Inside Make Your Show Productions’ THE BESTIE With Filmmakers/Actors Jason Cicci and John Cramer
While friendships can sometimes fray in the midst of financial and personal pressures, no ties are ever permanently broken - both for better and for worse, as a driven yet awkward business woman Hallie Green (Hannah Williams) sees for herself when her estranged and possibly opportunistic ex-chum Madeline (Susana Montoya Quinchin) returns to her life, making her reckon with both her past and her confidence in Make Your Show Productions’ charming new comedy short The Bestie, written by Jason Cicci and directed by John Cramer (who also co-executive produced the film with Williams).
Completing the film's ensemble are Adam Ewer as Hallie’s would-be author fiancé/Madeline's ex-husband Jared, and Cece Bongo as Hallie’s always on-edge assistant Ellen, who goes out of her way to make her boss’s life easier even if her attempts to do so get her in sticky situations.
The Bestie follows Make Your Show’s past projects - such as the romantic comedy series Searching for Sylvie, family-based crime drama short Bad for Good (the latter previously covered on this author’s blog) and the humorous character story In With Vinny as productions that efficiently consider and realize the on and off-camera needs of the talent that the company’s co-founders, Cicci and Cramer, collaborate with.
This Saturday, June 14th, The Bestie, In With Vinny, Bad For Good and featured episodes of Sylvie will be shown at the first ever Make Your Show Film Festival, beginning at 10:30 AM (Eastern Time) at Film at Lincoln Center (located at 165 W. 65th Street in New York City). Admission is free.
Furnishing creators with budget-conscious yet high quality services that extend from script development to post-production editing, Make Your Show pulls out all the stops to present entertaining stories to audiences with professionalism and heart, and its work with Williams on all phases of The Bestie is no exception as Cicci and Cramer detail in the first of a two-part story on the film.
NOTE: Part two of this series features my conversation with Williams about her experience developing, starring in, and making The Bestie with Cicci and Cramer. Read it here.
CH: How did you develop the idea for The Bestie, and what inspired its creation?
John Cramer (co-executive producer/director, The Bestie), Jason Cicci (writer/co-executive producer, The Bestie): Hannah had worked with us as a production assistant on one of our projects (the series Cady Did), so we knew how kind and smart and funny she was. When she came to us about making something for her, we knew right away (that) we wanted to create a comedy for her, but it wasn’t until her crowdfunding video that we noticed how adept she was at physical comedy, especially. Her timing and ability to take a fall made a light bulb go off, and the idea of her playing a klutz was born.
CH: In what ways did you help Hannah to fully realize the concept for and production of The Bestie?
Cramer/Cicci: Hannah took advantage of our production package, which offers everything from concept to script to pre-production (including location scouting, hiring crew and casting actors) to production (including a two day, on-location shoot) and post-production (including editing, music, sound effects, etc.).
One of our favorite things about developing and working on a project is collaborating with our partners. We always encourage them to be as involved in each step of the process as they’d like. We invited Hannah’s input along the way, especially her notes on various screenplay drafts, and consulting with her during in-person casting sessions. We love working together with people who come to us to fully realize the script we create for their particular talents.
CH: What resources did Make Your Show provide to Hannah throughout the film's production?
Cramer/Cicci: Besides our years of writing, producing and directing indie projects, Make Your Show provided a number of assets for Hannah. These include crowdfunding script creation and production, crowdfunding guidance, screenplay creation, a list of curated actors for casting consideration, location scouting, hiring crew, wardrobe and props input/purchase/rental, camera equipment, post-production services and more.
CH: Jason, you wrote the script for The Bestie. How did you account not just for the needs of Hannah as both a performer and a co-executive producer, but also the budget that you, she and John worked with and the overall needs of the production itself?
Cicci: If there’s anything I think I’ve gotten good at, writing indie projects for the last decade-plus, it’s writing for a budget. First and foremost, I always build a character that will highlight what our client does best, but a close second is being realistic about the limitations and constraints of the budgets of indie filmmaking. With a two-day shoot in mind, I try to keep locations to a minimum.
