DIFFICULT TIMES & THE PLOT AGAINST AMERICA

As we all try to make sense of COVID19 FACTS & related difficulties, it is important to stay informed and to keep a healthy and positive outlook. We recognize that this is a very distressing, confusing and hectic time. Many productions (including several local ones) are postponing start dates for safety reasons. Like many of you, we are trying to figure it out, one day at a time, and trying to stay productive.

Turning the Wittenberg Store in Bearsville into a 1940’s Sinclair Gas Station

It’s a good time to catch up on local films that are streaming online. We will compile and provide a directory in the coming week, but for now, HBO is premiering THE PLOT AGAINST AMERICA on Monday evening on March 16. 

The series, which was partly filmed in the Hudson Valley, follows a working-class Jewish family in 1940s America, as the they watch the political rise of aviator-hero and xenophobic populist Charles Lindbergh. This six-part re-imagining of history is based on the Philip Roth novel of the same name. The series co stars SUNY New Paltz alumni John Turturro, Wynona Rider

In August, the Hudson Valley Film Commission started work on THE PLOT AGAINST AMERICA by producer David Simon (THE WIRE, TREME). Over a 5-day period, the production filmed in four regional counties, spent over $200,000 and rented 1,397 hotel rooms.

"Working in the Hudson Valley for THE PLOT AGAINST AMERICA was a truly enjoyable experience. It was a beautiful time of year to work upstate and the people, towns and communities were tremendously supportive and friendly,”  said line producer Joe Guest. “The Hudson Valley Film Commission provided exceptional support from day one - with their support, we found great locations and quality local vendors & crew. Our show was set in the 1940s, which meant greater demands from the local area, and on a tight time frame.  We found everything we were looking for locally - 1940’s picture cars, props and period-correct set dressing, facility support, a local contractor who built us a dirt road, a horse wrangler, the list goes on. Everyone went out of their way to ‘make it happen’ for us.  A big plus - almost every day we managed to find ourselves at yet another restaurant with wonderful food and drink, and coffee. Overall an excellent experience. We look forward to our next opportunity to work in upstate New York.”  

For more information about THE PLOT AGAINST AMERICA, visit https://www.hbo.com/video/plot-against-america/videos/enter-1940s-america

These precarious days also offer up a good opportunity to be creative. For example, it might be the perfect time to start that screenplay you’ve always wanted to write. Using Final Draft 11, you can brainstorm, visualize, report, tag, collaborate and customize your writing and the software automatically paginates and formats your script to industry standards.

And on a beautiful day like today, it’s a good time to start a vegetable garden and prepping seedlings inside. 

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Be well and take care of yourselves, and others.

Film & TV production, with its ripple effect of production, distribution and the festival circuit, offers a way to invest both financially and personally in the creative potential of a burgeoning industry that generates billions of dollars in annual economic activity. The Hudson Valley Film Commission continues to provide broad support. Please support our continued efforts with a tax-deductible contribution at www.hudsonvalleyfilmcommission.org/support

2020 WINTER UPDATE

Three Hudson Valley feature films recently wrapped up production, including WEREWOLVES WITHIN. Director Josh Ruben urged everyone to film in the region.

“Let’s all make movies here.” Click to watch video.

The Hudson Valley Film Commission is very grateful to all the folks at Ubisoft and Vanishing Angle for working so hard to hire as many local crew and vendors as possible.

We counted more than 25 local hires including director Josh Ruben, G&E folks including Greg Meola, Anthony Stracquadanio, Kevin Koniewicz, Chris van Houten, Bill Hevessy, Mike Hunold, Chris Washington; art, prop and set dressing folks including John Ashton, Tom Newton, Tashav L Powers and Jesse Hegney; HMU department's Erica Pearce, Doria Riker and Yesim Osman; John Livermore from Stone Pony Catering, Frank Dianda for craft services; Others included actors Anni Krueger, Kat Gonzalez and Willis Williams; scripty Chuck Girard, Jesse Rolfe, Willo Hausman, Daniel Rohn, Eugene Hitt, Corey Spears, Woodstock Film Studios and many others.

Several new film productions are gearing up while many of the 2019 films and TV shows are rolling out distribution including: 

THE PLOT AGAINST AMERICA (March 16 on HBO)
A QUIET PLACE, PART II (March 19)
I KNOW THIS MUCH IS TRUE (April 27 on HBO)
THE UNDOING (May 10 on HBO)

Click on above links to watch trailers.

Film & TV production, with its ripple effect of production, distribution and the festival circuit, offers a way to invest both financially and personally in the creative potential of a burgeoning industry that generates billions of dollars in annual economic activity. The Hudson Valley Film Commission continues to provide broad support. 

Please support our continued efforts with a tax-deductible contribution at www.hudsonvalleyfilmcommission.org/support

2019 FILM PRODUCTION UP MORE THAN 55%

On location with HBO's THE UNDOING, starring Nicole Kidman, Hugh Grant and Donald Sutherland.

In 2019, the Hudson Valley Film Commission worked with over 50 potential productions.
Of the 25 productions that filmed in the Mid-Hudson Valley counties of Ulster, Dutchess, Orange, Sullivan, Greene, Delaware and Columbia, the following data was compiled. 

• $46-million+ in DIRECT REGIONAL SPENDING (*2018 was $29.5-million)
• 42,164+  rooms rented at local lodging establishments
• 441+ production days 
• 460+ scouting days tallied 
• 180+ locations used 
• 500+ local crew members hired 
• 762+ crew members traveling to region
• 4058+ local actors and extras hired

2019 HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDED: 

• BILLIONS (Showtime)

• I KNOW THIS MUCH IS TRUE (HBO)

• I’M THINKING OF ENDING THINGS (Netflix)

• MONSTERLAND (Hulu)

• A QUIET PLACE: PART 2 (Paramount)

• SILENT RETREAT (Miramax) (READ BLOG)

• THINGS HEARD AND SEEN (Netflix)

• THE UNDOING (HBO)

• THE PLOT AGAINST AMERICA (HBO)

• 5 regional films also premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival including SHIRLEY, SAVE YOURSELVES, SCARE ME, THE CLIMB and BLACK BEAR. (READ BLOG)

“It was a phenomenal year for film production, especially with HBO’s I KNOW THIS MUCH IS TRUE filming almost every day,” said film commission director Laurent Rejto. “We look forward to more mini-series and TV productions coming to the region so that the many trained professionals in the region can work locally instead of having to travel to NYC or other states. Creating local work has been our goal since 2000."   

As a 501c3 non profit, the mission of the Hudson Valley Film Commission is to create work and educational opportunities, by attracting, supporting and promoting local film, tv, photography, and new media work. The results, since 2000, have led to more than $250-million in regional sustainable economic development.  To analyze the impact of regional FILM, TV and MEDIA production, the Hudson Valley Film Commission collects film production data to track the LOCAL economic impact of productions. Data includes scouting days, production days, local lodging information, local crew and cast hires, location fees, catering, transportation rentals and more. 

