Here’s a fun piece about the house Charles Laquidara sold to Oprah which she uses to host Michelle Obama:
Author Archives: roger
Lucas Said It All
We started shooting this film in the fall of 2011 and on the first day of 2014, I can happily report that except for about a day’s worth of edit tweaks, it’s ready for test screenings. Those who have made a film before will chuckle at that “except for…” as the George Lucas quote is so applicable: “A film is never done, it’s just abandoned.” (This is actually a paraphrase of a Leonardo Da Vinci quote about art)
We’ll be doing some test screenings in mid-January and then I’m going to pound the pavement to get a movie deal. Wish us luck. I’ll keep you posted.
Here are a few pics from various shoot days:
Production Manager David Jermyn and his wife Becky Keigh in a re-creation scene of a 1950's couple on the verge of breaking up while Pat O'Day's radio show plays in the car.
Interview with Meg Griffin. New York City, July 2012.
View of the Charles River from the top of the Prudential Tower in Boston.
Inside The Marsden Theatre. David Marsden radio show, The Rock, 94.9.
Pat O’Day dumped from Seafair after 45 years
Controversy brewing in Seattle. Here’s Pat talking about being dumped as the voice of Seattle’s Seafair after 45 years!
UPDATE: Public outcry returns Pat to the broadcast booth!
http://mynorthwest.com/11/2315860/Pat-ODay-returns-to-Seafair-hydro-broadcast-after-outcry
Obligatory Frustrated Documentary Filmmaker Rant
The editor complains about not having enough visuals to work with.
The visual researcher is only working part-time.
There was a miscommunication with the music guys and they are behind schedule.
We’re on our second editor, by the way.
This photographer wants to charge $500 per photo, no bulk deals. He has so many great photos, perfect for our film.
I can’t cut that segment but no one has any photos from the incident.
Being able to afford some of this archival footage is 100% contingent on actually selling the film.
How many times can I ask that guy to send me the fucking photo?!
65 of the photos we want to use are, at present, too low-res for the big screen.
The accountant just raised her rates.
I cannot be up until 2 am watching this edit. I have a 3 year-old son who is up in 4 hours.
My post-production supervisor still hasn’t seen more than a few scenes.
This is privately financed. They are asking for progress reports.
I desperately need to shoot more footage. If I could just get an uninterrupted window to *plan* the shoot…let alone actually shoot!
I’m not 100% sure the Production Manager and I budgeted properly for music licensing and original music.
It’s the anniversary of my friend’s death from breast cancer. She left behind a 4 year-old daughter.
All I’m doing is making a movie. Everything is cool.
Home Stretch
Okay, it has been awhile since this blog has had any updates but this is the nature of making a film part-time. I’m the Producer and Director but I run a voice talent agency as my “real job”. Our visual researcher is working on another documentary about Alice Cooper so she can often only dedicate one or two days a week to “I Am What I Play”. Our editor has been on another TV series for months so she works on weekends and occasional evenings for us. And so the story goes. On the plus side, the money for our film can be stretched out over a longer time period because no one is on the clock consistently through the week.
We are now getting to the point where, after one more round of edits, we are likely going to be ready for an informal test screening or two. That’s where some random combo of friends, strangers and radio types will offer their solicited and pointed critiques which could in turn send me back to the edit suite, curled up in the fetal position. Or they’ll love it and take to social media with a singularly focused mission to spread the word about this masterpiece in the making. Likely… the reaction will be somewhere in between.
We are crossing fingers and anything else that can be crossed that we will be ready for the on-line edit by June. A finished product by the end of summer? Stay tuned!
The Waiting is the Hardest Part
Well, this week marks a year since we first went on the road to Boston to interview Charles Laquidara and shoot all our Boston footage. I’m happy to report that the Detroit Tigers are once again playing in the American League Championship Series so we’ve come full circle.
We’re heading into the 6th week of editing now so the mad dash for photos, archival footage, musical rights and radio air checks is in full swing. I’m mostly enjoying the process though I must confess that on any given day, you could either find me championing the film in my mind as a brilliant artistic contribution to modern society, or in a bundle of self-loathing on the floor, convinced no one will give up two hours of their life to see it. Most days though, I’m somewhere in between but much closer to the positive end, all things considered.
I am enjoying the process more often than not. The joy of discovering a new photo or snippet of archival footage that perfectly suits the segment. The satisfaction of watching a suggested edit that actually works. The relief of cutting a chunk out of a scene and seeing that it still makes sense after the chop. And being able to watch scene assemblies and send notes to the editor from the pub!
When a film is working but is not complete, it requires a solid amount of discipline not to immediately screen it for friends and family. The waiting is the hardest part, as Mr Petty once said. But I think this film is going to rock. And given the subject matter, that would be fitting.
Meg in Manhattan
It was a productive five days in Manhattan this July where we spent a day with the great Meg Griffin at Sirius XM radio studios. Meg is our 4th and final DJ in the film and is just a great pick for the flick! She started her radio career in the early 70’s in Briarcliff Manor, New York alongside some guy named Howard Stern. Within a couple of years, she was at New York City’s legendary WNEW and her career just took off from there.
In our interview with her, we heard great stories about the 1970’s New York punk and new wave scene, the beginnings of MTV, her long-standing friendship with the aforementioned Mr Stern and of course her take on the evolution of rock radio, including her current work with Sirius XM. Meg is great on camera and we can’t wait for people to hear/watch her story.
We also talked to Sirius XM CEO (and former CEO of CBS) Mel Karmazin, as well as Rita Houston at the very cool WFUV in The Bronx and Allan Pepper, the owner of the legendary Bottom Line night club. All have long and deep connections to Meg and have great respect for her work and musical knowledge.
We of course took in a little of New York City too: drinks in the village, great Mexican food in Soho, a photo exhibit opening on Central Park West and half price wine between 8-10 pm every night in the bar of our hotel, The Shoreham. The city that never sleeps indeed. Or at least only turns in early before film interview days!
On to editing we go. Don’t touch that dial! (sorry – couldn’t resist a lame, dated phrase there)
Meg Griffin, with our Production Manager, David Jermyn. Sirius XM Studios, New York City. July 8, 2012.
Inside Pat O’Day’s Brain
Here’s a Seattle TV news feature on Pat O’Day’s brain operation. The interview clips with Pat were just four days after his surgery!
O’Day Brain Surgery
Well, a little bit of a scare for one of our 4 “stars” of the documentary but Pat O’Day pulled through brain surgery this past Friday and the tumor was benign. I knew there was no way Pat would miss our premiere, whenever it may be!
Details on the surgery and how Pat was still doing interviews less than 24 hours before the operation, in the article below:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2018555745_patoday29m.html
Megless!
We decided there was something noticeably missing from our documentary – the perspective of a female DJ. Though there were only a handful of women active in rock radio in a major market during the 60’s and 70’s , we have found one who definitely qualifies. Meg “Megless” Griffin did the free form thing at legendary New York City station WNEW during its glory years and she went on to spin tunes at WPIX, K-ROCK and now still plays what she wants on three different Sirius satellite radio channels.
She was hired as one of the first VJ’s on MTV but quit one week in because they wanted her to give up radio. She has been honored by the Rock ‘N Roll Hall of Fame. Her close friendship with Howard Stern has lasted almost 40 years since they both began their careers in White Plains, New York. In short, we think she has some stories to tell and can’t wait to sit down with her in The Big Apple in early July. Stay tuned!
