MERRY YOU! Merry Christmas!
HAPPY YOU! Happy New Year!
YOU are the GIFT
that keeps on giving and I have a priceless PRESENT for YOU!
Get ready to add INSPIRATION to this supernaturally effervescent and intentionally anticipated morning of transcendent JOY, glorious merriment and accomplished ENERGY!
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My art is a reflection of my soul.
On my quest, I’ve had the HONOR to encounter, embrace, support and learn from fellow creatives and entrepreneurs who are crafting, discovering and pioneering their own path and re-defining what their own personal beacon of SUCCESS is! This is one of my most significant newsletters because of this opportunity to introduce courageous, authentic, BOLD and enterprising ARTISTS of various industries into your life!
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Wherever you are in your career, one of these persevering and risk-taking individuals will further uplift your spirit and may be the source or connection toward inspiring your next steps! I feel extraordinarily blessed to have witnessed how their gifts have manifested over this past year! When we GROW TOGETHER, our transformation into living our best lives and becoming the best version of ourselves is abounding!
So, without further ado, we commence with a brief interview with filmmakers Cory Holland and Jeffrey Brant! Keep reading and keep scrolling down for an EPIC collage of creatives that have exhilarated a purposeful, memorable and motivational 2018!
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Cory, as the Actor, Co-Writer and Co-Producer of “The Alley” (currently a ‘proof-of-concept’ to pitch to networks) what was one of the greatest lessons you learned in the making-of this project?
There are many lessons that were learned throughout this process. I suppose the biggest lesson for me wasn’t so much a lesson as it was proof that truly anything is possible. I would’ve never imagined we’d be able to pull off what we did... at the level and quality that we did. From cast to crew - with an extremely small budget, we were lucky enough to have some of the very best (including yourself, Apolonia) basically volunteer their services and equipment simply because they believed in the project. Now, this would’ve been amazing regardless, but this was four overnight shoots in a row, and some of the crew members we had never even met prior to night one. The entire experience was quite inspiring, and definitely something I’ll never forget.
Jeffrey, your thoughts?
Time management more than anything. We had four days to shoot about 30+ pages worth of script. Now obviously, not all of that was top to bottom dialogue, but we had limited shooting days due to only having overnight access to our bowling alley location. Their staff has been supportive of "The Alley" since we approached them with the idea three years ago so it was important to us that we not impede on their regular business hours.
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Jeffrey, as the Director, Co-Writer and Co-Producer, what was one of your most memorable moments that surprised you and inspired you while filming?
There were so many to keep up with if I'm being honest. One that really stands out happened to me our first night of shooting, just as we were setting up for our very first shot. We didn't have a lot of prep time with the "Zamboni" (machine that oils the lanes) ahead of the first scene so I had to sit down with the manager, Phillip, and talk over the actions that our actor, Henry Haggard, was about to perform. As I'm describing the scene, he stops me and says, "You know man, when you first came to me three years ago and asked to shoot your proof in our building, I never expected anything like this. This is amazing." In that moment, I was beyond grateful for not only the opportunity we had been given but also with the amount of professionalism our entire team brought to the table. It was definitely our time.
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Cory, same question, how about you?
Hands down - for me it was shooting the climax of our proof. It was basically me opposite David Ditmore who’s an incredibly talented actor. What made it so memorable was - during the scene we argue. As that argument escalates, there are moments where you will hear us but not see us, and eventually the scene transitions into slow motion. So, we knew going in we’d need to improv and argue well beyond what was actually scripted. So filming all the various angles, there was a sense of realism in neither of us knowing exactly what the other was going to say or do. We just kept feeding off each other, and going for it. It was not only the most memorable moment I had filming “The Alley,” it was easily the most memorable moment I’ve ever had acting.
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Jeffrey, lastly, who is your target audience for this original band of characters that you and Cory are creating? And how may YOUR FANS stay up-to-date with this project?
I know you may be looking for an age demographic with this one, but I'll answer it another way. The setting of our show may take place in a bowling alley, but bowling is far from the story we're trying to tell. I think it's a show about the notions of happiness and how we choose to identify with and portray those concepts from an individual standpoint. So if our viewers, regardless of age, can find a common thread within whatever the episode's theme may be, whether it's love or soul-searching, temptation or fear, or simply trying to find one's sense of purpose, I think they're going to be in for a treat when they watch, "The Alley."
As of right now, we're keeping a lot of content close to the chest until the proof is complete. In the meantime, you can stay up-to-date with our personal IG pages, @jbrantfilms and @coryholland, for any teasers and BTS stills until then!
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Cory, in reference to my previous question, anything you would add?
Adults of all ages. It’s a drama first, and a comedy second. But overall, we want it to be a fun and exciting show that people will relate to and want to watch regardless of their mood or how their day went. We have a lot hopes and plans for the show.
Thank you both for your time and reflection on filming “The Alley!” I’m so thankful to be a collaborator on this independent and original endeavor! I eagerly await every opportunity to share the process and progress of this “proof-of-concept!”
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MERRY CHRISTMAS &
HAPPY NEW YEAR
to ALL!
With Love from YOUR FAN,
Apolonia Davalos
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CAREERS
TO KNOW & FOLLOW IN 2019
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