Your Favorite Blog Post of 2009?

Which blog post was your favorite from the past year?

We checked and here's a list of the top seven most visited pages from our blog during 2009:

1. A Movie Trailer (September 15, 2009) -- This is the blog post that announced the long-awaited movie trailer for Under Jakob's Ladder. Really, is anyone surprised about this one making the top of the list???
2. Storyboarding Jakob (August 26, 2009) -- This one also has a link to youtube -- with the storyboards for one of the scenes in Under Jakob's Ladder. (Does that mean people like videos?)
3. Film Day 6 -- Very Hot Interiors (June 15, 2009) -- This was about the happenings from on the set while we were filming Under Jakob's Ladder.
4. The Cost of a Movie Ticket (November 16, 2009) -- A bit of a history on movie ticket prices... coupled with a poll.
5. Making Props Look Old (January 12, 2009) -- Okay. So, the fact that this post made the top seven either means that a lot of people are interested in props, or maybe this post has a bit of a headstart since it's from way back in January...
6. Q&A with Actor Jeff Stewart (December 16, 2009) -- Actually, all the Q&As were pretty popular...
7. Slate Your Name, Please (March 11, 2009) -- And finally, a blog post on the auditioning process.

So, which post was YOUR favorite? Vote below...


(Your favorite post not listed, tell us in the Comments section.)

Christmas in the Soviet Union

What if you were not allowed to celebrate Christmas?

That's what it was like for the people who lived during the time of our feature film, Under Jakob's Ladder. Yes, this movie is based on a true story... one that is set in the Soviet Union in the 1930s.

Marta (played by Chloe Roe in the movie) is the only person portrayed in the movie (as far as we know, at least) who is still alive today. Her remembrances were one of the biggest influences on our research when we were writing the screenplay.

Using the memories of the real Marta, early drafts of the script actually had a Christmas scene. While ultimately this Christmas scene was cut from the script, we thought you might be interested in what it was like to "celebrate" Christmas in the old Soviet Union... at a time when Christmas was officially banned by the authorities.

Some of her memories stem from a time before some of the harshest Soviet crackdowns (i.e. before the holodomor famine in 1932-33).

Q: Tell about what Christmas was like when you were a child in the Soviet Union.
A: That Christmas I will never forget. My grandfather (Jakob, played by Jeff Stewart in the movie), I still know where he was sitting and my mom. My mom and my grandfather put the tree up. We were not allowed to go in [to see the tree], before it was ready.

Q: When was this?
A: I think, 1931. We lived with my grandparents. To share the heat.

Q: How old were you?
A: Four years.

Of course, later on, a Christmas tree would be out of the question. Under Stalin, the people had to be careful of not only the secret police, but also their neighbors... and even relatives. However, since one of the biggest holidays sanctioned by the communist government was New Year's, if they were careful, the people could use that time as an excuse to celebrate Christmas. (Unofficially, of course.)

It would have been during these years that Marta remembers her grandfather, Jakob, taking a tree branch (no leaves) and wrapping it in newspaper, papier-mache-style; then hanging the Christmas ornaments on the white branches. (Ornaments that were carefully hidden in a secret spot during the year.)

Q: What was Christmas like after 1933?
A: There were no presents. We got some money. Not very much. Maybe a ruble. It was not worth very much. But we children were happy. We each set out a plate and got apples and candy. Really good candy. It was made of cream and sugar. You could make it or you could buy it, too. But it was even better if you could buy it.

Q: Anything else that you remember?
A: We did baking. [Cookies shaped like] stars and animals. We saved up to do baking: the flour and eggs. And my grandfather and my mom, they would sing a song. A wonderful song. And my grandfather with a real bass voice. I still can hear that.

Q: Was it dangerous to celebrate at this time?
A: Sure, it was dangerous. We had to be careful. It was not like today. We waited until dark, the later the better. We children were not supposed to talk about it or let anyone know what we did in the house. Not everyone did what we did. But my grandfather and father thought it was more important to celebrate. Important to our faith.

Newsletter | December 2009

Did you get our December Newsletter?

If you've signed up for our email updates, you should have received it in your email inbox last week. It has an update on the progress of our feature film, Under Jakob's Ladder...

So, if you haven't read it yet, you can check it out here.