I also don’t populate the story with too many characters, not only to keep costs to a minimum, but so that our leading actor might shine. Crafting small stories that feature a character going through a complicated situation is key and doesn’t need to rely on a big budget. Instead, we focus on the talent of the actors who work with us, suitable and attractive locations and all that post-production can offer in terms of music and sound.
CH: John, what was it like directing Hannah, and how did you help her to deliver not just her best performance in this film but also those of the supporting cast?
Cramer: I have a background in playing and coaching sports, and I think there’s a lot of similarities between being part of a team and working as a unit to create a film or series. As a director, I like to make sure I communicate what the game plan is and make sure everyone understands what their role in it is, but in the moment, we all need to be flexible and able to be spontaneous and discover things together. So it’s a balance of being prepared but also open to going with the flow.
Just like athletes on a sports team, each actor has different strengths and needs, so I try to get to know them from the time we meet them and find out what they need and how they like to work. Actors need to feel safe and relaxed in order to give their best performances. Everyone in this cast was here to play and give it their all. Hannah was just so game to give into the physical comedy, which doesn’t come naturally to all actors, and the other actors were also all so prepared and ready to play, so it’s just finding what everyone needs in that moment.
Sometimes that means offering a suggestion of something different to try this take, or talking over the situation and stakes of the scene, or using improv to get into or better understand a moment. One thing that I enjoy the most, though, is guiding actors through the process of playing the full arc of a lead role in a story - a story created just for them. That and the experience of participating in all aspects of production are what make what we do unique and powerful for actors.
CH: How did the film’s crowdfunding campaign video help to generate awareness of and funding for the production while exhibiting Hannah’s talent, her personality and the kind of movie that contributors to the campaign could expect?
Cramer/Cicci: Honestly, when we created the script for and shot the crowdfunding campaign, the goal was to grab attention for Hannah and her upcoming project, even though we didn’t really have a script yet! However, we knew that we wanted to create something that was about women' s empowerment, not just in a general way but in a personal way to a character. By the time her campaign launched, we did have a script, and Hannah used the particulars of what we came up with in her daily posts and emails to her friends and followers.
CH: Did the film’s script influence the style of Hannah’s performance in that video in any way?
Cramer/Cicci: In fact, it was the other way around. Hannah’s performance in the campaign script inspired the screenplay for her project. Sometimes, things work in a way you wouldn’t anticipate!
CH: How did you all find the best actors to help fulfill and stay true to the film's concept, and what qualities were you looking for in these actors in terms of their performances and their adaptability to the material?
Cramer/Cicci: When it comes to casting our projects, we first ask our clients if there are particular actors they’d like to audition. Hannah did have a bunch of friends and colleagues who auditioned. In addition to our curated list, we had a great group to choose from, albeit finding younger actors who we feel can handle being featured in a small story can be a challenge. In terms of the qualities we look for in actors, it’s always who seems like a collaborative artist, someone who can bring their own ideas to the characters on the page.
Casting can be simultaneously one of the most enjoyable phases of a project and the toughest. We know casting is critical to the success of the film, and we always see more than one actor who could be great for each role. Each casting session surprises us. We usually come in thinking one actor would be perfect, and then people walk into the room, bring their essence and their ideas, and we get to play. We wish we could hire everyone we see!
CH: What was the production process like, and in what ways did you all work together to make every phase of that process run efficiently both on-set and off?
Cramer/Cicci: Although each project is different, our approach has become very streamlined. Jason tends to take on much of the pre-production duties (SAG-AFTRA paperwork, catering, travel and other logistics) while John will scout locations and create shot lists, etc.
To confirm what everyone will be doing, we have production meetings so that we’re all on the same page. Our clients are always part of this process as we fully believe that understanding how production works and chipping in where they want to and are able are invaluable.
