As part of our efforts to give you a glimpse into our story and characters before they finally make it into the final film, we’re conducting interviews with our cast and crew to get their insight into roles in this film and their careers in general. Now that filming has wrapped, we are into Post-Production and now have time to pester guys like our DP, Andrew Barrera.  One of the most common compliments I have gotten when showing off the trailer was “Wow, that looks like a real movie!”  That partially says what they think of us a producers.  But more so, it is a testament to the work of Andrew and his expertise shooting and lighting Cherry Bomb.  If you have any interest in how we “made it look like a real movie”, check out Andrews’ interview!  Below are the questions we asked him post-shoot and his responses:

1. How did you get into DPin/Camera work?

I don’t have an amazing story about when I was younger and had an epiphany or anything. I just always had an interest in photography. When I got into high school they had a tv program there where you would do the school announcements over the televisions in all the classes, and it all went from there. I received my degree from college in communications from St. Ed’s here in Austin where I dabbled in photography and film from a college level. I then flew out to Orlando for Disney College Program experience where I life-guarded at the parks and partied.

I had the opportunity to shadow a Producer from Extreme Makeover Home Edition when I was there and that is where I officially got started in the industry outside of school. I spent the next year or so working for a reality production company in Orlando where we produced shows like “Hogan Knows Best”, “True Life”, “Tiara Girls” “Fab Life Presents”, and a couple other MTV and VH1 shows. It was one of the best experiences I had. I took the time to learn the ropes, start from the bottom… learn the gear. By the time I left I was running camera and in the production side of it.

2. What camera was used to shoot Cherry Bomb and what factors went into making the decision to go with that camera?

I had little funding to get lighting and grip equipment. Which normally would be the biggest thing you spend and I already have the Panasonic HVX camera which was the first choice to go with. But I wanted to get less of a video look to something this important so I made the suggestion to use my M2 Lens Adapter to achieve shallow depth of field. Which unfortunately and if you know anything about these things, they are very problematic to small budget films. First being you need a lot more lighting equipment to achieve the look… and you need more people.

I had been on a few commercial shoots in recent months where we were filming on this new piece of equipment that achieved so much with little light. That’s where the Canon DSLR cameras came into play. For the cost of a small lighting package you can get a camera that does excellent in low light conditions and minimal lights and still achieve amazing shallow depth of field. Giving you that film look everyone wants.

We did a few tests at first and wasn’t exactly happy with the way things looked so we spent another day to get the proper equipment/ lighting and put a small 2 line script from the movie with Kyle acting, grabbed a friends 7D, and my HVX and shot the exact thing to compare the two. It was no contest… the 7D looked fantastic.

But there are countless drawbacks to that camera. One being that its not a film camera… it’s a still photography camera so the shallow depth of field made it a chore to have proper focusing all the time without an AC to help you. And due to the full CMoss Chip, it creates a sort of “Jelly” look to it when you move the camera around frantically. The camera overheats easily, and it required countless camera parts to get it to work like a real camera. But I decided to invest in it and got a minimal package to get this thing to work. And we used the HVX as a back up / multiple angle shots.

3. How did trying to achieve a 1980’s look affect the way you shot the film?

I didn’t do too much, for the most part because wardrobe and set design usually can get the viewer to believe its in the 80’s if it is done properly. However I based a lot of lighting with “Total Recall” and “The Goonies” Very contrast lighting. And because the 7D camera gives you a crisp and clear image David will be doing a lot of the “look” in post. i.e. adding film grain. I concentrated more on lighting properly with the small tools I had to give David the most amount of usable clean footage for him to play with and go crazy in after effects and color. Camera angles? Well that’s just having fun with a set.

4. Which shots/scenes from the film are you most excited to see in the final film?

That’s a tough one… unlike most people involved in the production, I already saw the whole film and every single shot and angle. I’m excited to see the finished product but if I had to pick just one that I am most proud of…ummm….well…. I can’t really pick just one.

5. Do you have a different approach shooting a music video versus shooting a narrative film?

Actually no… I try to separate myself with most music video directors, I’m not into that whole trippy stuff.. where you can put an abstract shot that doesn’t do anything but be visually appealing and create a 3 min montage of stuff that looks cool without accomplishing anything. Harsh way to put it I know.

