“For Diane and myself, when we walked onto set for the first time and saw all the people helping transition our words to the screen, it was very emotional.” Writer Mike Buchanan (co-author of the novel THE FAT BOY CHRONICLES) spoke with me after a midnight production screening of the film based on his book. It was late. We had a cup of coffee or two prior to the screening. It was my third time seeing the movie, but this time we were able to see it projected on a big screen. Exciting stuff!
Buchanan talked about the experience with hindsight but the emotions were still fresh in his mind. Diane Lang was Mike’s co-author and they formed a tight unit when the movie went into production. Shot on the Red camera, THE FAT BOY CHRONICLES looks as though it was made for many, many times what was spent on the project. It’s a lean narrative pulled from Buchanan’s and Lang’s prose concerning a ninth grader named Jimmy Winterpock, who is teetering on the edge of obesity.
“From Jason down to the production assistants, everyone worked so hard on the project. But there were days in which Jason would come to us and say ‘This scene is a page too long, you need to cut it but keep the essence.’ As he walked back to set, he’d tell us, ‘And, I need it by lunch.’ So, the process was fluid, yet equally an orchestra of dedicated creative people.”
Buchanan’s relationship with the film’s director, Jason Winn, goes back a ways. The two collaborated on the award-winning short film LAST BULLET and spent some time prior to that working on the gestating TREASURE OF THE FOUR LIONS. THE FAT BOY CHRONICLES is their first feature film together.
“During filming, it’s easy to get caught up in the hustle of the moment and not see the big picture but now to step back and see the result of everyone’s effort makes Diane and I marvel at the process. We can’t wait to do it again.” Even at 2 o’clock in the morning after a coffee infused midnight production screening, Buchanan is exuberant.
Director Jason Winn was also present and bouncing about both before and after the screening. These two share a passion for story-telling. Buchanan and Winn watched ALICE IN WONDERLAND prior to the watching their film. Focusing on stories that appeal to families is a growing passion for Winn, Lang, and Buchanan. Lang and Buchanan are teachers with many years of service. The stories they write are the product of their significant experience with their target audience. Pulling double duty, Buchanan even plays a science teacher in the THE FAT BOY CHRONICLES.
All that work trying on different hats can wear on a person, and if the effort was unsuccessful, it would be a major let-down. Fortunately, Buchanan is in good spirits after watching the film one more time and, this time, on the big screen. But it isn’t all about sitting in the theater and partaking in the movie experience.
“Diane and I were in New Jersey speaking to schools about the issues in the book when Jason called us on a Friday night.” Buchanan said of his first opportunity to see a polished part of the film. “He said he was putting the trailer on YouTube the next day but he wanted us to see it first. We opened our email and when we watched it, the memories of working on the book and script and being on set flashed by. It was an emotional rush unlike any other.”
THE FAT BOY CHRONICLES is currently seeking distribution. For more information, visit: http://thefatboychronicles.com/
