"An Open Letter from A Producer"

There is no thorough way for me to comment on the level of quality and commitment that the cast and crew of THE LAST the end have. When the Home Movies partners first set out to cast the roles in this film, and build a suitable crew, we had no idea what it would mean to us when we would wake up one day, in the not-too-distant (but awfully groggy) future and realize that over one hundred people had given their summers to us on a silver platter.

They not only handed us their summers. They gave us the honor of knowing that they could be depended on to take a little story about ten kids in some neighborhood into their hearts and make it their very own. We had the privilege of realizing that something that was once our dear private dream had become the pride, joy and must-attain goal of a group of highly talented human beings, the likes of which we could only have prayed for. We never expected they would one day arrive on our dream-step, hot coffee in hand. This very thing ocurred.

THE CAST (and their parents)

We auditioned over 100 kid actors, and the ten we chose literally became the characters in the story. They helped to shape and nurture them. Jesse Howard said that in the case of Sam Russell (Willy), Jeff Brubach (Deal) and Katrina Athmann (Liza), he literally rewrote whole sections of the script incorporating elements that the actors themselves inspired. He said that Jeff's portrayal of the whistle and bandana-toting "Deal" pumped new life into a character who, up till that time, was a minor presence in the script. Sam's portrayal of "Willy" was far more feisty and exciting than the character in Jesse's first draft. Athmann delivered the final chunk of realism and depth that Liza had net yet possessed.

All of the actors brought incredible charisma and caring to their roles: Wily Alexis Lain's exploration of the curt and knows-the-score Enna; Eliana's emotional and intellectual spin on the role virtually written for her: "Bitta"; George Holms' comic timing and sarcastic flair is indelibly etched onto his characterization of "Nick Names"; Colin's "Tink," with his love of that bike and his attempts at growing-up and assuming his natural position as leader of the boys; Sarah Goldblatt's precise, wry wit and cutting banter won her the role of "Shoolie" on her first reading; finally Alice's "Abbey" is a striking presence in the film, she played it with an undertone of volatility that only she could instill into the part.

"Tommy." Well, Nathan's his own case. He is indeed the hero of the day. He was offered the part of the leading role of the film a mere two weeks before we were slated to begin production. The role boasted the most lines of dialog in the whole script, and a depth of character that needed to communicate a host of subtleties. Nathan Daynes made a decision. That decision was that he was willing to do whatever it took to portray "Tommy" in his first feature film. He stayed with Jesse and Kate for a week before production and drilled lines, worked out motivations, and orchestrated the transformation that the character had to undergo throughout the story. He was required on the set the first shooting day, and he was there. He was there and he was ready. I am so impressed with what Nathan was able to pull off. His "Tommy" is worlds better than I ever could have imagined.

The kids' parents are a whole different ball of wax. Their kids were in a film. A film whose production team was unseasoned and full of naivete as they set out running from the gate - only to become all too aware of the rigors of location shooting by day four. The parents held steadfast in their support and encouragement, and their level of compassion and understanding each time things went "otherwise" was unwavering. Not that there were no raised voices or frustrated late-night phone calls, but what there always was a sense of belief in the dream. A total emotional, physical, spiritual and financial support of the project that they and their kids committed to. The assistance that they offered and freely gave on a daily basis defies my ability to grasp. We thank them from the bottom of our hearts.

The Narrator/Writer/Guru character in this story, The Crossing Guard, is played with love and caring by Deems Urquhart. Deems, while completely a kid at heart, is the only adult actor in the principal cast. His strength as a storyteller and the way the camera loves to look at him are the glue that holds this whole tale together. A wonderful stage actor for years in the local area, his addition to our cast was a blessing, indeed. Bravo, Deems.

THE CREW

"Cassy Soden - Unit Production Manager." Those were the best words that I heard as pre-production wound down. I got a phone call wherein I learned that Cassy had decided to take the month of August off from her day-job and orchestrate the logistics of our film production. The devotion and care that she put into that job can neither be communicated fully here, nor thanked-for in a hundred such writings. She served more roles than any UPM should ever be expected to, yet she handled 1001 things with the grace of the smile she constantly wore.

In the detail-engulfed role of "script witch" or Continuity/Script Supervisor as it is officially tagged, Katherine Loveall excelled at tracking every single little thing that ever happened on-camera. She created what will now be known as the "editing bible." The Script Super is without a doubt one of the most underrated gigs in film. We are proud that 'Thrin cut her teeth on THE LAST the end. Brother, what a bear before that mocha though!! Katherine and Cassy were dubbed honorary "Home Movies Partners" during this production. It was as much their movie as it was mine or Jesse's.

Tarin Anderson, Ian Halloran and Blake Hellman comprised the Assistant Camera team. Tarin started out with us as our crack 1st A.C., and then left the set after principal photography concluded to return to school in Massachusetts. Never was there a harsh word or look from Tarin. Probably the person on the set that it felt most good to be around at any time. Her knowledge of light and exposure helped Jesse Moore to learn even more about the camera we were using, and undoubtedly made some of the most challenging lighting conditions bearable - and beautiful on film.

