Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Digital Hometown

Out of Hemet Premiere

'My mom bought some property in Hemet and I went with her and I was like, 'Who the hell lives in Hemet?' I thought it was the weirdest little town in no-man's land. It looked like such a cool place to base a movie," says Ari Davis, writer and director of Out of Hemet, an independent short film premiering Saturday, March 26, at the Museum of Contemporary of Art San Diego, La Jolla. Davis, together with fellow California State University San Marcos students Matt Forsyth and Neal Lett, formed Brokenline Productions earlier this year. Out of Hemet is their first film. Forsyth is the art director, and Lett is the man behind the camera.

For five years before developing an interest in the entertainment industry, Davis was a professional surfer. After injuring his shoulder, he was forced to spend a year away from his board and lost his sponsors. "My best friend, Adam Brody [yes, the one on The O.C. ] and I decided to move up to L.A. and try acting." After two disappointing years in L.A., the 24-year-old Davis decided to go back to college. "For some reason, I just felt that I needed a four-year degree to be completely satisfied with myself." He is scheduled to graduate next month.

Sponsored
Sponsored

"I knew I wanted to write about the cliques I ran with in the world around me," says Davis. "I clicked on my iTunes, threw on some Postal Service, and ended up with my script three months later." The story centers on Kara (played by Eden Hatle), a young woman examining her romantic options and weighing her desire to leave her hometown as part of a struggle to discover what she wants out of life.

All shooting and editing was done digitally, allowing the 35-minute-long film to be made for far less than movies shot on film. The budget for four days of filming (not including scenes shot in L.A. and Hemet, which took an additional two days) was under $10,000. David Trump, the film's producer, fronted the money, and coproducer Mike Logan provided the studio-quality lighting. "Mike worked on Point Pleasant and other Fox shows," says Davis.

All members of the cast and crew volunteered their services. It was important to Davis that everyone involved in this film be from San Diego. Locals might recognize scenes at La Jolla Shores, La Fuente restaurant in Hillcrest, Morley Field, and the Berkshire Motel on El Cajon Boulevard. Davis lives in Hillcrest.

"We're all students," says Davis. "Between 17 units [course credits] and full-time jobs, it took us five months to finish editing the film." Davis is a "professional car parker," working valet at the UCSD hospital in Hillcrest. Forsyth is a waiter at the Four Seasons in Carlsbad, and Lett (the youngest of the three at 24) owns a car-detailing company. The filmmakers met through Tony Allard's video class at Cal State San Marcos. As we spoke, Davis, Forsyth, and Lett were taking turns riding in a shopping cart at their local Rite-Aid -- they were having their picture taken for the school paper.

"Casting the right people is hard," says Davis. "We'd pick someone and they would drop out or book something else. So many people said they were going to do stuff and didn't do it -- that was the hardest thing I dealt with, and it really sucked." Davis explains that it's easy to overlook the details. "Like getting your audio right. You think it's right after you shoot it the whole day, and then the sound is horrible and you have to bring the actors in to do voiceovers, and then you have to match it up with their lips."

Local bands provided the music used in the film, including Kut U Up, Off By One, Electric Umbilical Cord, Daize Shayne, and Plastic Explosive. Before screening the film on Saturday, two of these bands will perform 25-minute live sets. "The after-party is gonna be rad," says Davis of the post-premiere event scheduled for Moondoggies on Prospect Avenue. He hints that there will be celebrities in tow, along with "big Fox [television network] lights, DJs, wild girls, and wild animals." Someone is supposed to bring a monkey.

Hatle, who was asked by Davis over coffee to be the leading actress, is nervous for the big night. "This is the first thing I've ever done, aside from theater in Carlsbad from age three to nine," she says. Her biggest concern right now, other than completing her courses at the Gemological Institute of America, is to find the right outfit to wear to the premiere. -- Barbarella

Film premiere: Out of Hemet Saturday, March 26 8:00 p.m. Museum of Contemporary Art 700 Prospect Street La Jolla Cost: $8 advance sale; $10 at the door Info: 858-454-3541 or www.brokenlineproductions.com/

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

"Christmas Berry" is decorating our landscape, Longest meteor shower of the year

Full "cold moon," extremely high tides

'My mom bought some property in Hemet and I went with her and I was like, 'Who the hell lives in Hemet?' I thought it was the weirdest little town in no-man's land. It looked like such a cool place to base a movie," says Ari Davis, writer and director of Out of Hemet, an independent short film premiering Saturday, March 26, at the Museum of Contemporary of Art San Diego, La Jolla. Davis, together with fellow California State University San Marcos students Matt Forsyth and Neal Lett, formed Brokenline Productions earlier this year. Out of Hemet is their first film. Forsyth is the art director, and Lett is the man behind the camera.

