Perry’s one-take film inks Hollywood distribution deal
Sean Perry didn’t set out for Los Angeles glitz and glam – not when he was making movies with his friends back home or now living a block off Hollywood Boulevard.
“I don’t want to be famous,” the 2008 Kane High School graduate said. “I want to be able to make the movies I want to make and that’s sort of a necessary evil.”
That could be changing soon. Perry’s onetake feature-length “Dash” was picked up last month by XYZ Films and will serve as its distributor to get the film on streaming platforms, video on demand and potentially a limited theatrical release.
“It’s just been so surreal,” Perry said. “XYZ is a major player. Their last film had Russell Crowe, so now they’re releasing our little picture. It’s mind boggling. It doesn't seem real.”
“Dash,” written, directed and edited by Perry, follows an adulterous Los Angeles rideshare driver during a night picking up customers. The 105-minute film comes from SPAM Pictures – with the production company’s name deriving from Perry and lead Alexander Molina’s initials.
“Dash” was filmed in one take – meaning no stops, cuts or time for a missed line – with a camera mounted on the dashboard.
“Initially it seemed like an easier idea,” Perry said. “You eliminate a lot of hassle of typical filmmaking. We were dealing with Hollywood at night time on real streets. We had other challenges, but they weren’t revolving around money.”
Three full takes were filmed with the finished product coming from the second one.
Planning for the movie included mapping out a driving route, rehearsing in a parked car and even timing red lights. Perry, who plays a police officer, was required to get out of the lead car and be picked up in Molina’s to begin his part during filming. Even then his character was supposed to be wearing Airpods, which had to be edited in during post production.
After graduating from Penn State University, Perry moved to New York City to pursue acting interests and landed as an occasional extra on “Saturday Night Live.” It was in the city where he met Molina. Perry moved back home to Kane at the beginning of the pandemic and said if Molina – a former wide receiver at the University of Connecticut – landed in Los Angeles, he wouldn’t be far behind. Once both
of them were there, the process got in motion for the movie, and filming started in March 2021.
Shot in 8K and edited on Perry's decade-old computer, “Dash” was ready some six months later. It underwent further post production to fine-tune the sound and lighting. “Dash” had its theatrical world premiere in June at the Dances With Films festival in Los Angeles. It's also an official selection for the Silicon Valley Cinequest Film & Creativity Festival.
More information on the movie can be found on its website, dashfeaturefilm.com.
So, what's next for Perry? A lot, but not much he can talk about at the moment.
“From DASH, it's sounding like the ball is starting to roll as a writer and editor,” Perry said. “I'm overwhelmed, but it's very exciting. I've been waiting for this my entire life.”