As we’ve explained before, we write our scripts based on locations we can have easy access to and control of while filming so we can have as much time and as few stressors as possible. We had a day on location at Hallie’s home and then a day at her office/studio/shop. Our crew is always minimal and efficient - this time, a production sound mixer and a (production assistant) helped John, who is director and camera operator, and Jason, who is the producer.
CH: Who do you think would like to watch this film, what other comedies - if any - would you compare it to, and what do you think sets this one apart from similar comedies?
Cramer/Cicci: The Bestie is really about a working woman who has to face her childhood demons, namely her insecurity. We all have some sort of imposter syndrome to contend with, and our heroine, Hallie, is no exception. We hope we’ve managed to create a sophisticated sort of comedy with a gentle message about self-acceptance and confidence.
CH: The Bestie will premiere at the Make Your Show Film Festival on June 14th at Film at Lincoln Center. How will the film’s presence there help to benefit and grow awareness of it, its cast and crew, and the overall services that Make Your Show Productions' provides to actors who want to make their own content?
Cramer: The Bestie will be a highlight of the festival. This film allowed us to explore new camera techniques and rely on minimal special effects, which was a departure from our previous work. We believe this (project) demonstrates our commitment to showing potential collaborators the vast creative possibilities of on-camera storytelling as they also take on producing roles, all while prominently featuring their acting talents.
Cicci: We are so proud to share our catalog of work (with audiences at our festival). With The Bestie, I really feel that we’ve excelled in terms of how we work with actors in order to share the best of their work. Hannah Elizabeth Williams' natural gift for physical comedy was a key inspiration in developing the script and her character.
We also wanted to create a role that would represent the scope of her acting abilities for years to come, which led to the deliberate choice of portraying her as a young business mogul, offering opportunities for both comedic and dramatic moments.
These projects (that we’ve produced for Make Your Show Productions) provide actors with experiences that extend beyond just acting. They join us on a journey where we collaboratively develop intentional stories that are not only entertaining but also offer a learning experience for the actors involved.
CH: Are there any plans to expand the film beyond its present short form - i.e., a series or feature? If so, how far along are those plans?
Cramer/Cicci: We would love to continue Hallie’s story. We craft all of our short films to also serve as pilots for a series, and The Bestie certainly sets up many potential humorous conflicts, but ultimately, the decision to continue would be up to Hannah. We always encourage actors we work with to think of themselves as artists who can control their destiny, and we want them to be able to experience all the facets of creating a project for themselves, but after dipping their toes, some actors find they don’t want to wear all those hats. On the other hand, some actors find that they enjoy and are really good at some of the other aspects of filmmaking and want to continue to pursue them.
CH: What have you all taken away from making this film, and how will it and other Make Your Show productions help to enhance the studio’s industry profile and its outreach to other actors/filmmakers who want to take charge of their creative destinies?
Cramer/Cicci: Making The Bestie was such a positive experience. Working with actors like Hannah, who have training and storytelling ambition, is always a fun challenge that not only allows us to get better at what we do but affirms our intention with Make Your Show. With each project and their subsequent successes, we hope that our mission to help actors becomes clear: make something, don’t just wait for a break.
On top of that, each client we work with leads us down such unique paths to very different projects, each with their own new challenges. We appreciate the chance to try new things and see what we can come up with together.
CH: What do you hope audiences take away from seeing The Bestie?
Cramer/Cicci: Much like what we advocate for, ultimately The Bestie is about a woman who used her innate idiosyncrasies to build an empire. If every actor took stock of themselves in that way and made work that has their stamp on it, they would all feel empowered, and even though we all have profound moments of doubt, overcoming obstacles is a universal theme. We hope we’ve delivered some encouragement in achieving what you want…and with a laugh or two.
For more info on The Bestie, visit:
https://www.makeyourshow.tv/the-bestie
For more info on Make Your Show Productions and its services, visit the company’s official website:
