PRESS KIT
SYNOPSIS PAGE 1
POSTER PAGE 2
STILL PHOTOS PAGE 3
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT PAGE 4
PRODUCTION NOTES/ANECTODES PAGE 5
CAST AND CREW BIOS PAGES 6-12
REVIEWS PAGES 13-17
AWARDS/FESTIVALS PAGE 18
CAST LIST PAGE 19
CREW LIST PAGES 20-21
CONTACT INFORMATION PAGE 22
THE LEGACY Press Kit Page 1
SYNOPSIS
One boy is about to discover the truth about his father.
The Legacy brings to life a story about fathers and sons,
imagination and magic, and believing in something larger than
ourselves.
What would you do if you believed your father was a superhero?
Charlie Regals’ big break in Hollywood was supposed to be
playing the title role in the big budget superhero movie
“Kryptoman.” However, the film was never completed.
Shortly after, Charlie left Hollywood and returned to his home in
Kansas with his wife Louise.
Now twenty years later, new talk begins to swirl about finishing
the “Kryptoman” movie and reuniting the original cast. Charlie
never told his now 10-year-old son, Billy, about his failed shot at
Hollywood.
Billy, being a huge comic book fan, knows all about the lore of
Kryptoman, so when he sees Dad on the cover of Newstime
magazine in a Kryptoman suit, he begins to suspect that his
father is the real superhero.
The Legacy takes you on a journey back to your own childhood
and asks the question: Do you still believe in heroes?
THE LEGACY Press Kit Page 2
ONE SHEET POSTER
THE LEGACY Press Kit Page 3
PUBLICITY PHOTOS
THE LEGACY Press Kit Page 4
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
For this film, I wanted to pay homage to the types of films that
inspired me as a child. I thought about the kind of film that I
would write if I were a 10-year-old again. When I was 10, I was
obsessed with Superman (the Superman movies in particular.) I
decided that I wanted to write a film about a boy who believed he
was a superhero.
As I thought about the ways in which the boy would believe this
to be true, I got the idea that he could be born into his superhero
status by having the father be one of the boy’s favorite
superheroes.
The final script ended up being about the innocence of childhood
and the overwhelming capacity that children have for believing in
extraordinary things.
In bringing this script to the screen I knew that I had to get all of
the details right. The cast, the location, the wardrobe, the music,
the visual effects, and the cinematography all played a huge part
in making this script come to life. The world that we created
needed to be true to both the comic book world and the real
world in order to keep the audience and Billy guessing as to
whether Charlie is in fact a real superhero or just an actor.
For legal reasons, we could not use any names from DC Comics
or show the Superman “S” logo. We made every effort to stay
true to the Superman comic while respecting the legalities of DC
Comics and Warner Bros.
THE LEGACY Press Kit Page 5
PRODUCTION NOTES/ANECDOTES
Our casting director, G. Charles Wright, had the daunting task of
finding a 10-year-old boy who could play Billy with conviction,
innocence, and heart. In addition to this, to stay true to the
comic, Billy needed to have dark brown hair and blue eyes. Now
G. has been known to play pranks on me, but he wasn’t joking
around when he showed me film of a 14-year-old boy with blonde
hair and brown eyes named Paul Butcher. G. insisted that I cast
him in this role. Paul’s acting was that of an actor well beyond
his years and I really wanted him for this part, but he was too
old, had the wrong color hair, and the wrong color eyes. G.
convinced me that with the right wardrobe, hair coloring, and
contact lenses Paul would make a great Billy. I’m extremely
grateful to G. for finding such a talented actor for this role and to
Paul for giving such a strong performance.
THE LEGACY Press Kit Page 6
BIOS
PAUL MATTHEW HAWKE BUTCHER was born in Los Angeles,
California, the son of former NFL linebacker Paul Butcher Sr. He
began his acting career when he was seven years old, appearing
in The Bernie Mac Show in a minor role. He is most recognized for
playing the role of Dustin Brooks, brother of Zoey Brooks, on The
Disney Channel’s Zoey 101.
