here - Interview Date

Film Information
Title
Interview Date
Tag Line
Right Place. Right Time. Wrong Person.
Contact Info
3720 ½ Corinth Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90066
Mike Lemcke – Writer/Director
530-521-3806
[email protected]
Grant Lyon – Writer/Producer
831-345-5134
[email protected]
Technical Info
2011
Running Time: 11:46
Exhibition Format: HD CAM, DIGI BETA
Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Color, English
“INTERVIEW DATE” MIAKEN KRISTOLA JORDAN BOUGHRUM LIAM TONER GRANT
LYON GREG EDWARDS AND SAL CALANNI WRITTEN BY MIKE LEMCKE AND
GRANT LYON DIRECTED BY MIKE LEMCKE
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
BY
RAINER LIPSKI EDITED BY GABRIEL FORSTER PRODUCED
GRANT LYON
LYNETTE ROZINE PROCK EXECUTIVE PRODUCER VICTORIA
MORGAN MATTHEW RANDAZZO ROSS LEMCKE KAREN LEMCKE SOUND BY
LARSON STUDIOS
PRODUCTION DESIGN
Screenings/Awards
Winner – Audience Award Honorable Mention
DC Shorts Film Festival, 2011
Winner – Best Comedy
Love Your Shorts Film Festival, 2012
Official Selection
Newport Beach Film Festival, 2012
Official Selection
Dances With Films, 2012
Official Selection
Sacramento International Film Festival, 2012
Official Selection
Soul 4 Reel Film Festival, 2012
Synopsis
Adam desperately needs a job and Becca needs a dedicated new employee. Olivia is
constantly looking for love and Charlie finally opens himself to dating. It seems like
perfect pairing. The only problem is, they never meet. Interview Date is a classic case of
mistaken identity where a blind date gets mixed up with a job interview, leaving
everyone at the right place at the right time with the wrong person.
Director’s Statement
The concept for Interview Date started as a bit in my stand-up routine. I have always
been a big fan of mistaken identity comedy and wanted to bring that genre into my live
performance. Every time I’m on a job interview, I’m struck by how similar that first
meeting is to a first date. Whether people are meeting on a date or on an interview, they
are almost never their true selves, but rather trying to be the person they think their
counterpart wants them to be. The indirect nature of communication, the use of
buzzwords, the projection of this façade, creates a wonderful space for comedic
misunderstanding and laughter.
After months of trying to work the comedic concept of a date getting crossed with an
interview into my stand-up routine, I just couldn’t flesh out the laughter I knew it was
capable of. I realized that the concept would be much better served and have greater
potential in another medium, film.
Grant Lyon and I started working on sketch comedy videos when we were 22 years
old. We were hanging out doing stand-up gigs and decided to start making short videos
guerilla style with a handheld camcorder. Over the last few years, we’ve established a
great working relationship that spans writing, stand-up, filmmaking, and anything else we
can convince the other to work on, and our projects have grown in sophistication from
handheld, backyard shoots to professional film sets. I showed Grant the concept for
Interview Date and we wrote short script.
However, that’s not the end of the story. Coming from stand-up backgrounds, we crave
the immediacy of laughter from an audience to gauge the hilarity of our material. Thus,
we entered the script in numerous screenplay competitions. After winning the DC Shorts
Screenplay Competition, and receiving great reactions from audiences and judging panels
alike, we were confident that we had a funny product on our hands and a short film was
born.
Filmmakers
Mike Lemcke, Writer/Director
Mike Lemcke is a comedy writer and director. His love for
comedy began at an early age. Starting at the age of 6, he and his
brother would go to sleep early in order to wake up and watch
the late night comedy shows with their father. He has been
performing standup comedy since he first got on stage at a local
bar at the age of 17. He began studying acting in college at San
Francisco State and went on to co found the San Francisco based
sketch comedy group Four in the Back with fellow comedian
Grant Lyon (who co-wrote, produced and acted in ‘Interview
Date’). ‘Interview Date’ is Mike Lemcke’s directorial debut.
Grant Lyon – Writer/Producer
Grant Lyon is a comedian, actor and writer from Los Angeles,
California. San Francisco Weekly describes him as “a hilariously
sharp observer, not one of those tired white-guy bellyachers.” He
has performed in a number of prestigious comedy festivals
including the Bumbershoot Music & Arts Festival, the
Bridgetown Comedy Festival, the Laughing Skull Comedy
Festival, and has opened for names like Robin Williams and Dana
Gould. In addition, Grant is a member of the sketch comedy
group Four In The Back and has produced countless sketch
videos for the group. Their videos have been featured by sites like
Funny or Die and Rooftop Comedy. He has appeared on the
nationally syndicated Bob and Tom Radio Show and his material is played on Sirius/XM
satellite radio. In even more addition, Grant is a contributing writer for the Huffington
Post.
