Break.

Shot on Black and White 35mm and set in the 1960’s, Break is the story of a young drummer facing fear and anxiety before getting his big break on national television performing alongside two veteran musicians in a jazz trio. The title, of course, carries with it three meanings: a musical interlude in a jazz piece, an exciting opportunity in one’s career, and the act of falling apart under pressure.

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I was beyond delighted when acting colleague Sam Henderson (director statement included on this page) reached out to me about a short film for which he had received a sizable grant. From the moment I read the script, I was in. First, I loved the idea of playing a musician because it would carry with it the challenge of believably appearing to be playing an upright bass. While that particular shot was filmed from the rear, it still had to look authentic, and I knew I would need to research not only the physical act but the emotional one of being a jazz bassist. As my character relates, jazz requires “a certain kind of musician.” I needed to be that guy.

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Second, the film was set in a period in history with which I am obsessed--the 1960’s. 

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Finally, Sam shared one of the most exciting elements of the production--it would be shot in black and white 35mm. So the film was going to look like an episode of “The Twilight Zone!” 

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The demands of this shoot were unlike any I have experienced before because the 35mm film is expensive, and the director had a very finite amount of it to use. It was clear we were always operating with a goal to “get the shot” in a single take, if at all possible. It was particularly challenging in that the film's longest continuous scene involved just me and another actor. Working in this medium also allowed for no immediate playback of the shot, thus requiring someone to record what was on the monitor using their phone. A special camera, quite large and “old school” in its look, had to be acquired. The crew studied it in awe like they were looking at an original copy of the Declaration of Independence. When it needed to be reloaded, everyone gathered around to watch the process in dumbfounded silence. The entire shoot felt like a cinematic history lesson.

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I found the character of the BASSIST, though only contained in a 9-minute film, to be rich and complex. The relationship of the two veteran musicians was loaded with history, all of which floated below the service in the one shot at success that they had finally gotten in a career filled with smoke-filled gigs in dive bars and lots of rejection. The tension and conflict of the scene were, as I later observed, accentuated by the black and white 35mm. I had never shot in that medium before and was astounded at how much it informed the mood and tone of the story.

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The film went on to play at both national and international festivals, earning the title of “Oscar-qualifier” in the two festivals with accreditation from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recommend films for Oscars in Best Live Action Short Film category. Truly an amazing undertaking, and I am so very proud of Break.