Monday, October 5, 2009

"Paper Boys" wins 4 Accolade Awards!


A little more recognition never hurt! This time, "Paper Boys" has won 4 Accolades, considered one of the top awards exclusively for independent film!

1-Feature Film
2-Editing-Kevin Christopher
3-Overall Post-Production - AGI Studios and Kevin Christopher
4-Supporting Actor - Robert Hatch (for his terrifying portrayal of an abusive father)

This makes 5 awards so far, and counting... and the film has barely been seen!

Click for full Accolades interview:

Friday, September 25, 2009

Dixie Film Festival--Here We come!


Though we did a premiere for cast, crew and fans in Atlanta, we have been polishing up the film for legal clearance as 0f late and were readying for a sale tour in LA when we received the news we were selected for the Dixie Film Fest, Athens, GA, October 16th-18th when we turn this football town into a film town.

Aware Productions is very proud to have been selected and we look forward to an enthusiastic crowd in Athens for our first public festival premiere!


Date:
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Time:
9:30pm - 11:45pm
Location:
Morton Theater, Athens GA
Street:
195 W. Washington St
City/Town:
Athens, GA

Friday, June 26, 2009

"Paper Boys" World Premiere--Tons of Fun!

"Paper Boys" has finally opened to an elbow-to-elbow crowd at Atlanta's Plaza Theatre. It's World Premiere comes only a week after winning an "Indie" Award from the Indie Fest. The exhibition went off without a hitch despite last minute mixdowns to it's rich soundtrack and improvements in its visual effects; completed only the night before.

Most of the cast and crew were there to celebrate and from all reports it was a crowd pleaser despite some parents getting a few surprises from the relatively mature content as the film deals with a main character who faces major choices on how to handle the first chapter of "adult" life after a non-stop abusive father relationship. We hope all took the positive messages from some rather realistic situations that many teens deal with regularly in today's ever-more-complex world.

The Producers, Bryan E. Hall, J. Howard Bach, Kevin Christopher and Emily Bach would like to thank all who attended the performance and especially to those who came to the festive afterparty at Manuel's.
















Most people have no idea what remains in the battle for an independent film to get wide distribution, but the actors and crew have done a great job in creating a product for many to enjoy!

Please visit the Facebook site for tons more photos from the event.



ATLANTA, Ga.—Aware Production’s has won an Award of Merit from The Indie Fest for its feature film, “Paper Boys.” The film will have it world premiere in Atlanta in June. Filmed in Atlanta, Lake Westpoint and Powder Springs, Georgia. , the film’s foundation is exceptional cinematography, state-of-the-art HD tech specs and a rich original score by Benjamin New. The smart and attractive cast use this springboard for the presentation of a wide latitude of emotional tones from laughter to tears. Writer/Producer/Director/Cinematographer Bryan E. Hall, USC Film Masters Grad, put the project together from inception to finished product, collecting Atlanta’s best talent and artisans. 15 years from script to screen, it is something the first time filmmaker “only wants to do once in a lifetime, if that.”

“Paper Boys” stars newcomer Louis Lavdas in the lead role of the film as Sean Sanders, the son of a violent father who, at 18, has done his best to survive. Sean's character falls into a common trap, the escape from reality by using drugs. The film begins as Sean prepares to leave rehab and to live with his best friend’s family instead of his dysfunctional family. The rest of the film is driven by the conflict between Sean’s self-destructive tendencies and his passion for life. Supported by an ensemble cast, “Paper Boys” moves seamlessly from seriousness to “Tom-Foolery”. Sean and his best friend, Steve (David Hall) and a crew of teenage door-to-door salesmen are led by a young sales manager/mentor/philosopher, Ray Keats, starring Christopher Whitley.

“We are pleased at the level of recognition our film has received as it has yet to have its public premiere. The Indie Fest is a closed competition screened and judged only by industry professionals in Southern California ,” said Bryan. “We have also had very good response from international distributors but the tail cannot wag the dog and we have to give preference to domestic distributors first, then parcel it out.”

The Indie Fest recognizes film professionals who demonstrate exceptional achievement in craft and creativity, and those who produce standout entertainment or contribute to profound social change. Entries are judged by highly qualified professionals in the film industry. Information about the Indie Fest and a list of recent winners can be found at www.theindiefest.com. In winning an Indie, Aware Productions joins the ranks of other high-profile winners of this internationally respected award. Thomas Baker, Ph.D., Chairman of the Indie Fest, remarked, “The Indie is not an easy award to win. Entries are received from around the world. The Indie helps set the standard for craft and creativity. The judges were exceptionally pleased with the exceptionally high quality of entries. The goal of The Indie is to help winners achieve the recognition they deserve.”

