 We’re very excited to announce that Rooks will premiere online in ONE WEEK, not only on Amazon Instant Video, but also on our own, newly launched streaming platform, Aigu. You can read more about Aigu.
To celebrate the launch of Aigu today, we’ve put our film Crossing on sale on the platform, for $7.99! Give it a watch, and be sure to watch Rooks when it becomes available next Friday on Aigu and Amazon Instant Video. And to those attending the premiere tomorrow night, we look forward to seeing you!  The artwork for the soundtrack Two years ago, Nicholas Pitcher completed his score for Crossing. By the time that work was finished, he and director Robert Maynard were already working on their earliest ideas for the musical soundscape of Rooks. It was great to start that process early for a number of reasons, perhaps chief among them that the score for Rooks wasn’t completed until December 4, less than two weeks prior to Premiere Night! Nick and Rob have always enjoyed working with each other, and their process for Crossing was largely mirrored this time around. They began by examining the work of a number of composers and settling on a few key sounds they liked, and then expanded on some simple ideas to create the skeleton of the score. For the music of Rooks, they examined the work of American composer Chris Tilton and Swedish composer Ludwig Göransson. Nick was also presented with more freedom on this score for a great many scenes where Rob didn’t have any particular musical direction in mind. It makes the score for Rooks feel both familiar and wholly original. There is a vaguely science fiction feel to the score, with some moments that even dip into superhero territory, but at the core of Rooks are its characters and their relationships, and the score reflects that. It also features a significant number of digitally created sounds, an intentional choice that Rob and Nick made early on. There will be two versions of the score for Rooks released, a standard edition and an extended edition featuring an additional 8 tracks. As per usual with Nick’s work, all of the titles of score tracks feature a reference to something key to the film. In this score, each title is related to the game of chess: Standard Edition - Available for $15
Extended Edition - Available for $20
Once recorded by the six musicians (Dylan Feldpausch on violin, Jillian Meszar on cello and bass, Emily Telling on piano, Max Leader on trumpet, Evan Brock on low brass, and Noah Mercil on percussion), postproduction engineer Amanda Roswick got to work on mixing and mastering each track, a painstaking process which resulted in an extremely impressive score. She also mixed in her own voice to a number of tracks! We can’t wait to share more of it! The score for Rooks will be released online on December 23, the same day of the film’s digital release, but you can listen to the first track “White Moves First” right now! Hear the score in Rooks, premiering at The Strand in Dover, NH, on December 17. On Amazon Instant Video December 23.
 See Rooks at The Strand in Dover, NH, on December 17. Available on Amazon Instant Video December 23.
Want a printed copy of this poster? You can pre-order and pick up at Premiere Night! Every week, we're featuring interviews with the cast and crew of Rooks. This final week's spotlight is on lead actor Justin Gatcomb.  Justin Gatcomb portrays Will Augustine Justin always enjoyed acting in school, but even before that, he simply enjoyed getting to perform when he had the opportunity, always trying to tell (way too elaborate) stories playing with his action figures. This passion turned to a legitimate career goal during high school… Justin realized that if he took things seriously, and took the right chances, he could realize his lofty goals. Justin didn’t stop at training as an actor, though… “I definitely have a wishlist of characters that has been growing since I was a kid that I would jump at the chance to play. I’ve always wanted to be Robin, or an X-Man, or a Power Ranger… ultimately, I realized that martial arts could maybe help land me those kinds of parts.” He’s obsessed with martial arts. He says he has an odd relationship with traditional arts and combat sports, and has been trying to both bridge the gap and explore them separate from each other. “I’m as inclined to watch Van Damme as I am the next UFC card, I just think it’s all too interesting.” In Rooks, Justin portrays Will Augustine, the film’s protagonist. He met writer/director Robert Maynard at the wrap party for Crossing, and knew Robert wanted to make a feature length film, which he says intrigued him. When Robert pitched the premise of Rooks, Justin said it reminded him of many things he enjoys, but with a fresh take. Will is a tough character to play. He’s in almost every scene, and (without getting too far into spoiler territory) he perceives time differently than most of the other characters, so Justin faced the challenge of