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In lieu of the speaking at the coming FILMAtlanta meet-up, we recently had the chance to sit down with the two time Emmy award winning make-up artist turned producer Eva Jane Bunkley.  Learn more about FILMAtlanta and get the chance to meet Eva, Wednesday, November 17th at 7:30!

How did you get started in the film and TV industry?

I have been a professional make-up artist since 1993 so that has put me on sets regularly, I love being on set.  While doing make-up for Atlanta TV news, I caught the producing bug, it was addictive.  I always enjoyed writing and absolutely loved movies.  I used to watch at least a movie a day…I am sure I am partially responsible for Blockbusters growth as a company in the 90′s!  I still do make-up artistry and have 2 Emmy Awards for it.  I have also started doing semi-permanent make-up.  Make-up artistry helps support my filmmaking endeavors.

Was this always your passion growing up?

I always enjoyed art and have always been creative.  I didn’t start out wanting to be a make-up artist.  I went to Ohio State and studied fashion.  When I moved to Atlanta, I intended on pursuing a career as a fashion stylist.  I quickly realized that it wasn’t for me.  Make-up came much easier to me and I enjoyed it well enough.  I really wanted to be around and interact with people and make-up is the perfect career to facilitate that and create lasting bonds.  Filmmaking is a more recent reality for me…I started work on my first film in 2004.  I think that it is never to late to find your path.  Filmmaking excites me and anyway I can be around an production environment, I am happy.

Who have been your influences?

When it comes to films, I am a horror and thriller junkie, and ultimately those are the types of films I want to make.  My favorite film is the 1945 adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s, “The Picture of Dorian Gray.”  I saw it when I was young and fell in love with the story and I loved how quick the dialogue in the film was… extremely verbose and witty.  I love thick dialogue if it’s entertaining and not dull and unnecessary.  The book for me didn’t have the same effect ) … There have been many other versions made since, none of which I felt were as good…but the latest version, “Dorian Gray” was very enjoyable.  I do also enjoy Guy Richie films…I love his quick pacing and creative cuts.  I also like the work of M. Night Shyamalan.  I admire that he is the total package…creator… writer…producer… director…FILMMAKER!  I would say that my latest film “The Family” was my first effort to combine these characteristics that I love so much.  It is strange, quirky and dark…not ordinary.  I don’t like ordinary.

Have any people you have met on set that have impacted your professional career in a positive way?

I have a friend named Janette Smith that was one of the anchors at Fox 5 Atlanta and she helped flourish in my filmmaking and production endeavors.  She took me under her wing and I did volunteer work under her at another broadcast and she taught me a lot.  At the same time, I was gathering footage for my first film, “My Mother was a Butterfly.”  It was simultaneous…so “Butterfly” was my learning curve and I have grown so much as a producer since.

What advice do you have for those wanting a career like yours?

I would say get beyond whatever your fear is.  I think that fear is the number one factor when pursuing a career in film.  It’s easy to go to the library or Barnes and Noble and read up on it, but it is another thing to actually make a film.  Start small.  Don’t say, I don’t have any money.  Help someone else on there film project to learn more.  Get involved in an organization such as Film MeetUp or WIFTA…get involved and get around it.  Go to film festivals and meet like minded people and see what other people are doing and learn how they do it.

What are some a of the common questions you get?

How to get funding…the numero uno filmmaking dilemma lol…and there are many answers to that question.

Have you seen a lot of growth in the industry from your end here in Georgia?

I do believe that there is but depending on how you classify yourself, that can determine how quickly you turn out your projects.  There are many aspects of production that you can go into…commercials…training videos…documentaries…public service announcements… I think, depending on the type of production you want to do, will determine where you seek out work.  Equiptment and especially quality camera have become more and more affordable, so I think, there is little excuse to not make SOMETHING.

I was told you are alos now producing, can you share a little bit more about these projects?

My production company is called “Eva-Lution Studios” and while I can “produce…” I did a video for Judge Hatchett, have done work for Creflo Dollar Ministries and have done videos for other clients such as interviews, this is not my passion.  I prefer narrative projects.  I also sell stock footage online and enjoy producing those clips.  I will be doing more of that because I enjoy working with actors and it gives me an opportunity to do so outside of the process of narrative filmmaking.

Eva Jane Bunkley
cell: 404-607-7060
office:  770-EVA-JANE

http://evajanebunkley.com

http://anointedhands.com

http://eva-lutionstudios.com

BLANK STAGE PRODUCTIONS
404.217.6903
info@blankstageproductions.com

POOR BOY
Screen Captures and Behind the Scene Stills

HOT MUFFIN
Screen Captures and Behind the Scene Stills

WORLD WIDE DECEPTION
Screen Captures and Behind the Scene Stills

PINEBOX
Screen Captures and Behind the Scene Stills

JERSEY SHARK
Screen Captures and Behind the Scene Stills

…the city’s finest when the finest can’t quite make it.

