Milkman Max Productions
Transcription
Milkman Max Productions
Milkman Max Productions PRESENTS MICHAEL MADSEN TREVOR LISSAUER BRIEN PERRY DANIEL ROEBUCK CAROLINE MORAHAN RICHARD RIEHLE RAY WISE DEIRDRE LOVEJOY DIRECTED BY.......................................................... THOMAS RENNIER WRITTEN BY............................................................ CHRIS RENNIER PRODUCED BY...................................................... RACHEL SKIDMORE CINEMATOGRAPHER......................................... NATHAN CARRINGTON MUSIC BY.................................................................. RYAN STRONG For additional information please contact: MIKE JORDACHE [email protected] 314.560.2462 RACHEL SKIDMORE [email protected] 310.600.7586 www.LIONHEADMOVIE.com SYNOPSES LOGLINE LIONHEAD is a comedy about Frank Harrison, an angst-ridden young man, searching for love and redemption after being scammed when purchasing an engagement ring. SHORT SYNOPSIS Frank, an angst-ridden young man, buys an engagement ring for his girlfriend, Darlene. Unfortunately, he purchases it from Ted, a con artist with a slick pitch. To save his relationship, Frank manages to track down his antagonist, Ted, with whom he ill-advisedly opens direct and amateurish negotiations. After the con artist pushes Frank to his limits, he embarks on a journey to get his money back and prove his love to Darlene. LONG SYNOPSIS Frank, an angst-ridden young man, desperately wants to marry his girlfriend, Darlene, against her father's wishes. When Frank inherits a large sum of money, he decides to buy a ring and propose. Unfortunately, he purchases the ring from Ted, a con artist with a slick pitch and a beautiful wife. Darlene’s disapproving parents easily identify the diamond as a worthless fake and encourage Darlene to break off the engagement. To save his relationship, Frank sets out to confront Ted and opens direct, ill-advised negotiations. In the meantime, Frank’s lawyer, criminal investigators, the mob, and even the pizza boy get involved in the action. The harder Ted pushes Frank, the more determined Frank is to recoup his money and prove his love to Darlene. 2 TIP SHEET TITLE SHOOTING DATES DATE OF COMPLETION SHOT ON LOCATION RUN TIME GENRE COUNTRY OF PRODUCTION LIONHEAD July 19 - August 3, 2011 February 2012 Los Angeles, CA 1:35:52 Narrative Fiction Comedy USA CAPTURE FORMAT EXHIBITION FORMATS FRAME RATE ASPECT RATIO EDITING FACILITIES Red DVD/Blu-Ray/DigiBeta/HD Cam 1080p/23.98 16:9 Letterbox West Coast Post WRITER DIRECTOR CINEMATOGRAPHER PRODUCER Chris Rennier Thomas Rennier Nathan Carrington Rachel Skidmore CONTACT INFORMATION WEBSITE www.lionheadmovie.com E-MAIL [email protected] SOCIAL NETWORKING facebook.com/lionheadmovie twitter.com/lionheadmovie PRODUCTION COMPANIES Milkman Max Productions www.milkmanmax.com MeyerMore Productions 3 ABOUT THE PRODUCTION “The first scene of the first day on any production is always the most exciting and scariest. It sets the precedence for the rest of the shoot especially if you are the lead,” says Trevor Lissauer who brings angst-ridden Frank Harrison to life in the feature film Lionhead. What makes Lionhead unique is that it was a 95 minute film being shot in 14 days. A task that director Thomas Rennier and producer Rachel Skidmore embraced. “The fourteen day shoot was very calculated from the beginning. We had a script, cast, and crew that we knew could get it done with the right preparation,” says Rennier. But not everything went smoothly. Lionhead was written with a lot of offbeat dialogue that sets it apart from other films. So it was expected that the lead actors would rehearse for weeks, if not months, before the film went into production. “This film had the most dialogue of any part that I have ever played. I had a handful of really long and quirky monologues. Getting all the lines down just as they were written in a very short period of time was the biggest challenge,” says Lissauer, who was cast at the last minute when the original lead actor backed out. “I booked the role on a Friday and we started shooting the following Monday. So each night after shooting I was up all night studying my lines, as if cramming for a final exam,” Lissauer says. Despite the short prep time, Rennier and co-star Brien Perry were impressed with Lissauer's performance. “Trevor [Lissuaer] was really dedicated to his character and making sure the script, story and our characters made sense,” says Perry, who portrays con artist Ted Platt. “Getting Trevor on board was like having a script supervisor. Which was great because we didn't have one!” Rennier says. Despite the fast paced schedule, the cast was impressed with the new, young crew of Lionhead. “I think I've found the next generation of great young filmmakers,” Michael Madsen told his manager. Madsen, who is no stranger to the big screen with over 150 screenplays to his name, played the character of Walter Powell who is vehemently against Lissauer's character, Frank, marrying his daughter. 