Kornél Mundruczó To Helm Feature About The Elephant Man From ‘Black Swan’ & ‘Transcendence’ Producers

EXCLUSIVE: Hungarian filmmaker Kornél Mundruczó has been tapped by Straight Up Films and Phoenix Pictures to direct a film about the life of Joseph Merrick, best known as The Elephant Man. The story will follow an unlikely love story between Joseph and the young woman assigned to his care at the Fawsley Hall Estate, where he’s been invited to experience nature and leisure in the final weeks of his life.

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EXCLUSIVE: Hungarian filmmaker Kornél Mundruczó has been tapped by Straight Up Films and Phoenix Pictures to direct a film about the life of Joseph Merrick, best known as The Elephant Man. The story will follow an unlikely love story between Joseph and the young woman assigned to his care at the Fawsley Hall Estate, where he’s been invited to experience nature and leisure in the final weeks of his life.

The Elephant Man was a popular stage play originated in 1970s London by Bernard Pomerance. Bradley Cooper starred as Merrick in the most recent 12-week theater revival, a performance that earned him a Tony nomination. David Lynch also adapted a 1980 film version starring John Hurt and Anthony Hopkins that picked up multiple Oscar noms.

Co-CEOs and founders of Straight Up Films Kate Cohen and Marisa Polvino will produce the latest feature adaptation with Shutter Island and Black Swan producer Mike Medavoy for Phoenix Pictures and David Dobkin (The Man from U.N.C.L.E., King Arthur: Legend of the Sword). Straight Up has produced films like Transcendence, The Education of Charlie Banks, and Jane Got A Gun.

“We feel that Kornel is the perfect voice for this extraordinary project,” Cohen and Polvino said, “The passion, humanity and poetry he infuses into his filmmaking is exactly what this love story deserves.”

“The story of Joseph Merrick is one of enduring inspiration. Kornel has a very fresh take that we all feel will bring compassion, dignity, and a new cinematic life to one of history’s most fascinating figures” said Medavoy.

Mundruczó, the director behind the 2014 Cannes award-winning film White God as well as Jupiter’s Moon, was recently announced as the director of Pieces Of A Woman, an indie drama starring Vanessa Kirby and Shia LaBeouf.

“I’ve been attracted to the character of Joseph Merrick’s for a long time,” Mundruczo said, “Our film will pay tribute to this astonishing man whose short life was filled with extraordinary experiences and challenges, that audiences all over the world will relate to deeply. In nature, all creatures thrive and in this environment, the Elephant Man can finally become Joseph Merrick, his true self.”

Production is slated to commence June 2020.

Catherine Hardwick To Direct ‘Dissonance’ Adaptation With Andrea Seigel Scripting

Catherine Hardwick, who has directed such films as TwilightRed Riding Hood, and Thirteen, has signed on to direct the fantasy film Dissonance for Straight Up Films and Envision Media Arts. Andrea Seigel (Laggies) is adapting the screenplay for the film, which is based on the 2014 book of the same name by Erica O’Rourke. (more…)

Catherine Hardwick, who has directed such films as TwilightRed Riding Hood, and Thirteen, has signed on to direct the fantasy film Dissonance for Straight Up Films and Envision Media Arts. Andrea Seigel (Laggies) is adapting the screenplay for the film, which is based on the 2014 book of the same name by Erica O’Rourke.

The story centers around Del, a young woman who has the ability to walk between these alternate realities and is entrusted with keeping the dimensions in harmony. When she secretly starts to investigate other dissonant worlds, Del uncovers a secret that threatens the survival of the entire multiverse.

Marisa Polvino and Kate Cohen of Straight Up (Transcendence) are producing the project with Lee Nelson and David Tish from Envision (Celeste and Jesse Forever). Exec producers are Tim Degraye and Liliane Huguet of White Knight Pictures, Beaux Carson, and David Buelow.

Hardwicke, who directed Sony’s upcoming Miss Bala remake, starring Gina Rodriguez, is repped by CAA and Manage-Ment. Seigel is repped by UTA and Writ Large.

Louis Leterrier To Helm ‘Alex’; Pierre Lemaitre Novel Adaptation Launches Financier/Producer Eclipse Pictures

EXCLUSIVELouis Leterrier will direct Alexan adaptation of the bestselling crime novel by French author Pierre Lemaitre. The script is being written by David Birke, who’s coming off the Paul Verhoeven-directed Elle, the drama that bought an Oscar nomination for Isabelle Huppert.

