So you now know from my last entry
how I came up with the idea for The Hunter's Anthology, and why this was
a good, flexible, low-budget script I could use to show off my directing skills
quickly. Armed with this, my team met up and decided a good way to try
and launch this web series/movie was to give potential investors a taste of
what we can do and what this script was about.
Everyone who's read the script has
really responded well to the demon hunter I created named
"Mac." I get why: he's cool, powerful, scary, and in
control. He's also a mystery. Where
did he come from? When did he come from? How did he get
involved with this demon hunting business anyway? I was amazed at how
many people wanted to know his story. This character was proving to be
enough to keep people invested in this series, because I know in every
season/movie I’ve planned to reveal just enough about Mac to keep us
interested. Juuust enough.
It was suggested to me to shoot a
short film about Mac. I went back to the drawing board and had to
write something outside the script, maybe a day in the life of Mac. Something where he can explain who he is and
what he does through voiceover. That's how The Hunter's Anthology:
Prologue was born.
We decided to do a one-night shoot following Mac around New York City, just
before he arrives to the first scene of the script: the subway. I had a
good, dark, film noir mood in mind. I could dress Mac in his very
distinct outfit, and bring the poster boy to the whole series to life to help
raise interest. Even though he stars in really only one of the six
stories, he's the glue that holds everything together and the constant from
season to season. He's who we’re rooting for. He’s our hero. He's our demon hunter. When we “join the hunt,” we join Mac.
So, with that settled, it was time
to gather some dough and plan the shoot. It would be simple: one night,
limited crew, one actor. But who would play Mac? How would we find someone
who was not only accessible but would fill the role perfectly? The 'ol
catch-22... how do we get a cast without money? Great question. The
answer? People we know. Our producer, Nicky, had just finished a
movie with an actor named David Lee McInnis. She suggested him, I checked
out his stuff, and he struck a chord that vibrated, “Maaaaaaaac.” He's a
wonderfully cool actor, in a way that's just perfect for Mac. As I like
to say to him, "He’s soooo Mac." He’s got the look, the
attitude, the sarcasm, the grit.
We were both so excited about him coming
on board. We got along great and he understood the role well. In no
time, he was in, and we had our lead. We had our Mac.
Next time I can discuss the one
night shoot, starting with how FREAKIN' cold it was that one January day in New
York City, during the coldest winter in decades...
