Director Stewart Raffill, left with Rocco Fiorentino/Jack Fichter

CAPE MAY — It may be the most ambitious motion picture to ever film in this area with a cast of 50, 10 original songs and 13 choreographed dance routines.

“Standing Ovation” has been filming here for more than a month and will spend another month before it wraps up work here. Residents may have seen the cast and crew on the beach in Cape May, the Wildwood Boardwalk, downtown Ocean City or in front of the Beach Theatre, although in the movie it is supposed to be located in Atlantic City.

There has been filming not seen by the public including in the television studio of Lower Cape May Regional High School and a storefront in a local shopping center turned into a soundstage.

A scene was being filmed in regional’s studio Nov. 15 in front of a green screen that will allow a different background to be added later. Actresses Kayla Raparelli, 12, of South Hampton, N.Y., Najee Wilson, 13, of Vineland and Kayla Jackson, 11, of Vineland, were doing a “commercial” for a soda with a taste so bad they spit it out.

With a large cast of 11 to 16 year olds, filming is more intense during weekends, according to Associate Producer and spokesperson Janice Powell.

Writer/Director Stewart Raffill towers over most of the young cast members in height but maintains a fun atmosphere on the set. He brings a long resume of family-friendly films.
Raffill has the virtue of patience and an eye and ear for small details that will make a scene in the movie have extra punch. He allowed the young actors the freedom to add a line or an action that enhanced the scene.

On Nov. 16, much of the day was spent filming a five-minute scene where the girl group, The 5 Ovations, enter a recording studio for the first time. The cast included a small dog, which obediently repeated the same action take after take.

Diane Kirman, producer and co-writer of “Standing Ovation,” said she loved how picturesque Cape May appeared on camera. She said she was surprised by all of the talent available in this area.
Most of the cast is from South Jersey with a few Philly folks as well. Cast members came from local auditions fed from ads in local newspapers.

To use the word “film” would be incorrect for this production since high definition video cameras are being used. The image storage and editing is done on iMAC computers.

Kirman said she expected the movie to be released in March or April and talked of a sequel.
The word “triple-threat” has been used to describe the young cast members because they sing, dance and act with equal ability.
Devon Jordan, 16, of West Chester, Pa. and Pilar Martin, 11, of Moorestown sang solo numbers for gathered guests in between scenes.

The youngest cast member, nine-year old Alanna Palombo of Ocean City, plays Alanna Wannabee, a feisty singer/dancer who is determined to join a girl group with members years older than her. She belted out a song during a break in filming at the regional high school studio.

The set was crowded at the storefront studio Nov. 16 with parents, grandparents, producers, crewmembers and this reporter/photographer who tried to stay out of the way of movie camera dollies and cables.

Local dance studio owner and choreographer Joanne Reagan was a comedic scene-stealer in a dance number set in a retirement home. She was accompanied by local Red Hat Ladies.

Rocco Fiorentino 12, of Voorhees, who both acts and sings in the movie, played jazz riffs on an electric piano between takes. He plays a record producer in the movie.

A soundtrack album will be released with the movie. The actors have been lip-synching with demo song tracks that will be re-recorded in a studio when filming is complete, said Powell.

“Standing Ovation” has been a shot in the arm in Cape May’s economy. The cast and crew are renting houses during their stay and seem to be consuming a large amount of food.