DTLA Film Festival - Mother of the Year
Sam, loving mother of two, is a hot mess until Grandma Liz comes to the rescue, introducing her to a drug that might solve everything.
Interview with Director Makena Costlow
Watch Mother of the Year here:
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Thank you so much! I originally wrote the film my freshman year of college in an introductory screenwriting course, but it's come a long way since then, especially once I brought on my screenwriter in my junior year. I originally thought of the idea because in high school health class, we learned that, by occupation, the two biggest users of cocaine were truck drivers and housewives - I just thought that was crazy. That fact always stuck with me.
I started with that fact and then further developed the theme. After working on the script on and off for about 3 years, the idea further developed and became more personal for me. My junior year, when directing my first major short film while simultaneously taking 4 classes, commuting to LA for an internship at Atlantic Records, and holding a part-time job, I was severely lacking on sleep. At the time, I thought the only way to get ahead was to sleep less and drink more energy drinks. I was so convinced that the people who are going to make it in this world care more about their career than sleep and are all hyped up on coffee. So it got me thinking, how is that any different than Sam who is hyped up on cocaine?
Everyone wants to get ahead and be the best version of themselves whether they do that legally with coffee or illegally with cocaine. Just to be clear because I get this question a lot - I've actually never done cocaine and don't plan to! For me, the film isn't about cocaine - it's about the pressure to get ahead and be the most impressive out of everyone you know.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
It's a fun film to watch - it'll put a smile on your face at times but also pull at your heart strings when it comes to a family and neighborhood sticking up for somebody. If you're the type of person that puts your career first, it'll make you think about what's most important at the end of the day.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
I mentioned this quite a bit in my first answer, but the most universal theme is that, at the end of the day, you don't need to kill yourself to do everything. Be the best person you can be, even if that means you're a bit of a hot mess. Personally, for me, it's about how I'm a perfectionist who could work on a film for every hour of every day and never sleep while throwing back energy drinks every few hours. I could do it, but it's not going to make me happy at the end of the day. I need to know when to stop and say, I worked hard on this and now I need to relax.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
I wrote the original script and quite a few drafts of it. It's evolved so much since then. Junior year of college, I brought on my screenwriter and she really molded it into what it is today. Even after the screenwriting process, it took shape from the actors and actresses I brought on who put their own flare into the film. Even my cinematographer, my producer - everyone on crew put their mark on it.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
We played Brightside Tavern Film Festival in Jersey City, NJ and won Best College Film. That was definitely our biggest achievement because we were validated from a film festival that is reviewing films constantly. Outside of that, my actors and actresses are amazing and are constantly e-mailing me to say they love how it turned out and are so proud to be a part of it. Those e-mails always make me smile and remind me why I love making movies.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
The feedback has been amazing, but I'm always sort of skeptical of it. Maybe this is just the way I think, but I know in my heart that a movie is never done and it could always be better, so when people are raving about it, I'm happy to hear it but also wonder how much they're just buttering me up. What do they really think? Would they even tell me if they had a million notes flying around in their head? Because if they do, I want to hear that. That's what's going to make me a better filmmaker.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I'm hoping to bring more attention to the film in general - the more eyes that see it, the better! That means more people I can impact with my story. I'm also excited for people to hear my perspective on why I made the film and what it means to me. I only get to talk to so many people about my process, so this is a way for me to share my experience making the film with more people at once.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
I would love to have a buyer or distributor for when Mother of the Year is done in the festival circuit. At the moment, we've only played two festivals so I attend to play more before releasing the film to the general public. However, that is the end goal and I'd love the film to be distributed on Amazon or another similar platform.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I'd love for everyone to understand the message of the film after they watch it. However, I know that some people will watch it and think "that was a silly, cute film about a mom doing cocaine" whereas others will see it comments on the pressure people feel to do everything. It's almost hypocritical of me to say though because I'm the type of person who watches a movie and never bothers to analyze it for the bigger message behind it. I like to simply watch movies for the way they make me feel. I think Mother of the Year is a feel-good movie, so at least if it doesn't impact people beyond that - at least it takes you on a wild ride and makes you laugh a bit.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
"How far will you go to be successful?"
Would you like to add anything else?
A professor that I hated once asked me, "well if the film doesn't turn out good, did you at least have fun making it?" and with that particular film he was asking me about, I was always more stressed than I was ever having fun. I learned a lot from that, so when it came to Mother of the Year, the most important thing for me was that I loved my cast and crew. And in the end, I did. We had so much fun on that film, making it the piece that I am most proud of.
We were only allowed six days to work on the film and of course, our camera broke down on the fourth day. We lost about six hours. SIX HOURS is crazy when it comes to making a film. We gained a lot of it back though because my cast and crew was willing to stay late for us. Not everyone is willing to do that, but I think we were all kind to one another so no one felt like they had to stay. They genuinely wanted to stay and help.
I was sick for most of the film. I lost my voice completely one of the mornings. I didn't talk at all during set up to save my voice and then I whispered to my actors and actresses and whispered "action" and "cut" to my 1st AD who then repeated loudly to the rest of the crew. Physically, it was a struggle, but I had a film to make. Life goes on even if you're not ready for it, so I just had to be ready for it. My unit production manager, Marilee Jooste, was the sweetest girl ever and brought me tea whenever I needed it. My actor, Hunter, who played the little boy Trevor, taught me how to take Emergen-C without water. He would just pore the packet in his hand and then throw it back in his mouth and it all foams up in your mouth. We all became a family for those six days and everyone supported me even when I was blowing my nose all other the place.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Most of us are working in the industry at different companies now instead of freelancing and working on independent projects. Although I directed and sound designed Mother of the Year, I'm now seeking editing jobs. I always wanted to be an editor but really wanted to diversify my experiences when I was in college and explore other positions. I've been interviewing out in Los Angeles, but if anyone wants to hire me, hit me up at makenacostlow@gmail.com
Interview: October 2017
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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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Mother of the Year
Sam, loving mother of two, is a hot mess until Grandma Liz comes to the rescue, introducing her to a drug that might solve everything.
Length: 16 minutes
Director: Makena Costlow
Originally from New Jersey, director Makena Costlow is graduated from Chapman University in Orange, California with a BFA in Film Production.
Producer: Jaclyn Mauk
Originally from Whittier, California, Jaclyn Mauk graduated from Chapman University with a BFA in Creative Producing.
Writer: Meghan Fasano
Originally from Downers Grove, Illinois, Meghan Fasano graduated from Chapman University with a BFA in Screenwriting.
Key cast: Elle Shaw as Sam, Bibi Basha as Maura, Hunter Fischer as Trevor, Kalen Bull as Lexie
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists): Looking for buyers, distributors, journalists
Social media handles: motheroftheyearfilm
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/motheroftheyearfilm
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/motheroftheyearfilm/
Crowdfunding site: https://www.seedandspark.com/fund/mother-of-the-year
Made in association with: Chapman University / Makena Costlow Productions
Where can I see it in the next month? Downtown LA Film Festival (9/30) at 1pm, no other screening scheduled for the upcoming month