' I tell ya, Paul, this is quite the wacky concept. Wacky. Just wacky. Nuts, I tell ya."</div><br /><div></div><div>(Paul laughs.)</div><br /><div></div><div>"Wacky ... concept," Paul says.</div><br /><div></div><div>"Wacky," Dave says. "Wacky concept."</div><br /><div></div><div>"What's it about?" Paul asks.</div><br /><div></div><div>"You don't know?" Dave asks.</div><br /><div></div><div>"No."</div><br /><div></div><div>"But you were calling it a wacky concept."</div><br /><div></div><div>"I was calling it a wacky concept because you were calling it a wacky concept."</div><br /><div></div><div>"Paul, if you don't know what it's about, don't act like you know what it's about."</div><br /><div></div><div>"I'm sorry. Truly sorry."</div><br /><div></div><div>"No, you're not."</div><br /><div></div><div>(Paul laughs. Audience laughs.)</div><br /><div></div><div>"Dave, from the bottom of my heart, I'm sorry. ... So what's it about?"</div><br /><div></div><div>"I forget."</div><br /><div></div><div>(Loud laughter.)</div><br /><div></div><div>"No, I remember," Dave says. "It's about a woman who accidentally gets engaged to four men at the same time."</div><br /><div>"Accidentally?"</div><br /><div></div><div>"Accidentally."</div><br /><div></div><div>"How is that even possible?"</div><br /><div></div><div>"I don't know. That's ... (snapping his fingers) the hook, the big tease, the, the, the ..."</div><br /><div></div><div>"Wacky concept."</div><br /><div></div><div>"Exactly. Wacky concept."</div><br /><div></div><div>"Paul."</div><br /><div></div><div>"Yes, Dave?" </div><div><br />"Has anyone you know ever been engaged to four men at the same time?"</div><br /><div></div><div>(Paul smirks.)</div><br /><div></div><div>"Never mind." </div><br /><div></div><div>(Loud laughter.)</div><br /><div></div><div>"OK, here we go:"</div><br /><div></div><div>"Number 10 ... 'More Than A Few Good Men.' "</div><br /><div></div><div>"Number 9 ... 'Dude, Where's My Bride?' "</div><br /><div></div><div>"Number 8 ... 'May the Four Be With You.' "</div><br /><div></div><div>"Number 7 ... 'Four to One, She Doesn't Get Married.' "</div><br /><div></div><div>"Number 6 ... 'Here Comes the Bride ... Who is the Groom?' "</div><br /><div></div><div>"Number 5 ... 'Taylor's Mate.' "</div><br /><div></div><div>"I don't get that one," Paul says.</div><br /><div></div><div>"Well, obviously, Taylor is the bride's name. Played by ... let's see (checking note cards) ... played by a young, up-and-coming actress named Jacilyn Ledford."</div><br /><div></div><div>"Jaclyn?"</div><br /><div></div><div>"No, Paul. Listen. There's an 'I' in there. Jacilyn. Don't embarrass me. She's going to be out here in three minutes. Don't embarrass me by mispronouncing her name."</div><br /><div></div><div>"I will say it correctly, sir. Jacilyn."</div><br /><div></div><div>"Jacilyn."</div><br /><div></div><div>"Jacilyn. ... Wait, who are the four guys?"</div><br /><div></div><div>"I dunno ... let's see. Shaphan David Seiders, Michael Wendt, Christopher Leabu and Oliver Gray."</div><br /><div></div><div>"Is Michael Wendt related to George Wendt?" Paul asks.</div><br /><div></div><div>"I dunno, let's ask them. George Wendt and Michael Wendt!"</div><br /><div></div><div>(Audience applauds. George Wendt -- Norm from 'Cheers' -- walks out with up-and-coming actor Michael Wendt.)</div><br /><div></div><div>"So, are you two related?"</div><br /><div></div><div>In unison, George and Michael Wendt say, "Nope."</div><br /><div></div><div>"George Wendt and Michael Wendt -- not related!"</div><br /><div></div><div>(George and Michael Wendt leave to applause.)</div><br /><div></div><div>"Where were we?" Dave asks. "Oh, yes. 'Taylor's Mate.' "</div><br /><div></div><div>"Wait, why can't Taylor be the groom's name?" Paul asks. "There are men named Taylor."</div><br /><div></div><div>"Yes, of course there are, Paul. But if it's a guy named Taylor, that's giving away the ending if the groom is named Taylor and the title is 'Taylor's Mate.' "</div><br /><div></div><div>"Ah, you're right. Sorry. A thousand apologies."</div><br /><div></div><div>"Shall we go on?"</div><br /><div></div><div>"Please."</div><br /><div></div><div>"Number 4 ... 'The Ring 4' "</div><br /><div></div><div>"Number 3 ... 'Engaged in Conversation.' "</div><br /><div></div><div>"Number 2 .... Two words: 'Prenuptual Disagreement.' "</div><br /><div></div><div>"And the Number 1 rejected title for the upcoming romantic comedy movie, 'The Bride & The Grooms' -- which will be in theaters around the country April 24-26 -- is ...</div><br /><div></div><div>"Aisle: Be Sure."</div><br /><div></div><div>(Cue the band. Audience applauds. Snap out of daydream.)</div><br /><div></div><div>* I put these words in quotes because this is what happened in my daydream. In no way am I implying actual people named Dave and Paul said them.