 Filmed
largely on location, sans permission, in a working supermarket in
central New Jersey, Lunch
Break was made by a crew of
two: John W. McKelvey and Elise Falanga, who both shot the film and
played themselves (more or less). The film was shot widescreen on a
small, hand-held DV camera - so as not to attract the attention of
management.
Since the film
is presented in a realistic documentary style, it called for several
long, unbroken takes (as long as 4 1/2 minutes) of difficult monologues
delivered in a location we had no business filming in. So it was clear
from the start that the leading role was going to require a very
talented and dedicated actress. Fortunately, we found one. :)
Tiffany Anne Carrin was one out of literally hundreds who put in for
the role, and simply gave the best audition.
After
auditions began a substantial rehearsal period in the Spring of 2005,
with the cast and director getting together first in private, and then
later in public (yes, in supermarkets), honing the naturalism of the
extensive dialogue and kinetic camerawork. Eventually, filming was
ready to begin, and the gang set out in early summer.
Well aware that
acting is often the Achiles' heel of independent pictures, John decided
it was important to cast an actress to fill the position of DP (as
opposed to a DP playing the role). He planned on finding and setting up
every shot himself, and just having Elise act as camerawoman, but it
turned out she had an eye for composition and movement that gave the
film a better look than John had even hoped for. In fact, midway
through the shoot, Elise was so taken with how well the production was
going, she decided to sign on as producer, making Lunch
Break the first project for her
new production company, Snowy Mountain Productions.
The music for Lunch Break
was provided by Neila, a Hawaiian-based lyricist whose latest album, For
Whom the Bells Crow, is
out now on Nomadic Sound System Records.
28 minutes,
color, DV
[opening scene shot on VHS]
widescreen (1.66:1)
English
2008
|
John W. McKelvey is a writer, director
and one of two co-founders of Tomorrow
Wendy Productions. He
produced and edited the film
Barman with Bon Bock
Productions, and wrote and directed the play Commander
Space and the Lipstick Lesbians from Planet Earth
at The Colly Soleri Music Center (Ampitheatre) in Arcosanti, AZ. He won
OOBR's Off, Off
Broadway Production Of the Year Award
for his work in Alex Dawson's play Deep
In the Jeeps of Georgia, and
spent about two years working as a managing editor for The
Source Magazine, interviewing
rappers (for which he also won some awards). Lunch
Break is his first film as
writer/ director. John worked at a supermarket himself for
approximately four years, and now co-owns The
Raconteur, a used bookstore
on Main St, Metuchen. Stop by sometime.