4 ABOUT THE PRODUCTION (Continued) “Working with Michael Madsen was definitely an awesome experience. Working with someone that you grew up watching in movies that you actually loved is always fantastic. I got to tell Michael that I fainted in the movie theater after I saw him cut off the police officers ear in Reservoir Dogs,” says Lissauer. “Michael really keeps you on your toes on set … both he and his character were such a presence in the room. He kept driving the moments and we were all hanging on for the ride!” says Jill Crenshaw, who plays Darlene Powell, the confused woman torn between Frank and her family. “I always find it so interesting playing the straight character! Darlene is someone in this story that is just trying to make sense of it all while chaos reigns around her. I loved the contrast between her and just about everyone she comes into contact with,” she says, “Darlene was always the least absurd person in any given scene… so for me, keeping up the tension and not allowing the absurdity to take over was my challenge for most of the filming.” While Madsen is the most recognizable actor in Lionead, the character that audiences are falling in love with is con artist Ted Platt portrayed by Brien Perry. “I loved Ted. His dialogue was great. I liked the con artist with a good heart. He was witty and had an agenda. The script was written well. Ted's words seem to flow off my lips,” Perry says. But Perry was almost passed over for the part simply because of long auditions. “After a while [at casting] everything was running together on the day we were casting for Ted. It was pretty bad overall. I had lost my enthusiasm. Brien [Perry] was the 17th or 18th Ted we had seen that day. I was so tired of hearing the dialogue that I didn't think much of it at the time. But when we watched it back on tape we realized he was definitely the man for the part. He was incredible!” Rennier says. “No. I didn’t think that I got the part at all. I was stopped midway through the audition and told to move to the next scene. I said to myself, 'He thinks I’m terrible, this sucks!' I had 5 auditions that week and that was the last and the dialogue was tremendously long. I walked out thinking I was horrible,” says Perry. So while Perry cast it off as a lost audition, test audiences believe this could be the breakout role for his career. 5 ABOUT THE PRODUCTION (Continued) A difficult part of production were the scenes shot in the heat of Woodland Hills, California with no air conditioning. “We were shooting in 100 degree weather and air conditioning interferes with sound. Most of the time it was like shooting in a sauna. That was tough...” says Caroline Morahan, who plays the blunt and manipulative Heather Platt, wife of Ted Platt. “My first thoughts on Heather were – this is going to be fun! I found her seeming nonchalance about anyone else's trials or sufferings, including those of her own husband, hilarious. It's interesting figuring out what makes someone like that tick,” says Morahan. Morahan not only had to master the tongue-twisting dialogue, but the Irish actress was also using an American accent. Her skills helped her immediately grab the attention of Shia LaBeouf who cast her in his own movie immediately following Lionhead. Writer Chris Rennier, brother of director Thomas Rennier, really believes the culmination of the efforts of these young actors produced a film far better than the budget. “The dialogue was not easy, but if it was done right, by the right actors it had the potential to be brilliant, and I think we see that in Lionhead. They really brought these characters to life,” says writer Chris Rennier. “We had been planning on shooting a feature film for over five years now. It just took us a while to pull together all the resources and make it happen,” Thomas