I acted in a found footage film called "June 9". Since that's today, it seemed like a good excuse to talk about it! AMA

Haven't watched it yet but found footage movies are my jam and I see it's on Amazon Prime so I'll definitely be checking it out. How is the atmosphere on the set for a found footage film? I wonder sometimes how much of it is actually done loosely or if it's all just made to look casual.

How is the atmosphere on the set for a found footage film?

This one was pretty relaxed. We had a cooler and copy paper box of bagged chips and snacks in the back of the director's SUV for a craft table. The uncredited 6th lead was the Rockwood, and the cast used it to get from location to location.

The film is about 95% verbatim to the script (and most of the variations are me forgetting the line and ad-libbing something "close enough"), but T. Michael Conway was pretty laid back about just having to hit close enough.

Thanks for the response, looking forward to checking out the film!

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There's some bot adding comments to accounts by copy/pasting my responses to random other comments...

Did this move the needle for your acting career?

Not at all. I actually didn't go into the audition for a part, I went to see if they needed crew!

I went on one more audition after this movie and bombed it, then focused on finishing my degree.

The following audition was for a heist film and I bombed it two ways:

1. I don't have a good memory for long blocks of lines verbatim so instead of a prepared scene I entered the room in character for what it sounded like they wanted for one of the leads. I was so convincing the producers told me I mis-understood the ad, that they weren't actually looking for a hacker. I walked out and came back in as myself and asked how it went. They admitted I was so convincing they didn't turn on the camera. So half my audition was completely undocumented.
2. The scene they provided was one of those "Frank Underwood addresses the camera while nobody else notices" scenes. Unfortunately, it was almost 8 years before House of Cards so while I had seen other movies that used the technique I didn't recognize it until I had completely botched the reading.

I'd love to get back into acting, but between work and family and a day job I enjoy it just hasn't happened.

Sounds like you auditioned for Mr. Robot

This would've been 2005 or 2006... So a bit too early for that. It was a film being produced by a pair of film students at Kent State. I never saw any hint that it was finished, just the press release with the cast.

Just wanted to say I watched this movie recently and really enjoyed it, I thought the ending was done well, and I enjoyed the chemistry between the friends.

If I remember correctly, your final scene was in the front passenger seat of the van? Yeah, that ending…brutal.

You remember correctly! It took 2 days to get my hair clean!

Use cold water next time. Warm water make it just more sticky

Excellent pro tip! Where were you <checks notes> 17 years ago?

Filmed in NE Ohio?!

Yep! All over the place, from almost all the way to Wooster up to Cuyahoga Falls. And yes, even a couple scenes in Boston Mills.

I live right by Cuyahoga Falls. Now I have to check out the movie!

We did a lot of filming on various bits of Szalay's Farm and the residential neighborhoods over near Broad Blvd for closer rubbernecking locations.

The house with the twins in the windows is (was?) owned by the MetroParks and rented out to a private resident who is in charge of taking care of house and grounds. I'm trying to find where it is again...

The car show was filmed at Cascade Valley. It was an existing cruise-in we just crashed to film the scenes there.

Hey this is in my neck of the woods! I gotta watch it now. Did you do much in Medina county?

The tree farm was Wayne County (I think), but maybe the diner was considered Medina County? It was called the Post House on the corner of 585 and 57, now closed down though, unfortunately.

Post House on the corner of 585 and 57,

I just checked and that is Wayne, but Rittman proper is in Medina, so right on the border.

Nothing up near Medina proper. I can't remember which tree farm we used for the pine forest, but that and the diner scene would probably be the closest.

Seriously cool to see you posted here-- I have always loved [and was equally mortified by] this movie, but for whatever reason no one in my hometown had ever seen it when I mentioned it!! Was raised in a tiny + creepy ass town so I loved the settings/vibe instantly as a "scary film" cuz it felt relatable + familiar in a dreadful way. Ending was BRUTAL though lmao

What have you been up to in general since the film? Any plans to act again in the future? Is there anything you would have changed about the experience in filming june 9? [No worries if answered already]

What have you been up to in general since the film?

Finished my bachelor's degree (I was the oldest of the main 5 and went back to college the following fall), met my wife, got married, had a kid, changed careers from IT to software development, moved away from Ohio... I now spend my time writing user management code for a security software suite, playing Minecraft with my kiddo, my wife and I play board games with other couples (well, when the world is more sane...) and watching mindless TV with the wife and cats.

