The First Shoot Weekend

Yes that's right! We started principal photography this weekend and the filming of With Her is well under way! We visited four locations playing as William, Sofia, and Matthew's apartments, as well as the Book Store scene for William and Sofia's first 'date'. Our talented cast radiated their characters and dazzled through the lens, and we own an enormous thanks to all of you who came out to be background actors at the Book Store, you were all incredible too! (thank you, thank you, thank you!).

In case you're just starting to follow along with the production and filming of With Her, here's a little recap of what's going on and how it's going. There's a cast of incredible actors; Joseph Murray (William), Rebecca Liddiard (Sofia), and Taylor Davis (Matthew) make up the principal characters. The film also has Robert Segarini (Sherman Lesse), Raymi Lauren White (Woman #1), Zuly Torres (Woman #2), Alex Payne (Book Store Worker), and Joan Wilson (Photographer) as supporting characters / special bg. There's also a crew of hard working, dedicated film makers behind the lens capturing it all in cinematic brilliance, there's; Gerson Peña (Story/Writer), Emer Schlosser (Producer/Writer/Story Editor), Giuliana Lacerenza (Producer/Choreography/Wardrobe), Julia Carter (Makeup), Vladimir Novotni (Grip/Electric), Victor Mifsud (Camera), Aaron Forma (Sound), Kanishka Gulati (Producers Assistant), Donovan Tremblay (Slate/Stills/PA) along with myself Kristopher Finnigan (Producer/Director/Writer). Together we are With Her and the dynamic is magical!

The entire entire budget for the film has been raised by donations, this is being called 'crowd funding' these days and much of our funding came from the proceeds from an event at Cherry Cola's in Toronto. A cabaret of entertainment including Dave Borins, Lady Hayes, The Sweet Mack, Dj eLman and Dj Linterna, Simmer Down, Erez Sussman, and Dj Class!ck accompanied an art auction and delectable food cooked by my own talented Mom (Monica Quinn). We were able to raise just over $1600 dollars and it got the ball rolling on filming! We are still accepting donations to help us in completing the film as well as submitting it to film festivals upon completion. For every donation over $30 we are thanking people for their support by offering a free 'I'm With Her' tshirt custom printed by TKO Tee's (click here to get more info ondonations and tees!).

After our first weekend of shooting, we only have a few scenes left to film! The crew worked at a furious pace, and climbed mountains together in order to get the best possible performances captured beautifully on camera. It IS working! Check the photo-stream page on this site for great photo's from the weekend as well as Raymi's blog about her big performance and Saturday! The camera continues to roll over the next few weeks, stay tuned for more updates With Her!

FUN with With Her FUNdraiser

Thanks for everyone who came out to Cherry Cola's to support With Her! We had a great night and hope you did too. Here're some photos for those who were there to reminisce over and for the rest of you to see what you missed out on.

The Sweet Mack : Featured Artist

The inception of The Sweet Mack was not a rushed process. Bassist Mattie Leon began performing as a solo acoustic act at his high school in 2004. The same high school that guitar player Adam Montgomery attended. However, it was not until 2007 that the two got together and started writing music. The creativity together was immediate and they began rehearsing along with Mattie's older brother Mike on drums. They found their sound almost immediately fusing melodic influences from bands such as The Beatles, Sloan and Oasis but with a more aggressive attitude from bands such as The Who, The Raconteurs and early Kings of Leon. It was only a mere two weeks before their first performance together and on April 26th 2007 The Sweet Mack was born.

Now, due to the fact that Mattie attended Penn State University the band was limited to only playing in the summers of 2007 and 2008. Once Mattie moved back to their hometown of Brampton, Ontario in June of 2009. This marks the true beginning for the band as they were able to consistently play throughout the rest of the year having some great opportunities to open for some fantastic bands such as The Spill Canvas, Pilot Speed (formerly Pilate), Mistress Barbara, Sandman Viper Command and The Junction. In the winter of 2009 the band began recordings for their debut release "First Cut".  
 

