by ee cummings ghostwritten by alex fuller welp
it's 2020 winter's -Just about;over -and the Streaming Wars are taking shape beautifully woo Wee we've all been observing the battle Lines being drawn -youknowthe:bigKahunas involved netflix is like ok bring it on, Disney; we burn through a Billion in cash ev'ry frickin' MONTH. mean- while the Mouse house is like wegot-thisThingcalled:StarWars duh Ev'ry Show will yield its Own -spinoff:show plus:origin-Stories there is literally NO end... we already:are Conquering -and Dominating though -on a slightly Sour -note: baby Yoda went viral too late -in 2019 for Merch to be ready -in:time for Xmas (and:our share holders are Fuming) Oh;also wegot-thisThingcalled:Marvel youknow—the M C U ever-heard-of-it? yeah that's what-we-thought we get grown Ass adults to dress:up in Halloween costumes and only pay 'em like 250 -it all comes from comic books- and ev'ry movie makes like a Billion dollars $$$$$$$ (any less than a Billion and:our share holders are Pissed) we've got -about 500:marvel:shows in;development oh and btw our Ser -vice is only 7bucks:amonth as opposed to Thir-TEEN-nuh.... mean- while a slew of other tech-and-OldMedia-companies are sitting in the corner like a Cuckold (sulking) -wishing:they could get -In on:the:Action they -were:Dawdling and:now catching -Up ain't Easy -Just to get everyone's Attention in:the:first-place they -Have to wildly over:pay for the -Rights to -a Sure thing 85 -Million $$$ a -Year for Friends? 100 -Million $$$ a -Year for The Office? (netflix is like -ah, whatever -those 2 had:a good Run here but -All good things must Come:to an End -especially If they're:gonna Cost ya another 500 -Mil $$$) now Who -I say who:in tar -Nation would've -ever Guessed that sitcoms from Decades;ago would Barge through the:starting -Gate -as The:most valuable Commodities in:the -known streaming Universe? truly Boggles the:Mind... hot -Damn there Ain't no business like the -Streaming:business
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Divorce Video Therapy (2018) is a 10-episode dramedy web series.
View the 10-minute series highlight reel here Stream all episodes here
Director's Commentary
This episode is a mosaic that took shape over the course of two years of filming throughout Connecticut, New Jersey and New York City. Christina Dufour stars as Colleen, an aspiring painter who married Jim Acheson (David Kubicka), a self-absorbed workaholic billionaire. She was whisked from a humble apartment in Brooklyn out to a suburban New Jersey castle, where “the silence was deafening”. “Our honeymoon lasted 72 hours—that’s when he got an emergency call from Geneva,” Colleen recounts to Neil Osprey (Alex Fuller) during one of her divorce video sessions. She then spent 3 or 4 years in a soulless haze, baffled as to why on earth the women at pilates would be envious of her “glamorous life”. The first 30 seconds were originally placed in episode 1, but for pacing I lifted it and used this as the introductory segment in episode 7. When she says “Yes, I cheated on him”, the viewer needs to know that plot point, and can’t be expected to remember it from all the way back in episode 1. Neil’s “outdoor office”
We were all set to film at a pristine wildlife preserve, only to discover that it was closed that day for deer population control. Hmmm….
Re-scheduling was out of the question, and we lucked into an alternate scenic location—which was by a small airport. But we got the takes very efficiently, in between planes. Jan Klier filmed this scene with his Sony FS7. Billionaire!!!
We had the great fortune of filming on the grounds of an actual billionaire’s estate!
The premise is that this mansion is in Alpine, New Jersey, lair of the celebs and other mega-millionaires. Luigi Benvisto captured the stunning footage with a tiny handheld stabilizer device called the DJI Osmo. Show Me, Don’t TELL Me
We had gathered all of this footage over the course of one year, and I could feel the pressure of “show me, don’t tell me” mounting. It was time to create a flashback sequence in which Colleen and Jim are interacting.
They’re having “date night” in the West Village—actually it’s their 5th wedding anniversary, and it could not possibly be less romantic. In fact, it’s downright dysfunctional. It is starkly evident that this marriage is over with. Filming in the West Village
Filming on the street is always a challenge, especially in terms of audio. The first scene is on a side street, where it was relatively quiet. After that, the crowds were unavoidable (by the Whitney Museum and High Line entrance). Somehow we pulled it off.
