Dominic Mercurio – Filmmaker

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CHARACTER PROFILE: Melany Benheimer (Played by Julia Prager)

Julia Prager as Melany Benheimer

The third character in this CHARACTER PROFILE series (the others were Ezra and Henry) is Melany Benheimer played by Julia Prager. Melany is the 10 year old daughter of the family. Melany has been spoiled her whole life, and knows how to manipulate her parents to get what she wants. She follows their rules, and trusts their views on things – as long as it means she stays on their good side and continues to get praise and love from them. She has watched her alienated older brother Marc continually distance himself from the rest of the family, and as a result – he doesn’t get whatever he wants. Melany has made her decision – sacrifice exploration outside of the rules for comfort and love from her parents. Melany is really a product of her environment. She simply has made the environment start to work for her. She loves to mess with her brother Marc in whatever way she can. She knows how to push his buttons, and will go out of her way to find that reaction she’s looking for.

This character was based on a couple of people that I know well and was a character I was very excited to see come to life. Julia Prager was one of the first girls to audition for this role, and her natural delivery of the lines really impressed me. Julia is a young and extremely talented actor that pulls her performance from a very genuine place. She listened to feedback, asked questions to help herself understand the character, and was very determined throughout the whole film. I had never worked with a young child in a film, except for my previous film “Frank’s Mug” which had a very brief scene with a young girl in a non-speaking role. Working with Julia to help her understand her character was an really insightful process. Julia never seemed nervous, and her acting through the production just seemed to come naturally. Julia is only 8 years old, but wise beyond her years. I’m confident she will have a great career in acting as long as she remains interested in it, and I can’t wait to see her in future productions.

Julia answered a few questions about her character and her experience on “Nuclear Family“:

Q: What drew you initially to the role?

JULIA: The fact that I already have an older annoying brother who plays piano.

Q: How would you describe your character? Any similarities to yourself or someone you know that you found to draw on?

JULIA: Melany is very mischievous but loving. Just like me! Wow, I can relate to Melany because I also like to tell on my brother.

Q: What was your favorite moment on set?

JULIA: Hanging out with the other actors.

Q: How was your overall experience working on “Nuclear Family”?

JULIA: I had so much fun! I hope for Nuclear Family 2!

Julia started acting at age 2 putting on puppet shows and dancing around the house. Since then she progressed and has become an actor at Julia Morgan’s Berkeley Playhouse theater. As well as a dancer at Genesis Dance school in San Francisco. She performs with Dancing with the Stars champions yearly at The Zellerbach Hall. Julia loves writing and reading. She appeared at various TV and commercial productions. She is an avid traveler. Russia, Thailand, Bali, Jamaica, Mexico, France and Italy are some of the places she has been!

Julia in "Nuclear Family"

Posted by dominicmercurio | February 13, 2011 | Categories: Film, Nuclear Family | Tags: 2011, canon 7d, cast profile, character, coming soon, dark comedy, dominic mercurio, independent, indie film, julia prager, melany benheimer, nuclear family, san francisco, short film | 1 Comment »

CHARACTER PROFILE: Henry Benheimer (Played by James Allen Brewer)

James Brewer as Henry Benheimer

The second character I would like to introduce to you (the first was EZRA) is Henry Benheimer played by James Allen Brewer. Henry is the father of the family, and a harsh one at that. If I were to have to say there was a villain in Nuclear Family – It would be Henry. This was a character that really evolved out of the script. I had an idea of who this person was, but mapping out the events of the story it became clear this story needed someone like Henry. The arch his character goes through in this story is probably the most fascinating to me. It’s easy to see Henry as a completely terrible person, but what I find more fascinating about working on this character is he really just doesn’t realize what is wrong with how he lives his life. All people have some good in them but many have a harder time accessing it. Henry truly wants the best for his son Marc, but has become so wrapped up in the success or failure outlook that I feel many people have in America that he fails to see how Marc is already succeeding – just not in the way Henry had hoped. I suppose I’m being rather vague, which is mainly due to me not wanting to reveal the story, but Henry is truly more than just an asshole of a dad.

Casting the part of Henry was going to be a crucial role. The movie feeling realistic I feel is dependent on the performance of the father due to him carrying a lot of the set-up dialogue scenes of the story and truly painting Marc’s world for the audience. Luckily I didn’t have to worry after finding James Brewer. James was extremely enthusiastic about the part from the audition and constantly asked me questions about the character so that he could fully understand him. His excitement about the role and his understanding of the character from the get-go was a major part of my reason for casting him. I later found out he had been involved in the music industry, and really could appreciate the music-minded message of the film. After the rehearsals and talks about his character – it was clear to me going into filming that James fully understood who Henry was. Inside and out.

James answered some questions about his experience working on Nuclear Family:

Q: What drew you initially to the role? Is this different from most roles you’ve received?

JAMES: The description of the character “Henry,” posted on SFCasting.com was what first attracted me to this project. Once I received the sides (excerpts of the screenplay provided to actors being considered for roles), I knew this was something special. Upon auditioning for Dominic and Wilfred, I became convinced me that this was a project in which I wanted to become involved. Their great humor and enthusiasm, combined with Dominic’s articulate, concise and gentle directorial notes, was contagious. This role is quite different from any role I’ve ever played onstage or onscreen.

Q: What were your first impressions of the script / story?

JAMES: I found the story very moving and the screenplay thoughtful and well written. Dominic has a very bright future ahead of him.

Q: How would you describe your character?

JAMES: Henry is a classic “Type A” – an overachiever – and is caught-up in the pretentious, status-seeking, greed-driven, distinctly American Consumer Culture, so trapped that he’s lost touch with his humanity, his core values and his feelings for his family. His world has started to fray around the edges. He’s doing his best not to fall off the treadmill and have the house of cards, he calls his life, come crashing down around him.

I based Henry on my late father, an overworked, overwhelmed rage-aholic, with whom I never had a close relationship. Henry’s son Marc is not unlike me at his age. Preparing the role of Henry allowed me to see my father from a different viewpoint; hence, I eventually remembered him in a more sympathetic and generous light. These realizations prompted me to soften the character of Henry just a bit, when we finally shot the pivotal scenes.

Q: Did you do any special preparation for the role?

JAMES: Yes, I revisited some very painful and unpleasant parts of my early life and, on a certain level, made peace with them, via this film. Thanks, Dominic!

Q: How was your overall experience working on “Nuclear Family”?

JAMES: This was a very positive experience, with a fun working environment and a minimum of tension and off-camera drama. Thanks, in great part to Dominic’s vision, the barre was raised quite a bit higher than most other short films on which I’ve worked.

James Allen Brewer Bio: Beginning his professional career as a singer and dancer at Disneyland and on TV, Brewer segued into songwriting. He had toured nationally and internationally, performed in Las Vegas, recorded for numerous major record labels, and appeared in regional theatre when he was tapped by Pulitzer Prize-winning “Doonesbury” cartoonist Garry Trudeau to be “Jimmy Thudpucker,” co-writing the music and lyrics and providing the character’s voice for an animated film based on the comic strip. The film led to a tie-in single for Warner Bros. and an album for RCA (“Jimmy Thudpucker’s Greatest Hits”), with the film receiving an Academy Award® nomination and winning the Special Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival®. Segueing into film and television, Brewer received kudos for his send-up of Simon Cowell in the theatrically released film, “Ryan and Sean’s NOT SO Excellent Adventure”; will soon be seen in the sci-fi thriller, “Red Ice”; and has had the pleasure of hearing his voice dubbed into Japanese in 8 breathlessly exciting episodes of “The World’s Astonishing News,” one of Japan’s top-rated TV shows.

Still from "Nuclear Family"

Posted by dominicmercurio | February 6, 2011 | Categories: Film, Nuclear Family | Tags: 2011, canon 7d, cast profile, character, coming soon, dark comedy, dominic mercurio, henry benheimer, independent, indie film, james allen brewer, james brewer, nuclear family, san francisco, short film | 3 Comments »

CHARACTER PROFILE: Ezra Benheimer (Played by Keely Dervin)

Keely Dervin as Ezra Benheimer

Welcome to the first introduction of the 4 main characters / members of the family in Nuclear Family. We’re starting off with the mother of the family Ezra Benheimer (pictured above) played by Keely Dervin. Writing the character of Ezra was a really fun experience. In many ways this character is at the root of the comedy in Nuclear Family. Before writing a script I work hard to develop the characters – but this one came rather naturally. I got to take aspects from multiple people I know (or briefly meet at my job at Starbucks) and mash them together to make a character that is fun, exciting, upbeat, and really enjoys her life.

Keely Dervin brought this character to life in a way that just felt perfect. When I was auditioning for this role, I saw her headshot online and immediately knew she had the exact look for the part. Her audition was something I was really looking forward to because I knew if she also was able to act the part well – the part was hers. When It finally came down to it, she embodied the character perfectly. There was simply no other choice. No other actor brought the energy to the character the way that Keely did. Keely was great to work with, receptive to feedback, and a true energy on set. She stayed focused with a great attitude even on some of the longer days of shooting.

Keely Dervin started acting professionally when she was 16. Her first role was on the TV show “Crazy Like a Fox”. Through the years she has produced TV shows, and special effects around the world and at Industrial, Light and Magic. She returned to her first love “Acting” in March of 2009 and never looked back. In the last couple of years she has been cast in 4 commercials and 7 films including Nuclear Family. She can’t wait for more.

I got a chance to ask Keely her thoughts on the production:

Q: What drew you to this role?

Keely: Ezra is such a fun person. Traditionally, I have done drama after drama, so to be able to cut loose, jump up and down, and squeal – I could not resist.

Q: What were your first impressions of the script?

Keely: It could have gone in so many different directions. Sitcom to dark comedy. I just jumped and saw the comedy, and loved it.

Q: How would you describe your character?

Keely: Ezra is someone everyone has to like. No matter how naïve she may be, her love for her family and husband is always shining through.

Q: Did you do any special preparation for the role?

Keely: She runs on a high energy, so letting all my worries go and just being delightfully happy with life.

Q: How was your experience working on “Nuclear Family“?

Keely: Dominic and Wilfred were great, and the crew worked so well together. We need to make a “Nuclear Family 2″!

Still from "Nuclear Family"

Posted by dominicmercurio | January 30, 2011 | Categories: Film, Nuclear Family | Tags: 2011, canon 7d, cast profile, character, coming soon, dark comedy, dominic mercurio, ezra benheimer, independent, indie film, keely dervin, nuclear family, san francisco, short film | 3 Comments »

NUCLEAR FAMILY: “That’s a Wrap” + A Story of a Beetle and a Caterpillar

Last night closed another large chapter of “Nuclear Family” – Production. It was about a year ago that I was beginning to write the script for this film, and now I can see the visuals that have evolved from that writing. It’s actually a rather surreal experience. When I visualize a film as I write the script it feels much like how you remember a dream. You can picture images but they feel frayed at the seams, with details that are fuzzy and a bit disjointed. The images often feel like sketches. Some scenes feel so concrete in my head that i could easily name off the shot list, while others have much more breathing room. After now experiencing the production of all those scenes that were once fuzzy – I realize that wiggle room can sometimes lead to the most interesting parts of production and consequently the most intriguing parts of the final film.

My highly advanced home-studio editing suite

Yesterday was the 7th and final day of production. Completing the filming process is a bittersweet feeling. Of course now I feel much less stressed about the project and a bit relieved there’s no more major scheduling to be done. I’m also gonna miss the on-my-toes feeling of being on set and being able to be form the footage in a fashion that feels spontaneous. It now rests mostly on my shoulders in my bedroom editing suite (which also doubles as a desk with a laptop on it). Editing boils down to shaping up the clay, but if your clay is too runny you can’t really make a very good sculpture. Some people say you make your film in the edit room, but I’ve always felt it’s simply another step of a much larger series of stages that can either make your film better or worse. I have worked on the cut throughout the shooting process – and I am feeling extremely optimistic at this point about how the film is shaping up.

Yesterday we shot from 9am to about 9:30pm – which marked the longest day of shooting. Despite the hours, it wasn’t as grueling as it may sound. The nighttime shooting felt rather jam-packed – but during the day was a pretty relaxing shoot that started off with probably the luckiest thing that has ever happened on any of my film shoots:

This story takes a small amount of back story – generally when I am in the brainstorming / conceptualizing stages of my films they begin with a single scene. working outwards from there, a lot of the times I build a story based around that scene simply so that scene can be in the film. Well that’s exactly how Nuclear Family started to take off last January. After conceptualizing a scene involving an insect the main character finds and interacts with – I basically constructed a movie leading up to the scene, which in the final film, takes place near the end.

Well going into yesterday – we still had not been able to track down a reasonable place to find a beetle. A realization I almost certainly knew would mean the scene might not make into the film. The hour was approaching on our schedule in which the scene was to be shot – so I informed the crew the scene was likely to be cancelled unless we someone were to randomly find a beetle around the yard of the house. Having some downtime – a few members of the crew began searching around the yard of the house for the treasured insect, including myself. This was not my first time searching around yards for this elusive beetle that would make or break this pivotal scene from being shot – so my expectations of actually finding one were pretty low. My instinct of course went to turning over rocks. Much like I had done earlier in the day, week, and month to no avail. This time was slightly different. slightly different in the sense that the first rock I turned over contained a beetle. There was a moment of complete shock where I just sorta sat there staring at it, contemplating if it was real. Did that really just happen? After seeing it begin moving its legs I quickly dumped out the closest coffee near me (sorry to whoever’s crew cup that was) and guided the beetle into the cup.

Caterpillar in action

Walking back into the house I announced to the crew dumbfounded-ly “I just found a beetle”. The news was quickly followed by the entrance of our main actor Joe Stricker. After being filled in on the preceding events, he let us know he had just seen a caterpillar just outside the door (another bug that could work perfectly for this scene). We quickly grabbed our back-up insect-actor and let them duke it out for the performance of their short lifetimes. Much like the ongoing battle of The Beatles and The Rolling Stones for the greatest band of all time (by the way – it’s The Beatles) our insects had a one on one battle for the role in Nuclear Family. The qualifications were rather simple – move. Well, the beloved Beetle of the hour (who we named Juice) seemed to be rather close to dead. Not quite the way to get a role of a lifetime I might add. This turn of events however led to Caterpillar snatching up the starring insect-ular role. Probably his biggest break in the film industry. The shots were gathered with the insect and Caterpillar was set free unharmed much to the happiness of PETA.

Moral of the story: FATE IS REAL.

-Dominic Mercurio

Posted by dominicmercurio | January 24, 2011 | Categories: Film, Nuclear Family | Tags: art institute, bay area, canon 7d, cinematography, dark comedy, digital, dominic mercurio, film, independent, indie film, mansion, nuclear family, quirky, san francisco, satire, sf, short film, strange, upper class | Leave A Comment »

NUCLEAR FAMILY: THE FIRST OFFICIAL TRAILER!

In the spirit of the holidays, I have chosen to release the trailer a little earlier then planned. This trailer is something that was actually rather difficult to cut (even though it looks simple and straightforward) mainly because of my concern over creating the tone as similar to the tone of the film itself. Initially, this trailer felt much darker and more dramatic, but while the film is those things, it is also funny in a twisted way. After revising things, and keeping things simple I found a balance of music and visuals to give you what I feel is as accurate of an idea of the feeling of the film in about 1min. Also, you will probably notice it basically gives nothing away, which hopefully in the long run (as in when you see the film) will make the experience better.

There’s also a big announcement in the trailer: the first Sneak Peek Screening will take place in late March! Well, without further ado, here is the the trailer for my upcoming short film “Nuclear Family”. Enjoy, and please share with your fellow film-loving friends. You will be supporting independent cinema in the process!

Posted by dominicmercurio | December 24, 2010 | Categories: Film, Nuclear Family | Tags: a young persons guide to, bay area, canon 7d, cinematography, dark comedy, dominic mercurio, dslr, HDSLR, independent film, indie, kyle bobby dunn, nuclear family, san francisco, sf film, short film, sneak peek, strange, teaser trailer, trailer, twisted, viz cinema | Leave A Comment »