Every year, the Hudson Valley Film Commission also refers select local productions to press outlets and film festivals worldwide. 2019 Woodstock Film Festival referrals included: 

• #LIKE by Sarah Pirozek

• CAN YOU KEEP A SECRET (BCDF Pictures)

• LAND OF LITTLE RIVERS directed by Aaron Weisblatt

• NOT NOT JAZZ featuring Medeski, Martin and Wood

• PARIAH DOG directed by Jesse Alk

• PERSONAL VELOCITY, directed by Rebecca Miller (*One of the first films the film commission worked with)

• THE POLLINATORS, directed by Peter Nelson

• RUN WITH THE HUNTED (winner of Audience Award for Best Feature Narrative)

• SOUTH MOUNTAIN by Hilary Brougher

• SWALLOW (Winner of Gigantic Pictures Jury Prize for Best Feature Narrative)

The New York Film Tax Credits continue to be the principal factor cited by companies who decide to produce work in the region. Since 2010, according to the New York State Governor's Office of Motion Picture & Television Development, the Film Tax Credit program has received 2,280 applications, representing $28.2 billion in NY spend. Productions invest $4.50 in the NYS economy for every $1 in tax credits issued.

For 2020, the Hudson Valley Film Commission has already worked with over TEN potential production companies to create, support and develop regional economic development. 

Four films are already in production including:

• The TIER 2 feature film WEREWOLVES WITHIN, which hired over 20 local crew members thanks to film commission referrals. 
  • DIARIES OF AN EXCHANGE STUDENT, which also hired local cast, crew and vendors. With help from Senator Gillibrand and Congressman Delgado’s offices, the film commission helped get 32 visas for this production traveling from Brazil.

On location with Sam Richardson from WEREWOLVES WITHIN

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Film & TV production, with its ripple effect of production, distribution and the festival circuit, offers a way to invest both financially and personally in the creative potential of a burgeoning industry that generates billions of dollars in annual economic activity. 

The Hudson Valley Film Commission continues to provide broad support. 
For more details, email filmcommission@me.com

Please support our continued efforts with a tax-deductible contribution at www.hudsonvalleyfilmcommission.org/support

Hudson Valley Film Commission
www.hudsonvalleyfilmcommission.org

SELECT Hudson Valley productions:
*Five films recently screened at 2020 Sundance Film Festival
Werewolves Within • Diaries of an Exchange Student• Things Heard and Seen • Billions • Monsterland • Audrey • The Plot Against America • Silent Retreat • Black Bear* • Lapsis • Foxhole • The Undoing • I Know This Much Is True • Save Yourselves* • I’m Thinking of Ending Things • Scare Me* • Can You Keep a Secret? • Panic • High Maintenance • Shirley* • The Dead Don't Die • Avengers: Endgame • The Irishman • The Climb* • Swallow • Skin • The Mountain • A Quiet Place • Fabled • Then Came You • Furlough • A Vigilante • Nancy • Diane • The Miseducation of Cameron Post • La Devotee by Panic at the Disco! • It Comes at Night • Super Dark Times •  The Seagull • HAPPYish • The Ticket  • Growing Up Smith • Cold in July • Katie Fforde Films • True Story • The Sisterhood of Night • The Better Angels • We Are What We Are • The Bourne Legacy • Frances Ha • Our Idiot Brother •  First Winter • The Last Keepers • Francine • Peace, Love, & Misunderstanding • Martha Marcy May Marlene • Higher Ground • Rocksteady • Bitter Feast • Stake Land • Man on Wire • Taking Woodstock • American Gangster • Michael Clayton • The Human Footprint • The Night Listener • Stephanie Daley • War of the Worlds • Down to the Bone • Personal Velocity

A HUDSON VALLEY FAIRY TALE

Erik Peter Carlson had a dream to make a Fairy Tale film. For years, he imagined what his perfect set would look like – where his magical childlike world would come to life. When the opportunity came to life in November 2019, to produce A Fairy Tale After All, there was no better place for Carlson to produce his movie, than the area he grew up in.

"Coming back to make my fourth feature where I once had impossible childhood dreams is truly emotional,” says Carlson. “After working on both coasts, there’s no question that filming in the Hudson Valley, especially at Wing’s Castle, made for the most enjoyable production experience ever.”

Wing’s Castle in Millbrook, New York, was the brain child of artists Peter and Toni Ann Wing. In 1970, the long illustrious love affair of building the castle began. Forty-seven years later, the castle is still under construction. It has become a live in art project. 

Wing’s Castle in Millbrook

Filming in the Hudson Valley brings a special charm. The locations, the history, the air, and the people (more than anything) make it magical. 

“Local crew members bring more than just themselves to the project, they bring a whole community,” says photographer Chuck Merrihew.

“Chuck knows everyone!” was the running joke on the set of set A Fairy Tale After All. Students and first timers (many from  SUNY New Paltz) got hands on experience on what it’s like to be on a film production – set life as they call it. Throughout the filming, they connected  with industry professionals, and opened doors for for themselves to more potential film work.

“A Fairy Tale After All was the first film I ever worked on and, as cheesy as it might sound, it was a fairy tale inside and out,” recalls recent SUNY New Paltz graduate Kathryn O’Mara. “Everyone was so nice and worked so hard. I learned an incredible amount about the film industry and can’t wait to learn more.”

Hanna Al-Tarmidhi, another recent SUNY New Paltz graduate, was so glad that her first time on a feature film set turned out to be A Fairy Tale After All. “The cast and crew made me so comfortable,” recalls Hanna. “The sense of camaraderie being one of the best things I took away from this experience. I learned so much from the sheer dedication everyone had towards making this a reality, and it was incredible watching this combined effort and passion turn this story into a reality.”

Photo courtesy of Chuck Merrihew

A Fairy Tale After All wrapped production in early December. Like most regional productions the film benefited greatly from the community. The film business feels accessible in the Hudson Valley. It takes a village to make a film, but in the Hudson Valley, you get the village and then some.

“A carved Indian sculpture stands six foot tall at the top of the staircase in the home I grew up in,” wrote Sage Higgins. “It’s hand carved with many intricate details. It was created by Peter Wing, who is best known for handcrafting Wing’s Castle from his imagination. Growing up with that sculpture, I never imagined I would one day assist on a film production set primarily in Peter’s magical kingdom. Among other duties, feeding the cast and crew through my mom’s granola company, Raspberry Fields Farm, brought the experience full circle.” 

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The Hudson Valley Film Commission helps productions secure local crew, cast, locations, vendors, post production facilities, and more! Since 2000, the film commission has supported and worked on over 500 productions, helping to create thousands of jobs and over $200 million in regional economic development.