Alex launches Eclipse Pictures, a production, financing and sales company formed by Benedict Carver and Daniel Diamond. Straight Up Films’ Marisa Polvino and Kate Cohen, who acquired the novel rights, will produce with Carver and Diamond. Eclipse will fund development and production, and will handle worldwide sales. (more…)

EXCLUSIVELouis Leterrier will direct Alexan adaptation of the bestselling crime novel by French author Pierre Lemaitre. The script is being written by David Birke, who’s coming off the Paul Verhoeven-directed Elle, the drama that bought an Oscar nomination for Isabelle Huppert.

Alex launches Eclipse Pictures, a production, financing and sales company formed by Benedict Carver and Daniel Diamond. Straight Up Films’ Marisa Polvino and Kate Cohen, who acquired the novel rights, will produce with Carver and Diamond. Eclipse will fund development and production, and will handle worldwide sales.

The novel has franchise potential: It is the second of a book trilogy by Lemaitre known as The Commandant Camille Verhoeven Trilogy, with both Alex and its follow-up, Camille, winning the CWA International Dagger Award. Leterrier is eyeing a start late this year or early next. The novel follows French detective Camille Verhoeven as he pursues clues and suspects following the brutal kidnapping of a young woman, Alex Prévost, on the streets of Paris. He soon learns that Alex – beautiful, resourceful, and tough – is no ordinary victim. The novel’s set in Paris, but the film will be English-language and set in an international location.

Best known for helming the films Now You See Me and Transporter, Leterrier read the book after a friend recommended it, finished it in one sitting and searched out the rights that were controlled by James B Harris. “I’ve done big Hollywood action movies and comedies and this was not a genre I was looking for, but the tone is so interesting and it plays against the typical female protagonist trope,” Leterrier told Deadline. “It’s edgy and kinetic and it has taken me four years to get to this point. It could be the French Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, but is also reminiscent of Chan-wook Park movies like Oldboy in the unexpected twists and turns. Benedict and Daniel will take it to Cannes, we’ll find the actor and actress and off we go. This is my passion project.”

Harris, Patrice Theroux and Tracey Bing will be the exec producers. Letterier’s repped by CAA, Management 360 and attorney Robert Offer; Birke, who most recently scripted the Sylvain White-directed Screen Gems thriller Slender Man, is with Paradigm, Madhouse and attorney Bruce Gelman. Attorneys Bob Wyman and Richard Rapkowski negotiated for Straight Up and Eclipse, respectively.

Diane Kruger to Star in, Produce Hedy Lamarr Miniseries (Exclusive)

Diane Kruger is teaming with Straight Up Films to tell the story of silver-screen and communications technology pioneer Hedy Lamarr.

Kruger is producing with the intent to star in what is envisioned to be a TV miniseries adaptation of the Richard Rhodes book Hedy’s Folly: The Life and Breakthrough Inventions of Hedy Lamarr, The Most Beautiful Woman in the World.

Google and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation are also collaborating on the development of the project. (more…)

Diane Kruger is teaming with Straight Up Films to tell the story of silver-screen and communications technology pioneer Hedy Lamarr.

Kruger is producing with the intent to star in what is envisioned to be a TV miniseries adaptation of the Richard Rhodes book Hedy’s Folly: The Life and Breakthrough Inventions of Hedy Lamarr, The Most Beautiful Woman in the World.

Google and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation are also collaborating on the development of the project.

Lamarr, who first began acting in her native Austria, lit up American cinema in the late 1930s and 1940s, starring in Comrade X with Clark Gable, Tortilla Flat with Spencer Tracy and Samson & Deiliahwith Victor Mature. Her career fell into a sad decline in the 1950s and '60s, but it was in her pre-war life that she made a lasting impact that would only be recognized decades later.

Lamarr first married when she was 18, to a wealthy Austrian munitions manufacturer with ties to both governments in Nazi Germany and Mussolini’s Italy. And while her husband was a man who ruled their marriage with an iron fist, he introduced her to scientists working in the military. This nurtured her latent curiosity and she worked on inventions in her off-hours even when she made her way to America.

While most of her inventions didn’t go far, during World War II and while under contract with MGM, Lamarr and a friend invented a frequency-hopping radio signal that they patented. They approached the military, who at the time turned them away. It was only a generation later that the military began looking at it and using it. The technology, called Spread Spectrum Technology, now underpins Bluetooth and WiFi use.

Her technological contribution was recognized very late in life, and in 2014 she was posthumously inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

“I am fascinated by Hedy Lamarr,” said Kruger in a statement. “She was a smart, witty, visionary inventor, way ahead of her time, who also happened to be a major movie star. I cannot wait to tell her story to make sure her legacy will live on forever and inspire others.”

