It is almost 8 pm on a Wednesday night and I am at my office trying to get into a rhythm editing, the now in the can short film, BEAT AROUND THE BUSH. I have a hunch it is going to be a very long night as I have se t a self imposed deadline of October 6th to have, at the very least, a final cut. (Yes, I know it is fast, but I want it done!).
“Beat Around the Bush” (2015), Gina Stockdale as BEATRICE, Brenda Matthews as UNA, and Mary Black as GOLDIE
Thanks to Harold Greenberg, The Movie Network and Movie Central, this film, which I have been pushing for awhile, not only went into production, but also has development monies behind it for a feature film,, and will be broadcast on two networks in the next 18 months. And I have a feeling this is only the beginning of a series of amazing events that are to unfold for me in the near future with all of my projects.
The team who, to date, have played a significant part in this film finding it’s legs after funding are my producer Katelyn Mann, who as it turns out, went to the same high school as me, a couple years apart, but whom I never met until a few months ago; my Executive Producer Shawn Williamson, the president of Brightlight pictures, who gave me a mafia speech that terrified me and filled me with the most excitement and promise about where I am headed, and the possibilities for a long term working relationship; Paul Lukaitis, production manager at Brightlight Pictures who has facilitated vendor rentals and contacts of sponsorship for the film without whom we would not have made our budget; Ed Brando and Chris Jacques at William F. Whites who have supported my films and music videos since 2011 (I recently got my first W.F.W. swag hoodie and I actually feel like that was the moment of becoming a successful filmmaker…well, I felt successful before, but now I am officially in the club); Arielle Boisvert of Brightlight Pictures who has helped facilitate accessing the world of Brightlight, and my Director of Photography, Lindsay George, who shot a friggen fantastic short film, brought on a dozen amazing and hard working crew members, and whom multiple people have cornered me to express their enthusiasm about – she is fantastic.
There are a number of other individuals who helped piece details of this film together and to you all, thank you. I have not forgotten you contributions.
Keep up to date at facebook.com/BATBthemovie and Twitter.com/BATBthemovie
Brianne Nord-Stewart 