Talk about timely, sensitive topics, Hot Flash: The Chronicles of Lara Tate Menopausal Superhero? gives a whole new meaning to “The change of life,” an official selection film in the Artemis Women In Action Film Festival 5th Edition. For anyone who has ever gone through menopause or knows someone who has . . . this one is a MUST SEE! Hot Flash takes a sensitive, taboo subject and approaches it with comedy.
Synopsis: The story of a woman going through all 34 of the symptoms of Menopause to the extreme, causing her to unwittingly become a superhero who wields those powers. Amy Buchwald, Danny Woodburn; Mike Hagerty; Tay Disney; Amy Buchwald, writer; Danny Woodburn, director. Adult themes. USA
Interviewed by Kaylene Peoples
Responses by Amy Buchwald (Creator) and Danny Woodburn (Co-Producer)
Tell me a little about your film and what inspired you to make Hot Flash?
Amy Buchwald (Creator): I was inspired by my own experiences with what happens to women as they reach this age. This period of a woman’s life makes them virtually invisible to society. It felt almost taboo to speak about the subject and certainly it is rarely addressed openly. I wanted to bring some attention to it and make it accessible to everyone in a comedic and yet informative way.
How long did it take to complete the film? What was it shot on? Tell me about the filmmaking process.
Amy: Each shoot was only one day but with finding professionals willing to work on a project out of passion rather than payday things like this can take longer to complete especially considering the effects that were created on a minimal budget. I believe we used 4K.
Let’s talk about the cast and crew. Tell me about who was involved and particularly your key players.
Amy: My husband (Danny Woodburn) is my collaborator. We wrote and produced the episodes together and he directed the second episode. Many of our friends in the industry, both in cast and crew, came on board out of long established relationships with them on other projects.
What were some of the most memorable moments on set?
Amy: The beat where my on-screen husband, Mike Hagerty, who plays Malcolm, uses the salt-shaker incorrectly is purely an accident. Mike’s long career as a character actor is evident as he brings a great deal of experience and commitment to his work.
As a filmmaker, tell me about your background.
Amy: Both Danny and I have many years of experience in the industry. I grew up performing in theater professionally and toured the country as a child stage actress. I’ve written and produced variety shows for local television in Minneapolis as well as a number of stage plays and a musical that premiered Off-Broadway in 2013. I work as a stand-up comic and I write with my partner and husband Danny. Danny has over 30 films and 150 TV credits in his career and his knowledge of the set and all the elements that come into play is incredible.
What would you say is unique about this film? Were there any challenging moments during production?
Danny Woodburn (co-producer): Finding and securing location is always a difficult task. We managed to find a large house, a family-style restaurant, and a karate Dojo for free. Postproduction is always a challenge, too, when trying to create original music and special effects. Figuring out the legal aspects of ownership is also part of our learning curve. Be sure you as a filmmaker own all the rights to your finished product especially when getting people to work for low-budget productions.
What were some of the highlights of filming Hot Flash?
Danny Woodburn (co-producer): The pressure to complete a day of 10 pages, given all the obstacles of multiple locations, 10 actors, and several scenes is stressful. But when you succeed there is no better feeling.
(For whoever wants to chime in) What were some of the obstacles? On your next project what might you do differently and what might you do the same?
Danny Woodburn (co-producer): When you think you have covered everything go back and check again. One of our composers sang the song on film. We offered hi the role but assumed he understood what we wanted hi to do. What was obvious to us was not obvious to him. Mistakes like that can cost you a scene or even a day.
What advice could you give to a first-time director/producer/composer/etc..?
Danny and Amy: DETAILS. Go over every detail, right down to, “Can we use the toilet?” at a particular location. Be ready to spend more money than you budgeted. If you are on a low-budget project, be aware you can lose a cast or crew member or two throughout the day.
Final last words:
Danny and Amy: Adapt. Know that your baby is growing during the process from conception to fruition. What you set out to create is not always what you end up with, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Respect your dept. heads and what they are bringing.
Screening: PUNCHLINES – NARRATIVE SHORTS BLOCK – Sat. April 27, 2019 10:00pm
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