Aware Productions

"Paper Boys" has won 4 Accolade Awards - considered one of the top awards exclusively for independent film!

2009-10-10T12:53:00.000-07:00

A little more recognition never hurt! This time, "Paper Boys" has won 4 Accolades, considered one of the top awards exclusively for independent film!

1-Feature Film
2-Editing-Kevin Christopher
3-Overall Post-Production - AGI Studios and Kevin Christopher
4-Supporting Actor - Robert Hatch (for his terrifying portrayal of an abusive father)

This makes 5 awards so far, and counting... and the film has barely been seen!

"Paper Boys" Official Selection for Dixie Film Fest!

2009-09-25T20:01:00.000-07:00

Though we did a premiere for cast, crew and fans in Atlanta, we have been polishing up the film for legal clearance as 0f late and were readying for a sale tour in LA when we received the news we were selected for the Dixie Film Fest, Athens, GA, October 16th-18th when we turn this football town into a film town.

Aware Productions is very proud to have been selected and we look forward to an enthusiastic crowd in Athens for our first public festival premiere!

Date:	Saturday, October 17, 2009
Time:	9:30pm - 11:45pm
Location:	Morton Theater, Athens GA
Street:	195 W. Washington St
City/Town:	Athens, GA

"Paper Boys" World Premiere - Elbow to Elbow!

2009-07-21T12:31:00.000-07:00

"Paper Boys" has finally opened to an elbow-to-elbow crowd at Atlanta's Plaza Theatre. It's World Premiere comes only a week after winning an "Indie" Award from the Indie Fest, an industry-only jury festival, ranked in the top 10. The exhibition went off without a hitch despite last minute mixdowns to it's rich soundtrack and improvements in its visual effects; completed only the night before.

Most of the cast, crew and their fans were there to celebrate and from all reports it was a crowd pleaser despite some parents getting a few surprises from the relatively mature content as the film deals with a main character who faces major choices on how to handle the first chapter of "adult" life after a non-stop abusive father relationship. We hope all took the positive messages from some rather harsh, realistic situations that many teens deal with regularly in today's ever-more-complex world.

The Producers, Bryan E. Hall, J. Howard Bach, Kevin Christopher and Emily Bach would like to thank all who attended the performance and especially to those who came to the festive afterparty at Manuel's.

Most people have no idea what remains in the battle for an independent film to get wide distribution, but the actors and crew have done a great job in creating a product for many to enjoy!

Please visit the Facebook site for tons more photos from the event.

ATLANTA, Ga.—Aware Production’s has won an Award of Merit from The Indie Fest for its feature film, “Paper Boys.” The film will have it world premiere in Atlanta in June. Filmed in Atlanta, Lake Westpoint and Powder Springs, Georgia. , the film’s foundation is exceptional cinematography, state-of-the-art HD tech specs and a rich original score by Benjamin New. The smart and attractive cast use this springboard for the presentation of a wide latitude of emotional tones from laughter to tears. Writer/Producer/Director/Cinematographer Bryan E. Hall, USC Film Masters Grad, put the project together from inception to finished product, collecting Atlanta’s best talent and artisans. 15 years from script to screen, it is something the first time filmmaker “only wants to do once in a lifetime, if that.”

“Paper Boys” stars newcomer Louis Lavdas in the lead role of the film as Sean Sanders, the son of a violent father who, at 18, has done his best to survive. Sean's character falls into a common trap, the escape from reality by using drugs. The film begins as Sean prepares to leave rehab and to live with his best friend’s family instead of his dysfunctional family. The rest of the film is driven by the conflict between Sean’s self-destructive tendencies and his passion for life. Supported by an ensemble cast, “Paper Boys” moves seamlessly from seriousness to “Tom-Foolery”. Sean and his best friend, Steve (David Hall) and a crew of teenage door-to-door salesmen are led by a young sales manager/mentor/philosopher, Ray Keats, starring Christopher Whitley.

