How a personal connection to the story helped Murray's find a home, possibly getting on the Academy Award Contender list and why they need 100 bars.
"Murray's is an unusual story. It was the first screenplay I optioned and I tried to get it produced for over five years!"
We - at Acting Indie - tend to gravitate towards the small stories with a lot to tell and talk about. Then we found out Betsy Morris of "Ten Inch Hero" (great movie, you should check it out!) co-wrote "Last Call At Murray's", we were so curious we had to reach out to director Linda Palmer to get some more insight in the feature film that wrapped just a few months ago, is now in post-production and in need of some cooperating bars! Here's to looking at you, bar owners!
Linda Palmer: Acting Indie: Tell us a bit more about yourselfI consider myself a story teller, designer and marketer, and because of that, I often choose projects to write or produce that I can use those skills in.
Acting Indie: How did you get to be the director you are today?
Linda Palmer: After producing two features with other directors, I realized I was a frustrated director. I wanted to be more creatively involved in the projects. Ultimately, because I write and production design too, directing is the natural thing for me to do with my projects to ensure the vision I have for them is met.
Acting Indie: Who influenced or mentored you?
Linda Palmer: I don’t think there is any one person. I took a course with Dov Simmons, the 2 Day Film School, that really convinced me just to make films. I would actually consider all the creative people I’ve worked with on each project, have taught me things I’ve walked away with and bring to each project. As for other filmmakers I aspire to be like, those are the Nora Ephron’s, Quentin Tarantino’s.
Acting Indie: You’re not only a director but also a writer, does the way you write your films influence the way you direct films?
Linda Palmer: Very much so. I have written films I have no desire to direct, but the majority of times, I write ensemble projects with the use of minimal locations (character driven films) with every intention of directing/designing.
Acting Indie: What was it about Last Call at Murrays that attracted you to taking the director’s chair?
Linda Palmer: Murray’s is an unusual story. It was the first screenplay I optioned and I tried to get it produced over 5 years with other directors and producers attached at varying times. We had budgets from 300k to 2 million, had and lost actors and directors. Finally, my producers about 4 years in, agreed I should direct and since it was my first attempt at directing a feature, I story boarded the entire film. I drew over 1,000 drawings, more to plan where the characters were at and to give everyone more confidence in my ability to direct.
Linda Palmer: Acting Indie: Tell us a bit more about yourselfI consider myself a story teller, designer and marketer, and because of that, I often choose projects to write or produce that I can use those skills in.
Acting Indie: How did you get to be the director you are today?
Linda Palmer: After producing two features with other directors, I realized I was a frustrated director. I wanted to be more creatively involved in the projects. Ultimately, because I write and production design too, directing is the natural thing for me to do with my projects to ensure the vision I have for them is met.
Acting Indie: Who influenced or mentored you?
Linda Palmer: I don’t think there is any one person. I took a course with Dov Simmons, the 2 Day Film School, that really convinced me just to make films. I would actually consider all the creative people I’ve worked with on each project, have taught me things I’ve walked away with and bring to each project. As for other filmmakers I aspire to be like, those are the Nora Ephron’s, Quentin Tarantino’s.
Acting Indie: You’re not only a director but also a writer, does the way you write your films influence the way you direct films?
Linda Palmer: Very much so. I have written films I have no desire to direct, but the majority of times, I write ensemble projects with the use of minimal locations (character driven films) with every intention of directing/designing.
Acting Indie: What was it about Last Call at Murrays that attracted you to taking the director’s chair?
Linda Palmer: Murray’s is an unusual story. It was the first screenplay I optioned and I tried to get it produced over 5 years with other directors and producers attached at varying times. We had budgets from 300k to 2 million, had and lost actors and directors. Finally, my producers about 4 years in, agreed I should direct and since it was my first attempt at directing a feature, I story boarded the entire film. I drew over 1,000 drawings, more to plan where the characters were at and to give everyone more confidence in my ability to direct.
"I should have quit my regular job a lot sooner!"
Where in the pre-production process did you get involved? Linda Palmer: I think I kind of answered that prior, but even from the beginning when I had other directors attached, I was producing and production designing the film. I had come to realize I didn’t want to |
produce another film without some creative input and design was my calling. It truly is the part of filmmaking I love the most.