Butcher’s other notable credits include The Number 23, Without A
Trace, The King of Queens, NYPD Blue, and Criminal Minds.
LOUIS JOHN IACOVIELLO was born in Staten Island NY. He
attended film school at Full Sail Center for the Recording Arts in
1994, where he graduated Valedictorian. In 1996 he began
performing comedy improv at SAK Comedy Lab in Orlando FL (of
Wayne Brady fame) and has performed both improv and sketch
in such Los Angeles locations as Improv Olympic, SecondCity and
The Knitting Factory. His most recent television credits include
CSI Miami, ER, Hannah Montana and Heroes. Louis enjoyed his
experience on The Legacy and feels very fortunate to have
worked with writer/director Mike Doto.
THE LEGACY Press Kit Page 7
BIOS
JO McGINLEY specializes in narrative improvisation, creating
improvised stories in classical and popular genres. “Improvising Plays
& Films” is the only ongoing workshop of its kind and the product of
over 15 years of research and exploration.
Jo performs and teaches improvisation internationally, performing fully
improvised plays in the style of Tennessee Williams both in Amsterdam
and Paris. Her home base of improvisation is Impro Theatre, Los
Angeles.
Jo joined the faculties of the American Conservatory Theatre and
Academy of Art College teaching actors and artists how to use
improvisation in order to access their creativity. She has taught at
USC, Pepperdine University, University of San Francisco (School of
Business), College of Marin and for hundreds of corporate clients
(American Express, Method, Consumer’s Energy to name of few) using
improvisation as a way to teach basic skills of listening, staying
positive, supporting ideas, and connection. She most recently
facilitated Focus Groups for The Hewlett Packard Foundation using
improvisation as a way to inspire social change.
She created improvisation programs for ACT’s Young Conservatory,
Marina Middle School, Brookside Elementary, and taught improv to
teens and kids (ages 6-18) privately in both Los Angeles and San
Francisco for over 10 years.
Theatre credits include Dancing at Lughnasa, Jake’s Women, Laments
for the Living, and Television credits include Boston Public, ER, and
Close to Home.
Currently the director of “Improvising Plays & Films” (student &
company), past directing credits include Laments for the Living
bringing the inspired works of Dorothy Parker to the stage.
Jo is a member of SAG, AFTRA, and AEA.
THE LEGACY Press Kit Page 8
BIOS
MIKE DOTO is a Los Angeles based filmmaker and New Jersey
native who began his career as a student at Emerson College in
Boston. Upon completion of his undergraduate degree in Film,
Mike began working in television and has assistant directed shows
for NBC-Universal, FOX, ABC, Paramount, Warner Bros., TNT,
Showtime, and Carsey-Werner including That ‘70s Show where he
worked for four seasons.
In addition to assistant directing, Mike has also worked in post-
production as a producer, editor, and production manager for
many trailers, promos, and commercials.
Mike’s award winning directorial debut, Peace, starring Kurtwood
Smith, was an official selection at over 30 film festivals worldwide
including Florida, Newport Beach, and Garden State. After a year
on the festival circuit, Peace was picked up for distribution by
Shorts International and is available for download on iTunes and
can be seen on cable and network television stations around the
globe.
Mike is a member of the Directors Guild of America.
THE LEGACY Press Kit Page 9
BIOS
JEREMY JED HAMMEL has worked in the film/television industry
for over a decade, both in the studio system as well as the
independent world.
He has produced projects for The American Film Institute, NBC’s
national network show, Later, and for the Sansevieria Film
Festival Best Film winner, Fishes.
Jeremy has worked in nearly every area of film/TV production, in
nearly every capacity. His crew credits include the critically
acclaimed hit series, ER, the Student Academy Award Winning
Intermezzo, and the Sundance darling, Next Stop Wonderland.
