The Hub

Chances...

Thu, 07 Sep 2006 04:35:53 GMT

So I'm sitting here thinking about how it's one week to the festival and people asking me if I'm nervous or not, and I can tell you...straight out...to get a chance like this and be nervous...this is what I've always wanted and the only thing I know for sure that I can do well...and to be nervous now...I don't feel nervous, I feel ready. I want to let all the actors be seen. I want to let the work speak for itself and show what other things I want to make. I want to take all the opportunities afforded me by the festival and make the most of it all and not let a chance like this pass by without trying all I can to make the most of it. So for that, thank you festival team...I understand what an opportunity this is and I guess I just wanted to say...thank you.

Fest Invite

Thu, 31 Aug 2006 18:32:48 GMT

I figured it was about time to come out of my producers cocoon and add my reaction to the invitation to the festival.

Two words.

Holy Crap!!! I cannot believe we had heard so soon. Just a few days ago (at least that’s what it felt like) we were running around trying to find a late night Fed-Ex drop off to send the baby off.
People always say they remember certain moments in their lives such as their first kiss, a marriage proposal, and the birth of a child. I have never had the pleasure of being a parent or a marriage proposal and the first kiss, well I will just say yada yada and move on. But I can tell you that the words that came out of Brent’s’ mouth will be forever burnt into to my memory bank.
The word that first came to mind was FINALLY! Finally, after all the times I have had to justify my passion and resolve to someone NOT in the business. I can say that all my hard work, all those weekends away from family and friends, jobs that were credit and copy, those famous words from my Father “your not even using your degree” and usually robbing Peter to pay Paul came the light through the fog that I have been waiting for. Holy Crap, we are in!!!

Congrats to all.

--- ss.

Specifics on...actors

Wed, 30 Aug 2006 22:57:46 GMT

So I'm sitting here watching The Hub yet again...(always making little edits...) and thinking of how well everyone involved did and maybe hoping to give you an overview of who the people in it are.

Detective Lieutenant Fred Markham: Fred Robbins is a local Boston-based actor, very active in the local theater and independent film scene. I acted with Fred in a Shakespeare play at a local theater here and I remember very well: I write a lot of older men, father-figure types in my writing...not fathers, but the type of man, sometimes broken, sometimes beaten, but never destroyed. Not that that's Fred at all, but I heard him, I was backstage and it was during first rehearsals, and I heard him doing his lines and I walked out to watch what they were doing, and when I saw Fred, as a director/writer, there are people, actors that you instantly respond to and when I saw Fred, I knew I'd found my actor. Anyhow, to not sound any more weird, I'll stop there.
Marquis Williams: I saw many local Boston actors for the part of Marquis, but it was when Scott Neufville walked into the audition, actually, I asked him to do the first line, and he needed to choke someone, and he started the line, all intense in character and then he interrupted himself to ask a question and he came out of character and smiled and instantly changed his demeanor and it was then that I knew...this is Marquis.
Stander Rhames: Naheem Garcia is a local Boston-based actor who should've been huge ten years ago. I'll do all I can.
Dormer Whitfield: Willie Baker is a local Boston actor, and Dormer is his first real role. Amazing job.
Pat McPherson: Pat Real is an electrician with the Boston Public Library.
Bruno Ditelli: Bruno Mancaniello is a train inspector with the Boston MBTA.
Judge Robert Monroe: Robert Azevedo is a local Boston-based actor. I can't wait to shoot further into the series with him and his character.
Adam: Adam Soule is a local Boston-based actor. He has been involved in Improv and theatre and independent film.
Stacie: Summer Doyle is a local Boston actress involved in theatre and independent film.

Those were the main actors and I thank all of them for being a part of our small little project.

More specifics...

