"Detours" cast/crew/special guests screening

[mlesemann]

We recently had a special screening of my new feature Detours - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3625136/combined - for cast, crew, & special guests. My new blog post has some photos that I wanted to share. You can check it out here:
http://moreorlessonmovies.blogspot.com/2016/02/detours-castcrewspecial-guest-screening.html

Also, as a side note, for anyone in the NYC area who wants or needs to rent a small theater for a screening, I definitely recommend Anthology Film Archives - http://anthologyfilmarchives.org/. They have 2 excellent spaces that are well priced (info on their web site).

 

[NickClapper]

Congratulations Mara, looks great!

I was wondering what you'd say, practically and creatively speaking, have been the step-ups from Surviving Family to Detours? Are you happier with this picture?

 

[mlesemann]

Thanks Nick! I was really delighted with how it looked & sounded, and how the audience responded to the story.

First, a bit of context re Surviving Family: it's had a very nice pick-up in sales & rentals over the past few months, mostly on the back of our leading man, Billy Magnussen. I've also been very gratified as to how the mental illness issue has resonated with viewers - there's 33 reviews on Amazon, so you can browse them yourself to get a feel for it.
http://www.amazon.com/Surviving-Family-Billy-Magnussen/dp/B00SMPKTUQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1455847113&sr=8-1&keywords=surviving+family

I think Detours is a step up because I learned a lot the first time around - here's a list that I'm sure misses a few things.

1. I wrote the screenplay with more of an eye to the practicalities of shooting. There are fewer characters in each scene, and (with the exception of the 2 leads) most characters only appear in 1 or 2 scenes. I wrote those scenes, though, to give the featured actor a real chance to shine.

2. I've gotten better at hiring people to whom I can delegate responsibility and not have to micro-manage them.

3. I recognize when people are (or are not) a fit for the project, and I can say no to people with confidence, no matter how much experience they have and how sure they are that they're right. I learned to fire people, although a couple of times I should have pulled the trigger sooner

4. And I've learned to trust my gut. When we were looking for good post-production sound on a tight budget, I interviewed a few people who came very highly recommended. After a phone conversation I realized we weren't in the same book never mind on the same page. So I moved on to someone who I knew I could work with, even though I pissed off a few people in the process. And that was OK.