Rainer Lipski – Director of Photography
Rainer Lipski is an award winning Cinematographer born in Berlin,
Germany. In 2006 he graduated with a masters degree in
cinematography from the Ludwigsburg Film Academy in Germany.
Since graduating he has kept busy while working internationally,
shooting over 120 commercials, various music videos, dozens of
shorts and 4 feature films. Since July 2009, Rainer has been living
in Los Angeles and continues to work worldwide.
Lynette Rozine Prock – Production Designer
After a successful career in graphic design, marketing and
merchandising in Chicago, Rozine is now utilizing her
Commercial Art and Interior Design backgrounds as a
Production Designer in Hollywood. The range of her varied
experience includes mural painting; art instruction; working
in greenhouses; managing pre-press in print shops; designing
websites and logos; all the way to the corporate end of the
spectrum as Pricing Supervisor and Assistant Buyer for a
large art supply company. Since moving to Los Angeles, she
has worked as Production Designer on several independent
American and International short films; Funny or Die videos; and web series. She has
also co-produced a web series and founded The A.D.D. Channel (an online sketch
comedy video site). Rozine is known for her inspirational and uplifting attitude in
keeping all around her in high spirits especially in trying situations.
Gabriel Forster – Editor
Gabriel Forster is a freelance editor who has worked
in postproduction for the past 7 years. He combines
creative passion along with strong skills to edit the
numerous formats of media in which he works with.
Gabriel is a gifted, successful and in-demand editor
based in Los Angeles. He has edited numerous
documentary and reality style programs which have
aired internationally on television and online for
networks such as E!, MTV, USA and
Lifetime. Gabriel’s unique editing skills are heightened with his innate ability to allow
the truth of the story to organically unfold while capturing the essence of the art form.
Cast
Miaken Kristola – Olivia
Miaken graduated from Western Michigan University with a
degree in theater and then continued her study of acting at the
British American Drama Academy. Upon moving to Chicago,
she did improv and sketch comedy at The Second City and
Annoyance Theatre. She recently relocated herself to California
to get involved in film and television and currently lives with two
cats. She likes to bake and cries at least once during romantic
comedies.
Jordan Boughrum – Becca
Jordan Boughrum is an actress recently
transplanted from New York City to Los
Angeles. In NYC she helped found an all-female
Shakespeare company, the Bushwick
Shakespeare Repertory (BSR). She was a crucial
player in all three of BSR’s inaugural
productions and contributed to the company as
Chief Marketing Officer (meaning she wrote
press releases and helped in the making of
posters...she's crafty). She's also a member of the Brooklyn based collective, The Artful
Conspirators, dedicated to new theatrical work that includes the audience as a participant
in the theatre-making process. She has trained with the Upright Citizens Brigade-New
York, NY Neofuturists, Washington Improv Theater (DC), Studio Theatre (DC),
Wittenberg University (OH) and Brown Ledge Camp (VT). In 2010 she shot her first
commercial with director Tom Schiller for the Discovery Channel’s SHARK
WEEK. When she's not acting (or trying to figure it all out) she loves experimenting in
the kitchen, she currently in the planning process for a kids baking web series called
"Baking For Macy" in which she teaches her niece (Macy) to bake via the interweb.
Liam Toner – Adam
Liam grew up in Louisville, KY, where he started acting and
improv in high school. He began his pursuit of career training at
the Hartt school in Hartford, CT, where he received his BFA in
acting. Since moving out to L.A., Liam has acted in plays, short
films, and written and performed in Sketch Comedy at Improv
Olympic. He is now a Production Assistant at the Blank Theatre
Company, and is very excited about this hilarious short!
Grant Lyon – Charlie
Grant Lyon is a comedian, actor, and writer from Los Angeles. He
began studying acting at UC Santa Cruz, and then continued his
pursuit in San Francisco for several years before moving to Los
Angeles. He has appeared in multiple award-winning shorts and
performs improv regularly. He is part of the sketch comedy group
Four In The Back whose sketches have been featured by Funny or
Die and Rooftop Comedy. His stand-up has graced the stages of
comedy clubs across America.
