So Much To Talk About

I've been so busy working that I haven't had time to even blog!

Let's start off with Roundabout American. Roundabout was an indie feature film that Boris Wexler concepted years ago when he came from France to the US.  I initially jumped on board in the pre-production/funding stage.  Julian Grant came on as the Producer which I was very excited about. I got the chance to learn from an incredibly experienced Producer/Director with innumerable resources and stories to share. I was the Line Producer, and we shot 21 days in July and early August.  From there, I immediately switched gears to work on a Dreaming Tree Films project.

Mary Kay Inspiring Stories. MKIS was a great female empowerment program designed to not only increase the awareness of domestic violence, but also encourage the purchase of the Beauty that Counts lipsticks that $1 of each sale is donated to shelters ending domestic violence.  I was the supervising producer down in Los Angeles, overseeing 3 documentaries, each starring a celebrity voicing over the docs. We had Maria Menounos, Joanna Garcia Swisher and Alexa Vega as our stars.

They were incredible women and it was a great experience. Hearing the stories from the victims of domestic violence only makes you realize how lucky you are if you never witnessed that growing up.

Call Me on Tuesday. Shortly after I returned from MKIS, I headed down to St. Louis to work on the indie feature film, "Call Me on Tuesday." The film starred Jason London, Kevin Sorbo, Danielle Harris and Lochlyn Munro. 

It was a real treat to get to work on a film in the St. Louis area as I got the chance to stay and catch up with my good friend Chad. I don't know how exactly we finished the film in 15 days of principle photography, but we did and it didn't even feel like work! It was an incredibly fun film to work on. We were blessed to work with the Sauget family, and shoot in Sauget, IL, which is essentially a town that's a sound stage. We could shoot wherever we wanted. We had access to the most amazing locations (a former industrialized Zinc plant!) that we would never have had access to before, or we would have paid an arm and a leg for it.

As the Unit Production Manager, I was responsible for keeping the budget on track, and keeping the camera rolling on set. I fielded any problems that arose, and created the environment for which the film could be shot. It was an amazing experience, and I'm so fortunate to have had it!

Currently, I'm back in Chicago. I have a few photoshoots lined up, as well as some transcription work. I'm going to be an extra in a TV Commercial shooting tomorrow out in Toyota Park which should prove interesting. All in all, it's been a whirlwind few months and I can't wait to see what the upcoming months hold.

Cheers,
CAE