-expansive contraction
-less is more
-stay on the same page
-keep it simple
-it is what it is
SHOOTING AXIOMS:
-single static camera
-narrow depth of field
-back lighting
-no insert shots
-super 16mm look
photos by Lisa Jay
The first person to read a draft of Death & Taxes was cinematographer, Erick Castillo, a former student of mine at the College of Santa Fe. His response – “It’s great, let’s do this!” His enthusiasm was refreshing, but I knew doing a film for next to nothing was going to take time & effort to put together. Aaron Rhodes, who plays the lead, HAROLD, read it next. I had Aaron in mind when I was writing because he's one of the funniest guys I'd ever met. I had no idea he was a ten-year vet of Chicago's Second City, had toured with the company, and had done a short film with Stephen Colbert. When Aaron said he'd do it, if I offered him the role (which I did after auditioning other local actors), for the first time I actually felt the film could happen.
Other former students of mine, Greg Byrd, Nick Najdowski, and Jason Siegel, stepped in to help, as did many recent Santa Fe City College film grads. The first crew members to start work, however, I found on Craig's List. Lisa Jay, my Art Director, had recently moved to Santa Fe and had never worked on a film before, but she was smart, talented and eager to learn, and even with two small kids somehow found the time. Shawn K. Deasy, Attorney at Law, who specializes in estate planning, I persuaded to set up the LLC and other necessary documents to get the production rolling.
Other key personnel just seemed to fall into place. Lynn Goodwin, who plays Harold's wife, JUDY, I’d admired in local theater productions. Lynn introduced me to Patty Smith, my casting director and 1st AD, who then introduced me to Oscar Cifuentes, whose company, Seige Films, provided our gear, and who became an integral crew member.
Makeup artists, Adelicia Rodriguez and Dayan Morgan-Sylvaen, heard about the project and found me. One of the final crew I found was Donovan Thomas, a Native American craft service person, who my buddy, Dale Lotrek, had recommended. I lucked out when Donovan agreed to do the film. He helped in so many ways and kept us nourished and smiling for 20 days of principle, a pickup day, and a green screen day, all in one month.
What’s different about Death & Taxes as compared to most micro-budgeted (under ten grand) digital productions is that it was shot in a retro fashion. There weren’t a bunch of cameras wing-dinging every scene, just one. And the script was tight, rewritten dozens of times. Then it was broken down into a 5-day, 4 week, production schedule. Shooting axioms for the look of the film and production axioms for the design were adhered to. Most of our public locations, like the mini-mart gas station, the bar, the church, and the park, we never own and had to shoot around whatever activity was happening. And sometimes there was a lot. We were fortunate that a some great Santa Fe restaurants kicked in meals, which was a generous thing to do.
Post-production took longer than expected, but it always does. Aside from learning Final Cut Pro X, I continually honed the film and tried to make it as tight as possible. I also did the laborious digital timing to get the look I wanted for Harold, which was way more time consuming than I anticipated. During post an incredible thing happened; award-winning dialogue editor, Rich Quinn, a friend of Erick's, saw the film and offered to put together a team to cut sound and do a mix. Working with re-recording mixer, Roy Waldspurger, sound supervisor, Everett Moore, and a talented crew of sound technicians was truly a memorable experience.
Everyone who gave their time and effort did it pro bono, and in return will be a profit participant, if the film ever makes money. The fact that a radically satirical film like Death & Taxes could get made in New Mexico, and be done the way I envisioned it, is amazing and speaks volumes about the burgeoning film biz here. The movie's awesome look and wonderful acting is a testament to everyone who contributed, and I can't thank them enough.
