FilmSpeak TV appearance

Making our indy-film Awakening was a raucous time.

Many of us on the core team were first-time filmmakers, including writer/producer/director Evie Marie Warner of RenRaw Films. We were mostly learning just by doing — and by soaking in as much as we could from the “real film people” that dropped in to help us from time-to-time.

But even out of chaos, one opportunity often leads to another.  It was through JoAnna Lloyd who played Mackie in Awakening that I met the late William Miller of BurnMill productions and Lana Read of Garnet Films, both of whom co-founded FilmSpeak.

When they started to produce FilmSpeak out of the well-equipped DATV (Dayton Access Television) studios I knew it would be a lot of fun. When it comes to movies, Bill had a ton of energy and enthusiasm and Lana rivals his film knowledge but grounds Bill’s performance – the perfect foil. They’re funny and it really is a show for film geeks.

I appear at the 13 minute mark and then again at 33:34.

I volunteered at the first couple of shows doing whatever I could just because I loved to be a part of it all.  Then Bill asked me if I wanted to be on as a guest to talk about editing the 45-minute Awakening movie.

Imagine my the tug-of-war in my head at that moment.  I wanted to be on, but I’d just done my first edit job on a real full-length movie — my FIRST!  I was hardly an expert!  I also would be expected to talk about a film of Bill’s choosing — Evil Dead II — a horror film, which is not really my genre to start with.

But I couldn’t pass up the chance. How often do you get to be in a production where you don’t have to learn lines??

The late William Miller was the driving force behind Filmspeak and many other Indie film projects. Gone too soon.

All I can say is thank God for YouTube.

I found the film to watch and study, and made Cole’s notes (Cliff notes to Americans) from research on Google — anything to make me sound like I even partially knew what I was talking about. Although the full film isn’t available on YouTube any more, this trailer might give you a bit of an idea.

You can see the result for yourself in the video above. It was a ton of fun; Was I nervous? – check my right knee jumping up and down!

Thanks to Bill and to my Awakening film colleague JoAnna Lloyd who acted as co-hosts for this episode and whose professionalism made it much easier for this neophyte TV guest!

You can see all the other FilmSpeak episodes on YouTube by subscribing to BurnmillProductions Thanks to JoAnna and William (Bill) for having me on!