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Yudho AdityaYudho Aditya & Sarah Xie
Yudho AdityaYudho Aditya Alicia GoffDillan DamodarYoshi Leavesseur & Melyssa Jung
Andrew Ng
Yudho Aditya Derek Nguyen &Jessica Yeh
Yudho Aditya
Heather Hoang Yudho Aditya
Alicia GoffClifford ChengChris Liang
Austin Bates & Dillan Damodar
Brian N. LamBrian N. Lam
Justin Asilo Jessie LeeBailey BagheriMatthew Garza Alvin LeeEmmanuel Yatsuzuka
Jessie Lee
Yudha AdiputeraLannie Barcelon
Matt McCabe Fatimah Rony Kimberly HwangGoff Family
directed bywritten by
executive produced byproduced by
line produced byco-produced by
associate produced by
cinematography by
edited by
production designed by
art direction by
costume design by
assistant directorsecond assistant director
third assistant director
boom operator
sound editorsound re-recording mixer
additional photography byfirst assistant camera
second assistant cameragaffer
best boykey grip
second unit director of photography
craft serviceproduction assistant
special thanks
Paul NguyenAmanda Ward
Ben WhalenAutumn Harrison
Tsubee UDavid Anthony Luna
Kelly CaballeroRyan Tsang
Melissa Maldonado
Hannah BalagotAlvin Adrian Lee
Heather HoangAlicia Goff
Brando B. BojanicJessica Yeh
Miranda Franklin-WallJustin Equina
Jorge MontoyaAlexander K.M.
Gene PhanMarco Martinez
J. Harper LeeAnnie JacobsDanny BakerAlice MaloneBecca LiangMike RamirezNicole HernandezRyan Hsu
Saverine BejoAgnes VanhoveJake MarRamona WongAnne MarieBilly HammondVivian WangAnita McDormandDaryl CaronJavier EnriquezKevin VallencortJohnny IngGael Bejo
starring crew
featuring
written & performed bycourtesy of
written & performed bycourtesy of
written & performed bycourtesy of
written & performed bycourtesy of
written & performed bycourtesy of
written & performed bycourtesy of
written & performed bycourtesy of
The New DivisionDivision 87
The New DivisionDivision 87
The New DivisionDivision 87
The New DivisionDivision 87
Joey LuuDTF Pictures
Le SighJoey Luu
Joey Luu & Lisa SonodaDTF Pictures
original music
“Beach Kings”
“Live by the Sea”
“New Waves”
“Sunrise Sundown”
“Heart & Soles
“Untitled”
“After Midnight”
The FULL Cast & crew
Making “Midnights with Adam” has been such a journey (professionally and personally), to say the least. The script (co-written with my really good friend, Sarah Xie), went through about 12 drafts within a span of a couple of weeks. The production itself was quite unique. It originated as of course, a production class project, but we took it upon ourselves to go above and beyond (at least beyond the confines of the class). The production process took about 9 weeks (from start to finish) and all of the crewmembers were (and some still are) students from the University of California, Irvine (and other neighboring schools). And though one would not normally credit this production as meeting the “standards” of the industry, we had the opportunity as artists to collaborate with the utmost professionalism, efficiency and freedom. With a budget of USD$2,000, we had to be very resourceful, employ certain guerilla shooting tactics and always, always, always be on time.
We wanted to make an honest and intimate portrait of a young man who has recently come out and is coming to terms with it. It’s about the loneliness and disconnection after “coming-out” even though you’re surrounded by your closest friends. We didn’t want to make a film that’s heavy-handed, one that preaches about the difficulties of being gay because obviously, it’s not a black & white experience. In the end, I think that the film is a universal journey towards living an authentic life in spite of any limitations that are imposed.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank my talented cast & crew because let’s face it; a filmmaker is only as good as his crew and actors. Thank you so much for staying up late with me on many school days… and most importantly, thank you thank you thank you for you guys’ collaboration, trust and support on this journey. Truly, it has been one of the most challenging, fulfilling and thrilling experiences that I’ve had so far in my life.
To the rest of you, I hope that you guys enjoy this film as much as we enjoyed making it.
With much Love,Yudho.
loglineOver the course of one night, a newly out-of -the-closet young man struggles to hold back his feelings for his straight best friend while dealing with the problems and complications of being different in a hetero-normative world.
synopsisAfter engaging in a sexual act with a stranger, J. Harper Lee, a detached and newly out-of-the closet young man, arrives to a soirée planned by his best friend, Annie. Throughout the night, as he catches up with close acquaintances and struggles to hold back his feelings for his straight friend, Danny, Harper agonizes to build a façade of belonging in a world that is not meant for him. As midnight approaches, Harper exploits himself in a brief sexual encounter to mitigate his loneliness and disconnection only to realize that he must come to terms with his identity in order to find his place in a hetero-normative world.
