(bright music) (dramatic music) - Welcome to TV Film, I'm Jermaine Wells.

TV Film showcases the talents of upstate New York media makers across all genres.

In this episode, filmmakers Joe Gietl and Cameron S Mitchell bring us into the world of the Fledgling.

- Hi, I am Joe.

- And I'm Cameron.

- And we are the creative team behind The Fledgling.

So what you're about to see is a condensed version, a scene that was taken from a pilot episode of a entire series that I wrote called the Fledgling.

It's about an orphan girl named Charlie, who wakes up in a hospital bed with a mysterious condition with no recollection of how she got there and has to sort of put the pieces of the night together while avoiding the light.

So, it centers around Charlie, but also a 300-year-old vampire couple named Elijah and Bianca.

I had the idea, it was around the beginning of COVID and not for the rest of the world, but lucky for me there was nothing to do, so I ended up writing an entire eight episode series.

Usually people just write the pilot of something and call it a day, you know?

But I wanted to challenge myself to see if I could write the entire thing.

So over the course of two years, I wrote the series and then that's the point where I met Chris Gaunt and Cameron Mitchell.

I had already been working with Jim Powers and John Stegemann on other productions, but they were part of the creative team as well.

James Abrahams came on later as a writer when we were reworking the pilot.

- We want this to be made into a TV show.

And so I had to first inform Joe that getting TV made is a lot harder than making a short for a feature or a spec or something like that.

And then we decided to tackle this monster, which is breaking into the TV industry from the create event, which you would usually do over a career, and it's all done with the interest and support that we generate as people see it.

I never like set out to make a vampire show or anything like that, that wasn't like on my MO or one of my Mos or something I ever thought I would do.

Vampire issues became a vehicle to tell a very human story.

- If anyone out there's watching this, please get in touch with us and I think we can do something special.

- Let's make it happen.

(birds chirping) (suspenseful music) (suspenseful music) (birds chirping) (fly buzzing) (Charlie breathing deeply) (Charlie panting) (bells ringing) - [Nurse] I'm sorry ma'am the door is locked, you can't go in there.

- [Bianca] I'm not going anywhere until I see her.

Is she awake?

Can you at least tell me that?

- [Nurse] I understand that you're upset- - Bianca] That's, that's my daughter.

(suspenseful music) (Charlie screaming) (suspenseful music) (branches rustling) (Charlie panting) (suspenseful music) - She has a condition, genetic, runs in our family, you can't help her.

- [Nurse] I would he...

I would let you in if I could, I really would, but I can't.

You don't know what it's like.

- [Bianca I do, more than you know.

Nurse?

- [Nurse] Nurse Hadley - [Bianca] Nurse Hadley, listen to me, I need you to do the right thing.

(Charlie gasping and panting) (car horn honking) - [Driver] Jesus Christ kid.

(car horn honking) (car engine whirring) Trying to get yourself killed?

- No, wait.

(car engine whirring) (suspenseful music) (feet pattering) - [Bianca] Open the door.

The fluids that you've been giving her haven't been working have they> - [Nurse] I, I figured if I kept pushing them that they would help her, and that she'd regain her strength.

- [Bianca] She won't, not that way.

- [Nurse] They wouldn't even let me call for help, I did everything I could.

- [Bianca] I understand and you know what's right now.

I understand that you're afraid, but I know that you care for her.

I need you to move towards the fear, instead of away from it, just unlock the door and let me in.

(fire crackling) (Charlie gasping) - [Bianca] Give me five minutes.

(indistinct chattering) - [Nurse] Are you 100% positive?

(nurse and Bianca crying) - [Nurse] Five minutes that's all you have, (keys jingling) hurry before they come.

- [Headmaster] Nurse Hadley, what is going on here?

Who is this?

Who are you?

- [Nurse] Well Father, this is Charlie's mother.

(suspenseful music) (indistinct chattering) (suspenseful music) - Nurse notify security please, immediately.

