Moonshine

THE BUDGET & CREATIVITY:

Moonshine was created for roughly 9,200 dollars, which was
gathered from family donations and part of the director’s
would-be college fund. The director modeled his production
aspirations after two of his ultra-low-budget heroes, Robert
Rodriguez of “El Mariachi” and Shane Carruth of “Primer.” That
set the bar for what was possible on a used-car budget.

The crew and the 20-year-old director and producer created a
larger-scale film set in a small town. The goal was to embrace
high production values despite all the limitations, and only cut
corners off-screen. All the actors and crew committed
themselves to work freely on deferred-pay. Most of the
locations were homes of the director’s family and friends. The
car accidents were staged in a local abandoned airstrip, under
the free supervision of the local police. The town’s selectman
encouraged support of director Roger Ingraham, and offered
limited but free access to police uniforms, vehicles, and
constables. Searching for a pickup truck, the director’s sister
(who also starred in the film as the lead female Danny) went
door-to-door at homes of local pickup owners. The bigger
scenes feature masses of local extras, special effects, and
even, in several cases, full blown car accidents. Meanwhile, the
cost of production is 1/1000th of the Hollywood standard.

Editing was done using Final Cut Pro over the period of 1 and a
half years, by the director Roger Ingraham. Sound designers
and composers were then brought on, under deferred pay, to
complete the atmosphere of the film. The director proudly
championed the ultra-low budget approach, saying that “the
creative freedom and personal benefit that comes from writing
your heart’s story, and then becoming the director of it - this
outweighs the challenges of an ultra-low-budget production.
But it must be done with an attention to high production
values.”

I wrote and created “Moonshine” at 19-years-old from a deep
place of wanting to break out of my hopeless small-town mold,
and embrace my creative powers. Growing up in rural Stafford
Springs, Connecticut, I didn’t know many people who had high
dreams or high esteem for themselves. And I felt destined to fall
into a self-loathing life of 9-to-5 compromises.

After my year studying film in Los Angeles, I drove back across
the country to my hometown with a very hopeful notion, "I
wonder if I could borrow a little money, convince a few friends
to help me, and make my own film."

With only $9200 of college funds and family donations, I never
imagined the film would get as big as it did. The town’s support
was incredible. The local town police donated their cops cars,
uniforms, and yellow tape. The film’s 3 car accidents were
staged using locally-donated vehicles. People three times my
age were working on my film for free! Over 300 actors
auditioned in New York, and extras from my hometown poured
in for the larger scenes. My sister played the lead female role,
and my parents moved out of their house for a month, so we
could use it as a location. As the production continued, I felt
less and less confined by the small little town I had grown up
in…

Now does art mimic life or is it the other way around?
Moonshine’s 17-year-old Peter longs to break out of his
hopeless small town life, and seize his deep dreams of the
moment. The vampire fable of Moonshine is, at its core, a
unique twist on a coming-of-age love story. The final act of the
film leaves the realm of reality and embarks into an unlikely
fantasy of vampiric desire and mayhem, where the main
character is finally released from the limiting confines of family
and society.

After the film’s completion, my life began to mimic my art.
Several unlikely events occurred, one of which was very
momentous for the film. Moonshine was discovered online by
an agent at William Morris. He submitted us to Sundance, and
almost abruptly, the news spread that our little film was officially
selected for the dream festival, making me the youngest
feature filmmaker in Sundance festival history! A dramatic
number of my cast, crew, and supporters travelled out as my
entourage to Park City, Utah, cheering this moment for
everyone in our little town.

I’ve heard people describe filmmaking as a form of intentional
sorcery. It’s funny because this first film fulfilled everything its
story promised. As a sorcerer-director, my spell for Moonshine
was more like a recipe…

RECIPE FOR MOONSHINE:
(WARNING: the following concoction can be dangerous when
ingested)

An entire box of commitment, 1 big jug of youthful hope, a
crew-ful of local support, and one stubborn kid to say, "Action!"
The secret ingredient: a spoonful of wild fantasy.

Stir the mixture in a small town and cover. Chemical reaction
takes 2 1/2 years. Remove seal and enjoy Moonshine!

“A formidably stylish thriller and impressive debut film.” — JOSEPH BEYER Sundance Film Festival “It has a back story to make every aspiring filmmaker green with envy.” — JASON SILVERMAN Wired News “A vampire tale made by a 21-year-old for $9200, it’s one of the best-looking HD films this year...a movie to admire.” — JAMES EMANUEL SHAPIRO reel.com