Long Lost
Two brothers meet for the first time, exploring the bonds and boundaries of what it means to be family.
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Jay NewDirectorNBA2K17 - Story Producer. Commencement - 1st AD.
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Aaron CovingtonWriterCreed - Writer. NBA2K17 - Story Mode Director.
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Phil Augusta JacksonWriterBrooklyn 99, Key & Peele – Writer
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Aaron CovintonProducerCreed - Writer. NBA2K17 - Story Mode Director.
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Phil Augusta JacksonProducerBrooklyn 99, Key & Peele - Writer
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Aaron CovingtonKey Cast"Tre"
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Phil Augusta JacksonKey Cast"Marq"Brooklyn 99, The Good Place
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Project Type:Short
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Genres:Drama, Comedy
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Runtime:11 minutes 56 seconds
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Completion Date:May 14, 2019
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Production Budget:8,000 USD
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Country of Origin:United States
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Country of Filming:United States
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:Digital
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Aspect Ratio:16:9
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:No
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Student Project:No
Jay New teaches filmmaking at multiple colleges and is a private development consultant. After burning out on corporate and other gigs nearly ten years ago, he’s beginning to tread back into the waters of producing, writing, and/or directing narrative fiction content, beginning with NBA2K17, and now with Lost Brothers. He and Aaron Covington collaborated on Lost Brothers after working together on NBA2K, on which Aaron wrote/directed and Jay produced the story mode content in the game. Jay’s previous works… from long ago… include work as a writer, director, or producer on shorts that won the Washington DC Deaf Film Festival, Alfred P Sloan Grant, and screened at The Chinese Youth International Film Fest and at the Shorts Corner de Cannes.
This was a unique and unexpected project. When Aaron and Phil, both much more successful filmmakers than I, approached me about directing it, I was uncertain if I could. For starters, I was rusty. Also, the story is a sort of unconventional narrative with chapters more than acts, but never leaves the one location. That made shooting standard coverage mixed with creative shots more challenging, which meant long takes and more strain on the actors. Thankfully, the natural and reserved performances that Aaron and Phil brought in made things very easy. To write a character, know it so well, then to come at it again fresh and objective as an actor is impossible, but then they did it. They fully invested in their roles and in each moment. Phil, just as an example, had an especially challenging part near the end, plus the long take difficulty, but he let me annoy the hell out of him in a few takes and we got it. As producers on top of it all, it would’ve been so easy for either of them to walk around moments like that, but neither ever did.
The scariest thing to me, though, when considering whether or not to do it, was that the story is in a grey area between being a narrative, a portrait of a relationship, and a portrait of these two characters. It reminded me a lot of Chekhov, and I remember learning in college that he was apparently upset that everyone thought his comedies were dramas, but I laughed out loud reading The Seagull’s opening acts. Of course, the play gets all suicidal at the end, but I like how it rides that tone between melodrama and comedy, never quite in both. I hope this piece does the same, and has some real laugh-out-loud moments but that stay with a consistent tone beginning to end.
Of course, it’s hard for me to see more than my mistakes in it now. But, there’s the occasional subtle shot or line switch or what-have-you here and there. And I’m still moved and still laugh when I hope to. I’m still impressed by what Phil can bring to a timely sigh, or how Aaron can resonate a beat with a small head nod or look up, not to mention again everything else they were bringing. Nate (DP), Shireen (Editor), Kevin (composer), Peter (Sound Design), and Amanda – the most polite and skillful scripty shadow I’ve ever had on set... everyone did so well and we’re all better filmmakers now than when we started. Most of all, though, I hope an audience enjoys the exploration of the bonds and boundaries of family that the script and performances bring. In any case, I hope you enjoy, and thank you very much for watching!