Alas, we didn’t get the call from Sundance this year.  Sort of felt this about three weeks ago when I saw the new Sundance 2010 ad:  REBEL.  BE REBELLIOUS.  Well, we strived to make AU PAIR, KANSAS a subtle, mature, sophisticated family drama. Now waiting then to hear from SXSW or Tribeca.  Would be great to have world premiere at either of these.  The festival cut continues to get rave reviews from the few people that have seen it (don’t want many copies out with temp sound, temp credits, minimal color correction, and low resolution.)  Stay tuned.  Will be updating the site more frequently now.  Apparently this social networking stuff is important!

Just got the still from special effects master Gary Walker of TexFX in Austin.  We had to shoot the front of the bison sign without lettering during the shoot, and only now have the completed sign.  And you will note, bisonfarm.com is the actual site for the bison farm where we shot the bison (on video, not with guns.)  Thanks, Gary, great job!

After months of work, talented editor Brad Roszell and I reached picture lock on Au Pair, Kansas.   Now it goes to the composer (Carlos Alvarez) and sound designer (Michelle Garuik) for acoustic work.  Brad and I finally had a chance to work on the soccer sequences, which now truly move the story forward, and build the relationships between the characters.  Can’t wait to see them with music.  Two months to go before major festival entry deadline (the one that begins with an S.) We’re on schedule, and I continue to be amazed with how great the performers are, and how lovely the film looks (Thanks actors and Marco!)

Here’s our first assembly of opening credits.  Fantastic score by Carlos Alvarez, beautiful cinematography by Marco Fargnoli, lovely editing by Brad Roszell.  And the bison and Traci Lords aren’t bad either!   Obviously we’ll get better title cards, and Brad and I re-edited this last weekend (no feces, we added shots of feces.  It is a comedy, you know.)  We might even add some cowboy yodeling!   

Unbelievable, just got notified the rough cut of Au Pair, Kansas was accepted into the prestigious IFP Director’s Lab.  I get to spend a week in NYC in June working with mentors in editing/music/marketing/festivals.  They only take 10 feature film projects in the emerging narratives section.  It’s a major deal.  So keyed that someone that doesn’t even know me, likes the movie.  And even better, getting into the Lab means Au Pair, Kansas is automatically selected for emerging narratives section at Independent Film Week (NYC in September, used to be called IFP Market.)  

Brad Roszell has been working hard getting this first cut done, and its paid off.  I love this film (even without music, which, as the editor’s always say, will save the scenes!)  I’m now allowing myself to actually believe that the film is going to be good.  Maybe I’m not really that deluded.  Thanks to everyone that helped out and worked on the tough and cold Lindsborg, Kansas shoot.  Wow, very cool!

Check out Spencer (star of Au Pair, Kansas) in the new Star Trek movie.  It is the best Sci-Fi film since 1977’s Star Wars (it’s been now over 30 years since I’ve seen a movie where I walked out of the theater and wanted to walk back in and watch it again.  It’s that good.)  Alas, he only makes a brief appearance as a character named “Johnny.”  When you look up Spencer on IMDB, it list’s him in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Star Trek, and Au Pair, Kansas!  Here’s a shot of him in Charlie’s chair during an amazing sunset on set near Lindsborg, Kansas.

Editor Brad Roszell (Earthworks, Grandma and the Raven), has finished his first cut on Au Pair, Kansas.  No music, no sound design, but the story and performances are all there.  An experienced editor friend recently saw our first assembly (master shots only, no close ups or cutaways) and said it was the best first assembly he’d ever seen.  A producer (whose film premiered at Sundance this year) stated he was “stunned” at how good it was.  An actor in LA said the rough cut was better than most films he sees at festivals.  I love the performances, all the actors rock.  It looks fantastic.  Honestly, I had no idea that it would turn out this, well, good (I may be deluded about this, too, you know, since I am a bit close to it.)  I guess you can tell when passion and love and sweat go into making an indie film.  I can’t wait to show this at festivals in 2010!  Thank you to everyone who helped make this movie.    

Photo courtesy of Hans Liebing 

Your guess is as good as mine.  It had nothing to do with Paco.

Yes, it’s true, Traci Lords stars as Helen Hazelton.  Traci was totally amazing, unbelievably professional, and well, fantastic during our 18 day shoot in Lindsborg, Kansas.  

We didn’t officially announce that Traci was in our film while filming as we were concerned about a certain religious group based out of Kansas that might have picketed the filming due to Traci’s past history in adult videos.  Actually, we probably would have gotten great national PR if we had been picketed, however, my goal in returning to Kansas from LA was to make films and encourage filmmaking in Kansas.  If national news had shown Au Pair, Kansas getting picketed while shooting, we would have gotten good coverage, but the state of Kansas would have appeared as being hostile to filmmakers.  The last thing I wanted was another reason why Hollywood doesn’t want to shoot movies in Kansas.   

Traci has over 70 legitimate TV and film credits in the last 20 years.  She’s truly a remarkable actress, and my hope, of course, is that Helen is her break out roll as a lead actress!  After spending three weeks working with Traci, I can’t imagine another actress in this roll.  Rule number one as a director:  Hire actors that know what they’re doing (even if you don’t.)