“We are pleased at the level of recognition our film has received as it has yet to have its public premiere. The Indie Fest is a closed competition screened and judged only by industry professionals in Southern California ,” said Bryan. “We have also had very good response from international distributors but the tail cannot wag the dog and we have to give preference to domestic distributors first, then parcel it out.”

The Indie Fest recognizes film professionals who demonstrate exceptional achievement in craft and creativity, and those who produce standout entertainment or contribute to profound social change. Entries are judged by highly qualified professionals in the film industry. Information about the Indie Fest and a list of recent winners can be found at http://www.theindiefest.com/. In winning an Indie, Aware Productions joins the ranks of other high-profile winners of this internationally respected award. Thomas Baker, Ph.D., Chairman of the Indie Fest, remarked, “The Indie is not an easy award to win. Entries are received from around the world. The Indie helps set the standard for craft and creativity. The judges were exceptionally pleased with the exceptionally high quality of entries. The goal of The Indie is to help winners achieve the recognition they deserve.”

“Paper Boys” has it world premiere Saturday night, June 20th at the Plaza Theater in Atlanta, Georgia. For tickets and information, please visit the film site (http://www.paperboysmovie.com/).

ABOUT AWARE PRODUCTIONS

Aware Productions (http://www.awareproductions.com/) has been around for more than 20 years but this film marks its entry into feature film entertainment. Having produced commercials, music videos, PSAs, and artistic projects of various lengths, Aware Productions has worked with many well known musical and acting artists. At the helm, Bryan E. Hall has several other full-length projects in various stages of development.

Contacts

Aware Productions
Bryan E. Hall, Executive Producer, 404-579-0905
bryanehall@hotmail.com

Kevin Christopher, Co-executive Producer and Editor, 404-325-3355

J. Howard Bach, Co-executive Producer, 404-931-3738

Aware Productions "Paper Boys" Indie Fest Award

2009-06-05T17:04:00.000-07:00

ATLANTA, Ga.—Aware Production’s has an Award of Merit from The Indie Fest for its feature film, “Paper Boys.” The film will have its world premiere in Atlanta in June. Filmed in Atlanta, Lake Westpoint and Powder Springs, Georgia. , the film’s foundation is exceptional cinematography, state-of-the-art HD tech specs and a rich original score by Benjamin New. The smart and attractive cast use this springboard for the presentation of a wide latitude of emotional tones from laughter to tears. Writer/Producer/Director/Cinematographer Bryan E. Hall, USC Film Masters Grad, put the project together from inception to finished product, collecting Atlanta’s best talent and artisans. 15 years from script to screen, it is something the first time filmmaker “only wants to do once in a lifetime, if that.”

“Paper Boys” has it world premiere Saturday night, June 20th at the Plaza Theater in Atlanta, Georgia. For tickets and information, please visit the film site (http://www.paperboysmovie.com/).

ABOUT AWARE PRODUCTIONS

Contacts

Aware Productions
Bryan E. Hall, Executive Producer, 404-579-0905
bryanehall@hotmail.com

Kevin Christopher, Co-executive Producer and Editor, 404-325-3355

J. Howard Bach, Co-executive Producer, 404-931-3738

"Paper Boys" AKA "Boys of the Wrecking Crew"

2009-03-30T15:09:00.000-07:00

Click Image to Enlarge

It's official. Working title, "Boys of the Wrecking Crew" has finally taken its name, "Paper Boys".

The date of the world premiere will be Saturday, June 20th, 730pm in Atlanta at the beautiful Plaza Theater on Ponce De Leon and we have prepared for the possibility of adding a second showing on the same evening, but don't count on it.

To view photo galleries and other info about the film, please visit the MySpace site.

You should guarantee a seat early as there is limited seating . If we don't sellout, tickets will be $12 at the door.

You may arrange for secure $10 payment through Paypal here.

Don't forget to bring your receipt to the window at the theater. When you add tickets to your cart, the site will forward you to PayPal. If you have no account you may open one with your credit card, then proceed to your cart.

