Thanks for coming to our movie production page. Here,  you can follow our production process as we bring Speedsuit Powers from Book to Screen. Just scroll down to see our most recent info… all the way back to our very first day of production. And be on the lookout for our film, which will be Privately Screened during the month of February 2012. And then we will enter film festivals.  Thanks! - Allen Paul Weaver III

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Monday February 20, 2012: Just finished the 2nd official trailer for the film a little while ago. You can watch it on the home page in the Feature section towards the top. I think I’m still in awe of the fact that a year ago this time, the script was still being worked on and I didn’t have any money for this project. I had no idea who the actors would be, what kind of crew I needed, what type of camera equipment I would be able to get… this was all just a dream I was moving towards… one day at a time. There were SO MANY unknown variables and quite honestly, I was scared out of my mind… but I was determined to press forward. I prayed every day, asking God for the strength to take one more step toward the realization of this dream.  And amazingly, all the pieces came together.

Sure there were OBSTACLES along the way and there were many sleepless nights, and times when I didn’t know how things would work out - BUT - here we are… a year later… on the other side of “The Tunnel” with a finished film. And we’ve been able to have Private Screenings at three churches so far. The response from adults and young people has been tremendous.  It is totally humbling to think that this film has the potential to impact so many lives…

I hope to be able to share the behind-the-scenes story one day soon to as many people as possible. But in the meantime - enjoy the second trailer.

Sunday February 5, 2012: This past Friday was our first Private Screening of SPEEDSUIT. We held it at Thessalonia Worship Center and had a packed house! It was both amazing and humbling to watch as the crowd engage and respond to the film. They laugh, cried, and cheered. After the film ended, myself, co-producer and cast received a standing ovation. Now we prepare for our next Private Screening at Bethesda Baptist Church of New Rochelle on Friday February 10th.

It’s important for us to have these Private Screenings during Black History Month. SPEEDSUIT addresses the serious issue of finding solutions to school bullying, overcoming family trauma, and discovering your gifts/talents. Too many youth are facing detrimental consequences as a result of bullying. We each have to do our part to help make a difference.

Friday January 20, 2012. The official movie poster is here! And here are several screen shots from the film. More information to come next week!

Miranda’s initial reaction to seeing her son Curtis in the hospital bed.

Kelly and Curtis walking home from school.

Miranda and Malcolm during a tough moment in their relationship.

Curtis and his physics teacher - Mr. Grabowski.

Curtis wasn’t looking for trouble when Treyshawn found him.

Treyshawn with Mrs. Fulner - the guidance counselor.

Hakiim confronts Treyshawn about his whereabouts.

Treyshawn’s mother.

Saturday October 22, 2011. A date has been secured at the Voracious Reader in Larchmont. We will have a Bullying-solutions discussion event on February 11, 2012. Speedsuit Powers will be the highlight. More to come…

Friday October 21, 2011. Day 25. Tonight, we finished up a pickup scene with actress Okema T. Moore and teen actor Dameon Reilly Jr. As you should know by now, Okema is playing “Miranda” and Dameon is playing “Curtis” (Mother and Son).

I am very excited by the performances that they have given throughout filming. And they both have good insight about the nuances of their characters. (Really, all of the actors involved have brought a strong understanding of who their characters are and how they should be portrayed.)

We have now finished principal photography and continue to move fully into post-production.

Wednesday October 19, 2011. Day 24. I had a very early 1.5 hour shoot this morning with model/actor George Robert, who is playing “Omar” in our film. It was a very small setup as we were shooting two small-but-important scenes. “Omar” is in the navy and for part of the movie is away at sea, so we needed to shoot these two scenes on green screen (we’ll incorporate the background later in post-production.) The time went fast, but we accomplished our goal.

Only one scene left to do on Friday evening; then principal photography will be complete! Then all of my time can be centered on post-production.

Monday October 17, 2011. Day 23. We spent the evening time shooting B-roll footage of streets and highways in the Bronx.  A big ”thank you” to Lovell Williams who drove while I filmed!

After that, I had an impromptu meeting with one of our musicians who is helping to spearhead the music for our movie. Jafari Sampson is only a teenager, but his knowledge of music and his ability to play multiple instruments is proving invaluable. He has been a huge help so far as he works with our composer and myself. We already have 11 demo tracks so far (4 of which he created) and are working to compose more, as well as assemble an orchestra to perform them. This is really exciting.

