As you work in the film business you’re often taken away from your family for great lengths of time. When you have the opportunity to not only work with a group of filmmakers that you consider family but to also have your family involved in a project it is quite interesting!

When we first began the process of our film CROOKED LANE there were time obstacles for me to be involved during principal photography. I told Chase I could produce that part of the film in absentia and that by bringing in Greg Smith to produce he would have an extension of me. Smitty and I have worked together for 15 years. We’re as close as most brothers and fight like it sometime (come on, he’s a Yankees fan) !!! Chase also suggested to my wife Bethany that she should co-produce the film. She resisted at first from what I believe was fear of the unknown. Bethany has had a long career in the film business but she had never ventured into the production side. Once she agreed I was duly excited. We’ve always talked about our various projects and deals but this would be the first time we would work together.

Now that was the easy part of working with the family……

When we began the casting process Chase and Bethany were going to work closely together with our Casting Director, John Campanello. Chase began by asking Bethany if she had any dark haired 9 year olds on her roster of actors. Immediately she looked at Chase quizzically and said, “Well yes, I gave birth to one”. That 9 year old was our daughter Eliya-Quaye! So the casting began moving forward enough so that Chase asked me if I was ok with Eliya-Quaye playing the part of Bailey. My response as always was “to do what’s best for the film and if she’s is best then I’m all for it” and “don’t do it for Bethany or I”.

Eliya-Quaye eventually was cast as Bailey. As much as Mommy was involved she really did it all on her own. Bethany and I were very proud of her although we knew the hardest part was yet to come!

As I’ve said, I was producing in absentia for most of principal photography so…

Jumping ahead I had these crazy thoughts. Not only was I the executive producer of the film, I was the father of one of the three young girls who were cast in the film. The first time I saw the edit of the film I was watching as a dad and couldn’t believe the emotion I felt in watching Eliya-Quaye. That was my little one up there on the monitors!!! I hope you’ll like what she’s done on screen!

There is the adage about ‘don’t blink because your kids will be adults’ and is so true. I spent a lot of Eliya-Quaye’s(and our 6 year old son Caleb’s) early life on the road. At times, the family packed it up and came to Nashville, Miami, Los Angeles or wherever the job took me. As the kids grew to begin school the idea of leaving was something I didn’t want to think about. The idea that we would one day work together was something I never thought would happen either!! Try it sometime, it might be the thrill of a lifetime!

Thanks,

Mark Constance