#WHATSTHEOCCASIONFILM
OUR OCCASIONAL DREAM
From Co-Creators of 'Pterodactyl Island' comes an anxiety ridden journey into the human psyche thru bread crumbs, peanuts, and otherworldly delights.
This crowdfunded dream came together pre-pandemic in the guise of
'the Occasional Dream' featuring our wonderful ensemble cast.
Adrift in Caramelized Velour
At the beginning of 2020 something changed for the world and for us. The pandemic surged and production was put on hold.
As Lloyd Kaufman writes the three rules of filmmaking are:
"1. Safety to People 2. Safety to Property 3. Make a Great Movie"
This was a production that cared about its people more than anything.
So We Sailed Into Our Own 'Sea of What' for a year and a half before we were able to come together again. We waited, we were patient, our hair got long, our set was quiet, our lives were inside.
Much like the film our world had become a reflection of the it. People trapped inside of a house unable to leave, fearful of the outside. But good things are born from waiting, from introverting.
Beautiful music was made from one of our actors free willing fingers. Jamie Adkins' 'Bone Heaver' released several songs. Songs that inspired our Director Dylan Coleman-Blount to keep going.
Another set needed to be built in the interim, and it was made, molded, and crafted with the help of his Art Department. Masked Up and Safe. We slowly came back together.
We all came together and We were able to finish our monumental motion picture 'the Occasion'
this movie that took a lifetime, is
the movie of a lifetime.
DRAMATIS PERSONAE
Jamie Adkins as Boots
Boots: Something strange is going on in the apartment. Boots intends to find out exactly what is going on. No matter how many notes he takes, still it can be frustrating unlocking the secrets of the world and not being able to share it with anyone.
BIO: Post Punk Madman, Jamie Adkins, is widely known in the punk scene as the lead-man for the Felchers. Though you wouldn’t be able to tell if you’ve never seen him on stage. His captivating stoic presence led him to the silver screen. His first role was the non speaking wraith Knowone, in the short film ‘Hermes’. While Off Set, Jamie likes to bake and spend time with his family most days. On set Jamie helps keep it light.
Drew Shackleford as Bonnie Watt
Bonnie Watt: Hosting a Dinner Party Can be tough, but even tougher when your girlfriend’s ex has made a surprise appearance to collect all his things. Bonnie will do everything in her power to make sure the night goes her way.
BIO: Drew Shackleford is no stranger to acting, having been performing for several years, mostly on stage productions, but also in short films for various independent filmmakers. Born and raised in Appalachia, she credits her theatre education and acting coach Steve Cleberg for her ability to character act. In her spare time, she likes to work on her hobby farm, ride bicycles, and make fiber art. Her favorite item at crafty was Gushers.
Steve Guynn as Jack Jarlsberg
Jack Jarlsberg: Being a the new guy is no easy feat, especially for introverts. Jack will have to overcome all his inadequacies to get a long with the other guests. But being brand new to the Apartment is an eye opening experience. “Being the tall glass of water he was bred to be” Jack is open to everything the world can offer.
BIO: Steve Guynn graduated from University of Kentucky, with a bachelor degree in Theatre, in 2007. He has enjoyed performing on the stage; in such shows as ‘The Lost Colony’ and ‘Tecumseh’. Steve has been performing on stage and on screen for 20+ years. He also really digs family life, skateboarding, and playing his guitar. Playing the role of Jack Jarlsberg in ‘the Occasion’ has taken Steve a real adventure, a real journey. Swimming across the carpet, doing backstrokes down the hallway, eating a peanut trail, this has been a grand adventure, Steve calls this movie his jungle boat.
Zachary David Monk as Peter Alfred Runcible
Peter Alfred Runsible: When you’ve been together with someone for seven years its tough to sift through all the things that used to be yours. Peter is no stranger to the Apartment or its supernatural qualities. He’ll bend the rules to get what is his.
BIO: Zachary David Monk has always been a force of nature. Being a radio host of ‘The Humpday Bump’ at WRFL 88.1 FM for 10 years gives Zachary that special edge when taking on a new creative project. Interviewing Musical Giants Emmy Award Winning The Nappy Roots, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, and Owen Husney gave Zachary the ability to improv with ease. He first starred in the adventure short film ‘Tyrannosaurus Kincaid’.
Hannah Mayfield as Shelby Denehee
Shelby Denehee: Sometimes you want to come home from a long day at work and unwind. Shelby doesn’t usually get what she wants. Then again she’s not sure exactly what she wants in the long term. Short term, she would love for everyone to get all their things and leave her alone.