I try to create a story, have it make sense, keep the audience engaged in more than just the song. Format it just like a film, with a script, story boards, and actors (depending on the song). People are naturally drawn to stories. The music enhances the“short film” and the “short film” enhances the music. Because of that, people remember it more.

6. You’ve directed a lot of videos for your brother, Granger Smith, and a lot of other artists. Did you ever want to pursue a career in music like your brother?

Not really, I started playing guitar before my brother but lost interest in it pretty quick. I’ve always loved music, don’t know a thing about making it but I love listening to it. So I guess making music videos for the guys is my way of contributing my love of music the best way I can.

7. What are some of your favorite movies and what are some movies you used as inspiration for the look/shots of Cherry Bomb?

Terminator, Total Recall… anything that Arnold is in are the basic movies to go by when creating “Cherry Bomb”. For me my favorite movies are the typical guy ones. “Big Lebowski” “Iron Man” “Nacho Libre” All the bond films, I have a general love for all films so my list can go on, but I love comedy.

Andrew Barrera: Shunning unwanted advances from DJ Morrison

8. DJ Morrison said your picture looked like a European Bikini model. Were you worried about being on set with him following that comment?

Not really. I was more worried about getting the movie done. But I’ll take good compliments when I can get them.

9. You’ve directed music video’s for several artists. Do you hope to move into directing feature films in the future or want to keep to the DP side of things?

I haven’t fully figured out where my career is headed. I do most work as a production manager, camera operator and producer. I will PA/ AC / Grip, any day of the week. I’m not a true DP and will never be nearly as experienced as some of the guys I work with in town… the big guys have 20+ years of experience strictly lighting. I don’t. I’m a camera guy at heart, and am pretty good at it… but I’m pretty good producing too…. Someone else decide for me.

10. What are some of your favorite past projects and some future projects? (Give links so we can properly promote your other works)

I have a few things lined up in the next month or so that I am extremely excited about. Looking to do 3 music videos by the end of the summer, all three are different genres that creatively will grab a lot of attention and I feel are my proudest “music video” work. But in the mean time I am currently in post production for Drew Kennedy’s “Room 27” music video. Should be out next month.

As from that, I can’t pinpoint one particular thing I have done that isn’t as important than the other. I am proud of all my work. Most can be seen on my vimeo page.. Although there is one in particular that was shot last year that I cannot wait for it to come out,. Stay tuned in the fall… And I have just received word that the most recent music video I directed is being packaged to GAC to be in their lineup of artists to be played. So I finally have my first nationally televised video up. Granger Smith “I Almost Am” Music Video.

Local DP for Hire:

Will work for food

Good with kids

Will do stunts if necessary

Enjoys every bit of his job and won’t take anything back.

www.mabarrera.com

956.459.9055

And now, we’re proud to present the first footage and trailer for Cherry Bomb:

Editor Dave Ward, Director Kyle Day and Composer Jason Latimer labored for weeks to bring this to us and we think their efforts have resulted in something engaging, teasing and exciting.  We even received a write-up on DreadCentral.com here.

Without deconstructing the trailer too much and giving away too many twists in the film, here are some highlights:

• Obviously, the lovely and talented Julin Jean plays Cherry Bomb.
• The Redhead near the beginning is Denise Williamson who plays Cherry’s best friend Sapphire
• “I need you in the VIP Room in five minutes” is said by adult film legend Nick Manning, in his first starring role in a non-Adult film.  He plays Cherry’s confidant and boss Ian.  He is in the big fur coat that only Nick Manning could pull off.
• We then are introduced the five men in the room when Cherry was assaulted:
  • Jeremy Norton as Adam (In the Reagan Berlin 1982 shirt)
  • Dave Buckman as Pete (The guy who throws the dollar bill at Cherry’s face)
  • Aaron Alexander as Ed (the nervous looking guy)
  • Alan Martin as Rick (In the Suit & Tie)
  • Conor Nobles as Doug (In the Sweater)
• Next we see Cherry’s brother Brandon played by John Rodriguez. Pretty easy to tell him because Cherry asks if her brother called, then we show him.
• Then… all hell breaks loose.
• Its hard to miss Bull, played by Allen Hackley.  He’s the menacing one that show up in the last third of the trailer.

