New Friends

You have no idea how many people it takes to make a movie. I really have no idea, and I’ve been helping make one. But the thing that I realize now is that each stage has it’s own cast of characters.

When we were writing the script, it was just Jieho and I. During the packaging of the film, where cast was attached and financing secured, we were joined by a deeply committed team of producers. Pre-production brought key crew members into the fold, and production added our brilliant cast and fantastic local crew to the family.

After production wraps, things shift. Our post-production team kicks in to gear, with Jieho and our editor Robert leading the charge. The producers and I are still heavily involved, but the cast and crew move on to other projects. The stars of THE AIR I BREATHE (Kevin, Julie, Brendan, Andy, Sarah, Emile, and Forest)…well, they’re movie stars, so I’m sure that most (or all) of them went on to shoot other movies over the summer. Many of them also shot movies right before AIR, so we’ll be able see some of those films this fall (trailers for new Sarah and Forest films are in theatres now).

And of top of that, there are other memorable actors in AIR, some with only a scene or two. I mention this because as the fall TV season begins, members of the AIR family are breaking out and it’s exciting to share in their victories.

Josh Flaum is one of my best friends. He and I spent nearly ten years performing sketch comedy and long-form improv with our comedy troupe THEM. We started in Orlando, toured Canada, and performed monthly shows in Los Angeles before going on hiatus a couple years ago. Josh appears in AIR as Julie Delpy’s assistant Wesley, and shot two great scenes, including a fast-paced emergency room exchange with Kevin Bacon.

Well, you can see Josh as a cast member (and writer) in the new Damon Wayans sketch-comedy show The Underground, which debuted last Thursday on Showtime. Josh shines in the first episode as a guy who brings Damon home to meet his grandmother. The show is really funny (and very dirty, so adults only, please). Josh’s writing partner and cast-mate on the show is Will Bowles, also one of THEM, and the show’s producer is Lena Bouton. Will and Lena are two of my best friends as well, and here’s some real trivia for you…at the very first reading of AIR, nearly three years ago, Will read Kevin Bacon’s part and Lena read Julie Delpy’s part. It’s cool how far we’ve come, and I send my heart-felt congrats to my deeply talented friends.

Jon Bernthal is another actor with a great scene in AIR. He plays a TV Interviewer who interviews Sarah Michelle Gellar’s Sorrow, with truly unexpected results. It’s really a mesmerizing scene and Jon does a great job working with Sarah. You can now see Jon Monday nights as a series regular on the new CBS sitcom The Class. Jon is very funny as Duncan, a guy who still lives with his Mom and reminisces about the girl who got away.

For me, seeing our AIR family on TV or at the movies is a nostalgic reminder me of those amazing six and a half weeks in Mexico City. For you, it will be a little sneak preview of what’s to come. Take a moment to meet Josh and Jon. This fall, see what’s new with Sarah, Forest, and the rest of our ensemble.

And then when you see THE AIR I BREATHE, you will be spending time with friends, in a house built by Jieho and all his amazing collaborators. I assure you, it will be a homecoming to remember.