For five years before developing an interest in the entertainment industry, Davis was a professional surfer. After injuring his shoulder, he was forced to spend a year away from his board and lost his sponsors. "My best friend, Adam Brody [yes, the one on The O.C. ] and I decided to move up to L.A. and try acting." After two disappointing years in L.A., the 24-year-old Davis decided to go back to college. "For some reason, I just felt that I needed a four-year degree to be completely satisfied with myself." He is scheduled to graduate next month.

Sponsored
Sponsored

"I knew I wanted to write about the cliques I ran with in the world around me," says Davis. "I clicked on my iTunes, threw on some Postal Service, and ended up with my script three months later." The story centers on Kara (played by Eden Hatle), a young woman examining her romantic options and weighing her desire to leave her hometown as part of a struggle to discover what she wants out of life.

All shooting and editing was done digitally, allowing the 35-minute-long film to be made for far less than movies shot on film. The budget for four days of filming (not including scenes shot in L.A. and Hemet, which took an additional two days) was under $10,000. David Trump, the film's producer, fronted the money, and coproducer Mike Logan provided the studio-quality lighting. "Mike worked on Point Pleasant and other Fox shows," says Davis.

All members of the cast and crew volunteered their services. It was important to Davis that everyone involved in this film be from San Diego. Locals might recognize scenes at La Jolla Shores, La Fuente restaurant in Hillcrest, Morley Field, and the Berkshire Motel on El Cajon Boulevard. Davis lives in Hillcrest.

"We're all students," says Davis. "Between 17 units [course credits] and full-time jobs, it took us five months to finish editing the film." Davis is a "professional car parker," working valet at the UCSD hospital in Hillcrest. Forsyth is a waiter at the Four Seasons in Carlsbad, and Lett (the youngest of the three at 24) owns a car-detailing company. The filmmakers met through Tony Allard's video class at Cal State San Marcos. As we spoke, Davis, Forsyth, and Lett were taking turns riding in a shopping cart at their local Rite-Aid -- they were having their picture taken for the school paper.

"Casting the right people is hard," says Davis. "We'd pick someone and they would drop out or book something else. So many people said they were going to do stuff and didn't do it -- that was the hardest thing I dealt with, and it really sucked." Davis explains that it's easy to overlook the details. "Like getting your audio right. You think it's right after you shoot it the whole day, and then the sound is horrible and you have to bring the actors in to do voiceovers, and then you have to match it up with their lips."

Local bands provided the music used in the film, including Kut U Up, Off By One, Electric Umbilical Cord, Daize Shayne, and Plastic Explosive. Before screening the film on Saturday, two of these bands will perform 25-minute live sets. "The after-party is gonna be rad," says Davis of the post-premiere event scheduled for Moondoggies on Prospect Avenue. He hints that there will be celebrities in tow, along with "big Fox [television network] lights, DJs, wild girls, and wild animals." Someone is supposed to bring a monkey.

Hatle, who was asked by Davis over coffee to be the leading actress, is nervous for the big night. "This is the first thing I've ever done, aside from theater in Carlsbad from age three to nine," she says. Her biggest concern right now, other than completing her courses at the Gemological Institute of America, is to find the right outfit to wear to the premiere. -- Barbarella

Film premiere: Out of Hemet Saturday, March 26 8:00 p.m. Museum of Contemporary Art 700 Prospect Street La Jolla Cost: $8 advance sale; $10 at the door Info: 858-454-3541 or www.brokenlineproductions.com/

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

"Christmas Berry" is decorating our landscape, Longest meteor shower of the year

Full "cold moon," extremely high tides
Next Article

How to make a hit Christmas song

Feeling is key, but money helps too
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader