First Costume Arrives

Today I received in the mail the first costume that will be used in the upcoming shoot for Prescription Happiness.

Costumes Costumes

Today I spent over $180 on costumes today for the Dining Room scene which includes the one pictured above (mask and knife will not be used in the final film).

The image that turned the tide.

It was this painting that changed my entire vision for Prescription Happiness. As I stood before the painting at the Walker Art Center in the Summer of 2007 a scene began to take place in my mind. A group of young women were walk down the street together, marching in complete unison. They wear the exact same outfits made of gray and black. But as I looked closer I could see a hint of color coming out from under the sleeve of one of their outfits. I rush across the street and stop the woman in her tracks. I look closer at the color and begin to rip the sleeve apart at the seams to reveal a bright red undershirt. I continue tearing off her monotone colored clothes to reveal a mosaic of colors underneath.

At this moment I began to think about people, and how we often have one persona that we reveal to the world. Yet underneath we are filled with thoughts and emotions that never reach the surface. How there are parts of us that even those we love will never see, and how there are other areas we cannot even admit to ourselves.

We can pretend to be someone else, and I see a lot of people doing that these days. Being honest with yourself is probably the most important thing in life. If you can't do that, then how can you ever know what you want from life? How can you ever find love? Is it even possible to love?

This painting completely altered my vision for this film, and in turn changed the way I look at those around me, and most importantly changed the perception I have of myself.

Cinematographer Is Set

Brian Walstad will be our DP for Prescription Happiness. Brian and I have had several previous meetings about the film, and I'm excited to have him involved. He's got some great ideas for the visuals of the film (hand cuff earrings??) and now it's on me to finish the shot by shot breakdown I've started so we can meet to discuss changes.

Our Screenplay Is A Winner!

Well, of third place that is. The Minnesota Society for Interest in Science Fiction and Fantasy has awarded the scriptPrescription Happiness 3rd place in their short story competition. I'm pretty happy about this considering it was up against short stories, which are finished products, while a screenplay is merely a blueprint.

We've got a Producer...

Towle Neu has agreed to come on as a Producer. I recently worked with him on a competition film called the Disinherited. We’re going to be shooting Prescription Happiness with the same camera we used on that project, a Canon 7D. Darrin Shaughnessy, who will be acting in Prescription Happiness, plays a lead role in the Disinherited. You can watch it here: The Disinherited