It's a 'wrap' at school as filmmaker completes 'Snacks'
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Scott Kittredge, above, prepares a scene in a lavatory from an unlikely perspective. Reminder submitted photo
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By G. Michael Dobbs
Managing Editor
LONGMEADOW It was early afternoon on July 28 and Scott Kittredge had filmed the last shot of his new movie hours before his deadline.
In the world of independent film making, time is indeed money and Kittredge, his production crew and youthful cast of Snacks applauded one another in a hallway in the Wolf Swamp School.
Kittredge and his producing, editing and writing partner Brian Johnson were shooting another short film. Earlier this years they premiered a 22-minute romantic comedy, Love Delivered. The two men want to produce a feature-length film and are using the short films to hone their skills and to make productions that could be entered into festivals.
While the earlier film was a wistful romantic comedy, the new film is "a tall tale film," Kittredge told Reminder Publications. The plot involves a new student at an elementary school who is told some frightening and untrue gossip and seeks a little revenge.
Kittredge said it is not a horror film, but he did use a camera angle known in the industry as "the Dutch tilt," which was a favorite of horror directors in the early 1930s.
The traditionally spooky camera angles were a deliberate choice to provide an interesting contrast with the fresh-faced children in pink and yellow school uniforms.
"[The costumes] give a pastel softness to it [the film,]" Kittredge said.
Shot with digital equipment from July 25 to 29, Kittredge and Johnson had a crew of about 10 people, including two "kid wranglers," Amy Rubman and Liz Filamino. Between takes, the young cast was in a room at the school drawing, talking and snacking. The "wranglers" would make sure the children were in proper costume and escorted them to the set.
The cast included Rachel Poirier, David Kern, Amber Pelletier, Caitlin Fleishman, Tony Morgan, Lucy Y. Robbins, Willie Swyers, Tristan Donahue, Brandy Torres, Sharif Rice, Danielle Lessard, Talya Chait, Miranda Caldwell, Brianna Evans, and Brianna Torres. The cast with one exception was all local talent, Kittredge added.
Much of low-budget filmmaking requires ingenuity and improvisation and Kittredge showed this writer the dolly constructed by Director of Photography Matthew de Jongh made from plastic piping.
The last shot was a simple one with a group of children walking down a hall and turning down another hallway.
The children listened to Kittredge's instructions and walked down the hallway on cue. Kittredge said, and then shouted, "Cut." He then filmed the children coming back.
"That's a wrap people," Kittredge declared, and everyone applauded.
However, that wasn't quite the end. After some discussion, several children were called back for another shot. Kittredge wanted "more attitude walking," and the young actors walked down the hallway looking as if they were on a mission.
The director and cast members then shook hands with mock seriousness.
Kittredge and Johnson are now beginning the post-production work of editing and scoring. The goal is to finish the film by Oct. 7 so it can quality as a late entry to the Slamdance Film Festival, an alternative festival to the Sundance Film festival, presented in Park City Utah in January, 2006.
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