Behind The Hedgerow

Back by popular demand!

2011-08-23T05:24:00.000-07:00

More showings, more free DVDs... Join us this weekend at the Jane Pickens in Newport!

Special Theater Screening!

2011-07-19T12:37:00.000-07:00

July 19, 2011
For immediate release
For questions: Eaglepeakmedia@yahoo.com

NEWPORT, R.I. –– The Jane Pickens Theater & Event Center on Monday, August 8, will present a special one-year-anniversary showing of the 2010 hit documentary, BEHIND THE HEDGEROW: Eileen Slocum and the Meaning of Newport Society. Thirty-five people attending the showing that evening will receive free DVDs of the movie with bonus footage.

The feature-length film takes viewers inside the private world of aristocratic Newport –– a world of privilege that began with the Gilded Age, when Vanderbilts and Astors reigned. The story is told through the focus of Eileen Gillespie Slocum, the last of Newport’s grand dames and one of the last grand dames anywhere.

The opening-night feature of the 2010 Rhode Island International Film festival, BEHIND THE HEDGEROW received four stars from The Providence Journal, and was called “shockingly refreshing and funny” by Newport Mercury, “daringly intimate” by Newport Patch, “fascinating” by WRNI 102.7 FM/NPR Morning Edition, and “don’t miss” by Rhode Island Monthly.

The movie will screen at 6 p.m. Monday, August 8, at Jane Pickens, Touro Street, downtown Newport. Tickets will be $10. The first ten people to order online will each receive a free DVD. In addition, the first 25 people buying tickets at the box office will each receive a free DVD; tickets will go on sale at 5:30 p.m. that evening and will not be sold in advance, except for online purchases.

All ticket-buyers, online and box office, who do not qualify for the free DVD will be able to purchase it at a special one-time-only price of $12, a discount of 50 percent.

Very nice press for HEDGEROW (again!)

2011-04-06T08:25:00.000-07:00

In the days leading up to tonight's Rhode Island PBS broadcast premiere of the documentary, we've received lots of continued great coverage. Having been around (and in) the media for many years, I know it doesn't come gratuitously (or every day). And so thanks to the critics and reviewers who have said such nice things.

This review especially, in today's examiner.com Providence, was appreciated.

Critic Brandon Akers wrote, among other things: "The filmmakers’ passion for storytelling bleeds through every scene as the historical narrative unfolds. Through a series of vintage still photography, perfectly restored stock footage and live interviews, they masterfully capture every detail of this revered local culture. The filmmakers’ artful transitions, skilled scene framing and mindful scoring make for a heart felt telling of local history."

Thanks, Brandon, and all others who have been so kind.

April 6

2011-04-03T08:42:00.000-07:00

The PBS broadcast premiere!

Hedgerow PBS broadcast premiere

2011-03-22T10:10:00.000-07:00

March 22, 2011
For immediate release

NEWPORT, R.I. –– The critically acclaimed documentary BEHIND THE HEDGEROW: Eileen Slocum and the Meaning of Newport Society makes its broadcast debut at 8 p.m. on April 6, 2011, on WSBE/Rhode Island PBS.

The feature-length film takes viewers inside the private world of aristocratic Newport –– a world of privilege that began with the Gilded Age, when Vanderbilts and Astors reigned. The story is told through the focus of Eileen Gillespie Slocum, the last of Newport’s grand dames and one of the last grand dames anywhere.

The opening-night feature of the 2011 Rhode Island International Film festival, BEHIND THE HEDGEROW received four stars from The Providence Journal, and was called “shockingly refreshing and funny” by Newport Mercury, “daringly intimate” by Newport Patch, “fascinating” by WRNI 102.7 FM/NPR Morning Edition, and “don’t miss” by Rhode Island Monthly. It enjoyed a long theatrical run at Newport’s Jane Pickens Theater during the late summer and fall of 2010.

The April 6 PBS premiere will be followed by broadcasts at 7 p.m. on April 9 and 11 p.m. on April 10, among other times. Details at the Rhode Island PBS site.

The HEDGEROW director’s cut DVD with bonus footage is available now and may be ordered at http://www.behindthehedgerow.com/purchase.php. It is also available for purchase at gift shops of The Preservation Society of Newport County, which operates The Breakers, Marble House and other Newport mansions and sites.

BEHIND THE HEDGEROW is the second title from Eagle Peak Media, the production company founded in 2008 by writer G. Wayne Miller and director David Bettencourt. ON THE LAKE, EPM’s first title, premiered in February 2009 and has been broadcast in PBS markets across America. It was nominated for an Emmy by the New England chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

For more, visit The Hedgerow site or Eagle Peak Media.

Return to Pickens, holiday DVDs

2010-12-03T12:41:00.001-08:00

Newport's Jane Pickens Theater will present a special showing of BEHIND THE HEDGEROW at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 16. Be there!
And keep in mind a great holiday gift: DVDs of the director's cut with bonus footage are now being sold at the Pickens, at the Newport mansion stores throughout Newport, and the Newport Museum & Shop at Brick Market on Thames Street.
They are also available online, with next-day shipping at the official HEDGEROW site. Mail orders are also accepted.
Happy holidays!

Now Shipping!

2010-11-02T12:18:00.000-07:00

The DVDs arrived on November 2 from the manufacturer and pre-orders were shipped immediately. New orders will be shipped as they are received. Order now!

Big-screen premiere of director's cut!

2010-10-25T06:43:00.000-07:00

After a successful August premiere and month-long run at the Pickens, filmmakers David Bettencourt and G. Wayne Miller returned to the editing booth to add about five minutes of superb footage that premiere deadlines prevented. The result is the director's cut, which is included on the deluxe DVD (along with extensive bonus footage) -- and it will be shown at Newport's Jane Pickens Theater at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 14, for the first time.

Participants will not only see the new cut -- they will each receive a DVD and, while supplies last, a movie poster, all for the price of admission. And, they will get to meet Miller, Bettencourt, associate producer Calvin Miller, and, possibly, members of the Slocum family and others in Newport Society.

For more information, visit the Jane Pickens site.

Festivals, DVD soon to arrive

2010-10-18T09:46:00.001-07:00

After successful showings at the 2010 Rhode Island International Film Festival, in August, and just this month at the inaugural FLICKERS North Country Film Festival, we are looking at a select few additional festivals to show Hedgerow. We were asked to submit the film to Big Sky, one of the nation's premiere documentary fests, and we hop to be an official selection.
Meanwhile, the director's cut DVDs -- a longer version of the movie, with bonus footage -- should arrive from the manufacturer in less than two weeks. Order the DVD here!