As a bonus, I had gotten permission to do some brief filming (no dialogue) at a picturesque wine bar. My original shot list had us arriving there by 4:30, but it was now 6:00 and getting dark. The dinner crowd was flowing in, and we were not welcomed with open arms (far from it). I informed the maitre’d that Jane-Do-the-Manager had given me permission, but he was having none of it. I don’t begrudge him for this; I had no leverage. I wanted to order a glass of wine for each of the actors, and just film them for 10 minutes—nope, no dice. And yet, miraculously—during this painfully awkward interchange—the actors had already seated themselves in a window booth. They were doing some rehearsal takes, and Luigi Benvisto was grabbing focus on them (with his Blackmagic Ursa Mini). From these minuscule outtakes, I was able to extract a few precious moments. A screengrab from one of these moments became the poster art (custom thumbnail) for the trailer and for this episode. Priceless. The viewer is blissfully unaware that I never had a chance to say “Action” and get ANY takes at the wine bar!!! Cuckolding the billionaire (while he’s away in Geneva)
Byron Clohessy plays Steven, who has been having an affair with Colleen. He is tragically head-over-heels for her, yet she appears to have been using him just to make Jim enraged. It actually took Jim a year to figure it out (easy to be out of the loop if you’re in Geneva or you’re at the office 75 hours a week).
We happened to be filming in Madison Square Park during the holidays, and I love the glittering light show in the background! (I filmed this with my Canon 60D.)
Steven texts her: “Jim is such a big crybaby—he’ll only speak to you through his celebrity lawyer now?”
Colleen responds: “By the time they finish nitpicking the stupid prenup, that guy will probably get more money than ME!!!” Finally, she is gearing up for her return to a non-materialistic lifestyle. The $500 haircuts, pilates, shopping sprees and long naps are behind her now. After taking a 7-year hiatus from her true self, Colleen is anxious to roll up her sleeves and devote her life to painting and all things creative. Alex Fuller Writer/Director alexfullermedia.com
Divorce Video Therapy (2018) is a 10-episode dramedy web series.
View the 10-minute series highlight reel here Stream all episodes here
Director's Commentary
Faith’s ex dragged his heels for many years on the subject of having children. As she shouted in episode 1: “Thank you for wasting my best child-bearing years, you piece of shit!!!” Annaliese Kirby stars as Faith, and Alan Dronek co-stars as Kevin. "Who is this man that I married?"
Hindsight is always 20/20, so it's easy to be critical of these characters.
Didn't they discuss the subject of having children before marriage? Isn't that what everyone does? Well, you'd be surprised. Assumptions are a dangerous thing. And why did Kevin marry her, if he had such looming anxiety about the financial responsibilities of parenthood? Maybe he didn't want to lose her. Maybe Faith figured he would "grow up" once they were actually married. Even if Kevin's salary hadn't been cut by 40%, might he have finally gotten on board with raising a family? Hmm...not likely. "The whole no-sex, no-sleep, changing-diapers, losing-all-your-money thing has never sounded appealing to me."
Production Notes
I was able to film Annaliese in the suburbs during peak foliage, and it even started to drizzle as we got some quick b-roll shots in the park (perfect for the mood). Alan’s Harlem apartment is a classic long thin railroad layout. If there was any budget for locations/production design, this is precisely the kind of place I would have secured(!) Alex Fuller Writer/Director www.alexfullermedia.com
Divorce Video Therapy (2018) is a 10-episode dramedy web series.
View the 10-minute series highlight reel here Stream all episodes here
Director's Commentary
Jolie Curtsinger stars as Maya, whose soon-to-be ex-husband Derek slept with her best friend (among others). Her wounds are quite fresh, and she lashes out at Derek by speaking directly at the camera. Does he or any of the other ex-spouses actually watch these diatribes? They probably at least click the play button (out of morbid curiosity).
As of the casting phase, none of the 7 primary characters had a fully fleshed out backstory. Once the casting was in place, it made it so much easier for me to then bring these characters to life.
Based on the strength of Jolie Curtsinger’s self-taped audition, I knew we would be able to tackle some very intense drama. I maximized Maya’s agony by intertwining the miscarriages and the serial cheating. Here is a skiing analogy (even though I’ve never done downhill skiing): my brother has told me about those insanely dangerous double black diamond trails. Experts only—all others will perish. I knew that was the kind of script I needed to create: no risk, no reward. I teed it up for Jolie, and she absolutely crushed it like I knew she would!
We filmed this at a scenic oceanside park called Chaffinch Island (Guilford, CT). I used my trusty Canon 60D and a 50mm portrait lens. There were some children walking by here and there, but it’s okay—the show must go on, F-word and all—we were in the zone.
A month later, I ventured into Brooklyn Heights to get the walking shots. As she rounded the corner, how fitting was it that a woman happened to be walking by with her stroller! Serendipity. Alex Fuller Writer/Director www.alexfullermedia.com |
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