Acting Indie: In your experiences working in the industry, what are some of the do's and don’ts you wish someone would have told you about before you started?
Linda Palmer: I should have quit my regular job a lot sooner and went to work on films or in production companies at whatever level was required (the mail room or a PA) Experience and relationships are the things that will make your career, not necessarily in that order. I always thought I could do whatever I wanted and pretty much did, but ultimately not having relationships to push my work to the next level, has been the hardest part.
Acting Indie: Tell us a bit about Runway productions, why did you start it, what are the type of projects you’re interested in?
Linda Palmer: I started my production company, Runaway Productions, in 1997 when I produced my first project, a series of PSA’s for “Children of the Night” that ran in the LA market for close to 5 years. As you can see from the story at the site, I was once a “runaway”. A friend’s family took me in and it changed my life. I consider that moment of leaving home, the moment my life changed, which is why my company has that moniker. Since the PSA’s, I’ve produced many other commercials, short and feature films. I’m most interested in minimal location, ensemble projects in the comedy / rom-com genres. Ultimately I’m interested in great stories.
Acting Indie: Talk to us a bit about the process from Pitch to film of this project?
Linda Palmer: Well, you know how I came to get this story originally, but after 5 years of trying to get it made and my producing partner passing away, I gave the project back to the writers in hopes they could find another producer to get it off the ground with. I wrote two more features, directed and designed one of them, “Halloween Party”, and then made my recent award winning short, “Our Father”. I felt I needed one more mid-range budget film under my belt before I move into directing my next film, “Turnover”, so I reconnected with Brian [Beatty] and Betsy [Morris] (the Murray’s writers) to see if they had a producer attached to Murray’s and if they might be interested in making it with me. Brian ended up becoming our exec producer as well with his wife, Sandy, and we raised enough money to shoot it this past January 2015. Currently we are raising more money for the edit which is going a little slower.
Linda Palmer: I should have quit my regular job a lot sooner and went to work on films or in production companies at whatever level was required (the mail room or a PA) Experience and relationships are the things that will make your career, not necessarily in that order. I always thought I could do whatever I wanted and pretty much did, but ultimately not having relationships to push my work to the next level, has been the hardest part.
Acting Indie: Tell us a bit about Runway productions, why did you start it, what are the type of projects you’re interested in?
Linda Palmer: I started my production company, Runaway Productions, in 1997 when I produced my first project, a series of PSA’s for “Children of the Night” that ran in the LA market for close to 5 years. As you can see from the story at the site, I was once a “runaway”. A friend’s family took me in and it changed my life. I consider that moment of leaving home, the moment my life changed, which is why my company has that moniker. Since the PSA’s, I’ve produced many other commercials, short and feature films. I’m most interested in minimal location, ensemble projects in the comedy / rom-com genres. Ultimately I’m interested in great stories.
Acting Indie: Talk to us a bit about the process from Pitch to film of this project?
Linda Palmer: Well, you know how I came to get this story originally, but after 5 years of trying to get it made and my producing partner passing away, I gave the project back to the writers in hopes they could find another producer to get it off the ground with. I wrote two more features, directed and designed one of them, “Halloween Party”, and then made my recent award winning short, “Our Father”. I felt I needed one more mid-range budget film under my belt before I move into directing my next film, “Turnover”, so I reconnected with Brian [Beatty] and Betsy [Morris] (the Murray’s writers) to see if they had a producer attached to Murray’s and if they might be interested in making it with me. Brian ended up becoming our exec producer as well with his wife, Sandy, and we raised enough money to shoot it this past January 2015. Currently we are raising more money for the edit which is going a little slower.
"Seeing an actor create magic is always breath taking or hysterical."
Acting Indie: What are some of the difficulties or challenges (other than the budget) Indie films have compared to their big budget studio feature counterparts?
Linda Palmer: I think the money is the biggest challenge because without it, you can’t make films. However, that aside, every film has its own challenges. They’re all different.
What is the atmosphere or mood you’re trying to set or create with this film?
Linda Palmer: I grew up with a waitress / bartender mom, so when I read Murray’s, I connected to the people since I had known many people like these characters through my life. My hope is that people connect with the characters in this story and they learn something from their journey. As you can probably guess, most of the work I’ve done, has characters trapped in certain situations and they have to deal with each other. I love that kind of storytelling.
