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Intro:
Hi and welcome to episode 367 of the show. This week, we have returning guest Brent Lambert Zaffino and new guest Adrian Drepaul talking about their feature film Lost Cause. They talk about the very unique way they came together to make the film, the development of the script over seven years, their Seed and Spark campaign to get funds for postproduction and much more. Oh, and donkeys. Hope you enjoy the interview and I'll see you in the intermission.
Chuck:
All right, Brent, Adrian, welcome to the show. Brent, welcome back to the show. We last talked in 2019, which seems basically like another planet. So catch me up real quick on how you've been during everything, considering the end of the world.
Brent:
Yeah, we talked in person last time.
Chuck:
Yeah. Remember that talking in person with people was weird.
Brent:
Yeah. We talked in person about an event I was putting on that was in person. Yeah. So when we talked last, it was the first time we did Etowah Film Festival in Canton, Georgia. It was a new festival we were running. And since we've had two more of them, one was completely virtual. Last fall, we were able to sneak one in during a low Covid number time. So we got kind of lucky there. But yeah, in the interim, I've been writing this film because I'm a filmmaker and videographer and things. That's my day job. I've been writing this film and kind of finalized the script during Covid. And we were able to get together some money for a sizzle real to shoot it during the summer of 2020. So we had one of those very big like quarantined everyones in masks tend to shoot. Oh, yeah. We shot this sizzle reel, and then the sizzle reel kind of got me into a conversation with Adrian here, who I guess we'll talk about how that went down in a second. But suddenly that social real turns into, oh, we have enough resources to shoot this movie. And so I hadn't shot a movie with a real budget. And last summer we were able to shoot it during one of the another one of those dips in the Covid numbers right on a farm in Canton, Georgia, where I run out of a farm festival. So we shot the movie. The weather remarkably held out for us because a lot of the movie takes place outside. And I still can't believe that given how the weather's been this year. Yeah. And now we're putting the final touches on it in editing and we're ready to kind of put it out there. So we have a crowdfunding campaign going on right now to get people to just follow the project. Following the project is really helpful for us and getting analytics together for distributors and things like that because our movie doesn't have a lot of big names attached to it. But yeah, then we're also raising some funds so we can have like a secret friends and family screening in April and start a festival run.
Chuck:
Oh, cool. Well, Adrian, you're new to the show. Tell me a little bit about yourself and your background and how you came in to be with this crazy project.
Adrian:
Well, I'm glad to be on first and foremost, this is a whole new space for me. Well, I don't have an art or film background, so Brent and I went to College together, and Brent went on to become the notorious filmmaker that he is. And I went to law school back in New York. I'm originally from Queens, New York. So I went to law school back up there. And previously I'd worked in Southern politics. And I don't know if you guys remember Congressman's or Marshall. I interned with him throughout College. And then I went back up there and I kind of knew I wanted to be in public service. And I continued that up there. I work for a number of organizations, the Queen Chamber of Commerce. I interned with the New York City Central Labor Council, represents all the Union members in the entire city, which is a very unique job. Senators, congressmen, local politicians. And that's mostly my background. Around 2013, there was a car accident. We were visiting my ex wife's family for Thanksgiving in Atlanta. And it started off with a traffic violation. And six or seven years later, so fast forward, I've graduated law school. I've been working. It's been more than half a decade. Yeah. I think my wife jumped out of the car and admitted fault. And I guess it behaves them that they thought they might get more money if they blamed it on me. My wife does not drink or my ex wife, sorry, does not drink. I do. But anyways, long story short, they kept escalated and escalating and escalated until it became a felony because in Georgia. So the guy, I think the other driver, he broke his leg. And in Georgia, a broken bone is enough to have an injury by vehicle felony. It was a car accident. Six years later, they indicted it. Long story short, two, three days for court. My ex wife, who had a consistent story for six to seven years, flips and yeah, well, that's kind of just a criminal justice system in its own self. I was sentenced to 15 years due seven, which I was in there with people who shot people who had left.
Brent:
Yeah, I don't think I've heard this version. I don't think I knew that you were sentenced to 15 years.