examining every action and line of dialogue and determining how Will would experience it. “For me, it was about figuring out the best way to remember my lines and which delivery felt honest.” Justin says his favorite location from filming was the bed that belongs to his character. “I had to film in [that bed] a few times, and it was one of the most comfortable I have been in. I just spent as much time under those covers as possible, that’s where you would find me while we were setting up for the next scene.” Independent sources have confirmed that Justin fell asleep on set constantly, even when that bed wasn’t readily available. But when Justin wasn’t sleeping on set, he loved spending time with his co-stars and crew members. He says that not seeing them almost every week is the hardest part about being wrapped. “There was just the right balance of enthusiasm and sarcasm. There were a ton of alternate takes to scenes, many many bloopers. There was also a lot of down time during the winter shoots where a circle of us in the cabin on location would just warm up by the furnace and talk while everyone else was filming. Tons of bonding opportunities in the little moments.” Justin’s very excited to see the stunt work in the film. In addition to acting, he had a hand in the fight choreography. He says there are also a handful of shots that he knows Robert put a lot of effort into, that he will avoid seeing until the movie releases in December. We asked Justin for his favorite movie and actor or director (notice that all those words are singular), and here’s what he had to say: “I’ll watch anything that has Ryan Gosling in it, but I’d also say that about Arnold Schwarzenegger. Directors? If I had to pin it down, be totally objective, it might be Edgar Wright, but I’ve seen everything by John Hughes, Sam Raimi, Quentin Tarantino, James Cameron, Tim Burton, and Christopher Nolan. Movies? I have a handful: Serendipity, Say Anything, Bloodsport, The Crow, T2, Endless Love, Batman ‘89, Drive, Akira, Lost Boys, and The Perks of Being a Wallflower.” He adds that he could probably tell you almost every line in order from the first two Spider-Man movies, and wrapped up with “Been a big nerd my whole life, I doubt I’ll ever change.” A big nerd, indeed. Luckily, most of our cast and crew are nerds, too. Outside of working on the film, Justin spends as much time as he can with his puppy Hammond, and has also been filming for another project, called A Sense of Balance, directed by Thomas Connors, described as a 60s Bond film meshed with a John Wick movie. Drama and action, and the right amount of cheese. "I was hardly expecting the opportunity of getting to play Will in Rooks, but it immediately led to more chances to act and do my own stunts… I’m honored to help bring A Sense of Balance to life." See Justin as Will Augustine in Rooks, premiering at The Strand in Dover, NH, on December 17. On Amazon Instant Video December 23. Want a printed copy of this poster? You can pre-order and pick up at Premiere Night!
Every week, we're featuring interviews with the cast and crew of Rooks. This week's spotlight is on composer Nicholas Pitcher.  Nicholas Pitcher, the composer for Rooks Nick is another returning crew member, having worked with director Robert Maynard on the score for Crossing two years ago. About working with Robert, Nick says, “I enjoy the energy and passion he brings and the people he surrounds himself with!” The role of the composer is perhaps a rather isolated one, but Nick did have the opportunity to work closely with Robert even from the very beginning of production, building the score before many scenes were even filmed. Nick and postproduction engineer Amanda Roswick had a chance to come to set for one day as well, to help direct the musical elements of a character’s performance, and they both enjoyed the visit. “I enjoyed working on the scene and assisting where I could, and watching the actors work was exhilarating!” Nick, like so many of the crew, adores the scene set on the frozen lake… in fact, Nick wrote the music that plays for that scene very early in production, and it’s perhaps one of the most emotional pieces he’s ever written. Nick faced a new challenge for this score. He had to build a small orchestra to play the various parts. In total, he welcomed seven newcomers into the fold, and we’re excited to share more about them and their process in a future article. In the meantime, Nick continues his career in music as a bassoonist with the Air National Guard Band of the Northeast, and he’s a private lesson teacher in all instruments, mainly bassoon, piano, and trumpet. Nick’s favorite films are the Harry Potter series (he writes, “For those wondering, my favorites in order are 1, 7p2, 3, 6, 5, 2, 7p1, 4.”) and his favorite artist is Taylor Swift. See (or rather, hear) Nick’s work in Rooks, premiering at The Strand in Dover, NH, on December 17. On Amazon Instant Video December 23.