Ian, 2nd A.C., handled the slate (clapper) and loaded the film throughout every day of the shoot, and displayed an endurance like I've never seen. Probably the person most on film ("Scene 38H take 2B!"), his "Just another stupid guy" T-Shirt gave the ladies at Pinnacle Studios (the place that did our dailies transfers) a bonafide hoot. TLte was Ian's first feature as well, and we would work with him again in a heartbeat. His quiet sense of humor kept things fresh and subtle all the way through 1st and 2nd unit.

Blake had the daunting task of filling someone's shoes in a team that had developed a keen stride. She took over where Tarin left off and as it was hard losing her, Blake assumed a confident, knowledgeable position by Jesse Moore's side and carried us through 2nd unit as 1st A.C.. Blake's sly, wise manner added something to the chemistry of the group that made it possible to get through those arduous weekends in September, October and November. Her yellow shades, and her ever-ringing "Camera Cut!" call had an irreplaceable character, indeed. A Cinematographer in her own right, Blake made a fantastic Assistant Camera and aided Jesse Moore in capturing the fantastic images that will become THE LAST the end.

On the side of Sound - Tim Haupt, an engineer by trade, was Paul Westfall's left half during this production. The duo that they became was a tribute to teamwork and the responsiveness that they displayed in moments of crisis was nothing at all shy of miraculous. They made replacement digital audio tape decks appear out of the ethers and when Tim's van wasn't busy powering the entire set, it was acting as a dolly or carrying Tim back to Seattle (fast as lightning) to retrieve some way- necessary piece of gear or a TV set on which to watch the latest batch of video dailies. Tim is one of the most giving people I have ever met, and an example to us all. Did I mention how incredible the audio tracks are that were captured by Paul and Tim?! Need I?

Karl Alvestad arrived into the fold a few short weeks before production, and had the task of deciding, as Gaffer, how to light every scene that we shot. Reflectors? 2Ks? 10Ks? (What 10 Ks?) Working with a nominal budget, Jesse Moore and Karl designed an incredible lighting and grip scenario that will go down is history as being the poverty that begot riches. Having to be creative and ingenuitive forced them to use their resources in a most fastidious manner and the resulting "look" of the film is an absolute marvel. A mix of Hitchcockian lushness, with the quirk and steeped shadows of something surreal and peaceful, Karl's delicate hand can be seen throughout this film and he lent his mad genius to us hand over fist for the summer of 1998. He was unable to be on the set for our last weekend and he was terribly missed. Can you tell we used BMW headlights (and Tim's van!!) to light the last shot of the night as the sun plummeted beyond the Space Needle? I can! Luckily we don't have to use that take!

Karl's crew of Grips were a fantastic mix of folks, many of whom offered a mixed schedule of some days on some days off, and Elanor Ramasa (Key Grip) became a master of getting it done (getting it done NOW) before our eyes. We asked her to accept the title of Key Grip a few weeks into the shoot as we felt a "key" player would make themselves known throughout production. She sure did. Complete with her own grip truck and tool belt, Elanor was another person who never ceased to amaze me in the way that she made this project her own. Her positive attitude and die-hard work ethic rubbed off on a crew that to a degree came and went to and from the set from one day to the next. She herself was far afield during the second week of principal filming and when she returned, a relieved cry of "Elanor!" went up as she hopped out of the cab of her truck onto the sacred ground of "The Crossing" location. She was missed, and was a sight for sore... everythings.

The Grip (and occasional Production Assistants) Crew of Dave Kelman, Matt Hals, Jamala Henderson, Susan Nitka, Josh Johnson, Kori McIntyre, Jeremiah Bennet, Dave Bruce, Jason Dennis, Tim Murakami, Kori McIntyre and Cindy Lamb were a band of unstormable troopers. They were lugging gear, setting lights, unloading the grip truck, adjusting reflectors, loading the grip truck, chasing the sun, hanging riggings from ceiling-fans, laying dolly track, unloading the truck again, pushing the dolly, flagging the sun, re-loading the truck, stopping traffic, gelling lights, carrying this, dragging that, running cable and coiling that cable back up again for 15 hours a day during 32 days (19 of them in row) on-location. If I could write a standing ovation, here is where it would appear. Talk about doing up the dirty dishes... Thanks a lot y'all.

Dave Kelman assumed the duties of Assistant Director during 2nd Unit, and displayed a deft hand for running things set-side. A fun guy to have around, he was always happy to talk shop or let a show-off Producer borrow his BMX bike for an impromptu send-up of "TV's Worst Film-Set Bike Crashes." Ahem... thanks Dave, 'preciate that. Cindy's actual role was that of publicist, and is working with the Production team to this day to get our film noticed in local TV News and Print media. Cindy has been an inspiration and a great help to me in getting this film upright and in the face of those who would make it "known of" in our community and beyond. Susan Nitka is right up there with Tim Haupt as another of the most giving people around. She assumed many differing P.A. duties and even handled the shit jobs (literally) with a grin. She did "the rest of it" across the board. Susan is another person we'd have on board again in a split second. Matt, Jamala and Tim were faithful returnees again and again. May the force be with them. We met Matt at a Kinko's - he ran our script duplication. Dave Bruce's van was home to the grip gear throughout, and Jason's expertise in gripping continually pulled him from a proposed spot on the Production team into the field where he could best serve. He also helped in gathering extras for some of the bigger scenes. It was an honor to work with all of them.

