‘Mumblecore’ movie shows drama in Elgin after dark

“Dark Before Dawn” Stars Downtown Elgin

Blue Damen Pictures’ locally produced feature film “Dark Before Dawn” was premiered to a capacity audience at Elgin Cinema Thursday, joined by cast, crew and filmmaker Gwydhar Gebien, a 2009 winner of the Elgin Short Film Festival.

The movie is created in the microbudgeted “mumblecore” style, which strips away all but the most basic elements of character and setting. The term helps to legitimize this relatively new, dialogue-driven genre, and “Dark Before Dawn” demonstrates that low-tech amateur film making is capable of delivering a worthwhile story and good acting.

Set during the middle of the night in downtown Elgin, the movie is essentially one long conversation between two strangers whose painstaking personal revelations make up most of the plot. The unscripted dialogue is largely improvised by its two lead actors, Pete Garlock and Amy Karen, in scenes that move from the tracks, through downtown, to the river and back again. With occasional humor and snippets of Allenesque banter, their lines keep a steady tempo for about as long as any one movie conversation should last.

But the juxtaposition of small and enormous problems adds interest to each character’s back story, conceived individually by the actors (unknown to the other) and revealed on camera with no rehearsals. An emotional dramatic scene near the end is especially skillful and compelling, as the characters trade positions of strength and weakness in a way that we care about and will remember.

The “third star” in the picture is downtown Elgin, whose parks, facades, streets, and skylines are showcased in numerous beautifully framed shots, lit in film noir style by street lamps and electric signs. A few minor technical glitches and continuity gaps don’t detract from the fine creative direction and camera work, and a haunting musical score leaves us wanting to hear more. “Dark Before Dawn” bodes well for the future of film making in, by, or about Elgin.

For more information, visit www.darkbeforedawn-movie.com, www.bluedamen.com, or support their next project, “Recalculating,” on www.kickstarter.com.

- Jeffrey Pierce

So the big night has come and what a journey it it has been.  I leave for Elgin from Chicago taking just enough time after I arrive home work to change into my suit.  Upon arriving I am immediately struck by the beauty of the venue.

The Marcus theatre of Elgin shimmers like a mirage in the desert, so beautiful — well, actually it’s more like casino on the strip, but you get my point.  This place looks awesome.  At the end the day this is what it was all about, getting everyone together and feeling excited about watching a movie.

We set to the work with the preparations.  There are cameras to set up, photos to take, flags to unfurl, wristbands to be put on and, most importantly of all, tickets to sell.  Everyone to their part — Pete and Amy to the stage, Danellyn to the camera, Scottie to the cash box and me to the wristbands.  The result: a sold out show.

I feel the electricity in the air as I take my seat.  Then it’s like looking into the future; Gwydhar Gebien stands before a whole theatre full of fascinated people to introduce her latest film and then winning their applause.  The final touches are amazing and that makes “Dark Before Dawn”, in this humble writer’s opinion, the best Blue Damen film to date.

So the big night came and what a journey it was.  As you loyal readers remember, last week’s blog included one of the stars of the movie, Pete Garlock, having an interview with yours truly.  Here now to give her insight to the journey of this film is his counterpart, Amy Karen, who plays the lead female role in the movie.

GK: First of all, thank you for doing this.

AK: Oh, of course.

GK: So how did you first get involved with Blue Damen?  What started you on this path to this project?  Do you have any past experience with acting or in film?  What was your first impression of all this?

AK: I first heard about Blue Damen through Pete Garlock. We met at Acting Studio here in Chicago. We had taken a few classes together when Pete asked me if I wanted to be a part of a project he was working on. He briefly explained what it was about. As soon as he told me I needed to come up with a BIG secret, I was intrigued, my mind was racing with ideas!
I then pitched a couple of those ideas to Gwydhar & Danellyn when we met for the first time. They seemed to like one of the secrets in particular and we went from there. They explained that it was a low budget, mumblecore film. At the time I had no idea what “mumblecore” was. When I learned it meant we had no script, I can’t lie, I was a little nervous. The only other experience I had other than Acting Studio classes were the year I spent majoring in theater at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, (which consisted mostly of partying) a couple of music videos, and a non-speaking extra roll in the movie “Stranger than Fiction” with Will Ferrell and Maggie Gyllenhaal. Considering I’ve never REALLY worked with a script, I was also very excited, this meant I had more creative control over my character and I like that!

GK: Cool.  That actually brings me to my next question; do you think that having a script with this project would have added or detracted to your performance, the filming process or finished project?