</div>Butch Maierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01876709774363132791noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5579481600479350053.post-25764832621097757092008-10-01T02:54:00.006-04:002008-10-01T03:00:58.045-04:00Movie poster<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUeApxnnAu-u8BkzzwhHfgBZfjO-yDbA0FujIt4w1-WmDBgq_ZM6i3-q4P5vo15TVyHIHu-NOnmlXhpIVXouK8MMPyvERQimrfT5vcqjjja7jiVhiZnhl7xOdZglnmNW1vWyUj_Hbvqfw/s1600-h/TBATGsquare_700x748_2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252076023635069090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUeApxnnAu-u8BkzzwhHfgBZfjO-yDbA0FujIt4w1-WmDBgq_ZM6i3-q4P5vo15TVyHIHu-NOnmlXhpIVXouK8MMPyvERQimrfT5vcqjjja7jiVhiZnhl7xOdZglnmNW1vWyUj_Hbvqfw/s400/TBATGsquare_700x748_2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>This is the version of the poster that will be on the front page of the movie Web site later this month. The trailer will be posted online today. Photographs by Meia Jones of Keepin' The Faith Photography. Design by Ryan Dawson. Toning by Doug Brumley.</div>Butch Maierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01876709774363132791noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5579481600479350053.post-78606040233564427012008-09-11T03:36:00.008-04:002008-09-11T03:45:30.221-04:00Hollywood paper trailWe got a front-page story about the movie in the West Side Leader:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.akron.com/akron-ohio-community-news.asp?aID=3304">http://www.akron.com/akron-ohio-community-news.asp?aID=3304</a><br /><br />... and that story, plus other online info, turned into a story on Film Stew:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.filmstew.com/showArticle.aspx?ContentID=17508">http://www.filmstew.com/showArticle.aspx?ContentID=17508</a><br /><br />... and that story was put on Yahoo! Movie News, and now Hollywood people are talking about "The Bride and the Grooms." Which is a good thing.<br /><br />I'll let you know more when I can.Butch Maierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01876709774363132791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5579481600479350053.post-63859560994252886802008-08-11T21:04:00.012-04:002008-08-15T15:20:48.948-04:00The Shoot, Day 3: No stunt doublesWednesday, July 16, was the third day of "The Bride and the Grooms" shoot, but it really was the first leg of a 12-day marathon sprint. We had 12 straight days of shooting, and they were long, crazy days.<br /><br />The first scene of the marathon sprint involved the use of an empty house, secured by realtor Ali Whitley of Cutler Real Estate. She got the owner, who was trying to sell the house in West Akron, to give us permission to use the home one afternoon. An odd request, sure, but that's what you have to do when you make an indie. We didn't have the money to rent out a home of our choosing. We had to work a deal where a realtor and realty company get publicity, a homeowner gets free advertising and we get our location.<br /><br />In the scene, Taylor Green, the lead character, jumps into the arms of her eventual boyfriend, Rich King, and he ends up on the floor. Fortunately, actor Shaphan David Seiders, who was portraying Rich, has camera experience, so we were able to get a shot from his perspective on the floor by handing him the camera. The people on our set are versatile and wear many hats (and not just because the University of Charleston supplied us with some).<br /><br />Later in the scene, Taylor slides across the floor and bumps her head on a wall. In a studio film, there would be a stunt double brought in who would resemble lead actress Jacilyn Ledford. In our indie, we would need to use trick camera angles to make it look as though Jaci's head was hitting the wall.<br /><br />Or, as was the case on set, Jaci would decide to ram her head into a wall three times.<br /><br />On purpose.<br /><br />For the sake of the take.<br /><br />Our scene reached a conclusion, and she received a contusion.<br /><br />Cut!Butch Maierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01876709774363132791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5579481600479350053.post-70909667504053328542008-07-30T04:25:00.007-04:002009-03-27T11:27:22.096-04:00The Shoot, Day 2<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidA1UK5Bf4Z3rfxd2O6b2M4MwICDR9EL4R1AELlOE46H3rPIBUnuGIO-OGRrt1IerbqYvLsV8fg9HCZYPQR8N3FWjWtoc_zJ-TJLk2bgmfqAeIRvTFbOddN9AYPDJOQ-krW9FJYpm-bsc/s1600-h/Sanctuary.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228728506259050562" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidA1UK5Bf4Z3rfxd2O6b2M4MwICDR9EL4R1AELlOE46H3rPIBUnuGIO-OGRrt1IerbqYvLsV8fg9HCZYPQR8N3FWjWtoc_zJ-TJLk2bgmfqAeIRvTFbOddN9AYPDJOQ-krW9FJYpm-bsc/s320/Sanctuary.jpg" border="0" /></a>Thursday, July 10, was the second day of the shoot for "The Bride and the Grooms," our feature-length romantic comedy. The first had been in February.<br /><div></div><br /><div>At this rate, the movie will be done in 2024.</div><br /><div>These, actually, were bonus days. A way to get ahead. We had a rough stretch ahead of us, so I scheduled this second day a week ahead of our marathon run. We could knock out some small scenes, one big scene and make our day, giving us confidence.