BIO: Born in the Bluegrass, Hannah Mayfield has toured the world for the better part of her beginnings. Acting since childhood Hannah chooses to tackle difficult roles. One of her favorites being in ’S.T.Z.’, a sex comedy crowd pleaser. When she’s not acting she likes to get her hands dirty doing wood work and creating haunting landscapes on acrylic canvas. Hannah’s favorite part of being on set was cracking jokes in between takes and keeping the director on his feet.
William Coleman Jr as Abraxas
Abraxas: Missing items and odd peanuts left around have peaked Abraxas’ attention. He has been going about it alone, but maybe his neighbors know what is going on.
BIO: Originally from Louisville, Kentucky, William Coleman Jr. started his film career at a young age making movies with his friends growing up. He married his best friend L.A. at a young age and grew a large family of creatives. He graduated from University of Kentucky way back in 1995 with a BA in Communications. Now a father/grandfather, newly retired guy and first time ‘god-figure’, William currently gets creative as a bass drummer for the March Madness Marching Band. He’s always had an immaculate eye for photography taking him on long road trips to the desert to burn things. When he’s not on set he loves playing with his dog Claire and spending time with his family.
Behind the Scenes Featurette
Dylan Coleman-Blount
Director / Co-Writer / Co-Producer
Being a firm believer in ‘it an be anything’, Dylan Coleman-Blount’s greatest ambitions have been to make his magnum opus ‘the Occasion’ for most his career.
“My best work came from life, from my nightmares, and my dreams. I wrote it all down, I rearranged it, and I saw myself (reflected in all the story). I shed some tears. I made a list of my ‘spiritual warriors of film’ and sought them out. These were to be the brave souls who would take this journey with me. When I make a film I feel the most alive. It is like I am manifesting reality in the best way, even if it is just for a little bit.”
After suffering a serious foot injury, Dylan was trapped in his apartment for six months slowly healing. During this tumultuous time, he was determined to make a feature film, Dylan proposed a challenge to his collaborator Jacob Goldie Goldberg, to write a screenplay together. This challenge was the beginning of ‘the Occasion’. The two embarked on this challenge like two writers lost at sea, yet stuck in an apartment.
The emotional weight of healing took its toll and ‘the Occasion’ became Dylan’s golden fleece. He wanted to make it but it had to be good and he hadn’t made anything yet. So like any good artist he set out to practice the art of storytelling. Dylan’s first foray into the unreal came with his radio play ‘Pterodactyl Island’ performed with his friends using original storytelling, voice work, and foley to create a sound scape unlike any other. Through these adventures in radio Dylan met a plethora of talent artists and individuals who would help him bring to life more stories of the bizarre in his slimetastic ‘Brain-Egg’ trilogy of short films.
When Dylan isn’t on set, he’s writing stories in his head, playing chess with his son Artemus, enjoying good food with his partner Kelly, and lounging with his cats.
Russ Caldwell / Director of Photography / Co-Producer
Director of Photography Russ Caldwell has spent the last 10 years as a producer, videographer, and photographer for several advertising agencies. He has worked on several music videos (Buddycrime) and a plethora of commercials for a wide range of clients. His creative work knows no bounds, creating shorts in his free time. Off set, Russ loves horticulture, reading, and playing with his dog Rosie.
Monty Cole / Associate Producer
Producer, Actor, Performer, Monty Cole has been in the business of helping creatives bring their passions to life for the better part of a decade. Every member of the cast and crew lit up every time Monty came to set, exclaiming her name. She was a beacon for all the newer actors struggling with the emotional weight of their roles. Currently a performer with the musical group ‘Jeanne Vomit Terror’ under the guise of Tilda Curtains, she choreographs otherworldly dance moves that ripple through the audience, engaging everyone with the fantastic.
Jacob Goldie Goldberg / Co-Writer
Jacob Goldie Goldberg, a well read scholar dutifully dedicates his craft to the long lost art of poetry and songwriting. He’ll even sever the heads of a few pen tips to illustrate the life into the page. Inspired by the Marx Brothers as well as creative duo Powell & Pressburger, Goldie makes the most of the English language, twisting it into places seldom sung. Jacob & Dylan met through their good friend Norm Matthews, who knew immediately they had to become creative partners, and he was right. The duos first outing into the creative was in a radio play called ‘Pterodactyl Island’, an adventure unlike any other, about a family drilling through the center of the earth, exploring an island and finding themselves. Together they sought out to create a motion picture that would be easy to make. Boy, were they in for a surprise of a lifetime. ‘the Occasion’ is their brainchild and the first of many motion pictures to come.