Any plans to act again in the future?

I'd love to, if I could find the time. But family life and work, plus no longer being near where I have an industry "in" means it's not easy to find short-term side work. But I still keep trying to pitch June 10: Berty's Revenge to T. Michael Conway and James L. Edwards. So far, no dice.

Is there anything you would have changed about the experience in filming June 9?

I would've taken the behind-the-scenes filming more seriously. I filled 10 miniDV tapes with BTS stuff on my personal camcorder and the editor came back and asked why 6 tapes were nothing but the back roads of the Akron metro area out the front window of the Rockwood.

Does the movie title have anything to do with the Boards of Canada song June 9th?

I don't believe so? Certainly not that came up in any discussions.

Thanks for the response! In that case, is there any meaning behind the date they chose for the movie title?

Being the week that schools usually let out for the summer is a minor plot point. Other than that... No clue.

I love found footage movies and thought I had seen all of them. Not sure how I missed this. Was there any overly memorable moments while making the film?

Hmm...

- Alasha's "on demand" skills are impressive. 0 to streaming tears in just a few seconds. Deep-cold shivvers even in the August sun. She had the most actual acting experience and training of the main 5.

There's a bit where Lisa Boggman is supposed to throw up. So Alasha prepped by eating a big breakfast of eggs and grits and hash browns and all sorts of stuff that would look horrible coming up, wanting to do it for real. The scenes we filmed before that morning ran long so by the time we got to Lisa's big upchuck - there was nothing left. She managed to think herself into dry heaving for a few minutes but no money shot. So all that made it to the movie was her wiping the edge of her mouth and "I don't feel so good..."

- We filmed a couple scenes _in_ Boston Mills, but they've had so much trouble with ghost hunters and rowdy teens (hmm...) they politely asked us to get out of town and not come back.

- "Don't f*** with the US Postal Service!" was just a fun scene to shoot.

​

Probably the most memorable, though, was the day we shot at the diner. I had a major sinus headache from allergies and was sleeping in the back of the Rockwood until the pseudoephedrine kicked in. Suddenly I hear, "HOLY SHIT!" from Alasha and sit up just in time to see an SUV drive down into the ditch, part way back up the other side, then roll over onto its roof just as gentle as it possibly could and spin slowly. The entire production caravan pulls over and Trevor Williams and John Ray both jump out of the Rockwood and bust ass over to the SUV. I can't remember which one of them was a lifeguard (I think Trevor?) but either way the two of them went to give aid while the rest of us called 911. We waited there until the ambulance got there, then went on to film the diner and the night vision scene.

Luckily, there were no major injuries. The driver had a diabetic event and passed out, but I think only had bruises or maybe a minor fracture? But seeing the SUV slide around on its roof like a leaf in the wind is an image I don't know I'll ever get out of my head.

Wow what a story, and it's incredible to know how talented Alasha is. Thanks for sharing.

it's incredible to know how talented Alasha is.

She now does glass blowing!

Why do you have such a goofy name?

It was never really explained why Alan wasn't unique enough and he had to go by Alberts -> "Berty"... But given that Derek went by Boggs instead of Derek or Boggman, it seemed to be a running theme with that group.

EDIT: Hmm... Now that I think about it, both Alan and Derek had last-name based nicknames but Robert didn't. I wonder if it was him giving out the nicknames? I'll have to ask next time I'm talking to Conway. :)

Who?

I assume the writer of the script. It says T. Michael Conway.

No, who are Alan and Derek.

The actual first names of Berty and Boggs, respectively.

Who are Betty and Boggs?

Betty is Fred and Wilma's neighbor, she's married to Barney.

Boggs is what you get when a swamp gets all swampy.

Is this based on a real urban legend like Blair Witch or is it completely made up?

I was about to go to bed but I’m starting it now :)

Yes...ish? Most of the urban legends are actual urban legends, but some are embellished and a couple others were added.

Boston Mills is actually known as Helltown. Large portions of it was bought up for National Park reasons so of course there's all the urban legends about chemical spills, nuclear experiments, etc. The abandoned bus is a thing, but I think there's one of those almost everywhere. Upside-down cross church is a real church, but that was just the architecture when it was built. Etc, etc.

That they're a pot-addicted town of murderers is 100% added. They're really quite lovely.

Just finished watching it! I loved it! The ending was so brutal.