Wednesday October 12, 2011. Day 22. Today was a good day. We finished shooting hte second half of one of our climatic chase scenes. It took quite a bit of work to break down the sequence so that we could film as quickly and effortlessly as possible. We couldn’t shut down the street we were filming on - so we had to shoot in between traffic. That was funny - considering that several times, we’d set up (in the middle of the street) only to have to move out the way for oncoming vehicles.

And then there were the two police cars that came through the block. The officers stopped and looked to see what we were doing… I waved at one officer - he waved back and then they kept going. Thank God!

And then there was the rain - on my way to the shoot, I was praying for the rain to hold off. Half way to the shoot, it started raining. After a moment of frustration, I said, “God, let everything work out for our benefit.” By the time we were ready to film, the rain was only a drizzle. And when we really needed to have a scene with no rain - there was none!

A gentleman approached us, while filming, to ask what we were doing. We told him that we were filming several scenes for a film that dealt with school bullying. He happens to live near a high school and said that he sees bullying happen often between students. He was glad we were making the effort to be one of the voices addressing this issue.

Also, thanks to Maynietta and her kids for participating in this scene. We couldn’t have pulled it off without you all.

After completing the chase scene, we filmed Curtis heading from his apartment to the train station. There, Dameon had his first experience with a group of new fans. A group of girls screamed and waved while we were filming. “Is he famous?” “What’s the name of the movie?” “Will it be in theaters?”

We finished every scene that absolutely had to get done today. Only two major scenes are left and then principal photography will be complete. Meanwhile, post-production has already begun as we’re working hard to meet our deadlines in order for the film to be ready by February 2012.

My only regret from today was not having my digital camera - so we have no photos from the shoot. However, we did have our Behind-the-Scenes video camera! So a short video of today’s shoot will be produced shortly.

Be on the lookout for the new movie trailer. It will be released by November 4th.

Thursday October 6, 2011 - Today I met with a representative of the theater we would like to use for the movie premiere/screening. I can’t say what theater yet, since we haven’t finalized the contract, but it’s in Manhattan - seats around 200 people and has a great reception area and additional facilities.  We’ve got a lot of work to do between now and next year!  Save the date for the red carpet premiere of Speedsuit Powers: Wednesday February 1, 2012. (More information to come.)

Monday September 26, 2011. Days 19-21. Good stress!!! That’s what I have to call it. Good because everything - for the most part - worked out over the last three days of shooting. There’s nothing like a deadline to get the blood pumping!

So, we shot one day during the week - “pick up” school scenes between Curtis, Treyshawn, Kelly, Mr. G and Mr. Andre. We had some pretty intense moments on camera - as well as some funny ones too.

We almost canceled our Saturday shoot, since it was supposed to rain all day and we needed to film outside. But, by the grace of God, the weather was very reasonable and we were able to film almost everything that we needed. There we were, in the heart of the South Bronx, filming these two very intense scenes between Curtis, Kelly, Treyshawn, Hakiim and Mr. Andre. They were so intense that neighbors thought there was a real fight. A woman came over and said, “I was about to call the police, but then I saw the camera equipment.” We told her about the film and she was very pleased. “I hope it does very well. Our young people need to know how to deal with these tough issues. Keep up the good work. May God bless you.”

As we filmed, several people stopped to ask about the film, including some young people who stayed and watched us for about an hour. “When does the film come out? Will we be able to see it? This is so cool!”

We kept having to start and stop filming because of the airplanes overhead. They kept come every few minutes! Some of the major Hollywood directors have enough “pull” to get planes rerouted from where they’re filming… we not at that point. So we just learn to film in between the noise.

After the “altercation scene,” we filmed a major chase scene betweeen Curtis and Treyshawn. I can’t tell you what happens, but you will not be disappointed!

Sunday, we filmed on green-screen at Reel Cretive Studios, located in Manhattan. This was where we revealed the second version of the Speedsuit prototype. (Of course, I can’t show you ANY photos of the suit. Gotta wait until the movie). But the cast and crew (seeing this version for the 1st time) were very impressed. We will also do some tweaking of the suit in post-production.

We’re down to our last 4 scenes for principal photography! Post-production begins in October.

Thanks for reading and sharing. I really appreciate you taking the time to do so.