“Paper Boys” has it world premiere Saturday night, June 20th at the Plaza Theater in Atlanta, Georgia. For tickets and information, please visit the film site (www.paperboysmovie.com).

ABOUT AWARE PRODUCTIONS

Aware Productions (www.awareproductions.com) has been around for more than 20 years but this film marks its entry into feature film entertainment. Having produced commercials, music videos, PSAs, and artistic projects of various lengths, Aware Productions has worked with many well known musical and acting artists. At the helm, Bryan E. Hall has several other full-length projects in various stages of development.

Contacts

Aware Productions
Bryan E. Hall, Executive Producer, 404-579-0905
bryanehall@hotmail.com

Kevin Christopher, Co-executive Producer and Editor, 404-325-3355

J. Howard Bach, Co-executive Producer, 404-931-3738

Monday, March 30, 2009

Atlanta World Premiere for "Paper Boys"



Click Image to Enlarge
It's official. Working title, "Boys of the Wrecking Crew" has finally taken its name, "Paper Boys".

The date of the world premiere will be Saturday, June 20th, 730pm in Atlanta at the beautiful Plaza Theater on Ponce De Leon and we have prepared for the possibility of adding a second showing on the same evening, but don't count on it.

To view photo galleries and other info about the film, please visit the MySpace site.

You should guarantee a seat early as there is limited seating . If we don't sellout, tickets will be $12 at the door.

You may arrange for secure $10 payment through Paypal here.








Don't forget to bring your receipt to the window at the theater. When you add tickets to your cart, the site will forward you to PayPal. If you have no account you may open one with your credit card, then proceed to your cart.



TicketsQuantity/ Discount









Note: CD (below) pickup at Premiere (Must be ordered
in advance for preparation)



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Pre-Order your CD's NOW!!

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CD Soundtrack




Quantity Discount/CD Soundtrack








Click below for samples from the
soundtrack of "Paper Boys"



Project One (written and composed by Benjamin E. New for the movie, but not in the film)
Exclusive here!
Sean and Leah's Theme
Until the Earth Ends - Performed by Dear Savannah
.
Hell Ride Instrumental - Benjamin E.New - Guitar & Benjamin C. New - Drums
If Only For Tonight - Dear Savannah
First Time - Benjamin E. New - Acoustic Guitar
Bitch at the Door - Benjamin E. New - Piano
Bob Variations - Benjamin E. New - Piano
Richard Cranium - Benjamin E. New - Piano
Innocent - Benjamin E. New - Synth/Harpsichord/Strings
You're So Warm - Jamie Radford
Bicycle Symphony - Benjamin E. New - Instrumental
Bad Dad - Benjamin E. New - Synth
Airwave Pirate - Benjamin E. New & Mighty Parrot Band
Had to Let It Go - Jamie Radford
Never Give Up - Jamie Radford
Knowledge Is the Truth - Benjamin E. New
Monolithic Musical Theme - Benjamin E. New &  Benjamin C. New






Director Statement
What began as a response to the the real life story of the death of a young teen boy at his own hands, has become a play of redemption, salvation and a simple look at false bravado, failures to communicate, manipulation and a never-ending generation gap.

My main drive in formulating the piece was the juxtaposition of comedy and tragedy, innocence and experience, the good old days versus and ever more complex society in which teens have to learn to deal with their inner conflicts. What had sat on the shelf for 15 years has finally seen society come to where it has been since its inception. Market insistence on conforming to certain filmic expectations in the early nineties stood in the way of telling a story in a honest way.

I didn't want to spoon feed generic solutions or even to tell people what was a problem, but instead; I wanted to allow characters to become and feel what they chose. One has to see the film to see how it may end in a way that simply would not have been allowed in those days, especially dealing with the prospects of homosexuality, disease, and competing theories of causation versus birth of one's sexuality.

I believe this film does something few films have done; it presents concerns without assuming they are problems and it allows characters to simply be instead of changing who they are.