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Blank Stage Productions Presents:

BLACK & strong

Mack Black and John Strong, 2 detectives that try to do good and always come out wrong. In a city where crime has the potential to pay your bills, your mama’s bills, you baby mama’s bills, and your neighbor’s bills; two detectives decide to take a stand. They don’t see color only crime. And they make crime PAY.

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Executive Producer: Andrew McClure
Producers: Brent Brooks & Chris Modica
Director: Brent Brooks
DP: Troy Moore
Associate Producers: The Brothers Young
Assistant Director: Yasmein Ziyad
Production Manager: Janlatae Mullins
Sound Mixer: Dana Simmons
Editor: Erich Hoberg
Chief Set PA: Ivan Ortega Sanchez
Assistant Editor and set PA: Ted Rubin
Camera Operator: Chris Woodruff
Gaffer:  Jerry Bluedom
Grip:  Donald Smith

BLACK & strong

Starring

John Strong (Andrew McClure)

Grew up in a posh northern Suburb of Atlanta. He was the last of 3 children: Elizabeth and Reginald. Their parents Loretta and Lucious Strong are both doctors at the prestigious Emory Medical School. Strong never felt as though he fit in with the rest of the family. While his brother and sister excelled in music and mathematics, Strong started smoking pot at age 9 drinking by 14. In school he was much more popular than his siblings. While they were studying he was partying.

He was never arrested throughout his teen years though he tried. Despite his best efforts, Strong graduated high school with a C+ average. While his family expected him to attend a junior college and then transfer to the family alma madder, he had one more trick up his sleeve, the Police Academy. While in the academy he breezed through the physical aspects of the training but showed little interest in the class room. Again he graduated. Strong spent 2 years as a beat cop in Atlanta’s most violent zones, while he excelled in arrests, he quickly grew tired of foot chases through dark alleys. Plus he didn’t like the uniform.

After 3 tries, he finally found the time to concentrate on his detective’s exam and passed. However he was too much of a hard and most of his partners filed for new ones. Though he was always certain, he never quite had his facts in line and exaggerated almost every situation resulting in a suspension his first year on the job. That’s when he was partnered up with Black. The two hit it off. Both had felt misunderstood by the rest of the department and unappreciated by their new Chief. They formed a quick bond and quickly found Black’s Car rusting near some train tracks.

Charles “Mack” Black (Michael Tarver)

Mack grew up in relative suburb of Atlanta. He is a fourth generation police officer. His father, his father’s father, and his father’s father’s father were members of the Atlanta Police Department. He is the only son to Martha and Phillip Black. Charles didn’t always excel in his studies as a young lad. He maintained a B average all through high school despite his much needed naps during class. He playing basketball though he was never very good. His parents thought it would be a good way for Mack to meet other boys his age and get some exercise. Since he was a child, Mack always wanted to become a police officer like his father. His father had worked his way up to Sergeant under his own father.

Mack however loved Law and Order and wanted to become a detective. He would dream about catching perps and having sex with the women he saved. When he finally became old enough join the force, he did not excel like he had thought he would. Though he barely made it through the academy, it took 6 tries to pass the detectives exam. By that time his father had retired. Mack quickly developed a reputation for almost doing a good job. While he had girlfriends in college off and on, since becoming a detective he has found no time for frivalence and dedicated himself completely to the job. After 2 years as a detective he was assigned a new partner, John Strong. They hit it off instantly becoming quick friends. However both were assigned to each other because they had failed with previous partners.

This pairing would be no different. While Mack liked to stick to the book with hopes of someday reaching Sargeant like his father, Strong moved to the beat of the streets. They quickly gave themselves a nick name, Black and Strong. Before Black met Strong, Black had been put in charge in a finding a his own vehicle after it was stolen one night after be blacked out on New Years. While years had passed, he had never given up the search for his 94 Honda Civic which he kept in prestige running condition. It was all had. Except for his apartment and such. The station turned his 2 years saga into running joke among themselves. Black completely ignored it. The chief who had succeeded after his father is running low on patience for the chief of the ex-chief.

Weedy (Jared Young)

Grew up in a neighborhood in Alpharetta, where all the white kids were extremely white.  Benjamin Harper also known as Weedy was adored by all his high school friends by being the kid with “fashion”. Popped collars and vibrant colors were his motif.  It was always about being in style and hip to continue his legacy as Mr. Popularity. In his junior year, he almost accomplished the impossible by being the coolest kid in school, outdoing the seniors, by wearing the trucker hat first.  He had his chance, but failed as he became addicted to crack.  The popular seniors at the time were frightened by Benjamin’s growing potential of Douche-Baggery that they had to put a stop to it, they tricked Benjamin into believing that crack and heroin was the cool thing to do, I mean everyone else was doi n it….

