Justin Francart: Oakland

PPT

Editor’s Note: As Pittsburgh celebrates its big 250, Andrew Halasz and Kristen Lauth Shaeffer have found their own way to commemorate the city – through a series of short films collectively titled Pittsburgh Neighborhood Narratives. To make their project even more interesting, Halasz and Shaeffer invited local filmmakers to submit story treatments highlighting one of the many diverse neighborhoods of Pittsburgh. This article is the fourth in a series profiling each of the filmmakers selected for participation. Be sure to check back in two weeks for the next profile.

A leisurely stroll through Schenley Park, followed by intimate conversation at a local coffeehouse … an afternoon made for lovers.

Or, in this case … ex-lovers.

Local filmmaker Justin Francart, 25, chronicles the final farewell between an ex-boyfriend and ex-girlfriend through his short film, “PPT.” His film, set in the youth-ridden neighborhood of Oakland, breaks away from traditional tales of romance in that the young couple isn’t even a couple at all. They’re two people with a strong connection who get together for the last time before one leaves town.

“It’s sort of a bittersweet, after-the-fact love story,” explains Justin. “But there can be happiness in accepting the fact that you’re saying goodbye,” he adds.

While Justin’s story isn’t necessarily about Oakland – rather, it’s a story that happens to take place in Oakland – he chose this setting for a couple of reasons. First: It’s an adaptable neighborhood, meaning that there’s a lot that to work with in terms of scenery. Second: with Pitt and CMU right there, Oakland is a hub of younger people. And as Justin points out, “a lot of young love has blossomed there.”

For being a “last minute kind of guy,” Justin surprised himself with how far along the project is – he’s already wrapped up shooting the film and is well ahead of schedule.

“It’s weird for me because I’ve never been in that kind of a position before,” he admits. “I haven’t shot a film in five years, so I wanted to approach this as organized as I could.”

In fact, the last time Justin did any filming was when he was a production major at Ithaca University. He’s since transferred to Pitt and graduated with a degree in film studies. His mom was the one who spotted the ad for Pittsburgh Neighborhood Narratives.

“God bless her,” he laughs. “She’s always looking out for me to do something with my career, my life, anything related to my major.”

With a bulletin board full of ideas, Justin had no trouble coming up with a plot synopsis. He sat on the idea for a while, submitted his story at the last minute, and the rest is history. According to Justin, the actual filming couldn’t have gone any smoother thanks to a talented and committed cast and crew.

“It was pretty painless, and I was excited about that,” he said.

Most of the film was shot outdoors, so Justin had to rely on the unreliable Pittsburgh weather.

“I wanted an early summer, late spring shoot,” he said. “So I was praying it wouldn’t rain. We ended up having some really nice days.”

Jason Georgiades: Bloomfield

St. Joseph’s

Editor’s Note: As Pittsburgh celebrates its big 250, Andrew Halasz and Kristen Lauth Shaeffer have found their own way to commemorate the city – through a series of short films collectively titled Pittsburgh Neighborhood Narratives. To make their project even more interesting, Halasz and Shaeffer invited local filmmakers to submit story treatments highlighting one of the many diverse neighborhoods of Pittsburgh. This article is the third in a series profiling each of the filmmakers selected for participation. Be sure to check back in two weeks for the next profile.

They transform church parking lots into something magical, casting a spell thick with powdered sugar, flavored syrup, big spinning wheels and Chinese finger traps. Occasionally, they throw in the pony ride, ferris wheel or dunking machine.

But you can always count on the duck pond.

And no matter how advanced the world may claim to be, it can’t ever seem to suppress the childish thrill it gets when summer opens her doors to the fair.

So, naturally, when local filmmaker Jason Georgiades heard about Pittsburgh Neighborhood Narratives, he was drawn to the idea of crafting a story around St. Joseph’s fair in Bloomfield. After pulling in friends Chet Vincent and Russell Brandom, his idea became a reality. Chet and Russell wrote the script for “St. Joseph’s,” and Jason has already begun to turn it into a short film.

“You have such a great mix of people at fairs,” said Jason. “It’s almost like a dichotomy, a clash between old world Pittsburgh and the city’s youth.”