If you are looking for help with your next production (or post production), contact us at filmcommission@me.com

SELECT Hudson Valley productions:Billions • Monsterland • Things Heard and Seen • A Fairy Tale After All • Audrey • The Plot Against America • Silent Retreat • Lapsis • Save Yourselves • Foxhole • The Undoing • I Know This Much Is True • I’m Thinking of Ending Things • Scare Me • Can You Keep a Secret? • Panic • High Maintenance • Shirley • The Dead Don't Die • Swallow • Avengers: Endgame • The Climb • The Irishman • Skin • The Mountain • A Quiet Place • Fabled • Then Came You • Furlough • A Vigilante • Nancy • Diane • The Miseducation of Cameron Post • It Comes at Night • Super Dark Times •  The Seagull • HAPPYish • The Ticket • Growing Up Smith • Cold in July • Katie Fforde Films • True Story • The Sisterhood of Night • The Better Angels • We Are What We Are • The Bourne Legacy • Frances Ha • Our Idiot Brother • First Winter • The Last Keepers • Francine • Peace, Love, & Misunderstanding • Martha Marcy May Marlene • Higher Ground • Rocksteady • Bitter Feast • Stake Land • Man on Wire • Taking Woodstock • American Gangster • Michael Clayton • The Human Footprint • The Night Listener • Stephanie Daley • War of the Worlds • Down to the Bone • Personal Velocity 

Please support our continued efforts with a tax-deductible contribution at www.hudsonvalleyfilmcommission.org/support

FROM SILENT RETREAT TO BECOMING BACKGROUND

In May of 2018, the Hudson Valley Film Commission was contacted to provide referrals for locations and other production needs for Silent Retreat, a Miramax comedy written by Todd Strauss-Schulson and Matthew Fogel. The story centers on a man and woman with relationship issues who decide to go on a meditation retreat that requires absolute silence for three days along with the man's best friend and recently widowed mother.

Pre-production got complicated. It’s not uncommon for a film to be delayed, but this project took some unusual twists, turns and detours. After being pushed several times, production finally moved ahead in August and September of 2019 at the Old Stone Barn, a country inn, retreat, and wellness center in Rhinebeck, New York. Several other locations were used including Nana's Ice Cream and Grill in Hyde Park.

Director Todd Strauss-Schulson (Isn’t It Romantic, A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas) moved into temporary housing in town. Crew was hired and the principal cast was put in place, including Sarah Goldberg, Isabella Rossellini, Jack Whitehall, Dennis Haysbert, and Lorraine Toussaint.

With those building blocks in place, the production was left to find meditators who could commit to the entire production schedule. The task fell to Amy Hutchings Casting, also based in Rhinebeck. Amy Hutchings has over thirty years experience in production coordination, management and casting, including twelve years on Sesame Street.

Inside the horse arena which would double as meditation center and casting office.

“Amy is the queen of upstate New York – a bright light who seems to know everyone, everywhere she goes, wrote back director Todd Strauss Schulson. “I asked her to find me a group of background actors with meditation experience to be on set with me every day. I didn't need them to just act, I wanted them to actually meditate. I needed them to hold the space for the actors the crew and for me as we worked. The idea was like when Martin Scorsese makes a mob movie he puts real mobsters in the scene to create a biosphere of authenticity, and it wafts off into the actors and creates the feeling of realness. I wanted to do the same thing... but with meditators... creating a container for our intense shoot... I didn't want them breaking between takes, or getting frustrated by the long hours, I was trying to create a beautiful container of loving awareness and equanimity that could hold us all as we did our work. Not only did Amy find the most amazing people to do this for me, she did it with a smile on her face and was moved to tears when she saw this makeshift retreat family she put together all together on location. Amy is more than just a casting director. Amy creates families…”

Amy Hutchings (in stripes) with several of the Silent Retreat actors.

The film commission has worked closely with Amy Hutchings Casting on over two dozen films including Rhymes with Banana, Cold in July, Then Came You, Skin, Can You Keep a Secret, Shirley, Audrey and over 500 zombies for The Dead Don’t Die.

“We definitely consider ourselves part of the family,” added film commission director Laurent Rejto. “When a film hires Amy, we know they are in good hands. She’s not trying to sell dreams the way some casting directors do, so we’re always happy to post on our Facebook page for any casting needs, no matter how obscure. We thought finding twenty four meditators in the Hudson Valley would be a breeze but the time constraints proved otherwise. Luckily, Amy was able to put together a great group from the amazing pool of local SAG-AFTRA and non union talent.”

"From the moment I read an early draft of Silent Retreat, I knew I had to be involved,” said Amy Hutchings. “I laughed out loud throughout the reading. Todd Strauss-Schulson and Matthew Fogel wrote an innovative, compelling and meaningful screenplay and it was a pure joy to help realize the vision that Todd has as a director. Finding our ‘core meditators’ who would commit to working with our ever changing schedule was a casting challenge but the result was a group of wonderful creatives who, during the course of filming, bonded with one another and created their own ‘community ‘ which translates in the film. My personal take away from Silent Retreat was the value of finding a calm 'center' in spite of all the chaos around us -- a reasonable message for our times."

Background actors included many Hudson Valley regulars who have recently been able to work more locally thanks to the influx of film productions over the past eighteen months. We reached out to a few for their thoughts about Silent Retreat.

In 2018, Rhinebeck based actor, artist and political activist, Norman Magnusson was cast as Bill Murray’s stand-in for the Jim Jarmusch production of The Dead Don’t Die. In 2019, he became a meditator.

Norm Magnusson and Amy King on location with Silent Retreat

“Working on Silent Retreat was a delight,” wrote Magnusson. “Amy Hutchings brought together a core group of “meditators” who were on set for weeks, working together, working in close quarters, working in the heat of the day and coolness of the night, and the individuals in that group were all spectacular. Such a wide range of personalities and resumes and dreams for the future, all of us working together and goofing off together in the vast time between takes. It was a magical experience and I would guess that everyone of us made new friends for life during it. One thing that definitely joined us together . . . our happy membership in the Amy Hutchings fan club!”

"I met Amy through a friend and colleague, Jacinta Kroner who shared the casting call for meditators," recalled Jalesia Randi (aka Juju). "I appreciated working with Amy for my first acting gig. I enjoyed her sunny personality and thoroughness plus I appreciated her checking in on set to see how we were doing. It was nice working with her, I hope we work together again in the future. The experience of working as a background actor was wonderful. I feel truly blessed to have been apart a film centered on meditation and mindfulness. Meeting with Todd to audition was really cool. I could tell by his vibe this was going to be fun. The cast and crew were great to work with, shout out to Mitch and Brian."

"I've been an actor my whole life, but people just started paying me to do it in the last 3 years!" wrote Nacia Walsh. "Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I would be able to do this professionally without going to NY city on a regular basis, competing against thousands of hopefuls. Instead, I am able to work close to my home in Red Hook on so many projects like Silent Retreat. That 20 minute drive to work each day was a dream. As actors in the Hudson Valley, we really do get to be big fish in a little pond.