Director's cut DVD on the way...

2010-10-01T07:34:00.000-07:00

Having completed a successful month-long run at Newport’s Jane Pickens Theater, the critically acclaimed BEHIND THE HEDGEROW: Eileen Slocum and the Meaning of Newport Society is now headed to DVD –– with bonus footage of scenes and interviews not in the theatrical version.

“We made a movie of just under 60 minutes, which means that we left hours and hours of great material on the proverbial cutting-room floor. Now the best of that will be available to the viewing public,” said producer G. Wayne Miller.

Among the bonus features: footage of Yusha Auchincloss talking about growing up with his step-sister, Jackie Kennedy Onassis; Betty "Boop" Blake with more detail on her mother, who survived the sinking of The Titanic; and historian Michael Budd with more on the history of Newport's mansions.

The deluxe DVD will be available in late October, but preorders are being accepted now at the Hedgerow order page.

BEHIND THE HEDGEROW premiered in August 2010 as the opening-night feature of the 2010 FLICKERS: Rhode Island International Film festival. It received four stars from The Providence Journal, and was called “shockingly refreshing and funny” by Newport Mercury, “daringly intimate” by Newport Patch, “fascinating” by NPR Morning Edition and “don’t miss” by Rhode Island Monthly.

BEHIND THE HEDGEROW, from Emmy-nominated filmmakers director David Bettencourt and Miller, is an unprecedented look inside the private world of Newport, Rhode Island, High Society –– a world whose roots lie in the Gilded Age of Vanderbilts and Astors.

BEHIND THE HEDGEROW is the second title from Eagle Peak Media, the production company founded in 2008 by Miller and Bettencourt. ON THE LAKE, EPM’s first title, premiered in February 2009 and has been broadcast in PBS markets across America It was nominated for an Emmy by the New England chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

And once more...

2010-09-15T06:27:00.000-07:00

Yet again, Hedgerow has been held over at the Jane Pickens theater in Newport, shows now through Sept. 16. That will bring the theatrical run of the movie to four weeks, not bad! And soon, the DVD with bonus footage not in the film, check here for details as they are available.

Held over again

2010-08-30T14:37:00.000-07:00

At the Jane Pickens Theater in Newport. Last week, shows were added through Sept. 2, which would have brought the run to two weeks, but a strong weekend box once more prompts more screenings. Shows have been added at 6 p.m. from Sept. 3 through Sept. 9. That will bring the theatrical run to three weeks, straight through the long Labor Day weekend, following our Providence and Newport premieres in mid-August. Check The Jane Pickens site for details.

Pickens run continues

2010-08-26T18:10:00.000-07:00

Attended this evening's screening at the Jane Pickens Theater in Newport, and after the movie Dave and I answered questions from the stage and met with some of the 100 or so people in the audience. A fine evening. Strong box office continues, and the run may be extended yet again, beyond Sept. 2. Check back at the Hedgerow site for more details as they become available.

Ten screenings added at Newport's Pickens Theater!

2010-08-23T14:47:00.000-07:00

Thrilled with the size and reaction of the audiences at the opening weekend of HEDGEROW'S Newport theatrical run, the Jane Pickens theater has added ten shows to the schedule, including several afternoon matinees. This brings to 19 the number of screenings at the downtown Newport theater.

The theatrical run follows the film's four-star world premiere in Providence Aug. 10 as the feature presentation of the opening night of the FLICKERS: Rhode Island International Film Festival, and the sell-out, turn-people-away Newport premiere on Aug. 10.
HEDGEROW will be shown at Jane Pickens at:

-- 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 24
-- 6 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 26
-- 6 p.m., Friday, Aug. 27
-- 2:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 28
-- 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 29
-- 2:30 p.m. and 6 p.m., Monday, Aug. 30
-- 2:30 p.m. and 6 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 31
-- 2:30 p.m. and 6 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 1
-- and 2:30 p.m. and 6 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 2.

For ticket information, visit the Jane Pickens Theater.

Newport premiere sells out, many turned away...

2010-08-16T05:40:00.000-07:00

The August 14 Newport premiere turned out to be a success beyond what we had hoped. Nearly 400 people filled Salve Regina University's Bazarsky Auditorium and dozens who had hoped to buy last-minute tickets were turned away. Apologies to them -- but the good news is that the movie will have a nine-day run at the popular downtown Newport Jane Pickens Theater. The run begins 6 p.m. Friday, August 20, and continues through Sunday, August 29. For times and tickets, visit the Hedgerow movie site or the Jane Pickens Theater.

A few scenes from the Newport premiere:

-- The line at the door.

-- Standing-room only in Bazarsky Hall.

-- Writer/producer G. Wayne Miller with friends Andy Kinnecom and Linda Borg (back to camera) and Laurence Cutler at the High tea Reception that followed at the Slocum's Bellevue Avenue estate. Laurence is in the movie.

-- Script consultant Y.T. Gabrielle, Miller and R.I. State Police Col. Brendan Doherty and his wife Michele. Col. Doherty is in the movie.

-- Gene Quinn and wife Margy Slocum Quinn, hosts of the reception.

-- Gabrielle, Miller, Adam Powell IV, Beryl Slocum Powell, sponsorships director Katherine L. Miller, and Coleen Richards Powell. Beryl is in the movie.

Photos by Y.T. Gabrielle and Katherine L. Miller

Awesome BEHIND THE HEDGEROW premiere!

2010-08-11T04:50:00.000-07:00

We had a fabulous opening last night at Vets Auditorium in Providence -- a great audience that really seemed to dig the film, and fun parties before and after at this beautiful hall. The film itself, in high-definition, looked and sounded like nothing else. Now it's on to Newport for our August 14th premiere, followed by High Tea at the Slocums' Bellevue Avenue estate.
Pictured here are:
-- Script consultant (and fiancee!) Y. T. Gabrielle and writer/producer G. Wayne Miller, me, in the lobby.
-- Three Millers: Associate producer Calvin, sponsorship director Katherine L., and me.
-- Director David Bettencourt and me introducing the film to the audience of hundreds.
-- The hall beginning to fill up.
-- The writer's own after- after-party at The Temple Restaurant, next door.
-- G. Wayne Miller

25 hours...

2010-08-09T14:59:00.000-07:00

... until the world premiere, 7 p.m. August 10 at Providence's Veterans Memorial Auditorium, of BEHIND THE HEDGEROW: Eileen Slocum and the Meaning of Newport Society. And just five days until the Newport premiere, 2 p.m. August 14th at Salve Regina University. Information on both screenings, which are followed by gala parties (the August 14 Newport soiree is on the grounds of Eileen's Bellevue Avenue estate!), is available through this link. Tickets will be sold at the door, at both events.