Tue, 29 Aug 2006 18:20:41 GMT

As mentioned before, The Hub was shot on the Canon XL2 at 16:9, 24P, from the great guys at Boston Camera Rental Company. The only other thing rented was a Sennheiser mic and, two weekends, a Glidecam Pro. We shot at numerous Boston locations. A very gratified shout-out to:
The Pour House. My favorite bar and the best Sunday brunch in Boston. Boylston St., between the Hynes convention center and Prudential center.
The old Cask-and-Flagon (pre-renovation). They wouldn't open their doors, but they let us film outside. All-in-all, it worked well. Corner of Lansdowne St. and Brookline Ave.
The Brookline Booksmith. The single worst location shoot I've ever experienced. And you know, the only reason I can think that the sales girls had so much against us was that maybe one day before, their fathers had each been killed in some horrid on-set movie accident, because I swear, the vitriol presented was so far from believable...I mean, these girls hated that we were there...if you could have seen their behavior...anyhow...I'm not bitter...the Booksmith is on Washington St. in Brookline.
The BU rare records room. Can't say enough how grateful we are that we got that location. Thank you, BU. Boston University is on Commonwelath Ave.
RSI, inc. offices. This subsidiary of the Boston Globe, (who I once worked for) allowed us to use their offices to substitute for a police station. (Since a real police station would have been FAR too busy, and never would have let us film there, anyway.) RSI, Inc. is in Randolph, MA.

Thanks to all these locations, and the ones we didn't ask permission to use, who didn't kick us out or off their property.
Thanks to Peter for the editing software, to my brother for helping me to pick out the Zuke computer that I edited on and to Fred for being the reason I pictured the story in my head in the first place. As always, thanks to Sharon for any and everything and to Mom and Brian for being there and always helping to support and, yeah, thanks.

Specifics...

Sat, 26 Aug 2006 05:28:31 GMT

I was looking through the other entry spaces, and sitting here seeing the behind-the-scenes stuff and just thinking to myself...AM I THE ONLY ONE THAT DIDN'T SHOOT ON THE DVX-100A? What, is there like some promotional tie-in for PAnasonic that I wasn't aware of? I know it's a good camera, but come on...(Canon, if you're reading this, there is no better SD prosumer camera than the camera I used, the XL2.)
Aside from knowing I already don't fit in because I obviously used a not-as-cool camera, I also noticed from the pictures and thought to myself...boy, it would've been nice to have LIGHTS...and maybe a BOOM POLE operator...(Sharon, if you read this, yes, I know what you did for me with the Adam and Stacie scene, and yes, it's the best audio of the entire pilot.) It would've been nice to have a video assist monitor...(but then, who would've looked at it?) {Oh, right, Sharon. Good one.} I wish I could've had assistants to get the actors coffee, hell, I wish I would've had even some people standing around to watch what we were doing...but this being a decidedly fend-for-yourself town, the police never even asked what we were doing.
And then I thought further and I said to myself that though it would've been nice to have all of those things, I didn't need those things. And I may harp on it, but if someone reading this wants to make a pilot, you don't need those things. You need them, of course...but you don't NEED them.
The only thing that matters is that you have the will and the heart. We only had permission for a few of the indoor scenes...(the newly-minted "entertainment commission" never even returned our repeated phone calls for permission.). It isn't difficult to read between the lines and see that we didn't have much support or respect. But we persevered and stuck it out and made it.
To think we were chosen for this is beyond fantastic.
Don't think I'm saying The Hub can't compete...far from it...I'm saying we'll compete and hold our own and that I'm completely confident The Hub can make a run with the best of the festival. (it wouldn't be here if it didn't have that chance.)
I'm just saying that I want someone to read this and go out and make that project they've always dreamed of making but never thought they could. The highway is strewn with the remnants of those that took a chance and made it and those that didn't. But at least they all tried. Who knows, yours might just be the project that makes it.
-Brian

Thoughts...

Wed, 23 Aug 2006 23:57:35 GMT

Sitting here thinking about the NYTVF, writing the pilot script for our next series, Renaissance, and thinking how many things there are to be happy about.

I was walking along Mass. Ave. in Central Square, Cambridge when I got the call:

Brian (on Sharon's cellphone): Hello?
Sharon: We're in.
Brian: What?
Sharon: We're in.
Brian: Into what?
Sharon: What do you think?
Brian: Sharon, I don't know what you're-
{wait a minute}
Brian: You don't mean...
Sharon: Yes, I do.
Brian: You mean...we're...
Brian stands in the crosswalk. A Boston taxi flies past.
Taxi: Get outta the f**kin road, jerkoff! (Heavy accent without pronouncing the R's)
Brian doesn't move.
A police officer on the corner sees Brian.
Police: Hey, son...
Brian is bent over, smiling and looking at the white paint in the crosswalk, wondering how they paint it so straight. Another car goes by.
Police: Hey! Get outta the road!
Brian stands straight, smiles at officer and waves him off.
Police: Stupid... (inaudible speech)
Brian moves to other side and remembers Sharon is still on the phone. He just now registers she is talking.
Sharon: Did you hear me?
Brian: Uh, can you repeat what you said, I wasn't really listening.
Sharon presumably repeats what she just said. Brian smiles and looks at three men seated on a bench. He hangs up with Sharon and sits on the benches and looks around.
Man 1: What the f**k are you doing?
Brian has seated himself right next to an older man. Brian smiles and puts his arm on the back of the bench and stretches his legs and smiles.
The man shakes his head as Brian watches an MBTA bus take off from the bus station across the street.
The NYTVF...sweet...