</div><br /><div>We started with a scene outside of Bath United Church of Christ in Bath Township, Ohio. We had two Panasonic DVX100 cameras, three cameramen, a sound guy, five actors (Jacilyn Ledford as Taylor Green, Oliver Gray as T.J. Teodoro, Sara Rouse as Elizabeth Green, Steve Ryan as Mr. Green and Linda Ryan as Mrs. Green) two extras and myself, and everyone was well-rested, on time and ready to go. </div><br /><div>We knocked out the quick scene and moved inside to the beautiful sanctuary, where Director of Photography Christopher Gresham gave me a glimpse of the magic we would discover the rest of the month. A shot required a pastor (T.J.) to look at his congregation and notice a woman (Taylor), his longtime friend. </div><br /><div>Problem was, our congregation was comprised of eight people.</div><br /><div></div><div>We found a way to make eight people fill the frame, and Gresham created a shot where T.J. turned and Taylor was framed under his chin and next to his neck. Just as he turned, she smiled.</div><br /><div>I asked Gresham if he was proud of himself. He said no.</div><br /><div>He should have been.</div><br /><div></div><div>It's a possible trailer shot.</div>Butch Maierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01876709774363132791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5579481600479350053.post-87329429412236316742008-05-16T06:08:00.011-04:002008-05-16T06:44:09.140-04:00The Fresh Connection<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5200923402591839010" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHzZRbwXBCZ93ZPxnoU-zqsSJ2CLsAE5De8GjzkqEgj2GnRv8mP0nOHEpiPOvU57J0tqeTVPcGEBkMHTtzmYPw6EFJ_Lv-f2pHWEWoVxJRS0Y0yKwJUdp05w99s_8eybNdeIOjX2NFjf0/s320/enemy.jpg" border="0" />So my Dad and Stepmother went to a movie theater many years ago, and my Dad kept whispering comments to her such as, "I think it's him." My Stepmother finally asked him what he was talking about, and he said, "I'm trying to figure out who the enemy is." She said, "The enemy? What are you talking about?"<br /><br />He thought they had gone to see "Sleeping With the Enemy."<br /><br />They actually were watching "While You Were Sleeping."<br /><br />The first is a thriller, the second a romantic comedy.<br /><br />With that, I have to tell you about ... The Trailer Mash. Check out <a href="http://www.thetrailermash.com/">http://www.thetrailermash.com/</a><br /><br />Mashups either combine two or more movies to make a "new movie," or they portray one movie in a completely different way. Not only are a lot of them funny, it's amazing to see how the editing of trailers can twist a movie into a completely different genre. For those of you who have seen "The Notebook," the latest mashup is pretty remarkable, turning it into a horror film.<br /><br />I have neither the free time nor <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA0nsPKLzFbU_XPKTe4LqTJM8fvqK3jsoJ7GY0Lx0nfpplXP4f8gUMKEQdh8H_Ub6E-OhGD6EaBlItKtZmw5THODhuTXaKLzmLTHuAHQuF1g_OvrMM-iTHilIoKNXeeJ6ngvk5a4-a6BI/s1600-h/whilesleep.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5200923402591839026" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA0nsPKLzFbU_XPKTe4LqTJM8fvqK3jsoJ7GY0Lx0nfpplXP4f8gUMKEQdh8H_Ub6E-OhGD6EaBlItKtZmw5THODhuTXaKLzmLTHuAHQuF1g_OvrMM-iTHilIoKNXeeJ6ngvk5a4-a6BI/s320/whilesleep.jpg" border="0" /></a>the technology to post new mashups, but the way my brain works with connections, I can think of a ton of them. I have a list of dozens filed away somewhere. A sampling of what I can remember:<br /><br />1. While You Were Sleeping With the Enemy.<br /><br />2. Sleepless in Seattle Grace = Sleepless in Seattle and Grey's Anatomy. (Seattle Grace is the name of the hospital.) All of the female nurses and doctors would rush to meet Tom Hanks on the Empire State Building. (I know one's a TV show, but it was too good to pass up.)<br /><br />3. Caddyshark = Caddyshack and Jaws. (Though a golfer's assistant is really spelled "caddie.") Instead of a gopher under the green, it's a Great White. Bill Murray blows him up. The end.<br /><br />4. The Fresh Connection = Will "The Fresh Prince" Smith movies and The French Connection. Will runs and runs and runs.<br /><br />5. When Harry and the Hendersons Met Sally.<br /><br />6. Good Free Willy Hunting.<br /><br />7. Sling Blade Runner.<br /><br />8. The Bridges of Madison County on the River Kwai.<br /><br />For those of you with the time and the technology, let me know when you post those trailers.Butch Maierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01876709774363132791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5579481600479350053.post-23566075744494747642008-05-15T22:49:00.021-04:002009-02-11T04:46:43.486-05:00Screenplay in the snowOne scene down, so many more to go. <div><div><div><br /></div><div>In February, I thought up a scene to add to "The Bride and the Grooms," my upcoming romantic comedy movie. It required snow. While I was at it, I should have included children, animals and pyrotechnics. I am making my first feature -- why make it easy on myself?</div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0tKYeQV3UJssXKkcn3Ku47f7tx-ZiyilkeV-HpBbD-GzXKS4thDmQ2uTO84HNm__M3j5AkLA0-fJ0k2nB26y-MvejeyTnePoDwWUoPVKC-ji20mYF02J5v8Z-sJpV3VVqFxv0IM7v4sg/s1600-h/ohiosnow.