Living

<< Previous   of   Next >> Dan Bates / The Herald  (click to enlarge) Between takes, actor Azmyth Kaminski sits in a minivan he is using for a scene and talks with Mark Johnston (left) and sound recorder Ben Harris (right) along a cordoned-off section of Avenue B in Snohomish. Dan Bates/The Herald  (click to enlarge) Director of photography Barry Gregg (left) and film director Veronica Craven study the monitor connected to a camera about eight feet away on a jib arm Monday in a quiet old Snohomish neighborhood. Dan Bates / The Herald  (click to enlarge) Actor Azmyth Kaminski talks to a crew member who is adjusting the light inside a car Monday. In the scene, Kaminski, playing a hit man, falls asleep on a stakeout after eating a turkey sandwich. Dan Bates / The Herald  (click to enlarge) Neighborhood resident Bronte Mayo, 8, was discovered at the film location and given a small roll as an extra in which she goes down a slide.   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Melanie Munk, Features Editor munk@heraldnet.com   Published: Thursday, August 28, 2008 Home movie: Snohomish native has leading role in an indie film on location in his hometown By Andy Rathbun Herald Writer Azmyth Kaminski speaks in a British accent on his voicemail message, ending with a brisk, "Cheerio." Don't be fooled, though. He's not English. He's in character. Kaminski, a Snohomish native, plays a British hit man in the indie film "The Cost of Living," expected to finish shooting in Snohomish County on Aug. 31 after three weeks in the area. The madcap film revolves around an elderly couple in financial trouble. They hire a hit man to kill themselves, earning insurance money for their son. The movie was written by Lynnwood resident Jeff Madsen, who owns a local commercial production company. He said the economy, which has some thinking they may be better off dead than in debt, inspired him. "This is a very funny comedy," Madsen, 51, said. "Well, it's kind of tragic. It's dark, if you think about it. The husband wants to kill himself and his wife, and you've got to think that there's something really screwed up with that. But then of course he hires a moron to do it." At times, the movie's behind-the-scenes activity is as intriguing as the plot. Take Kaminski. Tall and dreadlocked, the actor now lives in Los Angeles, where he DJs. He made local headlines in 2007 as a contestant on the short-lived CBS reality show "Pirate Master," and he played a very small role in "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End." "I got hung in the first five seconds of the movie," he said. Kaminski, 27, prepared for his new role by watching a Hugh Grant movie, to bring his voice closer to a London accent. He didn't realize he also needed to bring his wardrobe, however, until he read his contract on the flight. Luckily, he packed well. For a scene shot on a leafy residential street in Snohomish, he wore designer-styled white slacks with dark pinstripes. "I stand out," Kaminski said. The movie has a modest budget. Kaminski said it topped out at about $40,000. Some random locals have earned producer credits, including Kaminski's parents, who let the crew shoot at their store, Designer's Furniture Warehouse. With a tight budget and a crew peppered with locals, shooting in Snohomish County was ideal, producer Robert Legend said. "We get to shoot in our back yard and we can stay on budget," Legend, a Renton native, said. The final fate of the movie is up in the air. Kaminiski said it may be sent to festivals. Madsen would like to see it open on 500 screens. And Legend said he's in talks with distributors. "It's going to go to DVD definitely," he said. Reporter Andy Rathbun: 425-339-3455 or arathbun@heraldnet.com.

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