January 15, 2025 • 26 mins
Celebrating the 100th episode, we take a look back at our journey from conceptualizing our first low/no-budget feature film, "The Loved & Lost" to making a living as feature filmmakers now. We share a memorable Q&A session captured during our festival run. The discussion highlights the emotional themes, affordances and limitations of indie filmmaking, and the learning experiences that shaped our storytelling and career.
This podcast episode includes:
• An overview of the Q&A and reflections on the St. Louis Festival
• Insights into our first film's origin and production challenges
• Exploration of thematic motifs and emotional depth
• Audience reactions and questions about the film
• Discussion about directing children and capturing authentic moments
• Technical details about gear, resourcefulness, and filmmaking techniques
• Announcements, including a distribution deal update and our current scholarship opportunity in the Feature Filmmaker Academy
• Introduction to our next feature release, the documentary, 'Ride in Paradise'
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi and welcome to the 100th episode of Film and
Family.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
If I were King Friday , from Mr Rogers' Neighborhood,
I would call for a fanfare.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
We decided for our 100th podcast to share a
recording from one of the Q&Ason our film, the Loved and Lost.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
The festival Q&A after the showing of the film.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
We did a few of these at different festivals.
This one was at St LouisInternational Film Festival.
Kent was not with me.
He was home with the kids forthat one.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
But it was a delight for me to listen to it after the
fact, and she did such a greatjob.
I'm glad I wasn't there to blowit.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
And I did record it because he wasn't there, so we
have it available to share.
The audio is not great, soapologize in advance for that.
It might be a little hard tohear, but I'm really grateful
that we have it to share andgrateful to St Louis for hosting
us.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Yeah, st Louis.
Another big shout out St LouisInternational Film Festival If
you have a film, short film orwhatever that you want to submit
.
They were really accommodatingfestival, really really kind to
their filmmakers and we justsuper appreciate the chance to
show the film in St Louis,missouri, which was really cool.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
Yeah, it's a really great experience.
They even provided hotels foreveryone, I think, even people
who submitted short films, whichis pretty outstanding.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
And if we're incorrect about that then we
apologize for anyone whose hopesgot up.
But we're pretty sure that'sthe case Pretty sure.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
A few announcements just before we share that we
recently signed a distributiondeal with BMG Global and that is
for the film that we're talkingabout in this Q&A, the Loved
and Lost.
So the film will release in afew more months.
More details on that to come.
So stay subscribed if you wantto hear about it when it does
(01:55):
come out.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
Yeah, and watch it.
Yeah, and so enjoy listening tothe incredibly comparable,
intelligent and lovely AnnaTallman answer questions about
this movie that we've made overthe last many years.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
Everybody here is okay if we're kind of talking
like this Okay, great.
So first of all, incrediblemovie.
I mean that's very powerful,okay, you know a lot of thoughts
kind of going through my head,sorry, sorry.
If you guys want to you canprobably come down.
People are welcome to come down.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
We could go in the middle.
Would that be better?
Speaker 3 (02:36):
There, you go Hello.
But I guess, first off, can yougive us a little bit of history
.
I mean, you know, seeing the,it looks like your children were
the stars in there.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
I've seen their names up there.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
Can you give us a little bit of history about how
this kind of story came aboutand you know how you decided to.
You know, put this up on screen.
Speaker 1 (02:55):
Sure, yeah.
So, um, we originally worked ona different film in
pre-production and we werepitching it and trying to get
financing for it and it wasprobably just too big of a step
for our first feature film.
Um, I was a first time director.
We couldn't kind of get thatone off the ground and so we
said, you know what, let's justthrow together a super fast,
(03:17):
cheap, no budget film, just todo it, just to learn and use all
our resources.
So we live in Peachtree city,we just bought a house that was
breaking down and we had thesekids and we said let's just put
it all together and make a story.
So my husband actually pitched afew ideas that he wrote down
and this was one of them.
We picked our favorite one andwe very quickly pre-produced it
(03:42):
and made it and it was kind of awhirlwind but I think it kind
of came together.
It kind of came together.
But, yeah, I guess it's atricky one to put in any
specific genre or to classify,but I think to me this is a
coming of age for young parentskind of all together figuring
(04:05):
out how to grow into taking careof children and, at the end of
the day, realizing that ifthey're together, if we have
each other, we have enough, andthat's kind of all that really
matters and there will be a way,sure.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
So yeah, that's well, I mean, uh, for for being from
what it sounds like.
You know the way you kind ofdescribed it being so quickly
put together.
I mean, when I was watching it,it seems like it was very
tactile.
Everything within the world was.
It seemed like you had beenworking on it for forever.
I mean the way that you had theshots put together of him
working in the woodshop or thekids, you know, in the woods.
(04:41):
I mean it seemed like a worldthat you had really built you
know, within.
You know whether it was in thewriting or in the direction.
I mean there was a lot to lookat there, you know.
Can you touch on?
You know touch on the themes alittle bit or kind of like the
motifs that were within it.
I mean water was everywherethere was obviously the train
(05:23):
tracks.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
There was, you know, a lot of it.
And so something we worked onwas just creating this constant
noise, this constant chaos.
And then, when she has thenightmare at the beginning of
the film, it's quiet for thefirst time, but it's the silence
of like losing a child and nothearing them cry out, and that
(05:45):
was actually kind of torturous.
And so we wanted to, I wantedto play with that idea of like.
Yes, it feels hard sometimeswhen you're in the moment and
everything's loud and crazy, butthen you know, if you didn't
have that it would be worse.
And um, for me this is a Idon't know.
There's layers to this film.
(06:05):
I think that I'm a spiritualperson.
For me this is a spiritual film.
It's kind of about depending onhow you see the world.
For me it's our journey onearth that we lived with
heavenly parents.
We came to earth and we're awayfrom them on our own and we
kind of have to go on thisjourney where we're lost for a
little while and there's sort ofa baptism and the red blanket
(06:27):
is kind of like the Christ,blood of Christ, his grace, and
then this kind of lifting up inthe airplane is getting that
higher view, that glimpsesometimes of where we are and
what the whole, how it fits intothe whole plan, and then being
able to eventually come back tohome.
So it's kind of um got somespiritual undertones that I
(06:50):
don't know if anyone ever picksup on, but for me that's some of
the meaning behind it.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
Yeah you can see that with the water for sure yeah, I
mean initially it feels likethe sense of drowning, I mean,
which obviously is representedin the nightmare, but then, yeah
, do you see it a little bitmore.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
Also the literal drowning in there.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
My heart dropped, obviously as soon as the boat
scene came up.
But the sorry, I'm getting mynotes here, oh yeah.
Speaker 4 (07:18):
Sorry, please.
I want to tell you I've beencoming to this festival for
about 20 years, oh wow, and Ialways liked the indie films
because they seem to be alwayson a budget, but they're some of
the best and even if they're alittle bit raw, this wasn't raw.
This was raw in a different way.
Raw, yeah, this was profoundbeyond description and I think
(07:42):
it was one of the best filmsI've ever seen.
In the 20 years, everythingcombined and I have literally a
lot of films that I've seen, andthere have been years I've seen
25 films.
Speaker 5 (07:52):
Wow.
Speaker 4 (07:53):
You know, and I'm telling you that is keep doing
it.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
Thank you so much, that's quite a compliment.
Speaker 6 (08:00):
Your husband was a photographer too.
Yes, he shot it, so you wroteit together and he was a
photographer too.
Yes, he shot it, so you wroteit together and he was a
photographer.
So it's a whole family.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
Yeah, we're a film family.
Speaker 6 (08:12):
I'm going to second that what Joan said, but I want
to ask about your kids.
How hard was it to do it?
Like Marshall, yelling Claire,it's not, the sister is not
named Claire, so how hard was itto?
And yelling Claire, you knowit's not and the sister is not
named Claire, right yeah.
So how hard was it to kind of,because your son was amazing and
I can't imagine how was it todirect him to work with two
(08:36):
other strangers well, notstrangers, but yeah, they were
essentially yeah.
Two other strangers, people thatare supposed to be mom and dad.
I mean, you were right behind,dad was behind the camera and
you're around and they have to,not, you know?
Look at you.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
No, I love that.
That's a great question.
We kind of had to take somewhatof a documentary approach with
the kids.
The scenes with the kids werewe counted on our actors to say
this is the direction that it'swritten, kind of guide it this
way, but you're going to have toroll with whatever they're
doing, and I didn't want thekids to have to memorize and say
(09:09):
lines because I didn't thinkit'd be very believable.
So we tried to treat it like agame where we said, okay, right
now we're playing the game, andin the game this is your mommy,
this is your daddy, yoursister's name is Claire and you
have to find her, and so wewould set up situations and make
it a game for them.
Um, so there's there's funnylittle moments.
He says the joke I don't knowif anyone catches it about like
(09:33):
Canada being right on top of theUnited States, and he says then
the United States would say ow.
And he just came up with thatand said that in a moment the
United States would say, ow,canada's right on top.
Yeah, so not everyone catchesit, but I think it's cute.
His own little joke, yeah, but,um, it was difficult, honestly,
to work with our own kids andto be a mom and director on set
(09:56):
was a little more than Irealized I was getting myself
into.
So we had a day when Marshalljust got tired and he laid down
on the ground and we wereoutside and we were.
It was sunset and we were allset up and we had everything.
He said come on, we just need afew more shots.
We've just got to keep going.
And he just, he was done.
He couldn't be bribed, so wehad to.
(10:18):
He runs a lot.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
So I can see why he'd be done.
Speaker 6 (10:20):
Yeah, yeah, we did wear him out, so yeah, I also
just want to comment that thephotography was beautiful.
So I don't know, is yourhusband a professional
photographer, because it waslike a beautiful movie scenery
and all that and the lightingand everything we can do trees
and the sun and there's so manyvery great moments of like
photographers of wow, this islike very professionally made
(10:44):
Thank you?
Speaker 1 (10:45):
Yeah, I'll tell him.
He said that.
Yes, he is a DP and he did agood job.
We actually picked the look forthis film.
We picked out some vintagelenses, um, that were cheap on
ebay and we bought them and had.
There's a guy in georgia we putin the credits at the very
bottom who, like, can adapt thelenses and he retrofit them to
(11:08):
be able to put gears on, and sowe use some old vintage lenses
for this and it kind of adds tothis cool dirty look to the film
.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
Like I said, that tactile feel.
It definitely gives it that.
Speaker 1 (11:20):
Adds some character for sure.
Total cost.
This is like a no-budget film,I mean it's.
It's unbelievable.
Speaker 5 (11:30):
Go ahead.
Speaker 4 (11:31):
I'm sorry.
Speaker 5 (11:33):
I'm just like that, is unbelievable.
Speaker 1 (11:36):
It took a long time.
It's been very resourceful.
We had to be, I mean.
So this was just a passionproject.
We did it in our spare time.
The edit took years because wewere just trying to pay the
bills and we had two more kidsand lots of life happened while
we made this.
I have five kids now, Marshall,the oldest is nine.
(11:59):
He just turned nine, so he's hewas five when we made this, so
it took a long time to finallysee it through to the end.
But, um, but now we're actuallywrapping up our second feature
films, the documentary, and thatone we've managed to live off
of.
We've been able to not live inlarge or anything, but we're
supporting our family with ourfive kids on that.
Speaker 5 (12:19):
So, um, yeah, can you talk about the casting process
for the events?
Speaker 1 (12:24):
Honestly, we didn't do a lot of casting except for
the um side roles.
Uh, brando, who plays the leadCal, is a friend of mine from
film school and we've workedclosely together before.
We did short films, you knowbefore, and I liked working with
him.
I knew he could do a good job.
And then he had.
He hadn't worked with the otheractress, but he knew of her.
(12:48):
We were thinking of casting herin our other film that we were
trying to develop and so we saidwhat let's just try it out.
We're making this cheap littlefeature, let's bring her on and
try it out.
And we had her do a littleaudition but it wasn't like she
had lots of competition.
She was willing to do it forcheap.
So we actually flew them outbecause we went to film school
(13:09):
in Utah.
So we flew them out to Georgiaand just shot with her for two
weeks and then she had to leaveand I actually cut and dyed my
hair and body doubled for her.
So almost all the shots whereyou don't see her face are me.
And we also did that just incase the kids didn't respond as
(13:29):
well as we hoped they would.
You know, if they had a hardtime, that I'd be able to step
in and kind of play with them,which we didn't end up needing
to do.
But it was nice once she flewout to do like the running stuff
by the train.
That's all me Um, things likethat that we weren't able to get
while she was in town.
So hopefully you didn't noticeblends in.
Speaker 3 (13:49):
But it worked out perfectly.
Speaker 1 (13:53):
Yeah, but the other, all the other actors were local
to Georgia and we just usedActors Access, which is
breakdown services on the otherend, and cast that way.
Speaker 3 (14:06):
Any other questions?
Yes, First off, holy childactors.
I'm sitting here just likecontemplating everything I've
ever done watching your son.
Speaker 5 (14:21):
Is it worth it they were so good, is it?
Speaker 3 (14:29):
sort of what he had already asked about directing
them.
Had they you made it into agame, more so than anything.
It was just like you didn'thave like a script or anything.
That did they know what wasgoing on or they they're on it.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
This is what you were trying to make with it they
knew that we were making a movie, but for them it's playing
pretend, and kids are very goodat playing pretend, but I also
knew my own kids.
So there's the scene whereMarshall is crying and he's all
wet.
He doesn't like getting wet.
And so we said, ok, I'm goingto dump water on you for this
scene, and I know you don't likethat, but if you're OK with it,
(15:09):
you know he's really sad andhe's all wet.
He just got out of the water.
So we dumped water on him.
Really sad and he's all wet.
He just got out of the water,so we dumped water on him.
It was a little bit cold and itworked and he was crying, but
he was willing to do it and, um,yeah, so that was we did do a
bit of bribing.
We were not the best parents.
We'll get you a treat, whateveryou need.
Speaker 5 (15:30):
Let's do this.
So yeah, the's the documentaryabout.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
The documentary is about loss.
So actually after we made this,I got pregnant with our fourth
and he passed away shortly afterhe was born and we ended up
receiving a teddy bear from aman who delivers teddy bears on
his motorcycle to people who'velost children, and we're really
interested in his story and howhe dealt with his own losses
(15:53):
through serving others.
We're really interested in hisstory and how he dealt with his
own losses through servingothers, and so we kind of
followed his story, his arc andother people he's delivered
bears to, and um made adocumentary about that.
It's called ride in paradiseand that one I'm I am actually
really proud of not that I'm notproud of this one, but I I'm
really happy with how it'sturned out.
Speaker 6 (16:12):
I'm proud of you.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
Thank you.
Speaker 6 (16:19):
You mentioned that you shot this several years ago.
Speaker 5 (16:21):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (16:22):
What is your children's take on the film now?
They haven't seen it, I guess.
Speaker 1 (16:29):
Yeah, they've seen it .
I think they're excited for itto come out.
Finally, because we've beendoing a little festival run with
it this year.
Um, they haven't come with usto any of the festivals.
We don't really want them tofeel like they're celebrities or
anything.
We actually have had people sayyou're going to get calls, you
know people are going to want tohire your kids to do this, and
(16:51):
we've decided not to pursue thatroute and to protect their
childhood, and I don't reallybelieve in child actors.
Personally, as a director, Ijust think you find someone
who's the right fit, who'scomfortable in front of the
camera.
Honestly, they weren't evenvery comfortable in front of the
camera.
I'm glad that it looks likethey were, but my son would do
all sorts of weird things withhis mouth that we had to kind of
(17:12):
cut around in the edit, weirdthings with his mouth that we
had to kind of cut around in theedit, um.
So, after many takes andfinagling it, we were able to
get it where it looks like theydid a really good job, but it
wasn't really acting.
It was kind of yeah, I don'tknow.
Speaker 6 (17:28):
But when they, when they see it, what's their
reaction now?
Speaker 1 (17:31):
I think it's just fun .
It's almost like a home video,Like, oh, I remember that and
when we drive around because welive in Peachtree City, we drive
around and they say, oh, that'swhere I ate the oatmeal cookie,
and the homeless lady wasactually our next door neighbor
and she said that was Amy and Iate the cookie under there, and
so it's fun.
Speaker 6 (17:51):
It's just memories Was the baby also one of your
kids, yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:54):
Yeah, so they're all three our kids, and that was
actually kind of fun too,because when we have them at the
end, remembering back on thechildhood, we actually just used
archival home videos that wehad of our kids, so that kind of
worked out.
Speaker 3 (18:07):
It worked out well.
They intercut me throughout,though.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (18:10):
That's great.
Speaker 1 (18:22):
Where did you find the, the airplane, the steering,
the?
Yeah, that's a good question.
There's actually a, a town nottoo far from peach tree city
that is full of personal planesand it's.
It's really cool that grassrunway is right in the middle of
a strip of houses on both sidesand every it's, you know, just
like a normal neighborhood, buteveryone has hangers for garages
and they all fly personalplanes.
And we had a friend.