In the days before the premiere, we have received tremendous publicity, in newspapers, on the radio and online. To see some of it, go to this page on the Eagle Peak Media site.

And now, we basically cross our fingers, knock on wood and hope to break a leg. And hope to see friends, film fans and anyone else.

Score!

2010-07-30T06:22:00.000-07:00

Early this morning in the studio, we completed the last phase of the movie before the final technical fixes of image and sound, which will occupy much of the next week or so. We brought in the excellent musical score by Lonnie Montaquilla and Ben Mesiti. Here are Dave and Lonnie, right, doing some fine-tuning.

The sound is beautiful, to match the quality of the high-def images.

See you at the Aug. 10 and Aug. 14 premieres!

TICKETS FOR BOTH PREMIERES NOW ON SALE

2010-07-15T12:36:00.000-07:00

BEHIND THE HEDGEROW OPENS
R. I. INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

July 14, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PROVIDENCE, R.I. –– Tickets are now on sale for the World and Newport premieres of BEHIND THE HEDGEROW: Eileen Slocum and the Meaning of Newport Society, the exclusive and first-ever movie about the secret world of old-money aristocratic Newport and one of its -- and Rhode Island’s and America’s -- most prominent families.

Both premieres, which are presented by the 2010 FLICKERS: Rhode Island International Film Festival, will be followed by gala parties. Admission to these parties is included in the ticket price.

The World Premiere will be 7 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 10, at the VMA Arts & Cultural Center, 1 Avenue of the Arts, Providence, R.I., 02903. This screening is the feature event of the opening night of the FLICKERS: Rhode Island International Film Festival. Tickets are $25, including the post-screening soirée.

The Newport premiere will be 2 p.m Aug. 14 at Bazarsky Hall, O’Hare Academic Center, Salve Regina University, Newport. Tickets are $30, including a post-screening High Tea hosted by members of the late Eileen Gillespie Slocum’s family on the grounds of Slocum’s Bellevue Avenue estate.

Online ticketing for both events is available at the Film festival site or through the film site. Phone orders can be placed at 401-861-4445 or in person at the FLICKERS/RIIFF office, 83 Park Street, Suite, 1, Providence, RI 02903. Tickets will be sold at the doors but seating is limited, and advance orders are recommended.

Part history, part contemporary look, BEHIND THE HEDGEROW is told through the focus of Slocum, Newport’s last grand dame, who died in the summer of 2008. Slocum’s family has granted the filmmakers exclusive access to her archives and private Bellevue Avenue estate, where much of the film was shot over the last year.

The film features the on-camera appearances of several members of Newport Society, many of whom have never appeared on the screen before. The film is narrated by the late Eileen Slocum herself, through audio recordings made before her death.

Slocum was not only Newport’s last grand dame –– she was a leading national Republican political figure for many years, a friend of both Presidents Bush, Presidents Reagan and Ford, and many others on both sides of the political spectrum. She was a descendant of prominent Rhode Islanders, including Roger Williams and the Browns of Brown University. These stories are told in the film in Eileen’s own words and appearances by several friends, including former Governor Bruce Sundlun and Hugh D. “Yusha” Auchincloss, stepbrother of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

BEHIND THE HEDGEROW is the second title from Eagle Peak Media, the production company founded in 2008 by writer/producer G. Wayne Miller and director David Bettencourt. ON THE LAKE: Life and Love in a Distant Place, its first title, premiered in February 2009 to critical acclaim. PBS broadcasts in major national markets began in March 2009 and continue today. ON THE LAKE was nominated for an Emmy by the New England chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

George T. Marshall, RIIFF Executive Director, is the executive producer of BEHIND THE HEDGEROW.

For news, links to the HEDGEROW blog and Facebook page, and more, visit The Hedgerow site.
The Rhode Island International Film Festival is supported in part by the Providence Tourism Council, WJAR TV10, The Providence Phoenix, Stella Artois, Sony, HB Communications, Renaissance Providence Hotel/Temple Restaurant, Rule Boston Camera, NewEnglandFilm.com, the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts( RISCA), Equity Action, the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities (RICH), Amtrak, URI's College of Arts and Sciences, URI's Feinstein College of Continuing Education, the URI Film Media Program, Roger Williams University, PMA Industries, Enterprise Rent-a-Car, and contributions from members and community supporters.

THE FLICKERS’ BACKSTORY & MISSION:
The mission of the Flickers, the Newport Film Society & Arts Collaborative - now in its 29th year - has been to serve as a creative partner in the arts by uniting various media and arts disciplines that nurture the artistic process and support a vital part of our community. This includes multi-disciplinary art presentations; artistic and cultural activities; performance festivals; video and television productions; audio recordings and broadcasts; educational outreach programs; and the FLICKERS: Rhode Island International Film Festival (RIIFF).

ABOUT RHODE ISLAND INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL:
The FLICKERS: Rhode Island International Film Festival (RIIFF), has secured its place in the global community as the portal for the best in international independent cinema, earning the respect of domestic and foreign filmmakers, filmgoers and trend watchers. This confluence of art and commerce brought together world-class celebrities, award-winning filmmakers, new talent and audience members in record numbers last year. Ranked as one of the top 12 Festivals in the United States, RIIFF is also a qualifying festival for the Short Film Academy Award through its affiliation with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. There are 65 film festivals worldwide which share this distinction and RIIFF is the only festival in New England. The next Festival will take place August 10-15, 2010. For more information about the festival, please visit the Film festival site.

Soft light on an evening on Bellevue Avenue...

2010-07-01T13:02:00.000-07:00

Yes, we really did return to Eileen's mansion for one last shoot, the evening of Tuesday, June 29. We had some additional scans provided to us by Eileen's daughter Beryl Slocum Powell, which production assistant Brenda Rourke handles; a sound-recording of Patricia Painter, the diarist voice of Eileen, which musician/soundman Lonnie Montaquila oversaw; and an on-camera interview of granddaughter Phyllis Trevor Higgerson, which Dave and I conducted. That's Phyllis, back to camera, and me in the distance, in this photo by Dave.
Phyliss beautifully narrated an important era in her grandmother's life: her coming of age in 1930s New York City society; her engagement to richest-bachelor-in-the-world John Jacob Astor VI, whose mother was pregnant when she survived the sinking of the Titanic (the second Titanic story in the film, by the way); and the eventual meeting and marriage of Eileen and her husband John.