Mehtab Akal Singh, Jacinta Kroner and Nacia Walsh

Typically on sets, the background actors serve the specific role for setting the space and filling the world for principal actors to fill. From the beginning of the casting process I knew this film was different. After combing through all the head shots our Director Todd met with each one of us to discuss the kind of authenticity we would bring to our role. From the diverse and amazing group of people that Amy Hutchings assembled, Todd hand picked each of us based on our interviews. The idea for the movie created a space where each of us really grounded the reality of the story while the main characters were able to explore their outlandish high-jinks. It was such a beautiful juxtaposition.

The reason I love working with Amy so much is that she really looks out for her actors, even though we are the bottom of the actor food chain. For a new actor, like myself, it's comforting to know that you matter, even when you're last on the call sheet. She is also known for finding real people, plucking them from obscurity and helping them to have real acting careers.

In addition I have formed so many true friendships with the amazing group of actors I worked with on Silent Retreat. The connections we formed will without a doubt last a lifetime."

Maria Heng, who considers herself extremely fortunate to have Amy as a neighbor, can now also vouch for Amy as "a mama-bear casting director that makes you feel seen, heard, and cared for.”

“I would never have tried for the role if it weren’t for Amy Hutchings.” Maria wrote. “Amy's trust-worthiness and caring encourages a sense of possibility and adventure and that paid off for me in much more than a pay-check; I had thirteen days of unforgettable camaraderie with a diverse group of delightful fellow extras. A camaraderie that, I believe, was born of an unusual level of caring from the top down. That caring spiraled right back up. Everybody, from Todd to the ADs to the caterers, was lovely to be around. Everything, from the scenic location to the delicious buffets, was a treat. Seasoned extras noted how remarkably positive the film set experience was. I couldn’t have asked for a better introduction to being an extra and am grateful for the life-long friends I feel I’ve made on set, the lessons learned, the appreciation I’ve gained for the demands of movie-making, the respect engendered by stars who are people first, and the most fun I’ve ever had earning a pay-check!”

Several actors have moved to the area as a result of film productions. Jeffrey Dean Morgan fell for the region after co-starring in the 2011 BCDF Pictures production of Peace Love & Misunderstanding (which Amy Hutchings was also involved with). One of the principals from Silent Retreat has also just recently bought a home, within miles of where the film was produced.

Maria Heng’s recollections regarding her involvement were more involved and led her to write extensively about the experience. Her words are a testament to how art and teamwork can transcend the ordinary to provide hope and inspiration. It’s also a reminder that it can bring a sense of belonging and home. Maria wrote the following after being an extra for thirteen days on Silent Retreat.

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BECOMING BACKGROUND by Maria Heng

My neighbor, Amy, is a casting director.

“I want to make you a movie star,” she said one day, not long after we first met.

I took it as a compliment rather than as a career plan. But about two years after making that casual remark that had me laughing, she actually found me a potential role; a zombie.

The invitation was followed by hesitation in her voice. I presumed, right after she’d heard herself, she worried I’d presume it was my body full of burn scars that qualified me for the role.

The fact is I did. I presumed my scars made me supremely suitable for the role, and considered the cost-effectiveness to the production team of hiring me.

“I won’t need body make-up,” I joked on the casting reply to the film’s hire team, “and my left hand comes conveniently amputated.”

I didn’t hear back. They may not have shared my sense of humor.

In truth, Amy saved me from that role when she realized the film conditions would torture me; hours of body make-up application on sensitive skin followed by long hours of running around in that make-up on hot summer days. Even at Zombie speeds it would have been too much. I agreed it wasn’t for me.

Then, this May, she found the perfect role for me; all that was required was real life meditation experience for a Miramax movie set in a silent retreat to be shot locally. I didn’t need to speak to reveal my unusual accent, or smile which would reveal my on-going dental work, or run, I presumed, being a movie plot revolving around silent meditation, or even drive a distance over my threshold of half an hour to reach the film site. It was as perfect for me as could possibly be. I was learning to “Yes” to new experiences and this was a new experience that was easy to say “YES” to.

Then my hesitation set in. Meditation isn’t a performance art but show-biz is. Wouldn’t the movie require its meditators to do the one thing that “shows” the act of meditation — that cross-legged, straight-spined posture well-seasoned meditators are capable of maintaining in stillness, on the floor, for hours? My injuries made sitting on the floor impossible. Forget about trying to sit on the floor cross-legged with a straight spine. I wasn’t even capable of sitting straight-spined on a chair without a fat cushion to prop me forward. Even with a cushion and a chair I wasn’t capable of sitting for long. I began to wonder if the one thing that might qualify me for the role didn’t measure up. My enthusiastic “yes” may have been premature.

I emailed Amy the fine print that came with me, in bold.

She reassured me; “They want it to look like a real meditation retreat so there will be some chairs for those who can’t sit on the floor. Just tell Todd what you can and can’t do when you meet him.”

Turns out I had been shortlisted for an audition with the director, Todd Strauss-Schulson.

Being new to the whole experience I didn’t know that it was unheard of for directors to audition Extras, otherwise known as “Background”. Afterall background is just that; the blurred shape behind the action or that anonymous crowd on a busy street, their sole purpose to lend authenticity to a scene focused on anything but them as individuals. Background isn’t even significant enough to qualify for the category of cast and crew. I think a more accurate description for Background would be prop furniture with rights, but individually much less important than significant props. Directors don’t take time from the million significant decisions they must make to deal with Extras.

But Todd was an unusual director. In his previous movie, the rom-com Isn’t it Romantic, he was reported as saying he wanted to create a goofy, fun, and loving environment for everyone on set and one of the ways he accomplished that was to include real-life couples as extras, including the couple that had introduced his parents to each other. As testimony to the success of Todd’s strategy, three couples in the crew of the movie, Isn’t it Romantic, fell in love on set, and two of his starring actors married after the wrap. I deduced he was repeating this strategy for the movie Silent Retreat, glad it wasn’t a gruesome murder movie.

And so I arrived at my five minute allotment with the good-looking, curly haired, nearly forty years young Todd Strauss-Schulson. It was past 6pm and he’d been working all day. I’d never have guessed I was about the twentieth extra in to see him by the warm enthusiasm with which he greeted me, as if I were an old friend or a movie star.

Then he made the mistake of asking me an open-ended question, “How did you become a meditator?”

Despite answering with close to the speed of a disclaimer in a pharmaceutical ad and with the animation of a QVC host, fifteen minutes was no where close to enough to answer his question. Anyone who knows me knows my love for backstory, something you may have deduced by now. Unlike my family inclined to race me to the point, Todd listened with obvious interest, his face as animated as mine, his questions as rapid-fire as my speech, waving away the interruptions of his assistant’s time-up alerts. By the third interruption I made myself stop and stood up to go, in apparent fairness to everyone still waiting their turn, but also thinking it best to leave while the going was good. I squeezed in the fine print of my limitations, and made sure Todd knew my arms were scarred in case he wanted us to wear short sleeves. He waved away my concerns with a “pfff”.

“Can you do walking meditation?” he asked.

“It’s not part of my tradition but my husband complains I walk too slowly, does that count?” I asked in reply, and began demonstrating how slowly I can walk, nearly tripping in my clogs.

“Think of kissing the ground with the soles of your feet,” he suggested.

“I’ll practice,” I promised, as he hugged me goodbye, not expecting to get the part. I was quite happy to have had the pleasure of meeting Todd. This was as close to getting a real job as I’d come since my accident fifteen years ago. Work I do with and for my husband, not being based on fair hiring practices, and coming with no fixed schedule, work of interest or even an official paycheck, never felt like it counted. I was genuinely thrilled to get this close to what was an exciting possibility for me, a sign I really needed to get out of the house more.

The next day Amy told me I was Todd’s first choice. I didn’t care if Amy told every selected candidate that. I was thrilled to believe I was special enough to have been selected to play a role that required complete anonymity.

I was thrilled I was actually going to get paid for something I didn’t mind doing, a role that couldn’t possibly come with less performance pressure. Being thrilled, for however long or short, is a wonderful thing. In two weeks I would find out exactly what I’d signed up for.

END OF PART 1 of BECOMING BACKGROUND by Maria Heng.
For more info regarding Ms. Heng, please contact gekcho@gmail.com

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The Hudson Valley Film Commission helps productions secure local crew, cast, locations, vendors, post production facilities, and more! Since 2000, the film commission has supported and worked on over 500 productions, helping to create thousands of jobs and over $200 million in regional economic development.

If you are looking for help with your next production (or post production), contact us at filmcommission@me.com

SELECT Hudson Valley productions:Billions • Monsterland • Things Heard and Seen • Audrey • The Plot Against America • Silent Retreat • Lapsis • Save Yourselves • Foxhole • The Undoing • I Know This Much Is True • I’m Thinking of Ending Things • Scare Me • Can You Keep a Secret? • Panic • High Maintenance • Shirley • The Dead Don't Die • Swallow • Avengers: Endgame • The Climb • The Irishman • Skin • The Mountain • A Quiet Place • Fabled • Then Came You • Furlough • A Vigilante • Nancy • Diane • The Miseducation of Cameron Post • It Comes at Night • Super Dark Times •  The Seagull • HAPPYish • The Ticket • Growing Up Smith • Cold in July • Katie Fforde Films • True Story • The Sisterhood of Night • The Better Angels • We Are What We Are • The Bourne Legacy • Frances Ha • Our Idiot Brother • First Winter • The Last Keepers • Francine • Peace, Love, & Misunderstanding • Martha Marcy May Marlene • Higher Ground • Rocksteady • Bitter Feast • Stake Land • Man on Wire • Taking Woodstock • American Gangster • Michael Clayton • The Human Footprint • The Night Listener • Stephanie Daley • War of the Worlds • Down to the Bone • Personal Velocity 

Please support our continued efforts with a tax-deductible contribution at www.hudsonvalleyfilmcommission.org/support

MID HUDSON VALLEY FILMS HEADING TO 2020 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

Many will remember 2019 for the mega productions that took place in the Mid Hudson Valley. Major production companies including HBO, Hulu, Netflix, Paramount and Showtime helped the region turn the corner with TV shows, limited series and feature films including A QUIET PLACE II, BILLIONS, I KNOW THIS MUCH IS TRUE, I”M THINKING OF ENDING THINGS, MONSTERLAND and THE PLOT AGAINST AMERICA.

On location in Hudson Valley with PERSONAL VELOCITY. Photo courtesy of HVFC

The 2020 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL selections will remind people that the Mid Hudson Valley is also a bastion for low budget indie films. The “SUNDANCE track record for films produced in the region dates back to Rebecca Miller’s PERSONAL VELOCITY: THREE PORTRAITS (2002), which won the Grand Jury Prize and the Cinematography Award for Ellen Kuras. It was the first “film” shot on a SONY PD-150 to win the prize. Other big winners at Sundance include Debra Granik’s DOWN TO THE BONE (2004). The Grand Jury Prize and Directing Award went to Granik. A special jury prize went to Vera Farmiga for her performance. Hilary Brougher’s STEPHANIE DALEY (2006) was nominated for a Grand Jury Prize and walked away with the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award. James Marsh’s MAN ON WIRE (2008) was partly filmed in the Mid Hudson Valley and won the World Cinema Jury Prize Documentary Award, prior to winning Oscar. Also in 2008, FROZEN RIVER, which featured local actor Melissa Leo and director Courtney Hunt, was awarded the Grand Jury Prize. Jumping ahead, 2018 brought another Grand Jury Prize for the locally produced feature narrative, THE MISEDUCATION OF CAMERON POST by Desiree Akhavan. Christina Choe’s NANCY was honored with the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award. 

This incredible run bodes well for the five locally produced feature narratives heading to the 2020 Sundance FIlm Festival. They include (alphabetically):

BLACK BEAR, directed by Lawrence Michael Levine, filmed briefly in the Hudson Valley during the summer of 2019. The film features Aubrey Plaza, Christopher Abbott, and Sarah Gadon.

"We're honored to have BLACK BEAR in Sundance this year, along with so many great films, and many from the Hudson Valley,” wrote producer Jonathan Blitstein, who filmed his 2013 directorial debut ANOTHER KIND in the region. “Tandem Pictures has a history of shooting films in and around the area, and we love it. Not only does it make economic sense for independent filmmakers to work in NY-State, there are amazing crews around the Valley, the sights and locations are one of a kind, and the support of the Hudson Valley Film Commission is unparalleled."

Synopsis: At a remote lake house, a filmmaker plays a calculated game of desire and jealousy in the pursuit of a work of art that blurs the boundaries between autobiography and invention. 

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THE CLIMB, directed by Michael Covino filmed primarily in Columbia County during the summer of 2018. The cast features Kyle Marvin, Michael Covino, Gayle Rankin, Talia Balsam, George Wendt, and Judith Godrèche.

“I'm from the Hudson Valley, got married to my wife there, and return every Christmas,” wrote producer Noah Lang. “I've also had the privilege of producing several films throughout the region (including Christopher Radcliff and Lauren Wolkstein's THE STRANGE ONES) and greater New York state There isn't a more comfortable, economically viable, collaborative, and visually impactful region for indie filmmaking out there in my opinion. There's nothing more valuable than good people (and good locations and resources) which the Hudson Valley has in force. Look forward to returning in 2020 with another film.”

Synopsis: Kyle and Mike are best friends who share a close bond—until Mike sleeps with Kyle’s fiancée. A portrait of a tumultuous but enduring relationship between two men across many years of laughter, heartbreak, and rage. 