We've done some volunteer workfor the commemorative air force
museum in Peachtree city and sothere we met Vic, who is the
(18:46):
pilot of the plane, and he wasinterested in the story.
He was a friend of ours and heagreed to let us use his plane
and so he flew it.
He played the pilot as well and, yeah, that was a generous it's
a beautiful airplane where westored.
Speaker 6 (19:04):
It's a 1941 actually I checked, yeah because in the
end number I checked you checkedit okay 1941 there it is yeah
beautifully.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
He, he does a good job, he takes good care of it.
He.
Let me fly it a little bitbefore putting our son in it.
Speaker 3 (19:22):
How did Marshall take it being in the plane?
Speaker 1 (19:24):
You know, we thought he'd be so excited and just be
like, wow, cause he loves planes, we thought it'd be so fun.
And he got up there and waskind of like yeah so it was a
little less exciting than wethought, but it was fun.
He likes to brag about it.
Speaker 5 (19:41):
Now it's exciting yes , yeah, so I was actually.
Uh, I'm curious about thatbecause, especially when you, um
said you view this like acoming of age for parents, yeah,
um, I really view this the uhsort of story of growing up for
the kids, um, and very muchabout how you leave home and you
have these huge experiences andthen there's not like it's hard
(20:02):
to then come home and you needto be that parent, right like
that's so much what kids do.
If they grow up and then theycome home from school, you ask
them what did you learn today?
And they say nothing.
And you're like, what did youdo nothing?
Nothing right.
And so that's that's sort ofwhat struck me, the fact that he
he applies to this point and henever mentioned it to dad.
Um, so I guess I was wonderingat the end, um, was that a
(20:24):
conversation?
If we're writing the script,whether or not the kids should
talk about what happened to them, like the fact that they
immediately go to sleep.
The day is over, right, theirstory is.
They're done yeah it's not aconversation and deliberate
choice that you've decided tobring it back and make it as a
couple at the end.
Those are the big ones.
Speaker 1 (20:40):
Yes, yes trying to remember.
Honestly, the ending was kindof an accident in many ways.
We had a different ending,scripted and not too different,
but but different enough thatwhen the day came, he was tired.
This was another day where hewas tired.
It was the end of the day, whenhe was on the ground.
(21:02):
We were trying to have thisconversation and he said I'm
just so tired.
That was real.
And so he said, ok, let's justhave him put him to bed, you
know, and it'll just be theadults, because our kids it was
our last day of shooting.
Actually, we shot that lastscene and the kids were just
tuckered out everyone was and sowe let them go to bed and let
the parents have that moment ontheir own.
Um, but yeah, I will work.
(21:27):
I like your perspective of it,though.
It's true, you know thatthere's so much that goes on
that doesn't always getcommunicated, or as kids, you
don't really have wordssometimes to explain or
understand what even happened.
Speaker 5 (21:39):
Yeah, so much of it is about the private life of
children, which is really cool,and children's surprising
competence Very resourceful yeah.
Speaker 3 (21:56):
Do you know?
I believe you had a distributorfor this, correct?
Do you know where else it'll be?
Speaker 1 (22:00):
so we have not signed the papers, but we do have some
distribution offers on thetable, and one that we feel
pretty good about, so we'llprobably move forward.
Um, so I'm guessing it'll bestreaming.
It's not going to go theatricalbesides the festival Sure, but
streaming on some of theplatforms within a couple months
(22:20):
, hopefully Exciting to hear.
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (22:23):
Good to know we'll be able to see some more of it.
Speaker 5 (22:25):
Yeah, thank you.
Speaker 3 (22:26):
And then the documentary you mentioned.
Can you say the name of it?
Speaker 1 (22:29):
one more time Right in Paradise.
Yeah, so if you want to followthis or other films that we're
making, you can go to ourwebsite.
It's invisible mansioncominvisible mansion pictures and
you can get on our email listand we send out updates as we go
.
But it also has the trailer forright in paradise, the
documentary, on there.
Speaker 3 (22:48):
So well, hopefully we'll see you back here with
that for sure.
Speaker 1 (22:51):
Next time we'll have to submit it.
It's been a great, a great time, so see we also have any other
questions.
Speaker 4 (22:57):
All right.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
Thank you so much for coming and staying.
I really appreciate it.
Speaker 4 (23:02):
Wonderful show Thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (23:05):
Well, thanks so much for listening to this Q&A and
this 100th episode of Film andFamily.
If you haven't joined our emaillist yet, make sure you get on
there for more details aboutthis film when it comes out
other films that we'll bereleasing.
We are premiering our next filmright in paradise, which you
heard mentioned in the q a, atzion's indie film festival on
(23:25):
march 1st of 2025 so that's thisyear and that will be at the
sarah theater in oram.
So if you want any moreinformation about that, just
Google Zion's Indie FilmFestival and if you're in that
area, or if you want to stay upto date on other festival
showings for Ride in Paradise,that will be forthcoming in
(23:46):
emails, so stay subscribed.
Speaker 1 (23:48):
We also just want to mention really quickly that we
are currently running oraccepting submissions to the
Featured Filmmaker AcademyScholarship.
We have transitioned into anonprofit, so the Film and
Family Foundation is now anonprofit and that is what will
be hosting this podcast, as wellas the educational resources
(24:09):
that we provide, and because ofthat, we received a donation and
we decided to allow a fewapplicants selected applicants
to receive a scholarship intothe program, and this is a
lifetime membership.
The program helps you be ableto make feature films for a
(24:29):
living, if that's what you wantto do.
Speaker 2 (24:31):
And specifically, it's focused on helping you to
conceive, fund and finish yourfirst feature film.
So if that's where you're at inyour career, then this is the
perfect program for you.
We really encourage you tosubmit and become a part of this
program that could change thetrajectory of your film career.
