Tonight, October 7, 2022 from 8:15 to
10:00pm PST, First Friday Films Interviews Cast & Crew from the upcoming Inland Empire 2022 Rancho Cucamonga 48 Hour Film Project's "Sweetest Vacation".
PhilE: Hello. I am Phillip E. Walker-MFA, the Meetup / First Friday Films (FFF) Founder. I am going over to http://FirstFridayFilms.com to start the "Sweetest Vacation" Clips sneak preview and will return to this Meetup Discussion tab at 8:15pm for our chat.
PhilE: Elated to see you artists here at this October 7, 2022 "Sweetest Vacation" FFF Discussion, I thank all who have already arrived and who are still coming for attending this interview chat. So, who wants to start off by sharing their experience of creating a high quality short film in less than 48 hours time?
Hope Williams: Hello, Hope Williams here . . . Am I getting through?
Katherine Phillips: You are! Hi Hope!
Hope: Hi Katherine.
PhilE: Hey, Katherine & Hope ~ Glad you made it.
Katherine: Happy to be here Phillip!
PhilE: OK Team. ~ I guess I'll start with a question. For you, what was the most enjoyable aspect of last weekend's whirlwind of creation?
Hope: For me the most enjoyable aspect was the teamwork. Everyone present contributed to make a great short film.
PhilE: I know Hope ~ Over the decades I learned that a good production is ALWAYS proceeded by a smooth running rehearsal that meets each of its benchmarks throughout the process. That's in live theatre productions. For film the rehearsal is the shooting. And oh boy, because all 13 of us strived to do our jobs to the best of our abilities, the 48 hours was as smooth as could be expected. As a result, we created my best of the 66 short films in which I have performed. Go Sweetest Vacation Go!
Katherine: For me, it was seeing Ryan and John come at the Project with amazing enthusiasm and watching the faces of everyone as they joined in on it.
PhilE: I agree with you, Katherine. ~ Ryan & John's enthusiasm caught fire throughout the total Production Team . . . even for Margaret.
Hope: I loved the Trailer . . .
Katherine: I agree. The trailer was pretty good! I’m looking forward to seeing the whole thing on the big screen on the 19th!
PhilE: Yes, Katherine! ~ We're going to look pretty good on the Ontario Regal BIG SCREEN at 6:30pm October 19, 2022. Be there or be square!
PhilE: I’m also glad that Hope "Loved" the Clips. I think of her appearances in it like I do of Background performers - "there I am, there I am again..."
Hope: Phil ~ Exactly what I was thinking. :)
PhilE: Yes Hope. ~ When you see the Film you will note that you are the Party's Background Star! You didn’t have to talk to be an actor either!
Katherine: Absolutely! Hope was the star in the background. Honestly, if I didn't know something, Hope was the other person who knew what was going on.
Hope: I am trying to arrange a flight to CA on the 19th. Long shot, but maybe I can make it happen.
Katherine: Would be great to see you again, Hope!
PhilE: Oh yeah, Hope ~ What do you think about the Title that Ryan gave you for the Production?
Hope: :)
PhilE: Hope ~ Your work on securing design materials for the Film was top notch! I now understand how important that job is. Therefore, I'm asking right now for you to volunteer to Design the 2023 Rancho Cucamonga 48 Hour Film Project production.
Hope: I like the Film’s title, too. I remember that during the initial meeting, I commented that I was thinking about “Sweetest Vacation” as a tittle as well . . .
PhilE: Hey Katherine ~ Because I was not there for most of their shooting, I have a question for you about the Cup Cake Girls - were they also high?
Katherine: What do you mean, Phillip?
PhilE: I know the lead character was high. But how about those girls’ characters?
Katherine: I don't recall Ryan directing them to act high. It was pretty hot out there though and perhaps that might have had some influence on them.
PhilE: I see. To me, those characters seemed pretty loopie!
Dr. Ethel Pitts Walker: My favorite part of the weekend was getting to spend a few minutes with Hope.
Katherine: Hi Ethel ~ You're the best! Thank you so much for the food all weekend!
Hope: Hi Ethel ~ I am trying to come on the 19th . . .
