Sunday, March 17, 2013

Welcome to Berkshire County: An Interview with Director Audrey Cummings



1-What first made you want to become a director?

My first love of film making was when I saw my first movie up on the big screen. It was E.T. and it made me love movies more than anything. Then I started hearing about the man who made E.T. and I became a huge fan of Steven Spielberg. The more films he made the more I wanted to do what he was doing.


2-Can you tell us a little about story of Berkshire County and how the film came about?

Chris Gamble (the writer) and I both love sci-fi, horror and thrillers. We were coming off having worked on a few very complex sci-fi scripts and decided it was time to do something terrifying and fun but with a simpler story line than the mind benders we had just completed. We really loved working on this one and the story came together pretty quickly.


3-So far, what's you pre-production been like?

Amazing. I’m just keeping my fingers crossed that it continues to go as smoothly as it has been. It’s also my first time working with producer Bruno Marino and I think he’s just incredible. I would trust any of my films in his hands.


4-The mysterious boy wears a pig mask. How was his mask decided upon? Where there any other looks for him before you settled on that one?

The thought was that these guys are Berkshire pig farmers. The little boy’s mask is really our take on what we envision a baby pig might look like. I worked with a storyboard artist to design the concept art for the masks and then we took them to a special effects make-up place and now we are in the process of creating the actual masks.



5-This is going to be your feature film debut as a director. What kind of pressures have you had to deal with going into this?

My short films have done very well for me and brought me many successes so I feel that I need to deliver a great film in order to keep up with the standard I have set for myself. In short – the pressures are really my own in being the perfectionist type.


6-What are some of the locations you'll be using? Will it be all on location? Any sets?

We were very lucky in having found the perfect location for the isolated home in the country. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect place really. We are shooting a majority of the film at this location but we have several other smaller locations as well including the inside of a cube van.


7-Does the film take place in a modern setting or is it a period piece?

The film is kind of a throw back to the old 70’s babysitter in peril movies that I love so much – but set in modern day and bringing in unique and original twists. One of the terrifying things about this film is that situations like this do happen in real life more often than we want to imagine. And that’s what makes it terrifying.


8-Can you tell us a little about the film's main character and the actress playing her?

The main character is an amazing role for any girl. She is a strong female character who undergoes an intensive and redemptive journey. She needs to learn to stand up for herself and what she believes in, in order to survive. The actress playing her stood out from the very first time we saw her. She has a beautiful vulnerability and is very talented. I can’t wait to get out on set and push her to her limits. I think she’s going to shine.


9-How much of the film have you planned out in your head or in storyboards?

I'm a director who loves to come in all organized and ready to go. That being said on any given day there are about a hundred issues that come up that make you have to change the way you envisioned shooting a scene – but the more prepared you are the easier it is to come up with plan B when you need to.


10-What sort of advice do you have for any aspiring filmmakers about reaching their dream?

This industry is crazy and we’re crazy for being a part of it. But those of us who are committed are committed because we have a deep passion for storytelling that can’t be put aside. If you believe in yourself and what you have to say…anything is possible.

For more info on Berkshire County check out their Facebook page and Berkshire County The Movie.com.

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Hump Day Posters: Berkshire County




CFC alumni Audrey Cummings is set to direct her debut feature Berkshire County this April in Toronto. Pre-Production has already started, Produced by Bruno Marino (Tapped) and Executive Produced by Tony Wosk (The Samaritan.)

The film follows a self-loathing teen who reluctantly agrees to baby-sit at an isolated country home on Halloween night. But when a small boy in a pig mask appears at the door looking for candy, her night takes a horrifying turn for the worst. What ensues is a violent home invasion which forces our unlikely heroine to go beyond what she thought she was capable of in order to survive.

For more info on the film check out the Facebook page and Berkshire County The Movie.com.
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