Rennier said. What it actually took was a life epiphany. In April 2010 Thomas was diagnosed with bone cancer in his left distal femur. “It was in the hospital back in St. Louis when I decided the time to make the film was now!” Thomas Rennier says. The film was privately financed through investors in Missouri, Mexico, and Los Angeles. “We raised it ourselves with a business plan and a short film that showed our talent,” Thomas Rennier says, “and never in my wildest dreams did I think my directorial debut would allow me to work with Michael Madsen, Ray Wise, Richard Riehle, Deirdre Lovejoy, Daniel Roebuck and Duane Whitaker!” Lionhead will be premiering in the summer of 2012. How will audiences react? Lissauer says, “I think people will walk away with a smile, feeling good. Knowing that if a loser like Frank can turn his life around for the better then so can anyone.” 6 ABOUT THE DIRECTOR DIRECTOR: Thomas Rennier grew up in St. Louis, Missouri. Moving to Los Angeles in 2008, Thomas worked as an editor at MTV for several years for various television shows. He directed his best short film, The Whiskey Priest, in 2009 which he financed himself. Shortly after, Thomas was diagnosed with bone cancer and moved back to his hometown of St. Louis for treatment. Enduring twenty-two chemotherapy treatments and a brutal surgery that removed his knee and most of his femur bone he beat the disease and is now cancer free. In St. Louis, Thomas was tapped to direct Lionhead after the investors saw his short film, The Whiskey Priest. Rennier is currently in works with his brother, Chris Rennier, and producer, Rachel Skidmore, to begin production on the feature length comedy, Foxy. DIRECTOR STATEMENT: Lionhead was a very important film for me not only as a Director but as a person. Recovering from the physical and mental toll of cancer, Lionhead gave me a chance re-engage my mind after a year off. This ability to be creative on a daily basis gave my mind a chance to exercise. It gave me something to look forward to and be proud of every day that I worked on it. I think this film was created with no fear and with nothing to lose. In the past I may have been afraid to make a mistake or spend all day working on some ridiculously minor detail, but now I had the foresight to enjoy what I was doing and take everything in stride. I was able to enjoy the process and not let it control me. This can effect the entire cast and crew. This film was effected positively because of these reasons and the enthusiasm that abounded on set. 7 ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS WRITER: Chris Rennier moved to Los Angeles in 2001 where he would become co-owner of a post-production facility. During this time he has penned several feature length film screenplays, with Lionhead being the first to be picked up. Rennier is currently in negotiations for his second screenplay, Foxy, to be picked up. Foxy is the story of David Fox, a high school Spanish teacher, who’s orchestrated love triangle between two student’s moms to impress the Principal backfires in the worst way. PRODUCER: Rachel Skidmore has produced a number of short films including the comedy Cannonball – one of five Dodge films selected to premiere at the Director’s Guild of America in 2010 as a part of the Chapman University’s annual “First Cut” event. Rachel has received grants from Entertainment Partners and the Zonta Club of Newport Beach Harbor for her producing endeavors. She is currently working as an Associate Producer at Visionaire Media, a multi-platform media company dedicated to creating content that entertains, educates and promotes cross-cultural dialogue. CINEMATOGRAPHER: Nathan Carrington has a varied background working in documentaries, shorts, features and commercials. He was the Cinematographer on over 10 short films, many of which have gone on to win awards at festivals including “Best Short” at PGLFF and “Best Student Film, Audience Favorite Award, and Best Overall Film” at Moxie Shorts Fest. Carrington has been working professionally as a Gaffer and 1st AC for years and is in talks to DP his second feature film in the near future. 