Destroy Roy Premiere

Destroy Roy, the highly anticipated, 20-minute cinematic achievement of 2008, is proud to announce its first (and perhaps only) public screening.

When: Friday, May 2, 2008

Where: 402 Heartwood Dr.

Time: 7 p.m.

Attire: Please.

What We Can Provide: Kindness. Compassion. Attitude. Movie.

What You Can Provide: Drinks. Chips. Beer. Whatever.

(Hey, we’re filmmakers. We’re journalists. We’re broke. Get over it.)

Details: For those of you who do not know, Andrea Ball, Todd Gernert and Brian Diggs have produced a movie called Destroy Roy. In this film, several reporters scheme to ruin their ruthless and selfish editor. Come show your support!

ta da!

So. I now have a master copy of the movie in hand.

Yes my friends. I have seen the enemy. And the enemy is us.

No no. It actually is pretty funny, I think you’ll all be very pleased. I am going to start narrowing down a date for the cast party, which is going to be pretty low rent because — as I think I may have mentioned before — I’m broke. Destroy Roy destroyed my finances.

OK, well that’s not exactly true. Let’s just say there’s no more Roy money to spread around. So for the party, think BYOB, potluck and casual wear.

We probably won’t be renting out a theater for a screening either. As much as I would love that, it’s not economically viable. We need a patron/patroness. Anyone know such a person who would love to invest in our success? No? Oh well.

Anyway, we have entered our movie in a movie festical of shorts. I think it’s a very casual thing where everyone gets in, but maybe not. I’ll keep you posted on that.

Anyway, more Backstories and info to come, so keep an eye out.

Andrea

Backstory: Dave Harmon

Everybody loves Dave. And I’m not just saying that because he’s my boss.

Dave Harmon has been my boss twice in his career. Once was in 2001, when — due to unfortunate circumstances — I was literally insane. I will never forget crying hysterically on the phone with him, making absolutely no sense whatsoever.

Dave just listened patiently. Because that’s what Dave does.

At work, people fight for him to edit their stories. I would threaten them with bodily harm if they lured him away permanently. No one steals my editor and lives to tell the tale.

But who could blame them? Dave was a great reporter, but his true gift is in editing. He knows how to make a reporter shine without making them feel like crap about their shortcomings.

Dave is an outdoorsy guy. He goes camping (in a TENT, I believe) and has lived in the woods for terrifyingly long periods of time. He’s also a big fan of home improvement work and has turned his house into a warm and inviting abode.

Dave was just sitting in the newsroom, minding his own business, when I suckered him into appearing in Destroy Roy. Dave has a face and voice made for movies, but I admit to more nefarious motives.

I figured if Dave was involved, I couldn’t get fired. TAKE THAT naysayers!

Dave did a great job in this film. He showed up for rehearsals and all shoots. He even let us invade his house with a full cast and crew after work one night.

Admit it: You wish you were Dave Harmon.

But you’re not. So get over it.

Because You’re Worth It

Are you having a bad day? Feeling frustrated with this gloomy weather and the crummy hair that comes with it?

Here is the answer to your troubles: The Destroy Roy Blooper Reel. Because you’re worth it.

Backstory: Todd Gernert

To tell this Backstory, we must go way way back… to 1995.

I was 24. Todd was 23. We were both brand new reporters at a small North Carolina daily.

Todd loved to write. He loved movies and big fat books. Sometimes we talked about how cool it would be to make a movie, but we never really thought it through. How would we do that? It was 1995 and a videocamera was far too expensive for the likes of us. So that was that.

But Todd has always been very creative. Behind that quiet, mellow personality lies a very funny guy.

I can’t count the number of writing books he’s read during our 10-year-marriage. He’s always studying plot, structure, character and such things.

So when I wrote Destroy Roy, Todd was — as always — my first stop. He read it, encouraged me, gave me ideas and then joined in on the fun himself. He injected wit and energy into the script where it was lacking. He toned down scenes that went overboard (me, overboard?).

And then came his crowning achievement: The pink cape.

Those of you who think I cajoled or threatened Todd into donning that freaky outfit are dead wrong. It was HIS idea. Oh yes my friends. Behind that respectable exterior lies the heart of an exhibitionist.