After the initial recording sessions for their upcoming album it was apparent that performing it live with only three members was not going to be enough. So, in early 2010 Adam asked Burlington native Andrew Slomka; a friend of his from university, if he wanted to jam with the band. After the first jam the guys new Andrew was the perfect fit and in May of 2010 Andrew became the official 4th member of The Sweet Mack. Things continued to pick up for the band in 2010 as they finished their recordings, were hooked up with Adam Faux (of The Lost Dakotas and Pig Farm) to mix their record and Nick Blagona (who has engineered, produced and mastered for the likes of Deep Purple, Tom Jones, Alexisonfire and The Tea Party to name a few) to master their record. Now on the eve of their first release the band is very enthusiastic about their future as they continue to play more and more to growing crowds. The Sweet Mack look forward to coming to Cherry Cola's on Sunday June 5th for the With Her Film Fundraiser! Hope to see you all there!!

Dave Borins : Featured Artist

DAVE BORINS: ACOUSTIC ROCKER, INVENTIVE SONGWRITER,
DEADLY PERFORMER, AND A MAN ON THE MOVE!

Check out http://daveborins.com/ for music and more info!

A year or so ago, Tom Power, the host of CBC Radio 2's Deep Roots programme said: "I got a feeling you'll be hearing a lot more from Dave Borins in the next couple of years."

He’s right, because you ARE going to hear a lot more about a guy who is possibly one of Toronto's most energetic acoustic soul players and performers. Dave Borins is making his move. He started relatively late, because he wasn't in Canada a lot of the time. He was traveling: China, Japan, Indonesia, India, Peru, Nepal — and his passport was his guitar. The ability to play, sing and laugh made friends for him wherever he went — and now it's making friends for him here at home.

See the full lineup for the Event at
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=202251833149269

He'd learned the very best way to entertain and influence people as canoe guide in the summers of his youth. Here's a guy who can navigate a river, light a camp fire in the rain, and probably cool out inquisitive or angry bears. After that, wandering around the Himalayas, or exploring ancient Inca trails is easy. He’s probably played well over 300 concerts in the last four years, that sort of experience shows.

There have been two recordings — a full-length one from 2007, Songs of Sense and Colour, and a gutsy EP The Lucky Ones recorded in 2009 — and these records, in turn, spawned no less than half a dozen tours, touching almost every part of Canada. As one arts magazine writer put it: "His voice is the kind you could lean against and trust to lead you home on a long walk from the pub in the night."

2010 was kind to him; Tours in Newfoundland and Alberta. Showcases in Memphis, Nashville and at NXNE in Toronto. A songwriting workshop at Boston’s Berklee School of Music, followed by shows in New York City.

We are excited to have him play along side Lady Hayes, The Sweet Mack, Erez Sussman, Dos Mundos DJ's, DJ Class!ck and Simmer Down on June 5th at Cherry Cola's (200 Bathurst St.) for the With Her Fundraiser event!!

Lady Hayes : Featured Artist

On June 5th, at Cherry Cola's (200 Bathurst St.) the terrifically talented Lady Hayes will be playing at the With Her Film Fundraiser!! If you didn't know already, Lady Hayes conveys a myriad of influences, from Peggy Lee to Nirvana. Her wistful sound is hard to pigeonhole - some may hear elements of folk and roots rock, but a combination of modern storytelling and production allow beautiful pop-oriented melodies to shine through. Part wistful song bird, part rock n' roller, and powerful vocals offset a sound that is every bit as raw as it is delicate.

Opening Hearts & Apertures was released on Feb 5th 2011, and will be followed by a late spring tour - having already shared the stage with great acts like Joel Plaskett, Peter Elkas, Good Lovelies, By Divine Right, Rob Szabo, Peter Katz and Emma Lee, we are ecstatic to have her join Dave Borins, Eres Sussman, Simmer Down, Dos Mundos DJ's DJ eLman and DJ Linterna and DJ Class!ck on the 5th! Lady Hayes will be on after 9pm, and admission is only $10!

To hear some of her music, take a look and listen to her incredible website by clicking anywhere here. She's on twitter, click anywhere here for her twitter page. As well as having a facebook page, click anywhere here for that. Take a listen, and get excited!! There is a lot in store for the fundraiser event, and we hope to see you there! Stay tuned for more blogs, featuring the Artists that will be contributing to the Fundraiser night, and to the film!

The Main Event : With Her Fundraiser at Cherry Cola's June 5th!!