Every week, we're featuring interviews with the cast and crew of Rooks. This week's spotlight is on actor Eleanor Langthorne.  Eleanor Langthorne portrays Nissa Eleanor’s journey on with Rooks began before the final cut of Crossing was even locked. “I had an amazing experience [on Crossing]! [Robert] really knows how to tell a great story. As soon as he told me he had an idea brewing for another project, I knew I needed to be involved.” Interestingly, neither she nor director Robert Maynard ever considered her for the role of Nissa. Eleanor had originally intended to play Edi, the role that was eventually portrayed by Michela Lamparelli. However, when Michela read for Edi, Robert reconsidered things, rewrote Nissa to be a better fit for Eleanor, and cast the actresses in their respective roles. Things have a way of working out… And work out they did. Eleanor is brilliant as Nissa. On developing her character, she says, “For me it really started with analyzing the script. What are Nissa's relationships with the other characters? How does she view them, and how do they view her? What drives her? What is she afraid of? What is her deepest desire? Things like that. It's interesting playing a character with powers too. It's fun to imagine how that would influence your perspective on things.” In case it’s not clear, Eleanor really takes her craft seriously. She’s an actress through and through. “For me, it's the love of the art. I have always just loved acting so much. It's so rewarding to use your imagination and really explore a role.” But it didn’t stop with acting for Eleanor on this film. Her character Nissa is something of a leader to a group of characters in the film. Life imitates art in this case, because Eleanor also produced the film alongside Robert. Building relationships with the cast and crew was a huge part of what made production of Rooks so much fun to her. She particularly enjoyed filming at the cabin in Sutton: “We shot so much of the film there and it was always so much fun just hanging out with everyone while we weren't filming. It felt like home!” Filmmaking brings a lot of challenges, and Eleanor and the crew faced up to them at every turn. Seeing the fruits of that labor will be a momentous occasion for her at Premiere Night: “I'm just so excited to see all of the shots that we worked really hard to get. There are a few that took a lot of crew members to set up, or we only had a limited number of takes to get right so the pressure was really on. We should release a version of the movie with commentary so the audience can be in on everything that was going on behind the scenes!” Fun as it may be, we’ll leave the DVD commentary for a later time! Eleanor's favorite film is Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, and her favorite actor is Meryl Streep. When she’s not acting, you’ll find Eleanor training dogs or making music with her band, Vices Inc.! In fact, you'll actually hear two Vices Inc. songs in Rooks! Eleanor worked on a short film that should be releasing soon, entitled Viola, and by pure coincidence, Kaleal Cerafici is also a part of that project. You can see all of Eleanor's work featured on her website. See Eleanor as Nissa in Rooks, premiering at The Strand in Dover, NH, on December 17. On Amazon Instant Video December 23. Want a printed copy of this poster? You can pre-order and pick up at Premiere Night!
Every week, we're featuring interviews with the cast and crew of Rooks. This week's spotlight is on cinematographer Sarah Elizabeth Bailey.  Sarah Elizabeth Bailey, the cinematographer for Rooks Sarah had long dismissed her passion for filmmaking. Choosing to obtain her degree in recreation management and then pursuing a career in that field left little time for making movies on the side. “Cinematography had been a dream I let go of in 2015.” When director Robert Maynard was building his team, he recalled a brief friendship with Sarah during a class they shared 6 years prior. He reached out to her and asked if she might be willing to be part of the crew. He was fortunate she said yes. And for Sarah, it was an opportunity to explore that dormant interest in filmmaking. According to Sarah, shooting the film was “a very cool experience. I got to see everything for the first time, and being a part of it all was so rewarding!” Sarah, like so many of the cast and crew, loved filming at the cabin in Sutton, though for her it carries a deeper meaning. Her family owns the property, and it’s thanks to her that production was able to film there. To her, “it was some of the things I love most colliding. I’ve always had a passion for filming and editing, and being able to do that on a real film in the place I grew up was awesome.” Sarah spent months learning and preparing to shoot Rooks before production even began. She and Robert built out a collection of rigs, tripods, stabilizing arms, and some other equipment to really up the ante on the quality of recordings for Rooks, leveraging FilmicPro and the incredible 4K HDR cameras of the iPhone 13 series for almost every shot of the film. “I’m excited to see the final sequence all come together,” Sarah added. It’s something production spent two very long nights working on… the first from about 4:00 PM until midnight, and the second a week later, from 6:00 PM until about 4:00 AM. Sarah has seen pieces of this sequence, and we can confirm it is coming together quite nicely! Sarah’s favorite movie is Saving Private Ryan, and when we asked if she has any projects she wanted to plug, she simply said: “Rooks, word on the street is it’s going to be lit.” See Sarah’s work in Rooks, premiering at The Strand in Dover, NH, on December 17. On Amazon Instant Video December 23.
