Conquering Hollywood from the ground up is the guiding force behind Coattails Entertainment, a production company started by a group of friends wanting to make the projects they are passionate about without going through the big studios. The group is composed of Zachary Levi (if that name sounds familiar it’s because he stars as the lead on NBC’s Chuck), Joel Moore (star of the upcoming The Hottie and the Nottie), Jeremy Danial Boreing, and Kurt Schemper. Moore and Levi, who met as two working actors trying to make a living in one of the nation’s toughest industries, connected not only as friends but through their creative interests. Both saw a void in the films and television programming that dominated the box office and airwaves. “Joel is just an incredible dude – intelligent and funny,” says Levi. “We had a similar take on Hollywood and life. And then Jeremy became friends with us and he’s sort of the brains of the outfit and workhorse when it comes to the actual production. We all have a different piece of the puzzle that we bring.”
“I met Joel and Zach through a mutual friend, ”Boreing explains. “Pretty early on, we all hit it off. When I came into the group, they were both getting to a point where they wanted to expand their skill set a bit and not only be actors but explore the writing and production side, and I was very interested in that as well.”
The company’s first offering, Spiral, will enjoy a limited theatrical release this February followed by its release to DVD soon after. The film, written and directed by Moore and Boreing, and starring Moore and Levi, is a “Hitchcockian” psychological thriller that was filmed in Moore’s hometown of Portland. Initially conceived by Moore, the story centers on the reclusive character of Mason who enters into a relationship with his curiously optimistic coworker Amber (played by Amber Tamblyn) but finds he cannot escape the haunting demons of his past.
While the plot is certainly enticing, the script sat on the shelves for about a year before Moore had the bright idea of ditching the script pitching game in favor of gathering his buddies and producing the film themselves. “I believe Joel, in the middle of a good bowel movement, had an epiphany that we could make this movie ourselves for like $5 and a box of red vines,” Levi recalls.
“I just said, ‘We’re gonna make this so let’s start where we can,’ and we just never gave up,” says Moore.
“ I think if Joel had been realistic with his initial idea, it may have scared us off. But by the time we had realized how ridiculous it was, we were already hyped up and on the road,” Boreing laughs. Halfway through filming Spiral, in the peak of winter, a decision was made to “call it what it was” and Coattails Entertainment was born.
Before filming could even take place, however, the necessary funds, cast, crew, etc. needed to be secured. Thankfully, the guys’ connections within the industry paid off. “We ended up raising all the money privately and called in every favor in the book from actors to crew to equipment to locations,” Levi remembers. Shooting on location can typically pose problems, but the boys scored a lucky break by having the inside track. “Joel, being from Portland, had written the script with that in mind, so we were lucky enough to be able to shoot there,” says Levi.
“We were able to put together more many than we ever thought possible to raise in about 10 weeks,” Boreing recalls. “I won’t say that it wasn’t difficult, but something that I think surprised us all was how accomplishable it was.”
While filming, which was over a span of just three weeks, the guys got a true taste of independent filmmaking. “We worked 12-hour days,” says Boreing, “If we missed something, Joel and I and Zach grabbed the camera and went out on a Sunday to shoot it ourselves. The shoot was also a lesson in how to be prepared for any and all situations. Boreing recalls one incident in particular when the crew was shooting an outdoor shot in which the script called for rain. Since it was the middle of winter, there was some worry the water would freeze and they instructed the film’s line producer to be prepared with rock salt should the situation arise. To the crew’s amazement, they ended up coating about a 100-yard stretch of a public street with an inch thick layer of ice. When everyone looked to the line producer to remedy the problem, he appeared with just three small bags of rock salt. Thankfully, the city took care of de-icing the street but only after giving the group a good scolding.
Since its wrap back in winter of 2005, Spiral hit the festival track and gained a successful reception across the country. The film was so successful at the Santa Barbara Film Festival, in fact, that it not only won an award, but a small distribution deal that ultimately lead to Anchor Bay taking on all domestic distribution of the film. But, according to the guys, the positive response audience members gave the film was its true success. “One of the greatest compliments I got was one guy who pulled me aside and said, ‘People will study this movie,’” Moore recalls, noting he didn’t know if that was good or bad at the time, but was later touched that something he had worked so hard to produce might actually spark a discourse amongst its audience.
Spiral is just the beginning for this group of talented friends brimming with new ideas. “We are continuing to chip away at our own niche in the industry,” says Levi. “We want to make stuff that’s good and beneficial and not just the same old drivel that we would audition for – not to say that there isn’t some good stuff out there.”
What is perhaps most unique about Coattails is the company’s interest to support each other as much as seeking success through its films. “It’s called Coattails for a reason,” says Moore. “We all have our separate talents and we can ride the coattails of each other. I think it’s a really good foursome of talented people. The four of us can take a movie and literally do the major parts of production ourselves.”
Levi adds, “We have a bunch of friends that are aspiring actors or musicians or writers or directors, and to be able to keep it all in-house and in the family and keep everyone working and everyone working together, that’s a dream to me.”
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