NewEnglandFilm.com

Dorchester resident, L. L. Lumpkins-O’Bryant has tried a little bit of everything.

Film and communication disorders at Emerson.  Sociology and psychology at UMass Boston.  Then back to UMass for a graduate course in applied sociology and back to Emerson to get her graduate screenwriting certification.  But, believe it or not, these things have all led her to her latest film, Fishers of a Second Chance.

"It’s a little film.  No wait.  It’s a big film, about redemption and wanting to set things right," O’Bryant says.  "It’s about that moment — the moment of instantaneous regret one feels over a comment that came out the wrong way and that sinking feeling you get when you realized you should have followed your gut."

The film follows a series of characters whose lives intertwine as they search for the rare opportunity of a second chance:  a social worker burdened by her caseload, a deaf attorney trying to help a deaf couple get their son back from Social Services, a seemingly intolerant doctor, and a subway janitor and his wife who struggle with their marriage while trying to raise a deaf son.

Though O’Bryant has completed several short films through RichLan Entertainment, a business partnership with her husband, she considers Fishers of a Second Chance a milestone in her career.

Nikki Chase: Why did you want to become a filmmaker?

L.L. Lumpkins-O’Bryant: I wanted to be an architect as a kid, but I loved television more.  I am a serious TV buff.  I love the old shows: Columbo, Remington Steele, McMillan & Wife, and Get Christie Love.  I started out on a TV production track in my early 20s, learning what I could at local community television stations.  My interest grew into wanting to make films.  Back then (I am telling my age now), it was far too expensive for me to even consider writing and producing a film.  I jumped into theatre production for a while to hold me over and then, boom!  Digital cameras came on the market and I am like a kid in a candy store.

NC: What are some of your favorite films and directors?

O’Bryant: I am a huge Spike Lee fan. When I first saw his work, I knew I wanted to be a filmmaker for sure.  I got to meet him once.  I have a blurry picture of him; he looks like a deer caught in the headlights.  You can kind of tell it is me in the background, if you squint.  F. Gary Gray is a favorite, and anything produced by Jerry Bruckheimer.  My local favorites are Kasi Lemmons and Robert Patton-Spruill.  He is another great director and producer.  I am inspired by his career path: his work with youth and starting a production company with his wife to make his own films, while providing opportunities for filmmakers to get their work to the big screen.

NC: What are your goals as a filmmaker?

O’Bryant: To make a ton of money.  But, in the meantime, my goal is to make films that are well written, have great acting, are wonderfully shot, and have a message.  And if I get to shoot in 35mm one day that would be great, too.

NC: What were your goals with Fishers of a Second Chance?

O’Bryant: In writing this film, I wanted each person to come away with something different.  I wanted to write a timeless piece where the plot could have happened yesterday or five years from now.  That was challenging.  Foremost, I wanted to get out there just a tiny piece of what I learned about deaf identity and the struggles they face, without boring my audience to death.

NC: How did you come up with the idea for the film?

O’Bryant: My backup plan was to also become a speech language pathologist (say that 10 times fast).  It was during my training that I learned about deaf culture and history.  I was completely amazed at the treatment of the deaf community and what that community has endured internationally.  I knew I had to write a little film — I mean big film — about it.

NC: How long did it take to write?

L.L. Lumpkins-O’Bryant behind the camera.
[Click to enlarge]

O’Bryant: I had outline notes for the film for a very long time.  I wrote the entire script out by hand, that took several weeks.  The later drafts took about a month or two more.  I did nothing but write, nap, and write some more.  I lost like 10 pounds during the development stage, hey I am not complaining!  Overall, I’d say six months, from outline to shooting script.

NC: And how long did the production take from idea to completion?

O’Bryant: The summer of 2006.  I shot the film over six weeks, mostly on Saturdays.  After an additional child, 10 more pounds gone, a tiny bit crazier (depends on who you ask), and a full 18 months later, the film was complete.

NC: Any difficulties that you can recall while shooting the film?

O’Bryant: You mean other than dodging SAG?  Just kidding.  The SAG application was a daunting task.  The folks at the Boston office were wonderful.  They held my hand ever so tightly through the whole process.  I have heard stories about SAG that frighten my socks off.  Post-production was a technical nightmare.  I lost the entire film from a hard drive crash in April.  After crying myself to sleep for a week, I got back on the bicycle and reedited the film.  I actually like this version much better.

NC: Was it hard to write so many different characters while still maintaining their complexities and a common theme?

O’Bryant: The characters come to life in my head.  To me they are real.  I mean, not for-real, for real, but I allow them to take me where it is they must go.  I had a great screenwriting teacher at Emerson College, Barry Brodsky, who emphasized character development.  If it is not done well, it can weaken even a great story.  That is not an exact quote, but fellow writers get the gist.  I knew everything about each character before I began to write — down to the minutest detail.  Their language style, habits, background, likes and dislikes.

NC: Which character do you most relate to?

O’Bryant: I love them all…  The characters take on a whole new life when I see them incorporated into the personalities of each actor.  It is amazing.  It has got to be the best part of the job, seeing my characters come to life.

NC: How much of your own life is in this film?

O’Bryant: Like my age, I generally don’t tell unless pressed for an answer.  But, if I have to say — okay.  Who hasn’t been in a relationship where you were always looking for the nearest exit?  I may have loosely based one character on someone I may have known, or a friend of mine (yeah that’s the ticket) dated once — maybe.  The character of the social worker does reflect a few of my experiences working in a setting where you can be so committed to trying to make a difference and do the right thing, but there are often many roadblocks in the way of doing what the heart knows is right.

NC: Do you have any future projects in the works?

O’Bryant: Now that I am completely broke (but extremely happy to have achieved this milestone in my career), I have been taking on gigs where I write, direct and shoot commercials, and other projects for TV or film.  I have two screenplays I am reworking.  I’ve been praying I don’t see similar storylines during the trailers at the movies.  Seems like I have a knack for coming up with storylines that I swear I haven’t told a soul, and then see them up on the big screen.  Not sure if that’s a good or bad thing, but I’ll keep plugging away.  Telling myself, my big break is just around the corner.