Check out this week's issue of Back Stage magazine! There's an excellent article in it about Chase Masterson and the production of YESTERDAY WAS A LIE.In case you can't grab a physical copy, here's a link to the article on the Back Stage website:Enjoy!
We're pleased to announce the full line-up of YESTERDAY WAS A LIE cast and crewmembers who will be guests at this year's San Diego Comic-Con! The screening of YESTERDAY will be held at 3:15 pm on Sunday, July 27 in room 26AB at the San Diego Convention Center, 111 West Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA 92101. Sunday convention passes are available for $20 here.
YESTERDAY WAS A LIE is the closing event of this year's convention -- the largest pop culture and entertainment event in the world -- and will be followed immediately by a Q&A panel with guests:
Kipleigh Brown ("Hoyle")
Chase Masterson ("Singer"/producer)
Peter Mayhew ("Dead Man")
James Kerwin (writer/director)
Andrew Deutsch (co-executive producer)
Jason Cochard (director of photography)
[Please note: YESTERDAY WAS A LIE actor John Newton ("Dudas") will also be appearing at Comic-Con this year, on Thursday and Friday only.]
Here's your chance to meet the cast and crew of the film that's played at nearly two-dozen festivals to date and won numerous awards, including five "Gold"s and "Best Picture"s. Book your tickets now!
Just found out that YESTERDAY WAS A LIE will be screening at this year's San Diego Comic-Con, followed by a Q&A panel with the filmmakers! We screen at 3:15 pm on Sunday, July 27. More info to come...
Following a national search, YESTERDAY WAS A LIE actress Amara Cash has been chosen by as the Doritos Spicy Girl on a series of MTV spots and webisodes. Thanks to everyone who voted for her, and congratulations Amara!
Chase and I are freshly back from the Wrath of Con Film Festival, where YESTERDAY WAS A LIE took home the Best Feature Film award. Next up: the Heart of England International Film Festival, the Planet Ant Film and Video Festival, and the Riverside Saginaw Film Festival (which Chase and I will be attending).
Meanwhile, check out the latest article about YESTERDAY on Independent Films Direct.
"Take a cast with enviable experience, add it to the mysterious ambiance of film noir, then swirl it together with a visionary writer/director and you are bound to get one outstanding film. YESTERDAY WAS A LIE is akin to the impact of poetry on the human soul. It is a film to be savored... swirled around the palate like a fragrant glass of wine." "A mindbending story. Kipleigh Brown brings a new edge to the film noir genre."
-Nathalie Taylor, The Village News
-Melanie Addington, Scene
Here's a copy of our latest review, courtesy of Indie Express. Minor spoilers ahead! You've been warned. ---------------------- Hoyle's eyes relax and close as she wanders into a dream state, slipping into her sub-conscious, drenched in soothing black and white. She lies on her therapist's couch; in the middle of her session she admits that she is afraid. "What are you afraid of?" She sees a woman in her dreams; someone that is haunting her. "Someone is here… she wants help." This is the opening scene to Yesterday Was a Lie, a crime drama taken right out of the film noir genre, with a very textbook approach. Kipleigh Brown plays the lovely and fashionable blonde, detective Hoyle -- a woman with smarts and savvy who selects bourbon as her choice poison. She is on a case -- but we are not quite sure what that case is, because at the beginning of the story details are clouded in ambiguity. Yet the appropriate and familiar setting of an empty, dark, secluded warehouse is where Hoyle and her associates converge. Hoyle and her loyal partner enter a trap door, one of many metaphorical symbols that are laced throughout the film. As they proceed down a long, dark hallway, Hoyle realizes this is a passageway into a surreal realm of her past. Who or what they are after has eluded them. The objective of their pursuit quickly ends as they find their suspect lying dead in a damp alleyway. Oddly enough, a book of T.S. Eliot poems is laying next to him with a page opened to a phrase: "Through the unknown, unremembered gate." The Pigeon Hole (clever name for a bar) is the local lounge, and in a scene out of David Lynch's Blue Velvet we find our protagonist at the bar, muddling over the case. However, she is more disturbed by an ominous figure from the past. Meanwhile, our attention is gravitated to the beautiful singing chanteuse played by Chase Masterson. After her sultry little set, she pulls a stool next to Hoyle. "What are you working on?" "It's complicated" "You know what the secret is to a good Manhattan? Balance." A few nights later Hoyle is attending an art opening. Clues to her case are to be found somewhere within the exhibit. As fate would have it, the Singer walks into the room with the same femme fatale outfit as Hoyle: skin-tight black dress with a V-neck to the abdomen; cleavage abounds. Here the two find mysteries and clues in a Salvador Dali painting, while they engage in a deep metaphysical discussion relating to perceived reality and linear facades. Hoyle and the Singer continue their mysterious endeavor as they pursue a scientific genius and a notebook that includes his formulas. Yet Hoyle loses herself into the realms of linear time, cognitive dissociation, and the confused state of reality