NUCLEAR FAMILY: New Video, Pictures, & Production Update

A Grand Occasion

Just the other night I finished up a very rough cut of all the scenes we’ve shot so far. The cut has some scenes missing since we still have 1 more day left to shoot, but it currently rests it’s rather large head at 25min. Don’t get too attached to that number however. The scenes certainly run slow, and definitely could use some tightening up. The film is beginning to feel less like soup and more like a gelatinous jello-like substance. I’d imagine this is what it must be like to raise a child. See your creation slowly form from a thought in your head to a very tangible being. This baby is still in early adolescence, but it’s birth has been rather smooth. I still don’t feel comfortable showing anyone this small child though. I want to protect him from any outside influences, but I know that can be a rather unhealthy way to grow up. One needs some social interaction, and once my film feels solid enough for some social critique, it will be shown to my peers for feedback. The film will most likely be done in March and get an exclusive pre-screening at the Viz Cinema theater in SF for all of you eager to check it out before it begins to be submitted for some film festivals around the Bay Area and beyond. I also have some exciting news in regards to the films soundtrack that I can’t quite reveal yet until documents are set in stone…

Running time is actually much more important to the film than you may think. Many festivals will not accept films over 15min (and sometimes 10-12) for the “short film” category. It’s something I have been deeply struggling with as I don’t know if this story can properly be told in that time. If the film doesn’t naturally work its way down to that length, I’ve considered the possibility of having multiple cuts. A “Directors Cut” featuring every last moment with these characters that I’d love for you to spend together, and a slimmed down streamlined “Festival Cut” which would probably have to shave off some of the more revealing / insightful character moments in favor of moving the plot forward like a speeding train. Not something I will probably be too fond of considering the tone and theme of the story. It will feel much more natural for it to have a slower pace.

Progress continues at a steady pace for this project. If you’ve been following the film on Facebook you probably already have a sense of the daily schedule of events, but to catch you up to speed, I’ve decided to implement a fan-decided release schedule for the series of short Behind the Scenes videos. Upon reaching 50 and 75 fans on Facebook I have released them, all of which you can check out HERE. There is one last video set to release when the page hits 100 (currently at 90) so invite away to see it sooner.

Recently got some more production stills from my photographer / behind the scenes cameraman Kyle Lester. Some of my favorite shots have made it up to the Facebook, and here’s just a couple (check out the rest HERE)

Every Corner Counts

The "Nuclear Family"

Posted by dominicmercurio | December 13, 2010 | Categories: Film, Nuclear Family | Tags: art, art institute, canon 7d, cinematography, dark comedy, digital, dominic mercurio, film, independent, indie film, mansion, music, nuclear family, promo, quirky, san francisco, satire, short film, strange, upper class | Leave A Comment »

NUCLEAR FAMILY: New Photos From Day 1 of Shooting

New Production Photos Posted on Nuclear Family’s FACEBOOK (to view them all click the link). Check a few out below and make sure to follow us on Facebook for all updates on Production!

Directing

Empty Gazing

Creating a Nuclear Family

Posted by dominicmercurio | November 23, 2010 | Categories: Film, Nuclear Family | Tags: art, art institute, canon 7d, cinematography, dark comedy, digital, dominic mercurio, film, independent, indie film, mansion, music, nuclear family, promo, quirky, san francisco, satire, short film, strange, upper class | Leave A Comment »

NUCLEAR FAMILY: First Weekend of Shooting

I feel as if I have just come off of a centrifuge ride at one of those terrifyingly unsafe traveling carnivals. I’ve exhausted a large dose of mental energy and cannot be more happy because of it. My next film “Nuclear Family” has just shot its first full weekend of shooting and is about halfway done with production. The footage is looking incredible, the actors have a full sense of their characters, the crew has been extremely helpful and focused, and I have no doubt that this film will be my best film yet.

This shoot has been a huge learning experience for me. My previous film “Frank’s Mug” was a crew of about 6 over 2 shoot days. This weekend had a crew of 9-10 (depending on the day) and will end up having 6 shoot days and is a larger production in just about every way. My mind was being juggled around. Now in the aftermath it has become a bit easier to understand what exactly happened.

The cast and crew spent the weekend with me on location in the SF peninsula hills. Without complaint they went through a shoot completely on the payroll of ‘love for the craft’. It was a humbling experience to see so many people push themselves creatively to the limit and I feel honored to have had that sort of devoted help.