STORY
STORY
The intro
The STory
“Acting is an exercise in perspective. Our loyalties, whims, impulses, and ideas, change when we begin to understand another person’s reasons. “ - M. Martinez
Paul Nguyen as J.Harper LeePaul has been told by friends, acquaintances, and random strangers that he reminds them of Tony Leung and Leslie Cheung... that’s either a racially insensitive insult or a huge compliment... he prefers the latter. He is often mistaken as a brooding and fierce fellow when he can actually be quite outgoing and gentle. The guy played with Legos until he was eighteen - character names, voices, and all (He refuses to give them up to this day). He also made paper cutouts of his favorite cartoon characters to reenact entire sagas which was often followed by lighting them on fire... oops. He not-so-secretly wishes he was born 20 years from now so there’d be a slight chance that he could pilot an intergalactic fighter jet. Alas, earth - present day, he studies at Stan Kirsch Studios and sees himself as the versatile American lovechild of Edward Norton Jr., Tony Leung, Maggie Cheung, Ben Foster, Ryan Gosling, Leslie Cheung, and Mark Wahlberg. What a dreamer.
Ben Whalen as Danny BakerBen Whalen was born in New York City: a small, desolate town that is believed to be somewhere in the northeastern United States. He went on to attend the University of Maryland, but eventually left in order to study at the prestigious Stella Adler Studio of Acting NYC. And, as is the inevitable fate of all new thespians, he subsequently came to Los Angeles to study at the Art of Acting Academy. He is currently working on his directorial debut film, “Forks and Lives.” About his fantastic experience in making the production of “Midnights with Adam” he said, “The production was a fantastic experience.” He also went on to say, “As a new director myself I used a lot of Yudho’s tricks. We had fun and played games to get into character so we really became comfortable in the character’s skin…In life you worry about a million different things…But when I am acting, I am free. I get to focus on being human, and just being alive.”
Amanda Ward as Annie JacobsAmanda Ward, after earning her degree in Cell and
Developmental Biology, naturally went on to pursue a career in acting. She is currently working on One Worm Night Season Two with The Actors Room and Last Chance Productions, and
is completely convinced that she is the second coming of Sarah Michelle Gellar (the paradigm of all aspiring actresses). She
loves playing the fiery, bad-ass chick, and if one day they make the remake of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which they obviously
will, she will have top billing. In any case, Amanda is always striving to do more exciting, challenging roles and would like to particularly thank her manager Steven G. Lowe and The Actors
Room for their guidance. It is also necessary to note that she owns two chinchillas.
STORY the cast written by Marco Martinez
Tsubee U as Becca LiangTsubee U’s previous residences look like the destinations on most people’s bucket lists. She’s lived in Kuwait, Switzerland, Singapore, Japan, Canada, and the United States. She is bilingual in Japanese and English and partial-lingual in Chinese and Korean. It’s this very rich background that nourishes her acting, the very gestalt of which, like a strange photograph, cannot merely be described by a list of its discrete units. She has gained an AFA degree in acting at New York Film Academy and has since been affiliated with many projects. Her most recent project is a web series called “The Gorburger Show,” which is produced by Funny or Die. She also appears as a series regular in “Tokyo Fever.”
Autumn Harrison as Alice MaloneAutumn Harrison grew up in Jamestown: a small town in
northeastern California, which is best known as being the setting for a legion of Western films, including Back to the
Future 3 (a movie which, like a business man’s cologne, lingers on long after it should and is not all that pleasing). Autumn
developed an interest in acting in elementary school when she played the lead elf in a Christmas play. She was introduced to
the filmmaking process in a high school class where she spent an entire year creating a Claymation film that ended up lasting 90 seconds. She currently attends the University of California, Irvine, where she focuses on Drama and Film & Media Studies. She is ecstatic to be appearing in her first notable film festival and hopes to work with DTF Pictures again in the near future.
About her experience acting in the film she said, “Playing Alice was a challenge because we don’t have a lot in common;
she’s extroverted and goes after what she wants, while I’m introverted and generally prefer to be more subtle. It was a fun
challenge, though, and the outfit definitely made it easier to get into character.”