-Allen Paul Weaver III

Sunday September 18, 2011 - Day 18. Today was a very hectic day for me. We only had one sequence to shoot, but it was a key set of scenes that involved the first Speedsuit prototype. In the story, Curtis, Omar and Mr. G build the suit. But in actuality, elements of the suit had to be designed and built ahead of time for the film. The first prototype was literally finished an hour after we were supposed to start shooting. I spent the entire morning working towards its completion. In total, this suit took about 40 hours or so to make. (Sorry, we can’t reveal the suit just yet…)

But what would the cast think? This was a pressing question in my mind, since they would be seeing Curtis in the suit for the first time. They all seemed really impressed. (Sigh of relief).  So, I was an hour late arriving with the suit - then it took an hour to do a final fitting with Dameon in order to make slight modifications. He kept saying “This is so cool!”  After the final fitting, he had to “de-suit” and we all packed up to head to the location to film. Call time was scheduled for 2pm, so that we could start filming by 3pm. We didn’t begin filming until about 5pm, which meant that we were literally racing against the clock - trying to get our scenes in before sunset at 7pm.

While we filmed, we noticed that we had a small gathering of curious onlookers. After all, who sees a teen running around in a full “superhero-type” suit when it’s not Halloween or ComicCon?  I hope that no secret photos end up on Facebook, before the movie is released. We finished all of our major shots by the time we ran out of sunlight… just a bit of “b-roll” to go back and get later this week.

One of our actors made a remark at the end of the day - “So many people go their entire lives having never created anything; and here you are creating an entire story… the book and the film… from scratch. That’s amazing.” Thinking about what he said, my hope is that people who experience Speedsuit Powers will be inspired to use their own gifts and talents to create a world we would all love to live in.

Saturday September 17 -  Day 17. Today was a good day, even though I was under pressure. We are nearing the end of our shooting schedule and we spent today filming pickup school scenes that we did not get a chance to film last month. One of our actors had a last minute situation and could not make it to the set. That meant two major scenes had to be rescheduled for later this week.  But hey… things happen that are beyond our control. We only have power over the way we react and adapt to them. So, as I said in an earlier blog post, we find a “work-around.”

We also had a new actor in with us today. Michael Joseph is playing the role of “Hakiim”, Treyshawn’s right-hand man. Since this was Michael’s first day on the set with us, we had to film his scheduled scene AND also create some impromptu scenes showing the interaction between him, Treyshawn, Curtis and Mr. Andre. That was actually pretty fun - we all came together to craft how each improv scene should go. This type of collaboration also allowed each actor to weigh in on character motivations and add their own signature dialogue. As a part of the improv, we also had to pull in some nearby youth from our church to be students. I love the creative process!

Saturday September 10, 2011 - DAY 16. We are getting down to the wire! We should be done with principle photography by the end of the month. There is so much going on with the entire cast - school, other acting jobs, Fashion Week, work, etc… but we are making things work.

Today, we shot several scenes with Treyshawn (Justin Jenkins). Everyone who sees the trailer says that he makes a great Treyshawn - and he does. We shot two school scenes and several street running scenes. Also, my son, Noble was on set for a good 20 minutes or so… so he helped “direct” a scene where Treyshawn makes a crucial discovery. Considering that he’s 11 months old, Noble’s directing was more about pulling at things - but everyone loved having him around - he’s a real “crowd stopper.”

Pray for us - big action sequences will be shot over the next two weekends. So, by the end of the month, only 2nd unit/broll will be left to shoot. Post-production begins October 1st.

Friday August 26, 2011: - DAY 15. We’ve been on hiatus for the past couple of weeks. It was good to be back today as we filmed several additional scens which take place in Curtis’ apartment. These scenes were ones where only Curtis was needed, so it was a small group: Dameon, his sister Emiah, our Casting Director, and Jana (one of our production assistants). We also had a surprise visit by George Robert (Curtis’ older brother, Omar). We’re not scheduled to shoot his scenes for another few weeks. But it was great to have him on set for an hour or so. Things really feel like family - and he’s looking forward to finishing our shooting. During breaks, we all really laughed a lot as we talked about production and shared personal stories about life. A big “shout out” to my mother-in-law, who made lunch for us. The sandwiches, chips and juice really hit the spot!

After we were done filming, we spent some time taking Dameon’s (Curtis) measurements and fitting him into the torso housing for  the Speedsuit. That was really exciting as we made modifications and discussed fabrication issues. Other elements of the suit should be ready within the next two weeks. As you can probably guess, I can’t show any photos from this session. Don’t want to spoil the surprise.  But stay tuned… We’ll have some kind of partial “reveal” at some point - maybe.