Friday and Saturday felt like similar days. They were well-paced relaxed shoots. My favorite shot from Day 1 involved an elaborate set-up for a long take that took us from the backyard all the way through the house into the living room for a well-timed character action. With the help of cellphone communication, well placed lights, and Dakota’s tireless shoulders we got the shot in just a few takes. The shot is about a minute and a half and is gorgeous. Saturday, without giving away too much, involved an untrained dog (my dog). There’s something they tell young filmmakers: avoid using animals. Going into it, I warned the crew we may be up for a challenge of patience to get the shot we needed. In a sort of culmination of factors on our side, the shots took about an hour and were mostly painless. Unless someone scraped their knee and I was unaware of it. The shots, also, look incredible.

Sunday was a bit more challenging. Through the day we shot a scene in a moving car with a car mount, getting our last shot within 5 minutes of sunset. Blood vessels were popped. Through the evening, we shot the films most intense dialogue sequence featuring the full family and tons of angles. Pushing through the long day, the cast and crew stuck with it and stayed focused. While we didn’t stay on schedule as we had with Friday and Saturday, the Sunday shoot was still an overwhelming success. I got home in a daze, and passed out (well after watching the latest episode of “Dexter”. I can’t miss that).

This weekend has been incredible, and is the first tangible feeling that this film is really coming along. It’s been over a year since I began plotting out this film, and it will still be about 6 more months before it’s completed, but I couldn’t be happier with how it’s coming together. You will see it as soon as I can get it to your eyes. For now, enjoy a very brief behind the scenes look at “Nuclear Family”:

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Nuclear Family (A Film By Dominic Mercurio)

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-Dominic Mercurio

Posted by dominicmercurio | November 15, 2010 | Categories: Film, Nuclear Family | Tags: art, art institute, canon 7d, cinematography, dark comedy, digital, dominic mercurio, film, independent, indie film, mansion, music, nuclear family, promo, quirky, san francisco, satire, short film, strange, upper class | 2 Comments »

Introducing: NUCLEAR FAMILY

Hello all!

As of today I will begin to update this blog as a way to communicate the entire process of the making of my next film “Nuclear Family” from Pre-Production, Production, and Post-Production I will keep you informed every step of the way and deliver insight into the filmmaking process along the way. You’re probably asking yourself ‘but Dominic, what the hell is Nuclear Family?’ Well It’s pretty reasonable that you don’t know, so just take a deep breath and let me tell you the basics:

NUCLEAR FAMILY
A Short Dark Comedy Written and Directed by Dominic Mercurio
Coming Spring 2011

Nuclear Family is a short (15 -20 min) dark comedy / social satire about a 16-year-old boy named Marc Benheimer living in the modern American upper class. As the emotional distance from the family he was raised by grows, he finds solitude in music. After tradegy strikes the Benheimer family – Henry and Ezra, the parents of Marc, buy a comforting distraction: a brand new limited edition grand piano to fill out the aesthetics of their living room. Marc is told he is not allowed to touch the piano, but what’s really on Marc’s mind is what would happen if he began to deconstruct the walls of his family’s values.

The film, which is currently undergoing some final tweaks to the script, weaves themes of belonging, artistic passion, and monetary value into a twisted presentation of modern satire set in the upper class lifestyle in America. That picture you see above is the house that we will be shooting in.

This is my Senior Thesis project for my Bachelors Degree in Digital Film and Video Production at The Art Institute of CA – SF. I will be Writing, Directing, and Editing this film and will set off into production with an extremely talented crew of fellow local filmmakers from The Art Institute and beyond. The film will be shot with the leading camera in the current Digital Revolution of Cinema – the Canon 7D. I cannot tell you how excited I am to make this film and share with you the process. My goal for this project is to far exceed the quality of all my other films and present to you a film that will not only make you laugh, but also contemplate. Thanks for your interest, and I hope you’ll check back soon.

-Dominic Mercurio

Posted by dominicmercurio | September 14, 2010 | Categories: Film, Nuclear Family | Tags: 2011, art institute, bay area, california, canon 7d, digital film, dominic mercurio, filmmaking process, insights, nuclear family, post, pre production, san francisco, sf, short film, young filmmaker | Leave A Comment »