David Anthony Luna as Mike RamirezDavid Anthony Luna is from the Bay Area; Monterey Bay to
be exact. He is currently studying Drama at the University of California, Irvine. He hopes to soon get involved with casting for film and television while, ultimately, landing roles on TV sitcoms as those class of great actors you recognize but don’t know by
name—like a younger Philip Baker Hall (look him up). David’s roles are usually associated with humorous’ characters, hence
his role in “Midnights with Adam” was of a more intrepid variety. It was for this reason that he was initially nervous and uneasy about the nature and texture of his performance; but he was quelled of all fear when Yudho, with his inimitable genius for
directing actors, assured him that all scenes would be tastefully accomplished. This year David looks forward to move to
Burbank and start his career in the industry.
The Writer-DirectorYudho Aditya, experienced(ish) writer/director/producer of age two and twenty, is exhibiting in this movie what Karl Wittfogel would call “The megalomania of the aging despot.” His jurisdiction over the film could be described as hegemonic—which is why, as he forced me to say, it turned out so well. Yudho was born in Jakarta, Indonesia but moved to the United States when he was 10. While attending the University of California, Irvine, he was a recipient of the Outstanding Production Student prize as well as the Tonelli Essay Prize for Film & Media Criticism. He has also directed “Heart & Soles,” “Missed,” and “Inbetween Nights” (“Heart & Soles” is a sequel to “Midnights with Adam” and “Inbetween Nights” is a prequel). He graduated Cum Laude from UCI for Film & Media Studies. His films explore themes of isolation, identity and connection; all of which, as a gay Asian American, represent his daily reality of living in a hetero-normative world. While much of his thematic influences stem from this notion of “gayness,” ultimately, his works are about the human condition: an exploration of what we are and why we’re here.
The CinematographerAndrew Ng was born and raised in Northern California, but moved to Southern California for the beautiful weather, girls, and movie industry—so far he can only attest to having enjoyed the weather. His passion for cinematography is indisputable and has said that he enjoys turning on and off flashlights and pointing them places just to see how the light reacts to the space. One of his life-long dreams is to see the aurora lights in Alaska and Australia—he describes it as “Mother Nature’s hand at gaffing.” In “Midnights with Adam”, he said, the cinematography aimed to create a realistic and natural tone in order to engulf the audience with ambiance, allowing them to really enter the environments of the film. Concerning Yudho, Andrew has said, “[He] has a very unique skill of conveying the essence of time in his films. Cinematography plays a huge role in underscoring this: lingering on crucial moments, evoking emotions, which really mimics the feelings that we experience in our lives.”
The Co-WriterSarah Xie, co-writer of “Midnights with Adam,” graduated from the University of California, Irvine in Public Health with honors
in 2012; however, she is well versed in the humanities, taking interest in subjects such as philosophy and music theory. She
loves writing screenplays and getting into the psyche of clocks to see what makes them tick tock. She is currently applying to various graduate schools for clinical psychology and works in
marketing for a medical company. Sarah loves reading various works of literature, including Jane Austen, Yukio Mishima, Haruki
Murakami, Isabelle Allende, and, especially, James Joyce.
STORY the crew written by Marco Martinez
Alicia, his lusty and hands-on production partner, has also received her BA in Film from UC Irvine where she wrote and directed four critically acclaimed shorts. For the production she was mainly in charge of scheduling the actors and obtaining equipment from different sources, and on the dynamic with Dillan she states, “Working with Dillan was a fantastic thing, he was very organized and we were definitely a good team.”
He is known for his short, quirky documentaries, and when asked whether he wanted help for his drinking problem he retorted, “Help is for those who aren’t committed to their vice.” Jessica, his editing companion, has had two of her films screened at prestigious student film festivals and is considered to be the best editor coming out of the UCI class of 2012 by many of her peers. She is currently working as a courier for Cimarron Group, a trailer cutting company. She aspires to become a big shot editor (showcasing her pure talent) in the future.
The ProducersMost producers are able to shamelessly extract more credit from
their work than they deserve, but in the case of Dillan Damodar and Alicia Goff, we’ll make an exception. Dillan recently graduated
from UC Irvine with a Bachelor’s in both Film & Media and Business Economics. He is an aspiring filmmaker who specializes in producing and editing a diversity of filmic styles (documentary, narrative, etc.).
He emphasizes the importance on the little details and organizational techniques that make for a flawless filmmaking set. When asked about the movie he said, “Production of this film included a very
extensive casting process. We organized talent from all over Southern California to get the best possible ensemble for the film.”
The EditorsEditing is a form of memory work because it splinters moments in time and then revives them imaginatively, discarding the needless.