Todd has been so supportive throughout this entire project. He watched the kids while I held auditions and rehearsals. He made the trailer. He designed a dvd cover for us. And he’s now writing a feature-length script called Unconventional, which has something to do with a comic book convention. Or something.

Todd is a creative genius waiting to be discovered. If you’d like to discover him, please email him right away.

Where are you now?

So it’s been a month since we wrapped up shooting, and, of course, life goes on.

I know some of you are auditioning for new parts. Others (like me) are focusing on their day jobs. In some exciting news, Todd — our Man in Pink — auditioned for the adult male lead in another independent film and it looks like he got a callback!

That’s really cool since this is his first audition ever, I believe. He only ended up in Destroy Roy because he knew the director.

Assuming he’s not married to this new director, getting a callback his first time out is a great accomplishment.

So what’s going on with the rest of you? Any exciting news to share?

 

Backstory: Kathy MacKenzie

Sometimes you look at an actor and you just know she’s The One.

You don’t exactly know why. Is it the voice? The body? The facial expressions? Wardrobe? The energy she emits when she walks into the room?

I honestly have no idea. But the minute Kathy MacKenzie opened her mouth, I knew she was The One.

Throughout this entire process, Kathy has been my rock. She was always on time and completely prepared. Not only did she know her lines, but she had different interpretations available just in case the first didn’t work.

She helped us write music and brainstorm ideas. She was always around when I needed to rant and rave. Plus, she has those fabulously crazy pink glasses.

What impressed me most about Kathy was her devotion to this project. Indie movies are a hit or miss thing when you don’t pay people. Things come up, people cancel, they can’t make rehearsal, whatever. That’s life.

But Kathy never wavered. Even when she was in the hospital, she came through for us. Which is insane, but she did it anyway.

Thank you Kathy for commiting your talent to this project. You are awesome.

DVD Cover

So as you may know, we’ve been experimenting with several trailers, dvd covers, etc. We’re just having fun trying different things.

This is one of our DVD covers. (please excuse how both versions are getting cut off due to the template)

(Design by Eric Power of http://clearproductions.net. Photo by Brian Diggs)

Here’s another one.

(Design by Todd Gernert, Photo by Brian Diggs)

Backstory: Ben Wear

The first time I met Ben Wear, he assigned me to a story about the dump.

That’s right. The dump.

Nine years ago, Ben was an editor at the Statesman. I was the new reporter from North Carolina.  Ben had heard about a local landfill with an on-site store stocked with stuff customers had thrown away.

Stoves. Bikes. Barbie heads. A load of bowling balls.

Anyway, I did the story and it was a lot of fun. But I knew right then and there not to underestimate Ben Wear’s weirdness.

Ben is a real actor.  He’s actually been on Broadway. Or near Broadway. I can’t remember.

Ask him about the time he played a reindeer off-broadway. It is the inspiration for another script called The Rudolph Incident (expected release date: 2023).

Ben is a really good actor. I first discovered this during filming of Fit Chix, a short movie produced by Mooncat Films. Ben played a slimy casting agent.

I was so impressed with Ben that I wrote the part of Roy Al Helmstadt with him in mind. His performance has exceeded my expectations.

A bit of trivia about Ben Wear and Destroy Roy.

Ben is wearing a $15 suit purchased at the Junior League Resale Shop on Burnet Rd. His hat was a rental from Lucy in Disguise. We picked that hat because it was pretty much the only one that fit his abnormally massive noggin.

Thanks, Ben, for playing Roy. We couldn’t have done it without you.

Slogging along

So I’m still working on replacing your bios.

 hope to have all of them back in the site by the end of the weekend.Dacia and Scott — two members of our fabulous crew — are getting together this weekend to work on the documentary.

I sincerely hope this doesn’t include me screaming “WHERE IS MY SODA!!!” on the first night of filming. As some of you recall, I drank about 8 cokes in 5 hours that night and smoked about a pack of cigarettes.

As I went to bed that night, I swore to God or Buddha or Whomever that I would never disrespect my body like that again. (a promise I have partially kept)

Anyway, I look forward to seeing what they come up with. More details soon. 

Andrea