So, why Bloomfield?

“It’s a very rich neighborhood with a certain element of Pittsburgh in it,” he observed.

Somehow, Bloomfield has managed to strike a balance between traditional and trendy. A 22 year-old Bloomfield resident himself, Jason points out that the neighborhood not only retains its older residents, but also attracts the younger generation.

And St. Joseph’s fair brings them all together.

But Jason’s film will address more than the multi-generational melange that is Bloomfield. “St. Joseph’s” also captures the unexpected chemistry between two young people who meet at the fair – conservative, community-based Ann and hip, urban arts Charlie. While they couldn’t be more different, there is an undeniable spark between the two that can only be credited to the mysterious, meddling influence of the fair.

“There are some surprising connections made in that type of environment,” Jason points out.

The environment he refers to is that of a full-blown, bustling church fair – an environment, he admits, that will be difficult to recreate. But fortunately, Jason’s in for the long haul.

“Ten percent of the challenge is actually shooting the film, and 90 percent is problem-solving,” he says. “We’re hoping to get some stylistic shots of looking at a real fair.”

A studio arts major at Pitt, Jason plans to highlight a “whole different side of Pittsburgh” in his film.

“My generation is more temporary. I think there are a lot of people my age who view Pittsburgh as a loading dock or a halfway point,” he comments.

But as a young filmmaker and artist, Jason speaks from experience when he says that Pittsburgh is a great place to build your name cheaply. He’s already made several films, one of which was a Steeler documentary called “Steal Phantom.”

“I love Pittsburgh. My involvement in the Neighborhood Narratives project is the perfect example of what this city has to offer,” he said. “It’s important to be able to afford your lifestyle and expand on it. The opportunities here are endless.”

Our Oakland

Congrats to Justin Francart and crew, who wrapped production on their Oakland short, PPT, last week. Thanks again to Timothy Hall for taking production stills, which you can check out above.

Gabrielle Reznek and Sam Turich: Lawrenceville

Mombies

Editor’s Note: As Pittsburgh celebrates its big 250, Andrew Halasz and Kristen Lauth Shaeffer have found their own way to commemorate the city – through a series of short films collectively titled Pittsburgh Neighborhood Narratives. To make their project even more interesting, Halasz and Shaeffer invited local filmmakers to submit story treatments highlighting one of the many diverse neighborhoods of Pittsburgh. This article is the second in a series profiling each of the filmmakers selected for participation. Be sure to check back in two weeks for the next profile, as Jason Georgiades explains why he chose Bloomfield for the setting of his film.

You swear you’ll never have children. You’re too independent, too impatient, and, have no time for dirty diapers and mashed bananas.

But then one by one, your friends give way to marriage and parenthood, leaving you to ponder your once ideal bohemian lifestyle.

And so sets the scene for “Mombies” … Gabrielle Reznek’s and Sam Turich’s short film addressing the unexpected and contagious nature of motherhood.

Their story was birthed (pun intended) from their own experience as new 30-something parents and takes place in the “mombified” neighborhood of Lawrenceville. The idea for the film’s title – Mombies – is a play off of “Zombies: Night of the Living Dead,” but Gab was quick to point out that, unlike their zombie counterparts, Mombies are not actually dead. They are the undead, and “sooner or later, they’ll get you,” she explained. “They have a kind of ethereal glow to them.”

In fact, the original title for the film was “Mombies: Night of the Living Bred,” but they dropped the second half early on. It now just goes by “Mombies.”

The comparison to zombies is not an unfair one, however. Since having their baby, Gab and Sam have learned that, for the first 6-12 months, “parenthood turns you more or less into zombies.” Their beloved baby is now 10 months old.

The couple used to live in Brooklyn, N.Y., and slowly watched as “mombification” transformed once hip, artistic neighborhoods into headquarters of what Sam jokingly referred to as “the stroller mafia.”

“We were living the dream. And then, all of a sudden, everyone started getting pregnant and getting ‘real’ jobs. And soon enough, it happened,” said Sam, referring to the maternal outbreak.

He and Gab also see Lawrenceville as a community in transition.

