Director/coWriter:
Lee Willett - lee-willett@uiowa.edu (319) 330-6920
Actor/Writer:
Alex Richard - alex-richard@uiowa.edu (319) 270-9251
Monday, November 3, 2008
Production Photos
Our location: Melsha's Tap 
Lee setting up the boom mic
Alex taking some cut-aways
Levi working as our key grip
Lee directing Sarah's performence and Ross' Camera angles
Ross indulging in some fine catering
Aaron and Jamie setting up the lightsActor
Sarah McDermott, Actor in Finding Emo, resides in Iowa City, Iowa. Sarah was the savior of this short, without her rock solid performance throughout the three shoots I fear we would have a much lesser product. She stayed light hearted throughout, even after out DP envoked a little too much of "The male gaze" while shooting. Sarah is a senior at The University of Iowa, majoring in Theatre Arts.
Actor/Writer
Alex Richard, Writer/Actor, resides in Iowa City, Iowa. Alex was thrown into the role of Emo Ian after out first, nameless, actor never showed. Alex claims, "He is nothing like Ian."yet did an eerily amazing job of fitting into the role. Prompting our much more seasoned actor Sarah to ask, "He doesn't dress like that all the time?" Alex is a senior at the University of Iowa, majoring in Cinema.
Director/coWriter
Lee Willett, Director/co-Writer, resides in Iowa City, Iowa. Lee's focus in film is to become a screenwriter, "And has a hard time giving up control to other writers" but really enjoyed learning about comedy from writer/actor Alex Richard. Lee is a senior at the University of Iowa, majoring in Cinema.
DP
Ross Orlikowski, Director of Photography on Finding Emo, resides in Riverside, Iowa. Ross was kind enough to volunteer his efforts for this film, saying “He wants to work on things he likes and he likes this film.” Ross is a senior at The University of Iowa, majoring in Cinema.
We would also like to give a shout out to our lighting and sound crew, comrised of Jamie Schiller, and Aaron Hurlbert both undergrads at The University of Iowa, majoring in Cinema. And a shout to Levi Hood, Key Grip.
Finding Emo Full Synopsis
Finding Emo is a comedic short about twenty-some-things that find each other in the most unlikely of locations, a small town bar. Emo Ian has been hurt by his only true love, he is afraid to admit he has lost it. He pines alone and out loud, as only he can, and is confronted by a seemingly stereotypical college coed; Drunk Debbie.
On the surface Finding Emo is a Classic Hollywood Narrative, but what lies underneath is a plot riddled with gender role swapping, juxtaposition of character and a new breed of antagonist. Emo may sound like it is up its own ass but rest assured while it’s up there its having a good laugh at itself.
Ian and Debbie converge, in this dialog driven short, and have a conversation that drives them across a gamut of emotion: from laughter to near awkward confession, baseball to Nietzsche, social roles and introverts, high school jocks to women’s jeans and the application there of, and of course from Bertram Russell to Kansas. Ian and Debbie don’t always understand each other’s words and definitely don’t understand each other’s lifestyles but they seem to be engaged with each other’s mentalities.
When it all comes down to it, Ian and Debbie are two very different creatures. Here in lies the conflict. Debbie with her no non-sense “Why don’t you just go pick up another chick? At the skate park!” attitude and Ian’s, “The only rational attitude is one of unyielding despair. Bertram Russell said that.” stance could not be farther from each other. Yet they both seem to learn a little bit about life and themselves from each other. That is until Ian ruins it all.
Debbie is disheartened by Ian’s attitude towards her and force’s herself to leave his side, even though she wants to help out her old classmate that she never really knew. But fate steps in and deals Ian the winning bullet in his own game of Russian roulette. Outside in a chance confrontation they meet again to settle the score. Will Ian overcome his eternal battle with himself? Will Debbie find the common ground they stand on? Or will their worlds collide in an unyielding fit of violence created by substance abuse? There is only one way to find out; watch Finding Emo an epic film about an epic journey, through epic trials and tribulations of epic proportions.
-Lee and Alex
On the surface Finding Emo is a Classic Hollywood Narrative, but what lies underneath is a plot riddled with gender role swapping, juxtaposition of character and a new breed of antagonist. Emo may sound like it is up its own ass but rest assured while it’s up there its having a good laugh at itself.