Final, final, we keep saying final...

2010-06-22T14:00:00.000-07:00

And obviously, we don't quite mean it. I was in Newport last evening to scan some great vintage photos in the personal archives of Betty "Boop" Blake, now 94, and as charming and delightful as ever -- and what a memory. She shared some shots of Bailey's, the Glamour Girls, Palm Beach, Southampton and more that we would never find anywhere else. She will be our guest of honor at the
Newport premiere, 2 p.m. August 14 at Salve Regina University.
And very early this morning, Dave and I were at Brown University for some exteriors to illustrate Eileen's Brown family ancestry.
And, yes, we have at least one more trip to Newport... this is the price of being two perfectionists.

HEDGEROW approaches...

2010-06-11T12:13:00.000-07:00

With the premiere now less than two months away, we are intensely editing. I spent a couple of hours today with Dave, pictured here, in the studio helping refine the opening sequence, Folks, it's starting to look kick-ass.
Information about the 7 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 10 world premiere at Vets Auditorium in Providence can be found through this ticket link, and as always, more is at the official movie site.
And please join the Facebook World Premiere events page. There will also be a Newport premiere at 2 p.m., Aug. 14, Bazarsky Lecture Hall, Salve Regina University.

Newport venue changed

2010-06-09T06:34:00.000-07:00

We are moving the Newport premiere to Salve Regina University. But nothing else has changed! Hope to see you at one (or both) of the premieres:

The Providence premiere will be at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 10, at Veterans Memorial Auditorium, 1 Avenue of the Arts, Providence, R.I., 02903. The Newport opener will be 2 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 14, in Bazarsky Hall, O'Hare Academic Building, Salve Regina University, 100 Ochre Point Ave., Newport

Ticket information is available at the FLICKERS: Rhode Island International Film Festival, and at the HEDGEROW site.

World Premiere tickets on sale now!

2010-06-07T03:11:00.000-07:00

Order your tickets now for the world premiere, 7 p.m., August 10, 2010, with VIP soiree to follow, at beautiful Veterans Memorial Auditorium, Providence, in the shadow of the State House.

Very Final Shoot (?)

2010-05-26T15:05:00.000-07:00

We had a crew in Newport for part of the afternoon, shooting a few more interiors at 459 Bellevue, and several exteriors, including Ochre Court, the main administration building for Salve Regina University, which has been enormously helpful to us. These are establishing shots that will find good use at the opening to the film, as we bring you past some Gilded Age landmarks into the private world of Newport Society.
This is Dave, shooting Ochre Court, which was a private mansion before the school. If you look at the chimney, you can see a sundial -- and it told the correct time!
The lighting in this is stunning, and can only be better in HD.
Thanks to Salve for their generous permission to shoot on their property.

Premieres set!

2010-05-13T17:14:00.000-07:00

NEWPORT DOCUMENTARY PREMIERES SET

May 13, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PROVIDENCE, R.I. –– BEHIND THE HEDGEROW: Eileen Slocum and the Meaning of Newport Society, the exclusive and first-ever movie about the secret world of old-money aristocratic Newport, will have its world premiere as the feature event of the opening night of the 2010 FLICKERS: Rhode Island International Film Festival on Aug. 10 at Veterans Memorial Auditorium, it was announced today.

Its official Newport premiere will be Aug. 14 at Bazarsky Hall, Salve Regina University, in the City by the Sea. Both screenings will be followed by receptions –– with the Newport reception, “a Gilded Age tea party,” hosted by members of the late Eileen Gillespie Slocum’s family.

“We are honored to have these two prestigious venues to launch HEDGEROW, a documentary that provides a unique look at a one-of-a-kind woman who ruled atop a unique class at an extraordinary period of American history,” said writer/producer G. Wayne Miller.

“The screening of this special motion picture promises to be the must-attend event of the summer,” added George T. Marshall, RIIFF Executive Director and executive producer of the film. “The screening also marks the return of Flickers to its home base of Newport, where it began 29 years ago. We could not be more delighted to bring summertime viewing back to the City by the Sea.”

Part history, part contemporary look, HEDGEROW is told through the focus of Slocum, Newport’s last grand dame, who died in the summer of 2008. Slocum’s family has granted the filmmakers exclusive access to her archives and private Bellevue Avenue estate, where much of the film was shot over the last year. The film is currently in post-production.

The Providence premiere will be at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 10, at Veterans Memorial Auditorium, 1 Avenue of the Arts, Providence, R.I., 02903. The Newport opener will be 2 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 14, in Bazarsky Hall, O'Hare Academic Building, Salve Regina University, 100 Ochre Point Ave., Newport

Ticket information is available at the FLICKERS: Rhode Island International Film Festival, and at the HEDGEROW site.

BEHIND THE HEDGEROW is the second title from Eagle Peak Media, the production company founded in 2008 by Miller and Bettencourt. ON THE LAKE, its first title, premiered in February 2009 to critical acclaim. PBS broadcasts in major national markets began in March 2009 and continue today. ON THE LAKE has been nominated for an Emmy by the New England chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Awards will be presented May 22 at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass., home of the New England Patriots

For news, links to the HEDGEROW blog and Facebook page, and more, visit www.BehindTheHedgerow.com

–– 30 ––

Great new presence on R.I. International Film Festival site!

2010-04-27T12:34:00.000-07:00

We could not ask for more than this: A link to our site from the home page of the Rhode Island International Film Festival site. HEDGEROW will premiere as one of the main attractions at this August's festival. Thanks to our executive producer, George Marshall!

Roving Eye, April 25

2010-04-26T03:14:00.001-07:00

Very fine afternoon yesterday at the Roving Eye Film festival at Roger Williams University in Bristol, R.I. We screened some work-in-progress selections and discussed the making of the film -- and also received audience input into our poster. That's some of the people on hand looking at poster mockups. Also, a shot of the presentation, with a passage from the script on the screen.
Next up: a similar pre-release evening at Salve Regina University, 6 p.m. Wednesday.

New media coverage

2010-04-23T10:47:00.001-07:00

We had a burst of publicity last year when we announced we were making this movie, and this week brings a fresh round, which we expect will continue through the August premiere.
Read how the Westerly Sun's widely-circulated (in Rhode Island and Connecticut) arts and entertainment magazine, The Guide, wrote about us in its April 22 edition. It's PDF format, scroll down to Page 5. A nice photo of Eileen friend and Jackie Kennedy stepbrother Yusha Auchincloss from one of our shoots, too, which I have re posted here.
And read how we were covered on April 22 in the Providence Business News -- our Roving Eye early look and discussion on Sunday, April 25, were listed as one of 10 Things To Do This Weekend!