Every week, we're featuring interviews with the cast and crew of Rooks. This week's spotlight is on actors Devon Stanley and John Prud’homme. When not making movies, Devon is an English teacher, so he’s always been passionate about storytelling. Says Devon, “Film, specifically, has always been one of my favorite mediums to tell stories in. Getting to create some of these stories, rather that just consume them, was an offer that I couldn't pass up.” In fairness, Devon’s role was one well suited to him for a number of reasons, including that he had teaching experience: “My character was the dad of the group, so getting into character was easy. All I had to do was channel my teaching persona.” Devon and director Robert Maynard have been friends for years, and have often consulted with each other about various writing projects. This was Devon’s first opportunity to work with Robert on a film for more than a day or two, which was exciting to both of them. John, as avid Accented Films fans will know, has also shared a close relationship with Robert, having acted in the lead role of Tom in 2020’s Crossing. He shared, “I knew acting in Rooks would be an enjoyable experience. Honestly, I felt like I could be myself in a way because [my character] Michael and I have a similar sense of humor and way of interacting with others.” Both actors agreed that the set, though busy, was fun to be on, and thankfully so, because they were both there almost every shoot day! Devon recalled, “The cast and crew were great! I was already friends with a few of them and I made a lot of new friends along the way. We bonded through the stress of filming and I think that those bonds will last a very long time.” Without revealing too much, they discussed their favorite moments from production. John says he enjoyed the moments where his character Michael uses his ability, “… because they involved a lot of special effects creativity.” John and special effects supervisor Ramon Antonio developed a friendship simply because of how often their paths crossed during production. Devon said his favorite moments from production were the action sequences. “I liked throwing [redacted], being thrown by [redacted], and punching open a [redacted].” Powerful stuff. When not on set or at work, Devon is a gamer and enjoys working out, while John enjoys running and spending quality time with friends. He also occasionally brews beer, and his personal brand "Homme Brewing" appears briefly in Rooks. Devon identifies Christopher Nolan as his favorite director, adding “I'm sure that his penchant for postmodern, non-linear storytelling greatly affected the script of our film.” Asked about his favorite film, he answered, “What a mean question… there are too many good ones. Maybe Inception? Scott Pilgrim vs. The World? Eighth Grade? I'm going to need a higher word cap to fully answer this question.” John meanwhile says he has no favorite movie, “… but I do love the original Star Wars movies. Exciting story, remarkable cast, exceptional score.” He also says he has no favorite actor, “but I like Tom Hanks.” See Devon as Alex and John as Michael in Rooks, premiering at The Strand in Dover, NH, on December 17. On Amazon Instant Video December 23. Want a printed copy of one of these posters? You can pre-order and pick up at Premiere Night!
Every week, we're featuring interviews with the cast and crew of Rooks. This week's spotlight is on Costume Designer Elizabeth Feinschreiber and Special Effects Supervisor Ramon Antonio. Ramon met director Robert Maynard by total coincidence one night while shopping at Staples in Londonderry. Robert worked there at the time, and he and Ramon started chatting about their shared interest in films and filmmaking. About 45 minutes passed, and the conversation had only gotten livelier. They exchanged numbers and connected during pre-production, when Ramon stepped up to be the film’s special effects supervisor. It was his job to make impossible things… possible. And in a science fiction film, this was undoubtedly a challenge. Liz's onboarding experience was rather different. Replacing another crew member, she hit the ground running and barely had time to meet with Robert before getting to work on the costume design of the film. Liz loved production, though… a friend of stars Justin Gatcomb and Eleanor Langthorne prior to the film, she slipped right into the crew seamlessly. Liz and Ramon both play characters in the film as well. Ramon discussed his process to bring his character Dennis Albright to life: “I’ve always kind of liked the idea of being able to step into the life of a completely different person and pretend to be them so well that other people believe it. I feel like it really gets me closer to realizing who I am, as well. I decided that, as Dennis, I would try to be an older and softer version of myself.” Ramon’s favorite experiences from set are the ones he designed with special effects, though. There’s a sequence early in the film where a character punches a keypad, “and the whole thing got destroyed, and we got the whole thing in one shot. It was great!” As always, we asked their favorite movies. Ramon said, “Depends the mood I’m in, but I must have seen Monty Python and the Holy Grail maybe 30 times?” Liz's favorite is Tick, Tick… Boom! And their favorite filmmakers? Ramon said, “Leonardo DiCaprio has consistently impressed me,” while Liz offered: “Andrew Garfield and Sadie Sink are two of my favorite actors currently. Their vulnerability, honesty, and truthfulness to the actions and desires of their characters is a constant inspiration.” Though neither has any upcoming film projects to share, we thought we’d plug their other endeavors. Ramon runs and owns Ion Electrical, LLC, an electrical company, with his brother-in-law, and you can follow Liz’s acting career at her website! See Liz’s and Ramon’s work in Rooks, premiering at The Strand in Dover, NH, on December 17. On Amazon Instant Video December 23.
Every week, we're featuring interviews with the cast and crew of Rooks. This week's spotlight is on actresses Jamie Ammon and Michela Lamparelli. About two years ago, Jamie was having dinner with her friend John Prud’homme, who played the lead role of Tom in Crossing. John mentioned that the team from Crossing was gearing up for pre-production on a new film, and asked Jamie, an experienced stage actor, if she might be interested in joining the cast. A few months later, Jamie met with director Robert Maynard, and explained that she’d never acted on film before. Robert was unfazed, having already determined a great role for Jamie to play in Nichole. Cut to a year and a half later, and here we are! For Michela, things worked out a bit differently. The first crew meeting and table read was held at the apartment she shares with actor Devon Stanley. The actress then intended to play Edi wasn’t able to make it to the table read, so Michela was called upon to read for that role just for the day. She ended up really enjoying the story and auditioned for Edi less than a week later. Both actresses had their work cut out for them in developing their characters. Says Jamie, “Nichole was never much of a reach for me - dry, sarcastic, blunt… It closely aligned to my IRL personality whenever I am around Robert (we kid because we love). To me, what mattered most was not who she was or what she said - that was all laid out in advance. What I needed to build was her relationship with other characters. Spending time with the other actors and seeing their takes on their own characters was how I filled Nichole out as a character.” Michela took a more straightforward approach to Edi: “I tried to made her into a more traumatized, more maladjusted version of myself. Everyone on set was so much fun, it was hard to stay focused on actually making the movie, and hard to keep Edi’s demeanor up in scenes with them!” The character Nichole keeps many people at arm’s length, and Edi is often quiet, shy, and reserved. The two characters feature together quite often and play off each other well. They’re perhaps the two characters least interested in everything going on in the film, they’re just along for the ride. That was a fascinating aspect of developing them for Jamie and Michela. They echo so many of their co-stars in their discussions about the levity of being on set. As Jamie recalls, “We had to face all sorts of challenges (freezing weather, long hours, last-minute rescheduling, late nights, and more) to get the shots we needed. When everything else goes wrong, it's important that the people are right. I was so glad I got to know this group and become such good friends with so many, and I felt doubly lucky knowing how much tougher those long days of filming would be without such a stellar cast and crew.” Asked about their favorite moments from set, Michela said she’s most looking forward to seeing the scene shot on the frozen lake, and seeing Chef, an adorable duck-shaped decoration that appears about a minute into the film. Jamie said her favorite moment was “wrapping on a particularly charged scene, but... spoilers! So second place goes to when Justin Gatcomb (who plays the protagonist Will) and I decided it would be a good idea to taste test the fake blood. It was awful.” We pressed her about her actual favorite moment, and she had this to say: “Spoilers! C'mon! Really though, I’m excited to see if the connection I had with one particular character looks as real onscreen as it felt to film. Those two characters deserve to have their story told, and I hope we did it justice.” As always, we asked their favorite films: Jamie’s is The Princess Bride and Michela’s is The Batman. See Jamie as Nichole and Michela as Edi in Rooks, premiering at The Strand in Dover, NH, on December 17. On Amazon Instant Video December 23. Want a printed copy of one of these posters? You can pre-order and pick up at Premiere Night!
