With editorial,
VFX, and sound support
from Cutters Studios,
Director Scott Smith’s
award-winning film
hits the big screen
October 5
(Chicago — 25 September 2018) Thanks to distributor Ammo Content, Fulton Market Films’ Chasing The Blues will launch a U.S. theatrical debut on October 5.
The run begins in LA, Phoenix, Portland, Columbus, Philadelphia, Dallas / Ft. Worth, NYC, Detroit, Nashville, Greensboro, and Kansas City. It will expand to Chicago, New Orleans, Buffalo, Salem, and Chattanooga on October 12.
Directed by Scott Smith, who co-wrote the script with Kevin Guilfoile, Chasing The Blues is a dark indie comedy that follows two rival record collectors who match wits in an epic feud for possession of an ultra-rare (and possibly cursed) blues LP.
Named Best Feature at Jackson Crossroads Film Festival and Best of Fest at Lone Star Film Festival, Chasing The Blues is a nostalgic and exhilarating immersion into blues culture and fandom. The film stars Jon Lovitz, Grant Rosenmeyer, Ronald L. Conner, Chelsea Tavares, Clem Cheung, Anna Maria Horsford and Steve Guttenberg.
CHASING THE BLUES TRAILER
Behind the scenes with Cutters Studios
Smith and producers John Fromstein and JJ Ingram assembled an incredibly powerful group of talents behind the scenes. Starting with director of photography Nicole Whitaker, key talents also include Cutters Studios partner Chris Claeys as post-production supervisor and Aaron Kiser as editor.
Teams from creative production studio Flavor handled graphics and picture finishing, while Another Country completed the sound design and final mix.
“I’ve worked with Cutters as an advertising creative director for over twenty years, and obviously when you work with a company for that long, you trust them immensely,” Smith says. “So, when the conversation with my producers came up about post, Cutters Studios topped the list. One of the most attractive factors was knowing we could do everything there, from offline to color to audio to FX, and we knew it would all be stellar.”
Noting that, “small indie features don’t always get the love and care they deserve,” he praised the Chicago-based studio’s dedication.
“Outside of the extreme talent and craftsmanship of our editor and captain Aaron Kiser, colorist Steve Wood, and sound designer Mike Regan, the dedication and enthusiasm of the whole company and the support we felt was amazing,” he adds. “I’m grateful to Chris and Cutters Studios CEO Tim McGuire for taking in our little film and giving it the love of a big feature.”
The soundtrack
Chasing The Blues’ soundtrack provides a masterful tapestry of vintage and modern blues songs recorded by numerous artists.
One song in particular, “O Death, Where Is Thy Sting,” plays in two separate versions: a stripped down “original” by Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter The Bones of J.R. Jones, and a hip-hop-styled track by Doomtree’s Cecil Otter.
Director Smith emphasizes the importance of sound in his comments about Mike Regan’s audio design and mix.
“Many people don’t realize how important audio design and mix is to a film, until they’re watching one with a shitty mix,” he explains. “Mike left no stone unturned in making our sound flawless as well as inventive. There are too many instances and nuances to describe, but a scene that always gets me is where the two main characters are having an intense conversation inside an apartment and a transformer explodes outside. The quality and richness of the sound in the explosion makes me jump every time I watch that scene… and I know it’s coming!”
Additional Cutters Studios credits include assistant editor Kalen Kirkpatrick and producer Katie Wickman at Cutters, sound effects editors Alex Paguirigan and Logan Vines and executive producer Tim Konn at Another Country, and executive producer Neal Cohen at Flavor.
To learn more about Chasing the Blues, click here.
About Cutters Studios
Established in Chicago in 1980, Cutters has cemented its reputation as a premier provider of extraordinary editing and post-production artistry, and today the company is among the world’s largest independent editorial companies. Based on its reputation for world-class talent, family values, and great leadership, Cutters has opened successful studios in Kansas City, Detroit, Los Angeles, Tokyo and New York City. With partner companies Another Country, Dictionary Films, Flavor and Picnic Media, Cutters Studios represents unlimited full-service creative capabilities. For more information please visit http://www.cuttersstudios.com.
Send your indie film updates to Reel Chicago Editor Dan Patton, dan@reelchicago.com.