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5200826134467486450" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0tKYeQV3UJssXKkcn3Ku47f7tx-ZiyilkeV-HpBbD-GzXKS4thDmQ2uTO84HNm__M3j5AkLA0-fJ0k2nB26y-MvejeyTnePoDwWUoPVKC-ji20mYF02J5v8Z-sJpV3VVqFxv0IM7v4sg/s400/ohiosnow.jpg" border="0" /></a>Even though Ohio winters go on and on and on, it was now or November.<br /></div><div>I did not want to shoot with fake snow -- mashed potato flakes, anyone? -- during productio<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIXMeMHDlR99Xkhx9eMyVedqS3BMQyvUvSZBpk8E4g_5fLfd87TOAkFYiwXbmO72CHAhRHeak6EgktWKZoVzIQVJIMK9DcsQtQieBdc4uZuWo5Uw0YFCa5TRbN0M9x-QF6S6zhPDC7nBU/s1600-h/mashed.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5200825936898990770" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIXMeMHDlR99Xkhx9eMyVedqS3BMQyvUvSZBpk8E4g_5fLfd87TOAkFYiwXbmO72CHAhRHeak6EgktWKZoVzIQVJIMK9DcsQtQieBdc4uZuWo5Uw0YFCa5TRbN0M9x-QF6S6zhPDC7nBU/s200/mashed.jpg" border="0" /></a>n in July. Gotta keep it real ... even though we were making a fake story. Ironic, no?</div><div><br /></div><div>So I met two brave actors and one brave cameraperson in a parking lot on a bone-chilling night.</div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>Lead actress Jacilyn Ledford not only didn't complain, she asked if we could do extra takes as bride-to-be Taylor Green. Oliver Gray, playing pastor-to-be T.J. Teodoro, offered a solid, consistent performance in his first scene and is funny as all get out. Camera operator Andrew Stone was efficient and effective as he made sure we quickly got all the shots we needed before we froze.</div><div><br />With a newborn, the footage sat on a shelf, unwatched until this week. </div><div><br />When I finally got a chance to piece the shots together, all fatigue -- from lack of sleep, from caring for my kids, from preproduction -- faded away.</div><div></div><div> </div><div>I was re-energized by seeing what we produced. It worked. Despite the obstacles -- the cold, the time constraints, the quickly written scene -- it worked.</div><div></div><div> </div><div>The scene was written with one song in mind and one song only. Molly Morgan's "Ohio" fits perfectly, from the tone to the lyrics, as it includes the line: "Can we go / Can we go back to Ohio / And play in the snow?"</div><div></div><div> </div><div>That's just one of five songs we are using that were written, performed and sung by the talented Ms. Morgan.</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7xWjzM8HADyrllQJ0P55sMs9cRMSAc1ovzhyphenhyphenSU0osMb-XSyxhi3rUZ7wOQ8ykqQvaLgWKW5rclWJ0mJ7Pp20mXQI0gN4HmislKBemo9Rkpgr_9GE3zm-Eso9ELF5ZSf8dXu-AWAtbuXY/s1600-h/molly.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5200826323446047506" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7xWjzM8HADyrllQJ0P55sMs9cRMSAc1ovzhyphenhyphenSU0osMb-XSyxhi3rUZ7wOQ8ykqQvaLgWKW5rclWJ0mJ7Pp20mXQI0gN4HmislKBemo9Rkpgr_9GE3zm-Eso9ELF5ZSf8dXu-AWAtbuXY/s400/molly.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />I can't wait to include the rest of the songs.</div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>I can't wait to see the rest of the movie.</div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>(To hear Molly Morgan's music, go to myspace.com/mollymorganmusic)</div></div></div>Butch Maierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01876709774363132791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5579481600479350053.post-3328938102645287732008-05-03T23:50:00.010-04:002008-05-04T00:57:52.040-04:00Beginning again at Bennigan's<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwfZo2PMGhuUPWHXfMfq5kihitG541R6qNoLapvEQt5ZwbQT3eH7ht1UYVSVCfrp0yKYialQqy-iRCcR2rN0AhjlpI-syXgWoCDfK3qzZYeDPUm6T-1CZD05H6WAkyxp2fKGHoNDOr2EA/s1600-h/shaphan.jpeg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196382102065995986" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwfZo2PMGhuUPWHXfMfq5kihitG541R6qNoLapvEQt5ZwbQT3eH7ht1UYVSVCfrp0yKYialQqy-iRCcR2rN0AhjlpI-syXgWoCDfK3qzZYeDPUm6T-1CZD05H6WAkyxp2fKGHoNDOr2EA/s200/shaphan.jpeg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Without a Taylor, it could have unraveled.</span><br /><br /><div><div><div><div>The first actress who accepted the lead role of Taylor Green in "The Bride and the Grooms" discontinued contact with me a year ago. No explanation. Very unprofessional. If that was how it was going to be, at least I found out in advance.</div><br /><div>So I posted ads on Craigslist and Neohiopal for a second set of auditions. These were to be held at the place that is synonymous with movie auditions: Donatos.