Pre-Production
In Pre-Production for Remember
2023 TELLY AWARDS
The misery of the world often pushes us to the end of our rope. Stealing our hope, feeling alone, and seeing death as our only way out. You’re not alone. This movie is a story about two men who faced the same of those feelings. It was dramatic and twisted for both, King David and Jesus. So, as we reach the end of our rope ... REMEMBER
Using the lives of David and Jesus as examples, Isaiah Jacob Owens explains that, when at the end of your rope, filled with despair, loneliness, and abandonment, you are not alone.
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After witnessing the preparation of Jesus’ body for burial, Isaiah prepares his church for the solemnity of Ash Wednesday. He weaves a tale that chronicles the sins of Adam and David, how the misery brought about by those sins drove them to the end of their rope. Only their faith in God saved them.
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Isaiah’s story culminates in the last days of Jesus. He walked among us not only as our God, but as our brother. He did not sin but faced the consequences of our sins. He felt the weight of Man’s misery upon him.
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That misery pushed even Jesus to the end of His rope, with Him asking, “My God, why have thou forsaken me?”
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Yet, like Adam and David before Him, Jesus found faith in God’s Word. He would then die for Man’s sins, His sacrifice making good on God’s promise of salvation for all. By following the paths of Adam, David, and Jesus, “Remember” shows how one can come to the end of their rope. It then enlightens as to how faith in God can lift one up by assuring that we are not alone.
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This story came about when its writer, producer and director Jonathan Sawyer had reached the end of his rope. He suffered a heart attack and, one day later a stroke. In his mind, God left him sixteen percent of a working heart and a horrible stroke that deleted the entire “hard drive” of his mind. Sawyer hated God for leaving him as a shell of a human being. He went so far to shout, as David and Jesus did before him, “Why did you leave me here? Why did you abandon me?”
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It was days, if not weeks, when he sat on his bed, crying, gun inserted his mouth. Wanting to conduct his execution. But he did not pull the trigger. He turned back to his faith in God. That faith led him back to the world of the living, this time with purpose.
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Sawyer chose to create this project to show others who have also reached the end of their rope that, through God’s Word, they are not alone.
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When you reach the end of your rope… Remember.
Production Crew for Remember
SABRENA ALLEN-BIRON
As a production designer (the head of the art department) on our movie, Remember, Sabrena Allen-Biron will make sure each shooting location is perfect, prepared, and on point with the vision of the film. This includes creating the initial concepts, building sets, fabricating costumes, developing makeup effects, and working with the VFX team. All these sections must come together to present the audience with visual information that establishes a sense of place and conveys an emotional response, through the background elements, costumes, and props.
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Sabrena will bring life to the visual storytelling. She will meticulously re-create period scenes for ancient Jerusalem, during Jesus’ days. She is using cutting edge technology, LED walls, augmented with practical sets. Sabrena has brought a new era by bringing the virtual production set during King David and for Jesus during Holy Week, to capture virtual effects in camera. Meaning the background and action are all occurring live on set, and everyone involved can see and make real-time adjustments to the scene. This gives a new level of control to the process that is absent when using green screen.
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As a talented artist, Sabrena’s skills include drawing, painting, graphic design, sculpture, advertising, and film and stage production design. Sabrena puts her classical art training to work on commercial design, production design for feature film, theatrical set design, and theme park installations, as well as her personal drawings and paintings.
She has developed a unique style of painting, simultaneously meshing classic old world styles with a contemporary one, that gives the viewer a completely unique experience. Sabrena owns and runs her own commercial design firm, and her experience includes art director for advertising agencies, teaching at metropolitan museum art schools, production designer for feature films, and set designer for theatrical productions.
She has participated in creating various prop and scenic installations for theme parks such as Disney, Sea World, Cirque Du Soleil, Six Flags, Sea Life, and Madame Tussauds.
Sabrena Allen-Biron was raised on the side of a mountain in the tiny town of New Boston, New Hampshire. She studied at Notre Dame College, De Paul University and The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
KATHLEEN NEMEC
When it comes to film and television, costuming is a vital part of the movie-making process. The art of dressing the characters within a film is pivotal. In historic pieces, costuming conveys the time period, the character's personal tastes, their class, geography, and emotional state, thus costume design becomes one of the most important tools in storytelling.
In our movie, Remember, Kathleen Nemec is our Wardrobe Designer. She Will bring life to Jesus, the disciples, Mary (mother of Jesus), and ancient Rome, including Pontious Pilate, the Jewish Sanhedrin, Roman soldiers, Jewish Temple Guard, even King David’s army and the Philistine army for the final battle scene. Director Jonathan Sawyer, is a stickler for detail, and is making sure that everything is as accurate as possible.
Kathleen Nemec learned her textile skills from her mother who was a professional Japanese Doll maker and kimono seamstress. Kathleen’s many skills include: sewing, knitting, crocheting, embroidery, crewel, macrame, applique (insignia patches, beading, rhinestone, snaps and rivets), as well as punch needle art, carpet tufting, plush toy and doll making. She has been creating, designing and constructing clothing, costumes, and curtains since the early 1970s.
Her clothing repertoire ranges from Christening gowns and wedding dresses, to hand painted t-shirts and Denim jackets. Each piece is tailored to fit the individual’s body type and also their personality.
Most of Kathleen’s costumes were commissioned by private individuals looking for exotic themes like: the Arabian nights (including a two humped camel), the Wizard of Oz, the Big Bad Wolf and 3 Little Pigs, and an independent play titled The Toy Maker.
Kathleen has also worked in set design and construction for numerous productions. She designed and fabricated a full sized tomb with roll-away stone; all the wooden props including stools, desk, fireplace, and manger for a Christmas production; and a Good Friday via de la rosa; paper mâché tree stumps, forest backdrops, and a pirate ship. Kathleen has made window dressings from simple to ornate, bedding, pillows, quilts, and knitted blankets.
As an artist, her favorite medium is oil, but she is also proficient in acrylics and watercolor. She has used her talent to paint several full wall murals for children’s rooms, and also for the Aphasia House at the University of Central Florida.
Other unusual projects she has done include the complete reupholster of several classic cars including all seats (tuck and roll), door paneling, and head liners.