Greg Edwards – Joe
Greg Edwards brightens up a room with his smile
and cracks up a room with his jokes. Born and
raised in Newport News, Virginia, Greg always had
a love for theater and the arts. Greg moved to the
Bay Area in 2001 to pursue his acting career but
quickly jumped into the SF stand-up comedy scene.
Greg stood out with his social commentary on the
world and his own awkward life. He's worked with
most of his favorites and won some individual
awards like new faces at Jamie Foxx's Laffapolooza 2005 and the prestigious Dan
Crawford award from the San Francisco Punchline 2009. Now Greg is currently residing
in Los Angeles where you can see him performing stand-up all over the city.
Sal Calanni – Waiter
Sal is originally from Cleveland, Ohio, but he began doing
stand-up comedy and acting in San Francisco. He has appeared
at comedy clubs all over the country working with some great
performers such as Dave Chappelle, Dave Attell, Bill Burr,
Greg Giraldo, Robert Schimmel, John Caparulo, and many
more. He was featured on NBC’s “Trauma”, starred in the film
“Comedy Ain’t for the Money”, and has starred in, co-wrote,
and co-produced the upcoming film, “Lucifer’s Crewcut”
which includes such talent as Maria Bamford, Arj Barker, Doug
Benson, Jello Biafra, and GWAR. He is a part of the popular
comedy sketch group Four in the Back, which has been featured
on the Funny or Die homepage, and has a popular weekly
podcast available free on iTunes named Sal & Angelo.
Production Stills
Mike, Rainer, and Rozine preparing for a shot.
A glimpse of the film through the monitor.
Liam and Miaken acting up a storm.
Jordan is ready for her close up.
The beautiful work of our production designer.
Grant and Mike are teammates!
Sal relaxing between shots.
The crew loves working.
The script supervisor Stephanie is keeping a close eye on things. She misses nothing!
Greg always ignores the extras in favor of the camera.
Arlene changing the lights like usual.
Full Cast & Crew
Olivia Haness …………………… Miaken Kristola
Becca Miller ………..................... Jordan Boughrum
Adam McCormick ……………… Liam Toner
Charlie Jordan ………................... Grant Lyon
Joe …………………..................... Greg Edwards
Waiter ………………................... Sal Calanni
Bartender ……………………….. Noah Berkowitz
Restaurant Patron #1 …………… Hampton Yount
Restaurant Patron #2 …………… Jennifer Dyal
Restaurant Patron #3 ………….... Maja Lemcke
Director ………………………… Mike Lemcke
Producer ………………………... Grant Lyon
Screenplay By ………………….. Mike Lemcke & Grant Lyon
Director of Photography …….….. Rainer Lipski
Production Designer …………… Lynette Rozine Prock
Editing …………………….……. Gabriel Forster
Executive Producer …………….. Victoria Morgan
Executive Producer ………….…. Matthew Randazzo
Executive Producer …………….. Ross & Karen Lemcke
Original Music ………………….. Ryan Hedrick
Original Music ………………….. Erik Metzger
Assistant Director ……………….. Wendy Lyon
Camera Assistant …………...…… Martin Gradek
Gaffer ………………………...…. Joshua Simpson
Grip …………………………..…. Arlene Muller
Makeup Artist …………………… Laura Petrilak
Production Manager …………….. Andy Peters
Production Assistant ……………. John Iadarola
Production Assistant …………….. Maja Lemcke
Script Supervisor ………………… Stephanie Morgan
Production Sound Mixer …...……. Anthony Balboa
Boom Operator ……………..…… Robin Warren
Sound Editor …………………….. Mark Williams
Foley Artist ……………………… Adam Decoster
Foley Mixer ……………………… Andrew Morgado
Sound Mixer ………..…………… Alexey Mohr
Interview Date Press
DC Shorts Awards $2000 to Winners
of Screenplay Competition
By Joe Flood, Pink Line Project, on Oct 18, 2010
The fourth annual DC Shorts Screenplay Competition wrapped up with a live reading on
October 16. More than a hundred short scripts from around the country had been
submitted to this competition. A panel of judges (including me), selected five finalists.
The final five were invited to Washington, to present their short screenplays in a live
reading. The finalists were:
Catching Up
Mary Ratliff, Writer
Reston, VA
A prison guard must make a decision that will affect the future of a criminal, and put his
own daughter at risk.