and non-reality as she grapples with a broken past. Yesterday Was a Lie is a film that runs the gamut between Blade Runner, The Twilight Zone, and one of those Humphrey Bogart crime films. It's a film that presents itself in the noir style of the 40s or 50s; a soft and rich palate of black and white that enriches the well-photographed production. There are plenty of those Hollywood taxicab scenes that are dark and foggy, adding to the misty and mysterious tone of the story. And while the storyline seems to be set in the middle of the century, there are odds and ends that would lead you to believe otherwise. For example, some of the Singer's wardrobe appears to be right out of Old Navy, and I don't think they had Apple Macs in the 1940s. But then again this is a film that deals with the present and the past. Shot in about 24 days, Yesterday Was a Lie is more of a puzzle and a search for truth that relies heavily on quantum mechanical theories and spiritual and psychological journeys about people who are stuck in the past. It is an interesting low-budget indie that one must be attentive to, because beyond its tones of dark and light there is a world of distorted reality where "the most powerful force in the universe lies within the depths of the human heart." -Rowan Harrison, Indie Express
First, the good news. We've signed with some excellent sales reps who will be working for the next several months to secure distribution for YESTERDAY WAS A LIE. This is an important milestone for any indie film and, needless to say, we're pretty happy about it!
Unfortunately, at around the same time, we hit a bit of a bump. We've been screening at numerous film festivals around the country, and to date we've won four of them. Not bad. Recently, though, we screened at a festival where our experience wasn't quite as -- shall we say -- pleasant.
Many smaller festivals let you know in advance if you've won an award, so you can be certain to attend the closing ceremony. At this particular fest, we were told beforehand that we had won. We skipped another festival so we could be sure to make it to the award ceremony where we were being honored.
I think you can guess where I'm going with this. At the closing ceremony, the prize was given to another film. No award for us. Turns out there had been a mistake.
Needless to say, we weren't thrilled. Sadly, when we spoke with the judges, at least one admitted to not having watched our film.
Now don't get me wrong -- God bless the people who run film festivals. It's a tireless, thankless, difficult job. Chase ran one a few years ago, and it's quite a handful. I'm not trying to place blame; mistakes can happen.
At the same time, though, you gotta call a spade a spade. When something unfair happens, and there are irregularities in the judging, that needs to be called attention to.
Well, let's just say that our protests didn't go over very well. Within two days, YESTERDAY WAS A LIE's IMDb page was hit with a surge of 1-star votes, dropping our weighted user rating average from 9 stars to just over 3. And positive ratings for YESTERDAY WAS A LIE on the festival's website mysteriously disappeared overnight. It's a shame.
So everybody out there: If you've seen YESTERDAY WAS A LIE, and you liked our film, please take a moment to help us out. Visit the IMDb and rate the movie. Fairly. If you don't have an IMDb account, it's easy, quick, and free to set one up.
Thanks for your support, everyone. Keeping positive thoughts as we move ahead...
Kipleigh, Chase and I just returned from Chicago, where YESTERDAY WAS A LIE took home the Best Feature award at the Lake Forest Film Festival. We've also learned that the Brilliant Light International Film Festival of Los Angeles, where YESTERDAY won Best Feature a couple weeks ago, has honored the film with its Audience Favorite award as well.
Next up: the Fallbrook and Indie Spirit film festivals.
Physicist John Wheeler, whose theory of time reversal symmetry plays a key role in YESTERDAY WAS A LIE, has died at the age of 96. Probably the last of the great 20th century physicists, Wheeler worked with such giants as Bohr, Einstein, and Feynman.
Interestingly, in 1979 Wheeler tried (unsuccessfully) to persaude the American Association for the Advancement of Science to de-certify parapsychology as an officially recognized science. By 2006, he had become quite metaphysical in his musings, advocating his "Participatory Anthropic Principle" which suggests, in effect, that conscious beings' minds manifest their reality.
Awesome news. YESTERDAY WAS A LIE took home Best Picture honors at not one, but TWO festivals last weekend -- the Backlot Film Festival and the Brilliant Light International Film Festival. Congrats to everyone!
Today, YESTERDAY got a great review on the gold standard of film websites, Ain't It Cool News. Here're some blurbs:
"James Kerwin has come up with a fresh and stylish take on film noir. Imagine if Warner Bros. gave Lauren Bacall the chance to play a female version of Sam Spade, Philip Marlowe or the Continental Op. Actress Kipleigh Brown gets that chance. Chase Masterson turns in some amazing work as a sexy torch singer to aid in her case. Deliciously photographed under the creative eye of Jason Cochard, Kerwin weaves us a tale of intrigue and metaphysical darkness. YESTERDAY WAS A LIE is a unique, refreshing look at a popular genre. Well worth seeing."