Every week, we're featuring interviews with the cast and crew of Rooks. This week's spotlight is on Third Assistant Director and Location Manager Rachelle McKeown, and Stunt Coordinator Mike O’Brien. An avid reader and writer, Rachelle knew she wanted to be involved with Rooks in some way after she read the script. She’s not into superhero content, but “there was more of a fantasy element to this story that I liked.” Rachelle stepped into two roles on the crew. As location manager, she identified and secured permission to film at most of the locations you see in the film. As third assistant director, she coordinated the extras you see on camera. Both were new territory for her, but she says she particularly enjoyed hunting down locations. “Poor Boys Diner was my favorite find because the family who owns the business was so nice and willing to work with us!” Rachelle cameos in the film, and she actually needed to rehearse a stunt as part of her performance. Not that she minded… she loves working out and cooking healthy when she’s not at work or on set! And who better to assist with prepping for a stunt than Mike? When asked if he wanted to help out with the film by both director Robert Maynard and lead Justin Gatcomb, it seemed too exciting to Mike to pass up the opportunity. It just so happened the role they needed him in was one Mike is incredible well suited for! Mike coordinated the stunts of the film, alongside Justin, and had his work cut out for him with a cast of actors and performers ranging from expert fighter to completely inexperienced. For example, Justin, Mike himself, and Kaleal Cerafici all have experiencing with boxing, jiu jitsu, and other martial art forms. Devon Stanley has training in gymnastics. Almost everyone else was green to stunt work. Mike wasn’t fazed by the challenge, though: “Honestly, it was an absolute blast!” Mike points to one particular stunt performed by Ramon Antonio as among his favorites: “He learned it just moments before filming and just performed it without hesitation! I have to say, too, filming on the mats at Nostos MMA, my home gym, was a really cool moment!” However, he’s most excited to see the film’s biggest stunt sequence at Premiere Night. “That was a joint labor of love for the whole stunt team, and I can’t wait to see how it came out!” Rachelle, meanwhile, is excited to see everything get pieced together. And that takes on a slightly different meaning for her, as her biggest challenge as location manager was ensuring filming locations felt like they belonged to our fictional city of Passant, organically connected but distinct. She and director Robert Maynard designed Passant to have four districts, and used four extremely different New Hampshire cities for the shoot. Portsmouth stood in for Passant's quieter residential neighborhood, featuring some parks and a beautiful view of the river than runs alongside the city. Manchester acts as the city's run-down, poorer neighborhood Varia Bay. Durham was used to film the city's financial district with sleek, modern buildings. Finally, private land in Sutton was used for a more heavily wooded residential area, making scenes set there feel isolated but still connected to the rest of Passant. Favorite movies: Mike’s is Unforgiven and Rachelle’s is Forrest Gump. When asked about their favorite filmmakers, both offered up individuals known for their equal abilities as actors and directors. Says Mike, “Clint Eastwood certainly kills it in both roles as actor and director.” Rachelle’s answer echoed that: “Jason Bateman wears both hats and has an amazing range as an actor.” Rachelle published a book two years ago: Broken Hearts, Open Minds. It’s available on Amazon now! You can find Mike often at Nostos MMA, 38 Market St, Somersworth, NH, and he asks you to consider this interview your open invitation to stop by and train with him! See Rachelle's and Mike’s work in Rooks, premiering at The Strand in Dover, NH, on December 17. On Amazon Instant Video December 23
Every week, we're featuring interviews with the cast and crew of Rooks. This week's spotlight is on actors Kaleal Cerafici and Kirsten Bornkessel. Kaleal and Kirsten are both newcomers to the Accented Films gang, not that it took them long to settle in. They were both welcome additions to the cast and showcased their incredible talent every day on set. Kirsten, a full-time student at UNH, professional singer, and member of the Air National Guard, responded to a casting call last summer for the role of Annie, and after meeting with Director Robert Maynard, she decided Rooks would be a fun opportunity. Kaleal, meanwhile, was recommended to the production after another actor had to step away from the role. Kaleal is a podcaster, boxing trainer, and amateur kickboxer who was drawn to the character of Percy by, in his words, “the allure of those sweet fight scenes and chance to play a more dramatic and dark character, who’s got some goofiness to him! The character is a bit of a loner found friend, so I basically used the high school experience to motivate my feelings. Everyone knows the feeling of being alone, and being scared of being alone again. So it was a big driver for Percy’s motivations.” Kirsten plays opposite Kaleal in many a scene: “I tried to not only bring a little bit of myself into the character, but also think about the power she brings to the table and how I could represent that on film.” One thing they agreed on: working with the cast and crew was a blast. “Everyone was such a fun and friendly artist, whether they’d call themselves that or not. There’s a lot of love because this isn’t a studio production. Everyone is there because they want to be. Everyone is just welcoming and fun.” Turning to some specifics, we asked them to discuss their favorite moments from set. In terms of locations, it was a no-brainer for both of them… a scene set on top of a frozen lake. Says Kirsten, “Even thought my toes were numb, I definitely loved filming out on the lake. I feel like I got most into character in that moment, and it was just a super cool shoot!” Kaleal added, “It was absolutely frigid, but I think it was a beautiful scene you won’t find almost anywhere else.” While Kirsten’s particularly excited to see the fight scenes of the film on screen, Kaleal zeroed in on a specific part of his performance that he’s most excited to see: “I really enjoyed the moment where I had to imitate Jamie’s character, who is a woman, and had to use her mannerisms. That was a fun one for me.” As always, we closed by discussing favorite movies and filmmakers. Kirsten’s favorites are I Am Legend and Andrew Garfield. Kaleal’s are Everything, Everywhere, All At Once and The Karate Kid, and he counts Quentin Tarantino and Jackie Chan not only as his favorite filmmakers, but also as sources of inspiration: “Tarantino is a true artist… he wants to express the story in the clearest vision he has. I try to let that freedom come through in all my work. And Jackie Chan… his comedy and fights made me think he was a superhero, and I wanted to be like that. Funny, cool, and a complete legend.” In addition to Rooks, you can catch Kaleal in two projects from FQ Studios: Agent Stone (which was nominated for 4 awards and won 3, and in which Kaleal played a big part in the choreography of the fights), as well as the currently filming Map Heist with Forest Quaglia. Kirsten has been cast in two projects by Brooke Grondin, the TV series The City of Children and the film The Culled. All of her projects are listed on her website. See Kaleal as Percy and Kirsten as Annie in Rooks, premiering at The Strand in Dover, NH, on December 17. On Amazon Instant Video December 23. Want a printed copy of one of these posters? You can pre-order and pick up at Premiere Night!
Every week, we're featuring interviews with the cast and crew of Rooks. This week's spotlight is on Assistant Camera Bobby Hill and Art Director Stephen Hill... and if those last names seem similar, you might be on to something. For Stephen, the most exciting part about working on this set was the new experience. "I loved supporting my good friends! The set is a mix of busy work, but also meeting new and amazing people!" For Bobby, this was a bit more about career development: "I’ve been wanting to get into filmmaking and this looked like an excellent opportunity to pursue that goal. Not to mention the prospect of being to represent my home state on the big screen. Everyone was very welcoming. Since this was my first time working with them I was a little nervous participating with such a tight friend group. However, over the course of principal photography, I slowly became acquainted with everyone, as they did with me." Stephen is the film's Art Director, meaning he lead a team to develop the look and feel of the film. From designing sets and props to working out the details of costumes, hair, and makeup, Stephen's attention to detail was paramount in ensuring things went smoothly. "Being able to work at UNH and develop an office space was by far my favorite part of this whole thing. The hotel, too. It really felt official to be able to use the space for part of the movie. But really, what’s amazing is coming out of the shoot with new friends, being able to meet so many new people and to have this much fun surprised me for sure!" Bobby, meanwhile, was the film's Assistant Camera, meaning he worked with DP Sarah Elizabeth Bailey to ensure recordings came out smooth, occasionally filling in for her. He loved the cabin in Sutton, like so many of his crewmates, and recalls, "A lot of great moments from the movie were filmed there." Speaking of great moments from the film, they both will be on the lookout for specific things come premiere night. For Stephen, it's the chemistry of the cast. "Seeing the friendships outside of the film develop on screen was amazing, I'm excited to see that on film." Bobby, meanwhile, is excited to see one particular scene with one particular actor: "Watching Ryan Anastasi act for the first time gave me amazing chills. There's a scene with him during our first big shoot at the Garrison Hotel, and watching that was by far my favorite moment from set." We finished, like always, by asking their favorite movies and filmmakers. Bobby offered The Shawshank Redemption and director Edgar Wright. Stephen's favorites are Dune and Godzilla vs. Kong, and he added, "I love Zendaya for sure!" Bobby continues his filmmaking journey with the submission of a script to the New Hampshire Film Festival this year entitled The Bite. Stephen, meanwhile, says he hopes to be back on set with Accented Films next time we gear up for a new production. See Bobby’s and Stephen’s work in Rooks, premiering at The Strand in Dover, NH, on December 17. On Amazon Instant Video December 23.