AK: I enjoyed not having a script! It gave us as actors so much creative freedom. If we were filming a scene, we were in the moment. Every line was improvised so if something happened, it really evolved in that moment. There were a couple times when a scene went in a whole different direction than I had expected, simply because Pete (who plays Greg) reacted completely opposite of how I assumed he would react. That’s the scary part, but it pushes you to think & come up with something better. In not having a script, I felt like we were a BIGGER part of the project, than just actors. Gwydhar put so much trust in us creatively. We got to chose our character names, where they were from, what they were wearing and especially how the story evolved!

I don’t think this story would have turned out the same, had we had a script. Some of the best moments I think happened because they were not written, but were kind of in the moment accidents. Sure if we had a script we could have come up with some crazy off the wall ideas but that’s not what it was about. I think it was the improvising that made it naturally raw.

GK: Did you do any research for you role?  Did you invest anything personally or were you particularly motivated by anything?  Have you ever felt any sort of internal conflict that the character you portray does?

AK: When I first created “Charlotte”, I had no idea how much research I was going to have to do on a character I made up. Man, was I mistaken! I read books, watched Youtube videos, talked with people of similar background and upbringing. I was pretty exhausted by the end and was still a little unsure at times if I had enough to work with. I don’t think I will ever stop researching this character! A lot of my inspiration came from past personal experiences I’ve dealt with, some issues I’ve help other friends with and some ideas really just came from out of my a**… I don’t wanna give away too much though so you’ll have to watch it if you want to find out more!

GK: A film in production typically has a number of setbacks.  What were some you can think of that happened during the shooting of this film?  Did anything in particular bother you or take its toll on you?

AK: There are always setbacks. That’s life I suppose. Nothing too bad aside from the on again off again rain, the random midnight stragglers that roam the streets of Elgin BUT hey, that’s how we met A.J. our creepy dumpster bum that spooks “Charlotte” in the alley. He was just one of those “in the moment accidents” that needed to happen!

I don’t think anything happened on set that really bothered me. The only thing that really took a toll on me was my period. UGH. I was a little bitchy the last week of filming… Sorry guys!!

GK: Oh.  That’s cool, I guess.  Any way, what do you think you take away from this whole experience?  What particular aspect of your performance makes you the most proud?  Is there anything you feel you could have improved?

AK: I take EVERYTHING from this! I’ve learned so much more than I could have ever imagined. I also met some of the best people out there. Everyone I worked with is so talented and brought something interesting to the table. I too was able to come up with ideas I never knew I had AND I got to see them come to life, I couldn’t have asked for a better or more rewarding experience!

GK: Awesome.  Well thank you again, Amy.

AK: Absolutely!

And so Blue Damen reaches a new plateau of excellence.  It’s California-bound for some of use, for others it’s still Chi-town.  What does the future hold for Blue Damen?  Tune in later to find out the exciting continuation.

Until then, see you in the movies!

What do you mean this movie had no script?

As a writer myself it’s a small wonder why I was so dumbfounded. A movie without a script tells me that no one was there to hammer out the story and make sure it works on paper. No one was there to make sure the structure was sound on a basic level and no one was there to think carefully ahead of time what the conflicts were and to make sure the movie never dragged. Some might argue that could be an excuse for failure, but not this time. This time it was deliberate that no writer was involved in this particular project, and the fact that it functions well as a film actually makes me pose to myself a very serious question — if actors can improvise an entire film, is a writer even that necessary?

I needed a second opinion. So I did an interview with Pete Garlock, one of the stars of the upcoming film “Dark Before Dawn” by Blue Damen Productions, premiering this upcoming Thursday February 9th at the Marcus theatre in Elgin, IL.

Thank you for doing this, Pete.

PG: Happy to do it.

GK: First of all, how did you first get involved with Blue Damen? What started you on the path to this project? Do you have any past experiences with film or acting? What was your first impression of this film?

PG: I first met Gwydhar & Danellyn at the first annual Elgin Short Film Festival. I was the Chairman of the festival, and they were selected as a finalist for the short film, “The Visionary.” (They won third place.) After the festival there were several parties around town, and we ended up at the same one, and I got to know them a little bit there. At the press conference kick-off for the second Elgin Short Film Festival, I invited them back to speak about their experience at the first festival, and that’s when we first discussed the idea if I would be interested in joining their board.

