a Chris Ordal film

Starring Academy Award® Nominee

JOHN HAWKES

Theatrical Release April 29th, 2011 – Angelika Film Center – New York City May 20th, 2011 – Laemmle Music Hall – Los Angeles, CA

2011 – Color - 93 minutes. – English – Shot on RED - Screening in 35mm – Rated PG

Theatrical Distributor/Festival Booking:

Shadow Distribution Ken Eisen

shadow@prexar.com 207.872.5111 office

www.shadowdistribution.com

Publicity: Sasha Berman

Shotwell Media SashaBerman@mac.com

310.450.5571 tel.

www.earthworkmovie.com

CREDIT LIST

EARTHWORK

a Chris Ordal film

a homeTown collaboraTion in association with CO,ink.

CAST JOHN HAWKES (Stan Herd)

JAMES McDANIEL (Lone Wolf) ZACH GRENIER (Mayor) LAURA KIRK (Jan Herd)

BRUCE MacVITTIE (Peter B. Kaplan) CHRIS BACHAND (Ryan) SAM GREENLEE (El-Trac) BRENDON GLAD (Cage)

CREW Writer/Producer/Director

CHRIS ORDAL

Cinematographer BRUCE FRANCIS COLE

Producer/Actor

BRENDON GLAD

Producer/Editor BRAD ROSZELL

Music

Original Score by DAVID GOODRICH “No Regrets” by MATTHEW MAYER

“Lawrence, KS” by JOSH RITTER

Production Designer RUBEN ARANA-DOWNS

Opening Titles/Consultant

STAN HERD

SYNOPSIS (log-line) EARTHWORK is the true story of real life crop artist Stan Herd who risks it all, planting his unique, rural art form in New York City with the help of a group of homeless characters on a plot of land owned by Donald Trump. SYNOPSIS (short) EARTHWORK is the true story of real-life crop artist Stan Herd. In 1994, Stan traveled from Kansas to New York City to create a massive environmental artwork on land owned by Donald Trump. The multi-acre piece was made from soil, rock, plants and vegetation near an underground railway tunnel. Stan recruited a number of homeless individuals living in the tunnel as his crew. Over the months it took to complete the earthwork, Stan dealt with the difficulties of bringing his unique, rural art form to an urban canvas and the many costs exacted upon his life. In an effort to show his unique perspective to a larger audience, Stan unexpectedly encountered the true meaning of his art and it's ultimate, lasting rewards.

SYNOPSIS (long) EARTHWORK tells the story of real-life crop artist Stan Herd. Stan grew up on a farm, but soon found a passion for art. Deciding to blend art with land led Stan to discovering a profound new medium . . . earthworks. Earthworks are an environmental art form that can encompasses hundreds of acres. This not only proves costly, but also creates a dilemma since the work itself almost always requires aerial assistance to be seen properly. Stan harnesses the beauty of Mother Nature, but is unable to harness her power. His pieces are only eternalized (and monetized) with still photographs and live for a finite amount of time. Thus, after 7 years, Stan, with his wife Jan and young son Evan, is in financial trouble and despondent until his successful photographer friend, Peter B. Kaplan, encourages Stan to go to New York City and pitch doing an earthwork for beautification of some property owned by Donald Trump. Stan decides to go, but when pressed for a budget, he offers to do it for merely the land itself, which gets him the contact immediately but puts him under even more financial strain. He decides to take out a second mortgage on his home without Jan’s knowledge, and sets out for one last attempt at recognition and the salvation of his career. He gives almost half of the money to Jan so she can pursue her dream of becoming a doctor, and the rest to the project. When the next Spring comes in 1994, he begins the project on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Working alone proves difficult, as the field Stan has secured is full of garbage and weeds. The homeless people in the area are quite difficult at first. However, the homeless people begin to take interest in Stan and before long their curiosity gets the better of them and they join Stan in his work of art. One of the homeless men, Lone Wolf, has some mental problems and is quite antagonistic. Stan works very hard to have an amicable relationship with Lone Wolf to no avail. The homeless characters Ryan (a graffiti artist), El-Trac (a poet), and Cage (an obsessive Mr-fix-it and mute) all join Stan’s crew. Another of the homeless men, Mayor, appears to be a caretaker of the group, in particular Lone Wolf. As the project grows, tragedy strikes and it is through this tragedy and the hard work they have put into the field together that a seemingly unshakable bond is created between the homeless and Stan. Kaplan has assured Stan that a large network will be doing a national piece on Stan June 17th, and as the pressure builds back home in Stan’s relationship with Jan, the pressure builds on the site to make this piece the one that makes Stan a “successful” as an artist.

DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT I wanted to write a narrative that explored the artist’s life truthfully. There have been many films about artists made, but few about artists who aren’t household names. I grew tired of seeing a passionate person’s life reduced to 2 hours of a quick rise to fame followed by the pains of celebrity. We see enough celebrity. I wanted the audience to discover a new artist and see things from a new perspective; one that I felt a much larger percentage of people could relate to. EARTHWORK is not a bio pic. It is one man’s true story of discovery told through a single episode of his life. A story that chooses to explore just one of his works in an attempt to understand why he has created so many over the years; why he needs to keep doing so. A single painting, song, performance or poem can convey far more truth than a schmorgesboard of ideas, people, locations and time-periods all trying to force meaning, so it was important to me that the big idea come from a small story. Everyone has some kind of vision they want out of their head and materialized in front of them, but everyday life tends to be a pretty solid gatekeeper. Of those few who are able to truly follow their dream, an even smaller percentage are able to survive long enough to turn that passion into an honest living. This to me is the real, true struggle of the artist . . . survival. It is not the art itself that is difficult for the artist, but the managing of time, responsibilities and most important . . . focus. Inspiration plants itself in the front of your mind; haunting your thoughts until they can be exorcized. We need to see through all the noise and networks we are kept so busy with these days; to truly feel something. To make a living via your passion, one must manage everything that the modern world has thrust upon us, then explore that passion long enough for someone to notice. I noticed Stan Herd’s art. In it, I saw a truly moving story that says what I want to share with others. The further I dug into Stan's art, the closer I came to discovering my own. I felt like there was more to the story than even Stan was aware of. Badgering him over the course of many months and researching and learning everything I possibly could about his art form, I gained enough of his trust to take him back to memories from his 9 month adventure of growing an environmental, rural artwork in the middle of a metropolis. As he reflected upon memories that he had pushed to the dark places of his mind, I was able to expand the significance of mere moments and encourage him to look at his “Countryside” earthwork as more than just a previous canvas from his portfolio. While his recounting informed my writing, we formed a bond that brought respect and admiration to the pure work of art that Stan had viewed as a failure for more than a decade. The earthwork that he had crafted with every bit of life, earth, and truth he could afford ultimately ended his marriage and his financial stability. The only thing he had left at the end of the journey were the relationships that grew from it. I knew I had succeeded in finding my story when I watched as Stan realized that what he once thought of as a failure, he now accepted as his greatest artistic achievement. It was important to me that my first feature capture a story that needed to be told via the cinema. Stan’s art is temporary, eventually returning to the earth after it has lived it’s life. EARTHWORK is an attempt to share the beauty and truth that Stan creates with an audience through a medium that can last forever, affecting an endless number of people; something people can experience together; something they can share. Now Stan’s art, as well as my own, has been brought to light; projecting visions that once haunted us, transformed into a realized dream by the magic of inspiration, focus and, most importantly . . . people. This is a story for all the artists out there struggling to survive, and a reminder to the rest of us that WE are the most powerful tool to help them (and in turn us) grow.

