Working on a film (is it a film, considering it was made digitally?) can be laborous, tension filled and even boring (hurry up and wait can be its motto from time to time). Still, my experience on Judas Kiss has been nothing but joy for me.
Last August, I spent three weeks up in Seattle filming the feature directorial debut of JT Tepnapa (web series Star Trek: Hidden Frontier and the director of the award winning shorts, Masterbation: Putting the Love into Self-Loving, Drag Queen Heist and Begging For Change) and co-writer Carlos Pedraza's (writer on the web series Star Trek: Hidden Frontier and Star Trek: Phase II) dream project. With some crew from LA and other parts of the US, along with an extensive Seattle based members, the filming took place around the University of Washington. The cast includes Charlie David (Mulligans, Dante's Cove and LOGO TV's Bump!), rising superstar Richard Harmon (Cartoon Network's Tower Prep and the upcoming AMC series The Killing), Sean Lockhart, also known as adult film star Brent Corrigan (Another Gay Sequel and the short In the Closet that was featured in Boys on Film 3)and making his English language debut, Flemish actor and singer Timo Descamps.
It was a long, sometimes fustrating three-week shoot (and mostly, because time and money are against these small, idependent made features). Still, it was also the best time of my life. The cast and crew were a blast to work with, and the locations were spectacular.
Having known both JT and Carlos for now going past five years, they are the most accomindating, most sincere people you can know. Carlos is whip smart, funny, and a delight to be with it and along with JT (and his husband Adam) have become some of my dearest friends. The fact that JT and Carlos welcomed me to help them make their dream come true fills me with even more joy.
I seen some of the assembled film, which is due to hit the festival circuit starting in April - a working print if you may- that does not include the visual effects or music score. You'll all see some astonishing work here, from Charlie David to a star in the making known as Richard Harmon. Brent Corrigan will show the world he can be a serious actor, and Timo Descamps (who will also contribute songs to the soundtrack) will find a new audience here in the States -he's pretty popular TV and music star back home.
However, most films are never finished after principle photography. And Judas Kiss needed a few things fixed that were not done back in August. On January 29, 2011 primary cast members Charlie David and Richard Harmon along with co-stars Samantha Rund, Ron Boyd and Dale Bowers arrived back in Seattle for a one day of pick-up shots.
The one striking difference between August and January in Seattle is the weather. I left here on Friday morning, with the sun shining and the warm temps. I arrived at SeaTac with chilly temps in the low 40's and rain. It was a huge change when I was there last summer, when the days were warm and sunny (though there a few days of clouds and some rain drops). Luckly, we got to film inside on Saturday, though we did film one brief sequence outside.
Hopefully, with these reshoots, the film will now come together and be ready for the film circuit. So, I hope when its does come to your area this summer, be it a standard film circuit of a GLBT one, you'll take the time to see this labor of love from my friends.
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