Note: Poster & CD (below) pickup at Premiere (Must be ordered
in advance for preparation)

CD Soundtrack

Click below for samples from the
soundtrack of "Paper Boys"

Monolithic Hellride-Benjamin New by Paper Boys the Movie
If Only For Tonight-Dear Savannah by Paper Boys the Movie
Had To Let It Go-Jamie Radford by Paper Boys the Movie
Never Give Up-Jamie Radford by Paper Boys the Movie
You're So Warm-Jamie Radford by Paper Boys the Movie

Paper Boys the Movie on iLike - Get updates inside iTunes

Director Statement
What began as a response to the death of a young teen boy at his own hands, has become a play of redemption, salvation and a simple look at false bravado, failures to communicate, manipulation and a never-ending generation gap.

My main drive in formulating the piece was the juxtaposition of comedy and tragedy, innocence and experience, the good old days versus and ever more complex society in which teens have to learn to deal with their inner conflicts. What had sat on the shelf for 15 years has finally seen society come to where it has been since its inception. Market insistence on conforming to certain filmic expectations in the early nineties stood in the way of telling a story in a honest way.

I didn't want to spoon feed generic solutions or even to tell people what was a problem, but instead; I wanted to allow characters to become and feel what they chose. One has to see the film to see how it may end in a way that simply would not have been allowed in those days, especially dealing with the prospects of homosexuality, disease, and competing theories of causation versus birth of one's sexuality.

I believe this film does something few films have done; it presents concerns without assuming they are problems and it allows characters to simply be instead of changing who they are.

Synopsis
“Paper Boys” is a coming-of-age film in the strictest sense but more; it is an exploration of a microcosm of young door-to-door newspaper salesmen who are closer than most families in many regards. A truly ensemble piece, the film revolves around a common problem for teens which most often feels unique but isn’t, dysfunctional, non-traditional family. Add to this violence, psychological abuse, confusion over sexuality and a fierce awareness of one’s own economic standing, the main character turns to drugs and finds himself in a tailspin while his friends have no idea how to handle it.

False bravado and hyper-sexuality amplified by drugs and painful circumstances, gives us a recipe for a rich juxtaposition of comedy and potential tragedy. The soundtrack creates a relentless ride which leaves one emotionally exhausted from laughter and tears.

Best friends Sean and Steve are members of a door-to-door newspaper sales crew. They and several other friends share a world most have never experienced, joined at the hip nightly as they cruise suburban neighborhoods with their mentor, Ray, who finds them more family than employees.

The film considers sales as a metaphor for life and they all discover that each of us meets a different set of objections to the sale. One of the more experienced boys shares, 'Life is just sales man... a series of controlled failures leading to a few successes.'

Sean discovers his life has presented him with more stumbling blocks than most face. Will he handle them well?

photo by Bryan E. Hall/Aware Productions
Click Image to Enlarge

Actors Louis Lavdas and David Hall (Sean and Steve) are blood-sworn best friends for life, one a product of wealth the other from a highly dysfunctional family; but they grew up next door to each other. Sean lived in the dump Steve's father had grown up in... next door to the new mansion.

"Boys of the Wrecking Crew" Near Final Cut

2009-02-18T11:50:00.000-08:00

For those who have been waiting patiently, the film is receiving it's final details at this moment and is to the point that we have submitted it to several very competitive film festivals. This project has attracted many talented contributors and beyond the production, we would like to thank Editor/Co-Producer Kevin Christopher and Music Composer Benjamin New, who in one week wrote, performed and produced an extraordinary soundtrack score.

We will likely premier the film in April. Here are but a few of the concepts for movie posters.

Scroll down to see posters as we enter the design stage.

Click each image for larger version.

"Boys of the Wrecking Crew" Principal Casting!

