New Film Short: "Rules" Premiere!

I'm very excited to announce that "Rules," a short film from my wonderfully talented friend Brendan Steere will be premiering on June 11th at Indieworks in Manhattan, NYC! If you aren't busy (and if you are, you should really just cancel your plans because this will be undoubtedly more fun) please come out to support a great short that explores socially accepted norms in a culture deeply attuned to what is taboo (If that doesn't spark your interest, then I have no hopes for you!). 

 

The doors open at 6:30 pm, and the location is 163 Allen St, NY. And did I mention that it's free? So why not come out and enjoy a night of great films and drink specials while supporting your local artist friends and their most recent endeavors. I hope to see you there!

Poster for "Rules", a short film by Brendan Steere, Starring Jesse Turits & Shannon Spangler
© Photo by Alyssa Meadows

The 24 Hour Film Race!

As is typical of artists/creative people, we always look for new ways to push ourselves to the limits, to inspire our creativity, and to challenge ourselves in new and exciting ways, and this weekend was no exception! From 10pm Friday night to 10pm on Saturday, Hollow Tree Films competed in the 24 Film Race, and I was elated to work on it with them! 

The Film Race is certainly a refreshing way to spice things up; we take the entire film process, from conception and script-writing to filming and editing (a process that normally takes weeks to months, depending on the size of the project) and make the whole thing happen in under 24 hours! A tad bit stressful, with many cups of coffee and a lot of exhausted bodies after, I think we made a pretty spectacular short, and I can't wait to see how it fares in the competition.

Regardless of if the film wins anything from the Film Race, it was more fun than I've had in a while, and the best all-nighter I've pulled in quite some time with some of the most fabulous people I know! 30 sleepless hours later, these are some of the Behind The Scenes shots I took over the course of the project. More to come soon!

Headshots: Neil Brown

Over the last few months, I've had the chance to meet some fabulous actors and actresses in NYC, this handsome fella included! After seeing him in a few theatrical productions, I was quite impressed with his abilities, and couldn't wait to do his headshots!

We couldn't have asked for better weather on the day of our shoot (well, okay, maybe we could have). It was a perfect cloudy sky, and with the exception of having to dodge a few short bursts of rain showers, I think we made the most of a beautiful May day. Can't wait to see some more fabulous work from this guy!

"They Hunger" Behind The Scenes

This weekend, I had the pleasure of photographing on set to develop a proof of concept project called "They Hunger," which I hope comes to fruition because the script is absolutely fantastic! Both Brandon Taylor and Brendan Steere, two fabulous filmmakers and close friends of mine, are heading the project, and I can't wait to see what they can do. I'll be posting more on the project as things progress, but keep your fingers crossed for more good news on this front!

I don't think there's anything quite like working on a film. I love it more than words can describe, and I deeply cherish getting to work with such talented and spectacular people. I wouldn't trade it for the world, and I can't wait for the next project to start. They are some of my best friends, and working with them never feels like a job, but rather a wonderful way of life. I can only imagine where the world will take us.

Headshots: Michelle Jones

A few weeks ago, I had the wonderful pleasure of taking my good friend and talented actress Michelle Jones' head shots, and I have to say, I love how they turned out! It doesn't hurt that I had a very photogenic friend to work with, but hopefully these will help her in her pursuit of stardom! Can't wait to see her next performance, and to finish up the rest of her photos!

Focus Philadelphia 2014!

I'm so excited to announce that one of my photos was selected as one of the top 100 submitted to the annual Focus Philadelphia competition via ASMP! I can't wait to see the finished book that the photo will be printed in, and I feel so honored to be included in such a highly esteemed group of photographers. 

Strength © 2013. Model: Gabryal Rabinowitz

I've always loved how this photograph turned out, and I could not have asked for a better model in Gabryal Rabinowitz; is he for real with those muscles?! Looking at the images from that shoot, I can see just how far I've come and how much I have improved my work in the last few years. I hope I can get to do more of these soon!

"Animosity" Lands Distribution Deal!

I am proud to announce that my brilliant friend Brendan Steere's film (which I was also the set photographer for) has set up distribution! You can see the official write-up here!

Production Still of Character "Carrie" in Animosity. © 2012

This project was so much fun to be a part of, and I'm so proud of all the attention and success it has garnered. Not only did it win Best Horror Feature at the Buffalo Dreams Fantastic Film Festival, but its starring actress and my wonderful friend Tracy Willet also won Best Actress! I couldn't have hoped for more with such talented and creative people, and I am so happy for their accomplishments. We also filmed a majority of the exterior scenes at my home (finally, living in the middle of the forest comes in handy!), so it will always hold a special place in my heart.

I loved working with every single member of the cast and crew; I hope I get to do it again soon!

Production Still of Character "Lauren" in Animosity. © 2012

"Here With Me"

For the last few days, I've been finally getting to work on a dear friend's film project, "Here With Me," a dramatic short exploring the consequences of change and the struggle for survival. Working with Hollow Tree Films has been both personally and professionally satisfying; making movies with this group becomes so much more than just creating a film. Over the years of working together, a deep sense of family has developed, and I would never trade that for the world. I hope we continue to make wonderful work together and share stories that are worth telling for years to come.

Cassandra Dailey & Brandon Taylor, Here With Me, 2014

Cassandra Dailey & Brandon Taylor, Here With Me, 2014

More photos to come of this project soon!