For our first two features, “Blaming George Romero” & “Red Scare,” we had people on set taking “behind the scenes” videos.

Unfortunately, it was a habit we kind of fell out of after “Red Scare.” Looking back, it was a really great way to just capture the moments, introduce the cast and crew, and give people a taste of what they would be in for with the movies.

I hope for whatever we do next, we resume the “behind the scenes” video taking.

In the meantime, however, here are all of the BTS Videos that we took gathered in one place. 🙂

Blaming George Romero

Red scare

 

And we did do a few during pre-production of Yellow Scare…

 

Today is the 7th Anniversary of Narrow Bridge Films. 
I never really intended to create a film production company. I never set out to be a producer. 

I’ve always loved to write. And I love to act. So, for years, I wanted to write a script that I could act in. That’s all. 

My first script (titled: Bored) wasn’t that good, to be honest, and I had no idea how to get a movie made… Awhile after that, I wrote a WWII Horror movie, but even as I wrote it I realized that I didn’t have the resources to make that movie. If I was going to have any chance of getting a movie made, it’d have to be an easier one to make.
In the summer of 2009, I started a script for a movie called “Blaming George Romero.” Set in the modern day in locations I knew I could get, it was doable. It would be difficult, but it was doable. 

I had several actors in mind from the beginning, and I approached them as I started the script. I told them I was writing a movie, and I was writing characters specifically for them… In fact, the characters even had their names in the script (Isaac, Ramy, Dan, Loarina, and Bobby). I said, I want to film this next year, would you be interested? They all said yes… One of them said “yes” but also said that it would never happen. 

I didn’t let that negativity stop me. I continued to write, and tried to figure out exactly HOW to make the movie. I was an English Theatre major. I had never taken a film class at all, let alone one about producing a movie. Thankfully, my friend, Brad Resnick, had some producing experience and we met several times to brainstorm. How to make a movie on almost no budget?
Around this time, my friend John Trigonis opened my eyes to a wonderful thing: Crowdfunding. He had just started crowdfunding his short film, Cerise, and gave me wonderful insight into how to do likewise for my film. Armed with this knowledge, I launched my first crowdfunding campaign (which would eventually raise around $7,000). 

 Suddenly, what “would never happen” was happening. 

My first choice for director couldn’t commit to the project, so Bobby (who had directed a few one acts in college) volunteered to Direct. Since he had never directed film, we knew that we would need a really good DP, and we found one in the one-of-a-kind Raul Garcia. Doug Youmans, who I had worked with on a project alongside Dan, had access to a wealth of lights from his employers at NBC and agreed to be our gaffer. 

We had a read thru, a photo shoot, and rehearsals. A stranger named Sean Feuer messaged me on facebook telling me he had seen me posting about the film, and asked if he could help out in any way. I said, “Sure. We could always use an extra pair of hands.” He seemed polite enough. And who knows? Maybe he would be talented. 

The search for a sound person was a more difficult one, and threatened to stop us in our tracks before we started. Luckily for us, a friend of a friend recommended Joey Mosca to us shortly before we were set to film.

And then the day arrived… June 14, 2010. The day we started filming. The day I knew that there was no turning back. The day Narrow Bridge truly started. One way or the other, we would finish this movie… And then we did. It wasn’t easy, but we did it. 

Since then, we have made four feature films, 8 shorts, and a web series. 

Our first two features are available on Vimeo and Amazon, and our third feature has a distribution deal with Summer Hill Films. 

We have had our projects shown in festivals in New Jersey, New York, Illinois, Nevada, California, Ohio, Kentucky, Hawaii, and soon-to-be Texas. 

We have won the Silver Ace Award for Best Feature at the 2012 Las Vegas Film Festival, the Gold Kahuna Award for Best Feature at the 2012 AND 2017 Honolulu Film Awards, Best Local Film at the 2015 Golden Door International Film Festival, and most recently Best Feature Film at the 2017 Laugh or Die Comedy Festival. 

Our core group has changed and evolved since June 14, 2010. Actors and crew have come and gone, and new members have entered. No one says “this will never happen;” we just try to figure out how to make things happen. We have an amazing group of people who believe in what we are doing, and are passionate about what we are doing, and who know that we can do whatever we set out to do. 

Extra special thanks to my brother Isaac, and my film brothers Joey Mosca, Billy Farley, and Dan Gregory who have been there since the beginning, and continue to make great art with me. 

My grandmother’s lucky number was always “7.” Let’s hope 7 is the best year yet. Happy Birthday, Narrow Bridge Films. Thank you & Congratulations to everyone who has been a part of this endeavor. 

“The whole world is a very NARROW BRIDGE… But the main thing to recall is to have no fear at all.”

Sam Platizky, Founder

Narrow Bridge Films

June 14, 2017 

This past weekend “Cabin of Errors” (formerly known as “Summer Cabin”) was an official selection of the “Laugh or Die Comedy Festival” in Peoria, Illinois. 

Producers William R. Farley, Isaac Platizky, and Sam Platizky attended. 

We were nominated for “Best Writer” (Isaac Platizky), “Best Director” (Sean Feuer), and “Best Feature Film.” 

