How to film with 4 people in a canoe
Joe operating the camera is filming Jed in the front of the canoe. Behind Joe is Liz, barely visible (in a green hat), holding the boom mic and recording sound. With his feet out hanging on for dear life, Justin directs from the back of the canoe. Amazing that they never tipped over or took on water.
Friends from College, 15+ years later
For Joe, Jed, Justin, and Liz it was a mini reunion as well as a fun-filled weekend. All four know each other from college and traveled from all over the country to New Hampshire to make Nature Rx with nothing but a love for nature and for each other.
Cloudy weather brings a break in filming
One of the few photos of the other stars behind Nature Rx - Cassie Ellis, Liz's sister, and Cassie's husband, Joe Dimick. Besides acting, Cassie created the cool Nature Rx logo and Joe D. helped with pretty much everything on set.
Husband and wife filmmakers
Joe and Liz make a great team both behind the camera and as a couple. With glasses they also look like many married folks - the same.
All in the family
The little girl, featured in the Nature Rx shorts, is none other than Sonia - Joe and Liz's daughter.
Director / Boom operator
With Liz acting in front of the camera, Justin directed and operated the boom mic (a role for him that's almost as strange as his attire in the cold of New Hampshire).
More of the hearty Nature Rx team
Alexis, Chris, Matt, and Casey didn't make it there for filming, but they are a big part of getting Nature Rx off the ground and keeping the grassroots message going.
Huh? Oh, just filmmaking strangeness.
Jed and Liz suddenly realize the ridiculousness of everything that is happening. When a rag tag of friends and filmmakers get together you never know what's going to happen.
Morning Makeup
After a night of camping on an island in the middle of a lake, you wouldn't think you would need makeup, but not so for Jed - the star of Nature Rx
Staying warm
Though the Nature Rx shorts may look like it's a warm spring day, it was actually unseasonably cold for early fall in New Hampshire - requiring several layers, 2 socks, and winter hats meant for 5 year old girls
What's happening here?
We all played many roles to make Jed look like a real prescription drug spokesman. Here, Liz adopts a reflector to better balance the light on Jed's face, while she also records sound and operates the boom mic - talk about multi-tasking. Joe is a one man camera crew and Justin just takes photos, while he pretends to be directing.
Thinking caps
Joe and Liz consider some deep production logistics with their winter hats, which were meant for 5 year old girls
Movi magic
How can you get great tracking shots that look like a real prescription drug commercial with no money - Joe and his Movi. A Movi under Joe's control (and Justin trying to pull remote focus as a director and part time assistant camera operator) really made some amazing looks for Nature Rx.
Nature, the real star of Nature Rx
Got to give it to Mother Nature. Sorry Jed, she was the real star of Nature Rx. When you have a small team and no financial backing, Mother Nature can give you all the production value you need with built-in scenery, spot-on lighting, and high qaulity production design. You just have to wake up really really early.
Joe, the one man camera team
Since these Nature Rx shorts were made with not much time and little to no resources, Joe pulled out all the stops as a one man camera crew. Here is Jed trying to help, but really he knows nothing about cameras or how to operate them. Joe is noticeably nervous about Jed's "help."
Men in purple
For the first shots of the day it's good to get pumped and to wear purple winter attire because it's way chillier than you expected.
Just Six
The 6 of us (and, Evie the dog) constitute all the cast and production crew behind Nature Rx. Since we shot the film in the fall of 2014, we've had a bunch of other talented and supportive folks help get Nature Rx off the ground, but in the beginning it was just 6.
Men in purple 2
Every piece of clothing Jed is wearing is not his own. He had just stored all his belongings before traveling to Asia for no-one-knows-how-long. Jed left for this extended trip (exploring the Nature Rx of Southeast Asia) literally right after the shoot and only came back to the States for the premiere of Nature Rx at the MountainFilm Festival in Telluride. Now he's back in Asia and not even Jed knows when he will return...Perhaps for the making of more Nature Rx commercials?
Voiceover by Hallie Cooper-Novak
A professional actress, Hallie was kind enough to lend her talents to Nature Rx - just for the love of the idea and the shorts. She delivered those satire side-effects like "anal retentiveness" with just the right amount of drug commercial deadpan.
Original Music by Tim Cissell
Last, but certainly not least - Tim Cissell. Tim, a bona fide nature lover, scored all the original music for Nature Rx. He is a mensch of the first order.