Stories
We called the completion of Praying the Hours a little over two months ago—on Mayday, 2021, so it would be easy to remember. Within the time since then, while I have been working on finding its audiences, I picked up one of my journals from over two decades ago. There I found the slip of…
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Two of my dear friends released huge film projects last week. Each of them were in the news, each watching the numbers with their respective studios and each heaving a sigh of relief—then joy!—that something they’ve worked on for years has solidly hit its mark. I lived with each of them through those projects and…
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Now that you’ve been given access to the movie Praying the Hours, one of these days—when you’re in the right mood—you’re going to watch it. And when you finally come to the end, several things will happen, among them, you’ll want to hear the music again. Lauren Meares’ achingly beautiful score was inspired by the…
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For those who have asked, “How can I watch Praying the Hours?” Or for those who have commented, “I can’t wait until this comes out!” Praying the Hours is done. That means, for a film not made for conventional distribution, it’s also “out.” Praying the Hours won’t have a red carpet premiere at the Egyptian,…
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Artists are used to this: A friendly stranger at a dinner party asks, “So, what do you do?” It’s a polite, well-intentioned question, but it will end badly. When I answer, “I’m a filmmaker,” fervent but misguided questions follow, usually some version of, “have I heard of anything you’ve done?” or as one stranger asked…
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I have a favorite reality-check quote: “You can get a lot done if you don’t care who gets credit.” I had that reminder hanging on my office wall for many years: ironically, I don’t know who said it. It’s a challenging idea, but it kept my eyes on the prize of completing a project rather…
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Not all film festivals are created equal. There’s a very small handful of “majors” like Cannes, Berlin, or Sundance, where stratospheric deals are made, celebrities parade, lives of undiscovered talent change forever. There, the world gets a glimpse of what they’ll be watching in the coming year while some films sink into obscurity. At the…
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The release of any film is a long-term campaign. When I was a young filmmaker, I thought the finish line was just getting the film done—as if it would magically find an audience for itself just by existing. Now I know that it requires loads of research, knowledge about existing channels through which films are…
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The movie Praying the Hours, finished just a week or so ago, has hundreds of names listed in the end credits. Those names reflect the scores of people and resources it takes to make a film. Both in front of and behind the camera, it requires people who are willing to show up ready to…
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Last Saturday we pressed “print” on the final stage of the feature film Praying the Hours. Sound Designer Scott Weber, Composer Lauren Meares, Editor Patrick O’Neil Duff, and I spent 11 hours in the loveliest new studio at Smart Sound Post in Glendale, with the best treats. Sunday I was like a person after a…
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