A woman is arrested after a romantic dinner; her date investigates why.

Interview with Director/Writer/Editor/Producer Jess Dunn

Watch Gray Ground on Seeka TV

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

After seeing one of my short films on Amazon, actor Anthony Solano approached me to collaborate. He saw a gap in the industry and wanted to star in a series from a woman’s gaze. I wanted to portray men as allies, supporting real women on screen. Less than a week later I pitched Anthony my logline and series arc. He loved it.

Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?

If you like mystery or crime dramas with a twist, this series is for you. If you want your mind to be flipped from typical concepts, this series is for you. If you've ever taken a leap of faith on love, this series is for you. This series is not for you if you have zero interest in change.

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

Both Anthony and I have pieces of our personal experiences scattered throughout the story -- for example, we are both in interracial relationships. Universally, I know we both are affected by the current political climate, which is not absent in our show. I believe the themes threaded in the series resonate differently with different people. I recall one of the young actresses' mothers, Julie Lemon, came up to me after seeing the trailer, and was like, "Oh my gosh. I've never seen anything like it. I've never seen people that look like our family on screen. Thank you.”

How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?

We shot eight episodes in 11 days over the course of seven months. This took a special level of commitment from our cast and crew. Although we stuck to the script, every person brought something new to set each time. When actor/retired detective Vincent Bellizzi signed on, he doubled as a consultant for the validity of the crime story. Camera assistant Dan Rodriguez took the best behind the scenes stills I've ever seen. Our Co-Executive Producer, Joseph Latessa joined the project in post-production, bringing with him a new level of resources.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

Feedback from both the in-person premiere and online release have been overwhelmingly supportive, especially in relation to our visuals. We've gotten a lot of comments on the music choice and my editing style -- which is cool. I didn't think it would be something the average viewer outside the industry would notice.

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

Some people were confused by the story, which Anthony and I were happy with. We didn't want to create a narrative with heavy exposition that spelled out the conclusions but instead forced the viewers to pay attention and think. I'm perfectly OK if our audience is smaller because they are smarter.

Actors Anthony T Solano (LEFT) and Alba Ponce De León rehearsing lines with Director Jess Dunn (RIGHT).

What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?

By embedding our series playlist in the article, we hope to gain more views on our show.

Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?

In the web series world, views=success. We intend to attract more journalists, like We Are Moving Stories, to review and embed our series in their articles. Once we have the numbers, the series sells itself.

What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?

I'm not attached to the outcome. If seeing me direct a series and Anthony star in a series happens to inspire women and POC to take action on their stories, that would be amazing.

Director Jess Dunn (RIGHT) with Camera Operator Matt Brown on set shooting Actor Anthony T Solano (LEFT).

What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?

"How far can he walk in her shoes?"

What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?

Actor/EP Anthony Solano is set to co-star in a broadcast series this year. Producer Nathan Crooker is in pre-production on a feature film. DoP Luke Taylor just wrapped Escape at Dannemora. I just got back from Paris where I was writing my debut feature. I'm currently working on that and developing Season 2 of another web series.

Interview: March 2019

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

Gray Ground

A woman is arrested after a romantic dinner; her date investigates why.

Director: Jess Dunn

Producer: Anthony T Solano

Writer: Jess Dunn

About the writer, director and producer:

JESS DUNN is a filmmaker based in NYC. Hailing from the Cinematographer’s Guild, her visuals are crafted with a very specific camera language; oners with intricate, revealing frames are key components in her stories. After seeing Jess’ film FUNERAL on Amazon, actor Anthony T. Solano approached Jess to create a series. This led to Gray Ground, which Jess wrote, directed, and edited eight episodes. Jess is currently writing her feature debut.

ANTHONY T SOLANO is an actor and producer who has an uncanny ray of joy radiating in his presence. In television, expect to see Anthony in 2019 as a Co-Star in the forthcoming Cinemax TV show, Jett as well as Netflix’s Friends From College. Anthony closed out fall & winter 2018 with a feature on CBS’s Blue Bloods and the legendary, Saturday Night Live. Gray Ground is his first Executive Producer title.

Key cast: Anthony T. Solano, Jennette Nelligan, Elise Rovinsky

Looking for: journalists, buyers

Facebook: Gray Ground

Twitter: @GrayGroundShow

Instagram: @graygroundseries

Hashtags used: #graygroundseries #ggFam #grayforchange

Website: www.graygroundseries.com

Other: YouTube

Made in association with: NYLA Films

Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Season 1 available to stream: Youtube - Subscribe for screening updates: graygroundseries.com