subscribe | advertise | about | contact | home

A Movie in the Making
by Karen Reed-Matthee

They are young, talented and on a formidable mission — to make a movie. Writer and director Megan Griffiths has assembled a team with three other women to help her produce the film, The Off Hours. Each comes to the table with extra helpings of energy and enthusiasm, not to mention an impressive résumé of work in the indie film business.

“Collectively, we’ve worked in over 50 films,” says Griffiths. She and her partners are tucked into a pink and orange vinyl booth at Randy’s Restaurant, a diner on E. Marginal Way that they’re contemplating being the primary set for the film. Having worked with Lacey Leavitt, Mischa Jakupcak and Joy Saez on other projects, Griffiths was familiar enough with their individual strengths and styles to believe that together they could succeed in shepherding the film from development through distribution.

Griffiths herself wrote three award-winning short films before receiving an MFA in film from Ohio University School of Film. In 2002, she produced, wrote and directed the feature-length First Aid for Choking, which screened at several festivals, including Seattle’s, before securing distribution. Based in Seattle, Griffiths has worked as a cinematographer, assistant director and editor for feature films locally and around the U.S.

She began creating The Off Hours four years ago, and brought her coproducers on board a year and a half ago. So far the team has raised more than half of their budget, and while they won’t specify what that is, they say the film falls into the “low-budget” category, which means anywhere from $650,000 to $2 million. They’ve also hired New York casting director Lina Todd, whose L.A. connections have allowed them to sign on actor Aidan Quinn for one of the leading roles. Griffiths says they’re “talking to” other known actors as well. Griffiths is particularly excited about the addition of Van Riker of Seattle’s Barsuk Records as music supervisor. “He worked on the sound track for Lost in Translation and other films. I think he’ll be a real asset.”

Riker has worked with Griffiths on a few other projects and is honored to be included on this one. “Megan is involved in just about every film that comes out of Seattle, as a cinematographer, an AD (assistant director)…Everyone has glowing things to say about her.”

The Off Hours focuses on a waitress, Francine, who works the night shift at a roadside diner in a small, industrial town. She supports her brother and his bandmates, and her relationships with men are her only distraction. Her boss, Stu, has his own issues: struggling to connect with an estranged daughter and keep a dwindling business afloat. Both characters, Griffiths says, make discoveries about the importance of family ties, the consequences of inaction, and the reemergence of hope.

Griffiths can’t wait to get to the actual making of the film in January, “the easy part,” as she puts it. Putting together the nuts and bolts so shooting can begin is always the hardest part, although she’s taken advantage of a few breaks — like obtaining a new filmmaker’s grant from Panavision, which means The Off Hours will be shot with a $16,000 35-millimeter movie camera from the company. The team also hopes to take advantage of the new WashingtonFilmWorks incentive in which filmmakers can apply to be reimbursed for up to 20 percent of all in-state expenditures (including labor and talent) if they spend $500,000 or more, in the case of feature films, here.

Leavitt, who directed and coproduced a documentary on the Rat City Rollergirls and is on the board of directors for IFP (Independent Feature Project) Seattle, is counting on the incentive to refuel the film industry in the state. “There was the explosion in the nineties, but then everybody left town. They went to B.C. where there were a lot more incentives.” Already, she says, there are plenty of signs indicating the movie business is on the rise again just in the Seattle area.

“There’s a lot of local talent here,” adds Saez. “The crews around here know their stuff.”

Seattle filmmaker Lynn Shelton says what the Off Hours team is attempting to do — “trying to pull together a good-sized budget for an independent film and be really ambitious, going after Hollywood actors” — is difficult. “I’m really excited about it.” Griffiths was Shelton’s first assistant director on a feature film she made called We Go Way Back.

Beyond the goal of getting the movie made and sold, The Off Hours producers are also concerned about how the movie is made. “We’re going to be a ‘green’ production, and the state and the city are watching our project to see how we achieve that.” They’re so serious about it in fact that they’re employing the services of Alison Kelly, whose new business, Shooting It Green, is devoted to helping film companies recycle and compost on the set.

“Every department on the set can do one thing to make it more sustainable,” says Griffiths, giving examples such as using biodiesel fuel, partnering with local organic food companies, using paperless communications and recycling the countless water bottles that accumulate on the set.

Jakupcak, who received her MA in filmmaking from the London Film School and has worked in production and development of independent films, as well as writing and directing her own short films, says that she and her Off Hours partners hope to develop lasting relationships with businesses in the Seattle area. For example, she points out how Seattle Goodwill will provide wardrobe and props in exchange for being able to auction off a walk-on part at its annual fundraiser. That kind of symbiotic relationship is another example of sustainability on the set, she adds, because clothing will be used and returned to Goodwill.

Once the film is made, Griffiths estimates the editing process will take about six months. Then comes the work of sending “screeners,” DVDs of the film, to independent film festival boards and seeing if The Off Hours can get picked up and shown, hopefully by one of the “A list” festivals, and purchased for distribution. But that’s in the future. Best to take it one step at a time. For now, these women are rushing off to a wine and cheese party for potential investors, the people with the power to make their dream a reality.

Karen Reed-Matthee is the editor and cofounder of Seattle Woman.

©2007 Caliope Publishing Company