the third proposal
DESCRIPTION
The official Press Kit for the short film "The Third Proposal." Directed/Written/Produced by Kara Johnson.TRANSCRIPT
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CONTENTS
......................................................................................................Synopsis 5.............................................................................................................Cast 6............................................................................................................Crew 7
.................................................................................................Biographies 8Production Photos.......................................................................................12Production Notes.........................................................................................13
Twenty-three-year-old
Peter, who has a
serious OCD problem,
has found love with a
completely opposite
partner, Miranda. He
fears she is growing
tired of his obsessive-
compulsive nature and
decides a proposal is
just what the doctor
ordered.
Will he be able to give
Miranda the perfect
proposal – or will his
OCD get in the way of
their happily ever
after?
SYNOPSISSometimes it takes more than one try to get your happily ever after.
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CastPeter..........................................................Luke GunnMiranda..........................................Molly DoughertyWill...........................................................Sean LiangTim........................................................Dylan Moon
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CrewDirector/Writer/Producer............................Kara JohnsonCinematographer/Editor.............................Hannah TrippProduction Designer........................................Carly TustinSound Design........................................Dan Quackenbush Emily Merlin Robert WattsOriginal Score...........................................Philip AndersonUnit Publicists...........................................Chelsea Holinko Emily Britt
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DIRECTOR/WRITER/PRODUCER - KARA JOHNSON
Kara Johnson is the director, writer and producer of the film. Along with working on the film, she is
currently interning with Film Independent the company responsible for the LA Film Festival. Johnson has
directed small shorts in the past, but this is her biggest production to date.
Kara currently lives in Raleigh, North Carolina with her family. She is a rising senior at Elon
University and will graduate Spring 2013. She is a double major in cinema and music technology and
hopes to one day become a professional cinematographer or film score composer.
Johnson draws a lot of inspiration from blockbuster directors such as Christopher Nolan, Doug
Liman and Stephen Soderbergh, as well as writers like Tony Gilroy, Maria Karlsson, and Greg Daniels. She
is new to screenwriting, but said, “I have been a songwriter for a while and have always loved telling
stories through song. Now I’ve decided that I like to tell stories through film as well.”
Her inspiration to pursue cinema came at a young age. Kara was given a Digital Blue camera
recorder as a gift from her parents, and, as a child, spent many days filming short films and clips with her
brother.
Having been a producer since adolescence, it is no doubt this beginning director will go far.
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“PETER” - LUKE GUNN
Luke Gunn plays the lead character, Peter, in The Third Proposal.
Luke’s most recent work includes productions of the plays Macbeth, Dog Sees God and Closer.
The Burlington, North Carolina native is a rising senior acting major at Elon University who hopes to
consistently work as an actor in either New York or Los Angeles following his graduation.
Gunn was inspired to become an actor after time spent traveling in London on his dad’s annual
business trip when he was 11-years-old. When referring to his experience there he said, “My mom took
me to see Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty’s Theatre. I was completely blown away by the
atmosphere, spectacle and performance at the theatre and I knew then that the performing arts was for
me.”
Performances, such as Michael Stuhlbarg’s in A Serious Man, have had a great impact on his
acting preparation and career so far. His favorite actors, Bryan Cranston and Simon Pegg among them,
further influence and motivate him.
Luke is also a self-taught unicyclist. As someone who can teach himself multiple skills, this young
actor has big things in store for him.
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“MIRANDA” - MOLLY DOUGHERTY
Molly Dougherty plays the lead character’s girlfriend, Miranda.
Molly has always loved watching actors perform in movies, television and on stage. She found
their genuine human behavior, interaction and emotion they were able to capture in a performance
fascinating. She added, “Performances that resonated with me on a deeply human level are what inspired
me to act.”
Molly notes that she finds Johnny Depp’s many performances inspiring because each is unique,
yet all still distinctly embrace his true self. Of Depp’s many roles, her favorite is his role as Sir James
Matthew Barrie, in Finding Neverland, because of how different it is from the majority of his other roles.
Molly plans to pursue an acting career in film and television after graduation from Elon University,
where she is a senior acting major. She currently lives in Glen Ellyn, Illinois.
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Sean Liang plays one of the lead
characters best friend, Will. Liang is a senior
acting major at Elon University and currently
resides in Orlando, Florida. He hopes to earn a full
time career in television and film after graduation.
Liang found his calling in middle school
when he was taking his first acting class. He
further elaborated on the moment and said, “I
went to a studio on the Universal back lot in
Orlando. Joe Fatone, Sr., father of N’SYNC’s Joey
Fatone, was my coach. They ended up needing
someone for a summer-stock production of Once
on This Island and asked me to join them. It was
my first musical. The first time I sang on stage, I
fell in love with the business.”
Sean is eager to pursue his professional
career full time after graduation.
“WILL” - SEAN LIANG “TIM” - DYLAN MOONDylan Moon, music lover and avid drummer on the
side, plays the lead character’s other best friend,
Tim. Dylan is a senior acting major at Elon
University. Outside of school, he lives in
Richmond, Virginia.
Dylan plans on pursuing an acting career
following his graduation from Elon. He draws a lot
of influence from some of his favorite actors, such
as Russell Crowe, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Hugh
Laurie and Alec Baldwin.
Dylan is extremely passionate about acting
and said he chose this career path, “When I
decided I didn’t want to do anything else.” He has
a clear objective for where he wants his career to
reach and it is clear he has the inspiration and
motivation to do so.
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PRODUCTION PHOTOS
Actor Luke Gunn, playing main character Peter, Director Kara Johnson.in action.
Actor Luke Gunn, playing main character Director Kara Johnson.Peter, in action.
Director Kara Johnson discussing scenes with Actors Dylan Moon, Luke Gunn and Seanactors Sean Liang and Dylan Moon, playing Liang practicing their mini-golf skills.Peter’s best friends Will and Tim.
Actors Molly Dougherty and Luke Gunn sharing Sound Mixer Emily Merlin, Director Kara a moment. Johnson and Cinematographer Hannah Tripp.
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Actor, Luke Gunn, raced across the Santa Monica Pier parking lot with a dozen roses and sign reading,
“MARRY ME?” in hand. Onlookers stopped and cheered him on while shouting, “Good luck!”
Little did they realize that the only proposal that Luke was planning to make that day was in
conjunction with his role in the Elon student-written, student-directed and student-produced short film The
Third Proposal.
Not too far away, the Luke’s fellow cast members, Sean Liang, Molly Dougherty and Dylan Moon,
waited on the Pier preparing for their scene to be filmed on the Ferris wheel. In the meantime, they were more
than happy to pass the time people watching all of the unique characters that Santa Monica had to offer every
day, like the singers, guitarists and parents toting their children around on leashes.
The positive atmosphere on set continued as the production moved on to a glow-in-the-dark mini-golf
course, in Valencia, California, where neon mermaids and portraits of Poseidon covered the walls. The empty
golf course served as our own personal playground as Sean and Dylan jokingly smacked fluorescent golf balls
through the various seaweed obstacles and open shark mouths.
Amidst all the shooting, production only had to stop once -- to celebrate when Dylan scored an
impromptu hole-in-one.
PRODUCTION NOTES
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