Greg Joyce,
Writer/Director of WORKING STIFF

Greg Joyce on the set of WORKING STIFF
with lead actor Sean Vincent Biggins

When production started on the workplace-sex comedy WORKING STIFF on June 2, 1998, it was Writer-director Greg Joyce's first day on the set of a feature-length movie. Not just his movie, but any movie. "Nearly everyone in the cast and crew had more experience than I did," Joyce said, "yet there I was trying to act like I was in charge."

Still, the first day of shooting went well. Although the sound mixer was irked that the sidewalk outside the location wasn't secured (a drunk did ruin a couple of takes), and the bank next door complained that the grip truck was blocking their driveway, it was a relatively easy day. "We got all the shots we had planned," Joyce said. "The cast and crew did an excellent job. The food even showed up on time."

That first easy day, though, turned out to be unique. It was the production's only easy day. "We shot more than 30 days on WORKING STIFF," said Joyce," and not one other day went as smoothly as that first one."

What are some of the things that went wrong? Joyce rattled off a list:

The time the WORKING STIFF triggered a power outage at one corporate location, wiping out the work of employees in the building that weekend.

The television studio they overwhelmed with the size of their cast and crew. Plus the distractions caused by actors who were dressed only, for some scenes, in their underwear.

The bird that got into the lobby of a Boston financial district high rise because they had propped the door open for their cables. Unable to find its way back outdoors, the bird eventually expired and dropped from the ceiling.

And those are just some of the stories about locations.

WORKING STIFF was still shooting pickups and insert shots as late as this spring, nearly three years later.

Was it all worth it?

"If you had asked me that six months ago, I don't know how I would have answered," said Joyce. "But after the reaction the movie has gotten, starting with a cast and crew screening in May, the answer is an unqualified YES."

While the WORKING STIFF cast, crew, family and friends were overwhelmingly positive in their comments about the movie, Joyce didn't allow himself to put too much stock in their response. These people were too close to be objective. But then Joyce began to hear--and hear about--comments about the movie from strangers, people with no connection to him or the movie. The reviews were glowing.

"One guy said he didn't want to reveal too much about the movie to his wife because he wanted her to enjoy discovering it all by herself," said Joyce. "He said he thought millions of people will want to see it." Some women were overheard discussing WORKING STIFF in the ladies room after the screening, laughing and talking about how much they had enjoyed it.

"When people rave about your movie through the doors of stalls in the ladies room," said Joyce, "You know you've got something."

The World Festival premiere of WORKING STIFF will be at the Rhode Island International Film Festival. The screening will take place on Sunday August 12 at 3:30 PM at the Avon Cinema in Providence.