Woods Hole Film Festival 2018 - Brampton’s Own
A struggling minor league baseball player retires and woefully returns to his small hometown, carefully dodging old wounds until confronted with the one that hurts the most – the girl that got away.
Director/Writer/Producer: Michael Doneger
Watch Brampton’s Own on Prime Video and Beamafilm
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Before I began writing the screenplay, I was thinking a lot about the things one sacrifices to chase a dream. I was chasing my own dream, trying to “make it” as a filmmaker, and I couldn’t help but reflect on the relationships and other opportunities I was sacrificing while in the throes of this pursuit. My personality is such that if I’m going to commit to a goal, I’m going to put blinders on and keep distractions out as I forge ahead and try and accomplish it. But life’s a zero sum game. If you put all your efforts into this one thing over here, then this other thing over here is going to be empty. While I acknowledge that’s not necessarily a healthy way to live, the flip side of that coin is that if it’s greatness that you want, then sacrifices have to be made in order to put the time, energy and focus into your pursuit. And so I decided to build the film around exploring the different sides of that premise.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
I really do think there’s something for everyone to take away in this film. And I wouldn’t say that if I didn’t mean it. Whether you can identify with Dustin, our major league baseball-chasing protagonist, who struggles to handle failure and figure out his next steps; or Rachel, Dustin’s ex-girlfriend, who in the past had been the second most important thing in his life after baseball; or Judy, Dustin’s mother who herself is going through some life changes of her own while also trying to help Dustin get back on his feet. Each character embarks on their own journey of personal growth, while orbiting the centralized theme of dealing with change. And weathering the storm that is change is essentially what life’s all about…so I hear at least. I shouldn’t say for certain. I’m still learning.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
I think because the themes in the film are so personal to me and likely to anyone who has ever put their chips in the middle of the table and chased a dream, those themes will likely resonate on a universal level as well. As Hemingway said, “write one true sentence, write the truest sentence that you know.” And at least thematically speaking, I tried as best I could to pull from the truth and keep it honest, which I’m hoping results in audiences identifying with those themes. I’m really banking on the fact that that Hemingway guy knew a thing or two and doesn’t make me look like an idiot.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
A film is constantly morphing and growing. During the writing process you envision it exactly as it is on the page. But then during production, sometimes elements don’t click the way you had it in your head so you have to pivot and find a solution. And then of course in the edit you try and enhance it and bandage up any missteps along the way.
But because we had a total of 15 days to shoot 99 pages, for better or for worse, we didn’t have the luxury of time to make big changes on set. Out of 110 scenes, 108 made it into the final cut of the movie. So structurally the finished film is nearly identical to the script. Tonally there are a few moments that are different from what I originally had in my head (which could be from a variety of reasons: poor direction-giving on my part, lighting, camera angles, the actor’s performance, music) but those moments are few and far between. The film is as close to what I had originally envisioned as I realistically could’ve hoped for. Now I just pray and hope that vision was right and audiences connect with it.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The film premiered at the Nashville Film Festival in May and it was really satisfying to hear the audience vocally respond to the themes. It’s my job to not hit the audience over the head and explicitly state that the movie is about this or about that, but instead to subtly layer in ideas and themes so that when they finish watching, they think back to different points in the film and discover that all those breadcrumbs dropped along the way were put there for a reason and add up to a bigger message. So I was pleased to discover we accomplished that, at least based on the thesis of the conversation that was had during the Q&A. But that’s just the first public audience that has seen the movie. Woods Hole Film Fest will be the next.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
So long as an idea that challenges my point of view is the vehicle that opens up a larger discussion, then I’m all for it. I don’t expect everyone to agree with me. My ideas are filtered through mostly my experiences, so who am I to say that my thoughts and ideas are objectively correct? It’s the discussion that matters, and that’s what I want. That said, given the small sample size of audiences who have seen our film, we haven’t yet had such surprising or challenging viewpoints of note.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
It’s an opportunity for more people to seek out our film. I’ve seen it a thousand times at this point. It’s time for others to see it as well. Hopefully lots of others. Lots and lots of others.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Do you know Obama? Any way you could get him to back our film? That’d be neat. Ha, um… Well, we have a domestic distributor in place, which will be announced very soon, along with all the details of when and where it’ll be released. But aside from that, please feel free to tell a producer, a journalist, a festival director, or your cousin Ed about Brampton’s Own, and ask them to talk about the movie on social media, or traditional word of mouth. We’d appreciate it!
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
One that resonates with audiences. Social media is a pretty powerful tool. If it connects with people, they’ll reach out and I’ll hear about it, which is one of the neat things about being a filmmaker. That immediate audience response. Of course I want the movie to do well financially, but for a movie like ours that I think has something to say, I hold a lot of value in hearing from audiences after they’ve seen it, either directly via social media, or in a more conversational setting.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
What are you willing to risk to chase a dream?
Would you like to add anything else?
Yep. I couldn’t ask for better producing partners, cast or crew. I got lucky – really lucky – to be surrounded by such nice and talented people, both in front of the camera and behind it. The making of the movie in May of 2017 will always hold a special place in my heart, regardless if no one ever sees the movie. But…please people, see the movie.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I’m in various stages of development on a few different projects at the moment, none of which I can discuss just yet. But you can find Alex Russell on S.W.A.T. on CBS. Rose McIver on iZombie on the CW. Jean Smart is everywhere, just turn on your TV.
Interview: August 2018
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. 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
Brampton’s Own
A struggling minor league baseball player retires and woefully returns to his small hometown, carefully dodging old wounds until confronted with the one that hurts the most – the girl that got away.
Length: 90 minutes
About the writer, director and producer:
MICHAEL DONEGAR is a writer, director, producer and (sometimes) actor based in LA. He claims he’s never missed an episode of PTI.
Key cast: Alex Russell, Rose McIver, Jean Smart, Scott Porter, Kevin Linehan, Spencer Grammer, Carter Hastings
Social media handles: @michaeldoneger @alexrussell @imrosemciver @skittishkid @spencergrammer @markdicristofaro
Instagram: @bramptonmovie
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?
Woods Hole Film Festival August 4th