What started me on the path to this project was Gwydhar’s father had told her about this new style of movie-making called “mumblecore” (completely improvised). We had scheduled to shoot a short film in Elgin in 2011 called “Recalculating,” and circumstances pushed it back to 2012. So Gwydhar, not one to sit around and wait, asked me if she thought I would be up for acting in a feature-length film that was completely improvised. I told I thought I could do it, and she asked me if I knew of anyone who could do it with me. Ironically we had just done some improvising in the acting classes I was taking at the time, and Amy Karen really stood out to me with her ability to weave these bizarre, interesting, hilarious stories. I knew she would be perfect for this, and I suggested her to Gwydhar, who trusted my opinion and said OK.

For a while I majored in theatre at Ohio State, where I had appeared in a few stage plays and in some community theatre afterward. But it was when I moved to Chicago that I first experience working in movies. My first experience was in the Vince Vaughan movie “Fred Claus,” but I think my part was cut because I couldn’t stop looking at the camera. That taught me a great lesson because later that year I got the role as the Harvey Dent Fundraiser party planner in “The Dark Knight.” The next year I was part of the couple who walks out of the Biograph Theatre in front of Johnny Depp at the end of the John Dillinger movie “Public Enemies.” Then last year I was a patient in the Matt Damon movie “Contagion.”

My first impression of the film was surprisingly positive. I told Gwydhar I never thought I’d ever be one of those actors who couldn’t watch themselves on film…but I discovered I was. It took a lot for me to watch the first rough cut, but when I did, I was surprised how drawn into the story I was. A story that I helped create, and I was captivated by it. At a pre-premiere with our backers, some music was added and we had a small audience, and it was even better! At the very beginning when Amy’s character and mine first meet, Amy says a line and the audience laughed, and it was at that moment when I realized, “Wow….we made a movie!”

GK: Now to get to my main question, actually.This film did not have a script. As a writer I am both intrigued and disenchanted by that idea. What did you think? Do you think that having a written script would have added or detracted from your performance, the filming process or finished product?

PG: I think the coolest thing about this movie is that we DIDN’T have a script and yet it became something interesting to watch, with some funny moments, some tense moments, and real emotion. I am amazed how different the characters looked, but how their lives ended up being so similar, and how their roles changed from how they are in the beginning of the film to how they become by the end. Not having a script gave me freedom to decide where I wanted this character to go, which is rare for an actor, unless they’ve written the script themselves. However, having said that, I’m pretty sure I would never do a film without a script ever again. Improvisation in a film is fine in moderation, but the whole thing? I just don’t think I could ever do it again.

Before shooting, Gwydhar gave Amy and me instructions on our characters. We could come up with names, our own background, look, etc. But she instructed us to come up with a secret, a BIG secret, that we each would have, and throughout the course of getting to know each other we would discover that the other one had this secret and we had to get it out of the other person. This gave some of our conversations purpose, which really helped the dialogue flow.

But because we made up our lines on the spot, the most difficult thing was reshooting a scene. I’ll never forget the scene where we’re by the Kimball Street bridge, and we’re really going at it, yelling and screaming at each other for a few minutes. Then, after we cut, Gwydhar said, “OK, let’s do it again.” And Amy and I looked at each other like, “WHAT?!?!” I understand the need to film a scene a couple of times for safety, but do you have any idea how hard it is to talk to a person for a couple of minutes, then have someone come up and say, “OK, now repeat exactly what you just said for the last 5 minutes”? It’s almost impossible. I remember thinking, “So THIS is why they write scripts for films!” So don’t worry, Greg, I don’t think you’ll be out of a job anytime soon.

I think it’s funny that some people (who have seen the movie) would come up to me and say, “I think it would have been better at that one point if your character had done this, or maybe Amy’s character had said this at that other moment,” and I just want to say to them, “We made this up as we went along, people!!!” I think people have become so accustomed of being entertained by surprise twists and clever writing in films, but really, how often does that happen in real life? I saw a mumblecore film a few months ago by a Chicago director, and it was filmed with all this clever banter and witty dialogue, and I thought, “WHO TALKS LIKE THAT IN REAL LIFE?!?!” I think our conversations are reflective of exactly what they are supposed to be, two strangers who meet and are forced to walk around a strange city together in the middle of the night for 6-8 hours.

I’m proud how the film turned out. Again, you have to understand going into it that you don’t know what’s going to happen because it was completely improvised. That said, I think we came up with enough real moments to make it interesting and entertaining.

GK: Did you do any research for your role? Did you invest anything personally or were you especially motivated by anything? Have you ever felt any sort of internal conflict that the character you portray does?

