This past weekend, I wrote, produced, and directed my seventh film for the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge. Ever since meeting the events creator, Nic Novicki, I’ve been passionate about disability inclusion within all my work. The event’s purpose is to elevate people with disabilities in creative media. More than 20% of the world has a disability, and if you live long enough, you’ll have one too! Shockingly less than 3% of characters in TV and Film showcase any form of disability, and less than half are cast authentically. So last week, 115 teams from around the world gathered to make romantic short films showcasing the talent of one or more persons with a disability.
Here’s a little behind-the-scenes of our film…
My inspiration for Smash or Pass was based on the last year of my dating, where for the first time, I used apps to meet women. It’s a strange world for a guy like me who usually meets people at bars, events, or through mutual friends. But, in this post covid world, those opportunities seem less frequent. Rather than be lonely, I turned to technology. On my first dates, I’d hear horror stories from women about how men present themselves, I could only imagine how much harder it would be if those women had a disability. So I outlined my concept, and after casting the film’s star, Joci Scott, I sprinkled in details from her own experience as a wheelchair user.
With the short turnaround required to participate in events like this, I like to keep my cast and crew small so we can move fast. This year I was blessed to reconnect with cinematographer Andy Chinn, who not only shot the film but also did all the lighting by himself. He was a one-man camera operator, gaffer, electrician, and grip. Quality is hard to balance when one person must wear many hats, but Andy was able to make the film and all its actors look amazing.
It’s important to have a trustworthy cast and crew, just as important is having great sets. To pull my film off, I needed two key locations; a hip business and a multifaceted restaurant. The day Andy agreed to shoot the film, he suggested a combination furniture store and 35mm photo lab that had just opened in his neighborhood. Siphonophore is owned and operated by Jorge, Omar, and curated by Adday. With some begging and a guarantee of respecting the space their customers, the three of them kindly gifted us two hours to film our scene. Both minimalist and spiritual, the space fit the film perfectly as an upscale business for actress Diana Elizabeth Jordan to portray a quick-witted friend and entrepreneur to our lead character.
Talented people are important to make a good film, but so is friendship. In the two weeks leading up to the challenge, I almost pulled the plug. The struggles of casting, locations, and crewing up for a shoot with nearly no budget are extra hard in a town full of professionals. If it wasn’t for the moral support of Diana Elizabeth Jordan and the above-and beyond-sacrifices of Hair & Makeup Guru/Co-producer Val Harvey, this film wouldn’t exist. They solved problems and coached me through the rough spots long enough for all the right puzzle pieces to fall into place.
I went to a dozen cafes and restaurants, pitching my film and the goal of the challenge. My heart began to break, thinking we’d not find our key location. The day before our shoot, I pulled into Cheebo, an icon of Sunset Blvd. George, the GM, liked the concept and took a chance, noting it was his first week on the job. So, my screwing up was not an option. I’m proud to say not only did we finish on time, but the shots we got were amazing and created a dynamic date montage for the film.
Every film must be light on its feet as changes come. The camera slate in the photo below shows the original title of the film: Dessert. Once I got into the edit, I mulled over themes and decided not only is Smash or Pass more evocative, but it better serves the dating app and editing style we designed for the film. So Dessert was out and Smash or Pass was in.
I had a specific vision for this film. Quick match-cut edits inspired loosely by the style of Wes Anderson. This meant a lot of camera setups (different camera placement) and attempting to match similar shots with different actors. Again, Andy (cinematographer) understood the assignment, and every actor brought their A-Game to make my vision happen.
That’s a wrap! At the end of the shoot, the camera, lights, and sound gear are packed up, and the cast and crew go home. For me, the film is only halfway done because it’s time to edit. After an underwhelming first edit, I had to switch editors, and again friendship saved the day. I re-connected with Nathan Cox, who had been busy editing for Sketchers the last few years. He said, "I’ve been itching to do something narrative, but… I have covid.” So we social-distanced as I handed off the hard drive, and he got to work late Saturday night. By 6 am Sunday, I had a new edit of the film that was 80% great. While Nathan slept, I made notes, and over the phone a few hours later, adjustments were made, sound was mixed, and we uploaded the film just before the 6 pm competition cutoff. We were done!
We can’t wait for you to see the film. I’ll send a link when it’s posted on the challenges website, along with the 115 other entries from around the world. Each promises to be a family-friendly, romantic short showcasing a variety of amazing people and stories. So make tomorrow night a movie night!