September 29, 2006

Hi Friends!!

The movie is in Miami — and will be on line MONDAY OCTOBER 2! Akiva and I have emailed the people managing the Mercury website several times - reminding them to change El Chivo to La Chiva — but it hasn’t yet happened — We will be calling first thing Monday if it doesn’t get changed.

As many of you know - the sponsors (NALIP.org) gave the filmakers a few days over a month to make a movie — this is what our schedule has been like for the past month:

Day 1 - post on Craigs list for crew

Day 2 - post on various places for cast

Weekend 1 - interview and hire crew (at a Starbucks at Union Square)

Week 2 - try to find a goat (OMG) a location and the crew we didn’t get over the 1st weekend - Akiva works with story board artist and DP on images

Weekend 2 (starting Friday) audition cast (with our wonderful Casting Director and Assistant) - call the chosen cast starting at 10:30 pm Saturday for a Sunday cast gathering at 11am (everyone showed up, except for Jenna who was on the phone with us)

Sunday - meet cast - have Costume Director take measurements. She ponders how she will find clothes for all of these people in less then a week. (Note — she did it and everyone looked GREAT!)

Week 2 — tie up location, work with set director to have sets ready, find goat number 3 after 2 goat options failed. The goat worked out in the end, but I had many sleepless nights wondering how we would pull this off.

Weekend 3– Friday - Sunday — shoot film -
there was no rain - but they were using a jack hammer on a building near the shoot — even on Saturday! We got them to hold the jack hammers during the shooting time. Our sound team Liz and Jason either have nerves of steel or they hid their fear well — because I never thought we would get good sound (we did!)

week 3 unrelated challenge - my 85 year old mother we share a 2 family house with falls and brakes her ankle -Akiva takes her to various doctors in between working with the editor.

Week 4 - Editing done, film goes to Miami to be put on the website. Now we are working on publicity.

All along the way we have been supported by amazing people - a talented cast - a brilliant crew - all who we met in the space of 2 weeks. Neighbors who helped with craft service and set assembly when we needed help in the 11th hour. Friends and family who showed up at 5:30 am to help set up breakfast, take photos, and keep us sane. Friends who have spent time helping with publicity, websites, creating logos, writing blogs and posting articles… much of which is still happening.

It took a village to pull this off — and we are forever grateful for all the support and hard work of those who made La Chiva happen.

Akiva Penaloza ~ Writer / Director

Joan Deraval ~ Executive Producer