Just five days until the first public screening.

Photo by Adam Robitaille

Christopher J. Boghosian knows where I live.

This recent post from writer-director Christopher J. Boghosian's blog is eerie. It addresses post-production issues that are right where I live these days.

*Got to meet Chris yesterday by phone (6/15). More on that later.

Q&A with Editor JETER RHODES

CHRIS WHITE: Jeter Rhodes…Editor for TAKEN IN…how did you and I first meet?

JETER RHODES: I believe my sister (Jennifer) first introduced us in the Year of Our Lord 19 and 87, when you were President of the Student Body at Irmo High School. I remember that you were already making films at that time, and I was making videos for fun. I also remember you suggesting making a film in the spirit of STAND BY ME with me and a few of my friend as the cast. We haven’t done that yet…have we?

CW: You edited (saved!) GOOD LIFE for me last fall. What was that like…editing a narrative-style short feature?

JR: Having edited mostly documentaries in the past few years, it was a refreshing challenge to work on a structured narrative motion picture. It was great working with you again…good practice for TAKEN IN.

CW: What did you think when you and I first reviewed the footage from TAKEN IN, after the shoot?

JR: I was amazed at the quality of the images Daniel McCord (cinematographer) had captured. He just keeps getting better! Also, I was pleased with the obvious depth of character the actors had accomplished with your direction. I was very concerned about the sound, though. It’d been well recorded, but I knew there was a lot of sound design work to do.

CW: What scenes seem to be working best at this point…what excites you the most about the film?

JR: At this point, all of the scenes work to further the story, which of course is the result of all the work we put into the project in post-production—after all the hard work you and your cast and crew had done in pre-production…and during principle photography. So, I feel confident that we’ve solved most of our early picture problems. I am most excited about how it is received by an audience of strangers.

CW: What were the biggest problems we had to overcome in the edit?

JR: After tightening up some of the inter-scene edits to smooth things out, the biggest challenge concerned audio mixing and fundamental sound design. Quality sound is difficult to achieve and generally takes more time to set right than editing the picture. I think that audiences are not very forgiving when there are sound problems.

CW: How would you define the role of a good film editor? What role should the director play during post-production…hands-on or hands-off?

JR: The most important quality of a good editor, editing mechanics aside, is the ability to understand the director’s vision, concepts, and ideas. The editor should be able to accomplish realized rough cuts of certain scenes when the Director is not present and when working with the Director, it is important to immediately incorporate any changes. Director and Editor must work together to make each shot in each scene move the story forward.

CW: So…what do we do next?!

JR: Let’s continue! When’s the next feature?

CREW

I don't require many boots on the ground to make a film like TAKEN IN.

I need a masterful cinematographer (like Daniel McCord), and calm and competent sound recordist (like Brian Fellers), a whip-smart line producer (like Jennifer Baxley), a resourceful production assistant (like Adam Robitaille), and...in post, a genius editor (Jeter Rhodes).

Were I acting in the film, I'd probably want an assistant director/script supervisor on set, too.

That's four to five people on the shoot, and Jeter editing afterwards. (Plus actors, of course.)

Films made with more people than that start to feel...I don't know, like "a movie." And film sets with just one or two crew members kinda feel like...a hobby.

Susanne Pelt

When you see the end credits for the film (after you look to find your own name, of course), be sure to note that "Producer" credit has been given to Susanne Pelt.

Susanne is the marketing and public relations person at South of the Border, and has been there for many years. We quite literally couldn't have made this film without her believing in us and making our locations available and affordable.

Every day we we on location, Susanne made something better for us, easier, more perfect. From finding us a water hose, to making IDs for our crew, to personally walking us in to various stores, restaurants, and attractions to help us find the perfect location for a certain scene or shot...Susanne was a tireless ally to me as a director, Jennifer Baxley as our line producer, and our entire cast and crew.

Thank you, Susanne!

Q&A with "Dillon," RONNIE GUNTER

CHRIS WHITE: Ronnie Gunter…"Dillon" in TAKEN IN…how did you and I first meet?

RONNIE GUNTER: We met over the phone several months, or maybe a year, ago. You'd seen a film I made and we talked about regional filmmaking for a while. I didn't meet you face to face until I arrived on the TAKEN IN set. I remember thinking that you sounded taller on the phone.

CW: What did you think after our first Skype meeting?

RG: I'd never Skyped before and haven't since and probably never will again because the marvels of technology are endless and I like things that are finite. The Skype meeting was a unique introduction to the cast and crew and added to the mystique of the project. I was glad we were able to do it.

CW: What’s the best part of making a movie at South of the Border?

RG: Not much travel time between locations. Everything's centralized.

CW: What was the funniest thing that happened during the shoot?

RG: My ten-minute Shake Weight work out with Robert [facility manager, ex-cop] at Reptile Lagoon. Those things are as absurd in real-life as they are on TV, but much harder to operate than they look. There's a skill involved...Robert had it, I didn't.

CW: What was the sweetest/sappiest thing that happened?

RG: Well, pretty much everything Jennifer Baxley did was sweet, especially the surprise Push-Up pops. That was sweet and they were sweet so...double sweet.

CW: Talk about the character of Dillon. Was he based on someone you know?

RG: I know a few people like Dillon. I think there have been times in my life when I was Dillon. There's something about feeling stuck in a situation, or a place, or a job, even if there are things about them that you like, that makes you desperate. Then, when something or someone different comes along, it's easy to cling to it, hoping it will pull you out. It's not that Dillon is unhappy with his job or even his geography, but he's smart enough to know that he's stuck.

CW: What do we do next?!