Kruger picked up the rights to Pulitzer Prize-winner Rhodes’ book and will produce with Marisa Polvino, Kate Cohen and Sandra Condito of Straight Up Films, which counts Jane Got a Gun andTranscendence among its credits. Abi Harris and Jason Weinberg of Untitled Entertainment will also produce.

Gene Kelly and Rose Ganguzza will executive produce with the collaboration of biographer Rhodes and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the philanthropy organization that has focus on science and technology. The foundation has been quietly celebrating Lamarr, giving Rhodes a book grant, a production grant for the documentary Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story, and will now support Kruger with a screenwriting development grant.

Kruger, who won the best actress prize at the Cannes Film Festival this year for the German-language drama In the Fade, recently wrapped a JT Leroy film opposite Kristen Stewart and Laura Dern. She next shoots an untitled Robert Zemeckis drama opposite Steve Carell for Universal.

Kruger is repped by Untitled Entertainment, UTA and Altitude Management.

Shot! Poster Puts David Bowie’s Official Photographer In The Frame

For decades, British photographer Mick Rock has been one of the best known visual chroniclers of the music scene — and not just because his name could hardly be more a propos.

Rock has photographed everyone from Queen to Lou Reed to Iggy Pop to Pink Floyd founder Syd Barrett to David Bowie, for whom he worked as official photographer back in the ’70s. Now, the “snapper” is himself in the frame thanks to the new, Barnaby Clay-directed documentary, Shot! The Psycho-Spiritual Mantra of Rock, which is released in theaters, and via VOD, Amazon Video, and iTunes,  April 7.

Viktor Frankl’s ‘Man’s Search for Meaning’ in the Works as Movie

Straight Up Films has acquired the movie rights to Viktor Frankl’s memoir “Man’s Search for Meaning” and is launching development. (more…)

Straight Up Films has acquired the movie rights to Viktor Frankl’s memoir “Man’s Search for Meaning” and is launching development.

SUF co-founders Marisa Polvino and Kate Cohen will produce with Kevin Hall. The company and Hall have acquired the rights from the Frankl estate.

Marlene Siskel will executive produce. Producers are currently out to potential screenwriters to adapt the non-fiction book into a narrative feature film.

“This is a memoir that has actually changed lives, including ours, and has impacted generations in the way we look at the world and how we navigate its sometimes treacherous pathways,” said Cohen and Polvino. “It will be our absolute honor and privilege to bring this classic story to the screen. We are thankful to Mr. Frankl’s heirs for entrusting us with his story.”

How Mick Rock, Music Photographer, Spends His Sundays

There is no slowing down for the British photographer Mick Rock, who has spent some 50 years capturing images of pop and rock stars like David Bowie, Ellie Goulding, Janelle Monáe and Lou Reed. Between shoots, Mr. Rock, 68, edits his photography books and travels all over the world to attend his exhibition openings. A documentary about his life, “SHOT! The Psycho-Spiritual Mantra of Rock,” will be released on April 7 by Magnolia Pictures. Mr. Rock lives in Livingston, Staten Island, with his wife, Pati, who works in real estate, and their two Maine coon cats, Bellini and Razor. (more…)

There is no slowing down for the British photographer Mick Rock, who has spent some 50 years capturing images of pop and rock stars like David Bowie, Ellie Goulding, Janelle Monáe and Lou Reed. Between shoots, Mr. Rock, 68, edits his photography books and travels all over the world to attend his exhibition openings. A documentary about his life, “SHOT! The Psycho-Spiritual Mantra of Rock,” will be released on April 7 by Magnolia Pictures. Mr. Rock lives in Livingston, Staten Island, with his wife, Pati, who works in real estate, and their two Maine coon cats, Bellini and Razor.

AN EXTRA HOUR I’m usually up by 10. It’s an hour later than usual, but I can do it on a Sunday, and it’s a nice indulgence. Pati wakes up an hour or two before me.

SHAKE IT UP I head downstairs to make a protein shake. I never used to eat breakfast, but Gabrielle Francis, this amazing woman on Grand Street who is a chiropractor, acupuncturist, massage therapist and nutritionist all in one, and who I’ve been seeing for three years, has gotten me into the habit of having this shake first thing in the morning.

MORNING MANTRAS A big benefit of living in Staten Island is the amount of space Pati and I have. This includes a huge bedroom, and I use the floor area in there to do a 75-minute yoga routine. I start with meditation, then stand on my head for about 10 minutes and then go through various postures. I finish with chanting mantras I’ve learned over the last 18 years that I’ve been practicing Kundalini yoga.