This is it folks! For ages we've been hinting at throwing a party to raise funds for With Her and it's finally happening!! On Sunday June 5th, 2011 at Cherry Cola's at 6:30pm (200 Bathurst St.) the With Her family is hosting a night of music, art, food and a chance to meet the cast and film makers in person!

The evening has two programs, and admission to the first applies also to the second. The first, from 6:30pm until 9pm we will be running a silent auction for artwork that has been donated by local artists. There will also be live music and food during the pre-party and an opportunity to meet with some of the cast and film makers. The second part of the night,starting at 9pm, is the party! Live music from a variety of DJ's and Performers and a chance to win half of the money bag in the 50/50 draw! Pre-party is just $20 and stay all night to enjoy the music, or come after 9pm for $10 and have all the fun till they make us stop ;)

We have an 'Event Page' on Facebook, you can find it through our 'With Her Film' page or by clicking HERE FOR FOR THE EVENT PAGE ON FACEBOOK. 

Over the next few days and weeks there will be Blog's about each of the artists that are contributing to this fantastic evening! Please follow along as we showcase their talents in appreciation of their support towards the film. See you on the 5th!!

I'm With Her : TKO TShirts

Rebecca and Giuliana sport their stylin'
With Her tees from TKO (ladies cut)
I'm With Her tees come with free magic
that will make you smile in the rain*
(as pictured).

For a limited time, we are offering a FREE, custom printed  I’m With Her TShirt, along with an autographed copy of the script to every person who donates $30 or more to the film. Each shirt is a one of a kind creation! You'll be getting a fantastic TShirt that looks great, AND you'll be supporting the arts by helping to fund the film. As an added treat, once you have donated, you have the  option to buy additional Tees for just $20! I'm With Her Tees come with free magic that will make you smile in the rain!*


There are loads of photos on the Photo Steam page of the Blog if you're looking for more examples of completed tees, check it out here! We also have photo's up on the With Her official Facebook Page... give us a 'like' and you'll be in touch with news and events as well as the most up to date information about With Her as we come closer and closer to our shooting days! As an artist, art fan, and friend; Teresa Kelly has created some truly great Tees for With Her! I hope you will take a look at her web site http://tkocreations.ca/ to see some of the other amazing custom Tees she's made.

 

An up close look at the Tees. You get a choice of having yours
printed on either White or Black American Apparel Shirts.

TKO does custom silk screen printing on fine apparel. Her TShirts are one of a kind collectables. Hand printed on American Apparel shirts, the inks are mixed by the artist to make unique and stylish Tees that look great and last a long time. You have the choice of a Ladies’s cut TShirt, or Unisex in Black or White (Sm-Xl). Colours of the words will vary from Tee to Tee.

Kris and Giuliana in their Tees. TKO's
I'm With Her Tees come with free magic
that will make you smile in the rain*
(as pictured).

So how do you get your own custom printed I'm With Her TShirt? Look for the 'donate' button on the right side of the Blog page, click it and donate $30 to With Her. With your donation of $30 we will commission your shirt to be printed. We will contact you to find out what size, colour, and style you would like. Once we know these things, TK will print your shirt and it will be delivered to you! If you would like more than one TShirt, it's the same process except that additional shirts are only $20. Therefore if you would like two Tees, please donate $50, if you'd like three Tees please donate $70, and so on. You are not obligated to get an I'm With Her TKO Tee when you donate. We are offering them as a thank you for your support, and to spread the word about TKO Tees! Order yours today!



 * With Her cannot guarantee that your TKO Tee will make you smile in the rain. However research has shown that chances of smiling during rain increase by 75% when wearing TKO Tees. Individual results may vary.

A Week Of Announcements!

Hello With Her Fans!

Just a quick Blog to let you in on a few things... or rather... to let you know that big things are happening with the film and we can't wait to fill you in on all of the fun! Over the next few days we're rolling out a great set of ways for folks to be more involved in the film, and we think you'll really dig it!

Here's a little photo, giving you a clue towards one of our surprises.

Check back tomorrow and throughout the week for the BIG ANNOUNCEMENTS!

