Wow, has it really been that long since we sent out an update? True, we’ve sent out plenty of updates in other media — Twitter, Facebook, and most especially the monthly Tohubohu Producer Podcast — but not so much in the way of longer, text-based updates.
So where to begin…
Well, we ventured once more into the waters of the 48 Hour Film Project with the drama “At Last.” Anchored by a star turn from leading lady Jennifer Massey, this film really proved to be one of our best to date (if also technically our shortest). Robin Brande got behind the typewriter (or laptop, as the case may be) again, William R. Coughlan sat back in the director’s chair (figuratively speaking, as there’s not a lot of time for sitting on set), and longtime Tohubohu “legal eagle” Kenneth J. Coughlan stepped up to produce. “Touched by a Lawyer” lenser Dan Foster traveled halfway across the country to shoot it (assisted by experienced videographer Andrew Albosta), and Dylan Hintz became Tohubohu’s first stunt coordinator (with an on-screen performance that truly must be seen to be believed).
The film itself grew out of the observation that people all too frequently find themselves obsessing over the idea of “apologies,” often to self-destructive levels. It’s rarely sufficient just to hear the words; we have an inescapable need to know that an offender feels genuine remorse for injurious actions — a result that can rarely be achieved in the real world. With that as a basic seed (coupled with our assigned genre and required elements), we were off and running.
The film premiered at the AFI Silver Theatre on Friday, May 11, and was later selected to screen as part of the “Best of the DC 48 Hour Film Project” showcase. We’ve already started sending it out to festivals, so stay tuned for updates as we have more.
Postproduction work has continued steadily on “The Lake,” and we (and by “we” I pretty much mean Tarakata Films head and “Lake” writer/co-director/co-producer/editor Tara Garwood — credit where credit’s due) finally completed picture lock. It’s been a bumpy road, but totally worth it to see the finished result. We’re preparing a cast and crew screening right now, and have already started shipping it out to the festival circuit (focusing primarily on genre festivals). We’re also in the process of cutting a trailer together, so all of you (not to mention a somewhat wider audience) will be able to get a taste of this engaging little character piece.
An affecting (and very personal) story and great performances from Bette Cassatt, Gale Nemec, Carl Randolph, and the aforementioned Tara Garwood really elevate this beyond a typical “horror” film to another Tohubohu must-see.
And never let it be said that the Tohubohu back catalog just sits on a (virtual) shelf: “All Roads Lead Away” just screened at Artscape, America’s largest free arts festival. They were looking to showcase a selection of “road movies,” and we happened to have a great one…
The Tohubohu Producer Podcast is still going strong, and we’ve covered some really great topics since our relaunch. In addition to our previews and recaps of the DC 48 Hour Film Project (including interviews with several participating filmmakers across the big weekend), we have so far covered topics such as DSLR filmmaking, festival submission strategies, casting, “signature shorts,” and film inspirations. Special guests have included BigTony of Crowded Elevator Pictures, Tara Garwood of Tarakata Films, Francis Abbey of Ciscovaras Pictures, Kelley Slagle of Cavegirl Productions, and Mark Ruppert of the 48 Hour Film Project. Upcoming episodes will delve deeper into the intricacies of film festivals and explore other topics of interest to filmmakers in the DMV and beyond, such as crowd-funding (with more expert guests to come). Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to keep up with the latest! Got a topic you’d like us to cover (or expertise you’d like to share)? Drop us a line and tell us about it.
Speaking of crowd-funding, I wanted to step back and take a moment to draw attention to a special project going on right here in the DC area, and ask you to give it a quick look. (Not a Tohubohu project, though Tohubohu “Jack of All Trades” Bjorn Munson is helping produce via our “sister company” Team Jabberwocky, “The Lake” star Bette Cassatt is a leading cast member and regular Tohubohu performer Nick DePinto is a key player.) Francis Abbey is developing “The Broken Continent,” a fantasy web series scheduled to shoot this September — if they can get the funding together. They’ve gotten a fantastic response so far, but there’s still quite a ways to go to reach their goal. I encourage everyone to check out the Kickstarter campaign page — getbroken.tv — to learn more, and visit the official site to get a glimpse into the amazingly detailed world they’ve created so far.
There are some pretty amazing rewards for larger contributions, but the beauty of crowd-funding is that a large base of small contributors can have just as much of an effect as an individual deep-pocketed “angel.” So hop on over, give it the once-over, and if you feel so inclined, pitch in to help make this happen.
That’s it for this update. We’ll send out another message when we have news to provide, but remember, to stay up-to-date on the latest, make sure to follow our Twitter feed, “like” our Facebook page, and subscribe to our podcast!