- No I- - [Bianca] And I know that you don't want to make her suffer.

- [Nurse] Suffer?

I, I don't want to make her suffer.

- Charlie doesn't have a mother.

(suspenseful music) - Charlie?

(suspenseful music) (feet pattering) Charlie?

Did you see where that woman went?

- No she was running fast, but we need to find Charlie first, go, go, go Nurse Hadley.

(feet pattering) (suspenseful music) (door banging) (suspenseful music) (Charlie panting) (suspenseful music) (feet pattering) (suspenseful music) (suspenseful music continues) (feet clomping) (glass smashing) (Charlie panting) (suspenseful music) (smoke sizzling) (suspenseful music) (birds cawing) (branches crackling) (suspenseful music) - Stay away.

Stay away.

- It's okay, shhhh.

- I didn't mean to- - [Bianca] I know.

- I didn't mean to, I swear.

(suspenseful music) - [Bianca] Shhh.

(dramatic music) It's not your fault.

(dramatic music) (feet pattering) (suspenseful music) (feet pattering) (smoke sizzling) (cloak swooping) - [Radio Announcer] The last gasp of summer looks to be Friday with a high of 68, you're listening to KCTF Radio 101.5 Kansas City.

Breaking news, a 13 year old girl from Hellmouth Missouri has gone missing.

Authorities say Charlie Young disappeared from the Hellmouth Home for Girls in the early morning hours this past Tuesday.

Anyone with any information is urged to contact the Hellmouth police department immediately, we now return to your regularly scheduled programming.

(dramatic music) - Oh my gosh she's awake.

Hi, how are you?

Are you hungry?

Would, would you like something?

One second.

(dramatic music) Would you like this?

(dramatic music) (dramatic music continues) (spoon clanking) (dramatic music) (fire crackling) (dramatic music) (rain pattering) (dramatic music) (car engine whirring) (dramatic music) - Next, the musicians of Ma'alwyck share modern adaptation of Washington Irvin's, iconic Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

In their film, The Hollow - Musicians of Ma'alwyck is in its 24th year.

We were founded with a residency at the Skyler Mansion, which is New York state historic site in Albany, the 1763 home of General Phillip Skyler.

And we play music that's appropriate to the period of the house, and we've continued developing past just that residency, realizing that our true passion is to tell history through music.

I went down to visit the Lucas Van Allen House and also the James Vanderpoel house in Kinderhook, Washington Irving, who lived here for a while and was inspired to write the story of the Legend of Sleepy Hollow based on some actual residence in this area.

And I had a chance to work with an amazing actress, Gabriella Pizzolo, who grew up in Niskayuna and has gone on to a really big career.

She has been on Broadway and she's in Pretty Little Liars and Stranger Things.

I reached out to her, she agreed to be a part of it, and suddenly everything just fell into place.

We knew we could have a real opera aria with her singing, because that's what she does, (laughing) and we knew that we could play music that was absolutely appropriate to the telling of the story.

So all the music that we played in the film is taken from this music of William Clagett who wrote The Witches, and there were about 22 sections to it, including dances and a chase scene and some other school master.

So it lent itself just perfectly to the action that was happening in the film.

And then the other music that we use that Gabby sings, is actually taken from an opera called Nina, which you might recognize because it was used in her TV show, Stranger Things.

It was really important in the Hollow to Musicians of Ma'alwyck to have this sense of live music throughout the film, to have it feel very authentic and to have it not seem to be forced somehow that the music really supports the action and tells the story.

We actually played live to the film score to capture that, so it's very much old school as they used to do it, and there was something not only challenging about that, but really fun, and I think that it comes off in the film that way, that it feels very authentic, it feels, you know, this perfect marriage of music and action.

- [Narrator] The old Dutch town of Kinderhook, situated in Columbia County along the Hudson River in upstate New York, traces its lineage back to the early 1600s.