RG: Something...I don't know what...but something.

Q&A with Cinematographer DANIEL McCORD

CHRIS WHITE: Daniel McCord…cinematographer for TAKEN IN…how did you and I first meet?

DANIEL McCORD: I believe it was at an open studios event at Milagro Studios. I overheard you talking about film and butted into the conversation. That was it until you asked me to shoot GOOD LIFE. Being nosy does pay off.

CW: What did you think after our first scouting day at South of the Border?

DM: I thought it was perfect for the film, but I was scared there were too many locations I would want to shoot.

CW: What’s the best part of making a movie at South of the Border?

DM: Well, I could just say that everybody there was warm and cooperative, but really it's the availability of Blenheim Ginger Ale no matter where we were - I'm a bit of an addict. That and the incredibly lush visuals. It's hard to beat those.

CW: What was the funniest thing that happened during the shoot?

DM: You mean other than my constant joke routine? HEYO! I'm still laughing at the million references to Silk Stalkings. I'm going to have to go with the look on your face and how you ran away when that crocodile tried to bite my ass, though You were two fences away from him and still ran away. I was laughing the whole time as I didn't realize how close I was to getting ripped a new...well, you know.

CW: What was the sweetest/sappiest thing that happened?

DM: That's a tough one. That nobody killed anybody else...? Or maybe that we (almost) all had nicknames by the end of the shoot. Actually, Jen (Hot Lava Mama) bringing shots to take with me and Hops after a particularly tough scene probably takes the cake.

CW: Talk about the Canon 5D camera that we shot the film with. How did it perform? What lenses were used to create the images in the film?

DM: The camera was great once I learned how to use it that first day. I used a simple Canon 50mm f/1.8 for a majority of the shooting, as well as a Canon 17-40mm f/4 for the wider shots. I slipped on an 85mm f1/8 for a single shot, but I'm not sure if we went with it. I just might be a DSLR convert when it comes to shooting video. You can get the small cameras in more places and it doesn't distract from the rest of the scene - it's just like the new wavers going to 16mm for portability.

CW: What do we do next?!

DM: Well, I'm actually writing a film (this very moment, so you are distracting me) that I aim to shoot early Summer and complete before my 30th birthday at the end of August. There, it's in writing. Hold me to that. You can help if you want...you might not like my style, though.

REVISED ON LOCATION

Scene 12, as originally conceived, was to be an exterior. Instead, it was shot inside of an arcade due to wet weather. As well, sound man Brian Fellers's Camaro was way cooler than the pick-up truck I'd originally conceived for Dillon.

Brooklyn leans on a weatherworn bust of a sombrero-wearing man the size of a compact car. She smokes a cigarette, thinks. She is sad.

Soon, a rusty Chevy pick-up truck pulls up alongside. It is Dillon. But he’s not wearing a ball cap anymore. He’s had a shower.

“Hey.”

“Hey.”

“You still wanna go out?”

“I guess.”

“We don’t have to.”

“No, I…I want to.”

“I mean…it’s looking like the pending nuptials have been put on permanent hold. I’d understand if you felt the need to bow out gracefully.”

Brooklyn smiles kindly.

“You have such a romantic streak, Dillon. I can’t believe you’ve never been married.”

“I’ve never met anyone like you before.”

Touched, she looks back toward the motel…shimmering in the cold night’s air. She skips around to the passenger side of Dillon’s truck, gets in. They drive away.

SHOOTING UNDER A ROLLER COASTER

Photos by Adam Robitaille.

POST-PRODUCTION

Of all my talented TAKEN IN collaborators, I’ve known my editor the longest.

Jeter Rhodes and I met in the late 1980’s. He was making videos with Sammy Bean then…on a VHS camcorder. They were in middle school.

We reconnected as adults and he edited the documentary BRAGGING RITES: THE CAROLINA-CLEMSON RIVALRY for Jeff Sumerel and me. He’d graduated from The Citadel and the University of North Carolina School of the Arts since I’d seen him last. We became fast colleagues. And since that time we’ve worked on many smaller projects…most recently, GOOD LIFE.

Jeter and I have set up a Final Cut edit suite in my basement and are having a blast fitting all these gorgeous images together. Finally! We’re making a feature-length, narrative movie.

Jeter is a cinema genius. He thoroughly understands the language of film…how shots turn into scenes and scenes turn into movies. And he is always excited, full of ideas, ready to work. He’s a creative problem solver like few others.

Jeter daylights as a Weekend Editor for One Minute News.

MUSICAL SCORE

Excerpts from a recent e-mail exchange with our composer, Josh McGill:

“I was talking to a friend the other day about this gig and at a point I ended up inadvertently blurting something out that I have now come to adopt as a sort of personal mission statement for this film, ‘My job is to provide a counterpoint to what is being said, and a harmony to what is being felt.’

“This is a character driven story focusing on a first degree familial relationship. A complicated father/daughter relationship at that. It seems to me that this is the kind of sensitive situation where words can just seem to come out wrong, where there may even be no words at all to express the depths of that which is felt internally. A hidden dimension so to speak. Something that, in quite a mystical sense, is both shared by and unique to both father and daughter. A kind of coded language that comes from the extreme vulnerability and illusory exposure that the dynamics of family can so easily create.

“What I want to attempt with this music is to give that hidden dimension, that secret code, a voice in this cinematic caldron. To expose that which is unknowable behind the eyes of the father, and uncertain behind those of the daughter, in an attempt to accentuate the fragility of the story and hopefully, in turn, the impact of the catharsis as well.”

Josh McGill

Composer

Dallas, TX

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ON LOCATION \ IT'S A WRAP!