DadQuest - A Film By Neal Buconjic

[Neal Buconjic]

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/picture.php?albumid=158&pictureid=1033


A Warm Comedy


When a teenager finds out that his dad isn't his biological father, he creates a website to aid the search for his real dad - with mixed results.

Luke is a typical 15 year old, navigating the choppy waters of highschool and teenhood. When he accidentally learns that his dad is not his biological father, his already confusing life turns upside down.

Luke’s mother died while he was still a toddler, his only memories of her through photographs and anecdotes from others. The news that his father is not biologically related causes Luke an overwhelming loss of identity. Who is he? Where does he come from?
In order to lay these feelings to rest, Luke determines that he MUST find his biological father. With the help of his best friend Katie, he sets out to find a man he knows nothing about.
But will this search destroy the relationship between Luke and the only father he has known?



I've been holding off starting a thread until I had a poster, but I decided I'd just make a temporary one and get this thing going.

DadQuest
Directed By: Neal Buconjic
Written By: Sarah Daly
Composer: Sid Barnhoorn
Sound Design: Brad Semenoff
Art Work: Mike Manning

[Neal Buconjic]

Cast

Luke - Zach Fraser
Katie - Hillary Pagnucco
Tim - Mike Franic
Austin - Chas Calam
Ray - Dan Fraser
Alan - Brent Running
Muddy - George Pavelich

Crew
Neal Buconjic
Justin Colautti
Jamie Pyette

Stephanie Pagnucco - Makeup

[Neal Buconjic]

BTS/Grabs
Pics uploaded to album. The site automatically re-sized them - subsequently they're more grainy than the originals.
Have shot 6 of 10 scenes thus far. Grabs are uncorrected.

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/picture.php?albumid=158&pictureid=1296

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/picture.php?albumid=158&pictureid=1293

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/picture.php?albumid=158&pictureid=1295

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/picture.php?albumid=158&pictureid=1292

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/picture.php?albumid=158&pictureid=1294

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/picture.php?albumid=158&pictureid=1297

[ZazaCast]

Welcome Neal... good to see you back!

[Neal Buconjic]

Thanks Joe. Good to be back!

[Chris_Keaton]

Awesome! I read the long version. I'm interested in seeing how Sarah cut it down? Especially if my axe was used or something with more precision. :)

I can't wait to see it.

[Neal Buconjic]

Hey Chris.

The long ORIGINAL or the long FINAL version?
Yes, the original ran long, but it was fine tuned down to a tight 6 pages. The story was massaged and we lost any unnecessary dialogue that didn't directly move the story forward (but provided some nice moments). I am however, going to shoot an 8 page version which will be the full length cut after Quest Fest.

I'm really happy to be working with Sarah. She's been great.

[HCPROD]

Sarah is an awesome writer. Looking forward to seeing this one!

[Robbie Comeau]

If you can get me to the Sue, I'd like to help out if you needed it :)

Robbie

[stinkpot]

Can't wait to check it out.

Welcome to the fest!

:beer:

[Neal Buconjic]

If you can get me to the Sue, I'd like to help out if you needed it :)
Robbie

Thanks for the offer Robbie. Unfortunately, my budget has been blown already with additional equipment purchases. I'm trying to keep it lean now - can't afford to bring in anyone from out of town.


Sarah is an awesome writer. Looking forward to seeing this one!

Yes, she is. I think everyone will like this little gem.


Can't wait to check it out.

Welcome to the fest!

:beer:

Thank you! I'll drink to that! :beer:

[Sarah Daly]

Aww hey thanks guys - it's been a pleasure working with Neal. He really gets it. The story's in safe hands! :)

[Bro. Stephen]

good luck

[Bro. Stephen]

can't wait to see it. sounds good.

[Rodney V. Smith]

interesting dude. welcome back!

[Neal Buconjic]

Thanks guys.

Just filling the last few roles, then production can kick off.

[Neal Buconjic]

Additional cast added to Post#2. A few outstanding roles remaining to be cast.

[Brad S.]

Hey Neal, any news on DadQuest?

[Neal Buconjic]

Hey Brad,

It's been a nightmare trying to coordinate a shoot schedule around actor's work schedules and prior committments. My plans to have this in the can by the end of May have long been abandoned.

Although my efforts to shoot several scenes tomorrow have been dashed - we will begin next week, with our biggest scene being shot on Saturday the 13th. The location has been locked and cast and crew notified.