The NYTVF!

Tue, 22 Aug 2006 18:11:15 GMT

First of all, let me say what an honor it is to be accepted into the New York Television Festival. Last year, when I wrote The Hub, thinking it would be me and five friends with wigs and moustaches doing all the parts in my friend's basement, to this point writing this, it has been a surreal trip. I've never had enough money to fund what I wanted, and this was no different. But after contacting a local Boston casting agency, Color of Film, having the wonderful Lisa Simmons bring in all these amazing actors to audition my lines...well, things just happened. I didn't think where I would get the money or who would help. I had the script, I knew where I wanted to shoot, and I had the Coppola family mantra running through my head: "Just do it. Don't think how you will, just do it."
So I did it.

I've lived in Boston off-and-on for eight years now (and no matter how far away I get...Japan, LA...I always seem to come back to it.) I had no crew contacts, no one that I knew within the film community, but it didn't matter: the actors were ready, the project was ready; there was no stopping it.
And then I met Sharon, now my producing partner, and it all happened. We did it. Over five weekends, all around Boston and one in Brookline and one in Randolph. We used local Boston actors (and one was even an electrician and one an MBTA inspector.)
And then, on Sharon's behest, I re-edited the original 45 minute first episode into a 22-minute version, submitted it to the festival, and here we are, with a series written into five episodes and planned to the end with the pilot episode in the New York Television festival.
Truly amazing.

Submission Questions Answers:

Background:

The Hub was conceived one day as producer Brian
Neuls was reading an article in the Boston Globe.  A
police detective referring to the suspect in a criminal
case he had just lost vowed, “He will kill again.”
According to Neuls, the story evolved from that line. 
His interest broadened into creating a crime show set
in a city with a reputation for racial tension and
starring an undercover African-American FBI agent who
operates very closely with the element he is attempting
to infiltrate. The cast is composed of local actors all
very active in the Boston theater and independent film
scenes.

What advice would you give those making pilots
for the 2007 NYTVF?

I would say, first-and-foremost, just do it. Don't wait
for someone to help you or to tell you what to do.
Just start, and the rest will come.  Don't think about
your resources or what's available. Don't think anyone
won't let you shoot there or will force you to have
permission. With today's technology, if you have the
ability and enough passion, all you need is you and a
camera and actors.
                                – Brian Neuls

Photo Album: Screencaps

Thu, 24 Aug 2006 14:30:02 GMT

Screencaps

Fred Robbins, Scott Neufville

Scott Neufville as Marquis Williams

Fred Robbins as Detective Lieutenant Fred Markham

Naheem as Stander Rhames

Robert Azevedo as Judge Robert Monroe

Pat Real, Bruno Mancaniello, Fred Robbins, Scott Neufville

Alley scene

Willie Baker, Scott Neufville

Willie Baker, Naheem, Kenneth McFadden

Adam Soule and Summer Doyle

More Photos...

Photo Album: The Hub Photos

Thu, 24 Aug 2006 00:21:15 GMT

The Hub Photos

Brian and Bruno

Brian, Fred, and Robert

Brian, Fred, and Bruno

Brian and Robert

Shooting on the waterfront

Brian and Seth

Shooting out back of Old City Hall

Shooting near BU

Shooting out back of Old City Hall

Shooting near BU

More Photos...

Custom List: Synopsis

Fri, 18 Aug 2006 18:14:14 GMT

Synopsis

The Hub
This gritty crime drama follows Boston Police Detective Fred Markham, who ponders quitting the force after losing the biggest case of his career. Unfortunately, the local underworld boss and his henchman have other plans for the detective.

Custom List: 2005 Finalists

Wed, 16 Aug 2006 23:25:03 GMT

2005 Finalists

Custom List: 2006 Finalists

Tue, 15 Aug 2006 18:08:54 GMT

2006 Finalists

Custom List: NYTVF

Tue, 15 Aug 2006 18:07:38 GMT

NYTVF