Gavin Michael Booth’s Last Call tells of a single mother that tries to prevent a depressed alcoholic from committing suicide over the phone. The film opens in virtual theaters this week. We had a chance to talk with the film’s writer and director. Here’s what he had to say:
Gavin, what part of the country do you call home?
Gavin Michael Booth: Los Angeles is home but Windsor, Ontario, Canada is where I grew up and still spent a lot of time.
Have you always been based there?
GMB: See above. I also lived in Toronto for some time before moving to LA.
Was the goal always to direct movies or did you start out doing something else?
GMB: Always movies. I’ve been movie obsessed since childhood. My paper route money was saved up to buy a VHS camcorder so I could run around the neighborhood with my brother and friends and make movies. It’s always been there, a grossing obsession.
Can you tell us the inspiration for Last Call?
GMB: I’ve been long chasing after making a single take film after a series of single take shorts and music videos. Daved Wilkens (co-writer, actor in the film) acted in one such video for me. He mentioned the basic idea over a weekly coffee meet-up we have with some friends. Over that one hour long coffee meeting he and I fleshed out a story and a plan to make the film. Rough, but it was all there. The original pitch wasn’t as elaborate and it was a man calling a suicide hotline.
So, this was shot in just one take – how was that accomplished?
GMB: Rehearsals. Both the camera crew and the actors needed to rehearse over and over to get every bit of time, blocking and dialogue down. We were a micro budget film so we only had ten days to rehearse and four shooting days to get it all right. We would film every rehearsal so that we could watch a rough version of the movie each night and make notes and adjustments as a team by reviewing the footage. Then we would apply that day after day until we had it perfect.
And, I assume that means, the film took only a couple of hours to film?
GMB: Correct, we would aiming to shoot it twice per nice for four nights. We ended up with 5 full versions of the film and had to choose the one that would live as the movie forever. Both sides of the story were filmed simultaneously in different locations. They actors were actually acting over the phone call.
How long did it take to edit, if there were no cuts?
GMB: Not time at all. We were able to watch the rough assemble of the film right after we filmed it.
Where did you first screen the film?
GMB: The Beloit International Film Festival and Dances With Films Festival.
Tell us about the two stars – where did you discover them?
GMB: Daved Wilkins is my co-writer and co-producer on the film. Sarah Booth is my wife! Didn’t have to look further than my home for her. I’ve worked with both of them on projects in the past and this gave us the perfect opportunity to all work together and create a project we truly believed in.
And what do you hope the film does for your career?
GMB: I hope it provides the opportunity for folks in the industry to see it and understand me as a filmmaker. I hope it brings opportunities to create more films, to meet actors who see the film and would like to collaborate. I have plenty of other stories in my head I want to share with the world and I can only hope that the film reaches an audience and they enjoy it and that allows me to keep going.
What’s the best piece of independent filmmaking advice you can offer others reading this article?
GMB: Pick up a camera and go make something. Stop talking about it. Doesn’t matter if it is your iPhone or a DSLR camera or you can get your hands on something fancier. Write a script – maybe even a short – just go out there and do it. And then do it again. Get better at it. Find like-minded people. Don’t listen to naysayers. Just go make things and show those works to the world. There are too many people waiting for the right moment, the right budget, the right cast, the right insert excuse here… you just have to go do it. That’s what will get you on your path to the career you want.