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SAVE YOURSELVES, written and directed by Eleanor Wilson and Alex Fischer, filmed during the summer of 2019.

“Shooting in upstate NY was our intention even before we started writing the script,” wrote Wilson and Fischer. “We were VERY excited that the logistical aspects made it not only easy, but hugely beneficial to shoot in the Hudson Valley. Laurent was one of the first people we talked to about the film, and was hugely helpful getting us in touch with all the right people. Having access to locations that appear to be so remote while actually being 5-10 minutes away from real amenities and comforts was a dream. Special shout out to Krumville! And to Jesse Rolfe, location scout king.”

Synopsis: A young Brooklyn couple head upstate to disconnect from their phones and reconnect with themselves. Cut off from their devices, they miss the news that the planet is under attack

Cast features Sunita Mani, John Reynolds, Ben Sinclair, Johanna Day, John Early, and Gary Richardson.

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SCARE ME, directed Ulster County native Josh Ruben, was produced in January and February of 2019. "I've shot everything in the Hudson Valley," says Ruben. "From superhero fight scenes on the Sony Handicam Hi8 my parents gifted me for elementary school graduation, to sketches for my comedy group, to now, my directorial debut, which is headed for the most exciting film festival in the world. My next feature shoots in the Hudson Valley, and I plan to film my third there as well. What can I say - it's a magic place that photographs pretty well."

Synopsis: During a power outage, two strangers tell scary stories. The more Fred and Fanny commit to their tales, the more the stories come to life in the dark of a Catskills cabin. The horrors of reality manifest when Fred confronts his ultimate fear: Fanny is the better storyteller. 

The cast features Aya Cash, Josh Ruben, Chris Redd, and Rebecca Drysdale.

SCARE ME cast and crew. Photo courtesy of Hudson Valley Film Commission

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SHIRLEY, directed by Josephine Decker and starring Elisabeth Moss, Michael Stuhlbarg, Odessa Young, and Logan Lerman was filmed during the summer of 2018 in Greene and Ulster Counties and at Vassar College in Dutchess County.

"The Hudson Valley provided everything we as independent producers needed to create an impactful, important work of art," emailed producer Jon Read, who also worked on ZOLA, which is also heading to Sundance.

Synopsis: A young couple moves in with the famed author, Shirley Jackson, and her Bennington College professor husband, Stanley Hyman, in the hope of starting a new life but instead find themselves fodder for a psycho-drama that inspires Shirley’s next novel.

On location with SHIRLEY at Vassar College. Photo courtesy of Hudson Valley Film Commission

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The Hudson Valley Film Commission helps productions secure local crew, cast, locations, vendors, post production facilities, and more! Since 2000, the film commission has supported and worked on over 500 productions, helping to create thousands of jobs and over $200 million in regional economic development.

If you are looking for help with your next production (or post production), contact us at filmcommission@me.com

SELECT Hudson Valley productions:
Billions • Monsterland • Things Heard and Seen • Audrey • The Plot Against America • Silent Retreat • Lapsis • Save Yourselves • Foxhole • The Undoing • I Know This Much Is True • I’m Thinking of Ending Things • Scare Me • Can You Keep a Secret? • Panic • High Maintenance • Shirley • The Dead Don't Die • Avengers: Endgame • The Climb • The Irishman • Skin • The Mountain • A Quiet Place • Fabled • Then Came You • Furlough • A Vigilante • Nancy • Diane • The Miseducation of Cameron Post • It Comes at Night • Super Dark Times •  The Seagull • HAPPYish • The Ticket • Growing Up Smith • Cold in July • Katie Fforde Films • True Story • The Sisterhood of Night • The Better Angels • We Are What We Are • The Bourne Legacy • Frances Ha • Our Idiot Brother • First Winter • The Last Keepers • Francine • Peace, Love, & Misunderstanding • Martha Marcy May Marlene • Higher Ground • Rocksteady • Bitter Feast • Stake Land • Man on Wire • Taking Woodstock • American Gangster • Michael Clayton • The Human Footprint • The Night Listener • Stephanie Daley • War of the Worlds • Down to the Bone • Personal Velocity 

Please support our continued efforts with a tax-deductible contribution at www.hudsonvalleyfilmcommission.org/support

5 Groups That Support And Celebrate Filmmakers

Honored to have made this list and video. Watch it EZVID. Story about Hudson Valley FIlm Commission starts at 1:15, following The Film Foundation, founded by director Martin Scorsese.

5 Groups That Support And Celebrate Filmmakers

Film is a versatile medium that can entertain, educate, and make audiences see things from new perspectives. Many institutions in the industry are driven solely by profit, but there are some groups, like the ones listed here, that are motivated by a love of the craft. Some of these organizations celebrate and showcase the history of cinema, while others work to benefit modern filmmakers.

Founded in 2011, Ezvid Wiki was the world's first video wiki, and is now among the top 3,000 websites in the United States. The YouTube channel has over 500,000 subscribers, with nearly 300 million views since founding.

ENCLOSURE AT LUMA ARLES

In June and July 2018, the Hudson Valley Film Commission worked to support Animal Kingdom and their production of ENCLOSURE, with crew, cast, animal and location referrals. Construction crews were also referred to reproduce 17th Century architecture at Woodstock Film Studios.

The unprecedented video installation created by American artist Rachel Rose, is currently being presented on a specially designed holographic screen at Luma Arles in the new Frank Gehry tower.

ENCLOSURE is immersed in a supernatural atmosphere that was inspired by the perception of nature of the 17th Century British agrarian world. This immersive work recalls the origins of the economic, environmental, social and radical transformation which has grown since then.

The work ENCLOSURE is co-commissioned by Luma Foundation and Park Avenue Armory, New York. It will travel to the Park Avenue Armory, New York in 2020. The exhibition is supported by Parfums Christian Dior.

For more information, visit https://www.luma-arles.org

LOCALLY PRODUCED SKIN IN THEATERS

The feature film SKIN, directed by Guy Nattiv, was produced in Kingston, Port Ewen, Saugerties, and the Town of Ulster, from February 24 through March 26, 2018. The Hudson Valley Film Commission was involved in pre production and principal photography, providing support for locations, crew, cast and vendors. SKIN opens at Upstate Films Woodstock on August 2. 

Inspired by true events, SKIN chronicles the life of Bryon Widner. After a difficult childhood drives him into the grasps of a white supremacist gang, 

Bryon tries to escape to a new life, all the while questioning whether he's capable of undoing—and repenting for—the evil he's done. Actor Jamie Bell (Rocketman, Billy Elliot, Undertow) delivers a visceral, explosive performance. Also featured are Julie Price, Daniel Henshall, Louisa Krause, Mike Colter and Hudson Valley resident Vera Farmiga. Variety calls the film, “a potent drama and powerful, well-acted tale of personal redemption." The short version of the same name won the 2019 Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film. 