CAST

JOHN HAWKES as STAN HERD – Based upon the real-life artist, crop artist Stan Herd is a struggling artist with a dream of sharing his unique, environmental art form with the world. When the opportunity to plant his art among the vertical perspectives of New York City, he risks everything to bring his vision to life. Born and raised in rural Minnesota, John Hawkes moved to Austin, Texas to begin his career as an actor and musician. He co-founded the Big State Productions Theatre Company and appeared in the group's original play, In the West, at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. ��Prior to EARTHWORK, John starred in the critically acclaimed Me and You and Everyone We Know, which received wide praise and was awarded the special jury prize at the Sundance Film Festival as well as the Camera d'Or Award at the Cannes Film Festival.�� Additional feature credits include, the Lion's Gate film A Slipping-Down Life with Guy Pearce, the psychological thriller Identity, Miami Vice, Playing God, The Perfect Storm, From Dusk Till Dawn, Hardball, American Gangster and Miracle at St. Anna. For his role as Teardrop in the 2011 Academy Awards Best Picture Nominee, Winter’s Bone, Hawkes was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Supporting Actor and won the Independent Spirit Award. Hawkes has been receiving additional praise for his supporting roles in the 2011 Sundance Film Festival features, Martha Marcy May Marlene and Higher Ground, and will be on theaters screens everywhere in Steven Soderbergh’s action-thriller, Contagion. Hawkes' television credits include a lead role in the critically acclaimed HBO series, Deadwood in which he played Sol Star, a spirited entrepreneur in a lawless town. Recently, he played Kenny Powers’ (Danny McBride) brother, Dustin in the HBO series Eastbound and Down. ��John lives in Los Angeles where he writes, records and performs music. JAMES McDANIEL as LONE WOLF – A schizophrenic homeless man who sees himself as a protector of the location where Stan Herd shows up to grow his art. For seven seasons, acclaimed stage, screen and television actor James McDaniel portrayed Lt. Arthur Fancy on legendary television series NYPD Blue. Recent films include War Eagle, The Living Hell and El Cortez. ��McDaniel received an Emmy and a Peabody Award for his performance in the Showtime movie Edge of America and an Emmy nomination for Public Television's Storytime. An accomplished stage actor, he won the prestigious Obie Award and was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for his portrayal of Wendall in the New York stage production of Before It Hits Home. He also received the Clarence Derwent Award for the Tony Award-winning Broadway play Six Degrees of Separation.�� His additional feature films include John Sayles' Sunshine State, Spike Lee's Malcolm X, Risky Business, El Cortez, Woody Allen's Alice, Rocket Gibraltar, Fighting Gravity (a.k.a. "Truth or Consequences") with Kiefer Sutherland, Crack in the Mirror and Bonzai. On television, McDaniel has appeared on Hill Street Blues, Law and Order, Taken, Las Vegas, L.A. Law and recently as lead Sgt. Jesse Longford on ABC’s Detroit 1-8-7. Television movies such as Love Kills with Kristin Davis and The Road to Galveston opposite Cicely Tyson; and mini-series including Common Ground, The Old Man and the Sea, and Internal Affairs. He co-hosted the ABC special More Secrets Revealed. ��Born and raised in Washington, D.C., McDaniel attended the University of Pennsylvania, majoring in veterinary medicine. McDaniel lives in New York City with his wife Hannelore. They have two sons. ZACH GRENIER as MAYOR – After losing his wife and children in a car accident, Mayor finds himself broken-hearted and wandering the tunnels of New York City as if in purgatory while his experience as a doctor offers help to the local homeless community. You may recognize Zach as the Boss in Fight Club; O’Reilly in Tommy Boy; Eddie, who lost his head in Twister; Carl Webb, the fixer, in the first season of 24, or Andy Cramed, the man who brought the plague to town, in Deadwood. You may also have caught him playing leading roles on ABC’s C16:FBI and the USA Network’s Touching Evil, rising from FBI agent in the former to special unit squad captain in the latter. Currently, he can be seen on the critically and popularly acclaimed CBS series, The Good Wife, as the ethically challenged lawyer David Lee. Zach is also filming J. Edgar, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, directed by Clint Eastwood. The stage, however, is his first calling. He has performed on the boards from Maine to Alaska. In August of 2008, he appeared as Beethoven in Moisés Kaufman’s 33 Variations at the La Jolla Playhouse. In 2009, the play made the