CHILL Right after yoga, I take a hot shower, but I always end with a cold rinse which gives me a boost of energy. I wear jeans and either a black T-shirt, denim shirt or black sweater, depending on the weather, and I’m dressed for the day. I head back downstairs and have a cup of coffee.

TURN BLUE Around 2, we get out of the house for a late brunch. Normally, we go to this place called Blue. I haven’t eaten meat for over 40 years. I may get a veggie burger with sweet potato fries, cereal, a salad or an egg white omelet with toast. Pati eats everything, so she may get bacon and eggs or sausage with pancakes and maybe a glass of wine. There’s no wine for me because I don’t drink alcohol.

STROLL AND SHOOT We like going on a long walk when we’re done with brunch and tend to head to Snug Harbor Cultural Center to get our fix. It’s near our house and used to be a home for sailors but now has a beautiful Chinese garden, a theater, a gallery and tons of areas for walking. I like taking pictures during our stroll. Tree shots are a favorite, but I also take snaps of ponds, bridges, plants or anything else that catches my eyes. Sometimes, I’ll take the pictures with my iPhone camera or else I’ll carry my Canon G1 X.

COUCH TIME We’ll watch football when it’s in season and watch movies, too, like black-and-white film noir, documentaries or anything with Humphrey Bogart. Bellini and Razor sit with us while we watch. They like to be petted.

MAN AT WORK I hit work again in the early evening. Rock photography is a big deal compared with when I started, and the art of it is much more appreciated, both from a monetary and artistic perspective. This is good for me, but it means that I rarely get a full day off.

JAZZY DINNER Pati will cook for us. There’s some fish for me and maybe chicken or red meat for her. Pasta is sometimes on the menu, and she gets jazzy with vegetables; it could be roasted brussels sprouts or heirloom carrots with ginger.

NIGHTTIME NEWS Sunday evenings are for reading, usually The New York Times. Pati reads the entire paper, and I read the Book Review, Sunday Review, Sports and Arts & Leisure. She heads to bed at 11, and I wander upstairs around midnight. Two decades ago, I used to stay up all night, but, considering I’m in my late 60s, I still think of myself as a night owl.

Secret Agent 23 Skidoo Song Inspires First Animated Film From Jeremy Renner & Don Handfield’s The Combine

Jeremy Renner and Don Handfield are producing the first animated film through their banner the Combine, along with Straight Up Films and Cinesite. I.F. (Imaginary Friend) is inspired by the song “Imaginary Friend” by two-time Grammy-nominated kid-hop artist Secret Agent 23 Skidoo from his album Perfect Quirk. Development and pre-production will begin this year with some stellar talent aboard. (more…)

Jeremy Renner and Don Handfield are producing the first animated film through their banner the Combine, along with Straight Up Films and Cinesite. I.F. (Imaginary Friend) is inspired by the song “Imaginary Friend” by two-time Grammy-nominated kid-hop artist Secret Agent 23 Skidoo from his album Perfect Quirk. Development and pre-production will begin this year with some stellar talent aboard.

First off, the Combine produced John Lee Hancock’s Michael Keaton-starrer The Founder which hits theaters nationwide January 20. Dave Rosenbaum, Cinesite’s chief creative officer and head of Cinesite’s new Montreal animation studios, will oversee development and production; he was one of the original employees of Illumination Entertainment and was involved in the hits Despicable Me, Minions and Golden Globe-nominated Sing. Shane Morris, who got a “story by” credit for Frozen, is writing the script; he is credited with helping develop the song into a story that landed the financing for the picture.

Marisa Polvino and Kate Cohen will finance and produce through their Straight Up Films banner along with Nick Sarkisov. Kelly Woyan and Philip G. Flores will also produce for Combine.

“As parents, we have always wanted to make an animated film that our kids could watch and find relatable,” said Renner and Handfield in a statement. “We are excited to embark on this journey with Straight Up Films and the incredible creative team of Secret Agent 23 Skidoo and writer Shane Morris. We also couldn’t have asked for a better partner in Dave Rosenbaum and the team at Cinesite.”

Secret Agent 23 Skidoo’s latest album Infinity Plus One is nominated for a Grammy for Best Children’s Album. Morris is repped by Zero Gravity Management.

 

Filmmaker Jesse Moss Joins Disorderly Conduct For Spots, Branded Content

Production house Disorderly Conduct has signed director Jesse Moss for commercials and branded content. Earlier this year, Moss’ documentary The Overnighters won a Special Jury Prize for Intuitive Filmmaking at the Sundance Film Festival. The Overnighters was also nominated for Sundance’s Grand Jury Prize in Documentary.

