Sam and Li

setting up Penny's bedroom

morning

Sam and Li rehearse

Penny in makeup

Filed under:
Production by Alice

the lonely life of a boom operator

Aya Matsui

the director takes a moment with Penny

Aya and Penny in action

the director preps Aya and Penny

setting up a shot

To see more behind the scenes photos from Day 1:

A Crossroad Called Manzanar – Day 1

Filed under:
Production by Alice

This is it. First day of production!

In fact, the crew is scheduled to arrive on set in 20 minutes. Thank goodness the weather seems to be cooperating so far.

A big shout-out to everyone who has been working so hard to get us here. Talk about a million little steps. You folks are fantastic.

Now, time to get the crew some fresh brewed coffee, and get this show on the road. Keep your fingers crossed…

Filed under:
Production by Alice

We are looking for Asian extras of all ages and genders! No acting experience necessary. Specifically, we need individuals who can pass for being of Japanese descent.

The shooting date is Sunday, December 20, 2009. This is an unpaid gig.  Food will be provided, and extras will be credited in the film.

If you are interested, please send an email with your age, your contact information, and a photo of yourself to alice@manzanarfilm.com. Thanks!

Filed under:
Production by Alice

It's official!  We are now being fiscally sponsored by Independent Feature Project (IFP).

This means that as a not-for-profit entity, IFP will accept donations on our behalf… and for all you fine donors, your donations will be tax deductible. A win-win arrangement.

For more information, and to make a donation, please check out our HOW TO HELP page.

Filed under:
Updates by Alice

Whoa, it's almost November! How did that happen?

We just submitted our first quarterly report, to let the good folks at CCLPEP know what we've been up to lately. We're still planning on shooting in December 2009, so, in short, it's been busy. The good news is that things have been moving along pretty much on schedule.

We've got some new folks on board – welcome to Jay (cinematographer),  Sal (1st AD), Michele (production designer), Cindy (art director), and Lynn (costume designer)! Their pix and bios will be added shortly to the Filmmakers page. These folks have been working hard, and it's been great having them on the team. (We promise…snacks at team meetings. Always.)

Another important thing of note for those interested in making donations to the film (needed and welcome!)… we recently applied for a fiscal sponsorship, and are awaiting word on the status. If approved, we will be able to receive donations via a non-profit entity, which means that your donations will be tax exempt.  As soon as we hear, we'll let you know… so tell your friends!

Right then… back to work…

Filed under:
Pre-production by Alice

I've posted some new archival images from the 1940s courtesy of USC and UCLA. Take a peep over on our gallery page.

Filed under:
Educational by Patrick

Much thanks to Phil at angryasianman.com for the blog post regarding our casting call. The more eyeballs, the better.

Filed under:
Shout Outs by Patrick

Japanese-owned grocery store

On Tuesday (9.1) we were invited to give a talk for a class at the University of Southern California School of Social Work. It was a master's level social work class, entitled Human Behavior and Social Environment. The topic of that day's class was social construction of theories, and how social events and trends impact the lives, thoughts, and values of individuals.

We kicked off the class by introducing the story of the film, and then walking through a slide show of archival photos of the time period - the infamous LIFE article, shots of Japanese-owned businesses with posted evacuation notices, photos of Chinese and Korean Americans distancing themselves from the Japanese, families getting rounded up for internment, etc. Fascinating stuff. These photos will be posted on this website shortly.

After the presentation, the students asked a lot interesting questions, ranging from questions about facts we had uncovered during our research, to inspirations for the film and future plans for distribution. For us, it was a great opportunity to hear some initial reactions to the story, and to see how the topic really stimulates introspective discussion.

At the end of the talk, one student volunteered some film-y friends as possible production help for December, and the professor even offered herself as a set extra. Ah, this is the kind of progress we love.

Filed under:
Educational by Alice

We are currently casting for the following roles:

LI CHAN (30's-40's, Chinese American) – A stay-at-home mother who preoccupies herself with the war effort in an attempt to escape domestic discord. Hails from a multi-generational Chinese American family. Must be a native English speaker. This is a speaking role.

SAM CHAN (30's-40's, Chinese American) – A professor at a nearby college who wants to protect his family from the anti-Japanese violence going on around town. Must be a native English speaker. This is a speaking role.

PROJECT DETAILS:
Casting Dates: Sunday, Sept. 13th, 2009. More dates to follow.
Casting Location: Los Angeles
Shooting Dates: Tentatively Dec. 17-20, 2009
Shooting Location: Los Angeles TMZ
Union Status: This production is signed under the SAG Short Film Agreement.

If you or someone you know is interested, contact us at casting@acrossroadcalledmanzanar.com. Please include a headshot and resume.

Filed under:
Pre-production by Cindy