Speaker 1 (24:51):
Submissions are due currently on January 20th, so
hopefully we release thispodcast before then with enough
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If you did not see that emailgo out, feel free to join our
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Forward slash films and you canjust send a reply to that email
(25:13):
that automatically comesthrough.
And ask for scholarshipinformation and I can send that
your way.
Speaker 2 (25:19):
Awesome Thanks and have a great rest of your 2025.
Speaker 1 (25:22):
We'll see you, bye.
Hi and welcome to the 100th episode of Film and
Family.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
If I were King Friday , from Mr Rogers' Neighborhood,
I would call for a fanfare.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
We decided for our 100th podcast to share a
recording from one of the Q&Ason our film, the Loved and Lost.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
The festival Q&A after the showing of the film.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
We did a few of these at different festivals.
This one was at St LouisInternational Film Festival.
Kent was not with me.
He was home with the kids forthat one.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
But it was a delight for me to listen to it after the
fact, and she did such a greatjob.
I'm glad I wasn't there to blowit.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
And I did record it because he wasn't there, so we
have it available to share.
The audio is not great, soapologize in advance for that.
It might be a little hard tohear, but I'm really grateful
that we have it to share andgrateful to St Louis for hosting
us.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Yeah, st Louis.
Another big shout out St LouisInternational Film Festival If
you have a film, short film orwhatever that you want to submit
.
They were really accommodatingfestival, really really kind to
their filmmakers and we justsuper appreciate the chance to
show the film in St Louis,missouri, which was really cool.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
Yeah, it's a really great experience.
They even provided hotels foreveryone, I think, even people
who submitted short films, whichis pretty outstanding.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
And if we're incorrect about that then we
apologize for anyone whose hopesgot up.
But we're pretty sure that'sthe case Pretty sure.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
A few announcements just before we share that we
recently signed a distributiondeal with BMG Global and that is
for the film that we're talkingabout in this Q&A, the Loved
and Lost.
So the film will release in afew more months.
More details on that to come.
So stay subscribed if you wantto hear about it when it does
(01:55):
come out.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
Yeah, and watch it.
Yeah, and so enjoy listening tothe incredibly comparable,
intelligent and lovely AnnaTallman answer questions about
this movie that we've made overthe last many years.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
Everybody here is okay if we're kind of talking
like this Okay, great.
So first of all, incrediblemovie.
I mean that's very powerful,okay, you know a lot of thoughts
kind of going through my head,sorry, sorry.
If you guys want to you canprobably come down.
People are welcome to come down.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
We could go in the middle.
Would that be better?
Speaker 3 (02:36):
There, you go Hello.
But I guess, first off, can yougive us a little bit of history
.
I mean, you know, seeing the,it looks like your children were
the stars in there.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
I've seen their names up there.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
Can you give us a little bit of history about how
this kind of story came aboutand you know how you decided to.
You know, put this up on screen.
Speaker 1 (02:55):
Sure, yeah.
So, um, we originally worked ona different film in
pre-production and we werepitching it and trying to get
financing for it and it wasprobably just too big of a step
for our first feature film.
Um, I was a first time director.
We couldn't kind of get thatone off the ground and so we
said, you know what, let's justthrow together a super fast,
(03:17):
cheap, no budget film, just todo it, just to learn and use all
our resources.
So we live in Peachtree city,we just bought a house that was
breaking down and we had thesekids and we said let's just put
it all together and make a story.
So my husband actually pitched afew ideas that he wrote down
and this was one of them.
We picked our favorite one andwe very quickly pre-produced it
(03:42):
and made it and it was kind of awhirlwind but I think it kind
of came together.
It kind of came together.
But, yeah, I guess it's atricky one to put in any
specific genre or to classify,but I think to me this is a
coming of age for young parentskind of all together figuring
(04:05):
out how to grow into taking careof children and, at the end of
the day, realizing that ifthey're together, if we have
each other, we have enough, andthat's kind of all that really
matters and there will be a way,sure.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
So yeah, that's well, I mean, uh, for for being from
what it sounds like.
You know the way you kind ofdescribed it being so quickly
put together.
I mean, when I was watching it,it seems like it was very
tactile.
Everything within the world was.
It seemed like you had beenworking on it for forever.
I mean the way that you had theshots put together of him
working in the woodshop or thekids, you know, in the woods.
(04:41):
I mean it seemed like a worldthat you had really built you
know, within.
You know whether it was in thewriting or in the direction.
I mean there was a lot to lookat there, you know.
Can you touch on?
You know touch on the themes alittle bit or kind of like the
motifs that were within it.
I mean water was everywherethere was obviously the train
(05:23):
tracks.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
There was, you know, a lot of it.
And so something we worked onwas just creating this constant
noise, this constant chaos.
And then, when she has thenightmare at the beginning of
the film, it's quiet for thefirst time, but it's the silence
of like losing a child and nothearing them cry out, and that
(05:45):
was actually kind of torturous.
And so we wanted to, I wantedto play with that idea of like.
Yes, it feels hard sometimeswhen you're in the moment and
everything's loud and crazy, butthen you know, if you didn't
have that it would be worse.
And um, for me this is a Idon't know.
There's layers to this film.
(06:05):
I think that I'm a spiritualperson.
For me this is a spiritual film.
It's kind of about depending onhow you see the world.
For me it's our journey onearth that we lived with
heavenly parents.
We came to earth and we're awayfrom them on our own and we
kind of have to go on thisjourney where we're lost for a
little while and there's sort ofa baptism and the red blanket
(06:27):
is kind of like the Christ,blood of Christ, his grace, and
then this kind of lifting up inthe airplane is getting that
higher view, that glimpsesometimes of where we are and
what the whole, how it fits intothe whole plan, and then being
able to eventually come back tohome.
So it's kind of um got somespiritual undertones that I
(06:50):
don't know if anyone ever picksup on, but for me that's some of
the meaning behind it.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
Yeah you can see that with the water for sure yeah, I
mean initially it feels likethe sense of drowning, I mean,
which obviously is representedin the nightmare, but then, yeah
, do you see it a little bitmore.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
Also the literal drowning in there.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
My heart dropped, obviously as soon as the boat
scene came up.
But the sorry, I'm getting mynotes here, oh yeah.
Speaker 4 (07:18):
Sorry, please.
I want to tell you I've beencoming to this festival for
about 20 years, oh wow, and Ialways liked the indie films
because they seem to be alwayson a budget, but they're some of
the best and even if they're alittle bit raw, this wasn't raw.
This was raw in a different way.
Raw, yeah, this was profoundbeyond description and I think
(07:42):
it was one of the best filmsI've ever seen.
In the 20 years, everythingcombined and I have literally a
lot of films that I've seen, andthere have been years I've seen
25 films.
Speaker 5 (07:52):
Wow.
Speaker 4 (07:53):
You know, and I'm telling you that is keep doing
it.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
Thank you so much, that's quite a compliment.
Speaker 6 (08:00):
Your husband was a photographer too.
Yes, he shot it, so you wroteit together and he was a
photographer too.
Yes, he shot it, so you wroteit together and he was a
photographer.
So it's a whole family.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
Yeah, we're a film family.
Speaker 6 (08:12):
I'm going to second that what Joan said, but I want
to ask about your kids.
How hard was it to do it?
Like Marshall, yelling Claire,it's not, the sister is not
named Claire, so how hard was itto?
And yelling Claire, you knowit's not and the sister is not
named Claire, right yeah.
So how hard was it to kind of,because your son was amazing and
I can't imagine how was it todirect him to work with two
(08:36):
other strangers well, notstrangers, but yeah, they were
essentially yeah.
Two other strangers, people thatare supposed to be mom and dad.
I mean, you were right behind,dad was behind the camera and
you're around and they have to,not, you know?
Look at you.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
No, I love that.
That's a great question.
We kind of had to take somewhatof a documentary approach with
the kids.
The scenes with the kids werewe counted on our actors to say
this is the direction that it'swritten, kind of guide it this
way, but you're going to have toroll with whatever they're
doing, and I didn't want thekids to have to memorize and say
(09:09):
lines because I didn't thinkit'd be very believable.
So we tried to treat it like agame where we said, okay, right
now we're playing the game, andin the game this is your mommy,
this is your daddy, yoursister's name is Claire and you
have to find her, and so wewould set up situations and make
it a game for them.
Um, so there's there's funnylittle moments.
He says the joke I don't knowif anyone catches it about like
(09:33):
Canada being right on top of theUnited States, and he says then
the United States would say ow.
And he just came up with thatand said that in a moment the
United States would say, ow,canada's right on top.
Yeah, so not everyone catchesit, but I think it's cute.
His own little joke, yeah, but,um, it was difficult, honestly,
to work with our own kids andto be a mom and director on set
(09:56):
was a little more than Irealized I was getting myself
into.
So we had a day when Marshalljust got tired and he laid down
on the ground and we wereoutside and we were.
It was sunset and we were allset up and we had everything.
He said come on, we just need afew more shots.
We've just got to keep going.
And he just, he was done.
He couldn't be bribed, so wehad to.
(10:18):
He runs a lot.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
So I can see why he'd be done.
Speaker 6 (10:20):
Yeah, yeah, we did wear him out, so yeah, I also
just want to comment that thephotography was beautiful.
So I don't know, is yourhusband a professional
photographer, because it waslike a beautiful movie scenery
and all that and the lightingand everything we can do trees
and the sun and there's so manyvery great moments of like
photographers of wow, this islike very professionally made
(10:44):
Thank you?
Speaker 1 (10:45):
Yeah, I'll tell him.
He said that.
Yes, he is a DP and he did agood job.
We actually picked the look forthis film.
We picked out some vintagelenses, um, that were cheap on
ebay and we bought them and had.
There's a guy in georgia we putin the credits at the very
bottom who, like, can adapt thelenses and he retrofit them to
(11:08):
be able to put gears on, and sowe use some old vintage lenses
for this and it kind of adds tothis cool dirty look to the film
.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
Like I said, that tactile feel.
It definitely gives it that.
Speaker 1 (11:20):
Adds some character for sure.
Total cost.
This is like a no-budget film,I mean it's.
It's unbelievable.
Speaker 5 (11:30):
Go ahead.
Speaker 4 (11:31):
I'm sorry.
Speaker 5 (11:33):
I'm just like that, is unbelievable.
Speaker 1 (11:36):
It took a long time.
It's been very resourceful.
We had to be, I mean.
So this was just a passionproject.
We did it in our spare time.
The edit took years because wewere just trying to pay the
bills and we had two more kidsand lots of life happened while
we made this.
I have five kids now, Marshall,the oldest is nine.
(11:59):
He just turned nine, so he's hewas five when we made this, so
it took a long time to finallysee it through to the end.
But, um, but now we're actuallywrapping up our second feature
films, the documentary, and thatone we've managed to live off
of.
We've been able to not live inlarge or anything, but we're
supporting our family with ourfive kids on that.
Speaker 5 (12:19):
So, um, yeah, can you talk about the casting process
for the events?
Speaker 1 (12:24):
Honestly, we didn't do a lot of casting except for
the um side roles.
Uh, brando, who plays the leadCal, is a friend of mine from
film school and we've workedclosely together before.
We did short films, you knowbefore, and I liked working with
him.
I knew he could do a good job.
And then he had.
He hadn't worked with the otheractress, but he knew of her.
(12:48):
We were thinking of casting herin our other film that we were
trying to develop and so we saidwhat let's just try it out.
We're making this cheap littlefeature, let's bring her on and
try it out.
And we had her do a littleaudition but it wasn't like she
had lots of competition.