SPOILER QUESTION:

So is the ending implying that the towns people were cannibals or something? Or that their just murderers that chop people up only on June 9th?

They have livestock - pigs will eat anything. Those were slop buckets being filled to dispose of the evidence.

Very cool! There various points in the film where I could of sworn a single frame of one of the crazies would pop on screen for a slit second. Is my mind playing tricks on me or was it edited that way?

I've not seen the updated edit yet, but... it is supposed to be filmed on a beat-up 1999 VHS camcorder. Jump-cuts from overwriting/skipping heads/etc. I don't think it happened often, but the occasional cut-in was intentional.

Also, is there something about your tie that would make you think your mind was playing tricks on you?

I’m a total sucker for found footage flicks, and I love JUNE 9. This question is more directed at Kathleen and the writer/director T. Michael Conway. I’ve been dying to see your first film PIG. For the unfamiliar, IMDb reviews describe it as a found footage/faux doc-style film that showcases a textured portrait of a small town cop via ride alongs, arrests, and interviews with locals who’ve had the luck or misfortune of crossing his path. Was there ever a home video release for PIG? Or will there ever be?

I’ve been dying to see your first film PIG.

There's a brief glance of PiG in June 9! It's what's on the TV in the scene in Berty's bedroom.

That's all I've seen of the movie, too.

So how did you go back and retroactively "act" in footage that was found?

Found footage just refers to a movie that 'appears' to be found footage. It's allowed to be faked, I think that's the usual assumption. It's just a style choice they made to have it appear to be 'real'.

But who found the first found footage technique in the first place? Asking these questions for my friend, Ken M.

Not us. We even name-checked Blair Witch.

Do you eat ass?

No.

Get with the times.

No.

How offten do you go to the toilet for the number two?

I head to the turlet about once a day for a deuce.

...and there's at least two different in-jokes from the cast in that sentence.

Have you banged Paris Hilton and also what is your favorite color?

1. No.
2. Some days blue, some days red, some days green. Never yellow or aquamarine.

I appreciate the strong stance against aquamarine - I mean, honestly, who are these people?

Also is there any hope of revisiting #1?

I'm going to say no. However, if Anne Hathaway is looking for a couple to become her personal harem I think my wife would force me to say yes.

Going to check this out tonight! My questions is pretty simple, how did you get involved with acting and movies in general? Im an avid film fan, but have zero professional relevance to the industry. Just really love it.

How did you get involved with acting and movies in general?

I did some acting in school. I played Linus in Charlie Brown Christmas in Elementary School. NO idea how I remembered the big speech. Then I took drama and improvisation in High School. But what I really wanted to do was the production. I loved sitting with a pair of VCRs and a mixing board and cutting things together, helping with script tweaks and story boarding...

One of the Producers of June 9, James L Edwards, was "my guy" at the local record store. I mentioned finally scraping together the money for a camcorder to do some shorts with friends and he mentioned he was getting back into acting and that I should stop by the auditions to talk to the Producer/Director about helping out and learning a bit.

Meanwhile, my friend Alasha was between plays and debating a switch/expansion from stage to film. So I convince her to come down to the open casting call with me and read for a part. I get in to the audition with James L. and T. Michael (They both go by the names they initialize professionally... this is weird.) and they convince me to read for a part, maybe they can use me as an extra, too. I read the excerpt for Boggs and next thing I know I have the role of Berty and Alasha is playing Lisa.

So unfortunately, it's not really a very reproduceable path. I stumbled into an audition and managed to luck out by having what they wanted. So my recommendation is entirely, "hang out with artsy people, keep your eyes out for casting calls in the local paper/Craigslist/etc., and run far, far away if the casting is in a small room with a leather couch."

I saw it not long after it first came out, and loved it. Bought the recent DVD release a month or so ago and realized while watching that it's a somewhat different cut from what I originally saw. I somewhat prefer the original opening/ending bookends (that are included as a special feature on the disc) although the old and new are similar enough I suppose. Any particular reason Conway made the changes he did?

Kathleen Perry Conway here (art direction and now, wife of the director)... The current version was always meant to be part of the movie, but couldn't be technically created at the time. When the re-release was announced the director shot the opening and ending that was always intended. The bonus is that now you get to see the character of Hobert aged many years!

That's pretty funny considering the person I watched it with this time around asked me if the man at the end was the little boy who picked up the camera, and I said maybe it was supposed to be him grown up. It never occured to us that it might literally be the same actor 10+ years later. That actually adds a fun little twist to the mix.