Adrian:
Yeah. So 15 years served, seven incarcerated. And anyways, 30 months I came out and Brent actually didn't know what had happened to me. And he reached out to me, I believe, because we had some of the Ossoff campaign going on down here. When I got out, I volunteered with and Brent, I think, thought of me as a political person, which I was. And he reached out to me and for I guess, video purposes with the campaign. I guess he was trying to get on board with the campaign. So we sat down, we had coffee, and it all came out. Brent was basically one of the first people I actually saw when I got out. And he told me about this film and yeah, he just kind of went from there.
Chuck:
Wow. Okay. That is not the usual kind of meeting. That. Wow. That's crazy.
Brent:
The other part of it was we had met because it was like, man, I haven't seen you since, like, 2011 or twelve. And so I was just trying to catch up with a friend during Covet. So we're outside on a chilly Starbucks patio, and Adrian just let me talk about what was going on in my life for a really absurdly long time before telling me that he had just gotten out of prison.
Adrian:
The thing is, it's one of those things that the trajectory of my life and the way I lived my life, the way I conducted myself, you never see that coming in your life. But someone who went to law school and studied the criminal justice system and you hear about all the horrors you hear every day with the project. They do great work, by the way. It becomes ridiculous how normalized this is, especially if you're a person of color, especially if you're a man of color. And especially in Georgia, I believe Georgia has I think it's one in six or seven people in the state of Georgia is under some type of incarceration, whether that's probation or actually in prison. And this is very much a part of the history of the state dating back to after the Civil War. So I was surrounded by people who were from these rural towns where I never really had spent that much time, who were addicted to these things. And these are really smart, intelligent people, great folks. And it was face to face with this kind of epidemic. And they were high on these substances, and they might have committed some of these property crimes. Maybe they sold it. But it was just this very deep seated problem in some of these communities. And some of them I really grew fond of. And their stories kind of take place in the shadow. They kind of take place either well behind the wall or in these little towns. And people kind of turn a blind eye to it and I know we talk about it somewhat with Hillbilly Elegy becoming a popular medium and stuff like that, but it was just so ironic that I sat down with Brent and he starts talking to me about this opioid crisis movie. And I got to tell you, I never would have asked ever. I probably wouldn't have thought twice about it if he had told me this before my experience. It perked my interest, obviously. And I saw an opportunity to actually tell these people stories in a very interesting way.
Chuck:
Talk about just everything just coming together the right time. Well, Brent, tell us, what is the story of Lost Cause? How does it relate to all that?
Brent:
Yeah. So it's about the dying leader of a home for recovering addicts in rural Georgia, and he violently manipulates his followers to prepare them to for his death. I'd say it's like a cross between Cormac McCarthy meets Yorgo's Plant the Most or something. It's just kind of a Southern Gothic like thriller. Okay. Yeah. And so it's something I've been working on for a long time. The opioid crisis is something that's always interested me and Adrian and I. Both. The College we went to was Georgia College, which is the home of Flannery O'Connor. And we were both raised up north, and I think both of us had really lovely experiences in Millersville and that part of Georgia that just kind of has that, for lack of a better word, creepy energy to it.
Adrian:
Well, I found it charming and enchanting. It is enchanting.
Brent:
Yeah. In a creepy way. There is definitely a very Gothic layer to Southern history. If you look at even New Orleans, a place like that or Savannah, there is definitely this kind of old Gothic. It is very much there's that element to it, for sure. Yeah. So it's also ironic that we were the movie I was sharing with Adrian was not only something that was hitting him from this angle of this really recent experience he had with recovering addicts, but also from the angle of, like, yeah, remember that place we both went and kind of like, were in love with that strange vibe. That's what this movie is trying to capture.
Chuck:
Yeah. Well, what what was the origins of the story? Like? How did all come? What was the initial spark that you had that you said, Man, I'm going to dedicate several years of my life to getting this thing made.
Brent:
I think I've always wanted to. I really love the south, and I also feel very alien in the south. And there's something about the energy of this kind of there's something about the Southern Gothic vibe that I just find very intoxicating as an aesthetic. And I started writing it in 2016. For those who might not remember, there was a big political event that occurred that year. Oh, really making me feel a bit introspective about what it meant to be an American. So there was a lot of that going on. And suddenly I had this story about kind of lies and manipulation in the context of a Southern Gothic setting. And the movie kind of rolled out from there. And then that my interest in the opioid crisis and manipulation and addiction and the way these things kind of all dance together. The movie just kind of spun out from there.
