"The Off Hours" Is On!

Prost Amerika Speaks to Seattle Filmmakers Lacey Leavitt and Megan Griffiths Written by Megan Griffiths, "The Off Hours" is the story of three residents of a small, truck-stop town--a young waitress, an alcoholic diner owner, and a Serbian mail order bride—trying to find inspiration in their nightly routine. The film will star Alicia Silverstone ("Clueless", "Batman & Robin") and Aidan Quinn ("Legends of the Fall", "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee"), schedule dependent. "The Off Hours" was awarded the Panavision New Filmmaker Grant, guaranteeing the production a 35mm Panavision camera and lenses. It will be shot in and around Seattle in 2008. It will be a trailblazer for the cause of green filmmaking as Megan and her team have resolved to make an environmentally friendly film. Prost Amerika sat down with Director Megan Griffiths and Producer Lacey Leavitt to talk about "The Off Hours" and a range of other issues.

 

Prost Amerika: Can you bring us up to date on the progress of the filming?

Megan: We had hoped to start in January but due to actors schedules, it looks more like spring. I've been working on this film since the fall of 2003, and with Lacey, Micha and Joy since the summer of 2006.

Prost Amerika: Recently you brought on Alicia Silverstone and Aidan Quinn, were you surprised when they accepted?

Megan: It's always a nice surprise when they express interest but we did approach them so it wasn't out of the blue that they came on. They were suggested by their talent agency, United Talent Agency. Then we sent them the script and they both responded positively.

Lacey: Megan and I went to LA to audition actors for some of the other roles. One thing was abundantly clear; it is a script that actors respond to. It's a testament to Megan's writing that actors who are very busy are so enthusiastic about Megan's piece. It's not surprising but sure is nice.

Prost Amerika: Have you have much interaction as yet with any of the actors?

Megan: Alicia Silverstone has been pretty involved and responsive with hiring crew and who the other cast members will be. Aidan is in a play and has been busy on another project but we did meet up in the early stages and talked and found some good common ground on the script, but I'd say Alicia had been more involved.

Lacey: Alicia is also very big supporter in animal rights and environmental issues and is also has a big interest in our green production and has been giving a lot of advice on who we could contact for make-up and in the politics of the production.

Prost Amerika: Are these the biggest names you've ever worked with?

Lacey: I've worked with some A-level stars before. I worked with Laura Linney, Jeff Daniels and Billy Baldwin on the Squid and the Whale and actors of that caliber but it's nice to be working with actors of that caliber here in Seattle.

Prost Amerika: Seattle film maker Lynn Shelton said you were trying to procure Hollywood actors on an independent budget. How do you react to that?

Megan: It's a pretty fair account of what we're trying to do. It's hard to get the right kind of exposure and have a life span beyond the festival circuit without actors who people recognize. Neither the producers or I have that kind name of name draw at this point in our careers that somebody will stop what they're doing and go and see the movie. Anyone scanning a festival program or a newspaper, their eyes are going to stop on anything they know and actors will help this film stand out. We knew we wanted to get names so the first thing we set out to do is contact a casting director, and we found Lina Todd who was the casting director in "You Can Count on Me", one of my favorite films ever. We contacted her and she opened all sorts of doors for us. Eventually the actors will do or not do the film based on their response to the script but to get them the script in the first place was something we needed to get Lina on board for. I think that resulted in getting Alicia and Aidan. Lynn's quote I thought was great. People in Seattle make great films but few have stars in them and we're definitely trying to raise the bar and get a higher profile for Seattle film making.

Lacey: There are interesting projects made in the Northwest but part of why they haven't found distribution is because of the lack of recognizable talent. I know having worked in New York and Los Angeles, and now Seattle, it's certainly a lot easier to get actors to read scripts when you live in a town with recognizable actors. This is definitely an obstacle. If you really want to make a film that will resonate throughout the entire country and even world and not just in the Northwest, you need name actors of that quality.

Prost Amerika: You've brought in someone to make sure you act in an environmentally conscious way. How did that come about and how much will it cost?

Megan: We're working with Alison Kelly. She starting a business called 'Shoot it Green' that comes to sets and handles all of your recycling and composting needs. We'll be the first film where she will act in that capacity. We're also working with the Seattle Mayor's Office of Film and Music and the Sustainable Style Foundation to create a "checklist" productions can follow to get the green label. The Sustainable Style Foundation are also soon to unveil their SSF Tag, which you get by working with them to run your company or production in a sustainable way.