Acting Indie: Who’s Jack and why should we ask for him?
Linda Palmer: Jack is our mascot. He was largely developed to give us a marketing tool since we didn’t have cast in the beginning. Brian and Betsy loved some of our pre-artwork of Jack, and then gave him a bigger role in the film then was previously there. Ultimately, Jack is a wise guy. The “alter ego” of Murray.
Acting Indie: How was the collaboration between you – directing – and the cast?
Linda Palmer: Normally, I like to have more time with the cast before we shoot, but our budget didn’t allow for this. We had one reading that not everyone could attend, and then we started shooting. The best part of what was created between the actors and me as a director, is largely casting. We had the right actors and they’re all professionals. They completely brought life to their characters the way I hoped they would. Rarely did I need to interject or give them other direction.
Acting Indie: Was there a lot of ad-lip or are you strict at following the script?
Linda Palmer: This is a great script, so we pretty much left it the way it was. I like to give the actor the opportunity to ad lib if time permits, but we shot 7 pgs a day for 14 days and it was a very aggressive shoot. We did all that in 12 hours a day accept the last day, which may have been a 14 hour day. It’s all a blur to me now.
Acting Indie: Any difficulties or delays that were particularly challenging towards production?
Linda Palmer: Mostly that we had the location for a set period and had to get everything we needed in that time. We had a great team and everyone pulled it off. Kudos to all of them :)
Acting Indie: While filming Last Call at Murray's, did you have moments as a director where you thought “YES, THIS IS IT, this is perfect!!”
Linda Palmer: Absolutely! Seeing an actor or actors create magic is always breathtaking or hysterical.
Acting Indie: We were told there was a certain something about collecting bras? What do bras have to do with Last Call at Murrays?
Linda Palmer: I think that’s a question better answered by Betsy since she and Brian created that world in the beginning and then she headed up a massive collection of signed prop bras!
Acting Indie: How do you create “the perfect shot”? Is there actually such a thing?
Linda Palmer: I don’t think of it as a perfect shot, but a perfect moment. That moment when all the elements of all the departments and cast come together and work seamlessly.
Linda Palmer: I think the money is the biggest challenge because without it, you can’t make films. However, that aside, every film has its own challenges. They’re all different.
What is the atmosphere or mood you’re trying to set or create with this film?
Linda Palmer: I grew up with a waitress / bartender mom, so when I read Murray’s, I connected to the people since I had known many people like these characters through my life. My hope is that people connect with the characters in this story and they learn something from their journey. As you can probably guess, most of the work I’ve done, has characters trapped in certain situations and they have to deal with each other. I love that kind of storytelling.
Acting Indie: Who’s Jack and why should we ask for him?
Linda Palmer: Jack is our mascot. He was largely developed to give us a marketing tool since we didn’t have cast in the beginning. Brian and Betsy loved some of our pre-artwork of Jack, and then gave him a bigger role in the film then was previously there. Ultimately, Jack is a wise guy. The “alter ego” of Murray.
Acting Indie: How was the collaboration between you – directing – and the cast?
Linda Palmer: Normally, I like to have more time with the cast before we shoot, but our budget didn’t allow for this. We had one reading that not everyone could attend, and then we started shooting. The best part of what was created between the actors and me as a director, is largely casting. We had the right actors and they’re all professionals. They completely brought life to their characters the way I hoped they would. Rarely did I need to interject or give them other direction.
Acting Indie: Was there a lot of ad-lip or are you strict at following the script?
Linda Palmer: This is a great script, so we pretty much left it the way it was. I like to give the actor the opportunity to ad lib if time permits, but we shot 7 pgs a day for 14 days and it was a very aggressive shoot. We did all that in 12 hours a day accept the last day, which may have been a 14 hour day. It’s all a blur to me now.
Acting Indie: Any difficulties or delays that were particularly challenging towards production?
Linda Palmer: Mostly that we had the location for a set period and had to get everything we needed in that time. We had a great team and everyone pulled it off. Kudos to all of them :)
Acting Indie: While filming Last Call at Murray's, did you have moments as a director where you thought “YES, THIS IS IT, this is perfect!!”
Linda Palmer: Absolutely! Seeing an actor or actors create magic is always breathtaking or hysterical.
