It’s been a great three years since the last time I stepped behind the camera as director of any independent film (the last was my debut feature “House of Secrets” which I am still finalizing the final edit) but I decided that it was time for me to jump into the HD market. I’ve been on the set of several HD shorts and features including as production manager on the feature “Between Love & a Hard Place” and the short films “Reflections” and “Hesitation” (which I helped produce).
The screenplay for “Primal” had been written almost two years ago and was initially designed to be my calling card for an eventual feature that I wanted to film. I was originally going to shoot the film last year with director of photographer Ron McLellen (a director himself of such films as “Jack O’Lantern” and “Bad Land”) on mini-DV format in 24P. We were all set to film last year on the XL-2 camera but we lost the location for filming and were forced to wait until the location became available again.
In the meantime while I waited to continue filming on “Primal” McLellen and I edited my previous short “The Old Woman & the Park(s)” and began editing my previously mentioned feature in addition to my continuing my production manager duties on the Southlan-Films production “And All Through the House” (a Christmas themed horror feature). As we finished post-production on “And All Through the House” the location for “Primal” once again became available and McLellen & I set upon the task of prepping that film. The only difference being that McLellen had traded in his XL-2 for the XL-HD1 and this film would be his first film using the camera.
Following a very quick pre-production period as my main actress Jennifer Mercurio remained committed to the film despite the repeated false starts and long delays, I was forced to recast my other male lead due to the actor’s other prior obligations. I quickly found a great replacement in actor Ian Isaksson, who McLellen had just cast in his newest feature “All Hallow’s Evil.” I had met Isaksson during his casting audition for that film (which I am also production manager on) and thought that he would be a good fit for my film. To round out the cast I cast the always reliable Lynn McArthur (whom I had worked with on the Southlan-Films production “Halloween: Return of the Sandman” and “The Man in the Lake”). We had just finished working together on her short film “Wide Awake” (in which I starred as a Reporter) and I knew she wouldn’t mind doing me a favor. I also cast her son Gabriel Parker (also from “Wide Awake”) and Joshua Haire, who has worked on many local Georgia productions including the TV series “The Vampire Diaries” and “Teen Wolf.”
After over a year of waiting and delays I was finally ready to get back behind the cameras and with a great cast in hand and a reliable director of photography I didn’t see any problems at hand but like any independent film production there would be hurdles to jump and rivers to cross before I reached the finish line with a film that would be ready for public consumption.
TO BE CONTINUED.