Still a few non-essential characters to cast, but it's coming together. This delay will give me time to order a jib/crane from Kessler - they've been "closed" since going to an equipment expo.

[ZazaCast]

Yeah... get the Kessler! I love mine. Still looking forward to this one Neal...and I feel your pain, I've been trying to rangle my actors for "Miss Laid" going on 6 months now. I've NEVER had so much trouble getting people together.

Hang in there...there IS a light at the end of the tunnel. (and most of the time it's an oncoming train!)

[Neal Buconjic]

LOL.

Thanks for the words of encouragement, Joe. Who thought it would be so difficult to cast a film? Then to actually coordinate everyone and get the film completed... no small feat.

I commend everyone in these fests for getting their films done!

[ZazaCast]

LOL.

Thanks for the words of encouragement, Joe. Who thought it would be so difficult to cast a film? Then to actually coordinate everyone and get the film completed... no small feat.

I commend everyone in these fests for getting their films done!

Just read my thread...I had the same problem. One of these days I'm going to get a PA and leave it on their shoulders!

[Brad S.]

Any news on the film, Neal?

[Neal Buconjic]

A few uncorrected grabs are up on Page 1.

[Neal Buconjic]

I REALLY pushed this one to the limit. What I mean is, though I had every intention of NOT scrambling to upload by the deadline - things took much more time to get going than I had originally intended.

Out of the gate I had trouble coming up with a story line that could be told in 6 minutes. Every one of my ideas soon became much too grand to tell in that limited amount of time.

I was put in touch with Sarah Daly (who has been a joy to work with) and she sent me three ideas she was toying with. Two had alot of meat - I suspect that they were already written - but the third was an IDEA. Two sentences that intrigued me enough that I thought we should run with it. Sarah went to work.

Four drafts later I had my shooting script. Now to find a cast...

More to come...

[Tom Marshall]

Hey Neal, best of luck putting a cast together for DadQuest. :beer:

[Neal Buconjic]

Hey Neal, best of luck putting a cast together for DadQuest. :beer:

Thanks, Tom.

To date I hadn't worked with minors, so I wasn't sure of the talent level available to me in my city. I contacted the drama teachers at two local highschools to inquire whether they had any standout students who they thought may be appropriate for the two parts I had available.
Both teachers were very supportive and I attended each school, auditioning about 45 students in total.

I was impressed by some of the students, but they just weren't appropriate for the roles. Fortunately, at one school there were two who not only fit the physical description of the characters, but nailed the performance as well.
After consulting with Sarah (writer) on my decision, I was ready to make an offer. Both Zach and Hillary readily accepted.

Now, with the lead roles filled, I went to work on the supporting cast.

[Neal Buconjic]

Having been a stage actor for many years, I've had the opportunity of working with a number of actors.

Rather than having a traditional audition process, I felt comfortable asking particular actors if they would be interested in being in the film. Some said yes right away, others wanted to read the script first; but in the end I filled the roles.

Now the REAL struggle was to coordinate my shoot dates.
Who knew that there would be so many conflicts between night classes, jobs, dance classes/recitals, cadets????

Finally, with school winding down for the year, it seemed that we would have a free weekend to begin shooting. I made arrangements to shoot at a coffee house on Saturday June 13. This was by far the largest scene in the film with some 50 extras involved. I felt once we got this scene in the can, that we were home free.

Well, the evening before, I got a funny feeling that I should talk with my female lead. I hadn't seen her for a few days and wanted to confirm she knew to arrive at 9am.
Her mother answered the phone and had a tone in her voice that sounded like someone had died. Hillary had been bed ridden for two days and what was originally thought to be strep throat was now suspected to be Mono. The test results wouldn't be back until Monday. But bottom line, she wouldn't be available. Apparently she wanted to suck it up and perform anyway, but her voice sounded like she was channeling Jack Klugman. Mom won the argument. I was on the phone steady for the next hour trying to notify people that the shoot was off. More importantly, what if she DID have mono?? From what I understand, someone could be out for MONTHS with mono? Would I have to recast? God, I hoped not. Hillary was perfect for the role and I had limited options.
On Sunday, June 14, we managed to get our first scene shot with our male lead and his father. It felt good to get this show moving.

Tuesday, June 16, I received a call from Hillary and she sounded "normal". The test for mono came back negative and with four straight days of sleeping, she seemed to have made a full recovery. It was a viral infection that just needed to run its course. Thankfully I wouldn't have to recast!