Emmy Nomination for On The Lake!

2010-04-14T06:13:00.001-07:00

ON THE LAKE: Life and Love in a Distant Place, has been nominated for Best Documentary in the 33rd annual Boston/New England Emmy competition, sponsored by the New England chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. This is quite an honor for David, me and the rest of the crew who made the movie. Congratulations to all of us here at Eagle Peak Media (as we move toward completion of our second doc, BEHIND THE HEDGEROW: Eileen Slocum and the Meaning of Newport Society. Winners will be announced at a ceremony May 22 at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass.
ON THE LAKE premiered in February 2009 to critical acclaim, and has since been broadcast in PBS markets around the country. For more on ON THE LAKE, visit the movie site.

EARLY LOOK

2010-04-12T08:46:00.000-07:00

April 12, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BRISTOL, R.I. –– This year’s Roving Eye documentary film festival will feature an early look at BEHIND THE HEDGEROW: Eileen Slocum and the Meaning of Newport Society, the first-ever feature-length movie about the secret world of old-money Newport that will premiere at the 2010 Rhode Island International Film Festival.
Writer/producer G. Wayne Miller and director David Bettencourt will be on hand April 25 at Roger Williams University to screen selections from the film and join RWU professor Edward Delaney to talk about the making of HEDGEROW and participate in a more general discussion, “The Art of Creative Storytelling.”
Part history, part contemporary look, HEDGEROW is told through the focus of Eileen Gillespie Slocum, Newport’s last grand dame, who died in the summer of 2008. Slocum’s family has granted the filmmakers exclusive access to her archives and private Bellevue Avenue estate, where much of the film was shot over the last year.
The Roving Eye event will be at 3 p.m. on Sunday, April 25, at Roger Williams’ Global Heritage Hall 01. It is free and open to the public.
HEDGEROW, scheduled for PBS broadcast, is now in post-production. A second advance look and discussion will be staged in Newport on Wednesday, April 28. This session is by invitation only. Those interested in attending should contact Eagle Peak Media for time, location and other details.
BEHIND THE HEDGEROW is the second title from non-profit Eagle Peak Media. ON THE LAKE, its first title, premiered in February 2009 to critical acclaim. PBS broadcasts in major national markets began in March 2009 and continue today.
For news, links to the HEDGEROW blog and Facebook page, and more, visit the Hedgerow site.
More information about Roving Eye at the festival site.

Fire and thievery

2010-03-08T15:48:00.001-08:00

We were back at 459 Bellevue yesterday for two critical pieces of Hedgerow: lighting and burning-down the fire that will be a central narrative device (trust me, it will work), and also to film Col. Brendan Doherty, head of the Rhode Island State Police, who recounted his encounters with Eileen which began in 1998 when he (then a detective) successfully investigated the theft of many priceless items by one of Eileen's butlers. A fascinating segment in her life -- and the film -- and Col. Doherty told the story with great detail and flair. He is, after all, Irish.
Pictured here are: Col. Doherty during the shoot, with Cal handling the camera, and me the questions; a closeup of Doherty during the interview; Cal setting up the lights; Doherty talking with me; the table in the main dining room, where Doherty first met Eileen; Cal, with rose-colored glasses; and Dave, Calvin and me discussing how to simultaneously shoot a fire and Doherty.
Photos by Y. T. Gabrielle.
-- Wayne

And one more time

2010-02-15T16:20:00.001-08:00

We returned to 459 Bellevue today to get some shots that we discovered we need now that the script is pretty much done and we head toward editing, official start now slated for early next week. Also scanned a bunch of photographs of Eileen's husband John, who is a big part of the movie -- and who, until today, was not well represented in images. Well, we solved that. Here is associate producer George Calvin Miller in the main dining room working the scanner.

IMDB listing

2010-02-02T06:00:00.000-08:00

You know you are "official" when IMDB, the authoritative Internet Movie Data Base, lists your movie. We are now with HEDGEROW. Visit the IMDB HEDGEROW site.

Scanning and scripting

2010-01-30T07:17:00.000-08:00

We are now well into post-production, and among our many tasks is completing the scanning of the many great photographs we have of Eileen and her family and friends over her long life. This is a black-and-white of her with her sister, Phyllis -- undated, but looks to be circa World War II.
Meanwhile, I have completed a very rough draft of the screenplay. Rough -- but I am pleased. The structure looks good, with a nice narrative arc. I am particularly happy with the beginning, which will bring the viewer quite literally (and dramatically) behind the hedgerow, into Eileen's mansion and world. And the supporting cast is just marvelous, with one-of-a-kind performances of people who have rarely, if ever, been put on camera, among them the fabulous Betty "Boop" Blake and Yusha Auchincloss.
-- Wayne, on a frigid January morning.
Image courtesy of Margy Slocum Quinn

RICH Grantees pose in Statehouse

2010-01-15T12:02:00.000-08:00

After the Statehouse ceremony Wednesday at which the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities announced its major 2010 grantees, the group posed for a photo. I am second from left, Dave is in the back, sixth person from left.
Photo by Jori Ketten, image courtesy RICH.
-- Wayne

Hedgerow wins major grant!

2010-01-13T15:36:00.000-08:00

Dave and I went to the Statehouse today for a press conference announcing the winners of the major 2010 grants from the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities. We received one to help with the post-production costs of HEDGEROW, which will have its world premiere at the 2010 Rhode Island International Film festival. We graciously thank the Council for their continued support -- this is the second grant for HEDGEROW that they have awarded us, and these two grants follow one that helped push ON THE LAKE toward its completion in early 2009. Thanks also to George T. Marshall and Flickers Art Collaborative, which serves as our fiscal sponsor.

Cold winter shoot

2010-01-06T16:25:00.000-08:00

We were back at 459 Bellevue on Saturday to photograph more interiors of Eileen's mansion and to scan photographs of her, her family and her friends. It was a snowy day -- quite beautiful in Newport -- and Dave got some nice shots of the exterior of the estate, dressed in winter. We will have use for these as part of a narrative device. Then I thought: We need to visit Eileen's grave. We need a shot of her tombstone with the snow falling. So we hopped in Dave's car and rove to the cemetery, about ten minutes away. This is Dave with one of our interns, capturing the scene. This shot, and the scene in real-life, and for the movie, had a beautiful surreal quality. Unbroken, fresh-fallen snow, and only the three of us there amongst the dead. Almost got stuck getting out -- no snow tires on Dave's car, and nothing was plowed. But well worth our while. Back at 459, we put beryl on camera again, wrapped up our scanning and departed into the evening...