Home of Martin Van Buren and host many historical figures, the town also has special ties to writer Washington Irving, whose time in Kinderhook during the summer of 1809 would later provide inspiration for his story, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

Irving writes "Certain it is that the place continues under the sway of some witching power that holds a spell over the minds of the good people.

They are given to all kinds of marvelous beliefs, are subject to trances and visions, and frequently see strange sights and hear music and voices in the air."

An 18th century themed costume party for the Historical Society is in progress as the young opera singer Katrina rushes in to perform for the event.

(soothing music) (indistinct chattering) (soothing music) (rain pattering) (feet clomping) (soothing music) - Late as usual.

- Eating as usual.

Where'd you even get those?

- Seriously, Madam Katrina, where have you been?

- Got lost Mr. Crane, okay?

Did they start yet?

- They're about to, the musicians are warming up.

- That's a good thing I'm here then.

(bright music) (indistinct chattering) (glass clanking) - Hello everyone, my name is Georgina Van Tassel and I am on the board and I wanted to welcome all of you to this year's Historic Society Preservation ball.

(guests clapping) As you know, this year's theme is the Legend of Sleepy Hollow, and in that spirit, we decided to host this year's event at the James Vanderpoel House because it was built in 1820, the same year that Washington Irving wrote the short story.

Anyway, we have a wonderful evening planned for you, but to start, we have the musicians of Ma'alwyck who will perform 1700s music to set the mood, so please help me welcome the musicians of Ma'alwyck.

(guests clapping) - Thank you, Georgina.

My name is Anne-Marie Barker Schwartz, and I'm the director of Musicians of Ma'alwyck, and we are simply delighted to be performing in this lovely historic house tonight.

Our first musical selection is from the 1786 opera titled Nina or The Young Woman Crazed by Love.

So please welcome Katrina to perform the Aria When my Beloved Returns, thank you.

(guests clapping) (soothing music) (Katrina singing in foreign language) (Katrina singing in foreign language continues) (Katrina singing in foreign language continues) (soothing music) (Katrina singing in foreign language) (Katrina singing in foreign language continues) (Katrina singing in foreign language continues) (Katrina singing in foreign language continues) (guests clapping) (feet pattering) - So how did I do?

- My Lady, you were most enchanting.

- Well, thanks, Ian, that's high phrase coming from you.

- As, as you say, - As you say?

Either you're drunk, Mr. Crane, or you're really getting into this period thing.

- The night is young Madam Katrina.

- Well, in that case, I think I should imbibe belittle and accompany myself to the bar.

(feet pattering) - My lady.

(soothing music) (feet pattering) (door creaking) (door closing) (Katrina banging on door) (dramatic music) (feet clomping) (dramatic music) (insects chirping) (dramatic music) (birds chirping) (branches rustling) (dramatic music continues) (suspenseful music) - Is anybody here?

(floor creaking) (suspenseful music) (floor creaking) (suspenseful music) (book thumping) (door creaking) (dramatic music) (wind blowing) (branches rustling) (suspenseful music) (horse neighing) (hooves clomping) (horse snorting) (heart beating) (dramatic music) (dramatic music) (wind blowing) (dramatic music) (bright music) (horse neighing) (bright music) (hooves clomping) (bright music) (horse neighing) (bright music) (door closing) (horse snorting and neighing) (Katrina speaking in foreign language) (Katrina singing in foreign language) (door knob rattling) (knocking) (suspenseful music) (soothing music) - Hey, I've been looking for you everywhere.

Did you find the bar all right?

- Where did it go?

- Is everything okay?

- It's real.

The headless horseman is real, I saw it, it just chased me through the woods, I was so scared.

Wh, wh, what are you talking about?

- The headless horseman.

- Right, okay, well now you take this, you need it more than I do and I'm gonna go find myself... (bright music) (glass clunking) (door closing) (bright music) - [Narrator] TV Film is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of the office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.