That’s it for now!  Thanks so much for all of your support up to this point (and future support).  We’d love to hear your feedback on the trailer in the comments below and please share it with your friends!!

As part of our efforts to give you a glimpse into our story and characters before they finally make it into the final film, we’re conducting interviews with our cast and crew to get their insight into roles in this film and their careers in general. Now that filming has wrapped, we are into Post-Production.  A huge, sometimes under appreciated part of Post-Production is the composition of the score.    There are stories of Halloween going before a test audience and people getting bored and leaving the screening.  Then, the same print was shown later with the distinct synthesizer soundtrack and people were scared to death and Halloween went on to be one of the greatest horror films of all time.  And now that task in Cherry Bomb falls upon the shoulders of Jason Latimer.  And besides all that, he also found time to Executive Produce the film.  Basically when we needed something done, Latimer was there to make sure it got done and the film would not have made it to Post without him.  So, we asked him about all things music and producing.  Good read below.  Below are the questions we asked him post-shoot and his responses:

10 Questions

1. I’ll break this down into some composer questions and some producer questions. Producer question first. This is your first feature to produce. We took on an incredible task in making an action period piece for under $100k In hindsight, what would you have/should we have done different that may help other young producers?

Really the most helpful thing we could have done was to bring more people on to handle the workload. Given our budget and time restraints, we all ended up wearing a lot more hats than we probably would have liked to. There were several times when I would like to have been able to give my input on set, but instead I would find myself taking care of any number of things that would have otherwise fallen through the cracks.

As far as actually producing the thing for under $100k, a big part of it was relying on our instincts and our guerrilla filmmaking experience, and generally things turned out really well. I think a lot of the fun in indie filmmaking comes from the necessity for creative thinking and problem solving when you don’t have the money to do things the easy way.

2. Who do you think this film will appeal to?

The obvious answer is that Cherry Bomb appeals to horny, bloodthirsty teenage boys. But really, we’ve done a lot of work to ensure that it’s not so two-dimensional. Unlike a lot of the 80s movies we tried to emulate, Cherry Bomb strives to create more of a sense of empathy for the characters, instead of just using their mishaps as impetus to move the story.

It’s an action movie, but it’s got some depth to it.  I’m sure I’ll catch hell for this, but I’ve always thought (coming from a writing point of view at least) that the movie has a sort of feminist element to it. Cherry finds herself in a vulnerable situation and ultimately empowers herself to take revenge against the men who have committed one of the worst possible acts against a woman. She faces a lot of obstacles (almost all of them are imposed directly by chauvinistic or misogynistic male characters) and she grows as a person as the movie progresses.

I think Cherry Bomb is going to have a wider appeal than some people think, but you’ll definitely want to leave the kids at home for this one.

3. What has been the most rewarding part of being a producer?

I’ll let you know…

A bad ass pimp and Nick Manning.

…just kidding. It’s been really cool to see some of the things that we’ve been able to make happen with so little time and money. Generally speaking, everyone we approached for help, whether it was using their house as a location, or providing catering, helping us locate props… whatever, most people were very helpful and generally excited about helping our little project come together. The support and enthusiasm from other filmmakers and our online fanbase has been incredible as well. It’s kind of humbling in a way, but also really cool to see so many people excited about what we were doing.

But aside from that, and getting to be around a lot of really cool people all day, it’s not the kind of job where you can expect any kind of immediate gratification. It’s been a great exercise in patience for me, and I think that when the movie comes out, that’s when people will start to recognize all the hard work that went into making it.

4. What actor or actress is most going to surprise us?

If I told you, you wouldn’t be surprised!

All of the actors did a great job, especially given the harsh shooting environment.  Julin was on set almost every single day doing fights, stunts, emotional scenes… and several of those were 14 hour days.

Allen Hackley, who plays the hitman Bull, came onto the project with little experience, but he has an understanding of what really goes into understanding and becoming a character, which is a completely necessary quality that many “professional” actors lack.

