VPT Online: Windy Acres: Behind the Scenes with Jay Craven






	Behind the Scenes with Jay Craven "We can all use a good laugh," says Jay Craven. With Windy Acres, director and executive producer Jay Craven (Where the Rivers Flow North, A Stranger in the Kingdom, The Year That Trembled) pulls out all the stops to create a unique television experience — a high-quality, Vermont-based production that breaks the mold while it goes for the funny bone. Shot in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom during June and early July 2004, the seven-part comedy series expertly blends humor, pathos and good old-fashioned storytelling. Regional and Unconventional Craven believes Windy Acres delivers on its promise to be a comedy series that is rooted in Vermont but can also play outside the region. "Americans are used to seeing British regional drama like Fawlty Towers and Ballykissangel," he explains. "But there is very little, if any, dramatic regional television being produced in the United States. U.S. Public TV audiences want to see more that comes from here." Craven also describes this comedy as anything but conventional. "The challenge is to get beyond the familiar, and to try to create characters that are rich enough, and smat enough, to be able to travel without simply evoking down-home Vermont. We're trying to invent a new vernacular." Television vs. Film The first-time TV director enjoyed the new challenge of working in television. All of his previous work had been in film, a very different medium. "You can accept a certain amount of artifice in television," Craven says. "You're not bound by some of the realism that film requires." Producing on a Shoe String All seven episodes were shot and produced on a very tight budget of $300,000, which was made possible through the support of hundreds of people and businesses who contributed cash and services. Craven is especially grateful to Vermont Public Television, the scores of businesses and individual funders, and the talented cast and crew who supported this new idea in "indie TV." Seventy-five percent of the crew was under the age of 25, which included recent graduates and current students from Marlboro College, Wesleyan University, Burlington College, Smith College, Pratt Institute, and Bard College. "These students are hungry for professional experience," Craven explains, "and willing to work for modest wages on a project that captures their imagination." Several veterans of KCP's Fledgling Films Institute also returned to work on Windy Acres. Craven is pleased with what he, the actors and the entire crew have been able to accomplish. "We hope that Windy Acres will help us lay the groundwork for more regional television," he says, "and a New England distribution infrastructure." Home Episode Descriptions Synopsis Behind the Scenes with Jay Craven Cast & Production Credits Our Sponsors Viewer Comments