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196379533675552882" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhX-URsTLlumsyw0oAadvOU81hjzj3_SuPwZTl6rmEW_U75eKvCC5d_FShdbgudFaXPFMYsVkB-lzYNPAXvizsQsGl-fBwaV0pU1e5VjegK8nL8lFDWLqCFOerPH-_75CLAObUSvVY4yQ/s200/kendra.jpeg" border="0" /></div><div> </div><div>The Montrose pizza restaurant graciously allowed me to take over the Party Room. I rearranged the tables and chairs before several <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5BhnE4MNzLwaNYY8QLfsQTx7qrjMMf6CkQK1UiB5Yj4pbiqtxabDMKZzxho0CcFNg2StbMlXlxA0kBlHIsmLEsGgmELBy6p-dE4g8pNL8Ow53ihLyyUyOIILonO5QMRAj8IKwCsBrM1Y/s1600-h/cari.jpeg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196379537970520194" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 131px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 164px" height="178" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5BhnE4MNzLwaNYY8QLfsQTx7qrjMMf6CkQK1UiB5Yj4pbiqtxabDMKZzxho0CcFNg2StbMlXlxA0kBlHIsmLEsGgmELBy6p-dE4g8pNL8Ow53ihLyyUyOIILonO5QMRAj8IKwCsBrM1Y/s200/cari.jpeg" width="148" border="0" /></a>actresses and a few actors showed up. The young women knew their lines and offered differing takes on the tomboy ballerina, Taylor. From those auditions, I cast the talented Shaphan David Seiders, Kendra Norris and Cari Kristoff in other roles, but I still was Taylor-less. The actresses, though adept, did not seem right for the part.</div><br /><div>It got to the point that I asked one of the waitresses if she had ever acted. (She hadn't.)</div><br /><div>When I checked my e-mail, I realized there was one actress who had contacted me but had been unable to come to the first two auditions. With nothing to lose, I set up a third audition at that other movie audition hot spot: Bennigan's.</div><br /><div>On that day in that Montrose restaurant, Jacilyn "Jaci" Ledford was the only actress to audition for Taylor. When her audition was over, I thought she was the only actress who could play<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu2FhGj0WR-FmPhpvCwE-C2PbAL-3AI4jeQZJ-Kj4RjiVg08X8OebKhMjju4LSx2-Hws80x6jtAGMst33KEA4rCPSliFK45JGYmergERtVsEtfsb8JgLWlzQw0GXftD8QoEyYQqvG2ypY/s1600-h/swingers.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196381951742140610" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu2FhGj0WR-FmPhpvCwE-C2PbAL-3AI4jeQZJ-Kj4RjiVg08X8OebKhMjju4LSx2-Hws80x6jtAGMst33KEA4rCPSliFK45JGYmergERtVsEtfsb8JgLWlzQw0GXftD8QoEyYQqvG2ypY/s200/swingers.jpg" border="0" /></a> Taylor.</div><br /><div>I thought about offering her the part on the spot, but I resisted. I called her the next day. It was a quick call, but at least I didn't pull a Mikey and scare her off. </div><br /><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0PUrNwvvBk">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0PUrNwvvBk</a></div><br /><div>As time has passed, she has only reassured me about the choice.</div><br /><div>When I was searching for a church to host the big wedding scene, Jaci offered to bake brownies to help influence the decision-makers. Not just any brownies, but ones <em>made with holy water and <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi30Lu6gQImk2gEHYBMs_zcOzxzPr0iwCZQjzkD5CCz9LE0wRSn6xExwIz4bwxCwu5Kp5SbISuqnkmK2mUdUlY7g1K1J0TkgmPTkb7Wooibii8c6vz_QP8pNDRr4-fnxfZODzbapuNIJWg/s1600-h/jaci.jpeg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196379537970520210" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi30Lu6gQImk2gEHYBMs_zcOzxzPr0iwCZQjzkD5CCz9LE0wRSn6xExwIz4bwxCwu5Kp5SbISuqnkmK2mUdUlY7g1K1J0TkgmPTkb7Wooibii8c6vz_QP8pNDRr4-fnxfZODzbapuNIJWg/s200/jaci.jpeg" border="0" /></a>covered in cross-shaped icing.</em><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj_ue22OPytKwKqM3dVRhVvjrgYUwC4fanVjjUjjKHe2vxtWBGYdA4uvVCUUrcmJ3edJBKlBbOKbkAI1pIMto7CHNWX861R3-vdvnUXkLS3fipPdvDRolxkvB5IDtGkJCa2Ww9CEECUZc/s1600-h/jaci2.jpeg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196379542265487522" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj_ue22OPytKwKqM3dVRhVvjrgYUwC4fanVjjUjjKHe2vxtWBGYdA4uvVCUUrcmJ3edJBKlBbOKbkAI1pIMto7CHNWX861R3-vdvnUXkLS3fipPdvDRolxkvB5IDtGkJCa2Ww9CEECUZc/s200/jaci2.jpeg" border="0" /></a><br />Yeah, she's Taylor.</div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div>Butch Maierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01876709774363132791noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5579481600479350053.post-3346232965910050992008-05-03T20:14:00.019-04:002008-05-10T14:11:12.663-04:00I'd like to meet our Taylor<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdq-kRXyJ5SsVdnxGOkx6L4TrAdy6dMFkry2C19s4k717RMNpw-jz2r1eLE7xiTgVp0i9M1HXwgCMo8EKzBOxMBZBijosJeneVuP1c__quFl7fVnQKF2wqINbuKn2wHR3EaK8Ql7OjH9c/s1600-h/werewolves.jpeg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196352668655116370" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdq-kRXyJ5SsVdnxGOkx6L4TrAdy6dMFkry2C19s4k717RMNpw-jz2r1eLE7xiTgVp0i9M1HXwgCMo8EKzBOxMBZBijosJeneVuP1c__quFl7fVnQKF2wqINbuKn2wHR3EaK8Ql7OjH9c/s320/werewolves.jpeg" border="0" /></a>In Warren Zevon's "Werewolves of London," there is the line, "I'd like to meet his tailor." Whenever it comes on the radio, I sing along (if there is no one else in the car, of course), imagining the line ending with "Taylor."<br /><br /><br /><div>"I'd like to meet his Taylor."</div><br /><div>Taylor was going to be the name of my daughter, if my wife and I ever had a daughter.</div><br /><div>We had three sons.