Are you guys working on anything new? I've been checking your hubby's IMDb page every couple years since first watching the film to see if he has anything in development.

Ha! That's cool! Yes, that is, indeed, the same actor Malone Shaw, aged.

Yes, there are several ideas in the works! The decision on which avenue to take is still up in the air (and a pandemic didn't help matters). Also, whether or not to do another found footage to round out a trio, or go more traditional horror is a decsion he has to make. There are so many advantages to a traditional horror movie, plus, T. is VERY creative and would put out an amazing traditional horror movie. He is a perfectionist though, so, it will have to he the right thing 😊

What would you like to see? Thanks for the support!!

> What would you like to see?

I'm tellin' ya, June 10: Berty's Revenge is a winner just waiting to be made.

🤣

Hey, I could've totally survived that. Crawled away into the bushes, patched myself up, gone underground and trained for vengeance.

I mean, it was only a flesh wound, right?

What would you like to see as a found footage film? I feel like they will run out of ideas soon...

Personally? I'd love a Doctor Who episode as found footage, kind of in the spirit of Blink or Love & Monsters.

Found Footage works great in the horror genre, but I've not seen it used a whole lot in the Sci Fi or Fantasy/Steampunk/Cyberpunk genres where it also could work well.

this film is wack. the guy who plays the molester in the forest with wrinkly dress shirt and gut who talks like high pitch, he was not acting, wuzee?

He was acting! L. is a pretty accomplished actor. If you want to see more of his stuff, Bloodletting is a pretty good place to start, and I've had Polymorph on my to-watch shelf for years.

Wait what does this have to do with rampart?

Hopefully the comparisons are pretty thin.

What's your opinion on Howard Stern?

In the immortal words of Gag Halfrunt, "Vell, [he]'s just zis guy, you know?"

So how did Chad Vincent's magnificent hair inspire your performance?

In a way I can only describe as, "meh?"

Wow, I just watched this a few weeks ago! I loved it and that ending holy crap!! I didn't see this question so hope I am not repeating, was it totally scripted or like they did with Blair Witch and just give general instructions allowing the actors to ad lib naturally?

Also, a question for Kathleen, I noticed the look of the movie changed each time the kids went into Helltown, was that a decision after the movie was shot or did it have to be shot with that in mind? Also, how do I see the BTS? Thanks for posting this had to actually sign up for reddit so I could find out!

was it totally scripted or like they did with Blair Witch and just give general instructions allowing the actors to ad lib naturally?

It was scripted, but it wasn't a hard "every word a painting" style filming. T. was definitely more interested in hitting the important beats while making sure it looked natural. So a lot of "close enough" adlibs to make it look natural.

I noticed the look of the movie changed each time the kids went into Helltown

It absolutely was intentional! The color change was done in post, but it was discussed heavily during the readings and cast meetings.

I think the BTS are maybe only on the physical copies, but hopefully Kathleen and T. can prove me wrong.

How did you get the role?

Answered here!

any similarities between your movie and what will really happen on June 9th?

As far as I know it was neither prophetical nor accurate to what happened on June 9, 1999.

I love found footage films and hope to check this one out tonight!

Are you a horror movie buff? If so, what is your favorite horror movie? (And maybe what is your favorite found footage movie?)

I'm actually not a huge horror movie buff. Jason X almost made me pass out just in the intro, and I did hit the floor trying to watch The Cell. But I enjoy the psychological horror movies (Blair Witch, the not-so-gory bits of As Above, So Below) and the more "classic" horror movies like An American Werewolf in London and Young Frankenstein. (wait a minute...)

I also love low-budget schlock. I'm an adjutant (or maybe just "groupie-with-a-to-do-list"?) for both the Smithee Awards and Cine Mal Practice, would love to work with Bruce Campbell or Roger Corman or... I loved watching the campy old Sci Fi movies on Big Chuck & Little John and MST3k on the weekends. Very few of them actually stuck, but I enjoyed the time spent watching them.

Who's your favorite Spice Girl?

Chai Spice?

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It was on Tubi btw

Tubi, Amazon Prime, and DVD releases tomorrow (missed it by 1 day!) through Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy.

Is this AMA really just a ploy to get us to ask about "Rampart"?

If only I had actually remembered the Rampart AMA before I started this... I wouldn't have done anything differently, but I would've saved myself an hour of wiki chaining last night.