New Year Parade test screening
When I first approached local producers with The New Year Parade four years ago they started laughing. It seemed like a suicide project with our limited funds and epic needs: six lead roles, a supporting cast of eighty musicians, and a final scene at the Mummer’s parade, which consists of 15,000 members in costume and many times that in spectators.
So, it was gratifying to hold a test screening last week. After two years shooting and two in post, The New Year Parade hits the home stretch. The version we screened ran 96 minutes with intentionally long first and third acts. The reaction was incredible – it seems that we’ve finally found the right balance between brother and sister, family and band, community and individuals. The screening mostly consisted of Temple MFA peers – some who had seem previous cuts, but most who had not. Mark Doyle, (our one-man lighting, sound, and production design crew for most of film) also came by. They gave awesome, honest comments and I’m excited to apply them.
We had left the first and third acts long to gauge what scenes and exposition were necessary. I also tried a drastic re-edit of the final scene – without the parade. It seemed worth screening this version to better understand how the parade visuals should function and communicate. Over the past week, I’ve used their feedback to tighten the first act, which I’ll screen again on Tuesday. Meanwhile, I’ll cut the parade and final moment for Jack as the full weight of the family’s year comes to rest on him. I’m hoping to wrap this cut by Wednesday ship out a batch of festival screeners by Friday. More caffeine, please…..
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I can’t wait to see it.