Kristopher Finnigan
Producer
With Her

Emer... Heading to Cannes with 'Black Cadillacs'

Today is a momentous day... not only because it's Monday and the sun is beaming down on the lovely city of Toronto. Not only because we are only a few weeks away from shooting With Her. It's an especially momentous day because Emer Schlosser (Associate Producer and Writer for With Her) is leaving for France to screen a Short Film she wrote last year called Black Cadillacs.

Black Cadillacs is the story of two friends and soldiers who served side-by-side in the Middle East. Making the trip back home for Thanksgiving, where friends and family await, they reminisce and question if one can ever really go back home.

Starring Adam Rodness (Shark City, Rookie Blue) and PJ Lazic (Casino Jack, The Bridge) as the two soldiers Bug and Finn, and Tamsen McDonough (Chloe, The Bridge) as army wife Cat.

This film marks the directorial debut of South African-born Canadian filmmaker Marlida Ferreira. She founded Ferro Films Production Company, under which she co-produced the short with Emer Schlosser and John Temou.

The talented crew is comprised in part by screenwriter Emer Schlosser, editor Gary Fluxgold (Chicago, Take the Lead), cinematographer Adrian Smith (X-Men: The Last Stand, Corner Gas), music supervisor Graham Ward (Ocean’s Twelve, The Osbournes), and features original music by Kenneth Kelley.

The entire With Her team is endlessly proud of Emer! On behalf of With Her, I'd like to wish Emer and Marlida, as well as the entire Black Cadillacs team a successful festival! We hope they'll share their adventures with us when they get back. Break a leg!




Kristopher Finnigan
Producer
With Her

What's Happening 'With Her'?

Joseph, Rebecca and Taylor. Cast of 'With Her' (Photo: Jill Dennis)

For those of you who have been following along with us, you might already know that we have a cast for the film! They are Joseph Murray (as William), Rebecca Liddiard (as Sophia), and Taylor Davis (as Matthew), and we could not be any more proud to have them playing the key roles in the film. We are at the stage in Production where we have the cinematic vision for the film, and rehearsals are under way. And with the advent of rehearsals beginning, we also welcome to the team Giuliana Lacerenza! Giuliana is an accomplished dancer and is choreographing the dance sequence with Rebecca.  Lucky for us, by day she plays the role of Executive Producers Assistant at Sudden Storm Entertainment, soon to be a Project Coordinator with the OMDC, and makes her more than qualified to help us in Producing With Her. We're excited moving forward having her as a part of the team!

Gerson describing the scene, the rest of us, captivated. (Photo: Jill Dennis)

Joseph as William, being his handsome self. (Photo: Jill Dennis)

Gerson, Emer, Giuliana and I as well as the cast have gotten together for rehearsals twice now; the first time was all of us together, getting to know each other, running through the script, soaking up coffee, and laughing whenever possible. The second time was Joseph and Rebecca together. It was a full house the first time around! We were lucky to have Jill Dennis (photographer) drop in to take some candid shots and rehearsal stills, I'll be posting them bit by bit on the new photo stream section as well as in posts in the blog here so keep your eyes peeled for them. They are terrific photos and we hope Jill will drop by again soon. The chemistry with everyone was just right. Rebecca and Joseph continue to have a knack for making each other laugh, and when they play through the script we often lose ourselves in their performances. To have that magic, this early on, is truly inspiring and we know they'll dazzle on the big screen. Joseph and Taylor too, have an instant rapport where we fall into their conversations as if we're listening to two philosophers trying to break down the big mystery of life: love. Gerson sent everyone home with homework (including me!), and we took two weeks to digest the rehearsal with a long weekend and a list of films to watch for inspiration.

Rebecca as Sophia, being her lovely self. (Photo: Jill Dennis)

This last weekend (the second rehearsal), Joseph and Rebecca came to rehearse their scenes. Their comfort level is in a nice place, and the dynamics of William and Sophia are starting to come out. Acting the beginnings of love, those first awkward sparks, is difficult. And yet Joseph and Rebecca have found it within themselves to burst with life, and leave us grinning after every run through! Next week, we are having Joseph and Taylor together to rehearse their specific scenes and we can't wait to see what happens. The interplay of actors absorbing a story, and a character is an amazing process to behold. All three of the actors in With Her amaze us and leave us excited to shoot in a few short months.

