Pre-Production
by david harris

Looking at the screenplay, something jumped out at me. This was going to be a very difficult film to make. Whether it was the fact that its main location was a funeral home, or that the scenes were dialogue heavy and thus going to be tough to shoot, lots of work was in store.

After Rogier agreed to participate and lend his eye as Director of Photography, the first major hurdle was to find a funeral home to shoot at. I compiled a list of the ones in the San Francisco Bay Area, beginning with those closest to me. The next two weeks were spent on the phone trying to create interest in the project. When one agreed to meet with me, I rehearsed the pitch, preparing for “No.” But when Don LaBarbera, Director of Redwood Chapel, said “Yes,” I didn’t know what to do. I just shook his hand in excitement. That was that.

Casting was next. Before auditions began, which were held in San Francisco and Hollywood, Stephen Sherwood (Johnny) jumped out at me. The look in his headshot said to me, “Johnny Goner.” Each cast-member-to-be stood out at their auditions, where I was stunned at their talent. Be it Damara Reilly’s (Julie) trademark voice or Allyn Rachel’s genuinely fun aura, they were all special.

Planning didn’t stop there. To give you an idea of some of the important elements and details executed, here are some of the things we did: make a shot list and storyboard, rehearse with the actors, create a transportation and housing plan for the LA actors, find a rental house that would give us a great deal (plug: Indie Rentals), find a flower shop that would help us acquire flowers fit for a funeral, as well as some daisies in a glass vase we could shatter, design a Scrabble board with Johnny’s hypochondria in mind, deal with legal issues like insurance and releases, create a food and catering plan to keep the unpaid cast and crew happy, and also spend seven hours at school every day. (NB: My GPA during pre-production dropped by 0.4) (NB for those worried: I got it (mostly) back up before the semester ended…it’s okay.)

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