We were scheduled to shoot several school scenes tomorrow (Saturday August 27th), but due to the hurricane, I decided to cancel. The MTA is shutting down and several of the bridges will be shut down as well. Three of our cast members, who would have been present tomorrow, would have been affected by these closings (not to mention having to deal with any early storm issues). Figured it was better to be safe than sorry. We can always reschedule - even though that puts more pressure for us to be done by our deadline. But hey, it’s all a part of the adventure!

Keep telling others about our film. We need your help to make this independent film project a success.

-Allen Paul Weaver III-

Tuesday August 16, 2011: - We’ve been getting a lot of feedback about our sample trailer (see below). People have been talking about how well our casting has lined up with their imagination of how the characters should look. People are also talking about how intense some of the scenes are - and how they can’t wait to see the finished film!

For everyone who’s viewed the trailer - Thank You. Please continue to pass it on to your family and friends. We will introduce our next trailer in September, when school starts.

We continue to work hard to finish this film in time for a January premiere.  Keep checking back. We continue to move forward with various aspects of production. Spent about 5 hours last night working on a major prop for the second half of the film. I can’t show you any pictures yet (don’t want to spoil the reveal). But you will like it!

-Allen Paul Weaver III-

Saturday August 13, 2011: - Here is the 1st Official Speedsuit Powers Trailer. It is only a sample (made with footage & audio that is not the final edited version), but people have been asking to see some footage. Enjoy, and let me know what you think.

Friday August 12, 2011: - 1st unit principal photography is just about complete. To date, we’ve shot approximately 65-70 scenes out of 92.

We are on a mini hiatus for the next couple of weeks. Some of our actors have upcoming theatrical performances (www.allmystruggles.com). They are in Orlando this weekend and will be in New Rochelle next weekend. The stage-play has been seen in several states, and sold out at The Apollo Theater in Harlem. The play is very well done and I’m honored to have several actors from that production, working on Speedsuit Powers.

So, for now… I get a “breather” for the next couple of days. (Good, since I go back to work on Monday. Don’t want to be exhausted!) But there’s still lot’s to do - like finish up some of the cool props that I can’t talk about yet. If you’ve read the book, then you already know what I mean. We will do more “pick up” scenes over the next two weeks. Then in September, we will shoot the large & complex action sequences. Also, 2nd unit photography will commence over the next couple of weeks to capture “b roll” of suburban and urban environments.

A special shout out to Monique Lisa, my production assistants: Jana Jackson, Michael Wiggins, Enrique Cedeno, and Jeremiah Huntt - as well as the ENTIRE CAST! We’re a small production, and all have pulled together in front and behind the camera to help make this film happen. Thank you. I couldn’t do this without you.

Post Production officially starts in September. We are putting together a strong group of musicians, vocalists and sound engineers for the musical score and soundtrack. We are also gathering a team for the editing. And we still need to raise additional funds for the Post Production phase.  If you or someone you know are interested in making a financial contribution, feel free to contact us.

Well, that’s it for now. Check back here for the latest updates and help us spread the word about the Speedsuit Powers story. We really believe this film (as well as the book) will continue to make a positive impact in the lives of those who experience it!

God bless.

-Allen Paul Weaver III-

Thursday August 11, 2011: Day 14 - Today we filmed the highly anticipated “beat down” scene between Treyshawn and Kelly’s Brothers.

Call time was 9am. We spent about 30 minutes choreographing the fight, based on the details of the script.

Once we got things right, then we began filming.

We shot the scene about 7-10 times from different angles. It took about 40 minutes or so to shoot this sequence. Just for the record… Justin (actor playing Treyshawn), was fine after filming stopped.

-Allen Paul Weaver III -

Wednesday August 10, 2011: Day 12 & 13 - Yes, I am writing for two days this time. By the time I got home after filming yesterday… and then spent time with my son, I was seriously tired and went to sleep.

So, Tuesday we filmed “pick up scenes” at Curtis Powers’ Bronx apartment.

“Pick up scenes” are scenes that were previously scheduled but didn’t get shot because of time constraints or other issues. So, we shot scenes between Curtis & Omar, Miranda, Kelly and Treyshawn. The cast had a really great time.

Today, we were in New Rochelle filming a flashback scene between Curtis and his mother, Miranda. This scene included rain, but there was no storm in sight. So we had to create rain. On large productions, a “rain truck” would be used (basically a tanker filled with water that is sprayed through several spouts from very high in the air). Since we’re a small production, we didn’t have access to a tanker. So, we used the standard water hose that you have outside your house.

Fortunately, the hose was extremely long and we were able to transport water half-way down the block! Looking forward to seeing how the scene turns out.