journey to Broadway with Jane Fonda as star. Zach was honored to be included among the production’s numerous Tony nominations. Earlier in 2010, he appeared in the well-received, and unexpectedly lively, Lenin’s Embalmers by Vern Thiessen, at the Ensemble Studio Theatre, directed by William Carden, the theatre’s artistic director.�� Last summer, he completed a run of the Atlantic Theater Company’s well received production of Moira Buffini’s Gabriel. LAURA KIRK as JAN HERD – Loving and supportive wife to artist, Stan Herd and mother to their son Evan. Jan’s dream of becoming a doctor is turned into a reality when her husband lands a “commission” in new York City from The Trump Organization. Laura Kirk has performed in theater, film and television including a lead role in the upcoming independent feature from director Kevin Willmott (2004 Sundance feature CSA: Confederate States of America), The Battle for Bunker Hill alongside James McDaniel and Saeed Jaffrey (Gandhi) as well as the 2009 Sundance feature The Only Good Indian. Her film credits include At First Sight directed by Irwin Winkler, and Third Watch. She co-wrote and starred in the critically acclaimed film Lisa Picard Is Famous, directed by Griffin Dunne. It premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and was featured in many international and American festivals. After its domestic premiere at the Film Forum in New York City, Lisa Picard Is Famous received a national theatrical release and was called "hilarious" by Stephen Holden of The New York Times and "squirmingly funny" by Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly. It is included in John Gaspard's book Fast, Cheap and Under Control ...Lessons Learned from the Greatest Low Budget Movies of All Time.�� Additionally, Laura taught drama for Dreamyard Drama Project and participated as a mentor at the Wadleigh School in Harlem.��She received her degree in theater and film at the University of Kansas. In New York, she studied with Wynn Handman, Suzanne Esper, and improv with Alan Arkin. Laura lives in rural Connecticut.

AND INTRODUCING: CHRIS BACHAND as RYAN – a young graffiti artist estranged from his family living in the tunnels of New York City. Born in Texarkana TX, and raised in Virginia, Chris studied Psychology at Old Dominion University, where he also discovered his passion for performing. After moving to New York he began study with George DiCenzo, mentee of Milton Katselas and the Beverly Hills Playhouse. EARTHWORK is Bachand’s feature film debut. He has also appeared on television as a guest in "Law & Order: SVU", as well as on stage in New York and regionally. He is the co-founder of a New York improvisation group inspired by work with Alan Arkin. Chris currently resides in New York City. SAM GREENLEE as EL-TRAC – a poet and sage living in the tunnels of New York City and making sure his opion is voiced. Best known for his novels The Spook Who Sat by the Door (1969) and Baghdad Blues (1976), Sam Greenlee is a controversial writer and political activist. Born on July 13, 1930, in Chicago and was educated in public schools before attending the University of Wisconsin, Madison, graduating in 1952 with a bachelor's degree in political science. After graduation he joined the United States Army, serving for two years as a first lieutenant, then studied international relations at the University of Chicago between 1954 and 1957. Greenlee became one of the first black foreign service officers, holding assignments in Iraq, Pakistan, Indonesia, and Greece between 1957 and 1965. He finally left the service after becoming disillusioned about his role as a government propagandist. Spook soon became a cult favorite, selling well in black and radical bookshops around the United States. It is regarded as the first black-nationalist novel and is credited with inspiring the "blaxploitation" movie genre of the 1970s. After a long struggle to fund and make the film adaptation, United Artists eventually released it in September 1973, only to be immediately pulled from theaters despite a good start at the box office. It was re-released on DVD in 2004 and toured film festivals around the United States to great acclaim. EARTHWORK marks Greenlee’s acting debut.

