Okay to recap… I had decided it was time to start casting for my script. I had figured out a professional and yet cheap way to cast without having a casting office or studio. I would secure one of the four rooms at the public library by simply signing it out. It was free and simply had to be done a day in advance. Easy enough. At this time, I was living upstate New York in my hometown, Clifton Park. I had moved back there after graduating from college. I had decided to put an ad in the local paper, The Penny Saver. I included a brief description of the movie project and my contact information. Once the paper was distributed, I was receiving phone calls from males and females interested in the roles . I would say the response was pretty sporadic… few calls one day, five calls another… one day nothing. Then I would get people two weeks later who were reading old news. Hey, whatever. I called every one of them back. Some would disclose over the phone that honestly it wasn’t quite what they were looking for. Some would show up and wouldn’t be quite what I was looking. And yet some still agreed to take on smaller and/or nonspeaking roles. A few times, I lucked out and found a truly talented individual. Seriously though, it was FEW times. See, most individuals who discover they want to be serious about acting don’t pack their bags and move to Clifton Park. But the less talented actors didn’t disappoint me half as much as the people who would make an appointment with me and then never show. They wouldn’t bother to call and cancel either. And let’s just say, I can be patient… immensely patient. There were a few times I waited a little longer than I should have. And though this may date me to say, this was before cell phones were a considered staple. But even when technology picks up for our slack, human nature has a way of taking over… always. Anyway, casting was going snail slow. I had set deadlines for when I wanted to shoot the movie and I was WAY behind schedule. I had a lot more lead roles to cast. So, I decided I had to be a little more daring. I put an advertisement in NYC’s Backstage. I gave similar information to The Penny Saver ad but this time… I was even bolder. I added, “it’s okay to e-mail your headshots and resumes,” and I still kept my home phone number attached. Haha. When the ad posted, I was at my day job. Those days, I was working in a daytime facility for mentally disabled adults. Well, when I got home, my answer machine tape was entirely full. In fact, within a few minutes, I was receiving a few more calls from people who had tried and couldn’t get through. I wrote all their names down and listened to the entire tape and wrote all those names and numbers down too. I was just starting out and I wanted to make a good impression. So, I returned all those calls personally. Meanwhile in e-mail land, I had to buy more storage space for my previously free account. But I figured it was worth to find the right actors. Needless to say, things got very busy. And by day two, my regular mail was filled to the gill. Headshots were coming in by the thousands. And this is for an”out of town gig” that didn’t pay. I had agreed to pay for food, lodging, transportation and give everyone a reel once the movie was edited. But even without a salary, apparently, everyone wanted to work in Clifton Park! That was all I could guess based on the startling response. It would be a “summer shoot” and most of the aspiring city actors probably just needed a mini-vacation. I understood. So was I in over my head? You bet I was but I didn’t care… it was electrifying! Once I decided on the about thirty or forty actors, all of whom I had talked with over the phone, I chose a date and rented a studio space in New York City. I chose a casting assistant to accompany me and I drove down early one Saturday morning and drove back that night. The leading man for my script, “Claustrophobic” was a friend from college who lived in the city. So I had him meet up and read lines for when we were casting the leading lady. Driving back home that night, I was going through my choices in my head. ”I may need help deciding on this one,” I thought. Luckily, I had taped the auditions to revisit. Yup, there would be revisiting!
Casting (part one)
March 15th, 2009 — Backstage, Claustrophobic, staying on schedule, professional yet cheap, before cell phones, new york city, producing, casting, clifton park, new york, Filmmaking
Pseudo Show: A Yan Review
March 14th, 2009 — audience, studio audience, Pseudo Show, reviews, self-deprivation, self aware, Writing, Directing, Comedy Writing, producing, Filmmaking
In Spring 2009, Andrew Pitkin’s production company, Bouncing Ball Films, will be releasing Pseudo Show in association with Sneaky Weasel Studios. The comedy series for the internet starts season one by spoofing so many of the television formats: From morning fitness programs to the late night circuit and from celebrity sit-downs to high adrenaline wrestling promos. There’s also a ridiculous cooking segment, the resurfacing of a former child star, an unlikely super model and a singer/songwriter undergoing an identity crisis. Can you say, “Train wrecks?” The series hopes to leave no genre untouched (mocked). In its first season, Pseudo Show follows the lives of Hurley Graham, a newbie host and his awkward sidekick, Andrew Pitkin, as they produce their own low budget talk show. They even manage to muster up their own studio audience who miraculously make it to every show. Perhaps, they are like the characters on Lost. They don’t know why they are supposed to be there and they don’t know how to “really” leave. These two ambitious entertainers, under normal circumstances, might not make the cut in the overly saturated entertainment industry; but then again, these aren’t normal circumstances. Pseudo Show has moments of self-deprivation interwoven into smart self-awareness… ultimately adding to its charm. In a competitive market, the writers and producers avenge their weaknesses by becoming their own worst critic. And they do this through the many characters in the audience. This offers an organic and emotion comedy that still manages to beat you to the punch! J. Yan/Troubleshoot Online Press
