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WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. Two White Plains natives are returning to the halls of White Plains High School this week to film a 10-minute comedy pitting the Walter Peterman High School janitor, Boomer, against an aerobics teacher who stole the state championship from him years ago in a competition for the school's track team coaching position.
Andrew Southard, a Brooklyn College student, enlisted fellow White Plains High alumni Michael Gugger, a sophomore at the School of Visual Arts, and three others to help make his senior thesis movie entitled Boomer.
Boomer is somewhere lost in his 30s just at that point where he tried to do something and it didnt work out. This is his last chance for glory, said Southard, who wrote the screenplay. He wants to be the coach, but the only problem is an old rival, the aerobics teacher. They duke it out and reenact a 1996 state championship at Burke.
After scouring local schools for a track, the Boomer crew saw Burke Rehabilitation Centers track on Google maps. This Thursday, the filmmakers will join the producers of Rear Window, Boardwalk Empire and Regarding Henry in capturing the 1915-era campus on a big screen. Theyll move into the high school halls, south gym, south office and lacross locker room this Friday and Saturday.
We have a lot of extras coming by. A lot of local family and friends, said producer Gugger of dozens of extras scheduled to join the 10 Screen Actors Guild staff hired. Our budget is about $7,000 to $8,000, which is not a lot for the scale that were doing this on. Its self-financed. A lot of student films use Kickstarter. Were probably going to do that for post-production.
Boomer will be shown at the Brooklyn College Film Festival May 27, where its cinematographer Eric Gentry, set designer Emily Sumner and art directions coordinator Brian Tubbs aim to see the film in the third screening.
Its this huge, beautiful, pristine theater. To get to see our movie on that will be very fulfilling. Were shooting for the third tier. Its the best category, which would put us in the prime time showing, said Gentry, a Brooklyn College senior. Its just a redemptive story so I think people will get behind it. Everyone likes an underdog.
Southard and Gugger shot another film in White Plains together two years ago. The movie documented the wild adventure that ensued when two best friends were tasked with watching a buddys dog while he visited a college.
Besides the scenic views, Gugger said the White Plains community is eager to help, particularly, Abatinos Pizza and Pasta, which is catering the sets.
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