2008-02-26T15:25:00.000-08:00

With more than 1,000 terrific actors having submitted for these parts, the following list of actors should be very proud of their accomplishment. After a very intense audition process, these people seem like they were made for each other. All of them are highly skilled improv and traditional script actors.

Get ready for an amazing ensemble performance!

Ray 30-40 - Chris Whitley
Sean 18- Louis Lavdas
Steve 18- David Hall
Sean 14 - Dillon Roseen
Chi 14 - Joshua Tarwater
Sean 9 - Maxwell Bach
Steve 9 - Nash Barney
Joe 22 - Justin Riddick
Chi 18- Nathan Bach
Alby 20 - Jason Von Stein
Leon 22 - Elias Kelley
Buzz 50 - Steve Warren
Jebb 25 - Daniel Van Hiel
Greg 40 - Jake Jacobson
Tony 40 - Kent Igleheart

Gina 25 - Doris Morgado

Janine 35 - Sylvia Boykin
Fawn 17- Kelly Natividade
Paul - Aiden Mouat
Officer (Policeman)- Bryan E. Hall
Principal 40+ - J. Howard Bach
Teenage Girl (at door) - Anh Lee
Jill 17 (beach) - Ailie Birchfield
Eli 20+ - Garrett Able
Martin (Ray’s Brother) 30+ - Martin Harris
Tiffany 17 - Warren McKnight
Billy 17 - William Mellete
Mother (Sean’s) - Patricia Taylor
Man with gun - Michael Shikany
Bar Waitress - Ondie Daniel
Steve's Sister - Amber Griffin
Steve's Brother - Gregory Teasley
Friend-Justin Knowles
Friend - Matthew Brown

Click to see pre-shoot trailer and project description of Boys of the Wrecking Crew

CineGym.TV - Transform Your Body of Acting

2008-02-26T14:16:00.000-08:00

CineGym is exactly what is says it is, a gym for the cinematic arts. CineGym began 15 years ago in Dunwoody, GA where 100's of working and aspiring actors, writers, directors, producers and even photographers got together twice a week.

Now, it's back and we are forming a new generation of actors and writers who know how to work together to advance their careers or just for the love of the art!

We will be collecting interest from actor and writers, then the call will go out about the start date and convenient location in the Atlanta area.

The first night, CineGym does "cold reads" from scripts actually written by members. Each scene is cast at the beginning of the evening and we proceed to performances. A facilitator would then lead criticism of the performances and people would learn from each other what they looked like from the outside.

The second night, we get together at an interesting location and actually professionally shoot scenes, sometimes the very ones we had previously seen cold. We saw various stages of polish on these pieces and everybody had a great time.

We were proud to have among us the very best actors and writers in the Atlanta area including many household names in Atlanta film today.

Bryan E. Hall facilitated CineGym until he decided to go to Los Angeles to attend the University of Southern California Film School for his Masters. Prior to that he had co-owned the Atlanta Film Institute and co-published two entertainment newspapers.

After many years in LA and abroad, he has returned to Atlanta and CineGym is reborn as a division of film production company, Aware Productions and in partnership with YourAct, we will produce high quality product for your reel and for the public.

Here, you will find a variety of film workshops and actor services to encourage the perfection of craft! Private workshops are available by appointment but we will regularly offer film acting, camera work, indy film-making/guerrilla film, and from time to time we will even offer showcases as a culmination of the work we have done over time.

Send headshots, resumes and sample writing (if that's your focus) to bryanehall@hotmail.com or call 404-579-0905 10a-8p M-Sat for more info! Call Bob or Della at YourAct/404-499-9996.

All scenes are shot on Sony Pro HD. Below are some low-res recent clips from CineGym workshops for children and teens:

Scenes 1, 2 & 3 - Kingsley Smith, Age 4, monologue from "Alice in Wonderland", Song & Dance - "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'", Improv - Bedtime for Jazz
Scenes 4, 5 & 6 - Christian "JC" Smith, Age 8, monologue - "Suppose", Song - "Soul Man", Improv - Sci Fi Story
Scenes 7, 8 & 9 - Cate Curry, Age 14, monologue - "Get Out Of My Life!", Monologue - "Getting Ready", Improv - Scene with Bryan E. Hall, "Growing Up Too Fast"

Please check back from time to time to see what workshops we have added to the schedule and get ready to work that cinematic body and mind!