We are proud and excited to say that we won “Best Feature Film.” So much work went into this project, and we are so happy that everyone’s hard work has been recognized this way. 

While there, we were able to watch a number of great films, and meet some awesome fellow filmmakers including Shane Wallace and his wife Shanna Berry-Wallace of Alpine Start Productions, who were there with their nominated film “Mount Hopeless.” 

They were truly wonderful, and have a lot of great ideas in the works.

Thanks to everyone for their amazing support, and thanks to “Laugh or Die” for the great honor. 

Next stop for “Cabin?” The Fort Worth Indie Film Showcase in July!

As I get ready to leave for Peoria, IL for the 2017 Laugh Or Die Comedy Fest for “Cabin of Errors” it occurs to me that I haven’t updated people on “Yellow Scare” in awhile. 

I’ll try to update more regularly, but the movie wouldn’t be possible if it wasn’t for you and people like you. Our indiegogo campaigns made it possible to undertake a project so large, so you deserve a front row seat at the making of “Yellow Scare.” 

A few weeks ago, I stopped by Alex Gray’s (our color corrector) apartment to see the progress of color correction. Everything looks gorgeous. Seriously. There are some color effects in this black and white movie that take my breath away. 

Dan Granda, our composer, is putting the finishing touches on the score. 

Steve Defendini (our production designer) is working on a slightly updated version of the poster for the movie. 

And Joey Mosca (our maestro of sound) is tackling the monumental task of post-production sound. That includes recording Voiceovers, ADR, foley, and a whole bunch of technical stuff that I only half understand. It’s a lot of work, but he’s the best in the business. 

All in all, everything is looking great. “Yellow Scare” promises to be every bit as good as I hoped when I first decided to get it made. If all goes well, we should be ready for our first screening this fall. 

Stay tuned! And in the meantime, check out some pics of Joey recording ADR for the film. 

You can’t do it alone!

We’ve been making films for almost 7 years now! And on that journey, we have encountered so many incredibly talented people & groups… And we just want to highlight some of the friends of Narrow Bridge Films.

Maniac Productions is the brain child of Joey Mosca, our resident master of sound. Through it, he’s produced some great projects. Most recently, Maniac Productions released “Interrogation,” a quirky horror short featuring Narrow Bridge regulars Joey himself, William R. Farley, Isaac Platizky, Dan Gregory, and myself. Joey wrote, directed, and produced in addition to starring in it. It was DP’d by Sami Saad, with additional help by Daniel Hendlowich. You can watch it here:

To watch their other terrific shorts, head to their YouTube page: Maniac Productions.

Up next are the lovely ladies of Alchemss, Jenna Kildosher & Lisa Zalenski. Jenna & Lisa host a video podcast that takes a look at everything from movies & TV shows to comic books to food! Isaac & I guest starred on their April roundup recently.

You can check out their YouTube channel here. 

If you are into the macabre and titillating with a side order or comedy, check out “Hello, Creeps,” a fantastic podcast that is hosted by “Yellow Scare’s” Hitler Carlos Rivero along with Davel Hamue & Fredo Alvarez (and the occasional guest).  These guys talk ghost stories, urban legends, first and second hand accounts of the spooky and paranormal. Definitely give them a listen here.

And check out the rest of the stuff on Nerdopotamus, run by our good buddy Joey Finnegan.

Do you like video games? Check out The Bit Boys. Sami Saad and Doug Spuma were a HUGE part of Yellow Scare, and they are off on their own adventures right now. Along with celebrity rock star Frank Mayhack, they play video games and hilariously narrate them… And Sami beat boxes if you’re lucky. These guys are hilarious. Check out their videos here.

Alain J. Carmona was the phenomenal DP of “Yellow Scare.” Romina Schwedler AD’d on “Yellow Scare” a few days & cameos in it. But together, they are the team behind “The Visit.” This short film is blowing up on the festival circuit, and I personally can’t wait to see it. It stars Sean Maher from “Firefly” and June Squibb from “Nebraska.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHKNK7Ic93Y

You can follow their journey here.

Not all of our friends are artists. Hendrickson’s Corner in Bayonne is one of the best parts of Bayonne. For my money, this bar/restaurant one of the best french onion soups I have ever had here… And one of the best penne vodkas… And the best bartenders in town… And… and… Well, I have never had a bad meal here. AND they have let us film in the place not once, but twice. And both times (Cabin of Errors & Yellow Scare) were amazing. The owner, Bob O’Neill, is a great guy and a huge supporter of NBF.

You can find them at 671 Broadway, Bayonne, NJ 07002.

We also had the pleasure of filming at “The Little Food Cafe” in Bayonne twice. Once for “Lost & Found” and once for “Cabin of Errors.” This place is a very homey restaurant that serves some good home-cooking-esque foods. When filming, I am too nervous to eat often… Thankfully, last time we filmed here, Billy saved me half a pastrami sandwich. It was delicious, and the owners are really nice.

Check them out at 330 John F. Kennedy Blvd, Bayonne, NJ 07002

Finally, there’s Manifest Comics. I got into storytelling through comics, and Manifest is THE comic store of Bayonne, NJ. The owner Mike is a great guy, with tons of knowledge and recommendation for veteran readers or newcomers.