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Production house Disorderly Conduct has signed director Jesse Moss for commercials and branded content. Earlier this year, Moss’ documentary The Overnighters won a Special Jury Prize for Intuitive Filmmaking at the Sundance Film Festival. The Overnighters was also nominated for Sundance’s Grand Jury Prize in Documentary.

The Overnighters is an intimate portrait of job seekers desperately chasing the broken American Dream to the tiny oil boomtown of Williston, North Dakota. With the town lacking the infrastructure to house the overflow of migrants, a local pastor starts the controversial “overnighters” program, allowing down-and-out workers a place to sleep at the church. His well-meaning project immediately runs into resistance from his community, forcing the clergyman to make a decision, which leads to profound consequences that he never imagined.

Following Sundance, Disorderly Conduct executive producer Ron Cicero first began speaking with Moss about expanding into advertising projects. Also after Sundance, The Overnighters continued on the festival circuit garnering the Inspiration Award at the Full Frame Fest, the Golden Gate Award for Best Documentary at the San Francisco International Film Festival, and playing at such events as Tribeca and Hot Docs.

The Overnighters--which is distributed by Drafthouse Films and begins its nationwide theatrical run this month--adds to a far reaching lineup of documentaries shot, directed and produced by Moss, including Con ManSpeedo: A Demolition Love Story, and Full Battle Rattle.

“I’m drawn to unique, complicated and often conflicted characters ” related Moss.  “Digging beneath the surface, their stories reveal emotional, surprising, funny and universally resonant truths about American life.”  He added, “My work reflects an equal concern for the structure of dramatic storytelling and the surprise of the spontaneous moments and unexpected possibilities that define unscripted filmmaking.”

Moss said he is excited to make his foray into branded work via Disorderly Conduct, with its highly curated roster and connections to both the advertising and feature film worlds. Moss joins a directorial lineup at Disorderly Conduct which includes Brett Foraker, Daniel Levy, Jan Wentz, Luis Gerard, Eric Stoltz and Francesco Calabrese.

“Jesse has an instinctive ability to find and connect with people whose stories translate magnificently on screen,” explains Cicero. “He’s a thoughtful storyteller who is adept at bridging the narrative and the core brand idea and creating content that people relate to in a very honest and compelling way.”

Founded in 2013 by co-CEOs Kate Cohen and Marisa Polvino and EP Cicero, Disorderly Conduct is sister company to film development and production company Straight Up Films. Supporting a roster of prominent directing talent, Disorderly Conduct collaborates with leading advertising agencies and entertainment brands to create commercial content for play on mobile screens to movie screens and everything in between.

In June, Disorderly Conduct’s Integrated Campaign created by Hill Holliday and directed by Eric Stoltz (Glee, Nashville, Believe), for non-profit The Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, was honored with a Gold Lion at the first-ever Lions Health Awards. The company has also produced commercials and brand work for such clients as Audi, Nike, MTN, Jeep, Dunkin Donuts and Ford. Sister Company Straight Up Films develops and produces feature films including Transcendence, Jane Got A Gun, The Door In The Floor, Away From Here, Manos Sucias, A Shot At Glory, and I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead.

Straight Up Conversation

Don’t ask Kate Cohen or Marisa Polvino what it’s like to be a woman in the business. “So many people ask us that question” (including me). “I don’t even pay attention to the fact that there are different genders, because if I think I’m a minority like that, than I behave in a certain way, and that’s not constructive for running a business,” says Kate. “Because what you focus on is really important (in business) and if we sit there and focus on, ‘oh I’m a woman in film, it’s a boys club’ or whatever… If we have that kind of attitude, then we’ll always remain in the background. It’s important to not give that any thought or attention.” A philosophy (or one of a few) that’s clearly working out for them. With one of 2014’s most anticipated blockbusters already behind them and an exciting slate of projects on the way, the background seems like a place they don’t really have to worry about. (more…)

Don't ask Kate Cohen or Marisa Polvino what it's like to be a woman in the business. “So many people ask us that question” (including me). “I don't even pay attention to the fact that there are different genders, because if I think I'm a minority like that, than I behave in a certain way, and that's not constructive for running a business,” says Kate. “Because what you focus on is really important (in business) and if we sit there and focus on, ‘oh I'm a woman in film, it's a boys club’ or whatever… If we have that kind of attitude, then we'll always remain in the background. It's important to not give that any thought or attention.” A philosophy (or one of a few) that's clearly working out for them. With one of 2014's most anticipated blockbusters already behind them and an exciting slate of projects on the way, the background seems like a place they don't really have to worry about.