CREW CHRIS ORDAL (writer/producer/director) Chris Ordal is an award-winning writer, producer and director. His debut feature film, EARTHWORK (starring Academy Award® Nominee, John Hawkes) won a staggering number of awards at film festivals across the United States (including more than 20 Best Feature Film Awards, multiple Audience Awards, multiple Best First Feature Film Awards, multiple Best Director Awards, a Best Cinematography Award a Best Actor Award and an Audience Award & Special Jury Prize at the 2010 SXSW Film Festival). ��Ordal founded (alongside Brendon Glad & Brad Roszell) homeTown collaboraTions, a production company that has developed and produced content for fortune 50 companies as well as worked with Bob Dole and the Dole Institute of Politics, former Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius (currently the 21st Secretary of Health and Human Services), The Kansas Humanities Council, as well as television ads and adapted and original new media. Ordal lives in Los Angeles with his lovely wife, Emily and their charming dog, Sampson. BRUCE FRANCIS COLE (cinematographer) Born and raised in Upstate New York, Bruce Francis Cole was introduced to filmmaking by way of painting. Bruce studied classical painting for over 8 years before making the switch over to cinematography. Studying painters such as Vermeer, Picasso, and Rembrandt, helped him to understand and connect with color, light and composition. ��While attending The North Carolina School of Filmmaking for cinematography, Cole also began studying theatrical lighting design under Norman Coates (Tommy, the Broadway musical). After school Bruce worked for 7 years as a gaffer/electrician in New York. Later he went back for graduate studies at the prestigious American Film Institute for cinematography where he studied under Bill Dill, A.S.C. and Stephen Lighthill, A.S.C. ��Over the years, Bruce has had the pleasure to film some of the top musicians in the world including Lady Gaga, JayZ, Eminem, Shakira, T.I., Wyclef Jean, Chris Brown, Busta Rhymes, Linda perry/paperzoo (Custard), T. Pain, Mobb Deep, Redman, Method Man, Classixx (Kitsune), Ray J, UGK to name a few. ��He won the Julio Macat ASC award for his excellence in cinematography in EARTHWORK. BENDON GLAD (producer/actor) Glad, a lifelong native of Kansas, always has had an instinct for great storytelling. A high achieving writer at Bethany College while majoring in Secondary English Education, Glad abruptly decided to set aside teaching and moved to Lawrence, Kansas in 1997 after watching MR. HOLLAND’s OPUS and FIVE EASY PIECES on the same night, which he took as a sign. “I didn’t want to be ‘those’ guys,” Glad says. He decided to pursue film and attended the University of Kansas film school where he met Chris Ordal and Brad Roszell. After the three had worked on many student films together and realized that their talents and vision made for great collaboration, they formed the aptly named homeTown collaboraTions upon completing work at KU late in 2004. Developing a do-it-all mentality along with his partners to survive in the commercial world of the Midwest, Glad became a jack-of-all-trades producer. Gaining confidence and acumen from that experience, Glad went on to become an assistant camera operator, producer, and ultimately wrote, produced (with Ordal and Roszell), directed, and starred in his feature film debut, MAGNUM OPUS, which led to his current acting and producing roles in EARTHWORK. Glad lives in Lawrence, KS and is still the manager of homeTown collaboraTions. BRAD ROSZELL (producer/editor) Originally from Minnesota, Brad attended film school at the University of Kansas from 1999-2004. In late 2004, Brad joined Chris Ordal and Brendon Glad to form the production company, homeTown collaboraTions. Over the next 6 years, homeTown developed and produced content for: H&R Block, Bob Dole and the Dole Institute of Politics, former Governor Kathleen Sebelius (currently the 21st Secretary of Health and Human Services), The Kansas Humanities Council, as well as television ads and new media. In addition to commercial work, homeTown collaborations produced a feature-length music documentary and 2 feature-length narrative films, on which Roszell served as producer and editor. Roszell also edited the feature length dramedy, AU PAIR KANSAS. Brad lives in Lawrence, KS with his wife Carrie, but enjoys traveling to where the work takes him.

MUSIC

Original score by David Goodrich www.davidgoodrich.com

“No Regrets” by Matthew Mayer www.solopiano.com

“Lawrence, KS” by Josh Ritter www.joshritter.com

PRODUCTION NOTES TURNING KANSAS INTO NEW YORK CITY Even though the story takes place in New York City, EARTHWORK was shot almost entirely in rural Kansas. As a truly independent low-budget film, both cost and the fact that the original site of the earthwork now lays underneath a series of skyscrapers made pulling off the story in NYC prohibitive. In an open field surrounded by miles of farmland, a massive wall, over 350 feet wide and 17 feet tall was constructed out of plywood, then painted to look like concrete. Real graffiti artists were recruited to research and cover the wall with authentic 1994 graffiti that incorporated a number of specific “tags” Ordal wanted present in the background behind his characters. With almost the entire film shot in front of this wall, Ordal and cinematographer, Bruce Francis Cole, were forced to re-storyboard the whole film once they were left with only one direction to aim the camera for all of the scenes taking place in New York City. CASTING MOTHER NATURE Shooting EARTHWORK posed all of the usual filmmaking risks and challenges, then added all of the risks and challenges that come with farming. In order to do the story justice, Stan Herd’s New York City earthwork needed to be recreated and kept alive through all of production. On an indie budget, shooting the film in sequence was too expensive. Scenes taking place during all phases of the crops growth-stages were sometimes shot in a single day. The incredible crew kept production on schedule, everyone stepping away from his or her technical positions and helping the small greens crew with their monumental task. Stan Herd was constantly working to create and re-create his art, leading the team in a fashion that made production possible, yet maintaining authenticity to his original piece. Everyone on the film experienced the same hurdles that Stan endured in creating the original work. The production of the film itself became a beautiful metaphor the story being told. THE OPENING TITLE SEQUENCE From the very first treatment of the story, Ordal wanted to avoid EARTHWORK being a bio-pic, instead telling Stan’s artistic story through a mere episode of his life. To accomplish this, Ordal had to establish both who Stan Herd is and introduce earthworks as an art form in a matter of minutes. The idea to open on an inspirational childhood memory and literally fly through 40 years of Herd’s life seemed reasonable until Ordal told the producing team he wanted all of it to be real and involve absolutely no special effects. He wanted the introduction of the story to reflect Herd’s art; to be organic. Embracing the spirit of Stan, the filmmakers spent months trying to figure out how to provide Stan with what he needed to create multiple earthworks for the films production; all the at the same time. Herd was already busy preparing the set earthwork for the main shooting location. Finding locations that could be shot in one single flight, but were affordable and not already planted with crops was nearly impossible, but once the locations were locked down and Stan’s designs in place, things grew quickly. Things grew so quickly, that the recreation of Stan Herd’s Sunflower Still Life began to die mere days before the actual shooting took place. Thousands and thousands of sunflowers were grown, planted specifically to have their bloom cycle coincide with the filming of the opening title sequence. 2 days before hand, the sunflowers fell from full, colorful stalks, to pale crops with drooping heads. Brad Roszell, a producer and the editor of the film, stayed

