At “Prom,” every couple has a story and no two are exactly alike. Several intersecting stories unfold at one high school as the big dance approaches; “Prom” portrays the precarious passage from high school to independence as some relationships unravel and others ignite.
For Nova Prescott (Aimee Teegarden), it’s a battle of wills as she fi nds herself drawn to the guy (Thomas McDonell) who gets in the way of her perfect prom. Fellow seniors Mei (Yin Chang) and Tyler (De’Vaughn Nixon) harbor secrets, while others face all the insecurity and anticipation that surrounds one of high school’s most seminal events. There are hundreds of nights in high school, but there’s only one “Prom.”
Prom is an American teen romance comedy-drama film directed by Joe Nussbaum written by Katie Wech and produced by Ted Griffin and Justin Springer. It was released on April 29, 2011, by Walt Disney Pictures. The film was the first major production shot with Arriflex’s Alexa HD cameras to be released in theatres.
Introduction
From Walt Disney Pictures comes the dramatic comedy “Prom,” directed by Joe Nussbaum, written by Katie Wech and produced by Justin Springer and Ted Griffin, with Samson Mücke serving as executive producer. Producers Justin Springer (“TRON: Legacy”) and Ted Griffin (“Up in the Air”) are responsible for bringing “Prom” to Disney.
But just how did these filmmakers decide to make a movie about prom? Producer Justin Springer explains, “The initial idea was to tell an authentic version of teenage life in high school that wasn’t centered on dancing or singing or the pursuit of a sports championship. We wanted a character movie set in high school that is comedic and dramatic at the same time—just like high school is. We decided that by centering the story on prom, the big event became a magnifier that allows teenage emotions to come out.”
Screenwriter Katie Wech, a USC film school graduate, makes her feature-film debut with “Prom,” which is loosely based on her own prom experiences. “Good, bad or ugly, everyone remembers their prom,” Wech says. “I collected prom stories from everyone I could. The script became a very truthful ensemble film that reflected all the people we knew in high school, including myself—I was sort of a Nova. I even had an unlikely romance with my very own Jesse, though mine drove a convertible instead of a Commando.”
Justin Springer comments, “Katie wrote a wonderful script that made Disney believe there was enough of an idea to center a movie around a high school’s prom.”
Next up was finding the director. Producer Justin Springer reveals, “We spent months trying to find the perfect person who could really bring these teenagers to life and find the emotion in their stories.”
In the United States, the senior prom (from the word “promenade”) is one of high school’s most important events—a party that celebrates the end of an era in a teenager’s life. Many countries have similar teen celebrations. Whether it marks coming-of-age or graduation, the special night sparks the same excitement and anticipation for teens all over the world.
The producers finally found Director Joe Nussbaum, whose experience directing such teenage flicks as “Sleepover,” with Alexa Vega, and “Sydney White,” starring Amanda Bynes, made him an ideal candidate to helm “Prom.” Nussbaum, a graduate from USC’s film school, first wowed audiences with his short “George Lucas in Love,” which won awards at the Deauville Film Festival and the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival, among others, in 2000. He also helmed “American Pie Presents the Naked Mile.”
Nussbaum was drawn to the idea of making a movie centering on prom. As he explains: “I thought if we use the lens of prom to tell those stories, then this could be a great movie. High school is already so wrought with emotion and importance. Every test, every date, every interaction with the opposite sex—it’s all just so huge. You take prom and suddenly all your social interactions surrounding prom become so intense.”
He proposes, “I think whenever the intensity in life goes up, the laughs that are there get bigger and the drama that’s there gets bigger. It’s that type of heightened situation that I think makes it a great subject for a movie and for a comedy.”
Nussbaum was also a fan of the script. “I loved Katie Wech’s writing. She has a great way with dialogue and a great way with telling funny stories that center around high school,” he says.
Springer concludes, “We feel fortunate to have Joe on this movie because with such a big cast of teenagers, he did a tremendous job communicating with them on a day-to-day basis and really drawing out what I think are tremendous performances. He’s incredibly collaborative, and he’s fantastic with the kids. Since he’s directed a number of movies that featured teenagers, he really has a passion for telling their stories, in terms of what their emotions would be.”
To complete the team and spearhead production behind the scenes, the filmmakers tapped Director of Photography Byron Shah (“An American Crime”), Production Designer Mark White (“Winter’s Bone”), Costume Designer Shoshana Rubin (“The Informant”) and Editor Jeffrey M. Werner (“The Kids Are All Right”).
“Prom” Theme
In “Prom,” several intersecting stories unfold at Brookside High as the big dance approaches. Every couple has their own unique story—some relationships unravel and others ignite.
Nova Prescott (Aimee Teegarden) is a true go-getter. As the senior class president at Brookside High and organizer of the upcoming senior prom, she wants the last party of high school to be the best ever! As she puts up prom posters around, school excitement is mounting for the big night. Boys are figuring out their “asks,” while girls plan their outfits once they have been asked.
Nova’s prom committee includes the equally ambitious Brandon (Jonathan Keltz), artistically bent Mei (Yin Chang), gossipy Ali (Janelle Ortiz) and go-with-the-flow Rolo (Joe Adler). Some of the other seniors are super-jock Tyler (De’Vaughn Nixon), who has an over-the-top romantic plan of how to ask his girlfriend, Jordan (Kylie Bunbury), to the prom. There is also Justin (Jared Kusnitz), who surprises his long-term girlfriend, Mei, with an extremely theatrical “ask.”
Meanwhile there’s Lloyd (Nicholas Braun) who keeps getting turned down by every girl he asks. He succumbs to advice from his freshman sister, Tess (Raini Rodriguez), in hopes of securing a date for high school’s seminal event.