Synopsis
“Paper Boys” is a coming-of-age film in the strictest sense but more; it is an exploration of a microcosm of young door-to-door newspaper salesmen who are closer than most families in many regards. A truly ensemble piece, the film revolves around a common problem for teens which most often feels unique but isn’t, dysfunctional, non-traditional family. Add to this violence, psychological abuse, confusion over sexuality and a fierce awareness of one’s own economic standing, the main character turns to drugs and finds himself in a tailspin while his friends have no idea how to handle it.

False bravado and hyper-sexuality amplified by drugs and painful circumstances, gives us a recipe for a rich juxtaposition of comedy and potential tragedy. The soundtrack creates a relentless ride which leaves one emotionally exhausted from laughter and tears.

Best friends Sean and Steve are members of a door-to-door newspaper sales crew. They and several other friends share a world most have never experienced, joined at the hip nightly as they cruise suburban neighborhoods with their mentor, Ray, who finds them more family than employees.

The film considers sales as a metaphor for life and they all discover that each of us meets a different set of objections to the sale. One of the more experienced boys shares, 'Life is just sales man... a series of controlled failures leading to a few successes.'

Sean discovers his life has presented him with more stumbling blocks than most face. Will he handle them well?


photo by Bryan E. Hall/Aware Productions
Click Image to Enlarge
Actors Louis Lavdas and David Hall (Sean and Steve) are blood-sworn best friends for life, one a product of wealth the other from a highly dysfunctional family; but they grew up next door to each other. Sean lived in the dump Steve's father had grown up in... next door to the new mansion.

Friday, March 13, 2009

Keep Up With "Paper Boys" the Movie!

Click Image to Enlarge
Aware Productions is proud to announce the official kickoff of the choice of title for the project formerly known as "Boys of the Wrecking Crew" (working title).

Paper Boys has come to the closing days of post-production and the producers are currently planning the best approach to a premier. Meanwhile, keep checking here or at the main site of Aware Productions for all news about the project and its progress.

No, it's not a film about the little boys on bikes that deliver your paper; instead, door-to-door teen salesmen, Sean and Steve are blood-sworn best friends for life, one a product of wealth the other from a highly dysfunctional family; but they grew up next door to each other. Sean lived in the dump Steve's father had grown up in... next door to the new mansion.Paper Boys is a coming-of-age film in the strictest sense but more; it is an exploration of a microcosm of young door-to-door newspaper salesmen who are closer than most families in many regards. A truly ensemble piece, the film revolves around a common problem for teens which most often feels unique but isn’t, dysfunctional, non-traditional family. Add to this violence, psychological abuse, confusion over sexuality and a fierce awareness of one’s own economic standing, the main character turns to drugs and finds himself in a tailspin while his friends have no idea how to handle it.

False bravado and hyper-sexuality amplified by drugs and painful circumstances, gives us a recipe for a rich juxtaposition of comedy and potential tragedy. The soundtrack creates a relentless ride which leaves one emotionally exhausted from laughter and tears.

Sean and Steve are two of eight members of a door-to-door newspaper sales crew. They share a world most have never experienced, joined at the hip nightly as they cruise suburban neighborhoods with their mentor, Ray, who finds them more family than employees.

The film considers sales as a metaphor for life and they all discover that each of us meets a different set of objections to the sale. One of the more experienced boys shares, "Life is just sales, man... a series of controlled failures leading to a few successes."

Sean discovers his life has presented him with more stumbling blocks than most face. Will he handle them well?


Director Statement
What began as a response to the death of a young teen boy at his own hands, has become a play of redemption, salvation and a simple look at false bravado, failures to communicate, manipulation and a never-ending generation gap.

My main drive in formulating the piece was the juxtaposition of comedy and tragedy, innocence and experience, the good old days versus an ever more complex society in which teens have to learn to deal with their inner conflicts. What had sat on the shelf for 15 years has finally seen society come to where it has been since its inception. Market insistence on conforming to certain filmic expectations in the early nineties stood in the way of telling a story in a honest way.

I didn't want to spoon feed generic solutions or even to tell people what was a problem, but instead; I wanted to allow characters to become and feel what they chose. One has to see the film to see how it may end in a way that simply would not have been allowed in those days, especially dealing with the prospects of homosexuality, disease, and competing theories of causation versus birth of one's sexuality.

I believe this film does something few films have done; it presents concerns without assuming they are problems and it allows characters to simply be instead of changing who they are.

Bryan E. Hall, MPW
Writer/Producer/Director





Click Image to Enlarge