</div><br /><div>So all of my scripts have a Taylor in them. Some have side characters named Taylor. In "The Bride and the Grooms," Taylor Green is the main charater. I wrote the part of Taylor Green for Jennifer Garner, a Golden Globe-winning, Emmy-nominated actress who has carried several movies on her own. Since Jen was unavailable, I had to look elsewhere.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWIJHRwVMhDP6URCn7Diic1LV1lIJP0uQjU-3JamcDLk9T3azT3mbYzU4BhHaqrsCrF-_cUs8xfae27DRVOqsAsqEQh1wAQP1pes7T2duYflMv-rePhjn6xqajT695w-L1F7ygmzChu9Q/s1600-h/garnerglobes.jpeg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196352080244596786" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWIJHRwVMhDP6URCn7Diic1LV1lIJP0uQjU-3JamcDLk9T3azT3mbYzU4BhHaqrsCrF-_cUs8xfae27DRVOqsAsqEQh1wAQP1pes7T2duYflMv-rePhjn6xqajT695w-L1F7ygmzChu9Q/s200/garnerglobes.jpeg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div>So my expectations for the actress who would play the lead role in "The Bride and the Grooms" were, I guess you could say, raised.</div><br /><div>Through the roof.<br /></div><br /><div>Sky high.</div><br /><div>Which is why the audition process started a year ago. I had made the bold proclamation that I was going to make a feature-length romantic comedy movie, and I had to find actresses and actors to play the parts.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0SJtJlWZe-QK75y3rRAjJQDZ4UeID7qiSwNQAXMJQVBeVQFLd4s5rECIBT6P1BcxKE0Upt7r5KXAEOD9sgIwlaGznkuPjXBaDY48s1nEe2DDOVkpnjiBbyUJoRUv-MvKt_SQ4J6_9PAo/s1600-h/wendt.jpeg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196352080244596770" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0SJtJlWZe-QK75y3rRAjJQDZ4UeID7qiSwNQAXMJQVBeVQFLd4s5rECIBT6P1BcxKE0Upt7r5KXAEOD9sgIwlaGznkuPjXBaDY48s1nEe2DDOVkpnjiBbyUJoRUv-MvKt_SQ4J6_9PAo/s200/wendt.jpeg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><div>Oh, and did I mention that they all had to accept deferred pay? I needed great actors who would work for no up-front money.<br /></div><div>This should go well.</div><br /><div>On a Sunday afternoon in the basement of the Madison Branch of Lakewood Public Library, near Cleveland, Ohio, actresses and actors lined up outside the door to perform lines that I had written. It was a surreal experience. For years, I had thought up these lines, changed them, tweaked them and finally showed them to others. And these people, whom I had never met, were not just saying the lines. They had memorized the lines and were performing th<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEiqPYhCIyI9uM0JYigz1mx_Jj6pljoHAVU2OAaWWlz7jw75m-R4izr6asVKWST_ZXxqOzBbesXOcKzHW6eZQnlyczVbVozmHhA4N0NUJI8uwtnnc2rmM1SkCxAYHxxl8Zfd8ltyFmpeQ/s1600-h/wendt.jpeg"></a>em in character.</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVlxtLoPHOIPo0R6sbl00pDGdvFy1u2S9bOPjTQtPDj2RfyrgtmjPszjqK3UREVtcndRVZ1Oa-PVM5AhZ6OThY1QJzQtXizhNODf_RUOxZnmYdxX69I7D-7HUFmvPdxy5ZZkayezFeMHA/s1600-h/melissa.jpeg"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4LYIngXg13eoi6BIk-6pgXH1Fc-mnhgoo77Z3ybCUXiP864cUuIPvKqwRIaPMyJKcwSP2IHdp6PVa93LRVH8eg-_3KDB-0Z9ALngQrZARNfiiSGak6mjN_uJ7SXzPhOSpgMjBn8CY5BQ/s1600-h/MelissaLogsdon(debra)new.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5198812891751653202" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4LYIngXg13eoi6BIk-6pgXH1Fc-mnhgoo77Z3ybCUXiP864cUuIPvKqwRIaPMyJKcwSP2IHdp6PVa93LRVH8eg-_3KDB-0Z9ALngQrZARNfiiSGak6mjN_uJ7SXzPhOSpgMjBn8CY5BQ/s200/MelissaLogsdon(debra)new.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Surreal.</div><br /><div>Many of the actresses, of course, wanted the lead role. They wanted to be Taylor. I wanted one of them to be Taylor. I needed one of them to be Taylor. She is the anchor of the movie. As I said hello to them in the hallway and had them sign in, I thought, "I'd like to meet our Taylor."</div><br /><div>There were several impressive performances. In that first audition the hilarious Michael Wendt and Melissa Logsdon (both pictured) won roles. I cast another actor and another actress who would end up moving to California and had to back out. </div><br /><div>Surprise of all surprises, I also cast the role of Taylor.</div><br /><div>The actress nailed the audition, and I could not believe our good fortune. I thought she would be the most difficult person to find. But here she was. We talked over the role, she accepted my offer and I brought her the script.</div><div><br />And I never heard from her again.</div><br /><div>(To be continued. Next: Beginning again at Bennigan's)</div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhka3vFVmaB18hE-m2GhWugUYkw4KEVfLJwpIKfq7JX3DXFdFUJlUgmD5r_hXiWE1EVg6nRpMUd1su4xGOAcimMgToGB-N59axItQ3ChMvnu28XpKriUgK-KPSJmHqrJv-KzCY1L9E-MXs/s1600-h/melissa.jpeg"></a></div>Butch Maierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01876709774363132791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5579481600479350053.post-32173938351780946192008-05-03T03:15:00.023-04:002008-05-03T06:20:33.946-04:00The Spy in the CafeteriaAfter almost straight-A-ing my way through ninth grade at a public junior high in Charleston, West Virginia -- the only B I got on my report card was for a 92 in first-semester History; at that school, you needed a 94 for an A -- I thought I needed to better my chances of getting <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196080079965740786" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg23EFOMYQlN44Y4n4D4OpbsKx4Ja0ZUziKHaVDx5-n_2PlSwKAx7Pp8ju5x8f7dLeEacTvoPnbJuOR8V-ONG_DAI22T0R-CDtkH8SVzexvjKS3CT3NJ1V3gmEDH2NR66gOZ-N5vkuw3h8/s320/garnerall.jpg" border="0" />into my dream school, the University of Virginia.