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PRODUCTION NOTES
On June 5, 2004, I uttered the words that I had long dreamed to proclaim when it came time to direct my first full length feature film … “Action!” With that call of action, we were underway on principal photography for what can only be described as a truly hilarious and richly drawn dark comedy. When two friends of mine, Laura Mullins and Jason Kendall, asked me to direct their screenplay for a film to be called Killing Christian, I was incredibly excited to accept, and in the process, ended up working together with a cast and crew who shared so much passion and excitement for the project and the material, which I believe has now created a film which people will not be able to stay away from … curiosity alone will draw them into this tangled web of human relationships, and it will draw them in and not let go.
Before we began filming on June 5, 2004, we put together a mission statement to encapsulate our feelings about this film production, and the production company for which we wanted this film to help launch. Our mission statement was as follows: With our production of this film, we wish to fully support and help to grow the filmmaking industry not only in the state of Alabama but particularly in the city of Birmingham. By utilizing all local talent and locations, we hope to not only showcase what rich creativity and filmmaking opportunities exist in this city, but also to give opportunities for future growth to a number of incredibly gifted and talented individuals in the Birmingham area. It is our deeply held belief that filmmaking is the ultimate collaborative medium, and everyone on our cast and crew ... from the director, the writers, and the cast down to the extras and more ... are artists all working towards a common goal ... to produce something unique, something exciting, something entertaining ... giving that creative part of ourselves to what a great film truly is ... a wonderful story.
And that’s exactly what we did. From our initial casting call in April of 2004 and then throughout the production, we found more people that were drawn into helping our little independent film, and in the process, we have a showcase of talent in the Birmingham area that I believe is truly unmatched. These people all gave 110% of themselves to get this film made, and the results will show on the screen.
For a number of us making this film, this was our first feature film experience, and as the director, I was very excited about that. For one, I was able to observe how some people acting for the first time anywhere, or stage actors bringing their talents to their first major film roles … how they all just grabbed onto these parts and grew as actors throughout the entire production, astounding all of us take after take.
Independent filmmaking is often a struggle, and this film was no different. Raising money to help keep our production going was a constant battle, but one which we overcame. As part of the process of trying to raise money for production, we launched a Virtual Producer program, where individuals could submit donations to us through our website in return for screen credit as either a Virtual Producer ($30 minimum donation) or an Executive Virtual Producer ($50 minimum donation). When times got tough for raising money,
a number of our crew members dug deep into their own pockets to keep this project afloat. The passion that everyone had for this film made a difficult decision to spend our own money that much easier.
As another way of setting this film apart from average independent films, I wanted to have a document of our efforts, so I enlisted the help of two documentary filmmakers, Neil Bloomer and Franziska Wellner, who will be making their own feature length documentary which not only reveals all the behind the scenes fun and drama of making this movie, but also discussing the broader portrait of the independent film scene, particularly in the city of Birmingham. What was originally intended as just a behind the scenes documentary grew much more thanks to Neil and Franziska, as they ran with an idea to make something bigger.
We were incredibly lucky during this film’s production to not only find a first rate cast and crew, but to also have locations all within and around the Birmingham, Alabama area who were so gracious to let us film in their homes and their places of business. The result was our ability to showcase the entire city of Birmingham, from downtown rooftops and parking decks, to several area restaurants, to the intimacy of some very unique houses and stores ... all contributing to a vibrant and colorful film, just as colorful and vibrant as the deeply drawn characters that populate this story. From Parkside Home & Garden, to Jemison Flats, to Lakeview Bistro, to OT’s, to Lecifers, to the Inverness Golf Course, to the Pelham World Gym, to Safari Cup, to Mauby’s, to Little Professor Bookstore, to Tommy’s Up-Top, and more, we were blessed with some truly great locations to make our movie.
The script for the film was written in the winter and spring of 2004, and the production took off from there. The film was shot on digital video, by a crew headed by our co-Directors of Photography, Michael Praytor and Andor Besci, two incredibly gifted and talented DP’s, whose eye for lighting and the camera helped me make this film look even better than what I could have imagined. Principal photography lasted 28 filming days, throughout the majority of the summer of 2004. We wrapped principal photography on Sunday, August 8, 2004, and began post-production shortly thereafter.
From the moment I first read this screenplay, I knew this film was something unique and exciting … and now that we’ve finished shooting the film, I can say that it turned out even better than we imagined in pre-production. Above all, we accomplished a mutual dream that so many people never get to see … we created a feature film. In a climate of filmmaking where unique and risky ideas are discarded for the worst of reasons, Wastebasket Productions takes those chances to foster the growth of original and talented people who might not otherwise get the chance to have their talent noticed, and produce stories that deserve to be told. Killing Christian is our first step into this world, and I am extremely proud of the sheer talent on display in this film.
— Jason O’Brien, Director
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