Jeremy has also directed a short that was accepted into the
Boston Film Festival and recently co-directed a music video for
Lo-Fi Sugar with the hot creative team, Lady Ransom.
For more information please check out www.teamhammel.com.
THE LEGACY Press Kit Page 10
BIOS
TIMOTHY RYDER began his career in reality show programming
and feature film marketing for such companies as Paramount
Pictures, Orion Pictures, Disney and MGM. He joined Carsey-
Werner Productions in 1989 on the critically acclaimed but short-
lived Davis Rules, starring Randy Quaid and Jonathan Winters.
He went on to work for ABC, CBS and NBC prime-time sitcoms
and reality programs. He also worked for Arsenio Hall
Productions as an associate producer for their television specials
and home video releases.
Mr. Ryder was then invited back to Carsey-Werner as Co-
Producer of the smash hit 3rd Rock From The Sun. He
subsequently served as Consulting Producer for the company,
handling the shows Men Behaving Badly, Townies, Damon, Earth
Scum, and That ‘70s Show. He eventually served as Associate
Director for two seasons on Bill Cosby’s second series for CBS,
Cosby.
Mr. Ryder also produced A&E’s two-hour television movie,
Lucifer’s Child, with Julie Harris. He has since produced various
independent feature films, including the award winning Follow Me
Home with Alfre Woodard and Benjamin Bratt. After a three-year
stint on the NBC hit 3rd Rock From The Sun, Mr. Ryder accepted
a more artistic position within Carsey-Werner Productions, taking
on the responsibility of Picture Editor and Associate Director for
That ‘70s Show. He edited the first five seasons of the popular
sitcom before departing amicably from Carsey-Werner to
establish Raptor Productions, which presently has several feature
film projects and television shows in development.
THE LEGACY Press Kit Page 11
BIOS
With a background in still photography stretching back to before
his teenage years, and a sharp eye for composition and lighting,
MICHAEL RIZZI is a cinematographer with filmmaking in his
blood. He finished college with the award for Outstanding
Cinematography and first place in the California State University
film festival for his senior cinematography project.
Within three years of moving to Los Angeles, Michael quickly shot
up through the AC ranks and found himself shooting indie music
videos, commercials and his first feature that has been released
on DVD. He frequently works with numerous award winning
directors and has shot videos for several notable bands such as
Angels & Airwaves, Kennedy, The Mars Volta and The Matches.
He has just wrapped his second feature directed by Omar
Rodriguez-Lopez of The Mars Volta.
VICTOR CARBONNEAU, JR. moved to Los Angeles from a small
town in New Hampshire after attending Emerson College in
Boston. Since his arrival to L.A. in 1997, he has established
himself as a capable film and television editor working for a
number of different companies including Imaginary Forces, The
Ebeling Group, and Convert.
His specialty in editing consists of a variety of short format
projects such as commercials, marketing reels, trailers and main
title sequences. Some of his most recent work includes the
opening title sequences for the television series Touching Evil and
The Inside along with the 2004 television ad campaign for the
Outdoor Life Networks broadcast of the Tour De France.
THE LEGACY Press Kit Page 12
BIOS
JOEY NEWMAN is a third generation film composer of the famed
Hollywood musical Newman dynasty and the son of
bassist/vocalist Joe Frank Carollo of the 1970's soft-rock group
"Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds". A drummer and pianist, he
began serious composition studies at the Berklee College of Music
in Boston, earning his Bachelor of Music Degree.
Upon returning to to Los Angeles, he began working in television
with Emmy-winning composer W.G. "Snuffy" Walden, having co-
composed the final seasons of ABC's Once and Again and NBC's
Providence while providing orchestrations for NBC's The West
Wing and a number of other prime-time dramas and sitcoms.
Joey has since moved on to solo projects, scoring indie films,
network/cable television series, video games, and providing
arrangements for various recording artists. He has also
conducted and/or orchestrated the scores to many independent
and studio features including working with his cousin Randy on
Disney/Pixar’s Cars and Universal’s Seabiscut.