BTH IN THE NEWS AGAIN

2009-12-16T10:00:00.000-08:00

A nice story about documentary filmmaking, with reference to Eagle Peak Media, ON THE LAKE, and BEHIND THE HEDGEROW appeared in the Dec. 13 issue of DocumentaryTech magazine. Check it out!

One of the best, one of the last

2009-12-01T05:00:00.000-08:00

We returned to 459 Bellevue yesterday to put Jerry Slocum on camera. Jerry is Eileen's oldest child and only son -- and he was outstanding, filled with wonderful stories and insights about his mother that we had not heard.
We are nearly through production, with one or possibly two more shoots to go. And then we begin editing.

Falling leaves

2009-11-11T11:09:00.001-08:00

Spent the morning in Newport, first on a visit with Nuala Pell to the cemetery where Claiborne Pell and two of his and Nuala's children are buried, and then I stopped by the cemetery where Eileen and her husband John lie in rest. Here is a shot of the Slocum plot, the mid-November leaves scattered among the yews. Eileen and John's stone is second from the right.
We are nearing the end of principal photography, with a major shoot this coming Monday at 459 Bellevue with Eileen's son, Jerry.

Falling Leaves.

2009-11-11T11:09:00.000-08:00

Michael Budd, PhD, Salve Regina

2009-11-09T17:06:00.001-08:00

To place Newport Society in the larger historical context, we asked Dr. Michael A. Budd, historian and professor at Newport's Salve Regina University to be our academic adviser -- and he kindly agreed. He also agreed to go on camera, and we filmed him today in one of the libraries at Eileen Slocum's estate. Beryl Powell, one of Eileen's daughters, was our host again.

Illustrative

2009-10-20T05:02:00.000-07:00

Laurence Cutler, founder and owner with his wife, Judy, of the esteemed National Museum of American Illustration, invited us into the museum yesterday and then, sitting in his library, went on camera for a great half-hour of observation about Eileen Slocum and Newport society. Laurence was superb. And the museum is just outstanding, with its collection of paintings by Norman Rockwell, Maxfield Parrish, N.C. Wyeth and all of the other great American illustrators.

On camera

2009-10-10T05:11:00.001-07:00

We were shooting again yesterday at 459 Bellevue, putting Eileen's two daughters, Beryl Powell and Margy Quinn, on camera.
To watch a clip from Margy's interview, in which she talks about her mother's diaries, which are a central element in HEDGEROW, click through to the Facebook HEDGEROW page. Margy and Beryl have been enormously helpful to us in production, both on camera and behind the scenes. This Was Margy's second shoot and Beryl's first -- and more to come.

WPRO AM-630 appearance

2009-10-05T08:31:00.000-07:00

During an hour-and-a-half appearance on John DePetro's popular morning drive-time news/talk show on WPRO AM-630, Producer/writer G. Wayne Miller talked about his upcoming biography of Senator Claiborne Pell, A VERY DIFFERENT SENATOR, but also discussed HEDGEROW with DePetro and producer Tara Granahan, both of whom are looking forward to the final film.

Photo courtesy of WPRO AM-630.

Freddy Cushing

2009-09-29T15:11:00.000-07:00

We spent the afternoon with Freddy Cushing at his Newport home, interviewing him for the movie and watching film footage of Newport as far back as 1919. One clip, from 1940, has the young Eileen Slocum at Bailey's beach. What a find! And Freddy was great on camera, and a gracious host. He later showed us the main Cushing house, on one of the most beautiful spots in all of Newport (or the East Coast, for that matter). No wonder the makers of Evening, the 2007 movie starring Vanessa Redgrave, Meryl Streep and Claire Danes decided to shoot much of their movie there.
Pictured here:
-- The Cushing house.
-- Freddy Cushing looking out at the wind-swept Atlantic from the porch.
-- Associate producer Calvin Miller on the rocks.
-- Director Dave Bettencourt on the lawn.
-- The setting sun.
-- Freddy and me during the shoot in Freddy's studio. He's a noted filmmaker himself and loves the art as much as we do.

---- Wayne

More Press; Newport in New York

2009-09-29T07:07:00.001-07:00

Producer/writer G. Wayne Miller wrote a piece about narrative storytelling on the page and on the screen for DocumentaryTech, a web site devoted to "exploring the techniques and technology of documentary filmmaking," Sept. 25, 2009. BEHIND THE HEDGEROW was prominently included, along with a photograph of an on-location shoot of prominent Newporter Nick Brown.

The Providence Phoenix published a story about A VERY DIFFERENT SENATOR, Miller's forthcoming biography of Claiborne Pell, in its issue of Sept. 24, 2009, and HEDGEROW was included.

The biography brought Miller over the past weekend to Fort Ticonderoga in New York, which has been in Pell family hands since 1820 -- a place dear to Claiborne's heart. Pictured here is Robert Pell-deChame, family genealogist, with one of the fort's canons -- donated, Robert told me, by John Slocum, Eileen's husband. Small world...

Mid-production, dovetailing

2009-09-16T14:16:00.001-07:00

As the last days of summer tick down, Dave and I are preparing to meet this Friday to map our strategy for the home stretch -- the production stretch, that is. We plan to go post-production in January, and there's a lot left to do before then, including some additional interviews, transferring footage, transcribing interviews, scanning stills, and the list goes on. And on. But overall, I would say we are in good shape.
On of our tasks will be lining up sponsorships to help defray costs. Information on becoming a sponsor, along with more details about the film, are, as always, at the HEDGEROW site. For sponsorship information, click on, you guessed it, the sponsor link.
HEDGEROW is dovetailing nicely with the biography Eagle Peak Media partner G. Wayne Miller is writing of the late U.S. Senator Claiborne Pell, pictured here with John Fitzgerald Kennedy, a good friend, and Caiborne's wife Nuala. Pell the 16th-longest serving senator ever and a legislative giant -- he created the Pell Grant college assistance program, the legislation that established the National Endowments for the Arts and the Humanities, the legislation that helped form the Law of the Seas, etc. etc. He was a quirky and colorful man, truly a one-of-a-kind character. And he was from one of Newport's (and America's) oldest and wealthiest families - and he married into a second fortune (A & P) when he wed the wonderful Nuala, who we are hoping to put on camera, too.
Be sure to check out A VERY DIFFERENT SENATOR, working title for the book. If you have a Pell story, I'd love to hear it -- reach me through the site.
And join the Facebook Claiborne Pell biography page.