I think Nick Manning sort of surprised some of us a bit too. He showed up on his first day completely off book. I’m talking COMPLETELY. Also the guy is a born entertainer and I don’t know if I’ve ever met anyone with quite so much energy. He really embraced the part and was a blast to work with.

5. What is your next step in your career as a producer?

Well I guess technically, my next step is to put on my composer hat and produce some music! But as far as producing film, probably a few smaller projects before I tackle another big one like this. Kyle and I are talking with Austin hip hop artist NIKKAGE about shooting another music video soon, and I’m sure we’ll do some more shorts as well. Once it’s time to start conceptualizing our next big project, I think I’d like to work on a comedy with a bit of an action edge to it.

6. As a composer, what sound are you looking to achieve?

Kyle and I always talked about a soundtrack that would fit the feel and period of our movie, but that would also be modern enough to be interesting to today’s viewers. I suppose the sound we’re trying to find is partially influenced by the 80s synth-heavy, drum machine-laden soundtracks of The Terminator or any of the stuff that John Carpenter composed for his films. The other part is influenced by more modern electronic music — mostly industrial stuff like Nine Inch Nails, Massive Attack, Stabbing Westward…

7. How did you get into music and music composition?

I started playing the alto sax at school in the 5th grade. I think there were about 20 of us. It must have sounded awful, but our teacher was cool enough to let us play stuff like the theme from Jurassic Park or whatever, so most of us were actually interested in learning. I kept playing through high school, and had fantastic teachers in school that really taught me a lot about music, and helped me to develop a good ear. I picked up the tenor and baritone saxes, learned guitar, picked up a bass, played around with sousaphone a bit… I always liked learning new things about music and playing new instruments. Once I got to Austin, I was really into learning to record, as well as learning how to make electronic music, so I bought a nice synthesizer and more or less taught myself.

8. When you compose, is it more input coming from the director before you start composing or more so you putting ideas out there and the director guiding you in a new direction?

It’s nice working on this project as composer, because Kyle and I think a lot alike and are pretty much on the same page as far as what we want. Also, I have a film background, so he doesn’t have to be hovering over me, telling me which parts need to convey what, etc. I get it, and I’m sure he appreciates the fact that he won’t have to micro-manage the composition stage.

9. Kind of a producer/composer question. Are you going to be composing any original songs or seeking out local bands to fill out a soundtrack and if so, what sort of sound will you be looking for?

There are certain scenes where I would definitely like to find some local and/or indie artists to really help establish the tone. We haven’t gotten too far into what music we want to get rights for, or have people write for us, but I expect about 90% of the soundtrack to be an original score.

10. The initial assault on Cherry is something that has to be handled delicately and respectfully. We in no way try to glorify what happens to Cherry, but are you worried about any sort of backlash or difficult questions on the subject?

This has been a concern from the very beginning, and while there isn’t one right way to do a rape scene, there are a LOT of wrong ways to do it. We spent a lot of time thinking about the best way to do the scene, and I really don’t expect it to upset too many people, if any (knock on wood).

There’s definitely a chance that some people are going to be offended, or maybe misunderstand what we’re trying to do, but it’s tricky subject matter and I can understand that. It’s really sort of a horrible thing, so you have to be careful how you portray it, especially in comparison to the other violent acts in the movie. You don’t want to linger on it, or be too graphic, but at the same time, you can’t just gloss over it simply as an inciting incident with no other residual effects on the characters and story.

11/7/2008 - From Garrett to Kyle

OK.  Random idea.  Maybe a little messed up, but let me know what you think.

Girl is an exotic dancer.  Group of patrons after a show meets her out back and takes advantage of her, beats the crap out of her.  When she tries to press charges, [spoiler-saving] protects [spoiler-saving].  (Or something like that).  Gives them all alibis.  The girl’s brother, who has never really approved of what she did for a living, takes it in his own hands to avenge her.  He tries to keep it from her what he’s doing, but eventually she finds out, then finds out she wants to help out.  Then brother and sister go on this rampage avenging her, ending with [spoiler-saving].