Prost Amerika: Do you think that might add to the commercial viability of the project?

Megan: Obviously there are good reasons for doing things in this way, but it's a hip thing to do and definitely press worthy. People are interested in the project for that reason but it is something we'd do regardless.

Lacey: We are the first Northwest production that we know of that's actually trying to do a green production. The film offices are considering giving financial incentives to films to do it this way in the future.

Prost Amerika: Will it change the way you direct the film once filming has started?

Lacey: We're cutting down on the number of water bottles we purchase, buying individual ones for the crew.

Megan: The art department is also thinking in these terms. We're building a diner for the film trying to re-use materials as much as possible. Almost everything in the film is supposed to be a bit dated so it works in that way as well as a green decision. It probably will make it less expensive.

Prost Amerika: So it's actually saving you money?

Lacey: It is. For sure. I haven't come across an area where it's going to cost us more.

Prost Amerika: It will surprise people that to do the right thing is actually cheaper.

Lacey: I think it's part of American culture, the consumer culture, we're just programmed to think that to be better it has to cost more and what we're learning is that that's not necessarily the case and you don't necessarily have to pay more to get a better result.

Megan: We are also in this partnership with Goodwill. They are going to loan us costumes and furniture which we will give back after we wrap so that they can sell them in their stores. They've been really generous and we've donated a walk-on role for them.

Prost Amerika: You've brought in three women. Are you more comfortable working with women?

Megan: I never made a conscious decision to surround myself with a team of women. Their individual strengths, work ethic and the way we had worked together in the past were the factors in asking Lacey, Joy Saez and Mischa Jakupcak. It wasn't a premeditated thing to have 3 female producers. It may be something on a subconscious level that I work better with women.

Lacey: (laughing) She hangs with the boys just as well as she hangs with the girls, so I think it's just a matter of circumstance.

Megan: There aren't a whole lot of films in Seattle where women aren't a strong presence. I don't know if it's the same in LA. The more abnormal thing is that it's written and directed by a woman. There have been very few films that I've worked on in Seattle where the writer and director has been a woman.

Lacey: I agree with that. It's more common to see women in the production office.

Megan: This may explain why there are not a lot of good roles written for women. I read an article that was a conversation between five powerful female Hollywood producers. One of them said that films with female leads don't do so well at the box office so she felt less able to green light them.

Lacey: That's a pervading stereotype in Hollywood that films with female leads can't be successful. I think that's completely ridiculous, and the Terminator series and Titanic, the biggest movie of all time which had a female as a lead, show that to be not necessarily the case.

Prost Amerika: Is that one of the reasons why the independent film industry is better than Hollywood?

Lacey: Oh yes.

Megan: That's a leading question. There are a lot of Hollywood movies that I like. I would say that for the most part, independent film does a better job of exploring characters and presenting sides of things that we don't see in every other film.

Prost Amerika: To what extent do the incentives that WashingtonFilmWorks and the Seattle Mayor's Office of Film offer make it possible to even consider a film like this?

Lacey: The new WFW incentives were a long time coming and a lot of people worked really hard to make them happen. They have made it possible to make a film like this in Washington State. A lot of wealthy people are used to investing in dotcoms but investing in film hasn't been the norm for a couple of decades. Being able to hand cash back to your investors is such a big thing. Competition across the states, forget even international, they're competing with one another to get filming dollars. It has been difficult to keep film here in Washington State. The incentives help to make quality films with big names.

Megan: Film is good for the local economy. They're spending a lot of money in the state. The incentives are tied to what you spend in the state. It ties it into something politicians can understand which is bringing money back into the state. Washington's incentive is not the best in the nation; other states still have more draw, so I know Washington is still trying to enhance the incentives that we have, to draw more outsiders in. It's still way better than it was.

Lacey: It's nice that we can make films here that actually look like they come from here.

Prost Amerika: To what extent do you think this could actually help the Seattle tourist industry?

Lacey: I think a hell of a lot. There was a huge boost in tourism after "Sleepless in Seattle", after "Northern Exposure". There's certainly an increase after filming takes place. This goes for independent as well as big budget films.

Prost Amerika: How has the Panavision camera helped?

Megan: In 1999, I went to LA and interned at Panavision. That was my first exposure to that company. They are the camera to use on most Holly wood films. They are the gold standard. They don't sell their cameras only rent them so that they can have control over their maintenance and they guard the quality of their products. I knew they had this thing called Panavision New Filmmakers grant and stored that knowledge in the back of my mind. I knew that one day I would apply for it. I didn't do this with my first film as it was a lower budget project but I knew very early on in this project that this was something we wanted to do. We put together an application packet and they responded quickly giving us a very early boost. Knowing that we were going to be able to shoot on 35 mm on cameras of that quality was a boost for me and a great way to attract people to the project. Being able to actually use the camera has been a dream of mine.