Interview Date
Grant Lyon, Writer
Mike Lemcke, Writer
Oakland, CA
In a case of mistaken identity, a couple on their first date accidentally cross signals
with a job interview.
The Dressing Room
Jackie Boor, Writer
Sacramento, CA
A department store dressing room is an unexpected crossroad for a tired housewife and
a young woman.
Surreal Estate
Lori Romero, Writer
Santa Fe, NM
Mr. Smith's trials and tribulations while renting a home are not normal procedure.
Break Up, Break In, Break Out
Kelli Herod, Writer
Arlington, VA
With a little help from her friends, a woman works through the end of a relationship.
The scripts were read in a "theater in the round" in the conference center of the
Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church. Before a standing-room only
audience, each script was read live by local actors and the screenwriter. This was a
table-read, where the actors and the writer sat around a circular table, with audience
members within a couple feet of them. No props or costumes were allowed. As the
actors read the script, the audience had to imagine the action, like an old-fashioned
radio play.
All five scripts were performed in this manner. Ballots were then distributed and the
audience selected the winner:
Interview Date! This was a farcical comedy, in which a man who thinks he's going on
a blind date ends up at a job interview. It was well-acted and presented, with some
very funny lines highlighting the similarities between looking for love and finding a
job. One of the writers, Grant Lyon, is a stand-up comic and this was evident with the
script's excellent sense of timing and delivery.
The writers of Interview Date, Grant Lyon and Mike Lemcke, were presented with a
check for $1000 by Jon Gann, director of DC Shorts. They will receive another $1000
once they turn Interview Date into a film. The movie will also automatically be
admitted into next year's DC Shorts Film Festival. The DC Shorts Screenplay
Competition is unique among screenplay contests in that its aim is to not just award
money, but get films made.
Look for Interview Date at DC Shorts 2011! And if you're a writer who wants to make
a short film, sign-up for updates at DCShorts.com (http://www.dcshorts.com/) to be
notified about next year's competition.
What’s On Tap: The Entertainment Guide
By Marlene Hall
“It’s a different kind of date in Showcase Seven when Interview Date delivers a dose of comedy Three’s
Company style. When a blind date gets mixed up with a job interview hilarity ensues.”
The Short Films Blog
by Mitchell Stover
The short “Interview Date” by Mike Lemcke is the tale of two meetings set up by two separate groups
getting mixed up and having some hilarious effects. Simply put, the short follows the stories of a job
interview and an online date coming together and getting mixed up. With one person from each
appointment with a person from the other appointment, hilarity ensues as both groups attempt to figure out
what’s wrong. Without ruining the final plot twist, the ending wraps up the short with a funny scene that
most people won’t see coming.
Overall this short was the best short in the showcase I viewed while at the D.C. Shorts Film Festival. While
it was the first short, it left such a memorable impression that it was the short I wanted to write about. What
set this short apart from most of the shorts that I saw was the way it ended and it’s hilarity. When it comes
to how this short ended, it had a physical ending that left me satisfied while others in the showcase such as
“Sweetness & Art” left me wanting more. However “Interview Date” really set itself apart because it kept
me interested throughout the entire short. While other shorts were great, some of them lost me very quickly
or seemed to skip parts of a story. This doesn’t mean that there weren’t a few issues with the film, such as
spending too long in the apartment at the beginning. However, compared to everyone else it was by far the
best. That’s why I was really happy to see that it got the DC Shorts 2011 Audience Honorable Mention and
the 2010 DC Shorts Screen Play Competition. Congratulations on the awards and thanks for making such a
great short film!
Lil Miss Bratty’s Short Film Blog
The cast of four main characters includes Lyon and they deliver a light-hearted story of accidental
meeting mix-ups. One man is looking for a job interview, another... for a his blind date. The
premise itself is a little hammy and predictable, especially if you've seen the film's website prior
to viewing Interview Date. That said, I think its the execution that really counts. The writing is
the star here, as it's lively, fun and quirky. Pacing and acting in the beginning feels a little off, but
quickly picks up towards the comedic central scene, where the cast does a really nice job with
timing and delivery. German Cinematographer Rainer Lipski makes some pretty pictures as well.
Of all the short films I've seen lately, Interview Date is definitely one of the better ones, and I'm
certainly happy to start my blog on that note.
The Inside Reel
In terms of simple performance, “Interview Date” works the best because of its wit and
personification of double standards while using very simple innuendo that is both innocent and
dirty at the same time.