8 ABOUT THE CAST MICHAEL MADSEN (Walter Powell) Madsen is most notably recognized for his role as the sadistic killer, Mr. Blonde, in Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs. Most recently, he gave a remarkable performance in Strength and Honour as a boxer who had promised his dying wife that he would never fight again. Madsen’s career spans over 25 years and over 170 films. He has played memorable characters in a myriad of box office hits, including Kill Bill, Sin City, Hell Ride, Die Another Day, Donnie Brasco, Species, The Getaway, The Doors, Thelma & Louise, and Free Willy. Madsen continues to turn in memorable performances as audiences of Lionhead will soon attest. DANIEL ROEBUCK (Detective Heilman) Roebuck played Andy Griffith’s right-hand man, Cliff Lewis, on the television drama Matlock from 1992 to 1995. His most famous film roles were alongside Tommy Lee Jones in the role of US Marshal Bob Biggs in the films, The Fugitive and U.S. Marshals. From 2005-2010, he had a recurring role in the television drama Lost, appearing as Dr. Arzt in nine episodes. Most recently, Roebuck has been portraying Dave Karofsky’s father in episodes of Glee. Roebuck’s on-set enthusiasm made him a favorite of the Lionhead crew. RAY WISE (Jimmy) Wise is best known for his roles in Twin Peaks, Robocop, and most recently, as the devil himself in Reaper. His resume is lengthy, and includes contribution to Love of Life, Swamp Thing, The Chase, Star Trek, Jeepers Creepers, Diagnosis Murder, The Elizabeth Taylor Story, Good Night and Good Luck, The West Wing, 24, Bones, The Closer, Burn Notice, Law and Order, and Charmed. In 2010, he joined other Twin Peaks alumni in an episode of Psych to spoof the earlier classic. Ray’s list of accomplishments is extended by his excellent work in Lionhead. 9 ABOUT THE CAST (Continued) CAROLINE MORAHAN (Heather Platt) Morahan is an Irish actress and television host. She is best known as the host of TV fashion show Off the Rails. She has hosted numerous television shows including Chance to Dance, The Podge and Rodge Show and has been a celebrity judge on talent shows Class Act and It’s my Show. More recently her career has focused on acting. She starred in the musical I, Keano and appeared in the Irish film A Kiss for Jed Wood. She has been voted Ireland’s Best Dressed Woman and Ireland’s Sexiest Woman. Morahan is a talented actress and her work on Lionhead adds to her growing portfolio. TREVOR LISSAUER (Frank Harrison) Lissauer, who hails from Texas, launched his acting career in his very first audition, The Skateboard Kid. He is best known for playing Miles Goodman on Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Lissauer, who is also a musician, also appeared in From the Head, Scream of the Bikini, Reno 911!, Eden’s Curve, Roswell, Felicity, In Memory of My Father, An American Vampire Story, and other films. His entertaining, but angst-ridden, monologues in Lionhead remind many of a vintage Woody Allen performance. ELIZABETH MOREHEAD (Paula Powell) Powell is best known for her various television appearances. Her most memorable performance was in the classic Seinfeld episode, “The Pez Dispenser” in which she played a professional pianist and the girlfriend of George Costanza. Other television shows in which Morehead appeared include ER, The Pretender, Judging Amy, Profiler, Without a Trace, NCIS, and others. Elizabeth’s film credits include Terminator 3, Golden Gate, Reflecting Pool, and of course, Lionhead, in which she brilliantly plays the part of Michael Madsen’s wife. 10 ABOUT THE CAST (Continued) RICHARD RIEHLE (Lawyer Bronowitz) Riehle became involved with theatre at Notre Dame. One of his major triumphs in the theatre was alongside Kevin Spacey in the acclaimed 1999 revival of The Iceman Cometh. Riehle is one of the busiest character players on TV and in the movies. His resume is too large to cover here but includes appearances in Office Space, Glory, Free Willy, The Fugitive, Iron Will, Casino, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and most recently Bridesmaids. Riehle is an incredible talent and continues to put out great performances. BRIEN PERRY (Ted Platt) Perry nailed his audition and became the perfect “Ted” in the Lionhead saga. His ability to be naturally charming yet sleazy has led many test audiences to fall in love/hate relationship with his character. Previously, Perry has appeared in Dance Flick, Rizzoli & Isles, General Hospital, Desperate Housewives, Charmed, JAG, Friends, Beverly Hills 90210, and many other projects which have kept him busy and his acting skills sharp. JILL CRENSHAW (Darlene Powell) Crenshaw has traveled to over 25 countries and 49 of our 50 states. She has graced the stages of LA sketch comedy with troupes such as Sitcoms Blow, The Rebellion, and Tomboys in Fishnets. She has performed at both the Aspen Comedy Festival and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland. Crenshaw made her independent film festival debut in the Slamdance Festival film Sky Drops. She filmed the lead in Infected, and soon after starred in the feature film Heaven Strewn, a finalist for “Best Ensemble in a Feature Film” at The Ashland Independent Film Festival. Crenshaw’s talent shines through in her portrayal of the conflicted fiancee of Frank Harrison in Lionhead. 