BACK ON BELLEVUE

2009-09-03T16:37:00.000-07:00

We were back "on location" at Eileen Slocum's Bellevue Avenue estate last night, filming two of Eileen's grandchildren: Sherman Powell, son of Eileen's daughter Beryl, and Irene Muriel Sherman Trevor Brooke (pictured here with me), daughter of Eileen's daughter Margy. Sherman, whose grandfather was the legendary congressman from Harlem, Adam Clayton Powell, recently retired as a captain from the U.S. Army. Irene lives now in London. Her wedding, like most of Eileen's children and grandchildren, made The New York Times. Both Sherman and Irene were wonderful.
-- Wayne

BRUCE AND NICK, AUG. 28

2009-08-29T07:39:00.001-07:00

We continued through more production on Friday in Newport, shooting former Rhode Island governor and Eileen Slocum friend Bruce Sundlun in the drawing room of Eileen's estate on Bellevue Avenue. A nice shoot. Then, it was on to Nicholas Brown (pictured here in his harborside home with Josh, Dave and me) of the old-money Brown family (as in Brown University) -- a wonderful gentleman who spent three decades as a Navy officer and additonal years in public service, and now, in retirement, splits his time among Providence, Paris, and Newport, where Browns have summered since the 1800s. Nick had dead-on insights into Newport, and the world of privilege into which he was born -- both the honor and burden of being a Brown, one of America's foremost families in business, philanthropy, public service and the arts for more than two centuries. And many details about Eileen's estate and life. Eileen was Nick's distant cousin. Next shoot in Newport is Sept. 2...
Photo by Calvin Miller, associate producer.
-- Wayne

BETTY and YUSHA, AUGUST 18 SHOOT

2009-08-19T08:52:00.000-07:00

Spent the hot day Tuesday, Aug. 18, in Newport on location, shooting two of the prominent people for many years in the city: Betty "Boop" Blake and Hugh D. "Yusha" Auchincloss III, both close friends of Eileen Slocum. Betty, at age 93, rightly observed that she is likely the oldest living friend of Eileen -- they were just three months apart in age, and knew each other from toddlerhood. Both Betty and Yusha were superb.
Pictured here are: Dave on the shoot with Betty, at her estate, Indian Spring; Yusha in the dining room of his house on Hammersmith Farm, where he and Jackie Kennedy Onassis, step-siblings, lived during World War II and later (Jackie's wedding photo on table below paintings); Betty with one of her dogs after the shoot; and Yusha and Wayne (back to camera) during shooting at Hammersmith.
-- Wayne

GREAT SHOOT, GREAT REDWOOD

2009-08-15T11:13:00.000-07:00

We interviewed Margy Quinn, Eileen's daughter. on camera for the first time on Aug. 13, in one of the parlors of Eileen's former home, which her children now own. Pictured here is the "set," if you will, where we rolled. Margy was exceptional on camera, as was her daughter, Sophie, who followed. Thanks to both, and to Evelyn, another of Eileen's granddaughters, who will be going on-camera in the fall.
Following the shoot, and a nice lunch in the small dining room (which brought back many memories of Eileen), we repaired to the Redwood Library, where we showed ON THE LAKE and then the teaser-trailer to HEDGEROW in two separate sessions -- about 45 people attended each, a very nice showing. Dave and I engaged in a spirited discussion period while the third member of our crew, Calvin Miller, took photos. Afterwards, an elegant dinenr at the Clambake Club, courtesy of Margy and her husband, Gene Quinn. Met some new friends and capped the evening by gazing on Newport Harbor from Bonniecrest. Our next shoot is all day in Newport this Tuesday, Aug. 18 -- including Yusha Auchincloss, an old friend of Eileen and John Slocum, and a fascinating person him self.
-- Wayne

NEWPORT MOVIE AFTERNOON

2009-08-12T16:57:00.000-07:00

Thursday, Aug. 13, 4 p.m., please join as at the Redwood Library, 50 Bellevue Avenue, Newport, R.I., for a showing of ON THE LAKE and the teaser-trailer to BEHIND THE HEDGEROW. Discussion with the filmmakers and members of Newport society and wine and cheese included. Details at the Redwood Library site.

NO SHATNER, BUT SHOW GOES ON

2009-08-06T12:03:00.000-07:00

As has been reported widely this week, William Shatner at the last minute -- literally, the last minute -- canceled plans to come to Rhode Island for an appearance during an evening that includes a showing of ON THE LAKE and the teaser-trailer to BEHIND THE HEDGEROW. We were as disappointed as the folks at The Rhode Island International Film Festival, which handled the discussions with Shatner's people.
BUT the show will go on -- both OTL and the BTH trailer will be shown tonight starting with a discussion with Dave and me at 6:45 p.m. at the Columbus Theatre in Providence. Hope to see you there!
-- Wayne

SECOND MAJOR SHOOT

2009-07-26T09:44:00.000-07:00

We were on scene at the elegant cocktail party and dinner staged Saturday, July 25, on the grounds of Eileen Slocum's estate -- a fundraiser for the Aquidneck Island Land Trust. We will use some of this footage for background images in the movie and possibly the trailer. Thanks to Jerry Slocum and his sister Margy Quinn, two of Eileen's children, and the folks at the land trust. And if you want to see the trailer and participate in a discussion with the filmmakers about the movie, please come to the Redwood Library on Bellevue Avenue at 4 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 13, for a special afternoon with Eagle Peak Media.
Pictured here from our July 25 shoot: guests arriving at the main gate; the cocktail party with Eileen's mansion in the background; the festively decorated tent before dinner; the crew of Yolanda, Cal and Josh (behind the camera); and yours truly. Photos by Yolanda and me.

-- Wayne

SECOND GRANT AWARDED!

2009-07-09T13:55:00.001-07:00

We learned this week that the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts has awarded us a production grant for BEHIND THE HEDGEROW. Few documentaries get support from RISCA, so this is a vote of confidence in the artistic merit of the movie. Thanks, RISCA!
Our first grant was awarded in April by the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities.

-- Wayne

MEDIA COVERAGE BUILDS

2009-06-30T11:40:00.000-07:00

Newport Now is among the mainstream publications that are beginning to pay attention to our film. Newport Now published a piece in the June 30 online edition.

Among the other recent publicity:

The Warwick Beacon ran a story in the July 2 issue.

The Providence Journal ran a short piece in May.

The Rhode Island Film Collaborative also published a story.