Acting Indie: We were told there was a certain something about collecting bras? What do bras have to do with Last Call at Murrays?
Linda Palmer: I think that’s a question better answered by Betsy since she and Brian created that world in the beginning and then she headed up a massive collection of signed prop bras!
Acting Indie: How do you create “the perfect shot”? Is there actually such a thing?
Linda Palmer: I don’t think of it as a perfect shot, but a perfect moment. That moment when all the elements of all the departments and cast come together and work seamlessly.
With that said, I’m a great cheerleader. I know I inspire people with my enthusiasm and perseverance. All great projects, need great leaders or visionaries.
Acting Indie: From the moment you yell “that’s a wrap” to post-production to the release of the movie, how do you work through that? Take us through your post-production process.
Linda Palmer: First, you rest, then you party, then you start a very solitary lengthy relationship with your editor and post team. We don’t have any hard deadlines which is a huge plus. Fortunately, the editing is not nearly as costly as production and my editor and I have a great short hand. I let him give me his cut and then we go through a series of changes based on my notes until I get a cut I’m happy with. I like to add temp music or original music (in this case we’ll have three original songs written for the movie) and a variety of other original music for the jukebox, in order to give my cut a more finished feel. From there, I get input from my producing partners and we fine tune and finish the film. During this phase, I’m primarily developing the marketing for the film as the editor is finishing the cut.
Acting Indie: What are some of the misconceptions people have about the pre-production and post-production process?
Linda Palmer: The biggest is you need all the money up front. You don’t. You just need to know it takes more time.
Acting Indie: Does casting an Indie film work differently than casting a big budget film. For those who don’t know, how does the casting process generally work in the film industry?
Linda Palmer: I’ve worked with the same casting director, Debra McCarthy, for most of my projects. I have no idea how big budget films work, other than offering lots of money to stars. Since we don’t have that ability we generally make a wish list of stars for certain characters and start making offers and hope that one of the stars we like, connects with the material and is willing to do the film for less than their rate.
Acting Indie: Did you already know the writers of the film or how did you get in touch with them (or they with you)? Were you forwarded the script through an agent/the submission process on your website/directly from them?
Linda Palmer: They found me.
Acting Indie: From the moment you yell “that’s a wrap” to post-production to the release of the movie, how do you work through that? Take us through your post-production process.
Linda Palmer: First, you rest, then you party, then you start a very solitary lengthy relationship with your editor and post team. We don’t have any hard deadlines which is a huge plus. Fortunately, the editing is not nearly as costly as production and my editor and I have a great short hand. I let him give me his cut and then we go through a series of changes based on my notes until I get a cut I’m happy with. I like to add temp music or original music (in this case we’ll have three original songs written for the movie) and a variety of other original music for the jukebox, in order to give my cut a more finished feel. From there, I get input from my producing partners and we fine tune and finish the film. During this phase, I’m primarily developing the marketing for the film as the editor is finishing the cut.
Acting Indie: What are some of the misconceptions people have about the pre-production and post-production process?
Linda Palmer: The biggest is you need all the money up front. You don’t. You just need to know it takes more time.
Acting Indie: Does casting an Indie film work differently than casting a big budget film. For those who don’t know, how does the casting process generally work in the film industry?
Linda Palmer: I’ve worked with the same casting director, Debra McCarthy, for most of my projects. I have no idea how big budget films work, other than offering lots of money to stars. Since we don’t have that ability we generally make a wish list of stars for certain characters and start making offers and hope that one of the stars we like, connects with the material and is willing to do the film for less than their rate.
Acting Indie: Did you already know the writers of the film or how did you get in touch with them (or they with you)? Were you forwarded the script through an agent/the submission process on your website/directly from them?
Linda Palmer: They found me.
"We're looking for 100 bars to become official test-screening locations!"
Acting Indie: Bar settings can be rather daunting, lighting-wise (etc). How important is the work of a DP in these scenarios?
Linda Palmer: The DP creates the vision of the director or designer. Since I was both, and I had a very clear vision of what this bar set would look like, (you should see my original set drawings compared to what we shot many years later), I gave the DP my look book and he went about creating it on set. Shooting with the RED gave us a lot of flexibility to work with the lighting. Some scenes seemed a little light or dark but it all can be easily fixed in color correction to match the ideal look we created.