Joey’s music was recently heard on the CW’s freshman dramedy
Privileged and currently on the hit TLC series, Little People, Big
World for which he was nominated for a 2008 primetime Emmy
Award. Upcoming assignments include the new series The Middle
for ABC and the return of Little People, Big World (now in it’s 5th
season.)
THE LEGACY Press Kit Page 13
REVIEWS
Original post on…
http://itsjustmovies.com/3400
Review by Sean Gerski, It’s Just Movies
November 4, 2009
Imagine if you woke up one day and discovered your father was a
retired superhero. And not just any superhero, but Kryptoman!
(Think: Superman)
From that simple concept, writer-director Mike Doto has crafted
12 of the most majestic and enchanting minutes you are likely to
see all year with “The Legacy.”
From the pitch-perfect music to the spot-on casting, “The Legacy”
is entertaining from the first frame until the last. And, frankly, if
there is one negative I can say about the film, it is that “The
Legacy” is too short. I definitely was left wanting more when the
credits rolled.
However, a full story is told in those 12 minutes. In fact, Doto
gets as much story in the film’s truncated length as some high-
concept films manage in 80 to 90 minutes.
Now, typically, at this point in a review one might reveal some
details about the plot, but some of the story’s twists are part of
the fun and I would rather not ruin that for any potential viewers.
What I will say is that I watched “The Legacy” with a friend of
mine and immediately after we watched it, we turned to each
other and asked the same question: “Do you want to watch it
again?”
THE LEGACY Press Kit Page 14
REVIEWS
Original post on…
http://www.popculturebeast.com/2009/11/short-film-review-legacy.html
Review by Garon Cockrell, Pop Culture Beast
November 6, 2009
Last year we reviewed another short film from director Mike Doto,
Peace. Well, he has sent over his latest short film, The Legacy. This
time, Doto handles both the writing and directing for this film and in
doing so proves himself as one to watch.
The Legacy is about a boy who discovers that his father is not the plain
ol' dad he thought he was. That's all the plot information you'll get
from me.
The Legacy is 12 minutes of pure 100% bliss. It is a perfect, flawless,
and absolutely fantastic film.
The acting is superb from its perfect cast. As you watch you get this
giddy sort of magical feeling in the pit of your stomach. It reminds me
of when was a kid and I got home with a new toy for the first time. It
evokes a bit of that Christmas morning excitement.
The music could not be better and the effects are quite remarkable for
a film that's not a Hollywood blockbuster.
Doto has given us a masterpiece of a short film. I'm feeling right now
as I type this that this is the best short film I have ever seen.
The folks at Warner Brothers should take note here. This is the guy
they want for the next Superman film. This is a guy who can deliver
the feeling of wonderment that the movies sorely need.
When you get the chance to see it, I would rush out and check out The
Legacy. It's a brilliant piece of work that is certain to put Mike Doto's
name on the map.
THE LEGACY Press Kit Page 15
REVIEWS
Original post on…
http://www.cinema-crazed.com/h-q/legacy.htm
Review by Felix Vasquez Jr., Cinema Crazed
November 14, 2009
As many of your readers may know by now, I am a hardcore Superman fan.
I have been since I was old enough to read, before that I spent most of my
time admiring the adventures Superman went on through pictures. So it
came of no surprise to me when "The Legacy" knocked me flat on my butt
and took the material to tell an all new story about the bond between fathers
and sons and how fragile it can be. "The Legacy" takes a lot of risky moves
in its telling of the short story as we explore the lore of main character Billy's
father all set to the tune of the Superman mythos. It's so closely embedded
in the Superman story that it almost risks copyright infringement.
Yet sometimes that is what makes the movie so watchable. Unaware that his
dad Charlie was once an actor, Billy hears about his dad becoming the
superhero Kryptoman. Unaware that it's a movie role and not his actual job,
Billy watches as his dad starts exhibiting super heroic tendencies suddenly.