PG: I didn’t do any research for my role. The name I came up with is a combination of three buddies of mine, and I chose my character’s profession as advertising because I pictured him as a smooth, slick-talking guy…sort of a Don Draper type (from “Mad Men.”). I live in Elgin, so I knew enough about the city and the places there to talk about them knowledgeably. The scene where I talk about Walton Island and how it was created was something I learned through my job a few years ago and it always stuck with me. I always thought it was a great story, and I told Gwydhar about it. She said, “That’s great. Try to work it into a scene.” As it turned out, that story became integral for Amy’s character to know where to find me toward the end of the film.

I did have a personal experience that motivated me in one scene, the Walton Island scene with Amy toward the end. I’ve never had to cry in past acting experiences, and I felt that my character needed to have a big emotional breakdown in this scene, and I didn’t know if I would be able to cry in the scene. But I had just lost my father a few months earlier. And in the scene you see Amy walking up to me, and I’m just staring into the water. I was thinking about him, about losing him, and I just started bawling while delivering my lines. I think we shot that twice, and each time I was able to bring the tears, and I remember saying afterward that I was shocked that not only I could do it once, but twice. And I remember being really emotionally drained after that, too.

After we had revealed them, Amy and I talked about our secrets off camera, and we both said how we had decided to come up with something that would be completely opposite of the type of person we were. Again, another example of something neither of us planned together but something we ended up doing similarly. My character and I are both married and live in Elgin, but that’s where the similarities end, so it was hard for me to find an emotion connection with. And there was definitely a huge difference between Amy Karen and her character…but I won’t spoil what the difference is…you’ll have to watch the film to find out!

GK: A film in production typically has a number of setbacks. What were some you can think of that happened during the shooting of this film? Did anything in particular bother you or take its toll on you?

PG: We had typical things happen on our set that you have to deal with on most sets….the weather, random people walking into scenes, people yelling out car windows while you’re filming, things like that. But one of the advantages of filming overnight is that by around 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning, even THOSE people have gone to bed, so it wasn’t so bad after then.

But the interesting thing about doing a mumblecore film is that there were all these happy accidents that happened during shooting that actually directed the story telling. We really should have named this film “The Night of the Happy Accidents.” If something went wrong, you could just make up dialogue to cover it up…or, use it to our advantage and create a new scene! Not to give too much away, but there is a scene that had a lot of high emotion, great dialogue, and really good chemistry between and Amy and me. Then, afterward, someone pointed out that we were missing a certain prop. And it wasn’t something we could get away with not having in the scene, it would have been noticeable to the audience that it was not there. So afterward we added a whole scene that actually takes place before it, and it explains why that prop was missing. And this situation actually solved a different problem we had trying to figure out a way to separate the characters. Like I said, it was a happy accident, and best of all, it was believable.

And like I said before, the only thing that took its toll on me was trying to remember what you had just said in a scene when it came time to reshoot that scene. Definitely makes that easier to do that when you have a script in your head that you’ve memorized.

GK: Looking back on the whole experience, what do you think you take away from it? What particular aspect of your performance makes you the most proud? Is there something you feel you could have improved?

PG: I take away from this experience almost the whole film-making experience. From the writing side of conceptualizing a story and character creation, to the producer side of casting, site scouting, wardrobe, to acting, to the post-production work, and finally promotion. I’ve never had this much involvement in a film, and I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything in the world. The best part is that everyone was so committed to make this the best experience as possible, which was due entirely to Gwydhar’s leadership. She was responsible for everything you see on screen, and she directed us toward a great piece of work. Most of all, she kept us energized and motivated and creative…and valued out input and suggestions, which made it quite easy to want to do this for her.

I am proud of the finished product. I am proud that we literally started with nothing, and ended up with an entertaining, engrossing, compelling film. I’m proud of the camaraderie our team always maintained throughout what was a fairly challenging experience. I’m very proud of some of my scenes in this film. I’ll never be completely happy with my performance as an actor…I’ll always think I can do better. But in a few scenes, I’ll admit, when I saw them, I thought to myself, “nicely done.” And I am most proud that I was the one who asked Amy Karen do this with us. I KNEW when I asked her that she’d do a great job in this, and she ended being far better than I expected!

GK: Well, I think that’s all the questions I have for you today. Thank you Pete.

PG: Don’t mention it.

I hope that one day the writer can have the some public recognition that actors and directors have, but working with such fine people is reward enough. For now.

See you in the movies!

