It's winter on Cape Cod. Not a hell of a lot going on down in Falmouth. While it's not unusual to see someone boating on Eel Pond in Woods Hole in January, it is to see a cameraman in a leaky wooden rowboat with a Sony PD150 on a tripod filming the rower as he makes his way across to a 2-story houseboat moored on the far shore. It's all part of an Eastie Punk Production feature called DEPUTY BOB (working title) shot on location in Falmouth in January by Writer/Director John T. Proctor and 2nd Unit Director Sean Boyce.
The two have been friends since 6th grade, grew up in Falmouth, and have made several shorts together in Boston and NYC over the years. Proctor wrote the script, a tragi-comedy about a Los Angeles man's self-discovery while finding a place in his father's legacy (that of cutting-edge cancer researcher), with a parallel story about an East Coast scientist's misfortunes as he seeks the approval of others.
Shot on a $50,000 budget, the east coast production, using local cast and crew, has utilized several landmark locations such as The Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, Fishmonger's Café, a house boat on Eel Pond, North Falmouth Diner, and the Woods Hole Community Center.
Proctor said the locations the east coast production secured are unique. "They've retained a character that doesn't seem to be changed by corporate mingling. You don't need to block out that McDonald's in every shot. The movie was written with those locations in mind," he said. Boyce said Woods Hole and Falmouth offer incredible picturesque locations. "The trick is to find beauty where people can't see it, or have overlooked it," Boyce added.
With experience in the Los Angeles film industry, Proctor said he notices a real difference filming here in New England. "It's very liberating to talk to people who don't have Hollywood pretentiousness and who have genuine enthusiasm. In L.A. the first thing you hear is 'You're not paying me enough to do this.' A lot of people I've worked with here and in Vermont take it as an opportunity to be part of something they don't have normally. They do it with gusto. In L.A. you can get a technically better crew, but they're one cell call away from 'I'm outta here. Gotta union job tomorrow,' he said.
As Director, Proctor said adaptation with a creative but unknown cast and crew was his major challenge. "Because I wasn't there for pre-production and rehearsals, I had to be flexible in what I wanted to get out of each character. I was cautious not to allow frustration. I prepped myself mentally to think on the spot and make the best of a situation, such as if the weather is horrible and the schedule is outdoor locations," he said.
The directing challenge for Boyce was in how to balance co-directing duties with the needs of the film. "We were wondering how it would work. On the first day of east coast shooting in October it was 18 degrees out and we had a full cast and crew. It was pretty complicated shooting with four actors and dialogue. It became clear that one guy would call the shots as far as directing goes. There had to be one guy in charge. I took a step back. I want to get as much of my vision in without jeopardizing the project," he said.
As production continued, the two directors split up their time to maximize time in their locations. At the MBL classroom labs, while Proctor D.P.'d and set up shots with FX Professional Mark Moore with dry ice and fog machine, Boyce led the actors in their pacing and marks. Boyce directed the vampire squid scene with his brother Jamie Boyce as D.P. In another room Proctor shot close ups of actors from another scene. The collaborative effort paid off with the shooting schedule wrapping on time each day.
As a painter and a visual artist, Boyce created extensive use of storyboards for each scene in the film. "I exhibit oil and acrylic paintings in Boston and the Cape. I made many storyboards from the script, which became a morale booster for the cast and crew."
With influences ranging from Hitchcock's REAR WINDOW to Terry Gilliam (who can make a small budget movie look "so huge" said Proctor), George Romero. Robert Zemeckis, Ridley Scott, and Sam Raimi, the two directors have worked together to create an interesting tale of human actions and reactions with fantastic production value on a tight budget.
The west coast unit will finish filming in February and March in L.A. Post-production begins in March for an expected release date of October 2003 when it will begin the film festival circuit. Access the movie website at www.eastiepunk.com.