Opportunity Knocks For Aaron Wells

Opportunity Knocks for Area Director
Wellington, FL – January 2nd, 2006 - Director Aaron Wells of Silver Beach Productions, Inc., a Wellington-based independent television and film production company, knew he'd stumbled across a unique opportunity when he read freelance screenwriter Gaia Finer’s script “Kill Joy”. “I stumbled across the script online and I fell in love with it.” recalls Wells. “Gaia is based in the UK, so we communicated via email and hit it off immediately. We had the same vision, so it wasn’t too hard to convince her to let me ‘fine-tune’ the script.” Wells rewrote the script and after seven drafts, Opportunity Knocks was born, a dark comedy about a distraught woman whose attempt at suicide is interrupted at the last moment by Death’s bumbling bureaucratic assistant. Wells felt the script was very good, but he never expected it to catch the eye one of Hollywood’s most recognizable faces—and voices—Tristan Rogers. Perhaps best know for his role as Scorpio on General Hospital, Rogers has more than 40 feature films and television programs to his credit including Walker Texas Ranger, Babylon 5, Fast Track, V.I.P., and Family Law. He’s also known for his voice work on commercials for Outback Steakhouse, Fosters, Reebok, Epson, and more. Wells sent Rogers an early draft. “Tristan read the script and was immediately interested in playing Death,” states Wells. “I was thrilled. I knew his skills would kick the entire production up several notches, so I decided to pull out all the stops in terms of cast and crew.” Wells tapped the talents of two accomplished Florida actors for the remaining roles. Documentary filmmaker and actress Suzanne Niedland (B.L. Stryker, The Cape, From the Earth to the Moon, Miss Lil’s Camp) portrays Luci Borgia. Tim Powell (Drop Zone, Sunshine State, Bad Boys II, Transporter 2) plays Mr. Morehead, Death’s assistant. “Their chemistry was terrific. You couldn’t ask for a better group of actors. Their caliber of talent allowed me to focus on storytelling—a great experience for any director.” All three performers are members of the Screen Actors Guild and the film was shot under SAG’s new Short Film Agreement. “Projects like this show an actor in a different light. Especially when you’re in a high profile role like a Scorpio which has lots of history attached to it,” states Rogers. “Roles like that tend to define what you are in this industry. To play a character like Death is almost a fresh start. To that end I want to do more things like this as you don't know where it will lead.” Wells received his BA and MA from Michigan State University in Telecommunications. In 1989, after a short stint as a producer for the Pontiac School District, he founded Silver Beach Productions in Benton Harbor, Michigan. He’s been independent ever since, creating a wide rang of programs for clients world-wide, from 30-second TV commercials to feature-length films. His work has been featured on networks ranging from Showtime’s iN DEMAND to The Travel Channel, from PBS to CNBC. He’s interacted with—and learned from—several industry legends including screenwriter Jim Cash, Burt Reynolds, Bill Cosby, and Bob Newhart. Wells is optimistic about the film’s future. “I’ve just completed the rough cut and I am very pleased so far. Traditionally the market for distributing short films is limited; however, technologies like the Internet and multi-media cell phones are changing that. I expect it to do well on the festival circuit; there’s even talk of adapting it into an off-Broadway play. In this business you never know when or where opportunity will knock.” Opportunity Knocks was shot in high-definition entirely in Wellington, FL; the film is currently in post-production. For additional information contact: Aaron WellsSilver Beach Productions, Inc561-792-1290 Photo: L-R, Tim Powell (Mr. Morehead), Suzanne Niedland (Luci), and Tristan Rogers (Death) discuss “Mortis Interruptis” in a scene from “Opportunity Knocks”.