Kaleb Shorey–Scott’s Brother

When I first heard I got the role for “Scott’s Brother”, I was very excited! I was psyched to work on my FIRST feature film. On filming day, the weather was not the weather we wanted. It was raining, sleeting, and snowing on us, but we kept filming! It was FREEZING, but filming was WAY more fun, which kept us all going and ignoring the weather. We all had so much fun, will treasure that day for life. So, overall the filming went great and was one of my favorite days of my life!

As for the cast and crew, they are all EXTREMELY talented and a pleasure to work with! EVERYONE was incredibly supportive and helped me on everything I needed. All the camera men, audio guys, assistants, and etc. were all PHENOMENAL! All the actors are like one big family! LOTS of rare talent! Kevin is a highly advanced writer, so thank you Kevin for making this possible! Steve is awesome at directing, he helps you a lot and is very nice and helpful. Thank you Steve!

The script… well the script is INCREDIBLE! Being a slasher/horror movie film fan, I know what other fans like and what I like. The fans will LOVE this film!

Thanks again to EVERYONE in the film and the people that helped make it….and the fans! Especially you SLASHER STUDIOS!

I hope you all go and see it THIS OCTOBER! Don’t go to the reunion, but DO go see this film!

Brady Simenson – Scott

I woke up that morning after only three hours of sleep. I had been so excited and nervous to act in my first movie that I hadn’t been able to nod off the night before. Someone had pulled out of the movie because of a scheduling conflict, and Kevin, the writer of “Don’t Go to the Reunion,” had asked me to play the part only a week before the movie was supposed to start shooting. I had read for another role, so I had to learn all of the new lines fast. I went through them all week, and as I drove to Neenah that morning for two hours, my head still numb with tiredness, I recited the lines to myself dozens more times.

When I reached the high school, the first thing I noticed was just how many people were there to work on the movie. There were people working everywhere, unpacking and setting up a lot of impressive equipment. This was a serious production, and this only intensified the pressure I felt. The second thing I noticed were how young a lot of the extras were. We were all playing high school students. The extras were the age that they should have been, but I’m 26. I was worried that I might look like I was there to play the creepy old janitor. Luckily for me, 20-somethings playing teens is a bit of a horror movie tradition.

I didn’t have dialogue for any of the scenes in the first part of the day, so I was able to ease my nerves by getting through several scenes without worrying about lines. The problem was, by the time we did get to my big scene, there was only a half hour left before we were supposed to get out of there. If I screwed up my lines, things could get bad. I basically put my mind on autopilot when the camera started rolling. I didn’t think about anything besides just saying the lines, and hoped that the actual acting would somehow turn out okay. It would probably be awful, but it would at least be useable, right?

The director, Steve, called cut. “Brady, that was great!” he said, coming in to give me a high-five. Huh? I was confused. As the extras reset, one of them congratulated me as well. I had no idea what they liked, but I wasn’t going to complain. I went through the rest of the shoot feeling like a million bucks, but I kept thinking about it. I kept trying to figure out how I did a good job of playing a shy movie nerd who gets awkward and nervous around beautiful women. And then I had it!

None of that required acting.

In an ongoing series we will be featuring the tales from the making of Don’t Go to the Reunion. Today we have for you stories from J.R. Watins who plays Jay in the film and Marla Van Lanen who plays Ms. Sorensen.

Marla Van Lanen–Ms. Sorensen

I am forever grateful I got the chance to work on this movie. Although my time on the set was brief, I walked away with plenty of memories and observations. I was fascinated by watching the creative process of the producer, director, the cinematographer and the film crew. The obvious attention to detail and the hour and hours of planning that had gone into the layout of shots. If I walk away with one thing from this experience, it’s a greater appreciation for movies because of the knowledge of the work and creative brilliance that is behind each painstakingly developed instant that you are watching. On this movie, I could feel the love and emotion the film makers contributed, nurturing this project like a parent who watches their child, a small piece of themselves, grow and develop. Kevin’s creativity was inspiring. What a talented writer. And his smile was the brightest I’ve ever seen. It lights up the room. Steve is a fantastic director. His vision and foresight is remarkable. He has a way of making you feel at ease, yet challenging your abilities to get what is needed. Every one needs a passion in their life. For Kevin and Steve, it’s the love of slasher movies and a desire to pay homage by making their own.

I took an instant liking to Zach the assistant director, from the first moment we met. he was obviously invested in the success of this movie and I expect to see great things from him in the future. The cast was outstanding. Very professional and an inspiration to me. Especially Hannah, my partner in crime. I have you to thank for finding out about this role, and I will always be grateful. I got to know some of you better than others, but you all were great! I learned so much in a short period of time. I enjoyed being among people whose creativity and insightful opinions emerge unrestricted by the day to day routine of what most of us call life. It was exhilarating to step outside my comfort zone. To dare to imagine, and make the imagination come alive. The crew was so much fun! I wish I could list you all here, but you all brought out the best in each other, were fun to be around and made me laugh! Once it was time to work though, it was all business. I was impressed by how a group can come together and work like a well rehearsed orchestra, never missing a beat to support the task at hand. Everyone knew their role and each performed to perfection. Thank you to everyone involved. I am so proud to be part of this production!

J.R. Watkins–Jay

Well, this was the first movie i worked on so I have no comparison but I loved every minute of it. Being part of the crew was not easy work but it gave me a feel for what happens behind the scenes but acting in a horror movie was really the icing on the cake. Being a fan for so long now having the opportunity to be a part of one is better than I can ever describe. Seeing director Steve Goltz work in action was impressive. So smooth and laid back with everyone, and really knows what he is doing.

Like I said I have nothing to compare this too but the way the cast and crew got along was amazing. It probably had a lot to do with the fact that we were all staying in the same house for the shoot. I was greeted when I arrived by Stephanie and Zach and was comfortable right away. I made some new friends, got to experience acting and being on a movie set, and had a fuckin good time. I would say my 4 days spent on the set were great and I can’t wait to see the finished product. This is going to be the jolt the slasher genre needs!