The sophomores are also affected by the prom. Since Lucas (Nolan Sotillo) has fallen hard for fellow classmate Simone (Danielle Campbell), he is crushed when she accepts a date to prom at the last minute. He’s just lucky that his closest friend, Corey (Cameron Monaghan), won’t let him sulk and is taking him to the Stick Hippo concert the same night as prom.
Then, in a freak accident, Nova’s dreams for the perfect prom are shattered! The building where they stored the prom decorations accidentally burns one evening within weeks of the big event, destroying all their hard work. What to do?
Meet Jesse Richter (Thomas McDonell). Jesse doesn’t have the best attitude toward school and makes a habit of antagonizing the principal every chance he gets. When Jesse pushes the principal’s buttons in the aftermath of the fire, the principal orders Jesse to help Nova remake the prom decorations— if he wants to graduate. Nova’s upset by this development, but what choice does she have? She wants prom to be the best!
As the drama unfolds and it gets closer to prom, it’s becoming evident that things don’t always turn out as one expects. Brookside High’s biggest party—the prom—will be filled with surprises.
Production Information
Getting in the Action
With the numerous table reads behind them, everyone was ready to be in front of the camera, working under the tutelage of Joe Nussbaum. Raini Rodriguez comments on her experience, “I’ve never worked with a director like Joe. He would come up to me before a scene, pull me aside, and want to hear my point of view. Then, when we would rehearse the scenes, he’d be right there, watching, looking for the ‘realness’ in the scene, which is so important.”
She confesses, “Nick [Braun] and I were always changing or flubbing lines and improvising something else that wasn’t originally in the script. Joe loved it because it’s more real. He was awesome to give us that kind of freedom!”
Jared Kusnitz proposes, “Joe Nussbaum is an actor’s director because he comes at you with notes from a character’s perspective. For example, a lot of directors will say, ‘I want it to look like this,’ but Joe’s direction is, ‘I really want it to feel like this,’ which changes your read on what he wants.”
He adds, “Joe is always open if you want to tweak some words because it doesn’t sound how you think your character would sound—he’s totally open to whatever ideas you have.”
Thomas McDonell, who stars in his first feature film, says, “Watching Joe direct is interesting because he knows the bigger picture and is dealing with everyone on set, not just the actors but the crew too, and he’s really good at juggling them all.”
Janelle Ortiz, one of the newcomers, relays, “This being my first movie, I was so nervous because I had no idea what anything meant—from ‘checking the gate’ to ‘first team’! Joe really helped me out, giving me little words of wisdom. I’m just very appreciative that he was my first director for my first movie because he taught me so much.”
Producer Justin Springer maintains, “Joe did a great job at the helm. We really had the best guy for drawing those performances out of the kids. He came to set every day with tons of passion and enthusiasm and was tireless. He loves what he’s doing, and that sort of is infectious.”
Where’s “Prom”?
Though “Prom” takes place in Michigan, it was shot in and around Los Angeles. The filmmakers had to work very hard to find locations—both interior and exterior architecture as well as plant life—that matched what could be found in the Midwest. Needless to say, they had to stay away from palm trees.
The school that represented the exterior and many of the interiors of Brookside High School was the same one used for shooting John Hughes’ “Pretty in Pink.” “Nightmare on Elm Street” and “Teen Wolf” were also filmed there.
Both the name “Brookside” for the high school and the name “Bears” for the mascot were chosen during the script stage. After John Burroughs Middle School in Los Angeles was chosen for the location of the school, the production team realized that the school mascot was a bear and the school was actually in the “Brookside” neighborhood of Los Angeles.
The production company was given a community beautification commendation by the city of Los Angeles for rebricking the facade of the historic auditorium entrance and landscaping the front of John Burroughs Middle School.
Music at “Prom”
“Prom” was scored by longtime Joe Nussbaum collaborator Deborah Lurie. Lurie has proven herself to be one of the most versatile composers and arrangers in Hollywood after beginning her career by scoring short films like Joe Nussbaum’s celebrated “George Lucas in Love.” She went on to score, orchestrate and compose on several features. Most recently Lurie scored the Lasse Hallström film “Dear John” and the Tim Burton-produced animated feature “9.”
The “Prom” soundtrack album, available April 26th, 2011, is filled with new and original songs by cutting-edge bands, including:
• Those Dancing Days, “I’ll Be Yours”
• Neon Trees, “Your Surrender”
• Travie McCoy, “We’ll Be Alright”
• Allstar Weekend, “Not Your Birthday”
• Moon, “Time Stand”
• Passion Pit, “Dreams”
• The Weepies, “Please Speak Well of Me”
• Nolan Sotillo, “We Could Be Anything”
• Shere, “In Deep”
• Oh Darling, “Prettiest Thing”
• Simple Plan, “Can’t Keep My Hands Off You”
• Girl In A Coma, “Come On Let’s Go”
• Opus Orange, “Almost There”
• Shout Out Louds, “Impossible”
• Stick Hippo, “Stick Hippo”
Prom
Directed by: Joe Nussbaum
Starring: Danielle Campbell, Aimee Teegarden, Nicholas Braun, Jared Kusnitz, Yin Chang, Kylie Bunbury, Janelle Ortiz, Christine Elise, Raini Rodriguez
Screenplay by: Katie Wech
Production Design by: Mark White
Cinematography by: Byron Shah
Film Editing by: Jeffrey M. Werner
Costume Design by: Shoshana Rubin
Set Decoration by: Jennifer Lukehart
Art Direction by: Nick Ralbovsky
Music by: Deborah Lurie
MPAA Rating: PG for mild language and a brief fight.
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
Release Date: April 29, 2011
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