We also filmed a montage where Curtis, Omar and Mr. Grabowski work on one of his invention ideas. (You can read the book to find out what it is). Then we filmed an additional scene that included Kelly and Treyshawn.

All-in-all, the production is going very well. We have shot over 60 scenes so far and have gotten some great performances.

Tomorrow, we film the “beat-down” scene between Treyshawn and Kelly’s brothers. That will be intense!

A special “shout out” to my mother and mother-in-law. Both cooked a hot meal for the cast/crew the last two days. And a “shout out” to my dad for helping me get our location ready for filming today. It took us almost four hours this morning to do so. We appreciate you all!

-Allen Paul Weaver III-

Monday August 8, 2011: Day 11 - Ok, technically it is “Day 15″, but we haven’t filmed since August 2nd (so it’s “Day 11″).  Even though, we were on a small break, a lot was still going on with production logistics. We began looking at and working with some footage to put together a basic trailer. We were also working on some of the special effects elements and meeting with some key individuals to share our vision about the movie and its potential impact in various communities (hence the trailer).

Today, we were back in “shooting mode” as we filmed at the Sound Shore Medical Center in Westchester. The hospital was very welcoming to our production and our cast/crew had an amazing experience.

I think we got some great performances, including some stellar “ad lib” lines that will most definitely make the film!

Even as we filmed today, I couldn’t help but think about students who end up in the hospital because they have to endure bullying situations. My mind was on Brandon Baez, a young boy who was bullied while attending Trinity Elementary School in New Rochelle. I read about his situation in the news back in June. I was also a student at Trinity (a long time ago) and faced some bullying of my own. If I had the chance to meet Brandon, I’d tell him that things do get better and that he’s not alone.

So, today’s “shout out” goes to you, Brandon. Even though we’ve never met, your story has impacted me. It’s a strong reminder that the story of Speedsuit Powers is needed in order to speak to the reality of bullying and how we can find solutions to overcome its negative effects. Keep pressing forward.

-Allen Paul Weaver III-

Tuesday August 2, 2011: DAY 10 - I absolutely love the movie-making process! Really, I do. When I get a DVD of a movie I like, the first thing I do is watch the Behind-the-Scenes because I like seeing the process others go through for creating their films.

We only had one scene to shoot today. It was a prison visit and we converted a set into a prison-like environment.  It took about 1.5 hours to set up the equipment and work out placement. We shot for about 15-20 minutes. When you see it, I think you will be amazed. We started at 9am and wrapped at 11:10am. Everyone enjoyed the shorter day. We’re usually working for about 6-8 hours or more each day.

The rest of the week will be spent prepping for next week: the BIG scenes. More about that later.

-Allen Paul Weaver III-

Monday August 1, 2011: DAY 9 - Today was a great day of filming. We had a small cast/crew as we focused on “Treyshawn’s” home life with his mother, “Shakira” (Anissa Chalmers) and her live-in boyfriend, “Melvin” (Steven Strickland). When you talk about DRAMA - we saw it today! You will be glued to your seat when you see these scenes.

We also had actors to play plain-clothes law enforcement officers: Officer Williams (Bernadette Alexander) and Officer Brown (Jerome Rice).  They both looked so good with their wardrobe, badges, firearms and police car… I thought I was watching a scene of Law & Order, CSI:NY and NCIS all rolled up in one! They definitely looked the part and could have their own show. (Maybe that will be my next short movie?) And Divine Providence orchestrated the securing of our “police” car. More about that story later.

So, we shot six scenes today in the Bronx; and had a ball doing it. We even had two visitors to the set: “Treyshawn’s” real mother and one of my co-workers. So today was a good day. Tomorrow we shoot a prison scene….

A special “shout out” to one of my godsons: Jeremiah. He’s a young aspiring filmmaker who has been on set, almost every day to help me and to learn about the movie making process. While he may drink too much Tang and Orange Juice and not leave a lot left for the rest of us - he is extremely helpful and willing to learn all he can!  So, Jeremiah, this “shout out” is to you. Keep pressing forward.

Well, that’s all for now. If you are enjoying these updates, leave a comment below and tell a friend.

-Allen Paul Weaver III-

Saturday July 30, 2011: Ok, we ended early yesterday too… just before 4pm. I was home before 7pm and knocked out soon after. So the production go me again! (It’s now 5:38 on Sunday morning.)

Well, I did get my haircut yesterday morning. Got to the barber about 6:30am. Glad that’s done!