Chuck:
Okay. And talk about the decision, I guess, to do the Sizzle Reel first and then move into the future. What was the decision about going that route, and how did you come to the conclusion of what to film for the Sizzle reel?
Brent:
Yeah, I think I'd love to be like it was all planned out strategically and it all went according to plan. But what was kind of nice was we just had a little bit of money. So basically I was like, well, I don't have enough money to shoot the feature, but maybe we could at least do a test run with the Sizzle reel. So I thought I kind of tried to write a short film version of Lost Cause in that way. I think I failed, but the way it came out just didn't feel very satisfying the short, but I think it did feel like it had the tone of the story in it, and it definitely vibes with the movie. So I pivoted from being like, okay, we're going to submit this to festivals and we're going to do all this stuff. And I pivoted more to, okay. This is going to be the centerpiece of a pitch package for the movie. And it was really helpful because it also showed a lot of just by editing that project the way that we did and realizing, like, seeing the issues that came up, it really informed how to it informed me how to film the movie when we did come to film it. And there were a lot of decisions I made differently that I might not have felt like audacious enough to make or brave enough to make if I would have not shot the Sizzle Reel.
Intermission:
Hey, and welcome to the Intermission. This is Chuck Just breaking in with some quick announcements. Next Monday, March 7, Film Bar Monday will be at the Independent. Yes, they are back. Just make sure you feel safe. Go and have some drinks and some food and some good laughs and good times with some fellow Atlanta/Georgia filmmakers. Remember, the idea is to have a fun, friendly time, not necessarily networks. There's plenty of network opportunities. This is just a chance to make friends, and then maybe later on, you work together. Also this weekend is the South Georgia Film Festival. We will be there doing interviews. It's actually a live show on Sunday that you can go to, but we'll be set up during the day on Saturday, just talking to random people. Not just random people, but filmmakers from the film festival. But it's this weekend, March 4 through the 6th in Valdosta in person. So again, if you feel safe, come on out. It's going to be a lot of fun. There's going to be a lot of great films. You get to see me, which is always a thrill for anybody. Film Impact Georgia will be there talking about, well, Film Impact Georgia. I'm going to be going to get the barbecue that I got from Sam's Carry out last year that I fell in love with and I have literally dreamed about. So I'm very excited about that. So it's going to be a lot of fun. Also, make sure to head over to Patreon.com/afcindiefilm where you can find Brent and Adrian's Patreon exclusive. There's tons of content over there. Most of it's unlocked. Subscribers get a week early, low as $1 a month. You really can't beat it, but either way, head over there. You're literally missing content if you're not over at patreon.com/afcindiefilm I'm talking hours of stuff, advice from people who have made films. You're sitting here, you're listening to this. You think, how do I make a film? I mean, they're going to tell you what they've learned over their long careers. Dollar month is not too bad, right? There's also an option, $10 a month gets you a shout out on the show. Thanks to Ken Merritt for getting that option. Appreciate you and all our Patreon. Lastly, I need to tell you about our sponsors, Element, certified Public accountants and consultants. If you need money, help. If you work in the movie industry, you know, it's crazy. Every dollar. You got to stretch it as far as you can. It doesn't matter if you're working on set. Maybe you own a production company. Money is an issue. It's always an issue. It's always in the back of your mind and you wish you could find somebody who could help you out. Maybe something like production, accounting. You got a movie, you got this big dream. You don't know how to allocate all the money to all the places and make it stretch as far as it needs to because there's never enough. There's never enough money to go around, especially in indie film. It's just not enough. And you need someone buy your side to help you through that kind of stuff. Or maybe taxes. Taxes are due. It's time to do taxes. I need to do my taxes. Actually, I keep talking about it. I need to do it. Time's coming up. Wouldn't it be nice to have someone again by your side to help you do all that kind of stuff? To do taxes and walk you through the complicated, very complicated issues that specifically filmmakers have on their taxes? Well, that's where Element comes in. Doesn't matter what your situation is. You work on set, owner, production company, maybe a little bit of both. They're going to find the solution for your tax and accounting needs and they're hiring Element in its sister company storyboard. Financial Services are hiring production accountants. They are looking for entry level clerks and production consultants, assistance and keys. Full time positions include health benefits, retirement benefits, and immediate room for growth. If you're interested, please contact Element by visiting Elementcpas.com. And that is also where you can go to hire them for all your money needs. So either way, head to Element. Cpas.com, Element fluent in your language. So great talking to Brent and Adrian. The story is very unique how this whole thing came together. Can't say that I've experienced it on the show before that particular story, but it does accentuate a point that has come up over and over is you can have something like that land in your lap where this opportunity comes up. But if you're not ready for it, if you haven't done the work, if you haven't prepared for everything, it doesn't matter in another world. Brent has not done all this work on this script. He's got this basic idea in the back of his head. This situation happens. He thinks, man, that's kind of like the movie that I was going to write. Maybe it comes up and Adrian's like, well, you don't seem very prepared. You don't seem like you know what you're doing. And then they go their separate ways, and that's it. But luckily, in this universe, everything came together because Brent was prepared. He had done all this work, seven years of development, basically. So he's ready to go, right? That's why I say every week you got to keep working. If you're still quarantined, that's totally fine. The news seems to keep getting better, but maybe you're at home like, I'm not going. I get it. Nobody's blaming you. But you have to keep working on stuff so that when things fully open up and the world really comes back that you can hit the ground running, working on scripts, you're directing, maybe you're acting, maybe you're doing art Department stuff. Like, oh, I really want to build sets. I mean, that's kind of a tough thing to practice, but you could do it in your garage or whatever. The point is just to keep things moving, keep balls rolling, and when the opportunity hits, you're ready to go, all right, I'm going to get you back to the show. Hope you enjoy the rest of the interview. I'll see you next week.
Chuck:
That's a great point. That's a really good point. It's actually going to be one of my questions, like, what did you learn on the sizzle reel to take to the feature? But it sounds like you definitely had some stuff that came up, and it's really smart that you were able to isolate that and go, this isn't working as a short. I mean, so many other people would just double down and say, I was going to do this, and so I'm going to do it. But it's smart to step back and say, well, that didn't work. Let me evaluate here and figure out from there. That's really smart.
Brent:
Thank you. Yeah. In the Sizzle I was really interested in I did a lot of there were a lot of shots and there was a lot of cutting, and there was a lot of close ups and things like that. And it was telling the story fine, but it just wasn't like hitting the way I wanted to. And then when we got on set for the feature, I kind of had this idea of, like, you know what? This movie really needs to just have a lot of still, like, longer takes that are just, like really nicely composed, like portraitesque and just let the characters kind of have some room to breathe. And like, the first day on set, it was just like clicking. Everything was falling into place. And that would not have happened had I been left to my original instincts, which was like, cut, cut, cut. Let's just for cutting.
Chuck:
Yeah. Well, Adrian, talk about hopping onto the project, and as you said, you don't really have a film creative background. I'm sure you've learned quite a bit since you hopped on talk about a little bit about that, about some things that you've learned just in this time being attached to this project.
Adrian:
Yeah, well, I'll say this. I used to be kind of the guy who and I lived in New York City. I love theater. I'm a big theater person. But as far as art beyond that, whether it was painting or the medium or film as a medium of art, I was surrounded, of course, by people who did work and enjoy the industry that way. I did not. I was very much a go go all the time. And I never kind of slowed down to understand the true power of what this medium was. And some of my soulmates were these really crazy creative people who, when I was around them. Yeah. They would take like, we used to have to wax the bottom of the cell house floor and relax and stuff like that. And this guy used paper and wax and created these beautiful necklaces and art pieces. I'm talking about people artists in there are I've seen a boat made out of popsicle sticks gathered from the mess hall that people it looks better than any boat in a bottle. Wow. Okay. Yeah. So I came out with this. Just this is how some of this people used to make this stuff. And the Georgia changing people will trade soups or whatever food to buy it's like currency. It's like their own version of Bitcoin, so to speak. So gathering these art pieces and I'd send them back home to my family or I'd send them to loved ones or whatnot. And it was just my expression from within, from myself that I could do that. And when I came out and I saw the Sizzle reel, which Brent just talked about, that really it struck me because this was a medium of storytelling, of getting this out that I previously maybe would have overlooked. I would have looked at public policy, I would have looked at trying to look at numbers and trying to look at and right here in front of me is really like where the human connection takes place. And I had a new found appreciation for that. Again, like you were saying, right timing. I was just in a place in my life where I could open myself up to that. And I just thought, you know what? This is something I want to invest in. This is something not for any sort of like profitability or monetary whatever. It was really just because I thought it was such a I mean, I come to appreciate the unique version that is medium that is filmed and being on set, that brought me to a whole new appreciation because being on set, it's like a clock. And everyone just kind of like moves and everyone's got their own little cog and peace in between takes everyone's running from place to place. And it was really impressive to see and to be a part of because everyone was so professional, everyone was so good at what they did, and everyone was really passionate about it. And I can't think of another industry where it was that level of just efficiency. I know you guys have been around a lot, but as someone who hasn't, it was just really impressive to see all the moving parts while this one's setting up the set, while this person is checking to make sure it's continued correctly and people going over lines. Brent's giving direction here, there changing some of the scene on the fly because he saw something differently. That in itself was just an experience I am so grateful to have because I don't think very many people have that.
Chuck:
Yeah. I still remember the first time I graduated, so to speak, from making little short films with my friends. And then I went and it was an extra on a Disney movie production. Oh, wow. And there was just so many people and I was like, I don't understand. I don't know what any of these people are doing. And everybody's running around yelling, doing stuff. How are there this many positions on a set? It's crazy to get to that point and go, oh, this is the real deal.
Adrian:
Yeah. It feels like you're in the inner working zone and everyone just knows what to do. And that was the most impressive. There weren't too much like asking questions. There weren't too much like going back. And everyone was hustling. And I was just really impressed with the casting crew that we put together. And I was also proud that Brent, we put together, I think, over 70% women and folks of color. So I was also glad to see that, too, which I know people in the film industry talk about quite a bit the last couple of years.
Brent:
Yeah, that's really cool. We had Jennifer Dunn, who put us in touch. She was our ad and as a producer on the project. And when we kind of built the crew out in separate pieces, but she was always keeping a tally of how many women she could add to the behind the scenes and to the crew. She added another woman to the crew. That was delightful. We had, like, a lot of the crew speaking Spanish to each other. It was just like kind of a really lovely for it being in Canton, Georgia. It was this really wonderful, diverse family.
Chuck:
Talk about production and everything. And now you've got this fundraiser to help get it out there. What's it all going towards, why should people fork over their hard earned Bucks and what's it doing for the film?
Brent:
Yeah. So we are finishing up post production on it. And the way Seed & Spark going through Seed and Spark is our crowdfunding campaign. So the way Seed & Spark works is if you get a certain amount of followers, you can get a lot of really helpful resources, including, like, advice on post production and what to do with the film and then other resources that just make your life a lot easier. But it also is a great way for us to create kind of a central hub for the movie as a way to be like, hey, if you want to follow the movie and no one will do screenings, and if we get distribution one way, that would be a great way to reach out to people who might be interested in the movie. No. And you can see a teaser and get info about the movie kind of in an all in one place, which is really great for us. So basically the first thing there's kind of two parts to what we're asking for. We're trying to raise $5,000 for just the distribution aspects, like festival fees, any legal advice we might need, creating a DCP and then doing your friends and family screening in April. That will be like a way to show the movie early to the supporters. And then the other thing we're looking for is people to just click the Follow button on the seat and Spark website, which is completely free and just kind of gives you it's like putting yourself on our email list a little bit. But if we can get 500 people to do that, then that helps us also achieve a lot of the things we're trying to do with the campaign funds to make that more achievable. So they're kind of working in sync with each other.
Chuck:
Yeah. Just a simple act of any attention that you can bring. It doesn't always have to be money. Just a simple follow, a simple post on Facebook or Twitter or whatever, it goes a long way. I don't think people realize that just how much that does. If you just say, hey, my friends are doing this, and then all of a sudden that network gets expanded and then it keeps going. It's such a simple thing and it seems like you're doing nothing, but it's really just the opposite. You're doing everything by just bringing attention.
Adrian:
I'm going to shout you out, Brad, because I think you're being a little humble. The script, which Brent worked on for seven years, by the way, when we spoke and talked about that, he dedicated seven years of his life to the script, and it actually was a semi finalist in the Blue Cat writing competition. Screenplay competition out in Los Angeles. Brent really wrote a hell of a movie.
Brent:
Thank you. Well, I'm just saying, as far as supporting it, as far as supporting it, it really is a great film. Like the product itself is really something to, I think, be appreciated on a large scale. Thank you. Yeah. And one thing that I think we've talked about this Chuck, before, maybe off mic. But one thing that's really near and dear to my heart about the movie is that Georgia always gets the Hollywood at the south terminology. And that always feels a little bit to me like it leans a little heavy into the Hollywood and not very heavily into the south and cities like Austin and I feel like North Carolina and stuff. It seems like there are cities that have their own film vibe, their own indie film energy. And I've always wanted to see more movies from Georgia that feel like Georgia. And one thing that we're just going through the movie yesterday with the composer, and it was just like, man, if nothing else, I'm really excited this movie exists. It's just like a Southern as hell.
Adrian:
You mean Marvel movies don't feel like they're from Georgia? What?
Brent:
Yeah. It would be way more fun if they did.
Chuck:
I mean. Yeah, you know, I've been a huge proponent of that exact thing, not just because I'm also a screenwriter and trying to get my own stuff done. It's just I want to see this whole I feel like you said, there's so many stories that could be told that are specific to this area that you can't form out in La. There's just no way. There's no frame or reference for them to know what these stories are in this specific region that would work well. And so it's great that you're sending it out to do what you want to see in the world, basically, which is very cool.
Adrian:
Yeah. Actually, on that point. I think Brent mentioned 2016. I remember I think I referenced Hillbilly Elegy earlier, which was a book that everyone started talking about to explain the Trump victory. And everyone talked about this silent majority, this unknown, this unfold stories. And that didn't become really real for me until I came face to face and was surrounded by it. And that is a uniquely it's not only Southern, but very specifically Georgia story. Like Brent said, there aren't enough movies that depict that depict the real lifestyle, the real life struggles of folks who live in this region. And I think the movie does that. And that was why I was excited that somebody had written this. First and foremost, I was just lucky as a friend.
Chuck:
Yeah, well, tell everyone where to find information about the film and the Seed and Spark and all that kind of good stuff, websites and social media, et cetera.
Brent:
Yes. If you look for Lost Cause Film 2022, that's kind of our that's our handle on Instagram and Twitter and you'll see it. It's a to find other lost causes on social media. We're the one with the poster with the donkey on it and Seed and Spark.com fund Lost Cause. Let me make sure that's okay. That's 100% right.
Adrian:
We didn't even talk about the donkeys.
Brent:
Yeah, you tell it, Adrian.
Adrian:
When we were doing set scouting, the script actually originally called for chickens. Originally, I believe. And this farm had many donkeys, which I have never seen before, but they were very adorable animals, and they are featured prominently in the movie, so they become somewhat of a mascot of ours.
Brent:
Yeah. That was one of the big script changes. The movie had chickens in it, and then we found a location that had donkeys, and I was like, donkeys are better now. Three of the main characters are donkeys.
Chuck:
Nice. That's being adaptable.
Brent:
That's right. Yeah, it is. So if you look up Lost Cause on Sudden Spark, you'll find it.
Chuck:
Okay, cool. Well, perfect. Well, I really appreciate you coming on and tell me about this. It was great to talk to you again, Brent, and great to meet you, Adrian. And good luck with the project. Can't wait to see the final film. And good luck with all your future projects. I'm sure there'll be many collaborations in the future.
Brent:
Thank you so much. It was great. Thanks for having us.
Adrian:
Yeah. Thank you so much for having us. I really appreciate being on the show.