Thanks to distributor Ammo Content, film festival favorite "Chasing The Blues" from Fulton Market Films is set for its U.S. theatrical debut, beginning on Oct. 5 in selected cities across America. Directed by Scott Smith based on the script he co-wrote with Kevin Guilfoile, the dark indie comedy follows two rival record collectors who match wits in an epic feud for possession of an ultra-rare – and possibly cursed – blues LP. Named Best Feature at Jackson Crossroads Film Festival and Best of Fest at Lone Star Film Festival, "Chasing The Blues" is a nostalgic, exhilarating immersion into blues culture and fandom.
Starring Jon Lovitz, Grant Rosenmeyer, Ronald L. Conner, Chelsea Tavares, Clem Cheung, Anna Maria Horsford and Steve Guttenberg on screen, Smith and producers John Fromstein and JJ Ingram also assembled an incredibly powerful group of talents behind the scenes. Starting with director of photography Nicole Whitaker, key talents also include Cutters Studios partner Chris Claeys as post-production supervisor, Aaron Kiser as editor, and teams from creative production studio Flavor for graphics and picture finishing and Another Country for sound design and final mix.
"I've worked with Cutters as an advertising creative director for over twenty years, and obviously when you work with a company for that long, you trust them immensely," Smith began. "So, when the conversation with my producers came up about post, Cutters Studios topped the list. One of the most attractive factors was knowing we could do everything there, from offline to color to audio to FX, and we knew it would all be stellar."
Smith continued, "Small indie features don't always get the love and care they deserve, but outside of the extreme talent and craftsmanship of our editor and captain Aaron Kiser, colorist Steve Wood and sound designer Mike Regan, the dedication and enthusiasm of the whole company and the support we felt was amazing. I'm grateful to Chris and Cutters Studios CEO Tim McGuire for taking in our little film and giving it the love of a big feature."
The film's soundtrack (https://open.spotify.com/album/2dW4fHOxDcGZkhJ0CQbESp) provides a masterful tapestry of extraordinary vintage and modern blues songs recorded by numerous artists. For two examples, the stripped down "original" session recording of the title track "O Death, Where Is Thy Sting" is courtesy of Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter, The Bones of J.R. Jones, while Doomtree's Cecil Otter brings a hip-hop twist to the same song’s modern version featured in the trailer. The extreme importance of the sound dimension to the "Chasing The Blues" story shines through in the director's review of Mike Regan's audio design and mix.
"Many people don't realize how important audio design and mix is to a film, until they're watching one with a shitty mix," Smith added with a smile. "Mike left no stone unturned in making our sound flawless as well as inventive. There are too many instances and nuances to describe, but a scene that always gets me is where the two main characters are having an intense conversation inside an apartment and a transformer explodes outside. The quality and richness of the sound in the explosion makes me jump every time I watch that scene… and I know it's coming!"
Chasing The Blues – Official Trailer on YouTube
Additional Cutters Studios credits on “Chasing The Blues” include assistant editor Kalen Kirkpatrick and producer Katie Wickman at Cutters, sound effects editors Alex Paguirigan and Logan Vines and executive producer Tim Konn at Another Country, and executive producer Neal Cohen at Flavor.
On Oct. 5, "Chasing The Blues" arrives in theaters in LA, Phoenix, Portland, Columbus, Philadelphia, Dallas/Ft. Worth, NYC, Detroit, Nashville, Greensboro, and Kansas City, and on Oct. 12, in New Orleans, Buffalo, Chicago, Salem, and Chattanooga. To learn more, please visit http://www.chasingtheblues.com.
About Cutters Studios
Established in Chicago in 1980, Cutters has cemented its reputation as a premier provider of extraordinary editing and post-production artistry, and today the company is among the world's largest independent editorial companies. Based on its solid reputation for world-class editorial talents, family values and truly great leadership, over time, Cutters has opened successful studios in Kansas City, Detroit, Los Angeles, Tokyo and New York City. With its partner companies Another Country, Dictionary Films, Flavor and Picnic Media, Cutters Studios represents unlimited full-service creative capabilities. For more information please visit http://www.cuttersstudios.com.