Yesterday went pretty well, although we didn’t make it through all of our scenes. We had a crowd scene to shoot first, which took the most time to set up. Then we were on limited time, due to the scheduling deadlines, but we made it through several key scenes - including a choreographed beat down scene between “Treyshawn” and “Curtis” (can’t tell you where). It’s a good thing that two of our cast members are trained in stage hand-to-hand combat. It probably took about 30 minutes to breakdown the routine and plot where the camera was going to move and when. Then it took another 20 - 30 minutes to shoot from various angles.

We also shot another scene between “Treyshawn”, “Curtis” and “Kelly” at the lockers. Can’t tell you what happens, but you will like what you see. All of our actors are delivering some serious performances.

Then there was lunch. Our Casting Director and a few others went to get pizza (in the Bronx). They went to a chicken place (which shall remain nameless) that also does pizza. (We were a little scared about that when we heard it. LOL!) So, when the C.D. asked for a receipt (gotta get receipts) the cashier says they’re out of receipt paper. When the C.D. insisted on needing a receipt, the cashier said, “I could just tell you how much it was.” (What? LOL!) So, the cashier ended up writing out a receipt on a brown paper bag!  Crazy, right? But the pizza did taste pretty good…

So, we’re off until Monday, when we focus in on “Treyshawn’s” home life. If you’ve read the book, you know that these are some very dramatic scenes: packed with every range of emotion, action and suspense. We better get our tissues ready now.

-Allen Paul Weaver III -

Friday July 29, 2011: The production finally got the best of me… I fell asleep last night before I could do this daily blog!

Yesterday (it’s now 5:44am on Saturday) went well. We shot interior school scenes with “Curtis”, “Treyshawn”, “Kelly” and a number of “high school extras”. We also filmed scenes with the school’s “Principal” (Benereia Abbott), “Guidance Counselor” (Yolanda Robinson-Elston), “Head of Security” (Duane Granston) and “Physics Teacher” (Jim Coakley) - talk about some powerful performances… Have you ever seen a school bully go toe-to-toe with the Head of Security and the Guidance Counselor? You will in this film.

And the crew was scared when Treyshawn got in Curtis’ face when the bullying began! It’s funny, Justin Jenkins is such a nice and laid-back guy, but when I yell “ACTION” - Treyshawn shows up and… you get the picture. With Treyshawn, you’ll either love him or hate him. He’s just that complex.

And our new Word for the Day is… “Work-Around”!  This has become my favorite word. “Work-Around” is what I say when things don’t go as planned and we need to come up with a solution:

Someone didn’t show up? “We got a work-around”. The location doesn’t lend itself to the scene how it’s written in the script? “I have a work-around” for that”. We don’t have a prop? “There’s a work-around for that one too”! I love this word… because when faced with circumstances that you don’t expect, you either “hit-the-ground” or you find a “work-around”.

Ok. Gotta go. We have the second half of the school scenes today: more extras, a really big auditorium scene, several scenes we didn’t do yesterday and some new stuff. I’ve got to finish prepping. And I’m going to try and get a haircut. Barber opens at 6:30am.

Also, a special shout out to the mothers and grandmothers who brought their kids out to be extras in the film. You are a great support to the life of your children.

Pray for Speedsuit Powers.

-Allen Paul Weaver III

Thursday July 28, 2011: We have successfully completed 6 days of production! Still more days to go… and we will take them one at a time.

(I was told today that my blog has been referred to as the “Star Trek” update, because I kind of start out like Captain Jean Luke Picard - giving the date and a basic overview. I like ST, so I’ll take that as a compliment.)

Today was a relatively “light” day, in comparison to the last 5 days. We only shot in two locations. We started at 8am. Finished the first location by 10am. Then had a break until the second location at 12 noon. We were done just after 4pm (which is EXTREMELY) early for us. The last scene we shot was Thanksgiving Diner; and the food was really good. (At least that’s what I’ve been told. I didn’t have time to eat.) The cast and crew, while happy to work on set, were glad to be leaving a few hours early.

We had some really good performances today by Justin Jenkins who plays the antagonist, Treyshawn Jinkins, as he had to deal with a “visit” by Kelly’s older brothers.

We also had several instances where “Miranda” and “Jim Grabowski” caused us to get “choked up”. Okema T. More and Jim Coakley really did a great job at bringing humanity to a very real and tough situation.

And I can’t forget “Curtis” and “Omar”. Another big brother protecting his younger sibling, and the scene really moved me. They brought my words on paper to life in a very real way.