Ian and Debbie converge, in this dialog driven short, and have a conversation that drives them across a gamut of emotion: from laughter to near awkward confession, baseball to Nietzsche, social roles and introverts, high school jocks to women’s jeans and the application there of, and of course from Bertram Russell to Kansas. Ian and Debbie don’t always understand each other’s words and definitely don’t understand each other’s lifestyles but they seem to be engaged with each other’s mentalities.
When it all comes down to it, Ian and Debbie are two very different creatures. Here in lies the conflict. Debbie with her no non-sense “Why don’t you just go pick up another chick? At the skate park!” attitude and Ian’s, “The only rational attitude is one of unyielding despair. Bertram Russell said that.” stance could not be farther from each other. Yet they both seem to learn a little bit about life and themselves from each other. That is until Ian ruins it all.
Debbie is disheartened by Ian’s attitude towards her and force’s herself to leave his side, even though she wants to help out her old classmate that she never really knew. But fate steps in and deals Ian the winning bullet in his own game of Russian roulette. Outside in a chance confrontation they meet again to settle the score. Will Ian overcome his eternal battle with himself? Will Debbie find the common ground they stand on? Or will their worlds collide in an unyielding fit of violence created by substance abuse? There is only one way to find out; watch Finding Emo an epic film about an epic journey, through epic trials and tribulations of epic proportions.
-Lee and Alex
Here's a couple stills from the final scene of Finding Emo
Deb confronting Ian on his insecurtites. 
Emo Ian being emo.Hard times in the world of production
After 3 agonizing shoots, Finding Emo's production is finally complete.
The first shoot went incredibly well, in fact a little too well... We managed to shoot the entire piece in one night, Sunday, October 19th. The acting was exceptional, the lighting was good, and the entire production went incredibly smoothly. But unfortunately when we entered the editing lab we soon realized we had a major problem on our hands. The camera we had been using had a dirty head on it, all the footage we had captured that night became completely useless to us because the video quality looked like that of a web camera.
So the following Tuesday we returned to the bar for re-shoots, but once again we ran into a problem. Through scheduling conflicts we were obligated to only shooting the final exterior scene. And once again, when we returned to the editing lab we realized that the moon was not out that night, aiding us with light like it had on the previous shoot. All the footage was just too dark to work with.
So finally on Wednesday, October 29th we returned yet again for a re-shoot. The third time was definitely a charm for us, though a little rocky at the start of the production we managed to shoot the entire piece that night, aided in part by our three experienced crew members.
So now our production is finished and all we have left to do is complete the post-production process, lets keep our fingers crossed.
-Alex
The first shoot went incredibly well, in fact a little too well... We managed to shoot the entire piece in one night, Sunday, October 19th. The acting was exceptional, the lighting was good, and the entire production went incredibly smoothly. But unfortunately when we entered the editing lab we soon realized we had a major problem on our hands. The camera we had been using had a dirty head on it, all the footage we had captured that night became completely useless to us because the video quality looked like that of a web camera.
So the following Tuesday we returned to the bar for re-shoots, but once again we ran into a problem. Through scheduling conflicts we were obligated to only shooting the final exterior scene. And once again, when we returned to the editing lab we realized that the moon was not out that night, aiding us with light like it had on the previous shoot. All the footage was just too dark to work with.
So finally on Wednesday, October 29th we returned yet again for a re-shoot. The third time was definitely a charm for us, though a little rocky at the start of the production we managed to shoot the entire piece that night, aided in part by our three experienced crew members.
So now our production is finished and all we have left to do is complete the post-production process, lets keep our fingers crossed.
-Alex
Finding Emo's Description
Sitting there sad and lonely as he broods his troubles aloud, a broken hearted emo kid named Ian is reunited with a past crush in a small town bar. Her name is Deb and she has matured into a sporty free spirited co-ed over the years since they graduated. Ian is to shy to address his past feelings for her, but Deb finds Ian's awkwardness intriguing. She converses with Ian hoping to break him from his depression, but Ian inevitably pushes her away. Though plagued with insecurities, Ian is then aggressively forced into maturity through a drunken confrontation with his past crush.
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