Acting Indie: Do you need a lot of location scouting for scenarios like Last Call at Murray's, where one location is the main focus? How did you go about finding the perfect locations? Did you do any location scouting or did you find inspiration to dress your studio bar, while visiting bars?
Linda Palmer: Money was the biggest motivator in our decision. Our co-exec producer, Sandy Beatty (Brian’s wife), actually found the studio set that we modified to create our world.
Acting Indie: When can people expect to see Last Call at Murrays?
Linda Palmer: Late 2015.
Acting Indie: Is there already a trailer/teaser?
Linda Palmer: Yes! There currently is a music video of one of our original songs that was created on set by our music producer and assistant editor (Marvin Glover and Puppett) and there is a one minute comedy teaser. They both give the audience a feel for what the film is like, which is very much the tone of “Breakfast Club”.
Linda Palmer: The DP creates the vision of the director or designer. Since I was both, and I had a very clear vision of what this bar set would look like, (you should see my original set drawings compared to what we shot many years later), I gave the DP my look book and he went about creating it on set. Shooting with the RED gave us a lot of flexibility to work with the lighting. Some scenes seemed a little light or dark but it all can be easily fixed in color correction to match the ideal look we created.
Acting Indie: Do you need a lot of location scouting for scenarios like Last Call at Murray's, where one location is the main focus? How did you go about finding the perfect locations? Did you do any location scouting or did you find inspiration to dress your studio bar, while visiting bars?
Linda Palmer: Money was the biggest motivator in our decision. Our co-exec producer, Sandy Beatty (Brian’s wife), actually found the studio set that we modified to create our world.
Acting Indie: When can people expect to see Last Call at Murrays?
Linda Palmer: Late 2015.
Acting Indie: Is there already a trailer/teaser?
Linda Palmer: Yes! There currently is a music video of one of our original songs that was created on set by our music producer and assistant editor (Marvin Glover and Puppett) and there is a one minute comedy teaser. They both give the audience a feel for what the film is like, which is very much the tone of “Breakfast Club”.
Acting Indie: The film industry has a new friend in crowdfunding. Do you think it’s an advantage or disadvantage, how did you experience the process for Last Call at Murray's?
Linda Palmer: Crowdfunding is a unique way to build an audience and raise funds at the same time. My last film was paid for nearly entirely by donation and 2/3’s of that through crowdfunding. I say it’s a great advantage.
Acting Indie: Talk to us about the music you plan to get on the Oscar contender list?
Linda Palmer: My previous feature, “Halloween Party”, had the unique recognition of having an Oscar contender opening song the year “Skyfall” won from Bond. We are hoping to do the same with Murray’s with three possible opportunities, only this time we hope to even get nominated J
Acting Indie: Tell us a bit about your special bar releases? Why are you looking for bars/What do you hope to accomplish/Why should bar owners contact you if they’re interested?
Linda Palmer: This is a big part of my marketing background and the ability to know your audience. We believe our audience is sitting in bars across America and beyond. Currently we are looking for 100 bars to join us and become official test screening locations for our first preview of the film. The ideal bar is a local neighborhood bar. They can make a unique event out of the screening or make it as big or small as they want. We provide them with lots of cool give-aways to make it fun and they encourage their patrons to give us feedback on our on-line survey. Essentially we market their bar as one of our locations and they are attached to our website as our partners and we promote them for up to a year in conjunction with our release of the film. It’s a win-win. For a small fee to them, we are able to raise the rest of our post production and marketing funds and they get years worth of advertising with our film.
Acting Indie: You’ve got a few highly credited (and well-liked) actors onboard for Last Call at Murray's, did you approach them/did they approach you?
Linda Palmer: We do have some well known cast. Michael Gross of Family Ties and Tremors worked with me on “Our Father”, so getting him to read my next project was an easier task than most others. John Savage, well known for Deer Hunter, Inside Moves and countless other films, was cast through our casting director process.
Acting Indie: The synopsis to Last Call at Murray's is a little vague and cryptic, can you elaborate on what the movie’s about?
Linda Palmer: The movie is about a group of people trapped and how they continue to discover more about each other in one night. Ultimately it deals with what happens to people when they’re forced to be in situations they avoid.
Acting Indie: What will people actually be watching?
