Inside Sin Bin

Exit Interview: Emily Meade

Michael Sebastian — Thu, 06 May 2010 23:23:14 +0000

This video of Emily, the female lead of Sin Bin, was shot around 3 a.m., just hours before the movie wrapped. In the background you’ll notice supporting actor Bo Burnham and screenwriter Chris Storer. They get a little rowdy at the end.

While explaining her favorite scenes, Emily mentions Michael and Tim. She is referring to Michael Seater, Sin Bin‘s male lead, and supporting actor, Tim Blake Nelson.

Sin Bin on CBS

Michael Sebastian — Thu, 06 May 2010 18:00:25 +0000

UPDATE: Here’s the link to the video.

The CBS affiliate in Chicago ran a segment on its 11 a.m. news today about Sin Bin. The movie isn’t online yet, but there is an article. Here’s the link. I’ll post the video if/when it becomes available.

Exit Interview: Michael Seater

Michael Sebastian — Wed, 05 May 2010 23:23:43 +0000

For the next several days I’m going to post the Exit Interviews I did with Sin Bin actors on the final night of shooting. Let’s start with the lead, Michael Seater.

In this video, he makes reference to my wife, Sally (he calls her Sal). Michael is a big “Survivor” fan, and incidentally, my wife was on Survivor. He was very excited about this.

That’s a wrap!

Michael Sebastian — Sat, 01 May 2010 14:38:08 +0000

It’s 9:33 a.m. and about one hour ago the cast and crew of Sin Bin finished filming the movie. They started their final day at 7 p.m. on Friday.

I captured this video just moments after they shot their final scene. In the video, 1st assistant director Matt Corrado announces a picture wrap–that’s film talk for when an actor finishes his or her final scene–for the actors in the final scene the crew shot. Then Corrado yells wrap on the movie, and director Billy Federighi says a few words to his cast and crew.

Even though shooting has ended, stay tuned to the blog for lots more video and stories of behind-the-scenes action from the last month of filming.

But first, to bed.

Good night.

Sin Bin featured in The Hollywood Reporter

Michael Sebastian — Sat, 01 May 2010 02:46:33 +0000

In case you missed it, Hollywood trade publication The Hollywood Reporter ran a story about Sin Bin this week. On Tuesday night, it was the lead story on the Web site.

Here’s the link: “Three join coming-of-age comedy Sin Bin.”

The Reuters news service also picked up the story, which you can read here (it’s the same story that ran in The Hollywood Reporter.)

Emily Meade’s favorite things about Michael Seater

Michael Sebastian — Sat, 01 May 2010 01:46:28 +0000

Last week, I asked Sin Bin‘s female lead Emily Meade, who stars opposite Michael Seater, to rattle off her favorite things about Seater. Here’s what she said.

Sal vs. Sal: Parsing an actor’s dialect

Michael Sebastian — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 22:36:04 +0000

Many of the characters in Sin Bin are composites of actual people in screenwriter Chris Storer’s life. For instance, Sal Picardi is one of the characters in the film. In the script, Sal is first introduced as “17, paranoid, ‘swooshy track pants’ that swoosh” when he walks. (In the days before the shooting began, the track pants were replaced with a different wardrobe nuisance.)

Sal Picardi is a composite of a real person the screenwriter grew up with; that person’s name is … Sal Picardi. (I know, so much for imagination.) Today, the real Sal Picardi is a 29- (or 30, or maybe 31, not sure) year-old man. When the producers cast Park Ridge native Nick Bastounes in the role of Sal, Bastounes set out to spend quality time with the real Sal. He wanted to capture all the real Sal’s quirks.

I know, the kid’s dedicated to his craft; he’s like Christian Bale, or something.

How’d Bastounes do? You be the judge. Here’s a video of the two Sals, the real one is on the left.

If you ask me, he nailed it.

Night shoots: ‘People go to weird places’

Michael Sebastian — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 21:05:32 +0000

Tonight is the final day of shooting for Sin Bin. It’s day 20 of Principal Photography, and it’s another night shoot, in which the cast and crew work against the sunlight. So, they’re kind of like vampires–and vamps are so hot these days.

Sin Bin star Michael Seater described night shoots to me. Apparently, they’re reminiscent of some kind of Elfin world. Don’t know if vampires like elves. I don’t even know if elves bleed. That sounds like a question for Wikipedia.

Gabe Notarangelo, notorious scene thief, steals another scene

Michael Sebastian — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 19:02:51 +0000

Gabe Notarangelo is one of the co-stars of Sin Bin. Like so many of the actors in the movie, Gabe has stolen several scenes.

The producers want them back. Don’t worry, Gabe. They won’t prosecute or anything. Just give them back and you won’t get in trouble.

Kidding.

They might prosecute.

Actually, scene stealing means he did a wonderful job in the scenes he shot.

Unfortunately for me–and for you, the reader (you know who you are)–my schedule and Gabe’s have not meshed. We haven’t been on-set the same days, until last night. So, I stuck my Flip camera in Gabe’s face and asked him what he’s spent the last week doing when not on the set of Sin Bin.

See what I mean? He totally stole that scene.

Give it back, Gabe.

Day 19 of Principal Photography: The dolly shot

Michael Sebastian — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 07:32:20 +0000

It’s 2:26 a.m. In 10 minutes I’ll be in bed; in 15 minutes I hope to be asleep. Unfortunately for the cast and crew of Sin Bin, they will be awake and working until about 8 or 8:30 a.m.

Tonight was the penultimate day of shooting. Tomorrow they wrap.

I spoke with director Billy Federighi from the set Thursday night. In this video, Billy is joined by Brett Snider, Billy’s “partner” (his directing partner for commercial shoots–what did you think?), who flew in from L.A. for the final days of shooting. Together, they explain the principals of the ”dolly shot” and some other nonsense.