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My name is Daniel Marracino. I've worked as a documentary cameraman for the last 10 years on movies such as Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead, Capitalism: A Love Story, Freakonomics, and Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope.
I was setting up to shoot a fashion show in New York when Alexander Perlman, an intern on the set, told me that he was interested in making a feature documentary about truck stop sex workers in America. The topic was taboo but his enthusiasm was infectious and I agreed right away to produce the film. I got him liability insurance, a few bucks, and a camera, and off he went. Several months later, after travelling cross-country with a small crew and a shoestring budget, he came home with 200 hours of footage.
The film follows Jennifer, a recovering sex worker who is trying to get her life back on track, Bobby, a man struggling to come to grips with his girlfriend’s livelihood, and Betty, an aging sex worker who makes no apologies for her lifestyle. These intimate portraits hint at a broader story about America, how it deals with its “derelicts,” and how all of us are implicated as consumers.
What I love most about the film is how it demistifies these people that live under the radar of our everyday world. The crew's proximity enabled them to capture some incredibly dark and moving scenes. Our nightly production updates were filled with hope and anticipation about where the film would go next. On one occasion, Alex and Dan Livingston, the Field Producer, had their lives threatened by a drug dealer; I advised them to hit the road immediately.
We have come a long way and now it's time to finish this film up and share it with the world. Our characters have deep real life human stories that the world will be better for when told.
We plan to add more character development and polish to the edit. We have 200 hours of footage and 30 or so pre-cut outtakes; we need another 6 weeks of editing to reach picture lock.
The film also requires sound-design, color-correction, a real trailer and a poster. We screened the film as a work in progress this June at the 8th annual San Francisco Sex Workers Film Festival and won The Audience Award even as a work in progress. I know that with some finishing touches our film will really shine.
Here is my projected budget for the last phase of post-production:
| Item |
Cost |
| Editor (3500/week for 6 weeks) |
21000 |
| Sound Mix |
7500 |
| Color Correction |
7500 |
| Poster Art / Digital |
4500 |
| Total |
40500 |
Lot Lizard is an unprecedented glimpse into a facet of America that is largely concealed just out of site. Please help us to share this film with the world.
Like us on Facebook and share the Indiegogo campaign.
Alternatively, Visit the official website:
Thank you!
About the filmmakers:
Alexander Perlman - Director, Diretor of Photography
Alex is a New York City based film-maker who juggles directing, cinematography, editing, visual effects, and encoding engineering. In 2009, after completing a six month visual effects gig for Adult Swim, he hitch-hiked from New York City to San Fransisco. His interactions with truck stop sex workers en route inspired him to direct Lot Lizard. You can learn more about Alex at his
website.
Matthew Dougherty - Editor
Matt is based out of New York City and for the past few years has divided his time between NY and Copenhagen. Along with creating music, he works as a director and editor on film projects. You can find more information on his website,
www.subjectobjectfilms.com.
Dan Livingston - Field Producer
Having spent 2 years hitchhiking around the country homeless, and living on the streets and in various squatter communities in many national forests, and urban cores, Dan compensated for his relative lack of experience in filmmaking, with a wealth of experience doing dangerous things and living to tell the tale. Dan made first-contact with many of the characters in the film, got them to sign releases, and along with Alex, conducted the interviews.