Linda Palmer: A lot of fun and heartwarming moments.
Acting Indie: Do you already have a distributor for the film/Are you self-distributing via your production company?
Linda Palmer: At this time, we don’t have distribution.
Acting Indie: Why should people watch or invest in Indies instead of big budget projects?
Linda Palmer: Indie films often have much more original and niche stories they are telling. They’re not about getting the box office dollar that studios have made the business.
Linda Palmer: Crowdfunding is a unique way to build an audience and raise funds at the same time. My last film was paid for nearly entirely by donation and 2/3’s of that through crowdfunding. I say it’s a great advantage.
Acting Indie: Talk to us about the music you plan to get on the Oscar contender list?
Linda Palmer: My previous feature, “Halloween Party”, had the unique recognition of having an Oscar contender opening song the year “Skyfall” won from Bond. We are hoping to do the same with Murray’s with three possible opportunities, only this time we hope to even get nominated J
Acting Indie: Tell us a bit about your special bar releases? Why are you looking for bars/What do you hope to accomplish/Why should bar owners contact you if they’re interested?
Linda Palmer: This is a big part of my marketing background and the ability to know your audience. We believe our audience is sitting in bars across America and beyond. Currently we are looking for 100 bars to join us and become official test screening locations for our first preview of the film. The ideal bar is a local neighborhood bar. They can make a unique event out of the screening or make it as big or small as they want. We provide them with lots of cool give-aways to make it fun and they encourage their patrons to give us feedback on our on-line survey. Essentially we market their bar as one of our locations and they are attached to our website as our partners and we promote them for up to a year in conjunction with our release of the film. It’s a win-win. For a small fee to them, we are able to raise the rest of our post production and marketing funds and they get years worth of advertising with our film.
Acting Indie: You’ve got a few highly credited (and well-liked) actors onboard for Last Call at Murray's, did you approach them/did they approach you?
Linda Palmer: We do have some well known cast. Michael Gross of Family Ties and Tremors worked with me on “Our Father”, so getting him to read my next project was an easier task than most others. John Savage, well known for Deer Hunter, Inside Moves and countless other films, was cast through our casting director process.
Acting Indie: The synopsis to Last Call at Murray's is a little vague and cryptic, can you elaborate on what the movie’s about?
Linda Palmer: The movie is about a group of people trapped and how they continue to discover more about each other in one night. Ultimately it deals with what happens to people when they’re forced to be in situations they avoid.
Acting Indie: What will people actually be watching?
Linda Palmer: A lot of fun and heartwarming moments.
Acting Indie: Do you already have a distributor for the film/Are you self-distributing via your production company?
Linda Palmer: At this time, we don’t have distribution.
Acting Indie: Why should people watch or invest in Indies instead of big budget projects?
Linda Palmer: Indie films often have much more original and niche stories they are telling. They’re not about getting the box office dollar that studios have made the business.
We'd like to thank Last Call At Murray's director Linda Palmer for her time and sharing her experiences. We'd also like to thank Betsy Morris for getting us in touch!
Here are some useful Last Call At Murray's-related links for you in the mean time:
Visit the LAST CALL AT MURRAY'S website
Follow LAST CALL AT MURRAY'S on Twitter
Like LAST CALL AT MURRAY'S on Facebook
Find more info on how you & your bar can get involved
All media was used with permission.
Feel like working with Acting Indie to feature your project or do you support Indie films through special (funding,..) programs, EMAIL US and find out how we can work together! actingindie[at]gmail.com
More Acting Indies?
Follow Acting Indie On Twitter Like Acting Indie On Facebook
Here are some useful Last Call At Murray's-related links for you in the mean time:
Visit the LAST CALL AT MURRAY'S website
Follow LAST CALL AT MURRAY'S on Twitter
Like LAST CALL AT MURRAY'S on Facebook
Find more info on how you & your bar can get involved
All media was used with permission.
Feel like working with Acting Indie to feature your project or do you support Indie films through special (funding,..) programs, EMAIL US and find out how we can work together! actingindie[at]gmail.com
More Acting Indies?
Follow Acting Indie On Twitter Like Acting Indie On Facebook
All rights reserved, no portion of this interview may be blatantly copy/pasted without prior consent and back linking to the original article © Acting Indie 2015