She was willing to do it forcheap.
So we actually flew them outbecause we went to film school
(13:09):
in Utah.
So we flew them out to Georgiaand just shot with her for two
weeks and then she had to leaveand I actually cut and dyed my
hair and body doubled for her.
So almost all the shots whereyou don't see her face are me.
And we also did that just incase the kids didn't respond as
(13:29):
well as we hoped they would.
You know, if they had a hardtime, that I'd be able to step
in and kind of play with them,which we didn't end up needing
to do.
But it was nice once she flewout to do like the running stuff
by the train.
That's all me Um, things likethat that we weren't able to get
while she was in town.
So hopefully you didn't noticeblends in.
Speaker 3 (13:49):
But it worked out perfectly.
Speaker 1 (13:53):
Yeah, but the other, all the other actors were local
to Georgia and we just usedActors Access, which is
breakdown services on the otherend, and cast that way.
Speaker 3 (14:06):
Any other questions?
Yes, First off, holy childactors.
I'm sitting here just likecontemplating everything I've
ever done watching your son.
Speaker 5 (14:21):
Is it worth it they were so good, is it?
Speaker 3 (14:29):
sort of what he had already asked about directing
them.
Had they you made it into agame, more so than anything.
It was just like you didn'thave like a script or anything.
That did they know what wasgoing on or they they're on it.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
This is what you were trying to make with it they
knew that we were making a movie, but for them it's playing
pretend, and kids are very goodat playing pretend, but I also
knew my own kids.
So there's the scene whereMarshall is crying and he's all
wet.
He doesn't like getting wet.
And so we said, ok, I'm goingto dump water on you for this
scene, and I know you don't likethat, but if you're OK with it,
(15:09):
you know he's really sad andhe's all wet.
He just got out of the water.
So we dumped water on him.
Really sad and he's all wet.
He just got out of the water,so we dumped water on him.
It was a little bit cold and itworked and he was crying, but
he was willing to do it and, um,yeah, so that was we did do a
bit of bribing.
We were not the best parents.
We'll get you a treat, whateveryou need.
Speaker 5 (15:30):
Let's do this.
So yeah, the's the documentaryabout.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
The documentary is about loss.
So actually after we made this,I got pregnant with our fourth
and he passed away shortly afterhe was born and we ended up
receiving a teddy bear from aman who delivers teddy bears on
his motorcycle to people who'velost children, and we're really
interested in his story and howhe dealt with his own losses
(15:53):
through serving others.
We're really interested in hisstory and how he dealt with his
own losses through servingothers, and so we kind of
followed his story, his arc andother people he's delivered
bears to, and um made adocumentary about that.
It's called ride in paradiseand that one I'm I am actually
really proud of not that I'm notproud of this one, but I I'm
really happy with how it'sturned out.
Speaker 6 (16:12):
I'm proud of you.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
Thank you.
Speaker 6 (16:19):
You mentioned that you shot this several years ago.
Speaker 5 (16:21):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (16:22):
What is your children's take on the film now?
They haven't seen it, I guess.
Speaker 1 (16:29):
Yeah, they've seen it .
I think they're excited for itto come out.
Finally, because we've beendoing a little festival run with
it this year.
Um, they haven't come with usto any of the festivals.
We don't really want them tofeel like they're celebrities or
anything.
We actually have had people sayyou're going to get calls, you
know people are going to want tohire your kids to do this, and
(16:51):
we've decided not to pursue thatroute and to protect their
childhood, and I don't reallybelieve in child actors.
Personally, as a director, Ijust think you find someone
who's the right fit, who'scomfortable in front of the
camera.
Honestly, they weren't evenvery comfortable in front of the
camera.
I'm glad that it looks likethey were, but my son would do
all sorts of weird things withhis mouth that we had to kind of
(17:12):
cut around in the edit, weirdthings with his mouth that we
had to kind of cut around in theedit, um.
So, after many takes andfinagling it, we were able to
get it where it looks like theydid a really good job, but it
wasn't really acting.
It was kind of yeah, I don'tknow.
Speaker 6 (17:28):
But when they, when they see it, what's their
reaction now?
Speaker 1 (17:31):
I think it's just fun .
It's almost like a home video,Like, oh, I remember that and
when we drive around because welive in Peachtree City, we drive
around and they say, oh, that'swhere I ate the oatmeal cookie,
and the homeless lady wasactually our next door neighbor
and she said that was Amy and Iate the cookie under there, and
so it's fun.
Speaker 6 (17:51):
It's just memories Was the baby also one of your
kids, yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:54):
Yeah, so they're all three our kids, and that was
actually kind of fun too,because when we have them at the
end, remembering back on thechildhood, we actually just used
archival home videos that wehad of our kids, so that kind of
worked out.
Speaker 3 (18:07):
It worked out well.
They intercut me throughout,though.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (18:10):
That's great.
Speaker 1 (18:22):
Where did you find the, the airplane, the steering,
the?
Yeah, that's a good question.
There's actually a, a town nottoo far from peach tree city
that is full of personal planesand it's.
It's really cool that grassrunway is right in the middle of
a strip of houses on both sidesand every it's, you know, just
like a normal neighborhood, buteveryone has hangers for garages
and they all fly personalplanes.
And we had a friend.
We've done some volunteer workfor the commemorative air force
museum in Peachtree city and sothere we met Vic, who is the
(18:46):
pilot of the plane, and he wasinterested in the story.
He was a friend of ours and heagreed to let us use his plane
and so he flew it.
He played the pilot as well and, yeah, that was a generous it's
a beautiful airplane where westored.
Speaker 6 (19:04):
It's a 1941 actually I checked, yeah because in the
end number I checked you checkedit okay 1941 there it is yeah
beautifully.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
He, he does a good job, he takes good care of it.
He.
Let me fly it a little bitbefore putting our son in it.
