The introduction to our video podcast that follows the process of us making an independent feature length film, Happy Holidays.
Keep tuned in to find out what happens to the perilous film students in the efforts to overcome all obstacles. Watch this to meet the leaders Sassy and Dillon (and note how tired they look from pulling an all nighter!)
How do you make a film with no money, no locations, no car and no equipment? Find a group of peers willing to put in the fight together. Watch perhaps one of the most moving podcast of them all as the team gets together and realizes just how large the wall is in front of them. Can they get through it? Check out Happy Holidays Podcast number four released during the Spring semester to find out more!
Thanks again to Coin-Op TV Live! For more episodes and a Windows Media version of this interview visit http://www.thestream.tv/
So the crew took a break for the Holidays...no pun intended. But now they're back and as pumped as ever. They got equipment, actors and even shot half the project!
That doesn't mean the easy times are rolling in. Between flighty college students, a slow chipping away at morale and typical college problems, how can they finish? Watch Podcast 4 as the team tries to get this monster under control.
Check out the last installment of the Happy Holidays Podcasts! Almost finished shooting, the team has one last thing to say about the film. It may not have always been easy but it sure was a learning experience!
Keep watching to find out what happens to the film!
So with the busy schedule which is post-production, we here on the HH crew realize we haven't given you a video podcast. Until we get one up, which will be before July 20th, we would like to keep you updated on all the exciting things which are happening for the film. This week Editor Ross Mathy and Writer/Director Sassy Mohen are here to inform!
Check in for weekly updates!
Click here to download Audio Podcast #1.
Hey Everyone!
Just wanted to give you a heads up about the contest we are about to enter called 'From Here to Awesome'.
check it out!
Basically to win there is going to be a lot of internet voting!! As soon as we have more info about what is required, we'll let you know! :)
Some of you may remember about a year and a half ago, S.Mohen and Jeff Whitlatch were on Coin-Op TV to talk about the shooting of the film thus far....
well she's going to be back on it again, talking about the DVD, the end of the project and a bunch of other cool stuff!!
To watch it go to
www.thestream.tv
at 8PM PST this Thursday May 1st!
to check out the old video (my how things have changed) watch it here!
oh yeah...
and vote!
www.fromheretoawesome.com/happyholidaysfilm
Thus starts the blog, "What this podcast means to me." By S.Mohen
Behind our two sleepy faces were two kids totally clueless to what lay ahead, or quite frankly how to make a feature film. Also we had no concept about what putting something on the internet meant. It meant everyone would see it, meaning you should probably shower before stepping in front of the lens. And neither of us had considering we had stayed up until 5AM trying to finish the second part of the podcast. Note in later podcasts where we both look groomed and somewhat stylish.
A funny thing about this, how Dillon asks what his position is since both of us were doing 10 jobs and were clueless as to any titles. I think it was the fact that we really didn't know what we were doing that gave us the ability to do it. I mean we knew how to make films, I new how to direct, but there's no prep for assembling a project this large without just doing it.
Another part I like about the second half of this is when Colin says "That's really nice" I think our friend Adam was making vulgar hand gestures at him. And of course Nathan...shirtles...
Here the way it was, two kids with some support standing in front of a huge mountain with no food, supplies or map. Both turn to each other being like, "You down to climb it?" the other, "Totally.""
What this Podcast means to me. By S.Mohen
The first official podcast. Wow this was fun to make and who knew what crazy stuff would happen from when we started shooting it until the end.
But it kills...KILLS me to watch this podcast. Why? Because of the freaking fish eye lens on Dillon's camera. Because of this podcast I learned exactly how NOT to do an interview. And the worst part is, this is where I'm giving the meat of the story, how it all happened! The stuff about my friends, about John, about everything and its so not interesting because I'm slouching, un-enthusiastic, Dillon who shot it got a terrible angle on me and I look 40 pounds heavier. No joke. Wes and I thought about pretending like I got so stressed out I lost a lot of weight due to the film in the next podcast. ha!
Aside from my own vain thoughts on my interview. It really serves as a testimony to the friendship I had with Mallory, Niels, Nathan, Colin, Trevor, Dillon. Because that summer where we hashed out the script was so much fun! All of us would stay up till 4 am playing guitar hero, watching movies, drinking, biking, running around, going to the beach and occasionally working on Happy Holidays. And I think a lot of that spirit made it through into the script. It's sad, many may wonder what happened to the friendship. I wonder sometimes too. People change, and I know I did. But if you can learn to appreciate the times you have with people and truly cherish them...well they're just awesome. And I can never thank these people enough for giving me the strength to do this film.
But maybe the best part of this podcast is the auditions! And of course our drunken filming the night before talking about the auditions. What's great about the auditions, is I barely knew the 5 actors I would get to know and love so dearly. Here you and I get to watch meeting them for the first time!
As we list off the names, it's always funny looking at Brigitte (the blonde) as I say Michael Sasso, because they of course would go out and are still together 3 years later. See Robert actually take a swing at Russell in the auditions which is when I knew he was perfect for the part. And of course to top it all off, we also realized that I shouldn't act out traumatic things that happen. Ever.
But if you can gather anything from this podcast, is that we were learning as we were going. Testing out stuff, and because of this podcast we learned a lot about what to do, what not to do. It was as shakey as we felt, but we were just a bunch of kids with a big idea about doing a movie. Somewhat committed, but mostly just thought it was fun. It wasn't until the next podcast that we realized just how much we wanted to make this, and how much we'd have to sacrifice to do it.
What this podcast means to me by S.Mohen
Something funny for me is having Brigitte and I together for the first time since we would later star in On the Verge together. When we shot the 'looking for a thomas' bit, Brigitte was wearing some sort of shirt that she hated, so she asked to borrow a plain one of mine...only problem is I hardly ever wore plain clothes, so she borrowed a shirt of mine that said "Barbie is a slut"...hence the blurring....
Something really cool for me, was for the first time I started to hear other people talk about my work, my script and really dedicate themself to it. Hearing Mary give such an indepth beautiful response to who Clarissa is made me love her more as an actress and a person! I knew then I had made the right choice casting.
I remember when I found out that Chapman wasn't going to give us the greenlight to make Happy Holidays in terms of using equipment and school facilities. I was walking back to rehearsal from class and saw I had a missed call. It was the assistant to someone at the film school saying the request was denied on the grounds the project was "too ambitious." I still remember that phrase...."too ambitious" just playing over and over in my head. How can you tell a student they're being too ambitious? I went straight to rehearsal, told Mary and Jeff what had happened and said we were going to keep rehearsing because well...there was no other option.
It was that moment I knew the project was for real and that it was time for me to stop saying "when I grow up I want to make movies." It was time to start saying "I am growing up and I am making movies as I go."
This page contains an archive of all entries posted to Happy Holidays Film in the Podcast category. They are listed from oldest to newest.
Picture Stills is the previous category.
Production Photos is the next category.
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