PRODUCTION
Writer, Producer & Director
Peter McCarthy
Associate Producers
Aaron Rhodes, Lynn Goodwin & Lisa Jay
Production Legal
Shawn K. Deasy, Attorney at Law
Casting Director & 1st Assistant Director
Patty Smith
Art Director & Still Photographer
Lisa Jay
Cinematographer
Erick Castillo
Production Sound
Nick Najdowski
2nd Camera & Assistant Camera
Oscar Cifuentes
2nd Camera, AC, DIT & Steadicam
Greg Byrd
Key Craft Services
Donovan "Donzer" Thomas
AC, DIT & Grip
Victor Alonzo
Gaffer
Terrell Cummings
Additional Gaffer, AC, DIT & Grip
Kirill Oleynikov
AC & DIT
Astrid J. Segovia
Assistant Camera
Madeleine Lauve
Electrician & Grip
Jett Boyton
AC & Best Boy Grip
Sheridan O'Donnell
AC & DIT
Jason Seigel
2nd Assistant Camera, DIT & Grip
Kenney Cox
Digital Information Tech
Jonathan Mugford
Key Makeup
Adelicia Rodriguez
Makeup
Dayan Morgan-Sylvaen
Makeup Assistant
Rachel Lively
Wardrobe
Kristen Chavez
Additional Production Sound
Alex Raguini
Green Screen Production Sound
Phil Arnold
Swing Boom Operator
Andrew Jay
POST-PRODUCTION
Editor
Peter McCarthy
Green Screen Editor
Greg Byrd
Original Score by
Joe West
Additional Score by
Bardford Reed
Kevin MacLeod
Danosongs
hill & Trip
Supervising Sound Design
Everett Moore
Re-Recording Mixer
Roy Waldspurger
Additional Re-Recording Mixer
Malcolm Fife
Dialogue Editors
Matt Hartman
Malcolm Fife
Richard Quinn
Special Thanks To
Chris Scarabosio
Ryan Fries
Jon Greber
Doug Ford
Mike Lane
Bonnie Wild
Special Effects
Luke Fitch
Digital Cinema Print
Alex Usatine
High Desert Digital
ADR,Music, Additional Sound
Cutting & Mixing
Digital Effects & Color Correction
Hugh Kares
SONGS BY
Joe West
Hamell on Trial
hill
Trip
Clem Snide
Treemotel
Smoking Section
GRACIAS
Erick Castillo, Lisa Jay, Patty Smith, Aaron Rhodes & Lynn Goodwin
Shawn K. Deasy, Attorney at Law.
Oscar Cifuentes - Seige Films
G-Byrd & Zoo Crew Productions
Victor Alonzo & Dead Vinyl Productions
Donovan “Donzer” Thomas
Joe West, Bradford Reed, Will Dyar & Trip
Rich Quinn, Everett Moore, Ray Waldspurger, Matt Hartman & Malcolm Fife
Luke Fitch & Seth Lliff - Altitude-FX
Lex Lucius - Lex Lucius Design
Jim Smart - Smart Motors LLC
Charles Ashley - Bernalillo Film Liaison
Bernalillo County Courthouse
Phil Arnold - Southwest Music Productions
Jennifer Migliore aka Jennifer Best
Rob & Angelo DeSimone & Fillup Mini Mart
Michelle Dube, Michelle Gonzalez, Robyn Archuleta & Open Hands Thrift Store
Eduardo Castillo & Molly's Restaurant & Bar
Marsha Wolf at Western Equities
William Roybal & Rosario Cemetery
Dick & Derrick Padilla & Beyond Waves Mountain Surf Shop
Kathy Leyba, BSB/A & Corazon Family Health
Jim Sowa & Alice Springs & The Universalist Unitarian Church
Emily Powell & Laura Nunnelly & Santa Fe University of Art & Design
Melanie Moraise at Daniel's Insurance
Ceasar Barba & Marcus A. Boston
New Mexico Film Commission Website
Peter Grendle & The Screen @ SFUAD
Alex Usatine & High Desert Digital
Lorraine Edge Castillo – Poster Graphic Artist
Wendy Chapin Tomas Moore Jessica Long Bill Georgenes
Eddie Rio Mark Gutterend Brian Murray Crane Ben Taxy
Jarod Lawrence Alton Walpole Matt Page Dale Lotrek Marti Mills
Mommo
SPECIAL THANKS TO THESE GREAT SANTA FE RESTAURANTS
Andiamo's Blue Corn Cafe Counter Culture Café Jinga Bar & Bistro Joe's Diner Maria's Olive Garden Santa Fe Baking Company Schlotzsky's Upper Crust Pizza Zia Diner
CHURCH CONGREGANTS
Evanselina Rivera Marcelina Martin Melissa Sprout-Singh
Pascale Million J.P. Jallifiter Anna R. Rael Delfina Bowles
Adam H. Schwartz Larry Burke Georgia Bueno
DEAD 'n HERE'S
Deborah Chavez Dolores Garcia Daniel Romero
Edgar Allen Dylan Del Compo Destiny Velarde
Genoveva Reyes Nereida Villalobos Manuel Samario
Olivia Gallegos Cesar Barba
SHOPPERS
Robyn Archuleta Michelle Dube Angelo DeSimone
DEATH & TAXES
© 2020 Prickly Pear Productions LLC