“The artists who moved in to renovate the neighborhood are watching in surprise as more mainstream families move in to areas that have now become ‘cool.’ Or, to their horror, are raising families of their own.”

Sam and Gab, who call Lawrenceville home, hope to capture this titanic clash of forces in their film. They wrapped up shooting mid-April and are now in post-production.

“There is this great scene where the heroine is screaming down Butler Street with a pack of mombies running after her,” laughs Sam.

According to Gab, Lawrenceville was extremely supportive of the film. Local suppliers donated food and equipment, and she and Sam had no trouble securing locations to shoot the film. As for casting, the local “mommy group” happily stepped up to the role of “mombies.”

The weather and Mother Nature were also cooperative.

“We wanted bare trees and naked branches to give Allegheny Cemetery that stark look. We were racing against spring to finish shooting before the buds came in,” recalls Gab.

Interestingly, the production of The Road (with Viggo Mortensen), which was shooting in the area at the same time, had a similar problem according to the New York Times.

“We really learned what kind of a neighborhood Lawrenceville is,” said Gab, “There’s a lot of life underneath the whole Lawrenceville identity.”

Justin Crimone: Downtown

The Bus Stop

Editor’s Note: As Pittsburgh celebrates its big 250, Andrew Halasz and Kristen Lauth Shaeffer have found their own way to commemorate the city – through a series of short films collectively titled Pittsburgh Neighborhood Narratives. To make their project even more interesting, Halasz and Shaeffer invited local filmmakers to submit story treatments highlighting one of the many diverse neighborhoods of Pittsburgh. This article is the first in a series profiling each of the filmmakers selected for participation.

Is Pittsburgh really having trouble retaining its youth?

When it comes to the young generation and Pittsburgh, there are two very different points of view – one is that 20-,30-somethings are leaving the city in droves, barely taking the time to grab their degrees and kiss mom goodbye. The other is that, yes, the grass is in fact greener, but they’ll be back. They always come back. [sinister laugh]

Local filmmaker Justin Crimone, 35, is not only a firm believer of the latter, but feels so strongly about the magnetic, oft overlooked appeal of the ‘burgh that he’s creating a short film about it – The Bus Stop. His story will be one of 12 featured in Pittsburgh Neighborhood Narratives, a collection of short films highlighting the diverse neighborhoods of Pittsburgh. Justin chose downtown for the setting of his film.

The relationship between young adults and Pittsburgh is fickle, going from “I have to get out of here” to leave, regret, miss and return. But while it’s hard to imagine the why or how behind such a relationship, Justin’s film will use a single, well-beloved vehicle of expression to illustrate the tortured love affair between Pittsburgh and its youth … the Port Authority Transit (PAT).

His story focuses on an aspiring actress from Pittsburgh who abandons her hometown for the glitz and glam of Hollywood. When her mom takes ill, however, the Hollywood hopeful finds herself back in the ‘burgh. Strangely enough, it is her experience on the PAT bus that makes her long for her hometown again.

When asked if his story stems from personal experience, Justin mentions something about “meeting weird people on buses.” (We understand, we’re from Pittsburgh too.) Justin hopes to capture the strange, inexplicable allure of these bus characters in his film.

He credits the original idea for the story, however, to Ilia Forouzan and Brandy Rhea – the two main writers. Rhea also plays the lead role of Jessie in the film.

According to Justin, “It was their experiences that drove the main character to move to LA.”

Born in Somerset, Pa, Justin moved to Pittsburgh eight years ago when he enrolled at Pitt University. Of his friends that left the city, many have either come back, or expressed the desire to come back.

“When you’re struggling to survive, you start looking back on things that are familiar,” he said.

In the meantime, Justin will happily hold down the fort.

“I love it here,” he admits. “It’s one of the most beautiful cities, full of architecture and history.”

While the coolness of Pittsburgh may be the best kept secret since Milli Vanilli, Justin can’t wait to spill the beans. For him, Pittsburgh Neighborhood Narratives was an opportunity to let the ‘burgh shine and put his minor in film history to good use. While this won’t be his first film, it will be the first time he actually had actors rehearse beforehand.

The experience alone makes the project worthwhile, but, reminds Justin, “I’m doing this to have fun too."