Frankie Jason Turner (Russell/filmmaker) in the lower left corner addressing the mic.
“Gigs” the comedy short by director Frankie Jason Turner won the Best Comedy Award at the 3rd Annual Sunrise 45 Film Festival. “Gigs,” written and directed by Frankie Jason Turner, was produced by Frankie Jason Turner, Robert Margolan, and Krissi Kinney; with cinematography by Adam Herbstreit
“Gigs” stars Frankie Jason Turner as Russell, Robert Magolan as Cool-Aid (Kenny), and Krissi Kinney as Ashes, with a cast of others in various episodes of what was to have been a web-series.
The fact that this web-series/amalgamation really threw Frankie when it won, and surprised him even more when after posting on youtube, Michigan Movie Weekender wrote him a review which really caught him off guard.
According to Frankie, he was more than a little “flattered and a bit dumbstruck” by the response to his movie and to the review which was done on “Gigs“. Why? This was his first attempt at making something like “Gigs“. Said Frankie, “I’m very proud of it just always surprised that it translates. “
“Gigs” had started as a feature length movie, but because of a fluke medical condition which landed Frankie in the hospital for a spell, as Frankie tells it, ” It ended up impossible to keep continuity for a feature length so I just started releasing the clips online and people responded.”
After “Gigs” was awarded Best Comedy and it was posted on Youtube.com, I had a chance to talk with both Krissy Kinney (who had played Ashley AKA Ashes) and Frankie Jason Turner (Russell) about this project and what else they have done.
Krissi Kinney
You have a marvelous voice.
Thank you! I sing but no other instruments
As a casting director , were you the one to pull this cast together for Gigs?
No, Steve is a director I’ve produced/casted with for It’s Alive Films (Friday Night Death Slot is our latest film) April is director of Chair Gang, a web series I am in and have produced for as well
And you did a thing on Charles Bukowski. Is that the poet?
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Frankie Jason Turner
Thank you sir
I am a forty year veteran of the entertainment industry. Before I started covering Michigan’s film industry, I worked in music. Your film spoke to me.
I agree. Truth is “Gigs” started as a feature length. We were a couple weeks into shooting and I ended up in the hospital for a fluke medical problem (which is all good now). It ended up impossible to keep continuity for a feature length so I just started releasing the clips online and people responded. Moving to a longer format would actually be really helpful creatively as it’s been difficult to come up with ways to extend it as a story. Especially because I feel like the “Feel The Music” song really wrapped things up in a way