Authenticity: The Story Behind My Military Homecoming Movie

To me, authenticity means refraining from trying to be something you’re not. It’s about understanding the parameters that you have to work with when taking action toward realizing your goals and/or interests.

(-r): Actor Mark Johnson, Director Nicole Ayers and Actor Rodney Benson goes over a scene in the screenplay for the short film "Abyss: The Greatest Proposal Ever."In many ways, making the short film drama “Abyss: The Greatest Proposal Ever” was a continuous exercise in being true to who I was, what I had and how it was going to find an audience.

Writing the Movie

Knowing my production budget was going to be small, I wrote a screenplay revolving around a story that could have just as easily been shot on a home video camera – if necessary – given what was accessible to me. Although this movie was shot in HD, the story lends itself to a type of on-the-fly recording style that provides some flexibility during production.

The Synopsis:

A U.S. Army Officer enlists the help of his friends to make an audition tape for a Reality TV contest, until a wedding proposal dilemma shakes up their reunion. 

It was simple enough to not require any special effects, elaborate sequences or other fancy schmancy components that would be difficult to pull off with the budget, material resources and level of expertise available to me.

Making the Movie

During pre-production in the fall 2012, Hurricane Sandy hit the northeast, causing me to cancel meetings with actors and then improvise the casting process by using online messaging services and iPhone videos for auditions. When production began, the reality nature of this movie allowed us to use any mistakes that occurred to our advantage, if needed. The screenplay was designed for cast and crew to continue shooting without worrying too much about multiple setups and camera angles.

I’m not the best cinematographer in the world. I don’t have the resources to hire the best Director of Photography (DP) in the world. So, I focused my time, money, energy and resources on areas that would help carry the story:

• Casting
• Sound
• Editing

Writing a cameraman into the script came in handy since the actor I chose for this role also happens to moonlight as a photographer. 

(-r): Actor/Cameraman Torian Holt shooting a scene featuring actress Lyssa Roberts and actor Mark Johnson for the movie "Abyss: The Greatest Proposal Ever."So, I let him shoot most of the scenes – in character!

Hiring a tech savvy guy to pretend to be someone behind the camera is one thing. Designating him as the actual on-set camera operator, however, later proved to not only be a way around my lack of DP resources but also the best way to stay true to the story.

The crash course in production sound I had by watching YouTube videos about product reviews, tutorials and unboxing of audio equipment became helpful along with useful tips offered by a sound guy who was unable to work on the project.

Production lasted from mid-November to early December, complete with weather delays (we were shooting outdoors), scheduling conflicts and unexpected re-shoots after a days’ worth of footage was rendered unusable. Yet, we managed to get everything “in-the-can” as they say, and with the help of a producer, I quickly started interviewing potential editors for the movie. Then, one of my producers – a U.S. military veteran – lost his home in a fire on New Year’s Day 2013. This terrible disaster changed the course of our post-production schedule and was the first event in what quickly became a devastating year for one of the most vital people involved in making the movie.

So, I scrambled to find an editor and post-production funds in an attempt to move this project forward; eventually going through multiple rough cuts before completing a final cut of the movie in the summer, thanks to technical assistance from a director friend, supplemented by the expertise of my longtime editor buddy at ESPN.

The World Premiere

(l-r): Wardrobe stylist Elisa Wiah, Director Nicole Ayers, Assistant Director Aleywa Taylor and Cameraman Torian Holt attend the World Premiere screening of "Abyss" The Greatest Proposal Ever" in New York. Photo by DweleOye.When NewFilmmakers NY selected “Abyss: The Greatest Proposal Ever” to screen at the Anthology Archives Theater in January as part of their 2014 Winter Series, the time had come to develop promotional materials for this project.

My initial and overcomplicated approach to coming up with movie poster ideas included analyzing the key art of mainstream feature films, which was an unsuccessful task.

So, I went back to the basics of what this movie is about, and using a production still, designed an 11x17 poster resembling a large Polaroid photo. Building the main design concept around this one picture worked out well because it lends itself to a “less is more” vibe while still delivering on the story’s message, with regards to viewer interest.

“It’s simple, well stated, and genuinely makes me curious about the movie. I love the tagline at the top. Made me break out into a great big smile!” – Herman Turnip

When printing standard postcard sized flyers became costly, I added different tag lines to still photographs from the movie and used them to promote the World Premiere screening in New York. This practice continued to be useful long after the premiere; I no longer needed to make large print runs of 500-1,000 copies of the same flyer since a variety of digital photos could be printed out in small batches at (or near) many retail stores like Walgreens and CVS.

My ticket for the evening's film screenings.What Next? Uniting an Audience Around the Movie

Inspired by street papers and homelessness awareness advocate Noah Rattler’s 1,800 mile walk and his annual Sleepout Saturday events in Houston, TX, I pursued potential partnerships with a few non-profit organizations that help homeless people, including veterans, find housing and employment.

Several conversations later, little to no progress came out of my efforts with the organizations I approached. As such, the hope for an adult literacy initiative I wanted to launch using the movie, quickly fizzled. I became anxious about what the next steps for my movie would be, while considering whether to do an online streaming/VOD release or continue trying to play at film festivals.

In the spring, I realized that the answer of where to go from here was right in front of me for months on end. Remembering all the positive remarks that my producer made, on several occasions, about how the Red Cross came to his aid after the blaze that caused a major setback for him – and for the movie -- I partnered with them to continue helping people in similar situations.

Filmmaker Nicole Ayers fundraising for the Red Cross with "Abyss: The Greatest Proposal Ever." Photo by Cameron Avant.Now, as I tour area restaurants where sneak preview edition DVDs of “Abyss: The Greatest Proposal Ever” are made available for sale, I’ve trimmed my sales and product materials down to include only the essential items necessary to get the job done – move product.