-- Wayne

FLOWER SHOW CLIP

2009-06-29T14:11:00.000-07:00

To watch a quick clip from the show, CLICK HERE. And check back soon for news of sponsor opportunities for your enterprise. be part of a happening thing!

NEWPORT SHOOT JUNE 26

2009-06-27T08:33:00.000-07:00

Great shoot last night in Newport. A shot of the crew and this is the press release we issued:

June 26, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NEWPORT, R.I. –– After weeks of advance work, production begins today on BEHIND THE HEDGEROW, a feature-length documentary about Newport society that will be broadcast on PBS in 2010. A companion book will also be published.

The movie, from filmmakers G. Wayne Miller and David Bettencourt, is an exclusive inside look at the people of fortune and their descendants who have made Newport a coveted address and summer destination since the mid-1800s.

Filming at the Newport Flower Show, courtesy of The Preservation Society of Newport County, host of the show, is the first of several on-location shoots that will bring the filmmakers literally behind the hedgerow –– into the residences and private worlds of Newport’s leading families.

Part history and part contemporary look, BEHIND THE HEDGEROW will utilize rare footage, photographs, archives and on-camera interviews. A significant part of the film will be the story of the late Eileen Gillespie Slocum, whose family has welcomed the filmmakers into the world of their late mother, who died in 2008.

“To our knowledge, no one has ever documented these fascinating people and their city-by-the-sea in a movie,” said Miller. “We are excited to begin.”

BEHIND THE HEDGEROW will premiere at the 2010 Rhode Island International Film Festival. The movie trailer will be shown publicly for the first time in Newport on Aug. 13, 2009, at the Redwood Library, one of the many local and state institutions that is assisting Miller, Bettencourt and their crew with the film.

BEHIND THE HEDGEROW is the second title from Miller and Bettencourt’s non-profit Eagle Peak Media production company. ON THE LAKE, Eagle Peak’s first title, premiered in February to critical acclaim. PBS broadcasts in major national markets began in March and continue today. The DVD has recently been released.

Funding for the film is provided, in part, by a grant from the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities.

Miller, a staff writer at The Providence Journal, authored the 2000 Journal series about Newport society, A Nearly Perfect Summer. Bettencourt’s first feature film was the wildly successful YOU MUST BE THIS TALL: The Story of Rocky Point Park.

More information, including how to follow us on Facebook and Twitter, is available at www.EaglePeakMedia.com and www.BehindTheHedgerow.com.

–– 30 ––

FLOWER SHOW SHOOT

2009-06-24T06:47:00.000-07:00

Courtesy of the Preservation Society of Newport County, we will be in Newport this Friday, June 26, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., shooting B roll at the Newport Flower Show's evening cocktail party. It's at the fabulous Rosecliff mansion, pictured here. See you there!

FIRST MAJOR SHOOT

2009-06-14T15:14:00.000-07:00

We spent the afternoon at Eileen's Bellevue Avenue mansion, shooting a few exteriors and many interiors. We will use some of this for our trailer, which will be shown publicly for the first time at the Rhode Island International Film Festival in early August and again on August 13 at the Redwood Library, which is hosting Hedgerow at the Redwood. Everyone is invited to attend both.
Here are a bust of Eileen, by celebrated sculptor Felix de Weldon, next to the grand piano in the foyer; producer/writer Wayne Miller contemplating the main library fireplace, a key symbol in the film; director Dave Bettencourt and assistant Calvin Miller shooting the entry hallway; and Dave and Cal lining up a shot in the main library. Beryl Slocum Powell was our gracious guide today, and, as always, we thank her and the entire Slocum family.
-- Wayne

HEDGEROW AT THE REDWOOD

2009-05-22T06:11:00.000-07:00

Newport's Redwood Library, America's oldest lending library, founded in 1747, is co-hosting with Eagle Peak Media a special showing of ON THE LAKE followed by a showing of the BEHIND THE HEDGEROW trailer and a discussion with the filmmakers and some of the Newport society people in the film. Wine and cheese will be served! Free and open to the public. Could be one of the highlights of the 2009 Newport summer season...
HEDGEROW AT THE REDWOOD will be held from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday, August 13, at the Redwood Library and Athenaeum, 50 Bellevue Avenue, Newport, Rhode Island.
Please RSVP to the Facebook HEDGEROW AT THE REDWOOD event site.

WRITING THE SCRIPT

2009-05-16T07:27:00.000-07:00

Unlike ON THE LAKE, our last Midway Pictures/Eagle Peak Media production, we go into BEHIND THE HEDGEROW with much of our work done. By work, I mean the process of discovery that leads to the storyline -- the research, reporting, call it what you will. We began OTL with a basic treatment, knowing we would continually revise the script as we learned more and more doors opened to us.

Less the case with BTH. Here, thanks to the people I met and connections I made during the writing of the 2000 Providence Journal series, A Nearly Perfect Summer, and most especially my long friendship with Eileen Slocum and her family, we already have the storyline. And, with the amazing archives we have available to us, we have much of the source materials.

So now it's a question of putting it all together, starting with writing the first draft of a treatment. I'm about half done. I'll finish soon. Dave is eager to move along, and so am In.

-- Wayne Miller
Producer/Writer

Exclusive access to a rare treasure

2009-04-13T15:59:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the generosity of Eileen Slocum's family, we have been given exclusive access to Eileen's vast archives, including photographs and her personal diaries, which chronicle her life and her world unlike anything else known to exist. These are truly treasures -- of great historical importance -- and we are blessed to have the cooperation of Eileen's family. Pictured is a volume of Eileen's diary from 1953. We are just starting through this large volume, which includes clippings and telegrams, but I can tell you that based on a perusal -- in-depth study to follow -- this is awesome. And I don't often use that word.

First grant awarded!

2009-04-09T08:31:00.000-07:00

We have just learned that the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities, which generously helped with the production of ON THE LAKE, has awarded us a grant for BEHIND THE HEDGEROW! Thanks again to executive director Mary Kim Arnold, Grants Director SueEllen Kroll, and the RICH board. Without help like this, we'd be sunk. Read about the announcement in the RICH electronic newsletter.

BEHIND THE HEDEGROW gets underway

2009-04-09T05:13:00.001-07:00

Following the success of ON THE LAKE: Life and Love in a Distant Place, we are in pre-production of our next documentary, BEHIND THE HEDGEROW, about old-money Newport, told through the perspective of the late Eileen Gillespie Slocum, pictured here, grand dame. A companion book will be published. Follow our progress here and for more Eagle Peak Media news, visit the EPM site.