Pseudo Show Pictures by Jessica Sanchez
March 14th, 2009 — Improv, Pseudo Show, Comedy Writing, Directing, Filmmaking, Pictures of Photos
There is no “by myself” in writing
March 14th, 2009 — rewrites, budgeting, producing, Comedy Writing, Filmmaking, Writing, Uncategorized
Once I had made the decision to produce my own script and make an independent movie, I realized I should probably tell my parents, my friends and my great aunt, Hannah. See, my great aunt was a life-long teacher who upon hearing I was enrolling in graduate school had made a generous contribution. Upon abandoning the program, I didn’t feel it was fair to keep the money without her blessing. So, I visited her at the hospital to run my new plan by her. She replied with a, “It’s your money… I gave it to you. Use it.” For a moment, I felt a little stupid. But my stupor soon shifted to relief and then true joy. That had been the only thing unresolved. Now, that I had Aunt Hannah’s blessing, I was off to tell everybody. Of course, everybody those days was my few close friends in Clifton Park, New York and the Capital Region area, my parents and the few friends I had kept in touch with from undergrad. I soon realized that the more friends and family that I told, the harder it was to back down. I couldn’t flake once I had built up such momentum for my first movie project. And very soon I WAS the momentum and the only way to keep it going was to get others thrilled enough to inquire about my progress. This fueled me to keep writing and when the rough draft was done, I passed it to my trustworthy and constructive friends and family and then… I waited. Some were prompt; others were not. One, to this day, still has the script and never quite read it. I think choosing the right readers is a trial and error when first starting out. Within days, I was getting feedback. Some criticism I liked. Some was challenging to get to the bottom of. Some hurt my ego. Some made me want to give up. But I decided to sit on it. Now, when I say “sit on it,” I mean… JUST LONG ENOUGH. It turned out that this was my real strength. I might not be the best writer but I am quite good at sitting on the criticism just long enough. And I feel if one sits too long, they become distracted, lose hope and move on to something else. It would be a lot easier to at such a juncture too. Because at such a point, the writer is vulnerable, sometimes feeling beaten and weak. So “sitting on it” becomes a necessity. But the writer should only pout for a day or two and then pick up all the pieces. ”Sitting on it” is truly the best thing in my opinion. It wasn’t easy for me to practice this but luckily something finally dawned on me: I realized, I am the writer. I can act as a filter for all the feedback. I don’t have to listen to everyone. So I sifted the notes. I recalled any opinions that were similar. Question: had any of the numerous readers said the same thing? Answer: Okay, maybe there was something to that. Question: Will any of the criticism help clarify my story without totally sacrificing my original vision? Answer: Some. Sometimes, a brain-stored story all those months can lose the relatability factor… and be only relatable to one person… you. Question: What advice if followed would help strengthen the characters and/or plot? Answer: What advice inspires you to write more? Needless to say, I filtered and I edited. There were more drafts and more readings and eventually after about eight to ten re-writes, I felt ready to move to yet another stage… auditions. By April of 2002, I was beginning to hold auditions in the local library. They had rooms you could reserve a day in advance. And because it was at the library, it was free. Cool!
Deciding to Become a Filmmaker
October 2nd, 2007 — Directing, Writing, Career Decisions, Filmmaking
The year was 2000. I was sitting in Graduate School to become a Elementary School Teacher (middle of the first semester). I remembered… I don’t like school. I never did. How was I gonna enjoy it now? Granted, I had been working at the YMCA and Northeast Parent and Child, in the Capital Region of NY, with children for the 4 years since undergrad and I was good at it. I loved those kids! But the money was inadequate and my new goal to become a teacher seemed hallow. Mainly, I was doing it, to have my summers available for writing.See, since college, I had been editing and writing screenplays. I was beginning to see my BEST learning and passion was occuring in my free moments. I felt I was pursuing a lie. Once I realized this, I dropped out and I began immediately writing my script entitled, ‘CLAUSTROPHOBIC.’ Then a few months later September 11th happened. This deepened my understanding of life’s value and how quickly gifts can be taken away. Suddenly my long strides forward seemed empty. It made me realize my life was way too important to be wishy washy. And even if my path became fog-filled and I had to rely on smaller steps, I knew who I was. I was a writer. I was a passionate story teller. I was optimistic and a creator. I decided I had to make things happen for myself. What did that mean? What would I do differently? I knew in the eyes of the industry, I was still a nobody. They didn’t know me as a writer. No awards. No recognition. I wasn’t ready to submit materials to a production company let alone a literary agent. So, I would finish my script, “CLAUSTROPHOBIC.” I would circulate it among my articulate and honest friends; and I would polish the screenplay until it felt ready. Then after careful budgeting, I would make the movie myself.