PhilE: Wow Hope! ~ It would be the bomb if you could attend the World Premiere on Oct. 19th. Franklin will be working in Missouri that day, so he has asked me to film folk's reaction to our work. I don't know how I can do that in a dark theater.
Hope: Phil ~ Maybe you can observe as best you can during the Film’s screening, then conduct a few interviews after that.
PhilE: Yes Hope ~ I plan to do a lot of filming & interviewing with my new camera while at the "Sweetest Vacation" World Premiere. Maybe I'll create a little video that gives those who could not attend, a taste of what the experience was like.
PhilE: Also, Hope ~ When we obtained them late on Friday night, did you have any idea how pivotal the particular cup cakes that we selected would become?
Hope: I knew that we made the cupcakes a key part of the story line. When we selected them, I was not thinking anything but getting cupcakes. :)
Katherine: The cupcakes were brilliant! The only real problem was the heat! They melted and got all over everything and everyone!
Ethel: Why did the cup cakes have to be yellow?
PhilE: Well, Ethel ~ It was not just the color of the cup cakes but those PARTICULAR cup cakes had already been established in the 1st scene that we shot. So the additional cup cakes that are later seen in the "free cup cakes" stand had to be the same as those previously established. In fact, the Owl from those particular cup cakes ended up becoming the Film's logo!
PhilE: Katherine ~ During the Weekend as Assistant Director you turned out to be not only the person that Ryan the Director was often calling out to but also the person that everybody was calling out to. Like my character calling for Micheal Ronco. How did you feel about being in such an important position during our 48 hours of creation!
Katherine: It felt great being in such a pivotal position. The best part about it was getting to know each and every member of the cast and crew on a personal level.
PhilE: I know Katherine! ~ You killed it with your personal touch. Like being everybody's mommy!
Katherine: It was tough anticipating the needs of the production before they were needed. If the team was any bigger we might have required a 2nd AD.
PhilE: Sure, Katherine. ~ It was like you needed roller skates to keep up with all 12 of us.
PhilE: Wait! I've got to scroll up and read all of your comments. "Talk among yourselves" while I am reading to catch up.
Hope: All ~ It was fun participating in this Discussion. I must sign off in a few minutes. I have a Zoom meeting with my daughter in about 15 minutes. We are working on a project for tomorrow afternoon.
Ethel: Hope ~ Give Ebony and the family my love.
Hope: OK, Ethel ~ I will . . .
Katherine: Thanks for coming Hope. ~ It was nice hearing from you again!
Hope: Ditto Katherine. ~ Sounds like a plan. Signing off. Bye . . .
Ethel: I'm signing off too. Good luck to the entire Team and the Film.
Katherine: Lovely hearing from you, Ethel!
Hope: Actually, I am going to another screen to work with Ebony. Will sign off later . . .
Katherine: Phillip ~ Should we talk about the Bubble?
PhilE: Oh, The Bubble, Katherine! ~ I originally thought it was instituted because of COVID, but it ended up being a primary unifying force for our Team. So much so, that I'm planning to include a Bubble next year, even though it should not be needed for health purposes. What did you think about our 2020 NBA styled Bubble?
Katherine: What I think about our 2020 NBA styled Bubble was that not all of us are seasoned veterans. That Bubble, rooms for all of us, plus the Catering really pulled us together. It made it feel like a professional production! For a 48 Hour Film Project like this one, I don't understand how a cast and crew could work without one!
PhilE: Katherine ~ When you say "work without one", is that essential "one" the Bubble itself?
Katherine: Yes! To be honest it's hard for me to fathom a cast and crew not working so closely in such a time-sensitive production!
PhilE: True, Katherine ~ Plus, as a component of the Bubble, Catering was essential to our success. Being so humble, Ethel crossed out her Credit for the same when she proof read the Press Release. I think that meant that she did not realize how important her job was as Caterer. I put her Credit right back into that Press Release!
PhilE: As well, Katherine ~ I'm sure that all 48 Hour Film Project teams work very closely together. But the Bubble and the Victoria Garden's Cove AirBnB super charged that closeness for "Sweetest Vacation"!
Katherine: Absolutely! One of my biggest failures during this Production was not immediately adding everyone to my phone. When Ryan asked when food was going to be there I had to go back to the Call Sheet. There were several other times I had to go back to that Sheet too, so if there's anything I'm going to take away it's that I need to have the really important people's numbers at the ready.
