Savance
Kevin and Lo prepare for their big show.
Interview with Directors Martin McGreevy and Jace Wrigley.
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Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Savance is our filmmaking laboratory and playground. It’s where we feel brave enough to take risks and try things we never have before.
For this episode our given circumstances were: a crew of three people – ourselves as directors and one sound tech – and a $50 budget. Two areas we challenged ourselves to explore were dialogue (how to integrate improvisation, create and emphasize the subtext and intent of lines, learn how and when to shoot proper coverage and see how that informs the edit) and story arc (holding an audience’s interest for 30+ minutes, maintaining the right balance of clarity, mystery, and stakes throughout).
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
We hope this episode leaves the audience feeling love for the characters and the empathy with their heartbreak. For us, tragicomedy can be a great source of catharsis and we love the idea of sharing that with others.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
We both have extensive experience with the kind of emotional agony this episode portrays, and we wanted to create something that let others in on that experience.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development and production?
We relied heavily on improvisation throughout the episode. We would create the given circumstances of a scene and our amazing actors would bring the world to life for us. We then took everything we had made together and “re-wrote” in the edit. As a result, the episode changed a lot. We went through 56 major versions of it.
We learned just how much happens and shifts. Not just the re-arranging of dialogue or scenes for logical reasons, but changing the entire sub-textual meaning of a scene with as little as one word or a slight change of pace.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
After some incredibly helpful test screenings with friends we realized we had some pacing and clarity issues. We spent the final few weeks of editing addressing those issues. A big lesson we learned was just how much time we should spend with characters to properly introduce them. In earlier versions we skipped around so fast to what we thought was important that our audiences had trouble connecting to the characters. We learned it’s okay to slow down. It’s okay to spend some time getting to know the people we’re watching.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
Feedback is now fundamental to our process. Up until this point the short films we made were kept in hermetically sealed vaults, only allowed into the air when they were “done.” This time around we resisted the urge to perfect and instead did our best to share our work in progress – and thank goodness we did.
The longer you’re with a film the less you can see it objectively. After only a few days editing you can’t see the forest for the trees. Having trusted friends there to guide you along the way is paramount. You can’t do it all yourself.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
We’re just honored to be a part of it and to be able to share our work with more people!
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
We are always thrilled to talk with anyone interested in our work. We believe the two most important things for us are to continue to pour our hearts in to creating more and learning along the way, and to take any opportunity we have to reach more people with our work. A chance to talk to anyone who believes in or has been touched by one of our films, in any capacity, is the most exciting thing to us.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
We feel grateful for every viewing of it and hope that each work we produce helps us expand our film “family” of collaborators and fans. The more people that get to see it, the better.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
How much time does it take to identify and empathize with a character?
Would you like to add anything else?
Thank you for the continued interest in our work! We are honored and happy to be a part of We Are Moving Stories.
What are the creatives working on now?
Savance : Episode Four. Stay tuned.
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We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series and music video. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
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Savance : Episode Three
Length: 34 minutes
Director: Jace Wrigley and Martin McGreevy
Producer: Jace and Martin
Writer: Jace and Martin
About the writer, director and producer:
Jace Wrigley and Martin McGreevy are an independent filmmaking duo based in the small town of Moscow, Idaho.
JACE WRIGLEY graduated from the University of Idaho in 2015. Wrigley has worked in film in Idaho and NYC for the past two years.
MARTIN MCGREEVY graduated from the University of Idaho in 2010. McGreevy worked in film and visual effects for four years in NYC.
Key cast: Kevin O’Connell and Lo Miles
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists)
Release date: July 18, 2016