“SKIN was a memorable production for many reasons, including the controversial subject matter,” says Hudson Valley Film Commission director Laurent Rejto. “The issues were handled with incredible tact by the production team. Everyone involved, bonded and worked as a family to create a film that is challenging, compelling and electrifying.”

Among others, local crew included Richard Auth, Brian Barney, Tim Bruno, Kevin Callahan, Page Chase, Adrianne Davis, Matt de Bara, Evan Derrickson, Heidi Eklund, Jaf Farkas, Jesika Farkas, Dirt Haehnel, Amy Hutchings, Deana LeBlanc, John Livermore, Alanna Wray McDonald, Greg Meola, Tijen Osman, Julian Rodriguez, Brian Schuley, Dave Shumbris, Anthony Stracquadanio, Deirdre Sullivan, Steven Teitter, Jeremiah Wenutu. Lodging was secured at Best Western Plus Kingston Hotel and Conference Center and catering was provided by Stone Pony Deli Catering.

 Producer Trudie Stylern was recently quoted in the New York Times, saying: “We had no budget. Only $2 million. So we filmed upstate. Kingston. In the briefest period — only 23 days. No trailers for anybody. Huddled in our own vehicles. Down and dirty in the trenches. Freezing our butts off because we had to save money."

Casting directors Amy Hutchings and Heidi Eklund worked with director Guy Nattiv and actor/producer Jaime Ray Newman, to cast white supremacists and African American counter demonstrators. The initial casting call was held at the FILM CENTER in Woodstock, where the Film Commission and the Woodstock Film Festival are based.

"It was a very emotional casting session, seeing Guy Nattiv's words come alive,” recalls Amy Hutchings. “Normally gentle, kind actors, became violent skinheads before our eyes, while the passion of some of the African American actors brought me to tears. I knew from the auditions that Guy was going to direct a most amazing film."

Willis Williams, from Rhinebeck, was one of 280 extras used during the feature film production. He was part of the “Charlottesville-type” riot scene between white supremacists and counter demonstrators. The scene was filmed overnight in 20 degree weather, under the Wurtz Bridge in the Kingston Rondout. 

“SKIN was the most emotionally charged film I’ve ever been involved with. The scene I was a part of was exhausting and exciting at the same time. I will never forget it.” 

Photo credit: Julian Rodriguez

Greg Meola of Company 1 Productions provided grip and lighting gear, in addition to serving as key grip for director of photography, Arnaud Potier.  

“Most of the film was shot handheld,” Meola said. “Arnaud wanted viewers to feel like they are there–in the action. I was spotting the camera, and Arnaud. We were getting shoved, kicked, and punched. It was like being in a mosh pit in the early 90’s. I loved it.” 

As leadman, Jaf Farkas was tasked with many responsibilities including props and set dressing.

Photo credit: Tim Bruno

"SKIN coalesced around an exceptional cast and crew as well as some very generous community members. It was an intense experience to recreate the environments and situations that these characters endured. From gravel pit “couch surfing” to SWAT raids to recreating a race-riot, our work was fast-paced and exciting. There were many occasions where certain themes and performances had our team bracing for emotional (or physical!) impacts. I’m grateful for the experience."

A24 and DirecTV acquired North American distribution rights to SKIN at the 2018 Toronto Film Festival. In addition to a limited theatrical run, the film will be available for streaming.

For more information about screening dates and times, visit the Upstate Films Woodstock website.

For additional info or photos, contact filmcommission@me.com 

CHASING THE MOON

Over the past five years, Hudson valley based director Robert Stone has been working on CHASING THE MOON, an epic political and social, historically accurate rendition of the race to the moon, that will premiere on PBS on July 8, 9 and 10 at 9pm Eastern.

“My latest film, CHASING THE MOON, is a six-hour documentary about the 25-year effort to send humans to another world - from the ashes of World War II to the triumph of Apollo 11 - and beyond,” recounts director Robert Stone. “ The film has been a five-year labor of love and was made largely right here in the Hudson Valley. It’s a 100% archival documentary with no narration and no talking heads so it was primarily a post-production project. Editing and production management was done largely out of my studio in Rhinecliff (my co-editor, Lindy Jankura, works in Brooklyn). The many months of work at image restoration and color correction was undertaken by Chad Smith of Massive Clouds in Kingston. Sound editing and mixing was done by Coll Anderson of CA Sound in Bearsville. One of the things I love about living and working in the Hudson Valley is collaborating with dedicated professionals, and friends, whose value system is to put the work first, rather than the money first. The result is an epic documentary about the race to the moon, by far the biggest thing I’ve ever done, with an overall production quality that’s second to none - and done almost entirely without leaving home.”

Among those included in the film, are astronauts Buzz Aldrin, Frank Borman and Bill Anders; Sergei Khrushchev, son of the former Soviet premier and a leading Soviet rocket engineer; Poppy Northcutt, a 25-year old “mathematics whiz” who gained worldwide attention as the first woman to serve in the all-male bastion of NASA’s Mission Control; and Ed Dwight, the Air Force pilot selected by the Kennedy administration to train as America’s first black astronaut.

Stone also co-wrote, with Alan Andres, the companion book CHASING THE MOON, published by Random House.

Chad Smith is a Kingston based post-production wiz, as well as the owner of massiveclouds.tv. He had this to say when asked to weigh in on his work experience on the series. “Robert and I started talking about working together on CHASING THE MOON a few years ago. He came to me to color correct the initial funding trailer that he cut. Robert made great efforts to obtain the best copy of footage used in the film. Some clips however were not captured under ideal conditions or had in camera issues. So even the best version of something would still need a bit of polish. After many months the end result looks great. I have been both humbled and honored to be part of this extraordinary project. As this Doc is sourced entirely from archival materials, the quality of sources was widely varied, from Russian home movies, the first color TV broadcast to footage shot by the astronauts themselves.  Every source presented their own challenges. Each shot needed attention in regards to color and noise to be able to sit within the context of the program.

In addition to the color challenges we also had technical considerations that needed to be addressed, frame rate conversions, up-scaling, deinterlacing, stabilization, dust removal and de-flickering all needed to be considered on a shot by shot basis. It has been very gratifying to work on iconic footage like JFK’s speech at Rice University. After many months the end result looks great.  I have been both humbled and honored to be part of this extraordinary project.” 

“CHASING THE MOON is my sixth film with Robert Stone and I would venture to say the boldest and most exciting undertaking with him,” said sound editor and mixer Coll Anderson.  “We were presented with no on camera interviews and mountains of historical footage, which , for the most part, had no sound at all.  It was great fun re-creating the sound of these images in a way that did not interrupt the historical content and had a sort of verisimilitude at the same time.  All this while embracing the drama of the story. And what a great story it is! I love how deep in talent the Hudson Halley is becoming with respect to filmmaking,” added Anderson..”It's a great place to feel part of and call home.  I am super proud to be working here.”

