Producers Corner

Tom Blessing, Producer:

Irish Whiskey is not a film about expensive Hollywood actors and agents. It is not a film about typical Hollywood stunts and explosions. It is not about a 30 million dollar box office smash in the opening week.

Irish Whiskey is a film about tolerance, love, and understanding, regarding all members of our society and the dysfunction’s that occur within. It is a film about YOU and I, and all those little absurdities that sneak into our lives every day. Irish Whiskey is a film about low budgets, and superior craftsmanship. It’s about challenging your dreams and usher people together for NO reason other than the love of filmmaking. In the words of our Writer - Director Jon Stevens, “We accomplished a miracle.”

I met Jon just a couple of months before he wanted to begin shooting. Without any staff or crew in sight, Jon, Jo Christensen and me, began to put the pieces of the film together from the script to strong contacts. We surrounded ourselves with people we knew would get the job done. I brought Lara Hammond on board, someone I worked with at dick clark productions, inc., to co-produce and help organize Jon and his ideas. Within several weeks we secured most of our crew, staff, location and equipment.

Sound easy?

Not so, we worked through all hours of the night and day to prepare for a shooting schedule to commence on March 20, 1996. We secured by donation, and delayed payments, nearly everything we needed. Food, 35mm re-canned, short end and new film stock (on a daily basis), extras, set dressing, office supplies and furniture, editing facilities (while shooting), and fortunately at the last moment--procuring capital.

I wish we could mention here everyone who participated on the project. They are the most dedicated group of people I have ever worked beside since the beginning of my career, nearly fifteen years ago. For 22 days we endured the grueling act of early calls and late wraps, bad food and poor parking conditions and above all, lack of cash. Out of the 60 or so people that worked on the film, twenty of us including myself, resided on location in the flea infested mansion in Long Beach CA, and not a single “employee” (Friend), bailed.

After we finished shooting Irish Whiskey, we immediately moved into post production. With the help of many strong organizations in Hollywood, we derived at our final answer print the first week of November; just in time for the Palm Springs Int’l Film Festival in January 1997.

Jon Stevens has created a masterpiece that is inclusive yet takes you on a roller coaster ride of emotions. When seeing Irish Whiskey you will laugh, cry and possibly become angry from the toil within the family; all along reflecting on your own personality and the struggles with duality.

PS: Thanks Dayna for keeping us sane with your energy, good food for the crew each morning, afternoon, and evening, and for your smile amongst the turmoil!

Warm regards
Tom BlessingIV
Producer, www.alchemyhouse.com

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Lara Hammond, Producer:

Lara has established herself in the entertainment industry in the fields of publishing, producing, coordinating, researching and supervising. Moving to San Francisco in 1988 she worked as the receptionist for a boutique advertising agency when she jumped at the chance to work at the SF WEEKLY. After a year of being in the newspaper business she decided with a partner to buy her own.

Her first memorable venture was purchasing the ANTHEM MONTHLY, a monthly magazine based in Eureka, California. An entertainment magazine covering all the diversified arts, music and humanities of Southern and Northern Humboldt County. ANTHEM was a successful venture wherein Lara was co-publisher, co-editor, and the head of advertising.

With this experience under her, she segued from print to motion picture and television. She landed her first big break as a production assistant for Warner Bros., OUTBREAK starring Dustin Hoffman. Lara moved on to working for Miramax, HBO, Showtime, Dick Clark, Saban, AFI, the Academy Awards and many others. Among her credits in varied production positions are ERASER, Warner Bros.; RESTORATION, Miramax; BODY LANGUAGE, HBO; AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS, GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS, CHRISTMAS AT HOME WITH THE STARS, Dick Clark Productions; AFI TRIBUTE TO STEVEN SPIELBERG, TBS; WOMEN, Showtime and the ACADEMY AWARDS.

Lara has combined her marketing knowledge with her production experience to fully break out as an independent producer. She worked on location in Hawaii as an associate producer for the documentary DOLPHIN JOURNEY before landing a key producing position for the independent film IRISH WHISKEY that is presently on the festival circuit and seeking distribution. As producer she secured crew, film stock, equipment, editing facilities, post sound, moneys for the production, among many other elements and acting as production supervisor. This position utilized her diverse experience and is one of her finest achievements.

While trying to get IRISH WHISKEY distributed with integrity, she has also produced informational videos for her company OneLove Productions.   At present, among working a "day job" she is writing "HEMP REVOLUTION," a film she hopes to see filming by fall of 1999.  Whatever Lara does, she brings dedication, passion and a wealth of experience to each project.

Lara studied psychology at the University of Alabama and has traveled extensively through Europe, West Andes, South America, Central America and Mexico.

Lara Hammond
irishwhisk@aol.com