chiller blog

Posted Oct 5, 09 02:07 PM

The Hills Have "I"s

Dan Maddalena is the most infectiously thrilled-for-everyone optimist on life's path. I love this guy.

Just last summer, he'd email frequently from the South African set of The Last House on the Left reboot. The producers: Wes Craven, Sean S. Cunningham (both back from the original)… and Dan's sister, Marianne Maddalena. Less than a year later, on opening weekend, I watched Dan's name proudly announced in the final credit scroll.

"Unit Publicist...Dan Maddalena."

OK, being objective here isn't as easy as being subjective. But I will say this of the potent remake: Around the halfway juncture, when onscreen parents Tony Goldwyn and Monica Potter realize the heinous identities of their unexpected houseguests, emotion overcame me. So swept up was I by this film's brutal grip that I really did forget this was Marianne and Dan's movie!

CHILLER caught up with Danny M. Wouldn't you know? He was extremely gracious and excited to fill us in on his work.

CHILLER: The credits on THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT list you as Unit Publicist. What's the 101 of that position, for our readers?

Dan: As the unit publicist, I travel to the production location and handle (usually mishandle) the press who come to do stories on the film. I've made three films in Africa, so the job has allowed me to experience all sorts of divergent and exotic cultures for months at a time.

My job entails scheduling interviews between reporters and various members of the cast and crew. I usually sit in on interviews in order to assist the process and to also make sure that no plot secrets are revealed.

CHILLER: Ooh. Plot secrets! Like…

Dan: I sometimes also have to keep reporters away from mind-blowing (but all-too-revealing) sets and make-up gags that could spoil the shock aspect for our audience. Of course, these are the scariest/goriest/most spectacular sets - chambers of horror, mutant caves, etc. - that our depraved band of reporters CRAVE. They are a bloodthirsty lot, and they all want their pictures taken in the scariest places imaginable.

One of the most challenging aspects of my job is when I have groups of reporters to assist and keep track of. With a demanding shooting schedule, it can be difficult scheduling interviews with already overworked and over-stressed directors, actors and crew members. Plus, I always find one reporter "wandering off" in search of the bloody stuff I'm in charge of keeping them away from! Usually, I love the reporters and have a blast hanging with them and showing them around because they love horror and suspense pictures as much as I do.

I also assist in the making of the "behind the scenes" featurettes that are included in the DVD package. For this, I schedule interviews and scout evocative locations - generally helping the EPK (Electronic Press Kit) professionals any way I can. Often, they are only on set for a few days. The EPK folks would prefer that the actors not be covered in blood for their interviews (picky! picky!) so we have to work around that.

My favorite task is the writing of production notes that publicize the film. I research and interview each cast and crew member in order to explain to our audience what makes our film unique and therefore must-see viewing. I will write about various aspects of production - why the director chose the property, why the actors were attracted to the script. The notes go out to hundreds of newspapers and magazines around the globe and are online on the official website for the film.

CHILLER: Your involvement was so much more, too. Scouting for multiples of the same props for the Art Department. Giving notes on drafts. Maybe I should ask what you don't do. But what do you personally do beyond your credited position?

Dan: As part of Wes Craven's film family, I've had amazing opportunities to explore aspects of filmmaking beyond the scope of unit publicist. I'm on-set all the time, so I'm thrilled to help any way I can.

My sister is Marianne Maddalena, who has produced all the films I've worked on, so she knows there is nothing she can't ask me to do in service of the film. Marianne has a vision of what she wants to create and won't give up until she is satisfied, no matter the difficulty.

For The Last House on the Left, which takes place in America yet was filmed in Cape Town, South Africa, I took hundreds of photos of a friend's house and guesthouse in Martha's Vineyard, which we then built from the ground up outside of Cape Town. Mind-blowing: (re)creating a friend's house in Africa!

I spent a month scouring secondhand stores in search of furniture and household items to create a believable house that US audiences would accept. Little details like light switch plates in the wrong shape and location can subliminally unsettle American audiences who detect such seemingly inconsequential details.