11/7/2008 From Kyle to Garrett

very interesting.  I can picture it being very sleazy and dirty.. maybe the sister seduces men so that they are vulnerable and then the brother makes the kill.  I picture the [spoiler-saving] being fat with a stained white shirt and a sawed-off shotgun, a real dirt bag.  maybe he keeps a bunch of dogs [spoiler-saving].  i think you could def. have something there.  Action and sex sells like hotcakes… might as well put them together.  There will need to be a hierarchy of bad guys… there will be [spoiler-saving] and his cronies but I like when the bad guy has a side kick who is even more sadistic… like Mr. Joshua in Lethal Weapon.  Maybe the town sheriff or judge is really bad too.  At the end, the strippers could band together and tear the place apart looking for [spoiler-saving] and when they find him, its a bloodbath.

11/7/2008 - From Garrett to Kyle

And there’s got to be a decent-ish family guy in the group of guys who abuses the lead girl and they destroy him by going after his family.  Not attacking them, but presenting them with evidence of what he was a part of.  Not everyone should have the crap beat of out them.  Some of them should have their lives ruined.  A career man could have his career ruined by them.  They figure out the best way to destroy each of them.  If someone is a clean freak, they get him infected with an STD?  Or is that too funky?  Anyways.  Could give us a lot of range to get creative with their ways of getting even.  Conflict could arise from avoiding police and suspicion.

And I imagine the brother being a very blue collar guy, like a mechanic or something.  With easy access to heavy tools.  His and the girl are pretty polar opposite.  She isn’t a perfect angel.

Then, after the strippers band together, they let the lead girl kill [spoiler-saving].  Then they all band together, much like [spoiler-saving] did, protect her with alibi’s somehow.  Or maybe not.  Just an idea.

…….

And this [spoiler-saving] could have a lot of dirt on the Judges and stuff.  Maybe they don’t like him, but they won’t cross him and therefore won’t prosecute his friends/clients who assaulted the lead.

11/7/2008 From Kyle to Garrett

yup, that would be an awesome ending if the strippers band together with alibis to protect her, nice role reversal.

haha the brother is deifnitly a mechanic or something.  i see him driving an an old camaro or something that he fixed up and at the end I want him to mount a bunch of weapons and shit on the hood and blow people away.  We can buy an old junker camaro (or pickup, firebird, etc) for like 800 bucks and fake gun props for less then 1000.  A flame thrower would be clutch.  Since he is a mechanic, he knows how to build stuff.  maybe he builds a catapult in the back of the car that can hurl chain saws.  Sorry, getting a little carried away, but that would be really sweet if we showed him at homedepot with a shopping cart full of chain saws and the audience had no idea why.  The girl, after she is victimized, will just have to turn into hell on two legs, guns blazing.

yup, always one good guy in the group that does something bad, but the lead guy will not show him any mercy.  Ruining his morals in front of his wife and kids could be pretty sweet as long as the audience feels that he got 100% what he deserved.  Its definitly good to be creative with how they pursue each of the men but I would lean towards keeping it on the violent side so that the entire movie remains consistant with a filthy vibe.  I really like this idea, and I think its a lot of fun.  Writing it seperatly will not work very well, we’ll need to develop a tructure where we can either meet in person or virtually to hammer the main ideas out

………….

yup, I love when theres corruption

11/7/2008 From Garrett to Kyle

Another idea.  Set it in the mid1980’s?  Takes away a lot of the modern conveniences so we don’t get caught up in texting, web cams or anything like that.  Just an idea.  Not sure if its a good one or one that’s too hard to pull off.

11/7/2008 From Kyle to Garrett

YES YES YES.  I was already envisiong it as john carpenterish 80s in terms of being gritty, and set mostly in the evening.  Setting it in the 80s may keep budget down because we can buy junky vehicles and junky applicances to destroy (computers, etc) and the wardrobe can be purchased at goodwill!

11/7/2008 From Garrett to Kyle

If we do go full out Carpenter 1980’s, we would need to get someone who could do us an awesome synthesizer soundtrack.

11/7/2008 From Kyle to Garrett

say no more, my buddy jason owns a high-end synth board and loves doing that kind of stuff and I’m also friends with a music producer downtown, and a composer thats getting his masters at UT.  I have the sound dept covered.

11/7/2008 From Garrett to Kyle

bad ass.

………….

And, I know this may sound bad, but I think a lot of the success of a script like this would depend on her stripper name.  It had to be memorable, not too common, not too obvious and not too cheesy (but a little cheesy).

11/7/2008 From Kyle to Garrett

yeah thats a good point, will need just the right amount of cheese.

I attached a pic I drew for a movie poster.  Girl in a schoolgirl outfit with a shopping cart full of chainsaws.

11/7/2008 - From Garrett to Kyle

Nice.  I like it.

As part of our efforts to give you a glimpse into our story and characters before they finally make it into the final film, we’re conducting interviews with our cast and crew to get their insight into roles in this film and their careers in general.  We’ve had a lot of questions when the film will come out, what’s the plan now that Production is complete and when can I see the film or some footage.  Well, we decided to go back to Director Kyle Day and prod him for more answers, so we have 10 More Questions With Director Kyle Day.  As a refresher, you can go HERE to see our original 10 Questions With Director Kyle Day.  Back when he was a young, wet behind the ears, naive Director.  Below are the questions we asked him post-shoot and his responses:

1. Now that filming is done, what do your days look like?

As part of our efforts to give you a glimpse into our story and characters before they finally make it into the final film, we’re conducting interviews with our cast and crew to get their insight into roles in this film and their careers in general.  This week, meet the Pete Finn.  The man who instigated and led on the whole assault on Cherry that fateful night.  Cherry definitely takes note as she tells Brandon that Pete gets it “last… and worst…”  Pete is played by master comedian and improv artist Dave Buckman.  We wanted to find out how such a nice guy becomes this huge sleazebag and how his comedy/improv skills apply to dramatic material.  Here’s what we asked and what he had to say:

He’s a creep. He’s a loser. He’s lost his moral compass. But, on the positive side, he can build a mean meth lab with his bare hands.

Dave Buckman as Pete Finn with Director Kyle Day

2. Are there any famous movie or TV characters you are drawing on for inspiration?

Pete has been following the wrong people for so long he has no idea what is right or wrong. So, in that case, I would say Ben Linus on Lost was good touchstone for finding how to justify hurting innocent people and on how to take a good beating.

Also, Sgt. Meserve (Sean Penn) in Casualties of War was a good example of how someone can act out the evil that Pete does and feel justified.

I think the general principles are the same. Staying in the moment in any particular take… Listening to your scene partner closely, paying attention to any different inflections in their line reading and responding with the appropriate emotion. As far as drama goes, I am learning how to turn off the cynical side of me that listens for the joke or the game of a moment. My natural instinct is to find humor in dark moments, but I don’t think humor is appropriate for any of my scenes in this film.

I would love to do anything that will allow me to do make enough money to take care of me and my family for a while. As far as content goes, I love comedy. It’s where I am most comfortable.

I’d love to be in a Dazed and Confused type sprawling character study.

I’d love to do an improvised comedy film for Christopher Guest.

I also think I could get an Oscar for the Ron Jeremy biopic.

To not know what he/she wants when they show up to work. Not manage their time well. If a director hasn’t organized his day and he ends up wasting my time…it can get to me and my performance.

I’ve always loved the attention of being on stage. I’ve been in plays since high school. And when I got to college, I found improv comedy which I’ve done in Chicago, Amsterdam, Washington DC and Cleveland and now in Austin for the past 17 years. It’s been my passion for so long. I’ve also directed a ton of sketch shows and plays, so I’ve been very involved in live production and only recently branched out to films.

Stripes is my #1. I know it by heart.

I love Silence of the Lambs, Scarface, Goodfellas, Sullivan’s Travels; I love anything by Scorsese, the Coen Brothers, Christopher Guest and anything by The Marx Brothers.

Oh, Villains definitely. I love being the comedy asshole. That’s such an important aspect to a good comedy. And villains in dramas are so much more complicated and deeper than the hero.

Of course it was. Billy is a dick. He had to screw over that kid. Why would he come to his senses minutes before pitching in the World Series. Being an extravagant self-centered jerk has gotten him this far, why would a sick kid change his mind today? It wouldn’t. He’d rather lie to anyone than change one fiber of his being.

I’m directing a sketch show at ColdTowne Theater called Shanty Town Lake that plays Fridays at 8pm. We developed it through improv over the past couple of months, Second City style:

SHANTY_TOWN_LAKE

Also, starting April 3, my improv group, The Frank Mills, starts a weekly show at ColdTowne. Every Saturday night at 11pm, we are on a bill with a really great troupe, Midnight Society. We’ve won several awards for our shows, and I’m excited to change the notion of what some people who think they know what improv is. Lots of people think improv comedy is “Whose Line is it Anyway?” The Frank Mills are the exact opposite of that style of comedy.

THE_FRANK_MILLS

]]> http://www.cherrybombfilm.com/blog/casting/10-questions-for-dave-buckman-playing-pete-finn/feed/ http://www.cherrybombfilm.com/blog/production/production-wrapped/ http://www.cherrybombfilm.com/blog/production/production-wrapped/#comments Mon, 29 Mar 2010 18:08:54 +0000 Cherry Bomb http://www.cherrybombfilm.com/blog/?p=722

As of March 28, 2010 at about 10:27 PM or so… Cherry Bomb has wrapped principal photography!  On to post-production!  We’ll continue keeping you updated on all things Cherry Bomb!

As part of our efforts to give you a glimpse into our story and characters before they finally make it into the final film, we’re conducting interviews with our cast and crew to get their insight into roles in this film and their careers in general.  This week, meet the crown jewel of the club Cherry works at… Sapphire.  And she is played by the tremendously talented Denise Williamson.  Here’s what we asked and what she had to say:

10 Questions:
1. How would you describe your character Sapphire?

Sapphire is to Cherry like Goose is to Maverick. Sapphire is Cherry’s wing man. She has Cherry’s back and would do anything for her. She taught Cherry all her moves and wants her red lipstick back.

2. Are there any famous movie or TV characters you are drawing on for inspiration?

Lol, didn’t I just answer this? I draw from my own experiences. Julin (Cherry) happens to be one of my best friends, so I drew my inspiration from that real life friendship. Instead of two crazy actresses, you have two crazy strippers

3. You have one scene where a character gets pretty rough with your character. Do you approach physical scenes like that differently than you approach the non-physical scenes?

I don’t approach them differently per se, there is just a litte more prep work for the physical scenes.

4. What’s your dream acting role?

I want to star in a movie musical

5. What the most annoying thing a director can do when directing an actor?

Haha, is this a trap? I plead the 5th.

6. How did you get into acting?

I couldn’t really tell you. I’ve always been a performer. I started off as a dancer, then I got into musical theatre, and now I’m doing film and I love it.

7. What are some of your favorite movies?

Chicago, The Lost Boys, Marie Antoinette, Waiting for Guffman,Drop Dead Gorgeous,Goonies, Fried Green Tomatoes, Dangerous Liaisons, The Man in the Moon… this list can go on forever.

8. What’s been the most rewarding thing you’ve done or that’s happened to you as a result of being an actress?

With filming, auditioning, and my music I never know who I’m going to meet where I’m going to be or what’s next. It keeps life exciting. I’ve had the opportunity to meet some amazingly talented people and met some of my closest friends. I get to do what I love, that’s pretty rewarding.

9. You’ve recently worked with Ron Jeremy and Nick Manning. How do they compare to each other?

Although Ron Jeremy and I were in a film, I never met him. All his scenes were shot separately so I can’t compare the two. I also didn’t get to spend too much time with Nick, but he did keep us entertained with his porn stories.