Remember to keep an eye on http://www.heliconarts.com/yesterday/upcoming.html for a full list of our upcoming festival screenings. More are being added every week.
We've just learned that YESTERDAY WAS A LIE is the recipient of a 2008 Bronze Telly Award in the Film/Video Entertainment category (in the Tellys, a bronze is second place -- I know, it's weird).
Congrats to everyone involved in the film!
Just a quick note to let everybody know that we've got a new page on our site with a series of panel discussions from festivals and conventions. Check it out!
You can also now sign up for our mailing list to stay on top of the latest Yesterday Was a Lie happenings. We won't spam. Promise.
Chase, John, Peter and I just returned from the OmegaCon Film Festival in Alabama. Great screening, enthusiasic audience. We seem to be having a lot more luck with festivals that appeal to boutique (dare I say) intellectual crowds than the ones where people are expecting the next big studio hit. We'll have video of our panel discussion posted soon.
Just got the news that we've been accepted into more fests, including Lake Forest (Kipleigh's home town), Indie Spirit of Colorado Springs (where Chase was born), Fallbrook (my part-time home), and Central Florida. For a complete list of upcoming screenings, check out http://www.heliconarts.com/yesterday/upcoming.html. We'll update it regularly.
Latest news... Chase, Peter, and I will be traveling to San Francisco WonderCon this weekend. We won't have a major YESTERDAY WAS A LIE presence and panel like last year, but I will be promoting the film and Chase and Peter'll sign autographs. Should be fun.
Next item of business: Just got accepted into more festivals.
March: The OmegaCon Film Festival and convention (coming up on us fast), from March 14-16 in Birmingham, AL. The film is set to screen on Saturday the 15th... so if you're in the area, come on by! Chase, John, Peter and I will all be there for the duration of the festival.
April: Next up is the Brilliant Light International Film Festival of Los Angeles, which showcases films with metaphysical messages. The festival runs April 2-6 at Raleigh Studios in Los Angeles. Be there!
May: The Wrath of Con Film Festival and convention in Panama City Beach, FL. Runs May 30 - June 1. Chase and I will be there for all the merriment. No excuses here; it's Florida!
June: Don't forget the previously-announced International Film Festival England.
I'll close with our latest review:
"Like Blade Runner before it, YESTERDAY WAS A LIE manages to meld film noir and science fiction into a fresh new world unlike anything we've seen before."-iF Magazine
All for now. See you in San Fran!
Wow. After nearly two weeks in Park City (the last few days of which we spent battling the flu), Chase and I are finally back in L.A.
Though it had a shaky start due to technical difficulties, the premiere screening of YESTERDAY WAS A LIE went swimmingly. In addition to Chase and myself, John Newton, Peter Mayhew, and Josh Comen were in attendance. We had a near-full-house and great audience response.
After mentions on CNN.com and Hollywood Today, things really started taking off! We did a series of television and radio interviews (which'll be out over the coming weeks), followed by two strong reviews:
"I've seen this flick three times and each time I see it, it gets better. It's like watching Citizen Kane... as the film reveals itself, it draws you in."
-Punk's Movies, KXRK 96 FM
"A profound, marvelously intertwined story. This is what indie films are all about."
-Jani Fleet, KSTU FOX 13
Then, Kipleigh and Chase were (deservedly) named two of the "Hot Leading Ladies" of film by Film Fetish. And to tie it all up with a neat little bow, YESTERDAY WAS A LIE received the Park City Film Music Festival's Gold Medal Director's Choice Award! Combine that with some great Sundance swag and the news that we'll be screening at the International Film Festival England this summer, and I couldn't be happier. Or more exhausted.
Early reviews are coming in... This one's from Tony Toscano of the syndicated Talking Pictures television series.
----------------------
Yesterday Was a Lie is a small film big on being ethereal. Writer/Director James Kerwin takes us on a magical mystery tour into a world which is noir and almost familiar.
The film immerses itself in a Bogart-like quality, except the hero is a blonde bombshell named "Hoyle," played by Kipleigh Brown, who's looking for answers.
The question she's asking is what we all ask: "Why am I here; what is the meaning of life and love?"
And as the film unwinds and Hoyle sets off on her journey, she meets up with "Singer," played by Chase Masterson, who may or may not be just another traveler on this road to enlightenment.
Yesterday Was a Lie is a small budget film, but ends up as a soulful and thought-provoking metaphysical journey.
