THE TRANSITION ROOM, 13min., USA
Directed by Aaron Penney
A grieving widower attempts to chase his late wife down in the afterlife only to be stopped by two extremely polite obstacles in his path.

https://instagram.com/onthesetfilms

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?
We wanted to challenge ourselves by making a story about a topic as sensitive and bleak as suicide is and crafting it into a story designed to bring some laughs out of you. The important part to us was ensuring we pay respect to the sensitive subject by telling a story of meaning. At the end of the day, suicide is the loop action in the film, but the story is about grief. By the end, we were very proud of the story we told.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
The screenplay was written in 2 days. I knew the direction I wanted to go and skipped right past an outline with tunnel vision. The casting process may have been just shy of a month. Bless the hearts of the actors if they are reading this for their patience with me, but it was a series of callback sessions to ensure we "got it right." I stand proudly on the decisions made that we did get it right. Due to budget/time constraints, we actually filmed this in one day at a local studio. The post production was the longest part, almost half a year. Busy schedules trying to align and corrections to be made, but our editor/colorist, Christiana Usigbe, really made some magic out of this raw clay. Have to sing her praises.

3. How would you describe your film in two words!?
Dysfunctionally relatable

4. What was the greatest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
The filming. After watching, I'm sure you can imagine figuring out a way to jam pack this into a single day was a nightmare and a half. Cameras were choreographed in advance, world flips, literally everyone knew the mission and recognized the "all hands on deck" situation and made it happen. From our Producer Toya Morman driving across town for essential equipment we forgot to pack, Tiffany Terrell keeping the fires out of sight, Stephanie Gordon wearing all the hats she could down to even make-up & Drew Atchison, our Assistant Director, taking on the daunting task of managing a 14-page shoot into one business day... hats off to my team. All I can say.

5. There are 5 stages of the filmmaking process: Development. Pre-Production. Production. Post-Production. Distribution. What is your favorite stage of the filmmaking process?
Pre-Production, by far. That's where I really get to get in there and be obsessive & crazy, both creatively and logistically.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?
I was exclusively writing for a couple of years after college before moving to the filmmaking side. I was inspired by good friends of mine in LA, one in particular being Gabriel Gely. He's an unfairly gifted Director of Photography and he methodically captures magic so well that it intimidated me quite a bit. He eased me into some backend education and insisted I give it a shot. Amidst heavy battles with 'imposter syndrome,' I may not have ever pursued it beyond screenwriting if not for good people like him and many others along the way.

7. What film have you seen the most times in your life?
I shamelessly declare: 'A Goofy Movie'

8. In a perfect world: Who would you like to work with/collaborate with on a film?
Because I care deeply for the friendships I've made along the way, I can't narrow down just one filmmaker "friend" I want to work with because I enthusiastically want to work with a considerable amount of them. Truly a fan of a lot of those I've met along the way. Seperate from friendships, an actor I'd love to create something for: Sam Rockwell, a showrunner I'd love to write for: Mike White (White Lotus), a director/writer I'd love to grab coffee & dry cleaning for as an apprentice: Aaron Sorkin

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your
experience been working on the festival platform site?
Being on the tail end of my first true festival run, there was a lot of learning along the way. Many things I got right, many things I got very wrong, strong learning lessons along the way that even extensive research won't always make apparent. I know going into our future projects, we will be pursuing festivals with a much clearer lens as to direction. Happy to say, Wildsound will forever be on that list. I see why you are listed as a "Top 100."

10. What is your favorite meal?
I'll die on this hill: Chicken Parmesan.

11. What is next for you? A new film?
Our [On The Set Films] team recently entered post production on our upcoming project, 'I Think She's Dead.' It's a dark comedy that centers around two unhoused companions that stumble upon a dead jogger and help themselves to a day in her life. It's as off the top hilarious as it is endearing. For anyone who was a fan of 'The Transition Room,' I'm sure you will appreciate the very similar emotionally confusing journey of this but find this one to be a proud successor.