One day, I might be working for the second unit – dressed as a scientist – typing away on a computer as the camera films only my hands. For Red Eye (I was a production assistant, not unit publicist), I filmed hundreds of auditions. For The Hills Have Eyes 2, I ran a machine that squirted fake blood during a mutant birthing scene. The director kept yelling, "Dan - too much blood! Slow it down!" Who knew there EVER could be too much blood?

Because we have been fortunate to work in developing countries such as Morocco and South Africa, Marianne always sponsors a local charity. I usually spearhead some kind of fundraiser. In Morocco, we raised funds that renovated a local school. In Cape Town, we purchased dozens of braillers for blind students. We always try to give back to our host community.

CHILLER: What's your typical timeframe on a project? Do you get involved when the film is "announced" or in "preproduction?" When production wraps, are you one of the last people to turn off the lights?

Dan: Great question. Wes and Marianne are firm believers in getting lots of feedback on scripts at every stage of development. Creating and developing spine-tingling, tightly constructed scripts is probably their highest priority. In preproduction, I often make copious notes of the scripts in various stages of development. Next is probably the production shoot, which usually runs for two to three months. Then, once the film is wrapped, I begin the production notes which take a few months time to compile and write.

Sometimes, I assist with post-production press junkets, which I love. I get to hang out as the Four Seasons Hotel with Wes, Marianne and actor pals. Pretty cushy work: "More caviar, pleazzzzze."

CHILLER: What part do you play in a film's marketing campaign?

Dan: I don't take part. The studios handle that. I loved that the campaign used the "Martha's Vineyard" house for the movie poster!

CHILLER: Morocco, South Africa. Obviously, taking a film set so far away breaks down to the right locations, tax incentives, and maximizing a budget. But what's it like living and working in a foreign environment for long periods of time?

Dan: I like to travel, so location work is a big plus for me. However, for our actors, foreign locations can be problematic, so another aspect of my job is helping them feel at home in a strange land. For instance, an actor might come to the location in the middle of the shoot. They might not know anyone well and, consequently, they might feel extremely insecure in such a foreign place. It's my job to introduce them around and help them feel grounded so they can do their best work. On set, there is a lot of down time between camera set-ups, so I love chatting with the actors and hearing about their careers. I've worked with some amazing talents - Rachel McAdams, Cillian Murphy, LOST's Emilie de Ravin, Academy (Award) nominee Kathleen Quinlan, Silence of the Lambs' Ted Levine, Monica Potter, Tony Goldwyn...the list goes on and on.

Marianne and Wes pride themselves on creating a friendly, homey vibe on set so actors feel comfortable and secure and can do their best creative work. I know we read all the time about how glamorous actors' lives are, but it's not easy running around a Moroccan desert for hours and hours in the blazing sun, covered in fake blood, escaping from malcontent mutants, no matter what People Magazine says!

For both Hills shoots, we had to hire snake handlers whose job was to gather all the snakes and scorpions from the desert location we were shooting in. For the Last House shoot, we had to shoo curious baboons from our location constantly. "Leave our craft service table alone!"

The hardest part of working overseas is the communication gap between different cultures. In Morocco, the locals speak French and Arabic and little if no English, so communicating can get tricky at times. Once our US-based special effects makeup department labeled a crate going to Morocco "body parts," and the Moroccan customs department took it literally and confiscated our supplies. We never did get that crate. Marianne, thinking quickly, put an emergency call into a producer pal who was filming a remake of The Ten Commandments at the studio next door. Luckily, we were able to borrow the much-needed severed arms, heads and legs from them so our shoot wasn't delayed.

CHILLER: You enjoy a terrific professional relationship with your sister, Marianne, who was one of three producers on the film. What's it like when a work set film family really is family?

Dan: My sister is my hero! She constantly amazes me with her film expertise, creativity and good humor even in the most difficult of circumstances. She must average fielding 50 major problems everyday, and yet she stays pleasant and unruffled throughout it all.

On set, we keep it light and fun in order to create a pleasant work experience for everyone. With the actors so far from the US, our family connection helps them relax and feel comfortable. Marianne is always throwing spectacular parties for the cast and crew. We work hard and we play hard.

CHILLER: Thanks, Danny. Always a pleasure.