I designed the DVD packaging to be lightweight because it was cost-effective and this non-traditional presentation would help guide audience expectations to be in alignment with what they’re getting – a short film, minus featurettes, audio commentaries and related extras that typically comes with feature length fare; and for a good cause.

Each “stop” on my tour calls for a lot of walking, hauling of supplies, campaigning and handling of packages; so I tapped into my early days of participating in art exhibitions at galleries and artist competitions, for inspiration. Seeking mobility, I created a single DIY style poster with bold text that conveyed all of the information necessary, while also doubling as my product display. 

At the suggestion and request of people who have either already supported my Red Cross Fundraiser or want an alternative to traveling to one of my tour stops, the sneak preview edition DVD of “Abyss: The Greatest Proposal Ever” is also available to order online, exclusively from yours truly.

By looking inward at what directly had an impact on me and/or those that I work with, the purpose of this movie became clearer and thus, gaining an audience comes naturally as a byproduct of the main endeavor.

From the time I began writing the script to now, all of the headway up to this point was made possible by working within the structures that were already in line with my capabilities and goals.

Each step of the way, I found my footing when I thought about the project and how to best utilize its own distinct attributes when making decisions.

I invite those of you who enjoy buddy flicks or relationship dramas to watch “Abyss: The Greatest Proposal Ever” and take it, or leave it, for what it is. Either way, I find satisfaction in knowing that it is possible to reach goals while giving back and helping to save lives at the same time – by promoting nothing more, and nothing less, than exactly what I have to offer. That is as real as it gets.

Comic book illustrator Travis Nichols recently asked “What does authenticity mean to you?” This post serves as my response to that question.

If you enjoyed reading about these (mis)adventures in movie making, I would appreciate it if you order a DVD of my short film “ABYSS: THE GREATEST PROPOSAL EVER.” 

Notes from a NewFilmmakers NY Screening

ABYSS: The Greatest Proposal Ever Movie Poster on display during the NewFilmmakers NY Winter 2014 Screening Series at Anthology ArchivesHaving just returned from the World Premiere of my short film “Abyss: The Greatest Proposal Ever” in New York City; I cannot begin to describe how good it feels to bring closure to a project that has been two years in the making.

It’s almost hard to imagine how not too long ago, I was wondering whether the screenplay would ever be finished and then running around trying to assemble all of the necessary elements to shoot this thing.

Later, I would be in a frenzy over setbacks that popped up just when one was being worked through during the post-production and fundraising stages. The time then came for submitting, waiting and hoping and more waiting for rejections that followed.

The movie that began as a mere list of random scene ideas and outlines in my notebook survived through Hurricane Sandy and a New Year’s tragedy that affected one of the people involved with this project. So it was a delight to watch “Abyss: The Greatest Proposal Ever” screen in front of audiences during the NewFilmmakers NY Winter Series 2014 at Anthology Film Archives Theater, last Wednesday. There is no match for the joy of one’s own visuals being projected on a big screen; looking and sounding better than expected – especially in a field where things tend to go the opposite way.

l-r: Me with DAVID At DAYTIME director Jason Pierre and RED director Channing Godfrey Peoples during the Shorts Program Q&A session.To hear people laughing and gasping at scenes -- all one can really hope for – is sign of a win in my book of this seemingly masochistic illness that is filmmaking.

I have nothing but great things to say about NewFilmmakers NY; they are true champions of independent film and my movie was lucky to be among those selected to screen at their event.

This experience reignited my belief in the relevance of film festivals and related series that showcase a wide selection of movies not playing in a theater near you.

In a world of exorbitant submission fees, red carpet fever, commercial agendas and the general politics of show business, it is a pleasure to have my work shown by an entity that puts the films, and their makers, first and foremost. I’ve attended and/or worked at several film festivals and movie screening events over the years and this latest one is by far one of my most favorite.

Showtimes of films playing at Anthology Archives The premiere of “Abyss: The Greatest Proposal Ever” brought a lot of firsts for me including showing a film in New York, visiting Anthology Film Archives, participating in a NewFilmmakers (I read somewhere that there is one in LA too) event and my first time hosting a reception for a screening.

This – especially the reception part -- was a whole new ball game for me that brought back the kind of lost and isolated feelings I had while trying to get the movie in the can.

Thanks to suggestions on table settings by my aunt, who is a part-time wedding planner, I created a theme around my film that was based on the main character’s marriage proposal. Using a Cupcaketree, a cool cupcake tower that is shaped like a wedding cake stand (Can be ordered from www.cupcaketree.com), I served snacks and dip as well as some drinks while chatting with folks about the screening.

I’m no Martha Stewart when it comes to hosting parties -- let alone planning them, so this cupcake stand came in handy, providing two benefits. It helped me consolidate most of the edibles, leaving additional room for the flyers and other promotional materials that contained information about the movie and screening time. The Cupcaketree also created a central attraction to our reception area, which built enough initial interest in what was going on that I could participate in open dialogue with strangers whom I would likely be hesitant to approach, otherwise.  

Would I do it again? In a New York minute! Well…maybe not all of these things in the exact same way, of course, but I’d be damned if I passed up another opportunity to have such an exciting experience.

It was fun meeting other filmmakers with stories to tell and sharing the joy of movies with most of the cast and crew who were instrumental in helping me wrap mine.

Also, much thanks goes out to the locals and folks from out of town who came to see a good show.

Stay tuned for audience responses and other notes from the World Premiere of ABYSS: The Greatest Proposal Ever!

Photos by: Myself, NewFilmmakers NY and Torian Holt.