11 ABOUT THE CAST (Continued) DUANE WHITAKER (Phil) Whitaker began his career by writing and directing plays, as well as working in film and television. Four of his plays have been produced in Los Angeles, including “Eddie Presley”, which was adapted and became his first produced screenplay. He also wrote the screenplay for Stripteaser. As an actor, Duane landed the role of Maynard in Pulp Fiction. He co-wrote From Dusk ‘Til Dawn 2, and wrote/directed a low-budget feature, Together and Alone, which screened in Park City, Utah, during the Sundance Film Festival. DEIRDRE LOVEJOY (Detective Lundgren) Lovejoy can be most recently seen in the Cameron Diaz comedy Bad Teacher, but is best known for her role as Rhonda Pearlman in all five seasons of the critically acclaimed The Wire on HBO. She has appeared in a long line of notable movies and TV episodes including The Talented Mr. Ripley, Step Up, Bones, Law and Order, Cold Case, Numb3rs, The West Wing, Nip/Tuck, Touched by an Angel, Without a Trace, and Spin City. In Lionhead, Deidre plays Detective Lundgren alongside Daniel Roebuck. JEMAL DRACO (Pizza Boy Neal Griffin) Draco most recently played the fearless rebel Tyler in the horror film "Jack The Reaper." The film garnered the award for best Horror/Sci Fi Film at the 2011 Cannes Independent Film Festival. His co-stars on the film included Oscar nominee Sally Kirkland and horror legend Tony Todd. While still in high school, Jemal participated in "The Merry Wives of Windsor" for the DTASC (Drama Teachers Association of Southern California) Shakespeare Festival. His scene won the first place trophy. His talent earned him a full scholarship to the CalArts' CSSSA (California State Summer School of the Arts) where he fell in love with the craft. 12 FILMMAKER Q&A Q: What was it like working with your brother? Chris: We've done a lot of projects together and apart, but to pull off a feature-length film, it definitely helps to partner. That way, I have a venue for my script and Tommy has a ready-made plot to direct. Thomas: I agree, but we still need to keep our roles separate while filming. Brothers or not, there are sometimes natural conflicts between the directing of a movie and the way it's written. Q: Who are your creative influences? Chris: We both like everything Wes Anderson and the Coen brothers do. They're originals, and in Lionhead, our objective was to bring forth something which was both entertaining, but which audiences have never seen before. I think we've succeeded. Q: Why do you think audiences will enjoy Lionhead? Thomas: There are a number of recognizable actors who put out great performances, and a few who will be interesting because they are new and talented. The plot is simple, yet the dialogue driven scenes are so quirky and so smart that it makes for very entertaining scenes that are impossible to stop watching. Also, the cinematography is excellent, and the soundtrack is full of original compositions. Q: How did the casting process go? Thomas: It was interesting. Even though I sat in on the auditions, you get a completely different sense of the actor and their screen presence when you watch it back on tape. Some of the actors I knew right away like Jemal Draco (Neal Griffin) and Ian Fisher (Gerard Renault). But since the audition day is so long and you hear the same thing over and over, you inevitably get tired, and everybody starts running together. We didn't get a sense of how good Brien Perry (Ted Platt) was until we watched the tape back later. 