 Filmed largely on location, sans
permission, in a working supermarket in central New Jersey, Lunch Break was made
by a crew of two: John W. McKelvey and Elise Falanga, who both shot the film and played
themselves (more or less). The film was shot widescreen on a small, hand-held DV camera -
so as not to attract the attention of management.
Since the film is presented in a realistic documentary style, it called for several
long, unbroken takes (as long as 4 1/2 minutes) of difficult monologues delivered in a
location we had no business filming in. So it was clear from the start that the leading
role was going to require a very talented and dedicated actress. Fortunately, we found
one. :) Tiffany Anne Carrin was one out of literally hundreds who put in
for the role, and simply gave the best audition.After auditions began a substantial rehearsal period in the Spring of
2005, with the cast and director getting together first in private, and then later in
public (yes, in supermarkets), honing the naturalism of the extensive dialogue and kinetic
camerawork. Eventually, filming was ready to begin, and the gang set out in early summer.
Well aware that acting is often the Achiles' heel of independent pictures, John
decided it was important to cast an actress to fill the position of DP (as opposed to a DP
playing the role). He planned on finding and setting up every shot himself, and just
having Elise act as camerawoman, but it turned out she had an eye for composition and
movement that gave the film a better look than John had even hoped for. In fact, midway
through the shoot, Elise was so taken with how well the production was going, she decided
to sign on as producer, making Lunch Break the first project for her new
production company, Snowy Mountain Productions.
The music for Lunch Break was provided by Neila, a Hawaiian-based lyricist whose
latest album, For Whom the Bells Crow, is out now on Nomadic Sound System
Records.
28 minutes, color, DV
[opening scene shot on VHS]
widescreen (1.66:1)
English
2005
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John W. McKelvey is a
writer, director and one of two co-founders of Tomorrow Wendy Productions.
He produced and edited the film Barman with Bon Bock Productions, and wrote and
directed the play Commander Space and the Lipstick Lesbians from Planet Earth at
The Colly Soleri Music Center (Ampitheatre) in Arcosanti, AZ. He won OOBR's Off,
Off Broadway Production Of the Year Award for his work in Alex Dawson's play Deep
In the Jeeps of Georgia, and spent about two years working as a managing editor for The
Source Magazine, interviewing rappers (for which he also won some awards). Lunch
Break is his first film as writer/ director. John worked at a supermarket himself for
approximately four years, and now co-owns The Raconteur, a used bookstore
on Main St, Metuchen. Stop by sometime.
