On Working With Non-Actors:
The majority of the cast is made up of non-actors. I had to find 12-14 year old lacrosse players, not hard in Baltimore, but who could also do the same play take after take. I needed coaches, supporters, and a referee. All of these characters came from the real thing. Other than the two main characters, Miranda and Frank, and some of the key extras, everyone is playing him or herself. The amount of time, enthusiasm, and patience these people put into the project and into their individual roles in the film are heartening and I thank them for it. They added a truth to the world of the film and to the story that I couldn't have created without them.

On Working With BRUCE MACVITTIE:
I first saw Bruce playing Kerry Max Cook in The Exonerated and was completely taken by his performance. I didn't know who he was at the time, but after doing some searches for him I found out he has quite an impressive dossier. I decided he should be my mentor and I would track him down and ask him. But I never did.

Months and months later, a few weeks before shooting Whoosh, I was without a casting choice for Frank Bass. Overwhelmed by preproduction concerns, I had had little time to spend casting outside of Baltimore. On a rainy Monday afternoon in New York, I went to the movies with my mom and was telling her about the plays I had seen. I remembered "that Naked Angels guy from the Exonerated." Unable to remember his name, I wrote those words on a piece of paper so I could look him up later.

In the lobby of the theatre, as I was waiting for my mom, I looked up and saw a man who I could swear was this guy, this actor I had cast in my mind two hours before. I walked up to him and asked if he was in The Exonerated, and he said he was. I proceeded to pitch him the film and I showed him the paper that I had written on. He was quite surprised for he had been sitting in the same movie theatre as I when I wrote it. He agreed to read the script and if he were available, he'd consider doing it.

From then on, Bruce has been a mentor to me. I am honored to have the opportunity to work with him and to develop the character and story with him. He was perfect for Frank's character and his performance makes watching the dailies a pleasure.

As he says, "It was kismet."