We will have more updates before too long, I know Gerson and I are attending Hot Docs this year and will be blogging about some of the interesting things we come across there. We also look forward to hearing from Emer about her amazing opportunities and developments with Black Cadillacs, an exciting Canadian Short Film that she wrote and will be featured at this years Cannes Film Festival.

Looking forward to more? Follow us on facebook, on twitter, or right here on blogger! Till next time, thanks for reading and I'll have more for you soon!

Kris


Kristopher Finnigan
Producer
With Her

With You

Last May I sat down to write what would be my next project.  At the time "With Her" had a different title and it was to be my first feature film.  When I think about how some of those things have changed (it's now a short based on that feature film) and how far we've come, I can only smile.  I have two people who from the beginning believed that this is a film worth making.  I have three wonderful actors who believe in the script and want to bring these characters to life.  Our "film family" has grown and it will continue to grow with the addition of other crew members and people who will take on different roles.  Personally, one of the aspects of filmmaking I love is the fact that a group of people have to come together to make it happen.  It takes one idea, that's true, but it takes a group, a team, working collectively to make it a reality.

Films are very difficult to make, that's a fact and we all understand that.  When a studio doesn't back you, filmmakers have to find different ways to get their project going.  I think that my deep seeded love for independent cinema comes from that.  If you've seen an independent film, the first thing you probably notice is that their budget isn't very big.  I notice it too.  I also notice that when I leave the theatre after watching an independent film, I feel very much connected to it.  Why? Well because the stories are usually very real, the characters and their situations are real.  There is something humanistic about them.  Don't get me wrong I love big blockbusters too and I can have that humanistic connection to them also (The Dark Knight, for example).  What I'm saying is that with independent cinema, the essence of filmmaking is still there within view.  That essence is the need to tell a story, whatever it may be.  It's not just about big explosions, sexy girls, fast cars and one liners.  "With Her", is that story. 

When we (Kris, Emer and I) sat down to talk about how we could make this happen we decided to do it in true independent cinema style and use a very grassroots method.  Crowd Funding.  This is where we ask the people around us who love film and are passionate about art to help us raise the funds and become a part of something amazing.  We want you to have a hand in the making of the film.  We want you to be a part of our team.  Not only will you be supporting Torontonian filmmakers, you'll be supporting Canadian filmmakers.  That's something we can all be proud of.  What do you have to do?  It's easy, on our blogspot home page we have a Donate button (you can see it, to the right, as you read this), all you have to do is click on it and give what you can.  Five dollars, ten dollars, twenty.  Every little bit helps.  How wonderful would it be if in the next week one hundred people donated ten dollars, that's $1000.00!!!  Not only would it be wonderful but it would be truly inspiring.  Thank you very much for your support.  We look forward to having you as a part of your team.

Gerson J. Peña
Writer/Director
"With Her"

Welcome To Thebes

On Wednesday April 13th, Gerson and I had the privilege of attending a play at the Ryerson Theater School entitled, 'Welcome To Thebes'. The play stars our own Rebecca Liddiard as Antigone, in a story of modern drama and primeval tragedy. Naturally, being lovers of stories and theatrical productions we were thrilled to be invited to watch the show. It has been some time since Gerson or I have been to the theater, and that made us even more curious and excited about going to this play! If you haven't been to the Ryerson Theater School, it's located in what can be considered the main campus area of the school at Gerrard and Church Street in Toronto. It's an older building, with loads of character and as we wound our way up to the top floor of the building we peeked into the other studios to find rehearsals and productions happening within. The whole place oozes creativity, and once we found ourselves upstairs we realized that not only had the production started, but we would have to enter the performance area WITH the actors on cue, and slip into our seats. Embarrassed and energized, Gerson and I waited behind costumed actors who were already deeply into their characters. We agreed that we didn't want to get swept onto stage, that would only make matters worse. We would follow like shadowy ninjas, and appear in our seats without a trip. The usher gave us the go ahead, and as we moved forward we could hear the actors in front of us shouting (they were evidently Bodyguards), and this drew the maximum amount of attention. Without any of the smoothness we had planned on, Gerson and I bumbled over people, blocked views and generally confused folk to the point that some thought we were a part of the show! Once we were seated, the real fun began and we were wonderfully wowed!

