30 March 2011: First Installment
It’s Tuesday. I arrive at Killer Films, eager to see my work space for the next three months. I’m led to a flash office on the 4th floor of a building in Manhattan. It’s modern, spacious, with a view and lots of people working on their mac laptops.
This looks nice.
I wait until David Kaplin, director of development at Killer Films is ready to see me. I am led through the stylish office to the back of the room and down some stairs to the 3rd floor, through another office, to a small room with five desks crammed inside and with no windows (think Being John Malkovich), and I am told that this is the Killer Films office. The flash office is that of Moxie Pictures, a NY based production company that, along with Killer Films is responsible for management company KillerMoxie MGMT.
I am given a little run down of things I will be doing here, which is to read unsolicited scripts, coverage, watch short films sent to the office and keep an eye out for something promising, as well as looking out for any interesting actors, writers and directors yet unknown.
I’ve been doing this for a couple of weeks now and there is one short film that seems good, so I’ll be contacting the director to see what they’re up to, but other than that it’s a pass on most things.
The other great part of this job is just sitting in the office and observing the producers of Killer Films, Christine Vachon and Pamela Koffler, do their thing – make deals, raise finances, proof contracts, create budgets, meet with investors, actors and directors. It’s an intense atmosphere and everyone in the office is often on edge trying to get several projects off the ground, one of which is the next film by Ramin Bahrani, Heartland, to be shot this American summer.
I answer the phone when the assistant, Lyndsey, is on another call. Sometimes there are other odd tasks I help her out with like ringing the agents of Jim Carey or Richard Gere about their availability for the year.
On Monday night the following week I attend the premiere of Mildred Pierce, an HBO series directed by Todd Haynes starring Kate Winslet and produced by Killer Films.
It’s a red carpet event at the Ziegfeld Theatre, all the stars and press are there and I’m feeling really thankful my friends helped me buy a nice dress before I came to NYC. Todd Haynes introduces all the key cast and crew that made it happen, then the curtains part and we watch the first two episodes of the series. Haynes’ take on Mildred Pierce is much more chilling and dark than the original, the performances are exceptional and the amazing depression-era set decoration means you absolutely cannot take your eyes off the screen. I’m looking forward to episode three.
On my way home I walk through what is now my neighborhood, Williamsburg, which is dominated by Hasidic Jews. It is interesting to observe their way of life and I hear them singing from the apartments above. They are celebrating Purim, a Jewish holiday that remembers the deliverance of their people from destruction by a man named Haman, of the Persian Empire. There are a lot of festivities and the children run around the neighborhood dressed in costumes – a bit like Halloween – but instead of scary costumes, they’re all happily dressed as mail men, truck drivers, or Minnie Mouse. Cars speed down the street blaring out Jewish music and passers by yell at me “HAPPY PURIM!”.
The fascinating cultural diversity of this city and being able to experience it first hand is an added bonus to an already interesting position at Killer Films.
Michelle Savill
