Coming soon!

Lots of things in the works at the moment, most of which aren't ready to write about, but here's a little taste of something that's on the way...

Summer break!

Our pick-up day for Imbroglio is done, and we're officially heading into post-production. Woohoo! But first, it's time for me to take a much-needed vacation - a trip to Texas for a wedding, and then to New Jersey for some fun in the sun.

I'll be back soon with more shenanigans to write about, but to tide you over, here are a few more photos from the set of Imbroglio...

In between takes. 

Kiralee & Robert, two of the sweetest actors ever...despite appearances here.

The (nearly) full cast and crew of Imbroglio!

And last but not least, here's one of me and our wonderful lead actress...

Just a normal afternoon.

Imbroglio: Tales from the Set

Hello from the other side! Our initial week of production on Imbroglio is complete. One rehearsal day and five shooting days later, we are very nearly done. And what a week it was!

Our location was a run-down old house, near Downtown LA, owned by a very friendly gentleman we met while working on a previous production. He's redoing the entire property later this summer, so we were allowed to use the whole house and the back lot however we needed to - graffiti, holes in the walls, blood splatter, you name it! It was ideal for our purposes.

The back lot was perfect for filming - if a bit sunny.

Our cast, led by the wonderful Zoë Bell, was professional, kind, and amazingly talented. I could not be happier about the actors we chose, and they all worked so well with Christopher.

Director Christopher gives notes to our lead actress Zoë.

As producer,  my days were filled with paperwork, phone calls, emails, and coffee - lots and lots of coffee. I spent most of my time in our production office, which was at the front of the house, but I managed to sneak out to set now and then to catch the most action-packed scenes. Between our Stunt Coordinators, Weapons Master, FX team, and extremely capable group of actors, we were able to create some fantastic action sequences.

Our Stunt Coordinator Tim and part of our amazing cast!

Of course, as with any production, there were some bumps along the road - but that's all part of the experience! Nothing that couldn't be overcome with a positive attitude and some quick thinking - and did I mention the coffee? Our entire crew was great, but I'd like to particularly mention the awesomeness that was our female-driven production team. I am both so proud of and so inspired by those amazing ladies.

Amy and Zhandra, our beyond-amazing PA and 2nd AD.

We have one final day of shooting scheduled for later this month - there's just a little more to film, and then Imbroglio will be complete! To be continued...

Pre-production, my old friend.

Girl Meets Roach is in post-production, which means it's time for a new project to begin! Pre-production is one of my favorite stages of filmmaking (so much to organize!, so much to plan) and I'm excited to be back at it alongside my brother Christopher. Today we went on our first location scout for King Fish Productions' upcoming short film, Imbroglio. Christopher wrote the film and is directing it, and we are co-producing.

Imbroglio is a short crime drama about two rival groups of criminals, divided by a past betrayal. The film follows them as they meet to exchange hostages, each side unaware that the other harbors a deadly secret. Dun dun DUN. There are tons of stunts and blood and action - it's definitely the most ambitious project that we've taken on, technically speaking! Auditions are coming up, but first we need to nail down a location. Today we saw a few possibilities, but I think it's going to take a bit more time before we find the perfect spot.

And because all work and no play makes for a boring blog, we spent the morning at Universal's The Wizarding World of Harry Potter on an early access pass that Christopher got from work. (Thanks, Supernatural!) Here's a photo of us enjoying our time in Hogsmeade:

We solemnly swear that we are up to no good!

That's a wrap!

Well, we did it! That is, we officially completed production on Girl Meets Roach. We wrapped on Sunday night after a second long, but super-fun, weekend of shooting. I can't wait to see how it all comes together! Next stop for the footage is our editor, my supremely talented friend Kylie. There's still plenty to do, but for now, we celebrate!

The final slate! Me and Christopher (director/brother extraordinaire).

A glimpse behind the scenes!

Here are some fun behind-the-scenes shots from the filming of Girl Meets Roach. Most were taken by our wonderful PA, Caitlin, wielding my prized camera. Enjoy!

A dirty-haired moment between takes.

Dennis (playing Matt) takes a selfie in his new favorite costume.

Getting some notes from the director!

DP Ryan snacks during the bath scene. Totally normal behavior.

Production Post

Not to be confused with post-production! We are still very firmly in the middle of production on Girl Meets Roach. We decided to film over two weekends, to best accommodate everyone's schedules, and we've now reached the midway point! The first weekend went really well; it's a small cast and crew, and everyone is extremely friendly and professional. We're also thrilled to be working with Icemen Audio again, our friends from At The Maple Grove. If anyone in the LA area ever needs some top-notch sound guys, they're the ones to call. I couldn't be happier with the team that we've put together!

Our sound and camera teams! Clockwise from top: Chris, Ryan, Jordan, & Evan. 

Our second round of filming won't be for another couple of weeks, but there's plenty to do in the meantime. Can't wait to dive back in!

A girl (and a roach) on a mission.

Short Film Friday - LAST DANCE

Had a really fun day at Remmet Studios on the set of a short film called Last Dance, in which I play a nurse engaging in some questionable workplace behavior. It's a funny scene in a very action-packed and well-written story, and I'm looking forward to seeing how it turns out! The crew seemed to enjoy it - our writer/director Josh told us afterward that people were biting their arms to keep from laughing during the takes. And to make things even better, the costume designer, Lauren, is a fellow Georgetown theater lady. Hoya Saxa!

Here's a photo from set of me and my delightful scene partner Steve (aka Dr Francis).

Just your average hard-working medical professionals.

Behind The Scenes: Secret Bachelor Spoof

Exciting things afoot! Recently I wrote, produced, and acted in a parody teaser promo for...well, I don't want to give away the title just yet, but let's just say it's a spin-off of The Bachelor that takes the premise of the show to the next level.

Intrigued??

A great group of people volunteered to help out with the video - including the fabulous directing team of Kylie and Eric at K+E Productions, and a bunch of hilarious and talented actors (some of whom you may recognize from At The Maple Grove!).

The video is still in post-production, but I'll be sure to post it here as soon as it's done. To wet your whistle, here are a couple of photos from the shoot:

The oh-so-necessary "group date".

One of our directors in a very serious moment.

On Location: MiaKoda's "Going Home"

Such a fun weekend filming the music video for MiaKoda's Going Home! (Which is, by the way, a ridiculously catchy song. It's been stuck in my head for days.) This past Friday we caravanned our way up to the Kern Valley for costume fittings, and then bright and early Saturday morning we arrived in Silver City Ghost Town to shoot the video. What a wacky place! It really felt like we had wandered into the Old West. 

There were even horses on set!

Produced and directed by the fantastically talented husband-and-wife team of K+E Productions, the video tells the story of a mysterious young woman who, lost and trying to find her way home, stumbles upon a town filled with people who, let's say, make her feel a little less than welcome. 

MiaKoda's lead singer serenades a glowing blue orb.

I play one of the townsfolk, a hotel maid who stirs up some trouble for the leading lady.

This is my sneaky maid face.

We stayed in cabins during the shoot and had a blast playing cards and telling scary stories all night. After filming on Saturday and Sunday, we drove back down to LA on Monday, stopping to grab a few last shots along the way. Overall a lovely weekend! I'll post the video when it's finished; in the meantime, you can check out the song on iTunes!