Well, that’s it for me. It’s 11:17pm and I’ve been running since we wrapped at 4pm. Time for sleep. Tomorrow and Saturday are big days… School scenes!

-Allen Paul Weaver III

Wednesday July 27, 2011: Where do I begin? Today was a great day. We filmed in a dance studio in Manhattan this morning and at an apartment house in the afternoon. We made it through a number of key scenes between “Kelly” and “Curtis”. Also “Kelly” met her two brothers “Kelvin” and “Kevin” for the first time today. It was great to see that they all got along well and jumped into their characters.

We’re also having to make slight changes to the script as we go along, based on the nuance of each location. Some locations lend themselves to certain things - and others don’t. So even as we film, this story is “living” and “breathing” in a way that the creative process doesn’t stop with what’s on paper - yet the essence of the story stays the same.

Also, today is my birthday. They surprised me with a cake with candles that don’t easily blow out. Some where surprised that I was filming a movie on my birthday; but what better present is there then to do something you love on your birthday?

I’d love to write more, but I’m so tired… Gotta get to sleep. This is the earliest I’ve been home (9:40pm) since we started shooting.

-Allen Paul Weaver III

Tuesday July 26, 2011: This morning was a bit hectic. We lost a location a few days ago and I spent the last couple of days scrambling to find a solution - because we need the location by this Thursday. But we were praying that God would work something out. Meanwhile, I reached out to several contacts, but with no success. Even my mom was trying to think of possibilities. Then today, after talking with one of my principal cast members, a solution was worked out. So, that crises has been averted. (All the while, I was trying to coordinate between necessities for this morning’s shoot and logistics for tomorrow morning’s shoot!)

And I still didn’t get a haircut yet. (My grey is showing.) Been trying since last week, but there just hasn’t been enough time with everything that’s going on.

We got through the majority of our scenes today. “Curtis” got to see one of his inventions for the first time. When I took the prop out of the case, he was in awe. That was a good feeling, since I created the prop myself.

Shot scenes with Curtis, Treyshawn, Miranda and Omar and did some interesting camera angles for a couple of them.

Tomorrow is a big day - shooting a dance class for “Kelly” and a number of other scenes. Also thinking about Friday and Saturday - we need teen/college extras for our school scene. We have some coming, but you never quite know how many you’re going to get. I don’t think you can ever have too many extras… unless you have too many extras. LOL!

(Ok, bad joke.) I’m tired right now… need to go to bed. I don’t realize how exhausted I am until the end of each day’s shooting - when I have a moment to sit after all of the equipment is packed up.  Then, when it’s time to get up, my body makes it very clear. (smile). But I am enjoying this journey - and the cast seems to be enjoying it too. It’s great when we sit around and break down motivations for each character and how they connect with each other. Each member of the cast and crew is committed to giving the best that they can in order to bring the story to life. We may not be a big Hollywood production and have a ton of crew and equipment (although the equipment almost takes up all the space in my car!) but we want to tell a great story that resonates with others and help each other develop in the process. That’s a blessing and each day is an adventure in itself.

Who gets the special “shout out” today? My son, Noble. We play for a bit before I leave and then by the time I get home he’s asleep. Even though he’s been to the set a couple of times - I miss him. (And people love it when my wife brings him to the set. Everyone wants to hold him - especially “Miranda”. Sure, he may not stay quiet all the time while we’re filming - but hey, he’s only 9 months old. :-)) I want to create a story that he’ll be proud of when he gets old enough to watch it. And I hope that this story will help change the landscape of society so that he and other children won’t have to be negatively affected by bullying and feel they have no hope. No child should have to feel that way.

Ok, it’s way past my bedtime. Time to go to sleep.

-Allen Paul Weaver III

Monday July 25, 2011: We wrapped production for the day at 8:30pm. Call time was 11:30am. Out of 12 scenes, we shot 11. We spent the day primarily at a house location, shooting interior and exterior scenes. We also filmed at a cemetery and a book store!

We threw a surprise birthday party for my mother, who was on set. Cast and crew sang happy birthday as a cake and presents were brought out. She was really excited by it all.

Today was a great - filled with powerful performances by the Powers’ Family - played by Erik McKay, George Robert, Okema T. Moore, and Dameon Reilly Jr.

As tired as I am… I am satisfied. Day 3 of production down. Be back at it again tomorrow.