After years of producing independent film(s) in New York, they started their company, Straight Up Films (1) in 2008, moving to LA in 2012. Since then, these women have worked toward the top of the industry, where they continue to climb. Their partnership and approach are a dynamic one/one combo, nurturing and developing new voices with an independent mentality, while rubbing shoulders and working with some of the biggest talent (and dealmakers) in town. What's next for Kate and Marisa? Sky's the limit. Straight up.

(1) In 2014, Straight Up Films’ "Manos Sucias" won Best New Narrative Feature Director for Josef Wladyka at the Tribeca Film Festival and their feature, "Transcendence," directed by Wally Pfister, with Johnny Depp, Rebecca Hall and Morgan Freeman, released theatrically in the US and Asia.

Jonathan Mayor: When did you first decide you wanted to be into the business? How'd you actually get involved in the business?

Marisa Polvino: I really think always, to be honest. I've always loved films and I grew up loving them, and I wanted to find a way to work in them in any capacity. Acting was kind of the most obvious for me at that time, because at first, that's all I'd really see in watching a movie. 'Look at that actor or actress', because I didn't think yet in terms of producing or directing or set design. Then, when I was in college I studied film, and I studied directing, and theater, and broadcasting, and I went to London and started taking acting classes the Polytechnic School of London.  So when I came back from London and moved to New York, I moved as an actress. Though I realized, very, very soon thereafter, that it was not the avenue for me to take, because it takes a particular discipline and passion to reach any level of success, and what I found was that I was actually much more interested and passionate in everything happening behind the scenes, and how mechanically a film got made, or even distributed into theaters. And so I got an internship at a small commercial production company, and I started doing absolutely anything I could do, on any kind of shoots (from music videos to commercials), and then from there, met somebody who wanted to make a feature. And we cobbled together like twenty-five grand and shot a feature called “My Life In Turnaround.”  And so I went from literally doing everything on set to producing a film in a very short time and I never looked back from there. At the end of that shoot, I was like this is the best thing in the world. It's so much fun, there's such a level of camaraderie, that you are all creating something together, in hopes of it being really great to resonate with an audience. So that's my story. Kate?

Kate Cohen: I decided I wanted to get into the business when I wrote a film... actually that's not true. I decided I wanted to get into the business before that, because I felt like I really didn't know how to do anything else. I grew up in it, and everyone around me in my circles were all in it, So that's all I related to. I was (obviously) a huge film fanatic and was really intrigued by the business. I never thought I was going to be a producer, that definitely happened by accident, but the decision was made for me when I realized there was nothing else I (ever) wanted to do.

JM: When exactly was that for you... and then how did you actually get involved in the business?

KC: Ten years ago. I started raising money for people for small films. People I knew would ask me if I could help them raise money and I didn't really know what I was doing but I knew a lot of high net worth individuals and was able to do it. And then I wrote a movie nine years ago with somebody, and I wanted to get it made and knew people that could get it made, and they were going to, but ended up having personal issues that caused them to back out, and that's when I decided I was just going to produce it myself. And it took many years, but that's how I ended up producing. I say this all the time: I didn't know what I was doing. I literally Googled what does a producer do and figured it out as I went along. So, that's how I got in. I got started by raising money.

JM: Where'd you go from there, and how did you guys hook up?

MP: Kate had written the screenplay and she was out at Sundance trying to put it together... the financing and all that, and I ended up at Sundance that year (reluctantly). I had left the company I was working with just before then and was still trying to figure out if I even wanted to stay in the film business or get into something else, but I ended up going to Sundance and meeting Kate there. And we came back to New York from the festival and we ended up getting together shortly thereafter, which we always say is shocking because we both reschedule so much. But we actually set it up and met that first time we planned it, and then continued to meet. And she sent me her screenplay, and we kept on talking about that and how she was doing in terms of raising money.

KC: And I saw something in Marisa, who had already been doing it for many (many) years at that point, and I thought there was a lot of synergy between us and I saw that we had very different skill sets. I mean both of us can develop, both of us are creative... but Marisa hates raising money and I loved working with her. And we were meeting constantly, so I said why don't we just do this together, and I'll raise the money for a company. Meaning I'll go source some investors, and we'll start a company. And it kind of just organically happened.

MP: We both share a lot of similarities in terms of taste and material and how we creatively approach and develop things; and we share the same ideas about who we want to work with in the business on the directing front, on co-productions, partners... so we're very similar. We have a shared vision and goals for the company, which is fantastic because when you have a partnership, you want to make sure that your goals are aligned and there's no independent agenda at play (which there isn't for us). And we also have specific skill sets. Like for myself, I come from a world of production, so I very much understand the mechanics of making movies, and the mechanics of building a budget and a schedule. I'm also very involved in negotiating and dealing with the contracts and the lawyers and the nuts and bolts and the day to day operations of the business, and Kate is the opposite of that. She's out there networking and building strategic partnerships, and finding new opportunities. Not that we're not both doing that, she's just more the face of the company being out there, bringing in new people to talk to, be it talent, to financiers, to projects. And then collectively we decide if it's something we want to explore, and if it is, then we both develop the material and work with the writers and directors, and work with the casting directors to cast it. So in terms of the day to day, we share things, but we're also very different in terms of our primary skill sets.

