Adapting Edith Wharton’s 1917 classic for the screen is an extraordinary opportunity.
Realizing the emotional and visual scope of the novel will require careful planning and the closest attention to physical and financial details.

Principal photography will start in Summer 2012. The main locations are centered in
Tyringham, Massachusetts – including the neighboring towns of Lenox, Lee and Stockbridge. Some larger period exteriors will shoot in Pittsfield and North Adams. Two or three days’ work are planned at transportation museums in Connecticut.

New digital camera technology will be used to capture realistic, immediate images with minimal grip and lighting requirements. Labor, time and equipment savings will permit a relatively expansive schedule, providing the creative space needed to develop compelling characters and settings. Further economies will be realized by employing first-rate local crew and talent.

By relying on extensive preparation and keeping the crew very small, a more intimate and flexible shooting style becomes possible. This is not incompatible with creating superior
production values. World-class CGI expertise available in the Berkshires will also be essential to successfully and economically meeting the challenges of period work.

The three principal roles are career milestones for any actor. The budget will not compromise the artistic merit or prestige of participating in this project, and the actual time commitments for the two male leads are in fact, quite modest. Especially with minimal resources, treating cast and crew well is a first priority for this production.

New England unions have already been approached about the project, and have indicated that an accommodating contract can be arranged. A deal will also need to be negotiated with SAG, and letters of agreement may be required with other guilds to allow participation for certain key crew members. Financing will be arranged by offering private equity stakes, working with one of several potential independent production partners.

Distribution is the most difficult step for any independent film project. For low budget
independents there are no guarantees. In its favor Summer already has the cachet of
Edith Wharton – one of America’s greatest writers and the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize. The novel itself is a discovery – a century-old treasure still hot to the touch.

Attached is a study of comparable literary adaptations and period films over the last ten years. Audience for this kind of romantic period work is not small, but it is distinctly underserved. While well-promoted studio projects dominate the top of the box office, smaller genre films regularly get theatrical release and turn a profit. Since this project first started, Summer has attracted interest from many unexpected directions. The development website has actually received inquiries about purchasing DVDs. No matter who stars in the film or what its budget, it is clear that there are many people who will buy tickets to see Summer.