Help Bring JAKOB to Film Festivals

We hinted in our December newsletter that we are beginning the process for entering film festivals.

That's true. We've been encouraged by the positive feedback we've gotten during test viewings. And so, we believe 'Under Jakob's Ladder' would do quite well in a festival setting. However the average film festival fees are about $50 to enter. Enter only ten festivals, that's $500.

And that's just for submission fees. When a movie gets accepted, other costs start piling up. (Think posters, postcards, other types of publicity, exhibition copies of the film... to name a few)

That begins to add up.

So, we're asking our supporters to donate money to help us with our endeavor to get 'Under Jakob's Ladder' accepted into film festivals. Any amount will help.

And here's a bonus incentive for you (at least if you're American). Since our production company, CubeCity Entertainment, is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, you will receive an official tax receipt for the IRS (for donations of $20 or more). But to be eligible for this year, you need to donate before January 1st!

The more festivals we submit to, the higher the chance this film has of getting accepted into one of them. Please donate now...

P.S. Would you rather send a check? Then click here.

Q&A with Actor Jeff Stewart

Film: Under Jakob's Ladder
Actor: Jeff Stewart
Role: Jakob

Q: What did you enjoy the most about working on this film?
A: Working all day every day for a month in character is an absolute luxury. You relax into the person completely, and winding down late at night with the crew was a blessing and a joy.

Q: What attracted you to working on this film?
A: The script is beautiful. And it was shot in New York, the place of my childhood dreams.

Q: How did you prepare for the role of Jakob?
A: I read all the bits of the bible where Jacob is mentioned and I found a wonderful rehearsal costume for myself which helped to bring Jakob to life.

Q: What was your favorite line of dialogue?
A: The line that Jakob says to Bruno: "Forgive me for not being a good enough teacher." We see in the film that Jakob is a magnificent teacher and a tremendous example to all the men he is in prison with.

Q: What was the most challenging scene for you?
A: Playing chess with a live rat running over the board! I am not at all keen on rats, although the one I worked with was charming and had a sense of humor. Both qualities are essential on a film set.

Q: Tell about working on the film. Do you have any funny stories or anecdotes?
A: The atmosphere on the set was very serious, but in between set ups, one hot afternoon, I got all the actors pretending to play heavy metal band air instruments. We got very silly, like school chums and fell about laughing. Actors are the best people on the planet to have a laugh with. It's intoxicating.

Taking a break during the filming of the funeral scene on the set of "Under Jakob's Ladder." Left to right: Chloe Roe (Marta), Alexandra Tejeda Rieloff (Emma), and Jeff Stewart (Jakob)
Q: Chloe Roe plays the role of your granddaughter, Marta. What was she like to work with?
A: Chloe Roe is a very talented angel.

Q: What about working with Mann Munoz [director] and Robert Munoz [producer]?
A: A fascinating pleasure.

Q: What do you hope the audience will take away from the movie?
A: The desire to be as kind and loving as possible, to as many people as possible, every day of their lives.

Q&A with Actor Christopher Elliott

Film: Under Jakob's Ladder
Actor: Christopher Elliott
Role: Nikolai

Q: What attracted you to want to work on this film?
A: The setting being in World War 2 Russia.

Q: You get to play the "bad guy" in this movie. How did you identify with your character?
A: I understood his bad side and what drove it. He had the same yearnings as me to be the best.

Q: How did you prepare for your role?
A: I was living in Baden-Baden at the time and met up with a Russian German to discuss pronunciations and accent. I also worked scenes on camera in the loft where I was living, familiarized myself with the NKVD, war-time Russia, stories of victims, and created Nikolai's background and present based on the Adler technique.

Q: What was your favorite scene?
A: One of my favourite scenes was throwing the matches on the just-executed David and walking over him. Another was the approach to David and lighting the match in his face. Silent menace.

Q: What was the most challenging scene for you?
A: The most challenging was the long walk down the hallway to camera and then turning and going back. I had to hit a mark and I couldn't see it very well. And then when I did, I looked up and one of the crew was standing almost right beside me off camera, looking straight at me.

Q: What did you enjoy the most about working on this film?
A: The professionalism of the crew. Totally inspiring to work with both Robert and Mann. They took me to new levels. Genius directing, genius camera angles and camera view, genius insight into the depth of the story.

