When I first drove into the Pear Theater parking lot for Connor's audition, I was hesitant to say the least. I called my husband just before stepping in and said, "It looks kind of shady, if you don't hear from me in under an hour send in the troops."

When I walked into the reception area I quickly grabbed up any literature that was available and scoured it for hints as to what types of productions took place behind the curtains. I shoved any and every flyer in my bag, as Connor clutched my side begging me not to leave him. As I moved around past the draping room divider I breathed a sigh of relief as I instantly saw the rows of chairs set up facing a legitimate stage area. Alex saw us enter and offered up that we were welcome to step in and have a seat. It was from that moment that I became involved.

The auditions that followed were both intimidating and fascinating. So many kids, parents, and actors all flashing pleasant smiles to those who entered. You could feel the pressure of the competition from every angle. I found myself to be instantly taken by the process.

Connor thought that the actual audition was the movie. I could see how he would think that. Cameras were rolling, actors were present, and he did recite some lines. With no movie experience under his belt, this was a new world to him, and he was already a star. He walked away boasting about how well he thought he did, and how much he enjoyed acting! Relieved that he was not expecting anything further to come of the audition, I was thrilled when Alex let me know that Connor was going to move forward.

This was Connor's first movie project and my responsibility was limited to "parent of the actor." After the first shoot I realized that my parenting skills were not going to be of any help. In fact, it became increasingly clear that I would need to abandon any and all parental inclinations I had so as not to interrupt the natural progression of the Noah character. I struggled with this fact throughout the entire project. I knew that I wanted to be more than a witness to this artistic creation, and I intended to offer my support in any way possible. With a strong will and a background in business I decided to send Alex and email asking if I could become more involved. I sent him the following email.

Hi Alex,
Although I am guessing this is extremely premature (with no movie in hand to promote), I wanted to bring up that I am interested in learning more about the marketing efforts for a film of this sort. I have a degree in Business Management & Marketing, well...that coupled with zero experience with the film industry. I thought since this is a low budget effort I could offer my assistance and hopefully learn a bit in the process. This would obviously be a bigger value to me than to you, but I thought I should at least ask and not pass up on a potential opportunity.
I am guessing that the film industry and associated marketing probably boils down to a who's who, and being connected. Is there a book, or an online forum that you could recommend that might explain some of the behind the scene workings?
Thanks, Megan

He met with me, curious about my intentions, and after I explained myself he accepted my offer noting that marketing would be helpful down the line, but there were definite ways that I could help in the day-to-day production.

The next time I went with Connor to a shoot, I was more than just my son's costume quick change artist. I was a crew assistant, director support, location manager, and of course a stage mom, and it felt natural to contribute. On the set I made conscious but effortless moves: take pictures, clean up after disasters, try to lift spirits of those waiting in the wings...all in attempt to enrich the experience for participants. For me, deeper participation was the enrichment. I thought for the others, cast and crew, they might appreciate and possibly even feed off of my excitement. A smile is contagious, and all serious acting aside I wanted everyone to share in the sentiment.

Before Alex had let me know that the preliminary website was up for viewing and critique, I let him know that I had stumbled upon it on my own. I was so excited to see an actual website up and running. It brought the whole adventure to a new peak of reality. He asked for my input and we tested the "ask ATB" feature. Aside from the pride associated with seeing my son's head featured on a homepage, the website was my first real glimpse of the movie.

I made countless attempts along the way to draw in friends and family for spots as extras. I even went so far as to approach complete strangers advertising the last chance to get on board and participate in something great. No takers...several nods of interest but no real commitment from anyone. I will admit I was hurt, but I realized that it is hard to convey my intense devotion to others in a convincing way. When Alex mentioned his dire need for fillers in the final scene I took the matter to heart. I made a personal plea to friends and family begging for their support. Instead of trying to explain the movie and the message I asked for help as a personal favor, and the response was positive. My husband and son, my sister and her kids, high school friends, father, family friends and grandmother all came to the rescue. So they weren't exactly devoted to the project, but they were devoted to supporting me and that still worked. I was happy to let Alex know that he could rest easy as the party scene would be covered.

A soccer mom at heart I was more than happy to carry the 7 of us to locations in my minivan. First parks around San Jose, and then up to San Francisco. The ATB team. Between yells for Connor to stop kicking the seats, and encouraging him to share his lunch with Casey, I was able to have conversations with Alex and preach to him about how joyous community life in the bay area can be. Now this really felt like a family.