April of 2004

Associated Knot Tying

Two of Associated's very own tied the knot in matrimony this past Saturday. April 17th started off with a downpour, but that didn't drench the joyous nature of the special occassion. Ralph Apel, a director and actor in Associated Films, finally said "I do" to his long time fiance and Associated actress, Stevi Widhalm.
The ceremonies were discreetly held in Santa Ana, California, just down the freeway from Associated Films Studios in Fullerton. No press were invited and the attendance was comprised of those immediately dear to the bride and groom.
Leading up to the ceremony, Ralph was described as cool and calm, joking in his usual manner with no trace of nervousness. This contrasted many of the guests who were delayed in arrival because of a large accident due to the rain on the freeways which congested the roadways. However, all guests arrived safely and the wedding started with only shortly later than scheduled.
The couple were not the only celebrities in the wedding party. The Maid-Of-Honor was Becky Kleinman, a childhood friend of Stevi and actress for Associated Films. The bridesmaid was Lisa Decker, also a childhood friend and co-star of Les Marriage Du Tony. On the groom's side, was actor Kelly Merrell, as the Best Man, and director/actor S. Dylan Kirkland, as a groomsman.
The ceremony was kept short and simple, with no Hollywood frills or stunts, and lacked the usual wacky groomsmen games with forgotten rings, silly antics, and lame jokes. In attendance were the entire Associated crew, with the exception of Seth Alcorn who was not able to attend due to prior commitments. A few tears were shed by both family and friends, though some claim it was only sweat from about the eyes.
The reception was held at the Widhalm private residence. The guests dined on a variety of Italian dishes and celebrated under tents outside behind the estate. Though the wind persisted, the rain let up and the clouds eventually cleared, allowing for guests to enjoy the rest of the day in celebration.
Now married, the newly-weds only spent a nice evening in a plush, Orange County hotel and have agreed to hold off on a proper honeymoon due to demanding workload for Associated Films. But, for these two, movie-making is a honeymoon in itself!
-AJA April 22nd, 2004

Too Much Time Is Not Enough

May 8th is the final chosen deadline for the 3rd installment of Associated Films Shows. Despite all the time this date had allowed producers and directors to get projects finished, editors are still rushing and cramming to complete projects on schedule. Why all the fuss? Is Associated Films slowing down? We spoke with director James Soeffner, the Associated Films Show designer and coordinator, about what he was looking for in the 3rd Show, to get his perspective on Show creation, and perhaps get an idea of what caused the delays. In a special Associated Blast investigation, we will go in depth as to what exactly makes an Associated Films Show, what was done in the past, what is being done now, and what to expect in the future.
The original October timeframe was blown when certain projects had not even finished principle shooting before the month ended. Questioning The Answers had not finished many of the interviews director S. Dylan Kirkland desired. The Benjamin Johnson directed film, Les Marriage Du Tony, had long been sitting in reels, waiting for an editor to make sense of it all. And several side projects, including a new Riverman trailer, were sitting in similar states of incompletion just as September rolled in to October. In no way was Associated Films ready and capable of putting on a show that would display improvement over the 2nd.
Rather than risk a potential regression in quality of the 3rd Show, Associated Films collectively decided to postpone the show... at the time, indefinitely. They were hoping for a November presentation, but this idea was shot as QTA had still not completed the necessary footage. Christmas rolled by and Associated Films was at a standstill, even after completing all necessary filming for all projects. What was holding things up now was post-production.
By January of this year, three major works had not even begun the editing process: QTA, Les Marriage, and the newest Riverman theatrical trailer. Marcth 13th was a suggested date for a late 3rd Show, and projects needed to be finished before hand. But the film group was at a disadvantage.
"There were scheduling conflicts [for March 13th]," comments Soeffner. "Associated Films members couldn't be there for the show and we also needed our main feature to be ready, which it wasn't." It was surprising to learn that Les Marriage was not a deciding factor for the 3rd Show. The main concern was for QTA to come through as it was more suitable as a main feature. Director Kirkland was running into difficulties scheduling appropriate editing time. Shortly after the date was decided upon, it was changed again.
April 3rd was, at first, the best date for the 3rd Show. It allowed ample time for projects to get done and gave the chance for the film group to take a look at a new venue for presenting the work.
"I was confident in April 3rd that all the projects would have been completed," reflects Soeffner. As projects were getting fleshed out, confidence expanded from just getting the job done to the actual material itself. They began looking beyond the usual venue of Hutchinson Middle School to something more in the spotlight.
"It was natural progression," states Soeffner. "I feel we've got better work this year and, therefore, it needs a better exhibit." This natural progression found them at the box office of the Captain Blood's Theater in Brea, CA. There they found a suitable venue that would give them the grander display they sought. Immediately, steps were taken to secure the theater for April 3rd and consideration was made to getting the word out of the "3rd on the 3rd."
But their excitement was premature and masked a conflict that would ultimately change the game plan. What was overlooked was that actor Seth Alcorn, the star of QTA would not be available at his own premiere. The group had to make an immediate decision and weighed out keeping the date versus postponing it.
"What finally killed April 3rd was that not only was not going to be present, but that it was too close to my friends' Ralph and Stevi's [Apel] wedding. Not wanting to detract from their important day, we all felt a change was in order."
Too further solidify a change in date was a corruption in some QTA footage files which led to editing problems. However, this was an upset to several people because the word of the 3rd had gotten out past the Associated Studios and fans were already making preparations to be there.
A contingency plan with alternate date had been developed in case QTA could not make the April 3rd Show deadline. The conflict free date was May 8th. Once April 3rd was past, it became all too important for Associated Films to seal the May 8th deadline. With many disappointed fans skeptical of the new date, Soeffner made the effort to secure the theater for that Saturday. Now, it was on.
"May 8th was conflict free," stated Soeffner. "Everyone could be there and it gave ample time for Questions to be completed. It was the most realistic date for us to meet." Flyers went out immediately when the date had been decided upon. Postcards with the Pursuit briefcase stating "May 8th, 7pm, Captain Blood's Theater" not only put comfort and excitement in fans, it also put the pressure on Associated Films to get everything done and as in the highest quality possible. The Riverman trailer was completed and refined to perfection. Les Marriage was handled in a relatively short period of time. And now, Questioning The Answers shows signs of completion this week, having gone through a rigorous post-production that tested director S. Dylan Kirkland and his crew. May 8th is set in stone.
But what really makes an Associated Show? We asked James Soeffner if he could share with us what he looks for in creating a show, in the past and for the show on May 8th.
"The first show we ever did was really just a premiere for my film, Horchata's Commandos. I added some trailers that had been finished and made a small feature out of it. For our 2nd Show, we needed something bigger. We had more projects." James worked around the main feature of The Making of Riverman and placed in shorter projects around it. "My target is to have one main successful feature. Everything else wagon wheels from that... spokes out, so to speak."
This year, the main feature is Questioning The Answers: A Story Of Seth In Jeopardy!. It is the story of a young man who enrolls in a special game show institute that attempts to make him a super contestant. Surrounding it are various other projects, such as Les Marriage Du Tony, and several trailers and side projects, including the entries for the 24-Hour Scavengerfests.
When asked if he was already thinking about the next show, Soeffner replied, "I am constantly thinking about projects and arrangement for the 4th Show. However, I feel that future dates will be decided upon when the material is ready. It will be shown when shown. Otherwise, we'll run [the] risk of showing something that is not ready." Though, it will be disappointing for some fans to not be able to reliably look forward to the month of October each year, it does guarantee that whenever a show date is decided audiences will be watching the best that Associated Films has to offer.
-AJA April 28th, 2004

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