A Case Study
Narrative | Dramatic Features
Film Name: When We Dance
Genre: Drama/Fantasy
Date: September 2019
Director: Charles Pieper
Producer: Kenny J. Wright and Joel Garay
Writer: Kenny J. Wright
Cinematographer: Daniel Marks
Production Company: Chromosomes
Budget: Just under $20K
Financing: Crowdfunding
Shooting Format: NA
Screening Format: DCP
World Premiere: September 2019
Awards: Nominated for best actor and best Sound Design at Filmquest 2019. Also nominated for best dramatic short at Horrible Imaginings 2020.
Website: http//www.thedarkcollection.com
indieactivity: What is your film about?
Kenny Wright (KW): At its core, When We Dance is about love, loss, and family. I’m the kind of person who likes to tell universal stories that connect us all; things we can all relate to. So, when it came to writing the screenplay, I just tapped into what I think would hurt the most deeply in life. It seems like losing a loved one is one of the most painful emotional burdens people can experience in life, so I thought I’d explore that. Also, my wife works with senior citizens, which inspired me to empathize with and portray the main character from the perspective of an older person… I was able to imagine myself in the shoes of my main character: A man who had been happily married for decades and then had to lose that love suddenly.
Tell us about the festival run, marketing, and sales?
Kenny Wright (KW): Our festival run started late in 2019, just before the Covid-19 pandemic hit the world. So, this year we’ve mostly only been screening at digital festivals. However, we were fortunate enough to be nominated for best actor and best score at Filmquest 2019. Also, we were nominated for best dramatic short at Horrible Imaginings this year
Give the full Official Synopsis for your film?
Kenny Wright (KW): On the night of his wife’s funeral, Henry Walton finds an old record of the song that was playing when the two of them first met. When he plays the song, his wife’s ghost returns to him for a brief moment; causing him to question everything he believes in. He becomes fixated on trying to get her spirit to return, and eventually, his pursuit consumes him. But, just as it seems that all hope is lost, they are reunited for one final dance.
Development & Financing?
Kenny Wright (KW): This project first started as a short screenplay I wrote, for an anthology series I’m developing. Once the script was in a good place, I submitted it to a few film festival screenplay competitions. Fortunately, the script got accepted into Filmquest, and I attended the festival that year; which is where I met the project’s director Charles Pieper. From there, we hit it off and I sent Charles a few of my scripts. He liked them all, but he really gravitated towards the story in When We Dance. From there, we agreed to crowdfund for the project, and with the help of the project’s cinematographer Daniel Marks, we were able to run a successful campaign. By the time the crowdfunding campaign ended, we were ready to start production, and the rest is history.
Production?
Kenny Wright (KW): We shot the whole thing over one weekend. We didn’t have a choice, because the house we needed was only going to be available for two days. But fortunately, we were able to schedule everything in that one-time frame. Call it luck, or a miracle, but somehow we were able to schedule all the cast, crew, and talent for the one-time slot we had available.
Post-production went rather smoothly. Daniel and Charles shot everything we needed during production. So, when editing began, it seemed like puzzle pieces just lined up in the timeline. Also, we were able to work with amazing sound designers, composers, and color graders. Once the final cut was done, I was so grateful and impressed by everyone’s individual contributions. Honestly, the entire cast and crew made the project better than I imagined.
Festival Preparation & Strategy?
Kenny Wright (KW): Our festival strategy was pretty simple. We focused on a handful of genre festivals and a handful of top-tier festivals. We didn’t want to just submit all over the place. We had specific festivals in mind. Being selected for the Horrible Imaginings and Hollyshorts film festivals was great for us, and it definitely gave a boost to our project’s visibility.
The Release?
KW: The project is currently on its festival run. But, we are planning for an online release early next year.
Advice from the Filmmaker?
KW: Work with other creative artists. And if you truly feel passionate about a path, pour time and energy into your goals. You can’t make strides if you never make anything at all. And don’t limit yourself. I can’t express this enough.
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