up all night spray-painting the backs of the sunflowers heads yellow so that the filmmakers wouldn’t have to compromise their vision of an organic opening title sequence and resort to CGI. A special rig was flown into Lawrence, KS that hung a massive, remote controlled scorpion head 60 feet below a helicopter, so that the copter’s blades wouldn’t blow the crops and dust everywhere. Craig Hosking, who has flown some of the most difficult aerial sequences in Hollywood (Jurassic Park, The Dark Night, Inception), piloted the complicated system, completing the sequence in a single, uninterrupted path. After a perfect execution of taking off, transitioning the flight between each earthworked title, and incorporating multiple actors on queue, Hosking set down the rig and landed, exiting the copter with an enormous grin on his face. That was the one! It was perfect! I’ve never flown a sequence this complicated. It’s gonna be REALLY cool! Unfortunately, an electrical failure stopped the camera from recording and the sequence had to be re-shot with Hosking flying the entire path with a non-responsive remote-stabilization rig. Thanks to a patient crew and Hosking’s incredible skills as a pilot, the sequence still turned out beautifully and went on to be recognized by the SXSW Film Festival in March, 2010. At SXSW, EARTHWORK won the Audience Award for Excellence in Opening Title Design and was given a Special Jury Prize Award for Excellence in Opening Title Design. GREEN PRODUCTION/RED CAMERA The filmmakers were very determined to exemplify the spirit of Stan Herd throughout production, and thanks to an amazing and supportive crew, EARTHWORK was officially a “green” production. Although the production could not afford hybrid vehicles for transportation, each and every member of the cast and crew were gifted an environmentally friendly water bottle that eliminated the need for harmful, bottled water that can litter a set with wasted plastic. Recyclable materials were incorporated into craft services and the production office was brilliantly run by a group of passionate individuals that went out of their way to avoid wasting materials as much as possible; ensuring that any trash produced was taken to the appropriate recycling facility. In addition to the everyday footprint concerns, the technology behind media creation and management was also very environmentally considerate. Shooting on the RED camera meant eliminating the need for footage to be packaged and shipped off to a facility where harmful chemicals would be used for development. Instead, the digital files were managed and delivered free of packaging/shipping materials, allowing Ordal to view sync-sound dailies less than 24 hours from when they were shot. EARTHWORK was a production as green as the story it told. The RED camera not only provided EARTHWORK the opportunity to be an environmentally friendly production, it also allowed the filmmakers to capture the cinematic quality they wanted at a much lower price and at a much faster speed. Working in the extreme heat and humidity of Kansas in August, the RED camera performed beautifully, keeping production on schedule and delivering incredible images day in and day out. RED even provided EARTHWORK with the very first use of their (then unreleased) RED-RAM solid-state memory drive for the production of the opening title sequence. The RED-RAM worked perfectly, making the shoot . . . and history.

ADDITIONAL INFO.