MORE ABOUT Robert Stone:

Robert Stone is a multi-award-winning, Oscar®-nominated and Emmy-nominated documentary filmmaker. He gained considerable recognition for his first film, Radio Bikini (1987), which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for an Academy Award® for Best Documentary Feature. 

Multi-tasking as a producer, director, writer, editor and cameraman, Stone has over the last 30 years developed an esteemed international reputation for his unique and critically acclaimed feature-documentaries about American history, pop-culture, the mass media and the environment. His best-known work includes Guerrilla: The Taking of Patty Hearst (2004), which premiered at Sundance and went on to become one of the

most highly-acclaimed theatrical documentaries of the year. The film was followed by the documentary feature Oswald’s Ghost (2007) for which Stone earned his second Emmy nomination for Outstanding Achievement in Non-Fiction Filmmaking. Earth Days (2009), which premiered as the closing night film at Sundance, traced the emergence of the environmental movement in the United States, from its beginnings in the 1950s to the first Earth Day celebration in 1970 and the political action that followed it. Pandora’s Promise (2013), an audience favorite at Sundance, prompted considerable controversy by telling the intensely personal stories of environmentalists and energy experts who have undergone a radical conversion from being fiercely anti- to strongly pro-nuclear energy. Stone has screened several of his films at the Woodstock Film Festival.

For more information about CHASING THE MOON, visit https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/chasing-moon

For more about Robert Stone, visit http://robertstoneproductions.com

MAX - HOW TO ROCK FROM HUDSON VALLEY TO WORLD TOURS

In 2012, the Hudson Valley Film Commission referred many young actors (and crew) from the region to work on Maggie Greenwald's THE LAST KEEPERS, starring Aidan Quinn, Virginia Madsen, Zosia Mamet, Olympia Dukakis, Sam Underwood and Nat Wolff.

One of those actors was Max Schneider. Formerly from the Woodstock Day School, MAX was attending NYU, but opted to follow a new road when given the opportunity, and left to pursue his acting career.

Several months after performing as Lance, in scenes filmed at Saugerties High School, MAX was on his way to Los Angeles to try out for pilot season. He landed a feature role in Nickelodeon's HOW TO ROCK. 

“THE LAST KEEPERS was my first movie ever and such a special experience,” Max told the Hudson Valley Film Commission. ”It’s actually why I dropped out of NYU and pursued music and acting full time. Without its glorious cast and people, I certainly wouldn’t have the wonderful life I have now. Very grateful.” 

“We all knew Max was a rare talent,” recalls THE LAST KEEPERS co-writer Peter Hutchings. “Not only did have a special presence, but he came in every day with such a terrific attitude--his enthusiasm was infectious. At the time I didn't know he was also a musician, but a couple years later, I used a great song of his, Mugshot, in a film I directed called THE OUTCASTS.

As an actor/musician, MAX has been recognized by G.Q. as a “Young Pop-God.” At age 17, he was featured in a Dolce and Gabbana campaign with Madonna. His rise has been well deserved and the result of very hard work. We're wishing him continued success.

MAX can be seen in this video performing his latest hit, LOVE ME LESS, on TODAY with Hoda and Jenna!.

For more about MAX, visit http://maxmusicofficial.com

For more about the Hudson Valley Film Commission, visit hudsonvalleyfilmcommission.org,

Blog post by KJ Ryan

THE DEAD DON'T DIE special screening

Louise & Jaf Farkas, Laurent Rejto, and Zach & Sara Golden

On June 11, the Hudson Valley Film Commission hosted a special private screening of THE DEAD DON’T DIE at Upstate Films in Rhinebeck. The Guffaws and gasps filled the theater, as director Jim Jarmusch’s latest feature blends both humor and horror.

THE DEAD DON’T DIE recently opened the Cannes Film Festival and opens in 500 theaters across the county on June 14. Focus Features is distributing. The feature film holds special significance for the Mid Hudson Valley as principal photography took place in regional towns during the summer of 2018. 

Some local crew and actors attended the special screening, including several zombies, stand ins, and background casting directors Amy Hutchings and Heidi Eklund. Local industry luminaries included Colin Broderick, Eden Brolin, Cameron Crosby, Jon Greenhalgh, Willo Hausman, Sam Quartin and Mike Wallach. Local artists (Portia Munson, Jared Handelsman, Jeanne Fleming), filmmakers and cinephiles alike congregated at Foster’s Coach House for a happy hour prior to the screening and enjoyed a zombie themed cake, courtesy of Hudson Valley Dessert Company. Click to see photos online.

Colin Broderick, Mike Wallach, Eden Brolin, Cameron Crosby and Sam Quartin

THE DEAD DON’T DIE features Bill Murray, Adam Driver, Selena Gomez, Larry Fessenden, Danny Glover, Iggy Pop, Steve Buscemi, Eszter Balint, Caleb Landry Jones, Carol Kane, Rosie Perez, RZA, Chloë Sevigny, Tilda Swinton, Tom Waits, and many local extras.

In the sleepy small town of Centerville, something is not quite right. The moon hangs large and low in the sky, the hours of daylight are becoming unpredictable and animals are beginning to exhibit unusual behaviors.  No one quite knows why. News reports are scary and scientists are concerned. But no one foresees the strangest and most dangerous repercussion that will soon start plaguing Centerville: THE DEAD DON’T DIE -- they rise from their graves and savagely attack and feast on the living -- and the citizens of the town must battle for their survival.

THE DEAD DON’T DIE was produced in the mid-Hudson Valley during the summer of 2018. Featured locations include the Town of Ulster, Margaretville, Ancram, Elizaville and Fleischmanns, which became the fictionalized Centerville. Over 575 local background actors  appear in the film and over 40 local crew members were hired. More than 10,000 room nights were rented in Kingston and the Town of Ulster, and administrative offices were based at Tech City.

Producers Joshua Astrachan and Carter Logan commented that, “Shooting our film in the Hudson Valley was a truly wonderful experience. The cities and towns welcomed us with open arms, the people were kind and generous, and our local crew of remarkably talented artists and professionals were simply incredible.  The Hudson Valley Film Commission was a fantastic resource, standing by for assistance every step of the way. We are so grateful for the support!”

Location Manager Jeff Brown wrote, "THANK YOU for steering me in the direction of Fleischmanns. Whenever anyone asked me “how did you find Fleischmanns?” I would always mention that you (the Hudson Valley Film Commission, naturally) steered me in the direction of it.  Without that broad stroke of guidance, I don’t know where we would have ended up. You made The Dead Don’t Die, as far as I’m concerned."

The HUDSON VALLEY FILM COMMISSION helps productions secure local crew, cast, locations, vendors, post production facilities, and more! Since 2000, the film commission has supported and worked on over 500 productions, helping to create thousands of jobs and over $200 million in regional economic development especially in Ulster County, Dutchess County, Orange County, as well as Columbia, Delaware, Greene, and Sullivan Counties.