I contacted the coffee house to inquire about when I may be able to reschedule. We settled on Saturday, June 27. This was MUCH too close to the QuestFest deadline, but I had already been flirting with not getting completed in time - what choice did I have? I just wanted to get this film completed.

On Wednesday, June 17, we followed up the success of Sunday's shoot by shooting the other scene featuring the lead and his father. Nice to make some progress.

I then contacted the cast to inform them of the new date for the coffee house scene and that's when Hillary dropped another bombshell. She was LEAVING on the 27th for an 8 day trip to a family reunion. Now, she HAD told me this back in early May when I cast her, but shrugged it off because I had hoped to be COMPLETED shooting by June 1st. Now this had come back to bite me in the ass.
Ok. So QuestFest is officially off the books. But I'll keep chugging along until she's completed.

I made plans with the crew and the two leads to do an all day shoot on Saturday, June 20. The weather would dictate which scenes we would be doing. I had wanted to complete a scene that took place as the two walk through the streets of a suburban neighborhood, but the forecast was calling for rain (of course!!!).
Saturday arrived and it HAD rained and was overcast, so we took it inside for the day.

I have to say, that I've been very fortunate. Despite the setbacks, I couldn't be more pleased with the performance of both Zach and Hillary. They both are portraying the characters exactly as I intended. Thank you.

So, I had mentioned that Hillary was departing on an 8-day trip for a family reunion? Well, on the heels of that, just a few days later, I will be going on a trip. I'm heading to Dublin, Ireland on July 9th and will return on July 22. Of course, when I made MY plans, I thought the film would have long ago been submitted and I could just enjoy myself, spending my days drinking Guinness and searching for 4 leaf clovers and that pot of gold to help finance the film. Who knew that my trip would delay the film another two weeks?
On a side note - the trip to Dublin will give me an opportunity to meet Sarah (screenwriter). She's been on the journey with me every step of the way. I'm looking forward to meeting her.

Tuesday, June 23. I received a call from Zach, the male lead. He had received a scholarship and had been accepted into a military band-camp on the west coast. He'd be gone until mid-August. Seems weeks earlier he had learned that he WASN'T accepted, but after a student cancelled, he was next on the list. He actually asked my permission whether he could accept it or not.

This was a huge stumbling block, but at this point it was almost comical - what's next? Is my airplane going to go down? Hopefully it's on the trip BACK from Ireland - at least let me enjoy myself first...

I had fully intended to finish up any scenes and/or pick up shots with Zach before he leaves (July 4), but I changed my mind. I'm worried about continuity. Zach will have to get a MILITARY haircut. He claims that his hair will be back to it's current state by mid-August but why chance it? I'll hold off doing these shots until his return.

So, my QUEST is over - for now.

Good luck to those of you who have managed to navigate the pitfalls and traps and come away with a finished QuestFest entry.

I'll be watching.

Neal.

[Mike Manning]

That sucks man, sorry to hear that. I couldn't get mine finished in time either.

[Neal Buconjic]

Just wanted to take a moment to thank the members of DVXUser who stepped up to assist me with this project.

Sorry that I couldn't get it done in time, gang.

Written By: Sarah Daly
Composer: Sid Barnhoorn
Sound Design: Brad Semenoff
Art Work: Mike Manning

[ZazaCast]

Bummer Neal... but you'll get it done. Have a great trip and please give Sarah a big DVXuser hug! I'll still be looking forward to this film.

[Neal Buconjic]

That sucks man, sorry to hear that. I couldn't get mine finished in time either.


Bummer Neal... but you'll get it done. Have a great trip and please give Sarah a big DVXuser hug! I'll still be looking forward to this film.

Thanks guys.

Yes, I'll be sure to give Sarah a big DVXUser hug (assuming she's ok with it!)

I've invested more than $2k in additional equipment for this short, so you can be damn sure I'm going to complete it! Better late than never, right?

Good luck in the fest, Joe - I've been looking forward to Miss Laid for a while. And Mike, I hope that you'll post your film when it's completed? It looks awesome.

[Sarah Daly]

Hey just wanted to say it's been an absolute pleasure working with ya, Neal and no need for apologies - I know you've done your absolute best at every stage to get this made, and I know that you will! A few stumbling blocks won't stop you!

Oh and yep - looking forward to my DVX User hug!

[Chris_Keaton]

How come I don't get no hugs? Oh, yeah the smell.