We actually film a review show CBFU From the Shop at Manifest Comics.

You can buy some comics at 766 Broadway #3, Bayonne, NJ 07002.

And you can find more episodes of From the Shop on CBFU’s YouTube page here.

 

That’s it for now. Sorry if we missed you. Check out all of the awesome videos, podcasts, and places!

 

-Sam

Just realized that we haven’t posted an update since 2016! It has been a busy few months.

CABIN OF ERRORS: As you may realize, in November of 2016, Billy, Isaac, and I went to the American Film Market in Santa Monica with one goal in mind: Get distribution for “Summer Cabin.” In December of 2016, we found out that we succeeded. We had a lot of things to do to be 100% ready for distribution… And one of the things we did was change the title to “Cabin of Errors,” at the recommendation of the company we are working with. We also had Narrow Bridge hero Joey Mosca ready the audio files for distribution, which was no small task!

And speaking of “Cabin,” we just found out that we got into Chicago’s “Laugh or Die Film Festival” which is in May of this year. So, Chicago, we will see you soon!

YELLOW SCARE: We achieved picture lock for “Yellow Scare.” The movie now resides with Alex Gray (who will be doing color correction), Joey Mosca (our resident Angel of Audio), and Dan Granda (our composer). Here are some screen shots of Alex’s work:

Just looking at those beautiful shots gets me excited. I still can hardly believe that we were able to film in an actual plane.

CLICK SEND: In May, we will be filming another short by writer Isaac Platizky. “Click Send” is a short horror film that stars Megan Bussiere, Jenna Kildosher, Isaac Platizky, Sam Platizky,  Carlos Rivero, and Daniel Gregory as “the Killer.” It will be directed by Joey Mosca, Assistant Directed by William R. Farley,  and DP’d by Sami Saad.

 

That is where we are as of the end of March 2017, and the best is yet to come.

Stay tuned!

 

 

In November, Isaac, Billy, and I (Sam) went to Santa Monica, California to attend the 2016 American Film Market. Our mission: to meet with various companies to discuss distribution for “Summer Cabin” and get our foot in the door for “Yellow Scare.”

We had a great time, met with a lot of nice people, received a bunch of compliments about our work, and returned home feeling like we accomplished something. 

You see, prior to now, we’ve had to self distribute our projects on Amazon, Vimeo, and YouTube. We wanted to make a leap and get on platforms we haven’t been able to reach. 

One of the companies we met with, Summer Hill Films, made us an offer to partner with us for distribution of “Summer Cabin.” We accepted and signed the paperwork last week. 

Summer Hill Films will now be working to get “Summer Cabin” in front of the largest audience possible. We aren’t sure what platforms we’ll get on, but as soon as we know, we will be shouting it from the rooftops. 

So, one way or the other, “Summer Cabin” will be available to view in 2017. 
Stay tuned!!!
Sam

You’d think that after filming two feature length films in less than a year, we would take a long break… You would be wrong.

Earlier this year, Narrow Bridge’s Isaac Platizky wrote a short film entitled “Cupid’s First Day,” about an occasional screw-up’s first day on the job as a modern day Cupid. And we decided to film it. And film it we did. In three days!

Sami Saad did such a great job as an Assistant Camera operator (AC) on “Yellow Scare” that we decided to try him out in the Director/DP seat for this short. Joining him behind the camera was Narrow Bridge’s rock Joey Mosca on lights & sound, and Steve Rios and Doug Spuma as AC’s and AD’s.

The short stars William R. Farley as Cupid with Isaac Platizky, Jenna Kildosher, Dan Gregory, and Sam Platizky rounding out the cast.

Here are some “behind the scenes” shots of “Cupid’s First Day.” Stay tuned for more information.

 

 

Above is the first official trailer for Yellow Scare.

If you like what you see, and want to help us continue to make the movie better and better, please head to the Yellow Scare Indiegogo Page.Although the movie may have finished filming, there is still a lot of work to do including:

• Special Effects
• Sound Design & Post Production Audio Work
• Color Correction (Yep, even for a B&W movie.)
• Music Recording
• Festival Entry Fees

So, as you can see, there is plenty left to do, and none of it is cheap. If you can support, please do so. If you can’t, share the trailer and the indiegogo page with people who might be able to.

A lot of work has gone into the making of this movie, and a lot of work remains, so every little bit helps.

In our last blog post, we announced that Summer Cabin would screen at this year’s Golden Door International Film Fest.

We have just found out that our screening will take place in a block from 2pm – 4pm on Saturday, September 24th at the Historic Loews Theatre in Jersey City, NJ. BUY TICKETS HERE!

This is great news, as a Saturday afternoon slot is a great time for people. No one has to miss work! (Unless you work on a Saturday, in which case I am so, so sorry.) The location is fantastic. If you have never been to the Historic Loews Theatre, this is a perfect opportunity to do that. It is one of the few “Movie Palaces” left in the world, and it is a sight to see.

We really hope to see you at the GDIFF Screening of Summer Cabin.