Saturday July 23, 2011: My body seemed “dead to the world” when I woke up this morning. The first day of production had left its mark: everything was sore and I just wanted to sleep. But a new day was waiting and there were scenes scheduled to be filmed. So I got up, and as I began to go through the necessities of the morning, my body began to wake up. “Time to make the donuts” - wait that’s another guy - but his quote still applies.

We were at Thessalonia Worship Center filming the Sunday morning worship scene. A good amount of extras came out for the congregation and the entire “Powers” family was present (Malcolm, Miranda, Omar and Curtis). Pastor Sampson gave the “message” - following the script and then adding a few lines of his own. He’s a natural! And our young adult choir - is second to none! Wait until you hear/see them perform an original song for the film/soundtrack. (Special shout out to Siepo Sampson - an amazing musician - who listened to a song I recorded the night before and within minutes created fully fleshed out chords on the piano for the choir to sing.)

While our group was in the sanctuary filming, Natalie Guerrero (who is playing Kelly Washington) was rehearsing in a classroom with acting/dance coach, Iman Richardson for her ballet dance scene coming up later next week.

We also filmed two outdoor scenes and had to deal with cars with no mufflers; buses, trains and airplanes. The airplanes were probably the worst - since they flew overhead every few minutes. We joked that if I was at the level of a Steven Spielberg or George Lucas, the airplanes would have been re-routed to ensure that the environment was as quite as possible. For everyone else, we just wait until the loud traffic passes and then yell “action!”

Wait until you see the interaction between Curtis Powers (Dameon Reilly Jr.) and Treyshawn Jinkins (Justin Jenkins). Bully vs. New Kid… the scene we filmed to day will not disappoint. It has all the elements you want to see in a good film.

All in all, today went well (even though there were extreme subway train delays that caused some of our cast to be late. Trains running at any regular consistency on the weekend seems like an oxymoron. This weekend though - because of work being done on subway lines; and the heat wave - train service was worse than usual. But God is faithful.   It’s extremely helpful when cast and crew and extras are excited about the film they are helping to produce. Day 2 complete. Looking forward to Day 3 on Monday. Now… after a long day - it’s time for bed. I’m glad we are not scheduled to film on Sunday. Looking forward to my day of rest. Please pray for this endeavor. We are seeking to create a story that not only entertains, but motivates and educates as well. - Allen Paul Weaver III

Friday July 22, 2011: It’s actually 12:07am on July 23rd. I just got home about 15 minutes ago from our first day of principal photography on Speedsuit Powers. We actually finished the evening around 8:40pm, but by the time I made sure the cast and crew were ok to leave and the equipment was packed away… you get the picture. I am exhausted!

But I know YOU want to know how things went on our first day. Let’s see… Call time was at 12 noon. I was running late from last minute pickups, finalizing a needed location and dealing with craft services logistics (so people would have food to eat). But you know what’s worse than being late? Being late while running into horrible traffic on I-95 as I was driving to the first Bronx location! Honestly, if it wasn’t for my wife and son being in the car (she was so encouraging) I might have lost it. I don’t like being late - and especially not on my own production. By the time we arrived, (over an hour after Call time) all of our cast (slated for the day’s filming) and the crew were present. After apologizing, we broke out the food and began to set up equipment.

It was one of the hottest days of the year (107 degrees) and we were all sitting in a cool apartment (God is good)! And did I mention there was food? (smile). So our start was a little rough, but once we got going, things were moving rather nicely. Some of us talked about the movie that we were making, agreeing that we don’t have to try and be like Hollywood. We don’t have Hollywood resources, so we work to tell a great story with the tools that are available to us. If we focus on doing that, then Speedsuit Powers: the movie, will make a powerful impact.

So, we all took the time to “run through” the selected scenes a few times before we shot them. This was done to work out blocking, lighting etc… Once done, the shooting process went well. We didn’t make all of the scenes we had scheduled for the day, but we made it through some significant scenes: Miranda (Okema T. Moore) waking Curtis (Dameon Reilly Jr.) up; Curtis talking on the phone with his older brother Omar (George Robert), Curtis eating his favorite breakfast before leaving for school; Kelly (Natalie Guerrero) visiting the family for a holiday dinner.

We all had a great time. We have a great cast and crew who are willing to work to get the job fun - I mean done! Our being pressed for time, due to the lateness, didn’t stop us from having fun and joking around while working through character motivations for each scene. People have said that the first day is the hardest. I hope so. Because we have 19 more days to go. (A special shout out to my wife and her mother, Monique Lisa (Casting Director) and Nicole Colon (Makeup) who worked to bring many things together on this day. - Allen Paul Weaver III