Dark Before Dawn (Credits) by Daniel Vendt

Don’t forget about the premier this Thursday at 7:30pm at the historic Marcus Theater in downtown Elgin. Hope to see you there!

The “Dark Before Dawn” is a mumblecore type of film. “This film came about very quickly: our first night of shooting was barely a month after we came up with the concept, and it was a new, stripped down form of production that was very different from anything I’d ever tried before”, Director and Producer. Gwydhar Gebien said. “ I think that actually opened up the kind of story that we could tell, the kind of characters that developed and the spirit of the moments that we were able to capture.”

Pete Garlock who played Greg Clemland told us, “Because of its uniqueness as an improvised story, this was definitely a challenge as an actor to work without a script. But I’m amazed how our character’s lives paralleled each other’s, and how compelling the story became. The first time I watched the film, I was completely engrossed…and here I had basically helped write it!”

“I really enjoyed the creative freedom we had while working on this film.” Amy Karen who plays Charlotte in the film went on to say, “ A lot of my character’s background was inspired by my life & the lives of some of my friends. I mean we got to choose our character names, how cool is that?!”

“Stranded at night in an unfamiliar town, two strangers wait for the morning train. Before the night is over, they both will reveal their darkest secrets- secrets that they’ve never told anyone else.”

Following the film there will be a Q&A with the director and stars in the theatre immediately following the showing. Immediately following there will be the Post-Premiere Party, which will take place at the Tilted Kilt, located at 2300 Bushwood Drive, Elgin. Join the director and stars for drinks specials and appetizers!

Tickets for the Premiere are only $5.00. Tickets purchased for the movie will also serve as your ticket into the Post-Premiere Party. If you would like to just attend the post-party tickets are also $5.00.

For more information on the “Dark Before Dawn” or the Premiere night please visit the website at www.darkbeforedawn-movie.com.

So there I was walking stiffed-legged through the frigid cold, down Elizabeth Street to a dark building I had never seen before that night. My breath forms a stinky mist through the scarf wrapped around my face. My eyes tear from the harsh wind and my normal rosy complexion turns a strawberry red. Not to mention my cheeks are numb. Why in God’s name am I doing this to myself?

My question is immediately answered as I step inside — the best things in life are worth the suffering. The interior is warm and bright, with beautiful paintings decorating the studio. Old pieces of scenery reminisce of past glory days and a pretty little kitchen gives the place a homely feel. Forty folding chairs sit arranged before a huge white screen as the audience mingles: the cast, the crew, their family and friends, investors and other supporters of Blue Damen Pictures. The crowd falls silent and the room gets dark as the curtain finally rises on the “underground” preview screening of “Dark Before Dawn”, the latest endeavor of Blue Damen Pictures.

I immediately notice a difference from the earlier, unfinished version of the film I had previously viewed; the former choppy sound plagued with loud background noise and overpowered by ambience was now crisper, cleaner and lead by a nicely flowing score. I am currently developing my screenwriting skills and hope one day to be successful at it; when I heard that this project had no script I felt skeptical at best. But I have to give a lot of credit to the actors, Pete Garlock and Amy Karen, for playing their parts so well and I must give props to the director, Gwydhar, for her amazing shots that make Elgin look more beautiful than I had imagined.

The lights come on and the applause finally dies; the director thanks the audience and hosts a Q&A session (filmed by yours truly). The audience gives it’s approval, asks questions about certain points in the plot and make nice suggestions how the film can be improved. They give compliments to the actors on their on-screen chemistry and how the story develops well. When yours truly hands out questionnaires, I am surprised to find almost everyone is eager to fill out the form; some quickly scribble their opinions on the page while others thoughtfully stroke their chins in thought. They give honest feedback and helpful suggestions that the director takes into careful consideration. It just goes to show you what a strong support base Blue Damen has grown for itself, and how considerate everyone is of each other.

So then I found myself on the same street in the familiar cold, marching like a penguin back to my car a block away from there. I climb inside my car and start the engine; I had made plans to go drinking with my friends that night at some bar, and I didn’t want to be late. But then it hits me; Gwydhar and her entourage were getting food and drinks two blocks the other direction. Drinks with friends? That’s exactly what I had planned anyway. The rest can wait. So I turn off the engine, climb out and head for the after-party. And suddenly the Chicago weather doesn’t seem so cold.

My first blog, that is. This is Greg Kiernan by the way and this is my first time writing on this platform. Why, you ask, did a person who has never blogged about anything before decide to try it out now? Because I have some very exciting news — I am working with a film production company called Blue Damen Productions and we are getting ready to premiere our most recent film.

