Teen Filmmakers Perfect Their Craft: The Making of "Consequential Lies"

The process of filmmaking is by no means simple. A film’s original screenplay often undergoes countless changes and revisions both before and during production. Restrictions due to limited budget and practicality can trump the creative process, and the length of production is subject to the whim of uncontrollable factors, like weather and natural lighting. But with time and practice comes experience—greater familiarity with the challenges involved in making a movie often reaps surprising benefits, as is the case with teen filmmakers Alex Fjellberg Swerdlowe, Joey DePasquale and Ricky Rivera, who just completed a new seventeen-minute short film, Consequential Lies.

The film follows the story of an isolated suburban woman with a dark past, who receives a phone call revealing an 18-year old secret. It will premiere at the Fairfield Community Theater located at 1424 Post Road in Fairfield, CT, on April 23^rd.

Consequential Lies, which stars Kimberley Lowden, James Noble (known for his work on the television series Benson), Joanna Keylock, Damien Langan and Ali Bauman, was written and directed by Mr. Swerdlowe, produced by Mr. DePasquale, and co-produced by Mr. Rivera (who was also the film’s Assistant Director). DePasquale first confronted Swerdlowe after the release of his previous short film, The Complex, about the possibility of working with him on his next project; Swerdlowe agreed, and, energized by the success of The Complex (which won four awards across the country from festivals in Louisiana, California, Seattle, and Connecticut), began working on the script for Consequential Lies in April of 2010. After recruiting Rivera for the project (who was also the producer of The Complex), DePasquale began to assemble a crew of about ten teens  from Weston, Fairfield, Wilton and Westport. “The role of the producer,” Joey explains, “is to make sure the director doesn’t have to worry about anything but the artistic side of the project.”

Swerdlowe finished writing the screenplay for Consequential Lies on August 19^th, a day before they began shooting; by the time the crew started production, the screenplay had undergone nineteen major revisions. The crew (which consisted of eighteen people, thirteen of whom were teens) worked twelve hours a day for four days straight, shot at various locations including St. Luke’s Church, Wilton Library and the Little Kitchen, and mostly used equipment donated by Johnny Boston of Raw Digital, and Weston High School Videography and Film Studies teacher, Dave Eger. “There were almost no complications during production,” remarks Swerdlowe. “I think the hard work that Joey and Ricky did planning ahead and organizing before shooting really minimized a lot of problems.”

Alex, Joey and Ricky were able to maintain a professional set throughout the film’s production, primarily because of the specialization of the crew. “Everyone had their own specific role,” remarked DePasquale. All three remarked on how efficient the film’s production was, citing, “increased legitimacy through experience, especially in talking and negotiating with adults” as a major factor in their success. “You have to take it seriously,” says Swerdlowe. “You have to act is if filmmaking is your career…if anyone asks what I do, I don’t say I am in school, I say I am a filmmaker.”

This commitment to professionalism was a major component in the elevated quality of Consequential Lies compared to other teen produced short films; for example, during post-production, Alex (with assistance from Joey and Ricky) spent nearly seven months preparing a final cut of the movie with which he was satisfied.

“The growing experience we have had as filmmakers has increased the quality of this film, in terms of script, production, cinematography, and most effectively the importance of collaboration and learning to work and bounce off each other more often,” remarks Rivera. “With much more experience, we were all able to collaborate much more successfully.”

The film has already garnered some early critical acclaim, and is also an official selection at the National Film Festival for Talented Youth (NFFTY), the Westport Youth Film Festival (WYFF), and the Litchfield Hills Film Festival. While still uncertain about how audiences will react to it, Swerdlowe remains confident in the film. “It looks, sounds, and feels like a real movie,” says Alex. “And if it strikes any emotions or someone can relate to it, then we've done our job. Ultimately, that's all that matters."

Cast:

James Noble, Damien Langan, Kimberly Lowden, Ali Bauman and Joanna Keylock

Crew:

Director: Alex Fjellberg Swerdlowe

Executive Producers: Allen Swerdlowe and Gary Betsworth

Producers: Joey DePasquale and Alex Fjellberg Swerdlowe

Co-Producer and Assistant Director: Ricky Rivera

Original Music and Boom Operator: Matt Speno

Sound Design: Filipe Messeder and Matt Speno

Cinematographer: Stephen Griggs

Film Editor: Alex Fjellberg Swerdlowe

Art Director: Dakota Sloop

Key Grip: Mike Silvestri

Grips: Jack Curran, Andrew Katz, Jordana Koffsky and Jake Wilk

Production Assistant: Amelia Arnold