Lacey: As an independent producer, your job is to allow the director to bring forth her vision but for however much your budget allows. Having this means that we can have the highest level of visual quality but on an independent budget.

Prost Amerika: What is your favorite film?

Megan: We're both indecisive and have to do top three favorite movies. Mine are 1) Harold and Maude, 2) You Can Count On Me, 3) Rushmore.

Lacey: 1) Bicycle Thief, 2) Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind, 3) Jaws.

January 11, 2008

Lacey Leavitt is the co-director and co-producer of "Blood on the Flat Track: The Rise of the Rat City Rollergirls", a documentary about Seattle's women's roller derby league, which premiered at the 2007 Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF). In the recent past, Lacey has contributed her energy to film festivals across the country, working for Slamdance, SIFF, and the Independent Feature Project (IFP) Market in New York City. She also served as the assistant to the producers on the Academy Award-nominated "The Squid and the Whale" and as co-producer for "Maura's War", directed by Douglas Horn. Lacey is currently on the board of directors for IFP/Seattle and was the Administrator of the 2007 NW Production Market, a program co-sponsored by IFP/Seattle and SIFF to support and invigorate the film community in the Northwest. She received her BA in Comparative Literature: Cinema Studies from the University of Washington. Her strong ties and connections within the world of independent film make her an invaluable member of the production team for "The Off Hours".

For the past seven years, Megan Griffiths has been an active member of the Northwest film community. Before relocating to Seattle, Megan received her MFA in Film Production from Ohio University School of Film. While there Megan wrote, directed and edited three award-winning short films (her thesis film "not Waving but Drowning", was a 2001 Student Academy Award nominee and recipient of awards for cinematography, directing and editing). In 2002, Megan made the move to feature-length films with "First Aid for Choking". Set in Megan's hometown of Moscow, Idaho, this film follows a girl's journey to come to terms with her family's dysfunction and a friend's betrayal. In addition to gaining accolades from programmers, critics and press, her debut feature screened at festivals in Telluride, Portland, Washington DC, and Seattle before securing distribution through Film Threat. As a Seattle-based freelancer, Megan has been a much sought after cinematographer, AD and editor for features locally and around the US. Recently, Megan co-produced "ZOO", a documentary that screened in competition at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival, the 2007 Cannes Film Festival and was released theatrically by ThinkFilm. Megan brings the rare combination of a cinematographer's eye, an editor's sense of timing and her unique style of storytelling to her latest film, "The Off Hours".

Mischa Jakupcak was born and raised in Montana. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Arizona in Creative Writing and Philosophy. She then attended London Film School, receiving an MA in Filmmaking. During her time at LFS Mischa learned all aspects of production, working on eighteen short films in various roles. She also wrote and directed four short films of her own. Mischa is now based out of Seattle and has been working in production and development for independent films since her arrival in 2005, including "The Spy and the Sparrow" and "The Immaculate Conception" of "Little Dizzle". She recently directed a documentary, Symphonies Inside, concerning artists affected by mental illness. Mischa plans to continue her involvement in all aspects of filmmaking and will bring her intelligence and hands-on knowledge of production into play as a producer on "The Off Hours".

Joy Saez began her education in Maryland as an Anthropology Major and Theater Minor, but returned to Seattle to receive her degree in Film and Video production from Seattle Central Community College. Joy served as a producer on "Bullets, Blood and A Fistful of Ca$h" with Akina Films LLC in 2004. Bullets screened in the 2007 Cannes Film Festival Buyer's Market and was picked up for distribution by Shoreline Entertainment. Joy spent two years as Special Events/Professional Development Chair for Women In Film-Seattle, and has worked for Cinema Seattle and SIFF as well as for the Slamdance Film Festival. Recent projects include "The Bridge", which premiered at SIFF in 2007, "Courage Never Asks", which premiered at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival, and "True Adolescents", starring Mark Duplass. In addition to working as a producer for "The Off Hours", Joy currently serves as a creative producer for the cable learning show, "Makeup U". Joy's tireless enthusiasm and positive energy, coupled with her serious commitment to building a strong independent community in the Northwest, will ensure that "The Off Hours" is given every chance at success.