•After a great deal of research into both Stan Herd’s life and craft, Ordal wrote an 18 page treatment in a matter of hours, but spent a year writing the script, which he finished at age 24. •It took Ordal 3 years to raise the money for EARTHWORK. Originally budgeted at $2 million, Ordal re-wrote the script before shooting to accommodate the actual budget, which was $1 million. Every penny of the budget was from private investors outside the studio system. Every single investor said “no” at least once before eventually giving into Ordal’s endless passion and enthusiasm for the project. •A very short list of actors was made that Ordal and the producers thought could pull off specific subtleties they wanted for the lead character of Stan Herd. John Hawkes was at the top of that list. Ordal was very aware that

Hawkes was known more as a character actor, but he was far more interested in seeing one of his favorite actors in every scene, playing a truly leading role. •Jackson and Keaton Hoy, the two young actors in the film, are brothers in real life and the sons of the producer’s attorney. EARTHWORK was the official debut of both young acting talents. •The characters Ryan and Lone Wolf are based on the real individuals Stan worked with to create his masterpiece. Many other characters existed, but Ordal chose to center the film on the most prominent players and created the characters of El-Trac and Cage to better serve the story of the film and provide comedic relief. •The role of El-Trac in EARTHWORK was written specifically for Sam Greenlee. Ordal went to a showing of a bootleg cut of The Spook Who Sat By The Door (which Greenlee was traveling around with and screening before the missing print was rediscovered and the film released on DVD) and was so taken with the Sam’s presence and the cadence with which he spoke, that he approached Greenlee about working together. The two stayed in contact, but it wasn’t until years later that Ordal had the opportunity to offer Greenlee the role of El-Trac. Greenlee accepted immediately, making his big screen debut at the age of 80. •EARTHWORK was shot over the course of 30 days (29 in Kansas and 1 in NYC) in Aug./Sept. of 2008. Tight on budget and on time, the filmmakers completed the film without any re-shoots; not even a single pick-up shot. •The original earthwork that Stan Herd created was titled Countryside and was located between 70th & 72nd, just off the Hudson River underneath the West Side Highway. Today a series of skyscrapers stand at that location. •The very first cut of the film was under 2 hours long and completed before Ordal turned 27. It would take another 2 years for EARTHWORK to travel the film festival circuit and land a theatrical distribution deal. •Most of EARTHWORK was shot in an open field on land owned by farmers just outside of Lawrence, KS, where Herd lives. The farmers, John and Karen Pendleton, have been friends and supports of Stan Herd and his art for years, providing endless acres of their land for Stan to work on over the course of their friendship. •The scenes of Stan at the Hudson River were filmed 50 yards away from where Stan’s original earthwork had been created around 15 years earlier. Stan was unable to join the skeleton crew that shot in NYC, but when he saw the footage from the Hudson, he said that he had spent endless moments at that very spot on the river bank. •While EARTHWORK was traveling the film festival circuit, Stan took his son Evan, now 18 years old, on a trip to New York City for his birthday. Not having been back since Evan was at the site as a young boy, the father and son ventured to the site where Stan’s earthwork once stood. Reaching the location, Stan saw Ryan walking the sidewalk and called out to him. The two men had not seen each other since Stan left at the completion of the earthwork, not able to stay in touch as mobile phones were not prevalent and Ryan was without an address. Both Stan and Ryan were stunned to see each other but immediately reconnected and spent the weekend catching up. Stan excitedly called writer/director, Chris Ordal, who couldn’t believe the coincidence. Two artists reconnecting after all these years, and at the exact location where they met. Ryan took Stan and Evan on a “tour” through the city and introduced Stan to some new friends and showed some of his recent work. •The track “No Regrets” that plays over the opening title sequence and bookends the film is written and performed by Matthew Mayer, a good friend of Ordal. Ordal wrote those scenes to that piece of music, but had no idea how the score of the film would come together. When Ordal was introduced to the music of David Goodrich when a close friend suggested the musician after hearing his music on NPR, Ordal called up Goodrich out of the blue and asked him to score the film. Ordal and Goodrich spoke over the phone for a number of weeks after Goodrich watched a music-free version of the film and composed a score in record time. The director and musician completed their collaboration remotely and it wasn’t until EARTHWORK had completed it’s festival run that the two met in person. The closing credits track, “Lawrence, KS” is written and performed by Josh Ritter, one of Ordal’s (and many of the film’s collaborators) favorite musicians. A lover/creator of music himself, John Hawkes was a big part of EARTHWORK’s musical influence.