13 FILMMAKER Q&A (Continued) Q: What was it like working with Michael Madsen? Thomas: We wanted Madsen for Lionhead from the very beginning, so we were thankful to have him committed. He's a great actor, very hardworking, and never disappointed us. He's a real professional, and brings it all in every scene. He really likes to improv which frightened me a little as a first time director working with someone of his stature, but 95% of his ideas improved the scene so in the end you just let him do what he does best. Q: Whose performance surprised you the most? Thomas: All of the actors were a pleasure to work with, but the most surprising was Trevor [Lissauer]. When the original actor for Frank dropped out at the last minute, we were fortunate to find such a capable replacement. Only four days before production began, Trevor memorized all of his lines and delivered them flawlessly. It was amazing. He easily had the most dialogue in the movie and maybe the most monologues I've ever seen in a movie, yet we had to cut for him less than anybody. He tells me he was like a kid cramming for final exams. Those who have seen the movie say he reminds them of Woody Allen, and in this role, that's an asset. Q: How did you manage to assemble such a great crew? Thomas: The crew was led by Nathan Carrington, who attended Missouri State [University] at the same time I did. I saw some of his short films and thought he had a great eye for cinematography. He makes scenes look so good with such a little amount of equipment. He manages to make everything look natural. It would be amazing to see what he could do on a higher budget. Nearly the entire crew came from Chapman University where Nathan attended Graduate School. There are a few others on his team that are remarkably talented as well, Bret Watkins (1st AC) and Andrew Behrens (Gaffer) are two of them. Many of the actors commented on how efficient the crew was. 14 FILMMAKER Q&A (Continued) Q: Thomas, what was it like directing a film in which you were younger than the cast? Thomas: Not difficult, really. The cast was very professional and accepted direction. Of course, they know what they're doing and deserve freedom in how they represent the character, but I wasn't afraid to offer suggestions. The main thing was being totally prepared and organized. I think the cast appreciated that, and in turn, I valued their opinions on how to make Lionhead better. Q: How do you plan to distribute Lionhead? Chris: Our priority now is to complete the editing of Lionhead. We have several contacts in the distribution arena, and are confident the film has the story and star power to draw interest. Our budget was very efficient, so we see cost recovery as a low risk. Q: What's next? Chris: We're working on parallel tracks now. There's a lot to do to get Lionhead finished and distributed. In the meantime, we're working on financing for our next project. It's a comedy about high school romance in which the faculty and parents are the focus rather than the kids. 15 CREDITS Frank Harrison Ted Platt Walter Powell Darlene Powell Detective Heilman Detective Lundgren Heather Platt Jimmy Lawyer Bronowitz Phil Vic Paula Powell Pizza Boy Neal Griffin Gerard Renault Senor Rodriguez Officer Bradley Officer Fox TREVOR LISSAUER BRIEN PERRY MICHAEL MADSEN JILL CRENSHAW DANIEL ROEBUCK DEIRDRE LOVEJOY CAROLINE MORAHAN RAY WISE RICHARD RIEHLE DUANE WHITAKER CHIP MEFFORD ELIZABETH MOREHEAD JEMAL DRACO IAN FISHER CARLOS ALEMAN KEVIN BRIEF FREDDIE JOHNSON Director THOMAS RENNIER Writer CHRIS RENNIER Producer RACHEL SKIDMORE Cinematography by NATHAN CARRINGTON Original Score by RYAN STRONG Executive Producers DORIS HO TERRY RANDAZZO STEVE RENNIER PAUL WALTERS SCOTT WEAVER Production Designer JENA RENNIER 16 CREDITS (Continued) Editor OBADIAH BAUER Sound Recordist VERONICA ZABROCKI Casting Director PHIL WILLIAMS Boom Operators JOEY HENDERSON BRANDON KLAUS JEFFREY D. BROWN ANDRES DE LA TORRE KRISTY WINTER MCCAW Supervising Producer VERA MEYER 1st AD ERIC PATTON Key Production Assistant JOEY HENDERSON 2nd AD EZRA LUNEL AMY KERNAN-BENNETT Production Assistant JULIENNE HO Key Makeup Artist YUSUKE TATEISHI Production Manager KIAH S. JONES LUKE RICHARD Makeup Artist BOUTHEYNA BOOTS Gaffer ANDREW BEHRENS Story Editor BRETT MCCOY 1st AC BRET WATKINS ALICIA PHARRIS Prop Master ANDREW ELKINS 2nd AC PAULINA BRYANT Sound Designers VERONICA ZABROCKI MATT BRAILEY Key Grip TREVOR WINEMAN Opening Title Animation DOUG JOHNSTON BRANDON ALLEN Best Boy Electric JORDAN RAABE Compositing DOUG JOHNSTON Electricians YUKI NOGUCHI GREG COTTEN Company Logo Animation PHIL BORST Grips MELISSA FISHER ALLEN LIU BASEL OWIES JEFF ROBINSON Art Director RYAN STRONG 17