Charles Baran had one of the most difficult jobs on the film set: When the kids weren't being molded and shaped into characters-on-film by Jesse out on the set, they were rambunctiously scrambling in and out of Charles' make-up / hair chair. The steam that they let off before and in between takes they let off in Charles' face. He did a splendid job nonetheless of bringing a sense of style and child-like beauty to the kids we came to love so well. The subtle make-up and hair requirements for a black and white film about "regular kids" was not easier than the norm as it would seem. It required restraint, creativity, subtlety and grace, and Charles has those qualities in spades. Never shy about quipping something snide at your expense, his humor made the set a lively, unpredictable realm where we could all feel like the kids we were filming. His professionalism and awareness of on-set needs were always high, and it blew my mind to find out after production that he had never done make-up and hair on a film before. He is a talented guy who we'd all love to work with again.

Samantha Duvall-Thomsen's role as Props Goddess expanded overnight into way more than she bargained for. She gathered an incredible slew of props with her husband Quinn's help, and made many of the things that we needed. Picker, Willy's dead guinea pig, being her crowning achievement. Samantha realized right away that being in charge of props is one thing but having wardrobe and costumes dumped into your lap by a vanishing wardrobe person (yes, there's a long story there) is enough to make anyone insane. Her incredible organization and planning skills turned what could have so easily been a fiasco into a manageable nightmare. She was inexorably responsible for knowing everything about everything all of the time. Have you ever heard of a "story day?" Well, neither had she, and this film had more than twenty. Suffices to say that with films being shot completely out of sequence (absurdly so at times) keeping track of what "day" it's supposed to be and remembering who was supposed to be wearing what when and with which prop for which scene is a thankless, traumatic task that would have killed me dead in week one. Samantha handled things with the spirit of one so totally devoted to the vision of the project, and I know for a fact that this movie belongs to her. She and Quinn gave so much to this movie in pre-production that I can't even list all of what they did. Mucho appreciado Samantha and Quinn, you rock.

Quinn Thomsen, in the other side of his movie-life, was the Director of the Documentary of "The Making of THE LAST the end." With a crew of four talented documentarians (all kids, mind you), Robin Stewart, Grace Cornell, Kate Weinburger and Sam Yawitz, 44 hours of behind the scenes footage were recorded, and will be edited into a documentary feature independent of the actual film. They got interviews with all the key players - cast and crew - and caught some of the most memorable moments from the shoot. I have some of this video footage and let me tell you, you have no idea how good this documentary is going to be. It was great having an intrigued team of documentarians running all about asking and capturing and preserving all of those moments that are so fleeting.

As if that isn't enough, there are a multitude of others who participated in ways that without which, the production would have failed. Julie Athmann, who prepared our meals; all the extras and bit actors; Helen and Mark who took over for Charles on Hair and Make-up in 2nd unit; Michelle Christensen for her help in pre-production and with wardrobe and coordination during the shoot and Paul Profett who took Julie's place in the Craft Services department. Thanks as well to the countless people whose names do not appear here who drove something somewhere (Laura, Kirsten and Lindsay thanks for dropping off that film that one ime!!), or brought us coffees, or donated funds to help us make our dream for this film a reality. Debra Friedman's unwavering support and encouragement, as well as serving as counsel for Home Movies in many of our fundraising ventures, has proven an invaluable ally. Jesse once said that she was "the brains behind his operation." Thank you to all of you who have given of yourself to THE LAST the end. It will pay off. I can feel it in my bones. I could go on and on - and if you have read this far you know this about me by now

Finally, there are the Home Movies Partners themselves. Never a finer bunch of Souls have I worked with. Jesse Howard, Erika Stone, Kate Castanino, Paul Westfall, Jesse Moore, and Ethan Delavan, you are the heroes of the world in my eyes. You have all devoted yourselves to this project beyond any possible call of duty and even when it consumed us wholly, and we became "THE LAST the end machines" (as Jesse Moore put it) I could still see my friends behind those glazed eyes and weary bodies. You were there through the whole thing. What didn't kill us made us all stronger. I wonder if Erika would tell someone to run for the hills screaming if asked if they should produce a movie with their boyfriend during the first few months of their relationship... Well, she and I are still getting married in August if that's any indication as to what her answer might be.

I told my brother in the summer of 1997 that I would do whatever it took to allow him to just direct a great film. Well, Jess, did I do ok?

With warmth and admiration,

Todd Howard, Producer
THE LAST the end