During his senior year, his popularity began to dimish as he lost all of his money to drugs, and even started to twitch.  Benjamin then soon became highly addicted to marijuana to try to “stop” his heroin and crack tendencies and to appear less twitchy.  His nickname Weedy became highly popular and almost brought him back to the top with the King-Pin of Weed sales in metropolitan area.  Once he graduated high-school he could do the only thing he knew best, and that was to sell drugs.  He felt that college wouldn’t make him anymore popular, so he tried to go his own route.  By meeting all his new customers he soon quickly got addicted back on heroin.  His parents soon found out that he was addicted to drugs and decided that they couldn’t help him anymore, so they sent him to Rehab.  He entered Rehab at age 19, Weedy became popular quickly at the Rehab center by being the most ingenious drug user, always mystifying other Rehab patients in his creativity and desperation.  Later in his stay, the faculty at the center discovered his drug abuse and decided to send him to state prison.

Weedy soon became very upset that he went to jail and could no longer compete for the most popular 5^th year senior. ( A competition he invented while on heroin. Soon enough the APD put him into jail for 6 months at the age of 19).  During his sentence he attempted make his way to Mr. Popularity in Jail, but soon failed miserably by becoming a Block Bitch (jailbait) to Tyrone Jenkins, but he never put out. At least, that’s his story; and he’s stickin to it. When he was released from jail, he found quick employment at a Wendy’s. He was fired just as fast. Low on his luck he resorts to cocaine, by coke, I mean crack. Soon after he gets arrested by Black and Strong on crack possession charges. After putting up a good fight, Weedy caved and agreed to become an informant in exchange for the clearing of his slate. For the moment. He still maintains his signature style, at least to the best of his abillty. He is easy to spot because he looks like he has been lost on golf course for the last 3 days. He wears pastels like no one’s business. Weedy’s life starts to take unpredicted turns.

Lieutenant Mann (Rodney Banks)

Mann, grew up in the tough western district of Atlanta.  He excelled in all of his classes through out school and graduated with a 4.0. However he lacked the cash flow to attend college. He stayed away from gangs and started boxing instead. One night on the way home from a fight, he took on entire Hollywood Dreamteam Crips with his two fists. When fighting got desperate he beat the leader of the gang to the brink of death. He was covered in Blood. When the police arrived they immediately thanked him for single handedly destroying the neighborhood  crime problem.  He found his calling.

Upon graduation he quickly entered the police academy and was a rising star. Known for way with words and street smarts, he quickly climbed the ladder to Lieutenant. During this time Mack’s father Eric was promoted to Chief. Eric let his son’s infractions slide. This infuriated Mann since he was continually ruining his investigations.  He has made them felony investigators specializing in stolen goods. They fail more then they succeed and he has grown impatient with Mack and his new partner John. Rick Man does not want these idiots to ruin his chances to another promotion.

DA Winters (Karli G. Brooks)

Charlie (Ted Rubin)

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Sample Scenes

(Rough Cuts)

In pre-production…

FILMAtlanta and Blank Stage Productions present

HARVEST

Writer
ERIK MCNEAL

Executive Producer
CYNTHIA COLLINS

Producer
BRENT BROOKS

Director
BRENT BROOKS

DP
STEPHEN SHERWOOD

Guest DP
JUSTIN POAGE

ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS
Stephen Sherwood
SONARconnects
Brothers Young Studios

STARRING

Darryl Moore
Yasmein Ziyad
John Schmedes
Matthew Young
Dominick Racono
Dorian Santiago
Brandon Big Guy
Viviane Brazil
Russell Kozlosky
Alex Peers

CREW

PRODUCTION MANAGER
Yasmein Ziyad

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
Andrew McClure

SOUND MIXKER
Dana Simmions

SCRIPT SUPERVISOR
Maritza Seda

SET DESIGN
Alvin Eric Vazquez

MAKE-UP
Janetta Thompson

KEY GRIP
Donald Smith

GAFFER
Russell Kozlosky

DIT
Ted Rubin

GRIPS
Doug Bryant

Winner of the FILMAtlanta script competition writer Erik McNeal developed “Harvest” for Blank Stage Production and FILMAtlanta to co-produce. The project was written after the location, “A Klassy Clutter” was locked down.  Shot over the course of only one weekend, the Blank Stage team set out to film the project. “Having a location we had complete control over was really nice” says director Brent Brooks.

“Working with Alvin as the set decorator was a real gift, he transformed the back of his store into a dilapidated thrift store. It was incredible.”

A collection of clips from our short film projects our team has been working on over the summer…Enjoy:

YOU ARE THE LIGHT!

BLANK STAGE PRODUCTIONS
404.217.6903
info@blankstageproductions.com

POOR BOY
Screen Captures and Behind the Scene Stills

HOT MUFFIN
Screen Captures and Behind the Scene Stills

WORLD WIDE DECEPTION
Screen Captures and Behind the Scene Stills

PINEBOX
Screen Captures and Behind the Scene Stills

JERSEY SHARK
Screen Captures and Behind the Scene Stills