As the film progresses, questions are asked that put us down in to Billy's
shoes and we begin to wonder if he is on to something.
How else to explain Charlie's cat like reflexes all of which fade away when
confronted with a glowing green rock? How else to explain his dad's ability to
go from one city to another in a dash? As the question list grows the line
between fantasy and reality are blurred and we're left wondering if Billy has
a great imagination or perhaps his father is a real life superhero. Director
Mike Doto perfectly balances the tone of the piece by keeping a fantastical
whimsy that plays well to where the film eventually goes. Paul Butcher and
Louis Iacoviello are a perfect match as father and son and thanks to the
competence of the script their chemistry is very believable. Butcher is tasked
with keeping us at the eye level of an awe struck child and it works while
Iacoviello presents a sly mind set that keeps not only his son but the
audience wondering if the suspicions are logical or just a child worshipping
his father. Clearly this is one of the best short films I've seen all year.
Though veering dangerously close to copyright infringement, "The Legacy" is
an excellent short film about the relationship between fathers and sons and
how sometimes dad's don't need to be superheroes to act as heroes in their
children's eyes. As a Superman fan I just couldn't help but love this.
THE LEGACY Press Kit Page 16
REVIEWS
Original post on…
http://theindependentcritic.com/shorts_collection_26_
Review by Richard Propes, The Independent Critic
December 3, 2009
What would you do if you found out your father was a superhero?
In writer/director Mike Doto's masterful "The Legacy," Charlie (Louis Iacoviello) is a
retired actor whose near Hollywood break-through in the title role of the big-budget
"Kryptoman" flick fell victim to squabbling between the director and the producer. A
dejected Charlie retired to a small-town farm with his beautiful wife, Louise (Jo
McGinley), and his son, Billy (Paul Butcher).
One day, it is announced that "Kryptoman" is back on track with the original cast
and, not so coincidentally, 10-year-old Billy spies his father's photograph on the
cover of a news magazine.
Could it be? Surely not?
Easily one of the year's top short films, "The Legacy" manages to be both a tribute
to the magical, larger than life superhero films of the past while carving out a
wondrous journey all its own. In 12 minutes, Doto manages to capture more of the
heart and spirit of "Superman," of which it bears an almost too close resemblance,
than Bryan Singer's buffed up 2006 full-length feature that very nearly killed the
franchise. Actually, "The Legacy" bears more a resemblance to the "Lois & Clark"
television series than any of the feature films, however, it should be said
unequivocally that Doto beautifully transcends the superhero genre with a timeless
story that weaves its way through lessons about fathers and sons, belief, trusting
the magic in our lives and pure, childlike wonder.
Michael Rizzi's camera work paints the sort of picture one used to see every Sunday
evening while watching the Disney Sunday Movie, films of simple joy and innocence
and hope. The original score by Joey Newman is the perfect accompaniment for a
story that manages to balance being both larger than life and celebrating of the
little things we can do in life to make a difference.
The performances, as well, are top-notch across the board with delightful chemistry
between Louis Iacoviello's Charlie and Paul Butcher as his bedazzled son, Charlie.
Jo McGinley shines as the matriarch of this quite super trio.
Serving as absolute proof that a filmmaker need not have James Cameron's nine-
figure production budget to create a film that enchants and delights, Mike Doto's
"The Legacy" is 12-minutes of cinematic bliss you will find yourself wanting to
watch again and again.
THE LEGACY Press Kit Page 17
REVIEWS
Original post on…
http://www.roguecinema.com/article1962.html
Review by Duane L. Martin, Rogue Cinema
December 5, 2009
Twenty years ago, Charlie Regal (Louis Iacoviello) played a superhero named
Kryptoman in a film that was never finished. Charlie had left Hollywood to get
away from the shallowness of the industry after that, but that film was his big
chance. Now, there's talk of finishing the film with the original cast. He's being
shown on entertainment news reports and his picture is on the cover of magazines
in his superhero outfit. When his son Billy (Paul Butcher) sees the magazine cover,
he starts to wonder if his dad really is Kryptoman.