If you have already set an appointment for a workshop and need to make your $200 deposit to confirm your date(s), please press this button and make your payment in our secure socket layer through Paypal:

Also, you may need general photographic services as well. We provide headshots and dramatic still shots for a very fair price. Just call for a quote. Below is Actor/Model, Brad James:

CineGym.TV - Transform Your Body of Acting

Open Casting/Crew Call - Boys of the Wrecking Crew

2007-11-13T08:37:00.000-08:00

Newly formed Aware Productions is now accepting and reviewing headshots, resumes for an upcoming indie HD feature length.

We will do extensive rehearsal and will likely use cast for crew if you are interested in double duty on a big-hearted project.

There are multiple roles for males 16-25 including two starring roles for those who can play 17 (guys who make the girl's hearts flutter).

There are also several females 17-25 (5 of which should be of the best physical condition and appearance.

One male 30-50 will play a leading role as a mentor figure.

Several male and female 30-50's.

Working Title, Boys of the Wrecking Crew or simply Wrecking Crew, is a coming of age piece taking place in the summer of 1986. Several young door-to-door salesboys (and girls, if we get the right fit for a standout, gutsy female who can "hang" with the boys), do their senior summer before heading off to college or otherwise starting their young adult lives.

This is a juxtaposition comedy/tragedy (Think - "Dead Poet's Society" meets "American Pie".)

This film includes some violence, drug use, profanity, and brief nudity may be required as appropriate to the art.

This film was once packaged in Hollywood with brand name actors but funding fell through when the Exec. Producer died (really).

I am a 46 year old USC Trojan with a Masters from the Film School in Screenwriting and Producing. I may consider a uniquely talented director to take that task off my hands; otherwise I will be directing.

Great self-starter DP a must.

Original score and selected songs already contracted.

Many opportunities are available for entrepreneurial participation for above the line management and for key participants. Funding is established but limited.

SAG members will have to work as partners in order to get a waiver (if necessary).

Little or no experience necessary, but passion and personality is a must. The rest, we can teach!

Submit via email to bryanehall@hotmail.com

As materials are reviewed, those who make the cut will be invited for a thorough screen test and interview.

Shooting is likely to begin in Spring/Summer 2008, though rehearsals/readings and some specialty shooting will take place before and after these dates.

Trailer 5min

Don't Give Up! National Jaycees PSA Campaign

2007-10-14T22:23:00.001-07:00

The following was a series of suicide prevention PSA's developed from inception to distribution at Aware Productions. You may recognize Wil Wheaton from "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and "Stand By Me".

3 Musical Poems

2007-10-09T19:52:00.001-07:00

This is a series of experimental pieces in which poems are put to music with a dramatic setting.

Sanford Meisner - Theater's Best Kept Secret

2007-10-09T07:27:00.000-07:00

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Aware Productions

"Paper Boys" has won 4 Accolade Awards - considered one of the top awards exclusively for independent film!

"Paper Boys" Official Selection for Dixie Film Fest!

"Paper Boys" World Premiere - Elbow to Elbow!

Contacts

Aware Productions "Paper Boys" Indie Fest Award

Contacts

"Paper Boys" AKA "Boys of the Wrecking Crew"

Synopses

"Boys of the Wrecking Crew" Near Final Cut

"Boys of the Wrecking Crew" Principal Casting!

CineGym.TV - Transform Your Body of Acting

Open Casting/Crew Call - Boys of the Wrecking Crew

Don't Give Up! National Jaycees PSA Campaign

3 Musical Poems

Sanford Meisner - Theater's Best Kept Secret