10. What are some of your favorite projects you’ve done in the past or some upcoming projects you are excited about? (Provide links so we can help pimp out your previous work )

Killer School Girls was a lot fun.  It was my third film, and my first time as a lead.  I learned a lot and had so much fun with the cast.  Mardi Gras was a blast.  I mean they set Julin and I loose in the city of New Orleans for a week….you totally wish you were there.  My next project will be a film called Hyphen. I’m also working on my music and trying to get a show together. Check out my music page at http://www.myspace.com/dwill2010 ; my imdb at http://www.imdb.me/denisewilliamson and become a fan on my facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/ActressDenise

As part of our efforts to give you a glimpse into our story and characters before they finally make it into the final film, we’re conducting interviews with our cast and crew to get their insight into roles in this film and their careers in general.  This week, meet the unstoppable force that is Bull, portrayed by newcomer Allen Hackley.  Allen is an incredible student of people and human nature and that has played a large role in developing his new found talent.  We’ve all had a great time getting to know Allen, while he enters into this new career and think you’ll really like him as well.   Here’s what we asked and what he had to say:

As part of our efforts to give you a glimpse into our story and characters before they finally make it into the final film, we’re conducting interviews with our cast and crew to get their insight into roles in this film and their careers in general.  This week, meet Meredith Johns of Hawgfly Productions.  Meredith’s resume reads like a “What bad ass films have been made in Austin” list.  Machete, Grindhouse, Friday the 13th and Teeth just to name a few items on her list of credits.  Beyond that, she’s just one of the most awesome people you will ever meet.  Here’s what we asked and what she had to say:

Disgruntled with my job in graphic design I decided to volunteer on a zombie movie. After coming home every weekend covered in blood and loving it I knew I had found my calling. I grew up in a family of artists sculpting and painting throughout my life, so it was kind a natural fit.

I have to say some of the most fun I’ve had on effects have been on Robert Rodriguez’s Machete. Can’t show any clips or give too many details, but watch the movie! It’s going to totally rock! Another fun effect was for a film called Red, White, and Blue. We skinned a guy’s entire face off. It was both challenging and fun.

I have worked my way up to the bigger productions by proving myself through a lot of hard work and dedication to my craft. If you’re not willing to jump in there and get your hands dirty you will never succeed. I started out working for free on short films and 48-hr projects. I’ve been through a ton of indie films and learned something from every one of them. I never stop learning and I am constantly looking for new techniques and products to help me make more and more realistic effects.

I started Hawgfly with my business partner Carolyn O’Hara in 2004. Originally we were working with several people (joining us from the zombie movie we all met on) and one of the guys worked at an art studio in Wimberley. At that studio one of the guys that drove around on a tractor spoke similar to one of the characters on King of the Hill (you know the one you can barely understand). Of the words that he belted out regularly was “HAAAAWGFLY.” The guy working with us picked it up and brought it to a sculpting session where we all started using the term. We even brought the word to set with us. In a way it became cool to be “Hawgfly.” When coming up with company names the word just kept coming back. We’d think of a super sophisticated or cool sounding name, but “Hawgfly” was the only one that really fit our personality. So, it stuck.

Waaay too many to list, but I’ll try. Labyrinth is still my favorite movie of all time. Also high ranking are Audition, Brazil, Happiness of the Katakuris, Shaun of the Dead, Better off Dead, Night of the Living Dorks, The Bad Seed, Army of Darkness, Evil Dead 2, Old Boy, The Exorcist, Braindead (the uncut edition of Dead Alive), The Thing, and basically anything by Romero or Miike….

Again, probably the most exciting things were from the brain of Robert Rodriguez, but can’t divulge any details. J

Fake heads take some time and I’m not a huge fan of punching hair. I can do it well, but boy can it be tedious….

The effects that really challenge me are generally the most fun. It’s exhilarating to have those MacGyver moments. Also, oddly enough, the simple wounds are the most fun at times for me. There’s something really fun about tattoos, bruises, cuts and abrasions. I also enjoy sculpting up prosthetics for pretty much anything.

For a little scary bit of time I thought I was going to have to punch corn rows (a very time consuming and difficult task) on Bull’s fake head, but I was saved by an afro. Other than that, trying to give you guys the best effects possible as quickly and cheaply as possible. But, isn’t that the truth for all Independent film making?

Quite honestly… no. I love my job. There’s always something new to learn or try and I am happiest on set or in my shop sculpting or churning out pieces for projects. Above all else I am an artist. I appreciate the other jobs on set, but my true love is in makeup.