That night, Billy looks around in his parents' closet, and finds the Kryptoman outfit
in a zipped up suit bag. Added to that bit of evidence, his father performs a couple
of feats at breakfast the next morning that seem rather out of the ordinary. This
leads Billy to believe that he's the son of a superhero. But is he? You'll have to
watch the film to find out.
It seems like I've been receiving more and more films like this lately. Films that
are professional looking and highly polished with great acting and a fun story. It's
nice to see the industry trending in that direction, and as the hardware and
software used to make these films becomes more and more affordable, allowing for
more professional looking productions, I have a feeling that this is a trend that's
only going to grow and progress as time goes on.
I haven't really mentioned the mother yet. Her name was Louise (Jo McGinley),
and from almost the first second she's on the screen, you can tell she's an
extremely sweet and nice person. The chemistry between her, and her husband
and son is a pleasure to watch. These people all seem to fit together, in a family
unit that anyone would be jealous of.
I already mentioned how great the film was technically. Nothing was lacking here
in any way. The camera work was great, the sound was mixed really well, the
editing was tight and everything movied along really well. The only complaint, if
any, I could have about this film is that it was too short. Not so much that it was
too short for the story, but too short simply because I was enjoying it, and then
suddenly after ten minutes it was over. It would be so easy to take this story and
these characters and turn it into a feature length film. Honestly, it works very well
as a short, but I believe it could be turned into a feature as well.
This film was written and directed by Mike Doto and is a spectacular example of
what can be accomplished in todays independent cinema. If you get a chance to
see it, it's definitely worth checking out.
THE LEGACY Press Kit Page 18
AWARDS AND FESTIVALS
AWAITING PREMIERE FESTIVAL
THE LEGACY Press Kit Page 19
CAST LIST
Billy Regals PAUL BUTCHER
Charlie Regals LOUIS IACOVIELLO
Louise Regals JO McGINLEY
Rusty HANA
News Reporter GEORGE PANNACCHIO
THE LEGACY Press Kit Page 20
CREW LIST
written and directed by
MIKE DOTO
produced by
JEREMY JED HAMMEL
executive producers
MIKE DOTO
TIMOTHY RYDER
director of photography
MICHAEL RIZZI
casting by
G. CHARLES WRIGHT
edited by
VICTOR CARBONNEAU JR.
music by
JOEY NEWMAN
visual effects supervisor
JOHN CASSELLA
production design
MARIA PICASO
costume design
LAURA FLETT
sound design
SHAUN MERRYMAN
production coordinator STACEY McNEILL
unit production manager ASHLEY REESE
1st assistant director NATE COHEN
art director MATT HAUSMANN
key hair/make-up ERIN SVALSTAD
script supervisor EMMY SERVISS
sound mixer CHAUNCY GODWIN
THE LEGACY Press Kit Page 21
CREW LIST CONTINUED
1st assistant camera COREY BRINGAS
additional 1st assistant camera KYLE KLUTZ
2nd assistant camera LOREN KLING
gaffer JEREMY KERR
key grip/electric KRIS MAY
best boy grip/electric GRANT CULWELL
grip/electric MIKE MONTGOMERY
additional gaffer MICHAEL NASH
additional key grip/electric ROCKY ROMINES
Flame/Nuke artist MATT SPENCER
HD finishing JASON YANUZZI
re-recording mixer PHIL TAGLIERE
comic book illustrator MIKE POWERS
still photographer IAIN PIRIE
title design MIGUEL LEE
dog wrangler RANDY FISH
horse wrangler TERRI STURN
music recorded at CAPITOL STUDIOS
music recorded and mixed by OREN HADAR
For more information visit us on the web at
www.seasidepictures.com
or contact Mike Doto directly
5913 Colfax Ave.
N. Hollywood, CA 91601
818-516-8723 phone
818-508-7795 fax
mike@seasidepictures.com
Thank you