Stories From the Set

There are too many fun and cool memories on this movie to enumerate. Working with Eric Roberts, an Oscar-nominated actor, was really fun. I enjoyed it even more because I’m a huge Entourage fan and loved his cameo episode on the show. Working with Jesse Metcalfe was a great experience for many reasons, but boil down to his passion and dedication. When I first started dating my wife, she told me I have to see John Tucker Must Die which I admit I had not seen. It was one of her favorite movies. When I told her we are casting the John Tucker, she was pretty excited. Beyond that, Metcalfe was a creative partner on the movie. He really cared, beyond what I ever expected, so he was always focused on how his character would act, how he’d behave, and I knew I could trust him at every step of the process to honor the character of Mike. That kind of director-actor relationship is what I always hope to find. Here is a name actor who isn’t collecting a paycheck, but wants to make the best movie he can create and shows up prepared, focused, and dedicated. He appears in nearly every scene and the work ethic required to portray Mike was asking a lot, from any actor; Jesse delivered beyond my wildest imagination. The film would have fallen flat without newcomer Micah Giovanni, who embodied everything I envisioned for Brandon, a shy, at first awkward teenager with a lot of passion.

I cast Tristin Mays in the lead female role after having watched the reboot of MacGyver during the pandemic. The producers, casting director, and I kept brainstorming actresses who could portray Alex, who had the moxie required, and who might say yes to the project. A lot of names came up, but most of them didn’t make sense or weren’t available. I thought of Tristin and her tough, smart demeanor in MacGyver and felt she would be perfect for the role. I was excited when she agreed to come aboard, but it was also a little surreal working with an actress who I had just watched on a major network TV series for dozens of hours less than a year earlier.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention both Scott “Carrot Top” Thompson and Murray “The Magician” Sawchuck. First, they are staples of my city, Las Vegas, so having them agree to cameo appearances makes the movie feel more real and part of the fabric of the community. Second, they are both absolute gentleman. In both cases, I made asks of them that were not ideal (filmmaking rarely is). We needed a sunset shot (B-Roll) during Scotty’s appearance in the film and I felt awful asking if he would wait, but he told me not to worry and he understands filmmaking. He had no problem with us grabbing the shot and then proceeding to his cameo, which he mostly came up with himself. The biggest challenge of working with Carrot Top was trying not to laugh as he ran his scene, because he had the entire crew stifling laughter. As for Murray, he agreed to go overtime on a day where he had a show later that night because he understood we were under pressure and needed the time. I have seen both of them since filming and they couldn’t be nicer people. They both put on great shows well worth checking out, too!

Behind the scenes, I had the pleasure to work with the two producers from my first feature film, Amy Alyson Fans, Ron Singer and Scott Reed. Their expertise helped make The Comic Shop the professional endeavor I always wanted to create. We have a great relationship spanning about 15 years now and they have always looked out for me, honored my wishes, and helped me achieve my vision each time. A director is strengthened by having talented, creative producers, which I have been blessed to have both times out.