PhilE: Sure you're right Katherine. ~ I need to do the same with my phone well before the Friday IE 48 Kick-Off.
PhilE: OK Team ~ It's getting late and we already have enough material to edit this Discussion into the first ever "Sweetest Vacation" published article. So, I have just one more big question for both Hope and Katherine.
PhilE: Since your Production Manager and Assistant to the Director assignments resulted in you two being the most knowledgeable about ALL aspects of the Production, what in your opinion is the single most important structural change that should be instituted next year, in order for things run even smoother?
Katherine: As an Assistant to the Director, I would have really liked a dedicated Production Assistant. Nearly everyone had several different roles but there wasn't someone in a dedicated role I could rely on to help me when I needed it. At one point, I needed someone to go between the house and the outside location. I ended up going instead when I should have been with the director. I ended up missing a whole scene. (The front of the house shot). That's all I can think of.
PhilE: OK, Katherine ~ I feel you there. I want you to be involved in the planning of Team members or at least the positions for next year. My feeling is that there are several positions that need to be dedicated. The problem is that there are only so many bedrooms at the Cove. The good news is that, once folk see what we did this year, we might have the pick of the litter in securing Team members for years to come. So, I'm sure that if we two start the planning early enough, then we can solve our dedicated position's needs.
Katherine: Would love to help with that next year Phillip.
Hope: A meeting with staff before we start working to delineate assignments in more detail. We have a better idea of what is needed, now that we have a Film in the can.
Katherine: That's a good idea Hope! I also agree with Hope about making roles a more prominent topic when we have our meeting before making the film.
PhilE: Katherine ~ I missed that comment by Hope but it sounds like a great idea.
PhilE: I see Hope's comment now. That internal meeting work was in my plan prior to our going to the IE 48 Kick-Off. But the Friday traffic for LA basin folk killed ALL of my Friday plans. That traffic thing is something which needs to be solved for next year. Maybe even call folk into the Bubble on Thursday?
Jacquetta Green: Hey everyone. Nice job! Loved it!
Katherine: Hey Jacquetta! Nice seeing you!
Hope: Hi Jacquetta . . .
Jacquetta: I loved working with the entire film crew.
Katherine: Loved working with you as well, Jacquetta!
PhilE: Glad you made it Jacquetta. You are going to love it when you see the entire Film, Oct. 19 on the Ontario Regal big screen. Also, can you make it to Sunday's 6:00pm film screenings at the Cove? I'm going to show a preview of "Juneteenth.Rocks" plus Release the "Sweetest Vacation" Clips during that hour.
PhilE: Additionally Katherine ~ Can you come on Sunday and stay overnight, so that you can attend Monday's 8:00am Indigenous People's Holiday Breakfest plus the talent manager auditions at 6:00pm that evening? I would really like it if Jacquetta could bring you on Sunday and I take you home on Monday!
Katherine: Is that this weekend, Phillip?
PhilE: Yes, Katherine. ~ This coming weekend celebrates Indigenous People. I will email our entire Team the Sunday & Monday 8th annual Indigenous Film Retreats schedule of activities. That Schedule is also in the mailing that was sent out just before this Discussion started.
Katherine: I'm open to going on Sunday, if Jacquetta is willing to bring me along.
PhilE: Cool Katherine! ~ I'll come and get you, like before, if Jacquetta is not available.
PhilE: OK Team ~ It’s well past 10:00pm now. So, we thank Hope, Katherine and Jacquetta for responding to our Meetup / First Friday Films Oct. 7, 2022 questions. Are there any last words that you would like to share with our readers?
Katherine: Lovely speaking with all of you again and have a great night! Katherine: For those of you reading this who are new to making films, get out there and start filming! Even if you only have a phone! If you're working with others more experienced than you pay close attention to what's happening. There are so many small things that need attention.
PhilE: That's perfect closing advice Katherine! Thanks!
Phillip E. Walker: To be the subject of a 2022 Meetup / First Friday Films Showcase, Register your under 16 minute film/video at http://FirstFridayFilms.online. ALL TOTALLY COMPLETED FORMS WILL BE SCHEDULED FOR SHOWCASING.
That’s a wrap! XXXXX
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