The streets of Washington, PA are being transformed into a Hollywood sound stage thanks to the movie "The Umbrella Man". This movie, which was originally performed at The Pittsburgh Playhouse, is being produced with the help of Point Park University. Keep reading to find out more about this local play becoming a major film.
The streets of downtown Washington will look like a scene out of a
Hollywood screenplay when work on a feature film begins shooting this
week.“The Umbrella Man” is the story of Pete Brennan, a father who becomes engrossed with conspiracy theories after the death of his 8-year-old son. While trying to find out more about the person who ran over his child, Brendon stumbles onto the story of the umbrella man – a suspected shooter in the John F. Kennedy assassination.
“It’s the story of a couple who loses their young son,” said Michael Grasso, co-writer and co-director of the film. “The father goes deep into the Kennedy assassination as an escape.”
Set in 1983, “Umbrella Man” is the film adaptation of a play by the same name written by brothers Michael and Joseph Grasso. A successful advertising director, Michael Grasso is trying his hand at narrative filmmaking.
The play was originally performed at the Pittsburgh Playhouse, which is operated by Point Park University in Pittsburgh. When campus officials learned the play was being made into a screenplay, they thought it was a perfect way to get students enrolled in their cinematography program involved.
“Point Park is really visionary,” Grasso said. “They want to be known as a university that’s a home to original work. Not only can they say that they staged it as an original play, but helped make it into a feature film.”
Grasso said the marriage worked perfectly. The Pittsburgh region’s recent emergence as a movie-making destination made it an ideal place to shoot. Point Park students and alumni offered talent and professional help. Although the movie takes place in the Southwest, buildings in this region provide ideal set locations.
“Washington is going to double as New Orleans,” said Cory Stoken, recent Point Park graduate and production office coordinator for the film. “We’re shooting at the George Washington Hotel for a number of days. The architecture of the hotel is from the same time period and has similar features as something you would find in New Orleans.
“This area gives a different feel than you can find in the downtown areas of Pittsburgh and feels a lot more Southern as opposed to other parts of Western Pennsylvania,” Stoken said.
In addition to using Washington’s buildings, producers hope to incorporate area residents into the filming of the movie. Organizers are looking for about 30 extras each day to work on the set during shooting at the hotel Oct. 22 through 25. Tuesday, a large conspiracy convention scene will be shot, requiring as many as 60 extras. Filming also will take place in various locations throughout Washington County Thursday through Oct. 23.
Although the independent film doesn’t have the budget to pay extras, Stoken said volunteers would be entered into drawings to win an iPad, Apple TV, Kindle Fire and other prizes.
Those interested in becoming extras should send a recent picture and contact information to UmbrellaManExtras@gmail.com.
Grasso said writing the screenplay gave him an opportunity to explore the Kennedy assassination, and he hopes the movie will be ready for the 50th anniversary of the president’s death next year.
“I’ve always been really interested in Kennedy’s assassination, while also intrigued with the men and women who spent lifetimes investigating conspiracy theories,” Grasso said. “We realized it would make a very interesting feature film to tell the bigger story of the assassination while using it as vehicle to tell the timeless story of two grieving parents who have been through the loss of a child. It
explores their journey, both together and separately, through the trauma.”
For more information see Observer Reporter.
0 comments:
Post a Comment