Kerwin masterfully mixes up a neat blend of The Maltese Falcon and even elements of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy in this brilliantly executed independent film.
Yesterday Was a Lie is well worth seeking out and taking in.
-Tony Toscano, Talking Pictures
The time has finally come! YESTERDAY WAS A LIE will be having its world premiere in Park City, Utah on January 17 at 5 pm at:
Main Street Mall - 333 Main Street, 2nd Floor - Park City, UT 84060
We're in competition for "Best Use of Music in a Feature" at the Park City Film Music Festival. Some of us will be there representing the film, so stop by! For ticket info, check out www.parkcityfilmmusicfestival.com.
Just in time for the holidays: the 2008 YESTERDAY WAS A LIE Wall Calendar. Buy extras for all your friends. :)
FYI: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack for The Other Side, starring Nathan Mobley and scored by Kristopher Carter, is now available on iTunes. Congratulations Kris!
Congratulations (again!) to Yesterday Was a Lie soundtrack performer Simon Shapiro, who won the Songwriter award at the 2007 MusicOz Awards ceremony in Australia this week!
We've reorganized and (slightly) redesigned the Yesterday Was a Lie website to make navigation simpler and the latest info easier to find. We've also added a new Press section to track the film's coverage in print, TV, and radio; and an Upcoming Events section where future screenings, interviews, and cast appearances will be listed. So check it out! And let us know what you think.
This Saturday (September 15), Chase and I will be interviewed live on Mick Williams' Cyber-Line radio show. So tune in, call in, or log in and listen online!
By popular demand, a limited number of official 27"x39" Yesterday Was a Lie theatrical one-sheet posters are now for sale. Get one and impress your friends. :)
In other news, Chase will be signing autographs and I'll be screening the film's theatrical trailer at Mountain-Con in Salt Lake City, Utah on September 22. If you're in the area, stop by and say hi!
Just a quick note to let everyone know that Simon Shapiro, performer of one of the songs on the Yesterday Was a Lie soundtrack, won two Australian Songwriters Association awards last night -- including the big one, "Songwriter of the Year." Congratulations to Simon!
It's done. Printed. Complete.
Wow.
I want to thank everyone who's read our blog over the past couple years, as we've outlined the trials and tribulations of producing an independent film. We shift into a new phase now -- that of promotions, festivals, and distribution. Stay tuned over the coming months as we relay the ups and downs of this process. More to come...
An unfortunate computer error resulted in us being unable to output the final film yesterday. Trying again this evening.
Wow. The Dolby printmaster was completed today. So the sound is done.
Monday morning we have a couple minor picture tweaks, then we print the final movie.
Score is done. Color timing's done. Both are gorgeous. Watched the film through in one of FotoKem's screening-room theatres the other day to do a little error correction. I'm getting excited.
My blog entires have, needless to say, been sporadic over the past several weeks. Sorry. We've been slamming forward at full speed on post. Three major things are happening simultaneously:
• Kristopher Carter is finalizing the score;
• The folks at Juniper Post are editing the sound; and
• Our DP Jason Cochard and I are hard at work finalizing the visual elements of the film at Keep Me Posted (a division of FotoKem).
The color correction on Yesterday Was a Lie is particularly challenging. Jason is, I dare say, pioneering a bold new approach to color-timing motion pictures using Apple's newly released Final Cut Studio 2 and the integrated professional Color application (formerly Final Touch). Using Color's all-digital workflow, we are selectively altering the hues and tones of different elements within each shot for the purpose of gaining specific control over the contrast and brightness of everything in the frame. This allows for an unparalled level of control over the black-and-white image, using color-based keys, shapes, grades, and filters.
We're also processing the images to emulate the appearance of older black-and-white movies. In addition to the overall desaturation of each shot, we apply a vignette filter in Color to simulate the light response of lenses from the 1940s. Finally, we add a 25-point Gaussian blur at 40% opacity on an overlayed channel once the film is conformed back into Final Cut, for the purpose of emulating the unique manner in which the backs of older film stocks reflected a slightly out-of-focus "ghost" of the image back onto the emulsion layer, thus creating the "glow" or "halo" effect which added to the beauty of classic films noir.
Jason and I chose to perform this latter step in Final Cut Pro because we felt that Color's Blur filter introduced moire interference patterns into some of our shots. The unintended side effect of using layers and opacities in Final Cut is the introduction of a miniscule, virtually imperceptable amount of pale blue color data into the image. We've elected to retain this slight cyan-shift rather than re-desaturating the film. Ironically, I think it actually makes our black-and-white images look MORE black-and-white when viewed on a color monitor or projector.
For the next few days we'll be on the scoring stage with the orchestra. Looking forward to hearing Kris's beautiful music come to life.