<br /><br />So I decided I had to go to The Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Virginia. The "The" indicated my grades would be taken more seriously.<br /><br />I got horrible grades and had to move back home after a year.<br /><br />(Thank goodness my Dad did not make me stay all through high school as his father made him stay at Episcopal's rival school, Woodberry Forest.)<br /><br />During the year away, I received several letters from my Charleston buddies who were at George Washington High School. (Yes, letters. Through the post office. This was before e-mail. Yes, I am old.)<br /><br />I read all about the amazing-looking twins who would go on to become The Homecoming Queen and The One Who Should Have Been Homecoming Queen. I read all about all of the pretty girls while the only girl at prep school I would see for several months was the chaplain's daughter.<br /><br />And when I say "see," I mean I would see her around campus. From afar. I think the closest I ever got to her was when I held the door for her. And I think I held the door open for a good three minutes during her approach.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ4ZqQcmRwkZte9Yjg5g2gFqGO7dWcZ3dEuYgfLfqsLj47HKo3FedcjGx5WQQxrHGMzxZXeBQ5zt57lj3mNg0wiFI6vPp7uTs07i58n1NxeTSLU1PekU9j8vMVsavj-E25rJENyecKvYM/s1600-h/gagegarner.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196091307010252738" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ4ZqQcmRwkZte9Yjg5g2gFqGO7dWcZ3dEuYgfLfqsLj47HKo3FedcjGx5WQQxrHGMzxZXeBQ5zt57lj3mNg0wiFI6vPp7uTs07i58n1NxeTSLU1PekU9j8vMVsavj-E25rJENyecKvYM/s200/gagegarner.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />So everyone else from my junior high had a year head start on me for getting to know the ladies. Fortunately, by virtue of my friendships from ninth grade, I was "allowed" to sit at the "cool" table of underclassmen in the cafeteria as I tried to catch up in the socializing race in 11th grade.<br /><br />Little did I know there was a future spy in the cafeteria. Not just in the cafeteria. At the table, sitting near me. She had a pretty face, caring eyes and a sweet personality. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9EMtF8ZrHVFg24c4K9FVLBZFVF_Xd3TWgIVpMwr7ngSd4PEBV7wL2n_IsfwoaVVkvxDH5tU7wqtQZv805klsGec-Ft2dDnmwCC5slk_VI4Rmxb2YFe09i_aViZs9KOf8K71Xwm2YJSiQ/s1600-h/garnerjunior.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196080088555675426" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9EMtF8ZrHVFg24c4K9FVLBZFVF_Xd3TWgIVpMwr7ngSd4PEBV7wL2n_IsfwoaVVkvxDH5tU7wqtQZv805klsGec-Ft2dDnmwCC5slk_VI4Rmxb2YFe09i_aViZs9KOf8K71Xwm2YJSiQ/s320/garnerjunior.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />And she talked to me.<br /><br />I found out that she was a 10th-grader and took ballet. This girl was opening the door for me. How so?<br /><br />"I took ballet for eight years," I said.<br /><br />"Nuh-uh." she said.<br /><br />She didn't believe me. Why didn't she believe me? You would think if I was feeding her a line, I would think of something other than "I took ballet for eight years."<br /><br />Well, I will show her, I thought. So the next day, I brought in proof -- a 5x7 photo of me wearing ballet slippers my Mom had spray-painted white, fringe-covered white pants, a fringe-covered white vest and a pink-and-white Native American headdress my Grandma had <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKwnikJCcRubqluCFXTPyeU7iVubiksvDOCjERRZWlq8X3MvviqFDT_LXSivvByIewMRQAoPoS2Nef_Yg7sDM0N2Vmh7olV_83VFm667oieV0dmHVq7vtColzXi_2Nd4ZT9LNKXhe5sQg/s1600-h/alias_wallpaper_01.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196091461629075410" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKwnikJCcRubqluCFXTPyeU7iVubiksvDOCjERRZWlq8X3MvviqFDT_LXSivvByIewMRQAoPoS2Nef_Yg7sDM0N2Vmh7olV_83VFm667oieV0dmHVq7vtColzXi_2Nd4ZT9LNKXhe5sQg/s320/alias_wallpaper_01.jpg" border="0" /></a>made for me.<br /><br />And I wonder why she never went out with me.<br /><br />Actually, she had a boyfriend. Not that she would have gone out with me had she not had a boyfriend, but I am sticking to the story that the reasoning was she had a boyfriend.<br /><br />Not that I was a shy nerd. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig_i2G5xEqRqUBtntrNY35-IBF1WU6bSGzs-3Myc28-sgVDs9YwrgIO-8AEp-1ARYry5j3iUKnuSLHdhyphenhyphenXPrarYs6qyYcuYZsMJI9Kfy-HL8OTNtOppu0vZlFGECP1ZtYxjtLuOguJP6M/s1600-h/alias_wallpaper_01.jpg"></a><br /><br />Or that I used to wear a pink-and-white headdress.<br /><br />A decade later, I saw her at a Christmas Eve service at church. She walked right up to me and gave me a hug. I was stunned. I stammered as I got her address and told her I was going to write a screenplay for her one day.