Q: How did you get your start in film?
A: In 1988, in Los Angeles, I was an extra in 'Revenge of Al Capone' starring Keith Carradine. Six months of extra work was enough. My first movie came 15 years later in 'The Line', an Australian movie. It was TV till then.

Q: Who inspires you as an actor?
A: Robert De Niro, Michael Douglas, Al Pacino.

Q&A with Actor Sal Rendino

Film: Under Jakob's Ladder
Actor: Sal Rendino
Role: Bruno

Q: How did you prepare for your role as Bruno?
I investigated the historical events of the times, and sat with what it would have been like to lose a family to starvation and war, and then gain another in prison, despite my stubborness and bitterness as "Bruno".

Q: Bruno's the prison bully. How did you identify with him?
I know what it's like to hold grudges, to want to be the tough guy, and also to want to be accepted as part of something positive and bigger than myself. The father/son dynamic has always hit me deeply as well.

Q: What was your favorite line of dialogue from the movie?
When I stop the fantasizing by other prisoners about what they'd do "when they get out." I felt so compelled to shake the undeniable truth into them, so much like 'Biff' in Death of a Salesman, pleading with his father to acknowledge the sad truth about just being "a dime a dozen", not the happy heroes we'd hoped to be.

Q: What was your favorite scene?
Yasha's attempted singing.

Q: What was the most challenging scene for you?
I was challenged most by my final "conversation" with Jakob, even though that was always the most readily available to me in homework, readings, and rehearsals.

Q: What attracted you to working on this film?
First, the story moved me, with undeniably powerful universal themes of hope and forgiveness. On top of that, the producers and crew were completely committed -- individually and as a team -- to making a fine film. They were very well organized and thorough, professional and genuinely NICE ('nice' goes such a long way). I felt completely secure and safe in their hands, and that's a gigantic consideration for an actor, fostering the best, most expressive work.

Q: What did you enjoy the most about working on this film?
I loved the comaraderie of cast and crew, all of us in the trenches working tirelessly for the same ambitious goal.

Q: What was it like to work with the cast and crew?
This project was defined by honest and open collaboration, from all angles -- producer, writer, director, actor, crew -- and none had too big of an ego to bend or cooperate, and happily!

Q: Who are your influences as an actor?
Daniel Day Lewis, Javier Bardem, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Gene Hackman, Alec Baldwin, Johnny Depp, Marlon Brando.

Q&A with Actor Matthew R. Staley

Film: Under Jakob's Ladder
Actor: Matthew R. Staley
Role: Karl

Q: What attracted you to work on this film?
A: I was intrigued that this story had historical roots and I have always enjoyed the challenge of working on period films as well as the responsibility that accompanies the portrayal of historical characters. It was also refreshing to perform in an ensemble piece with a cast that had a real sense of camaraderie.

Q: Not only were you an actor in 'Under Jakob's Ladder', but you also were the Stunt Coordinator. What attracts you to stunt work?
A: I have always been an athlete and physical performer and I am attracted to stunt work because it allows one to help enhance the storytelling through one's physicality. Whether expressing emotions in a silent film through subtle acting or performing over-the-top physical comedy, I've always been the most satisfied creatively whenever I'm able to incorporate my physical abilities with my acting to help further a story.

Q: What is the most dangerous stunt you've ever done on any film or show?
A: Other than the requisite bruises, scrapes and sprains, I have been fortunate thus far to not have been seriously injured or broken any bones on a job yet. A lot of this has to do with the intense training one does as a stunt performer as well as using one's knowledge and experience about how to minimize risk. I was doing a driving scene recently where I had to slide a speeding truck towards a young boy without hitting him. There's always an element of danger in what we do, but when it involves other actors -- and children in particular -- you really have to trust your training and abilities.

Q: What or who got you started in stunts?
A: In 5th grade, I began performing with a co-ed tumbling team and was also cast in a high school play. I went on to perform in a live stunt show at a theme park which is where I met a talented stunt man named Bill Leaman who gave me my first break performing stunts on television.

Q: How did you prepare for your role as Karl?
A: I began with the typical actor's homework of breaking down the script to get at the essence of Karl. Then, I created a vivid character history for him by filling in the blanks with clues gleamed from the text, as well as with my own personal experiences and imagination. I also used music to prepare for each scene as I imagined what soundtrack might be playing inside Karl's mind to further give his character a more dynamic arc.