Speaker 3 (19:22):
How did Marshall take it being in the plane?
Speaker 1 (19:24):
You know, we thought he'd be so excited and just be
like, wow, cause he loves planes, we thought it'd be so fun.
And he got up there and waskind of like yeah so it was a
little less exciting than wethought, but it was fun.
He likes to brag about it.
Speaker 5 (19:41):
Now it's exciting yes , yeah, so I was actually.
Uh, I'm curious about thatbecause, especially when you, um
said you view this like acoming of age for parents, yeah,
um, I really view this the uhsort of story of growing up for
the kids, um, and very muchabout how you leave home and you
have these huge experiences andthen there's not like it's hard
(20:02):
to then come home and you needto be that parent, right like
that's so much what kids do.
If they grow up and then theycome home from school, you ask
them what did you learn today?
And they say nothing.
And you're like, what did youdo nothing?
Nothing right.
And so that's that's sort ofwhat struck me, the fact that he
he applies to this point and henever mentioned it to dad.
Um, so I guess I was wonderingat the end, um, was that a
(20:24):
conversation?
If we're writing the script,whether or not the kids should
talk about what happened to them, like the fact that they
immediately go to sleep.
The day is over, right, theirstory is.
They're done yeah it's not aconversation and deliberate
choice that you've decided tobring it back and make it as a
couple at the end.
Those are the big ones.
Speaker 1 (20:40):
Yes, yes trying to remember.
Honestly, the ending was kindof an accident in many ways.
We had a different ending,scripted and not too different,
but but different enough thatwhen the day came, he was tired.
This was another day where hewas tired.
It was the end of the day, whenhe was on the ground.
(21:02):
We were trying to have thisconversation and he said I'm
just so tired.
That was real.
And so he said, ok, let's justhave him put him to bed, you
know, and it'll just be theadults, because our kids it was
our last day of shooting.
Actually, we shot that lastscene and the kids were just
tuckered out everyone was and sowe let them go to bed and let
the parents have that moment ontheir own.
Um, but yeah, I will work.
(21:27):
I like your perspective of it,though.
It's true, you know thatthere's so much that goes on
that doesn't always getcommunicated, or as kids, you
don't really have wordssometimes to explain or
understand what even happened.
Speaker 5 (21:39):
Yeah, so much of it is about the private life of
children, which is really cool,and children's surprising
competence Very resourceful yeah.
Speaker 3 (21:56):
Do you know?
I believe you had a distributorfor this, correct?
Do you know where else it'll be?
Speaker 1 (22:00):
so we have not signed the papers, but we do have some
distribution offers on thetable, and one that we feel
pretty good about, so we'llprobably move forward.
Um, so I'm guessing it'll bestreaming.
It's not going to go theatricalbesides the festival Sure, but
streaming on some of theplatforms within a couple months
(22:20):
, hopefully Exciting to hear.
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (22:23):
Good to know we'll be able to see some more of it.
Speaker 5 (22:25):
Yeah, thank you.
Speaker 3 (22:26):
And then the documentary you mentioned.
Can you say the name of it?
Speaker 1 (22:29):
one more time Right in Paradise.
Yeah, so if you want to followthis or other films that we're
making, you can go to ourwebsite.
It's invisible mansioncominvisible mansion pictures and
you can get on our email listand we send out updates as we go
.
But it also has the trailer forright in paradise, the
documentary, on there.
Speaker 3 (22:48):
So well, hopefully we'll see you back here with
that for sure.
Speaker 1 (22:51):
Next time we'll have to submit it.
It's been a great, a great time, so see we also have any other
questions.
Speaker 4 (22:57):
All right.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
Thank you so much for coming and staying.
I really appreciate it.
Speaker 4 (23:02):
Wonderful show Thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (23:05):
Well, thanks so much for listening to this Q&A and
this 100th episode of Film andFamily.
If you haven't joined our emaillist yet, make sure you get on
there for more details aboutthis film when it comes out
other films that we'll bereleasing.
We are premiering our next filmright in paradise, which you
heard mentioned in the q a, atzion's indie film festival on
(23:25):
march 1st of 2025 so that's thisyear and that will be at the
sarah theater in oram.
So if you want any moreinformation about that, just
Google Zion's Indie FilmFestival and if you're in that
area, or if you want to stay upto date on other festival
showings for Ride in Paradise,that will be forthcoming in
(23:46):
emails, so stay subscribed.
Speaker 1 (23:48):
We also just want to mention really quickly that we
are currently running oraccepting submissions to the
Featured Filmmaker AcademyScholarship.
We have transitioned into anonprofit, so the Film and
Family Foundation is now anonprofit and that is what will
be hosting this podcast, as wellas the educational resources
(24:09):
that we provide, and because ofthat, we received a donation and
we decided to allow a fewapplicants selected applicants
to receive a scholarship intothe program, and this is a
lifetime membership.
The program helps you be ableto make feature films for a
(24:29):
living, if that's what you wantto do.
Speaker 2 (24:31):
And specifically, it's focused on helping you to
conceive, fund and finish yourfirst feature film.
So if that's where you're at inyour career, then this is the
perfect program for you.
We really encourage you tosubmit and become a part of this
program that could change thetrajectory of your film career.
Speaker 1 (24:51):
Submissions are due currently on January 20th, so
hopefully we release thispodcast before then with enough
time for you to get a submissionin.
If you did not see that emailgo out, feel free to join our
email list at invisible mansiondot com.
Forward slash films and you canjust send a reply to that email
(25:13):
that automatically comesthrough.
And ask for scholarshipinformation and I can send that
your way.
Speaker 2 (25:19):
Awesome Thanks and have a great rest of your 2025.
Speaker 1 (25:22):
We'll see you, bye.
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I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
The Breakfast Club
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy And Charlamagne Tha God!
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.