Joel Simone

The Doorway production is moving forward, and plans for the screening and presentation have begun. In addition, over the last several months, I made substantial changes to the piece. These changes concern the cast and were influenced in developing the project. With these changes, The Doorway has become more personal then I ever imagined.

I was inspired to simplify the movie and wanted to focus on the main character, Jordan, and his challenges. I envisioned most of the conversations and interaction taking place through a phone, and I could see the scenes with a sharper focus on Jordan’s experiences, events, and actions. This meant narrowing down Jordan’s supporting characters; so I eliminated the associated scenes and relieved two of the actors from the movie. Shortly after, I was inspired by a vision. This idea added a great twist to the direction; not to mention, it has deep ties to current personal events and inspirations. I then relieved the last participating actor and took up the lead part, i.e., I decided to play Jordan.

Official production started last week, and I’ve attached one production image from the first several days of shooting, additional images are located on the production page, The Doorway Production Stills. The screening is planned for late May at Las Positas College, in Livermore. I will send out one last update with official dates, likely around the beginning of May; for now, the majority of my time is dedicated towards furthering The Doorway.