Beginning this week, we're featuring interviews with the cast and crew of Rooks. This week's spotlight is on a few of the actors: Ryan Anastasi, Adrianna Angeline, and Kaden Kirton. Ryan's the only member of this trio that had acting experience prior to Rooks, but they all brought their A-Game to set. Adrianna talked a bit about why she was interested: "I had never acted before, but knowing my sister (Michela Lamparelli) felt comfortable acting for the first time too made me want to give it a shot. Stereotypical little sister wanting to do whatever their older sibling is doing!" Ryan, meanwhile, onboarded this film a bit differently. A longtime friend of director Robert Maynard, he simply knew he had to be involved from the moment he learned about the project. Ryan approached developing his character Anders Shane as he does with all his characters, by developing a back story to understand the motivation and intent behind their actions. "For Anders, I thought about how he worked diligently to become a successful CEO of his company and thought about challenges he may have faced along the way and how he overcame those obstacles." Adri found her character Valerie to be less of a step outside the box, offering "I was attracted to Valerie’s character because I could see a lot of myself in her, so my process to get into character was to really just be myself." Kaden, meanwhile, practiced his lines daily so he would be prepared on set to portray his character Griffin. Kaden has the distinction of being the youngest cast member in the film. Twelve now, though eleven when he shot his scenes back in April, Kaden found it both challenging and rewarding to be on the set. "When we were at the diner and I got to meet other cast members, I think that was my favorite moment from set. Everyone was really friendly. Getting to see the cabin was a lot of fun, too!" He's referencing the cabin in Sutton where a number of shoot days took place. Although Kaden never filmed any scenes there, he came to visit set and learn a bit about the process. Ryan also got to see the cabin, and counts it among his favorite locations for filming. His favorite moment, though, was something he shot on his second day: "We were shooting a scene at a hotel, and I got to use a one-time-use prop that was really fun and looked great live and on camera." Adri didn't shoot any scenes at the cabin or the hotel, but she was a huge help in securing one filming location: her workplace (because who doesn't want to go in to work on their days off, right?). Adri helped in getting the production access to film in Paul College on UNH Campus for a weekend, which functions in the film as an office building... not a big stretch. "We got to use so many different places within the building, it was my favorite place to film!" Asked about what it was like working with the cast and crew, all three had very positive things to say. Said Adri, "It can be easy to stress out over forgetting lines or not getting the scene just right, but everyone is so lighthearted and the sense of humor on set is second to none. It helped that many people on set were also alumni of UNH, so even if it was my first time meeting them, we already had things in common to talk about." Wrapping things up, we asked each of them their favorite movie. Ryan's is Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Adri's is Taken, and Kaden's is The Conjuring 2... yikes, I'm not even old enough to watch that one yet. We also asked their favorite actor... Ryan said, "Tom Hanks, a great actor and a wonderful role model," while Adri said, "I secretly love Woody Harrelson, we share a birthday!" Kaden said that his favorite actor is Justin Gatcomb, with whom he shares all of his scenes. We agree... Justin is a pretty great actor! See Ryan as Anders Shane, Adri as Valerie, and Kaden as Griffin in Rooks, premiering at The Strand in Dover, NH, on December 17. On Amazon Instant Video December 23. Want a printed copy of one of these posters? You can pre-order and pick up at Premiere Night!
Rooks. Premiere Night December 17. Official trailer Friday September 9 at noon ET.  I can’t see the future. But one of the characters in Rooks can, and SHE told me to tell all of YOU… something’s happening next week. Might be worth a follow…  |
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