LOCAL PRODUCTIONS
A Conversation with Dave Di Pietro of Reel Cool Entertainment By Tr ac ey M. Hawk i ns
R eel Cool Entertainment, LLC is an independent, full- service production company in Oxford, Georgia, conveniently located near Atlanta. They focus on providing production support for international films and video production and commercial projects, in addition to creating original programming and online content. Reel Cool Entertainment offers everything necessary to complete a film or video project from concept through production and all the way to the final product. Dave Di Pietro has dedicated over 38 years to the film and video industries. He is an experienced writer, production designer, visual effects specialist, and director. Di Pietro is tremendously excited to be part of the new “Hollywood of the East” here in the Atlanta area. TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND AND HISTORY. HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY IN GENERAL, AND PRODUCTION DESIGN SPECIFICALLY? I started making Super-8 movies while I was still in high school. I knew I
Marketplace. This was a true chore and a real challenge, since Hunger Games had just wrapped and the graffiti from their production was everywhere. It took our crew quite awhile to repaint the buildings. As soon as we finished with our shooting, Hunger Games came back for reshoots and replaced all the graffiti once again! Quite the vicious cycle! WHAT UPCOMING PROJECTS ARE YOU EXCITED ABOUT? We have two projects on the fast-track drawing board at the moment. The first is the full-length, feature- film version of Archangel from the Winter’s End Chronicles, as well as The Transhumans , a weekly sci-fi/adventure television series. Both projects will involve some unique and mind-blowing set designs. Anyone interested in what Reel Cool Entertainment can offer should visit their website at: www.reelcoolentertainment.com, or, if you are a producer or distributor, please contact Dave Di Pietro directly at: dave@ reelcoolentertainment.com.
that these characters live in. It entails looking for existing locals with the flavor you need, or designing interior and exterior sets for places that just don’t exist. You work with the
had always loved movies and wanted to be involved with them. My college years were spent forming Cinema Group 4, a film group, with other filmmaker friends in New Jersey. We produced shorts, features, and even industrials. Eventually I landed a job with Paramount Pictures and worked with them for over 13 years. I also wrote and directed Quad 9 , a pilot for the SyFy Channel. After moving here to Georgia, I formed Reel Cool Entertainment. We are a company that creates exciting IP (intellectual property) for the motion picture, television, and video game markets. Production design is only a small aspect of what I do, but it was born out of necessity, especially for smaller- budget filmmaking. I was heavily influenced by Ken Adam, who designed many of the big James Bond films, as well as Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove . WHAT EXACTLY DOES PRODUCTION DESIGN ENTAIL? HOW DOES THE PROCESS OF PRODUCTION DESIGN WORK? Production design is world building. When you’re handed a script, it’s your job to “see and design” the world
script, sometimes the writer, the director, and any other crew who can supply the talent and passion necessary to bring these thrilling places to life. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE PROJECT/CLIENT SO FAR? Though I did some cool sci-fi and even a small Batman project, I have to say Archangel from the Winter’s End Chronicles was my favorite. This series is set in a steampunk world of London, during the 19th Century. The blending of rich wood next to antique brass, steel, and rivets was a challenge and a dream come true. Who wouldn’t want to create an underground, Victorian secret headquarters? DO YOU HAVE ANY FUNNY STORIES OR ANECDOTES FROM YOUR ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY EXPERIENCES? While shooting Archangel the web series, we converted Pullman Yard in Atlanta into an 1893 London
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