“5th Step” is a brand new movie written by Angela Green Esq. Executive Director of On Location Memphis (OL:M) -a resource company for all filmmakers.
She also established Memphis Movie Production-an independent production company-through funding and grants, in order to bring movie projects to completion “in house”.
The mission statement lays it out:
“Exceptional movies are being made faster and cheaper all over the world. We believe that Memphis should have a large presence in the filmmaking revolution. A part of ensuring that presence, is for Memphis to have licensed and trained crew members ready to work.”
The origins of the movie start with actor Darius Wallace who was originally tapped to write the script surrounding the 12th Step of the Alcoholic Anonymous (AA) program.
As the scope of the script was bigger than the available budget of production,Darius came back with the concept of writing a script around the 5th Step of the AA program.
Essentially, Step 5 is the point in the process in which one will speak openly and honestly about their struggles with addiction, with focus on how they harmed themselves and others through their actions and behaviors.
The 5th Step is where you acknowledge and confess the nature of your wrongs to God, yourself and another human being.
Darius brought personal insight to the project as a recovering alcoholic.
Angela picks up the story:
“By this time it was after Jan. 1, 2023. Darius was starting to get busy traveling for his main job as an Actor. I had already raised some funds for the film, in addition to the grant money, so I was now in a time crunch.
I needed a script that I could shoot by the summer. I offered to help Darius with the writing. Once I learned what the 5th Step was, I began to think about what the story could be based on our parameters. We needed a script that would primarily be shot in one - three locations.
We also wanted 3-4 cast members. Of course we ended up with five locations and ten cast members, but that was the original parameters. When you watch the film we are primarily in one location. I started to watch movies like, "Rope", "American Son" and "Malcolm and Marie" to get an idea of how to structure the film.”
(Darius and Angela plus cast and crew during the production)
She continues:
“I was working with Christie Taylor, The Script Polisher, who was guiding me on each step during the script writing phase. I would then take my thoughts back to Darius. After a couple meetings, Darius told me I seemed to have the muse and that I should just write it.
So began my journey. The first thing I did was write the backstory for each character. Who they were as individuals, how they view the world, and how they relate to each other. The next thing I did was write an outline of the movie from beginning to end. From there I was able to write the script.
The dialog came effortlessly because the back story, and relationships, drove how they would talk to each other. Once I wrote a complete script, I hired Marissa Croft to edit the script. There were several tweaks and changes that got us to what you finally see on the screen.”
The music for the film was scored by Ryan "Raid" Richardson and Tony Forte - who delicately approached the screen action with their considered music for maximum emotional impact.
Ryan “Ra'id" Richardson describes his approach to the music score as follows:
"After seeing the scenes for the film I concentrated on both the instructions given, but also the details of each scene. If you pay close attention there's always great details that any musician can play off of; the color scheme/lighting, the character's dialogue and gestures, the locations and conditions of said locations.
I attempted to reflect exactly what I saw. It's like painting a picture with sound and complimenting the atmosphere. Certain drums used and synths played can make or break a particular scene or vibe on-screen.
I also relate this process of composing to adding furniture to a half done room; half empty when I start and it's up to me to add and arrange the rest to make this "space" just right."
Tony Forte - the other composer of the score explains his approach:
"My aim when composing the score was to aid in the creation of tension within the context of what was being presented on screen while also giving adequate space to allow the scenes to breathe.
I wanted the music to be borderline eerie but also remain grounded, adding to the film and not distracting from it. The subject matter was emotionally heavy and I wanted to reflect that primarily through synth and strings with percussion used sparingly. “
This is an honest movie that reflects real life struggles - and credit is truly deserved for Angela and the entire crew and actors, for bringing this film to the screen for a wider national and international viewership.
Credit is also due for raising the funds and making this a truly Memphis independent film production - and the start of more to come!
There will be a Red Carpet Screening event scheduled for April 14, 2024, at Malco Powerhouse Cinema & Grill,Memphis TN
Tickets will go on sale in March.
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More info here:
IMDb -https://www.imdb.com/title/tt28943384/?ref_=rvi_tt