Q: What was your favorite line of dialogue or scene from this movie?
A: I'll have to let you know after I've seen the completed film! I'm guessing it will probably be something Yasha-related...

Q: The most challenging scene for you?
A: The scene where Jakob [played by Jeff Stewart] speaks with Karl after everyone else is asleep was an important one for me. Given all that he had been through, I justified that Jakob would know that Karl was still awake in the dark because he heard him crying. Emotional scenes are always challenging to film, but I was able to get some real emotion going that sustained me through each take of the scene and I feel that I did Karl justice in doing so.

Q: Any anecdotes from working on the movie set?
A: I remember being taken very much by Peter Iasillo Jr. and his commitment to his character, Vovik. Peter already had such a great look and never broke character between takes while he was on set; always speaking in Vovik's voice and shuffling around with his character's spoon. I didn't realize that Peter didn't actually speak with an accent until filming had been underway for quite a while -- that's how dedicated he was! I can appreciate it when actors sometimes find it easier to stay within a character's voice than to put it on only when the camera is rolling.

Q: Who are your influences as an actor?
A: I admire the physicality of performers like Charlie Chaplin, Tony Azito, Michael Jackson, and Jackie Chan; as well as actors like Gary Oldman who can seemingly physically transform himself in every role that he does. I've been blessed by acting teachers such as Tom Arthur and Wynn Handman who have encouraged my physicality while guiding me on my quest to always find truth in my acting. And, of course, I've been influenced by every other actor with whom I've ever had the pleasure of working.

Q&A with Actor Stass Klassen

Film: Under Jakob's Ladder
Actor: Stass Klassen
Role: David

Q: What attracted you to want to work on this film?
A: The character, the screenplay, and the theme of the film, which is my family's history: my grandfather was a German Mennonite in the Soviet Union, and was sent to the labor camps by Stalin when the World War II broke out. My father and all of my uncles and their children live now in Germany in the Mennonite community near Münster, North Westfalia.

Q: Did your background help you prepare for your role?
A: I felt immediate affiliation to my character due to my background. Also, I had several very interesting conversations with my uncle in Germany, who is the head of the Mennonite community there. About the philosophy, way of life, and point of view of the Mennonites.

Q: Do you have any funny stories about working on the film?
A: We were shooting a night scene. The exterior scene in the prison yard. It was late April, and it was unseasonably cool, and the wind made it worse. But all the actors had to stay outside very lightly dressed as the prisoners in the film should be. Every actor was suffering, literally. And after another take, Robert [Munoz] cried: "Excellent! The prisoners look so miserable, that's what we need!" In other words, the cold did the job to make it look and feel very real.

Q: What was your favorite line of dialogue or scene from the movie?
A: "Be faithful unto death, and you'll be given the crown of life."

Q: What was the most challenging scene for you?
A: Since my character is very spiritual, all scenes were challenging, as the character himself.

Q: What did you enjoy the most about working on this film?
A: I enjoyed the great atmosphere, which was cheerful, and at times, mischievous, despite the grim subject of the film. And I believe that any act of art, no matter how grave and serious the subject of it is, can be done only in a cheerful and mischievous state of mind. I enjoyed working with Robert & Mann very much. There was thorough professionalism combined with great attitude toward colleagues and collaborators.

Q: Tell about your audition for this film.
A: I auditioned for another character. But then I got a call back, and Robert and Mann tried me for David. Except according to that version of the screenplay, my character was much older than I am! Then I got another call back, where Robert and Mann said to me that they were adjusting my character's age to my actual age. So they did!

Q: Who are your influences? Who inspires you as an actor?
A: I had two acting teachers in my life who I owe my life as an actor. One was at the beginning of my career, and the other one stayed through the crucial part of it. His name is Anatole Fourmantchouk. He was a student of Meyerhold's disciple in Moscow and a student of Les Kurbas's (Les Kurbas was the 'Ukrainian Meyerhold' so to speak, also killed by Stalin) assistant in Kiev, Ukraine. Among the actors who inspire me: Jean-Louis Barrault, Lawrence Olivier, Marlon Brando, Rod Steiger, Laurent Terzieff, Geoffrey Rush, Billy Crudup, etc.