FILM FESTIVALS The Accolade Competit ion (Aug. 2009) Winner, Award of Merit - Film Austin Film Festival (Oct. 2009) World Premiere Santa Fe Film Festival (Dec. 2009) Winner, Audience Award Winner, Creative Spirit Award SXSW Film Festival (March 2010) Winner, Design Awards - “Audience Award for Excellence in Opening Title Design” Runner-Up, Design Awards - “Excellence in Opening Title Design” (Winner, Zombieland) Honolulu International Film Festival (March 2010) Winner, Gold Kahuna Award for Excellence in Filmmaking Kent Film Festival (Apri l 2010) Opening Night Film Winner, Best Cinematography Indie Spirit F ilm fest ival (Apri l 2010) Winner, Best Feature Film Cape Fear International Film Festival (May 2010) Winner, Best Feature Film Winner, $1,000 Grand Prize Black Hills Film Festival (May 2010) Winner, Best Feature Film Winner, $500 Grand Prize Spirit Quest Film Festival (May 2010) Tupelo Film Festival (May 2010) Winner, Best Feature Film Winner, $500 Grand Prize Lighthouse Film Festival (June 2010) Winner, Best Feature Film Breckenridge Festival of Film (June 2010) Winner, Best Dramatic Feature Foursite Film Festival ( June 2010) Opening Night Film Winner, Best Feature Film deadCENTER Film Festival ( June 2010) Winner, Best Feature Film $2,500 Grand Prize New Hope Film Festival (June 2010) Maine International Film Festival (July 2010) Jersey Shore Film Festival (July 2010) Winner, Best Environmentally Friendly Feature Film Long Island Film Expo (July 2010) Nominee, Best Feature Film Nominee, Best Director of a Feature Film Nominee, Best First Feature Film Real to Reel International Film Festival (July 2010) Winner, Best Feature Film $500 Grand Prize Woods Hole Film Festival (Aug. 2010) Winner, Best Narrative Feature Film Winner, Audience Award Prescott Film Festival (Aug. 2010) Columbia Gorge International Film Festival (Aug. 2010) Opening Night Film ACEFEST (Aug. 2010) Winner, Audience Award Grand Rapids Film Festival (Aug. 2010) Landlocked Film Festival (Aug.. 2010)

Winner, Best Feature Film Southern Winds Film Festival (Sept. 2010) Winner, Best of Fest South Dakota Film Festival (Sept. 2010) Winner, Best Feature Film Rome International Film Festival (Sept. 2010) Winner, Best Feature Film Winner, Audience Award Big Bear Lake International Film Festival (Sept. 2010) Winner, Best Feature Film Estes Park Film Festival (Sept. 2010) Route 66 International Film Festival (Sept. 2010) Winner, Best Debut Feature Film Charlotte Film Festival (Sept. 2010) Winner, Indie Film Force Award - Best Feature Film Napervil le Independent Film Festival (Sept. 2010) Port Townsend Film Festival (Sept. 2010) Reel Dakota Film Festival (Sept. 2010) Winner, Audience Award Clearwater Film Festival (Sept/Oct 2010) Kansas International Film Festival (Oct. 2010) Winner, Audience Award Filmshif t Film Festival (Oct. 2010) Winner, Best Feature Film $500 Grand Prize Harvest of Arts Film Festival (Oct. 2010) Carmel Art & Film Festival (Oct. 2010) Tacoma International Film Festival (Oct. 2010) Winner, Best Feature Fil $250 Grand Prize Flint Film Festival (Oct. 2010) Winner, Best Feature Film Oregon Film Awards (Oct. 2010) Winner, Best First-Time Director Indie Memphis Film Festival (Oct. 2010) Winner, Audience Award Yosemite Film Awards (Oct. 2010) Winner, Best Director Savannah Film Festival (Oct. 2010) Naples International Film Festival (Nov. 2010) Red Rock Film Festival of Zion Canyon (Nov. 2010) Nevada Film Festival (Dec. 2010) Winner, Platinum Reel Award - Best Feature Film Beloit International Film Festival (Feb. 2011) Green Mountain Film Festival (March 2011)