JM: Can you verbalize the shared vision you have for Straight Up Films? Or what the goal was when you formed?

MP: For us, as a company, we are very filmmaker and story driven. And coming from the world of independent film, we've always wanted to work with visionary directors, as well as working on films that have stories with very strong universal themes, and a core emotional connection for an audience. But we also wanted to take the independent spirit and put it on a larger screen–finding projects that we could work on that are grounded in a core emotional story but can speak to a wide audience. I think when we got together, the goal was, how do we take the spirit of independent films and make them on a larger scale without compromising artistic integrity in the process? I think for us, our mission for the company is to build a media company that speaks to audiences across all platforms in a way that is grounded and innovative… for example, working with directors who have new ways or new techniques in filmmaking. We have a commercial division as well.

KC: We're expanding into television. And we're toying with the idea of a foreign sales arm and a music division. Almost like a mini studio.

MP: I just want to add that the whole Straight Up aspect to this is that this business is unfortunately infiltrated by not the most transparent people, and so we wanted to make sure in everything we're doing, that we’re “straight up” about it. That what you see is what you get. We're very transparent in all of our dealings. We don't have our own personal agendas. We're really massively collaborative here and the intention is to have a unified goal for an entire team. That's a big thing for us. That we have a whole level of transparency.


KC: We do what we say we're gonna do!

JM: What encouraged the move from New York back to Los Angeles, and what do you feel like you gained?  

KC: It was a really obvious move for us because, for one, we were getting into bigger and bigger films. And once the company got financed it was definitely a game changer. We were constantly meeting, or on every call we had... everyone was in LA. We had to start coming out here more and more, and then Transcendence got green lit and everybody was out here (for that), and all of the relationships we had were out here. And it was frankly just becoming more annoying to be in New York. We definitely needed a presence. People were starting to realize who we were, and what we were doing, and were much more entrenched in the business every time we came to LA. We got so much done, because we got to meet everybody and drive things forward, and then we'd go back to New York and be in the background. And it was also an expansion for us. We knew we were going to start a commercial division. We knew we were going to eventually get into television. And all of the players and everyone we want to be our colleagues, are all pretty much, not all, but most of them, in Los Angeles.

MP: I mean it's also unfortunate but true that the state of independent film (in New York specifically) is really diminishing. For years I avoided living in Los Angeles because I wanted a life outside of the business. And living here in LA, it can be very difficult to get away from it because it's absolutely everywhere. Everyone who your kids go to school with, has a parent in the business, or everyone you meet at the grocery store.

KC: Your car mechanic is a stuntman. It's everywhere.

MP: It just permeates. Every single aspect of the area revolves around the business, and there's pros and cons to that. But being here now, I think it's much more of a positive thing because in many regards, it's a very very small business. And there's an ability to be really, truly six degrees of separation here, and you're actually entrenched in the business. You go to parties (or wherever) and build relationships, and that extends to a dinner party or an event where you keep re-seeing people that you've met. And that's really not the case in New York. Like you have to come to LA, or go to one of the festivals, and over that five day, saturated time, make a lot of contacts. But then you retreat back home and it's hard to keep those relationships growing, because you're not in it every single day. And so much of the business is relationship based, it's a benefit to building a business here. Because the opportunities are on every single street corner. And the relationships are on every single street corner.

JM: What's your favorite part of the filmmaking process, or your job?

MP: I like developing the material. Working with the directors and writers.

KC: I like pushing it to get made, doing whatever we have to do. Just driving it forward.

JM: What are some other things you guys are working on? Can you tell me about Disorderly Conduct (2) and some of your future projects?

KC: We just had an announcement that came out last week on a movie that we're producing with Tripp Vinson called Variant 13.

MP: It's based on a book series out of the UK by Richard Morgan. It's a very smart sci-fi thriller. Not that we're the sci-fi company (by any means), but there's a handful of projects in that vein that we're looking at. And then there's a couple of others that we're working on that we can't disclose yet.

KC: Regarding Disorderly Conduct (which is our commercial division), we just signed a couple more directors. I mean that division is only a year old and we already have a really strong roster of A level reps in each territory.