<br /><br />Another decade later, I am finally making that screenplay into a movie. I tailored the main character, Taylor, after her. She is from Charleston. And a ballerina. And has a lot of guy friends.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg6xAI3BDn-DQuDT_zuNLlk5cXUVLb87w76m5qA9kmkHwHwQ311J_PHT5atxTHVzl8VOmbzZHnhJwCc-g_LIx96Z6pprNA_COmViXFQfLavz3jaHe8DMnzJr02Rer1BFi3dce4ybbJwNU/s1600-h/affleck_garner.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196087463014522754" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg6xAI3BDn-DQuDT_zuNLlk5cXUVLb87w76m5qA9kmkHwHwQ311J_PHT5atxTHVzl8VOmbzZHnhJwCc-g_LIx96Z6pprNA_COmViXFQfLavz3jaHe8DMnzJr02Rer1BFi3dce4ybbJwNU/s400/affleck_garner.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />And that girl from the cafeteria won't be in the movie. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTOkz2EIR_nFSBdsc-Hv4sYe1yBkMpN9QvSmylwvDoXzNWOf_Q_pT2LzmzJisEI_kw1zoSXUpTuktJ5IFD96Wl7XA8R_wBZiRhSGim9TjoK1hC5zHilJTy4wSXRX_80fzh2imFo-j-lwM/s1600-h/alias_wallpaper_01.jpg"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTOkz2EIR_nFSBdsc-Hv4sYe1yBkMpN9QvSmylwvDoXzNWOf_Q_pT2LzmzJisEI_kw1zoSXUpTuktJ5IFD96Wl7XA8R_wBZiRhSGim9TjoK1hC5zHilJTy4wSXRX_80fzh2imFo-j-lwM/s1600-h/alias_wallpaper_01.jpg"></a><br /><br />She became a spy.<br /><br />And got a new boyfriend.<br /><br />Maybe they will attend the premiere.<br /><br />If they show up, I'll be the one holding the door open. I'll even wait longer than three minutes.Butch Maierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01876709774363132791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5579481600479350053.post-340314897042638462008-05-02T01:22:00.002-04:002008-05-03T13:33:59.523-04:00Engaged in Conversation<span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Here comes "The Bride." It's just 11 weeks away.</span><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Production for "The Bride and the Grooms," an independent romantic comedy movie, will commence on July 18 in Akron, Ohio. My first feature as a writer, director and producer is about a woman who accidentally gets engaged to four men at the same time. </span><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Happens all the time, right?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">The script has gone through several changes over the years. The original title was "One Bride for Seven Brothers," because Taylor Green accidentally got engaged to seven fraternity brothers. Seven got trimmed down to five, in part because the story was so unbelievable, but also because the characters were not developed enough.</span><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Fz7fMcpKtL3lDfKci59GrNdsP3YyVWQ7Qz0z3emxIl-pcGTAn13olCZxZ6eqTw7bmK2SGBglEGvRNr3P4sPVALh8uD7kbgPamV0QMoUJNDNS2xj0oJgq0k4vKLmqnpf4vjIAq7EsHxc/s1600-h/weddingrings.jpg"></a></span><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Enough? OK, at all.</span> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Fz7fMcpKtL3lDfKci59GrNdsP3YyVWQ7Qz0z3emxIl-pcGTAn13olCZxZ6eqTw7bmK2SGBglEGvRNr3P4sPVALh8uD7kbgPamV0QMoUJNDNS2xj0oJgq0k4vKLmqnpf4vjIAq7EsHxc/s1600-h/weddingrings.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196205578910130146" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Fz7fMcpKtL3lDfKci59GrNdsP3YyVWQ7Qz0z3emxIl-pcGTAn13olCZxZ6eqTw7bmK2SGBglEGvRNr3P4sPVALh8uD7kbgPamV0QMoUJNDNS2xj0oJgq0k4vKLmqnpf4vjIAq7EsHxc/s320/weddingrings.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">"One Bride for Five Brothers" is a play on words off of a play on words, so that wasn't going to work. I needed a new title, and I also realized I needed to take out one other potential groom. Three guys were history, so I took their histories and spread their characteristics around to the remaining four. Now I had fully realized characters. I just hadn't fully realized the perfect title. I thought about it and thought about it, brainstorming every title I could think of until I came up with a new title that I thought was brilliant:</span><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">"Engaged in Conversation."</span><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Problem was, every reader, writer and producer in Hollywood who saw it hated the title. I couldn't believe it. They didn't go for the script, either, obviously. Not so much because of what it had. It's what it didn't have: sex, nudity, drugs, weaponry or F-words. </span><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">I was not going to put that stuff in just to satisfy Hollywood. I am making this movie because I have a story to tell, but also because I believe there are not enough smart, entertaining movies appropriate for the whole family. So with no buyers, I decided to make the movie myself. And I came up with a title that was simple, straightforward and to the point.</span><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Voila. "The Bride and the Grooms."</span>Butch Maierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01876709774363132791noreply@blogger.com0