Two people that could not have been discarded from the production were Derek Nguyen and Jessica Yeh: editors, drunks, and lonely-
lonely people. Derek, a decrepit, pale-faced man stated, “I enjoy being alone and that is why I like editing. It’s peaceful.” Jessica mimicked his sentiment by saying, “I feel most free when I am locked in a dark room behind a screen, editing.” Unquestionably, they live for their art. Derek
is currently working at a digital advertising agency as a producer/editor. He has worked on several horror movies, such as
Big Ass Spider premiering at SXSW.
The Art DirectorHeather Hoang is an award-winning student filmmaker, best known for
her short film, “Under Glass” (2012), winner of Best Picture at Zotfest 2012. She currently attends UC Irvine and is studying Film & Media.
Prior to “Midnights with Adam,” she also worked on “Missed” (2012), as set decorator, where director Yudho Aditya recognized her keen eye for style and her raid against the unfashionable. Together, they collaborated on the vision of the party, providing a sensualist’s lens
into a tableau of debauchery that would provoke envy from Florentine painters.
The New DivisionSpearheaded by John Kunkel (vox/producer) and amplified by Micheal ‘Janzie’ Janz (sequencing/synths), Mark Michalski (synths) and Brock Woolsey (guitar), The New Division is an LA based tour de force. Influenced by Joy Division, New Order and Depeche Mode, they have taken the tastiest slices of these bands and infused some new life into them. Not stuck under the weight and spell of the greats that came faithful to their influence without being a copycat. Their sound feels comfortably connected to the past with a momentum that fastens them to the future. The talented quartet provided 4 brand new original tracks exclusively for “Midnights with Adams.”
From left to right: Michael Janz, Mark Michalski, John Kunkel, Brock Woolsey
STORYthe music of midnights written by Marco Martinez
About being part of the film, the bandstatesthat: “‘Midnights With Adam’ provides a brave, provocative, andrealistic representation of human relationships. We feel proud to be a partof a film that portraysthe struggles of being homosexual in a predominantlyheterosexual society,with a large portion of suchsuch society having conservative viewswhich often demonize homosexuals forbeing theirselves. This self discovery piece demonstrates that people shouldn’t have to be afraid to be who they are.”
Jooey & LisaThe instructions were given to Joey Luu and Lisa Sonoda to write a track that symbolizes the character’s progression in the film. The resulting track is “After Midnight.” Lisa, the chanteuse, wrote the lyrics and performed the vocals. She grew up in the northern California town of Danville where she learned to play the piano, flute, drums, and guitar. About working on the production of “After Midnight” she says, “Everyone in DTF productions is full of insights and creative visions…[and] Joey is the most humble yet talented self-taught guy. Working with him was so fun and easy, especially for my first time coordinating with another artist for a track.” Joey, the virtuoso, who has a BA in Studio Art from UC Irvine and has worked with Yudho on five separate occasions, stated that he spent 8 weeks writing,
recording and mixing the title track. He also mentions that he had several influences during the mixing of the song: “For the tone…I drew mostly from 80s and 90s groups: My Bloody Valentine, Mazzy Star, Cocteau Twin, etc. I wanted to convey, in a sense, a lo-fi sound and meshing together a heavy yet delicate sound. This was to create contrast with the rest of the soundtrack.”
jooey&lisa
AFTERMIDNIGHT.
Down to Film PicturesDTF (Down to Film) Pictures is a company founded by the joy of filmmaking.From narrative to experimental film - DTF represents what we are: Down To Film.
Contact:Dillan [email protected]
Yudho Aditya626.271.4945
(Left to Right) Paul Nguyen, Andrew Ng, Yudho Aditya, Bailey Bagheri, Autumn Harrison, Tsubee U,
Amanda Ward, and Dillan Damodar. Cast and and crew eagerly gaze as Dillan lets sparks fly.
Paul Nguyen transforms into
J. Harper Lee.
Andrew Ng (Left) and Yudho
Aditya (Right) double check
the detailed mis-en-scene
before calling “action.”
1st AD Alicia Goff (Left) and
2nd AD Cliff Cheng take notes
and prepare for the next shot.
STORYBehind the scenes
Yudho Aditya (Center) directs actors Ben Whalen (Left) and Autumn Harrison (Right) preparing them for another intimate take.
Yudho (left) and Andrew Ng frame the next shot as Heather Hoang, Paul Nguyen and Tsubee U (right) anticipate their close-ups.
Andrew concentrates on composition as his trusted 1st AC, Jessie Lee pulls focus.
First AD, Alicia Goff (Right) looking mortified - Yudho Aditya (Left) demanding one more shot.
design by Andrew Ng & Yudho Aditya
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