Blue Damen proudly presents “Dark Before Dawn” — two strangers in the night who meet by a chance encounter wind up it the right place at the right time to change each other’s lives forever. The grand premiere is February 9th at the Marcus Theatre in Elgin. You can follow us on Twitter @BD_DB4D_Movie where you can view tweets from the director and cast members, not to mention the special secret inside info and behind-the-scenes stories. So check it out now!

The premier is not the only piece of exciting news. Blue Damen also welcomes its latest member to the Board of Directors, Scott Beattie. Here’s what Scottie had to say:

“It’s been a long hard road getting to where I am, but I think I can say with confidence that it was the road less taken, and it certainly made all the difference.

I’ve been living in the Chicago-land area since 1999, almost 13 years, and haven’t felt so at home since leaving Upstate NY. I love this city and never want to leave.

I’ve been involved in the performing arts since High School. When I graduated I thought for certain I was going to end up as a professional Theatre Technician, but experience and immaturity led to the decline of that direction. After changing my major six times and my school three times I found myself interested in film. In my very first week at Columbia College Chicago it was clear to me that film is where I belonged.

After two years at Columbia I discovered a fiery passion and undeniable talent in the wood shop. I have never felt such a thrill as walking onto a set and being able to say “I built all that.” My first credited film was “The Knife Throwers Apprentice”, a student Practicum Film at CCC. The Production Designer, Mollie Alexander, was looking for a Construction Coordinator for the film and I volunteered to help. Admittedly I didn’t know I was volunteering to RUN the construction department for her film and was a little intimidated, but I like a challenge and in the end I think we were both happy with the final result. From there it’s been a whirlwind of excitement, frustration, and grim determination. I’ve coordinated two other practicum films and assisted multiple others. I am scheduled to graduate from Columbia in May of 2012 and I look forward to bringing my education into the private sector where I will build some amazing pieces of scenery.

My first experience with Blue Damen was the last night of shooting for the future premiere, Dark Before Dawn. They had asked me to come and observe originally, but staffing issues had me agreeing to operate B camera for the shoot. Talk about jumping in with both feet. The shoot was a 12 hour over night in the city of Elgin, running from one location to the next. By the end I was exhausted but I knew I’d stumbled into something special. The Blue Damen staff love making films and they mix professionalism and goofiness into everything they do. When they are making a film the forefront of their concern is producing the best possible product, regardless of the budget. They make film because they love it, not because they hope it will make them rich. Though that would be nice too. What sealed the deal for me was the pure collaborative effort of their film making process. Everything gets discussed in meetings, with the Director, Writers, Producers and Actors all voicing their opinions. The final decision may fall upon the Producers or Director but the voices of all are heard first. That reason alone was enough for me to accept their invitation to their Board of Directors. I know the board is going to add some work onto my already full plate, but it’s clear to me that this group is capable of making some amazing films. I just couldn’t pass up this opportunity.”

And there you have it, ladies and gentlemen. The sky is the limit for Blue Damen Pictures. Stay tuned for more news and more blogs. Until next time, see you in the movies!

It seems to me that “Chicago Filmmaker” is almost beginning to become a genre designation of its own. Chicago is home to one of the largest film schools in the country after all, and if productions like “Transformers 3″ and “Superman” (excuse me, “Autumn Frost” or whatever they’re calling it on the streets these days) are any indication it is starting to become a home-away-from-home for The Industry as well. We’re not Hollywood, no doubt about that, but I personally don’t believe that is a handicap.

“Dark Before Dawn”

Yes, it was a long and arduous decision-making process to finally settle on this name. We literally debated the topic for weeks. We finally settled on “Dark Before Dawn” for three reasons:

1. “Dark Before Dawn” is short, sweet, and refers both to the physical environment for our characters as well as the emotional place they struggle with.

2. “Dark Before Dawn” makes more sense than “Night Train” because the film really isn’t about trains at all.

3. There are a large handful of films called “Night Train”, the most recent of which was 2009. There is only one other “Dark Before Dawn” and it was made back in 1988.

So, friends and neighbors, that is why we are changing our title to “Dark Before Dawn”. The good news is now that we have a final, formal title for this film we will also be able to put together a proper website for it. We have our domain name and everything:

http://www.darkbeforedawn-movie.com

There isn’t much up on the site yet as we are still developing content for it, but rest assured it will be so awesome that nothing will be able to compete it. Not even puppies.