Actor Training Studio News

Spent the day putting the final touches on another ATS Movie of the Month, “Survey Says,” (starring Brenda Harvey and Nellie Yangmi — shot by Ty Jones, lit by Larry Levenson. Jauqui Craig and Arthur Saldanha PA’d) that we shot in September. I’d thought I would be starting to capture the next movie — working title, “October” — but kept seeing things I could do to make “Survey Says” just a little better, even though I’ve screened it at the studio through two or three previous edits. I’m at the point where I really like the pacing of it and how it works with the music. We had some sound issues with this one. Note to self: if you attenuate your microphone for the outdoors, don’t forget to “un-attenuate” it for the interiors! Some of the sound is really low, so getting it heard means raising the level of hiss, too. Lesson learned, ya just gotta hope.
Continue reading →

OK, so not to brag too much, but ATS had a nice representation at the Bentley’s — the 8mm film festival of theIndependent Filmmakers Coalition of Kansas City. No, we didn’t make a Bentley, but there were a TON of ATS actors in filmmaker’s projects. Jennifer Nichol (who’s also an IFC board member) actually got recognized at the festival for being in the most movies! Other actors from the studio — Arthur Saldanha, Helen Asbury, Emily Pounds, all in Kit Shea’s ambitious “Ingenue.” I know I’m forgetting someone, so if you read this and I’ve forgotten you or another ATS actor you know was involved in a Bentley, post a comment! Congrats to all ATS actors getting out there and doing it!
Continue reading →

Another ATS student — Licia Watson — went to record a voiceover demo yesterday with Don Martin at Evolution Audio. Don’s the only person I’ve had do my own demos and I think he’s just amazing about helping actors catch impulses and play them fully. He has his hi-tech stuff down and can piece together the best takes and pieces of takes you give, for a demo that really makes you sound fabulous.

Thanks, Don at Evolution! Continue reading →

Good news from ATS friend and FlyOver partner Anna Hadzi. Her movie, “Exit Interview,” won her a scholarship at the Colorado Film School , where Anna’s currently a student. “Exit Interview,” written by me, has been filmed twice as an ATS Movie of the Month and I was really happy Anna chose to use the script as her final project of the semester. I haven’t even seen her movie yet, but having talked to Anna, it sounds like it was a very exciting process and she obviously did a beautiful job — she was competing against everyone else at the school, including students in their 3rd and 4th terms (Anna’s in her 2nd). Continue reading →

Well, I entered the ATS Movies , “The Reading Lesson” and “Willing Spirit” in the Kansas City Filmmakers Jubilee. This is the first time I’ve entered any of the movies we’ve made in a contest, other than “Reading Lab,” which we made for the Independent Filmmakers Coalition of Kansas City contest, the Bentleys. And “Reading Lab” was made before we started the ATS Movie of the Month.

“The Reading Lesson” stars Chris Rosburg, who’s in Los Angeles now and Helen Asbury. Chris plays a young man learning how to read who’s got a major fear of abandonment going. Helen, his teacher is encouraging, but is herself abandoned in the end by Chris. We shot this one in black and white — Adam Craig did a nice job on camera and Larry Levenson handled the lights beautifully.
Continue reading →

Sunday, the 7th, we shot another ATS Movie of the Month, about a woman who goes to the house of one of her employees to meet her there and before the employee gets there, ends up flirting with her husband and “shoplifting” several small items from the room.

What I thought would be about a 6 hour shoot went 12 hours. The complicating thing was the movement we had in the room, which had a pool table in it. We also had some sound issues because of compatibility between microphone and digital camera.

But everyone involved put up with our technical challenges patiently for the most part. This piece should look pretty good. Don’t have a title for it yet. I can’t decide between “Envy” or “Clepto-Boss.” OK, I won’t be using the second, because that would give it all away.
Continue reading →