MP: As the business evolves, it seems that there is a tremendous amount of crossover in all platforms. So filmmakers direct commercials, they also do TV. And TV directors also do commercials as well and everybody has their hand in a multitude of pots. And we really wanted to be a company that moves much more into media than just film. And we found that a lot of the directors that we were talking to or working with, were directing commercials. And we thought, that's something that we should explore for a division of the company. Disorderly Conduct is really built on that notion of massively talented directors that have a strong sense of cinematic vision and storytelling, where we can take material that they personally want to develop and work with them to develop it and get their films made in the feature world. It’s about working with directors in both arenas. If there are opportunities for a feature director we're working with that aren't necessarily commercial directors but want to explore that space, we can find opportunities for them with some of the larger brands that want an event commercial, and are looking to name feature directors to do their Super Bowl spots, or their Olympic spots... where they want a name brand outside of the usual commercial directors that are out there with all the other production companies. One of our spots, directed by Eric Stoltz for Hill Holliday and Drugfree.org just won Gold Lion at this year’s Cannes Lion Health.

(2) Supporting a roster of prominent directing talent, Disorderly Conduct is collaborating with leading advertising agencies and entertainment brands to create commercial content for play on mobile screens, movie screens, and everything in between. Recent work includes a Cannes Gold Lion winner, "Mind Your Meds," directed by Eric Stoltz for Hill Holliday and Drugfree.org.

JM: What advice would you give to people trying to break into producing movies, or new media?

KC/MP: (in unison)  Just do it!

MP: And do not accept no for an answer. Do not take things personally. Do not lead with ego. Just keep pushing forward and things will happen. You can will things into existence.

KC: I heard that the odds of making it into the business are kind of like winning the lottery. Like how many people want to write a screenplay or want to work with a studio and can't even get a meeting with an assistant. I've heard everything. That scares a lot of people and I've seen a lot of people get defeated when they hear things like that. So, I think you need to be slightly delusional and do whatever it takes, whether it's reasonable or not, or in the box or not, you just have to make a decision and do whatever it takes to get there. I think that's also a personality thing. I don't think everybody is capable of that but I do think, if people are scared, that they should just be scared and do it anyway.

JM: Tell me about the differences between putting together a small indie film and a hundred million dollar movie like Transcendence and getting it in 3500 theaters ?

KC: It's funny, I was telling a friend of mine, who’s a very known actress... I was mentioning the size of the film when we were gearing up to go into production. She's been in a lot of big movies and says: It's really no different than a small movie. You just have a lot more people who can fuck it up! And now now that we've done it, I can say that's true. But the developing process and getting it into production, and casting, getting the financing, it was all the same (with Transcendence) except the budget was much bigger, and Johnny Depp is a big movie star, and so is Morgan Freeman, and we worked alongside amazing filmmakers like Christopher Nolan and amazing studios like Warner Bros, and Alcon, who is a fantastic production company. I really can't say there was any distinct difference between doing something like that and a smaller film, because I've also made a million dollar film, and we went through the exact same process as on Transcendence. And then we were in production on a thirty million dollar film, and it was the exact same process. And now we're doing other movies and they're the same.

MP: I think the one thing that was different for me on Transcendence was how exposed we were when the film came out. And how public it was both in a very good way and in a very bad way. Because the lead up to the film was on everybody's mind, so everywhere we went people couldn't wait, and they'd tell us, and then the film came out and it wasn't received in the way that we wanted it to be received and it was so public, you just can't get away from it. It was in the newspaper, it was on the news, it was in the financial reports, and everywhere we turned it was about the movie and it not being as well received as it was anticipated to be. I had a very emotional reaction to it. It's like you're giving birth to something, you work on something so hard and want it to be perfect. This is the whole point of taking the emotion out of it and not taking it personally. That was a huge lesson for me with this movie. People are going to love it and people are going to hate it and you can't take it personally either way. Just work hard, be proud of the work you do, and go on from there.

JM: What's the best advice you've ever gotten about the business?

KC: You can't fall off the floor! That's the best. But I don't remember who told me. And then another thing I was told was, “Everyone's an asshole, don't take it personally.” That was from a mogul who’s been producing movies for like forty years. Just keep it real. Walk in the door with no expectations. Do what you do, say what you mean, and that's all you can do.

MP: Always be fearless and lead with integrity and honesty. Never let your ego get in way when making decisions, big or small. A closed mouth doesn't get fed, so don't shy away from asking for what you want and need. Who dares, wins.

JM: Any secrets to success in Hollywood?

KC: No.

MP: Actually wait. There is one. The secret to success is actually showing up. Because the majority of people don't.