We did it. We shot 20 Matches.
"We" in this case is me and the extremely talented German-born, Los Angeles-based actress Nina Rausch, along with our equally talented crew: director of photography Marianne Williams, costume designer Mary Wuliger, casting director Michael LaPolla, production sound mixer Brent McClain (who also worked on Party Pooper and Ron and Nancy), key makeup artist Keely Maroney, and Marianne's camera assistant, who wishes to remain anonymous because he only wants the public to know about his actual DP credits. (Showbiz people! But seriously, he was a nice guy and good to work with.)
It was a one-day shoot in Burbank on Sunday, July 26. And we really did light the whole film only with matches, one at a time. (The Sony a7S is remarkable for low-lighting situations.)
Now it's up to the editor, composer, and post production supervisor to work their magic. (I'm keeping their names under wraps for now until I sign their contracts, but I'll talk more about them once the film is done.) The editor is already progressing quickly, and I'm hoping that the film will be finished by September 3, so I can start entering it into festivals.
Once again I offer my heartfelt thanks to all the good people, friends and strangers, who backed 20 Matches on Indiegogo last March. Whether you came in at $2 or $500 or anywhere in between, it was greatly appreciated, and your money was put to good use. I hope you will soon agree that you helped me make a strong, compelling, and truly unique film.