The costumes were great and in some cases they signified a character so boldly that the director was able to have two or three actors play the role of a particular character for a portion of the play. For example three male actors played the role of Theseus. A few props helped the action along, but all in all the play was very minimal leaving the drama to the actors and their character sketches. An androgynous gypsy witch, commandos, a general, politicians, bodyguards, pissed off teenagers, romantics and a gamut of characters exploded off of each other for two hours of incredible!  There we a lot of over the shoulder comments between Gerson and I, mainly comprising of; 'this is amazing!', 'holy shit!', and 'isn't Rebecca terrific!'. The actors created an enthralling atmosphere where the days of ancient Athenians melded with that of our modern day telling a story of wounded pride, loyalty and progress.

Rebecca's character of Antigone was a conflicted and deeply emotional girl, ensnared in the political turmoil of the time, and at the same time dealing with her own dramas of love and loyalty. Her expressions conveyed her emotions long before her dialogue, and as her character was pushed further and further to the limits, so too was the performance. Rebecca and her character were reminiscent to that of a toiling Hamlet, lost in a sea of bureaucratic brew-ha while trying to honor his father, so too was Antigone looking for a proper burial for Polynices. Gerson and I were so proud and amazed with Rebecca's performance that we truly can't wait to see what she does with Sophia.

We left the Theater School energized and excited once again, talking about our favorite parts, and how much we are looking forward to seeing more theater as well as the rehearsals for 'With Her'. This week, we begin our first cast rehearsals with Joseph, Taylor, and Rececca. We will keep you posted on how it's all going, and I know that I'll be writing another rave review for our actors before too long (:

Kristopher Finnigan
Producer
With Her

Say Hello To Our Little Cast...

Wow! It's been a little bit since we last posted, things got a little crazy with casting and other aspects of our pre-production process.  The good news is that EKG Films is moving right along with our production of "With Her".  We're ecstatic about how far we've come in our journey to making this picture.  We're about two months away from shooting and things are getting more and more exciting.  As the writer/director of the film I'm more excited than anybody else, although I think Kris and Emer would argue against that.  We're also looking forward to continuing to blog about our process, you know the ups,downs and hurdles of filmmaking.  As we all know with any type of art the final product never comes easy but the feeling of having something completed that you've put your time, effort, and love into is amazing.  Alright enough small talk onto our first big update...


We have our principle cast!  After an arduous screening process and having the difficult task of choosing who would play William, Sophia, and Matthew.  We've made our decision and we're extremely happy to have these three wonderful actors who have not only impressed us with their acting but have demonstrated a great passion for their craft and a sincere love for the script (again as the writer of the film, I can not express the joy that I got from the very nice comments that were made about the script) and the project as whole.  We're all really excited to get going!  So with out delaying any further I would like to introduce to all of you the three actors who will be breathing life into the characters of William, Sophia, and Matthew.  Ladies first, as always...

Rebecca Liddiard is a current alum of Ryerson University (Performance: Acting program).  In her young career she has been a part of an array of theatre, t.v. and film productions.  Not only can she act but she has training in dancing and has recently been certified to do stage combat (how cool is that!).  I couldn't have asked for anyone better to play the role of Sophia and I look forward to working with Rebecca and seeing her bring something special to the role.

Next we have our William, Joseph Murray.  Joseph is a graduate of drama and music from the University of Guelph.  He has also been involved with various productions which include both theater and film.  Aside from being a good actor, Joseph will bring a cool softness to the character that we look forward to seeing.  He will be the perfect compliment to Rebecca and I know their on screen chemistry will not only by great but a joy to watch.

Our Matthew. Taylor Davis is a bit of seasoned actor.  He spent sometime in New York where he was a part of various theatre productions and also did some teaching in improvisational acting.  He has comedic acting experience and he's ready to bring some of those acting chops to a more dramatic role.  Taylor will bring that subtle wisdom and wonderful wit that will make Matthew a really great and endearing character.

So there you have it folks, our principle cast.  Aren't they great?  Again on behalf of EKG Films, we're really happy to have these three amazing people on board with us on this project and we look forward to making a great film.  Until the next blog, which won't take as long to post.  We promise!

Gerson
Writer/Director
With Her