Director's Statement Finale is a fictionalized account of my oldest brother's suicide and my mother's subsequent retreat into grief-stricken denial and paranoia. I tell the story from her perspective – that his death was not self-inflicted, but the planned sacrifice of a demonic cult – and that she alone must save her family. The project opened up lines of communication within my family, giving us an outlet to face our demons. After collaborating on two short films, Ryan Harris and I assembled a team, pooled our money together, landed grants from Kodak, Laser Pacific and Panavision, then set out for Cincinnati, Ohio – to shoot in the post-industrial wasteland on the outskirts of my hometown. Locals supported the cause, donating a generator, abandoned Victorian house, and hospital room. Our 8 person crew shot a month and a half straight with only 2 days off, often 18 hours a day, in backwoods, abandoned houses and barns, down dirt roads, crypt-like passages and cemeteries, through the most desolate, haunting, forgotten places. If circumstances demanded, I rolled sound or operated camera. Without the luxury of a production designer, Ryan and I hand built props and the entire set for the climax. Opting to shoot on Super 16mm, we devised our own complex in-camera, practical effects, borrowing from the lost arts of early film magicians – like behind the lens filters, two-way mirrors and speed ramps. Our no-budget spectacle was accomplished with meticulous storyboards and planning, so that elements assembled years apart work together seamlessly within single scenes. To achieve a tracking shot of fire racing down a trail of kerosene towards the camera, we filmed in reverse. At the bottom of an ancient concrete stairwell, Ryan and I lit a trail of gasoline and literally ran through the flames. Special effects makeup artist Chris Payne life-cast demon heads and puppeteered them, lit on fire, from beneath a card table, before they were blown up by shotguns and fireworks. While Producer Mike Elkin and I were set dressing an abandoned house on Christmas morning, we got held up at gunpoint by police who mistook us for burglars. After filming a death scene, cops pulled me over shirtless and covered in blood. Another time, a vagrant found our trunk of prop pipe-bombs, the FBI shut down the highway and had a bomb-squad robot blow it up – before we were finished shooting its scenes. Producer Marisa Wahl bought a $500 picture car that also hauled crew and equipment. We lived in a key location, used a wheelchair dolly, Home Depot lights, had a 100-mile-daily commute between sets, and worked without heat or running water in the dead of winter. I stunt-doubled for principal actors, even dressed in drag with my legs shaved. While loading equipment, the crew accidentally shattered the rear windshield of my Ford Explorer. I made a lot of personal sacrifices, ended relationships, lived out of my car, gave up all stability, but never doubted we would finish. It was a trial by fire, but we passed. For all those that believed in us, those that said it couldn't be done, and everyone who donated time, energy and blood over the 4 years it has taken, I owe one thing – to make good on my promise. We're going to fight for the widest distribution possible, to help Finale reach its audience. JOHN ELFERS Writer Director John was born with a camera in hand. By age 18, he'd shot a no-budget digital feature and heard the siren call of film. He left Cincinnati for L.A. and in 3 ½ years, graduated magna cum laude from USC. He spent the next 4 years pouring blood, sweat, tears, and grants from Panavision, Kodak and Laser Pacific into his first real feature. Finale was shot on Super 16mm with a documentary-size skeleton crew that would make Herzog proud, all in-camera practical effects, and style reminiscent of the master of Italian horror, Dario Argento – all achieved on a deceptively low budget. With most his belongings in storage, John currently resides on friends' couches or occasionally out of his car, as he prepares for his next feature with Fire Trial Films. RYAN STEVENS HARRIS Director of Photography Ryan is a multi-talented writer, director and cinematographer. Melding a diverse visual arts background in photography, painting and illustration, Harris first studied cinema in London until moving to Los Angeles to attend the USC School of Cinematic Arts. With influences ranging from Tony Scott to Guy Maddin, Harris quickly became known for a noirish, hyper-real visual style of filmmaking, combining smash-and-grab montage, brooding atmospheres and thematically dark, mysterious subject matter. Often heavily involved in each aspect of the filmmaking process, from set construction to editorial fine-tuning, Harris is a veritable cinematic renaissance man. From Finale's first draft to its last frame, Harris remained an uncompromising creative staple throughout, continually evolving its many looks, utilizing multiple film formats and experimenting with bizarre in-camera techniques including speed ramps, lens Vaseline, behind-the-lens filters, split screens, mixed color temperatures, roving "demon lights" and meticulous two-way mirror lighting. Cofounder of Fire Trial Films, he is currently developing his own projects out of Los Angeles. MARISA WAHL Executive Producer Marisa is the reigning Miss Chinatown Hawaii Princess and not just a producer on Finale. She also got her hands dirty as production assistant, transportation co-captain, stunt double, coffee-runner, floor-scrubber, and crew mom. Marisa, a member of Phi Beta Kappa, graduated summa cum laude from USC's School of Cinema-Television Production and the Annenberg School for Communication. Upon graduation, she produced numerous shorts and music videos, while also working full-time in television for MTV, ABC, CBS, The CW, G4, E!, and MTV Logo. She has proven her commitment to Finale, from getting strapped into a harness as a dead girl to hang above the rafters in an old church, securing key locations, peeling black paint from the sets with her fingernails and handling the production company's annual taxes. If there is any way to get something for free, Marisa will find it. Cofounder of Fire Trial Films, Marisa is excited to continue business with such a talented team. MICHAEL ELKIN Executive producer At 8 years old, Michael and his family emigrated from the Ukraine with only $600 and the clothes on their backs. By age 16, cleaning toilets at Universal Studios, Michael was surrounded by both the glamour and reality of Hollywood. He graduated magna cum laude from UCLA in just 2 ½ years, with degrees in Communication Studies and Sociology. Having no industry connections, he assisted on ultra-low budget features (including an erotic film he misheard as "neurotic"), student films and music videos, working his way up to Assistant Directing. This on-set experience and his family history primed him to squeeze every last dollar on Finale, counter-balancing John and Ryan's elaborate vision. He fed the crew for $10 per person, per day, and made clever equipment substitutions - like Home Depot lights, cardboard flags, and buy-and-return "rentals." After scoring in the 98th percentile on the LSAT, Michael began tutoring law students. With a flexible schedule and extra money to help complete Finale, Michael currently resides in Palms, California, developing projects for Fire Trial Films and marketing Finale.