Rackham Symphony Choir commissioned an original film, The Armed Boy, to be presented as part of the multi-media concert event The Armed Man: A Concert for Peace. A 48-minute original film was shot on location in Detroit in December 2006, featuring Detroit-area actors and middle-school boys in a gripping allegory of war and peace. New York filmmaker Robert Cucuzza wrote and directed the film. The film explores the timely issues of bullying, aggression, violence and war through the eyes of a middle-school boy played by Michael Kurowski. Cucuzza's screenplay, combined with the brilliant cinematography of Till Neumann, the Director of Photography, brings to life a universally accessible story reflecting the timeless themes of the tragedy of war and the eternal hope for peace. The film is made possible through a grant from the Cranbrook Peace Foundation, generous donations and countless volunteer hours of Rackham Symphony Choir members. About the Director Robert Cucuzza is a screenwriter, director and producer of independent films. He is the Founder and director of ACME Acting Lab in New York City, an acting studio that is dedicated to empowering actors with their creative impulses, involving them in the full creation from conception to completion of original films and plays. About the Director of Photography Till Neumann is an award-winning cinematographer from Los Angeles. He has collaborated with Robert Cucuzza in the past including their most recent project The Strange Case of Marie France. He received his first award for outstanding cinematography at the Vision Film Fest in New York City for The Bakery and won best cinematography at the Cinevegas Filmfest for the feature 5up2down. As a cinematographer Neumann has shot over thirty short films, numerous commercials, music videos and feature films. The Armed Boy film project is Neumann's first opportunity to work in Michigan. The Film Production The film is commissioned and produced by Rackham Symphony Choir. Tom Cucuzza, RSC Board Member, is the Producer of the film. Tom approached his brother Robert in April 2006 with the idea of collaborating on a multi-media concert/film project and Robert proposed the idea of creating an original film. Robert prepared an outline of the story in May 2006 which was presented to the RSC Music and Artistic Director, Suzanne Mallare Acton. Maestra Acton approved the script in September 2006 and the Cucuzza brothers began assembling cast, crew and locations. The Actors The actors were selected through an open casting call in the Detroit Metro Area in November 2006. Over 100 resumes were received and 60 individuals auditioned for the four lead roles in the film. A variety of actors from novices to seasoned professionals auditioned for the film. Four lead, seven supporting and 15 extras were cast for the film.  Locations The film was shot in in the Detroit Metro Area in December 2006. Locations included Abbott Middle School, the campus of Orchard Lake Schools and a private residence in West Bloomfield, Michigan. The Shoot The film was shot over 4 days with a professional crew of 5-7 and a team of 8 volunteers from Rackham Symphony Choir. The film was shot on a Panasonic HVX-200 digital motion picture camera. The local film production community including Roscor, Detroit Power and Light, Motion Picture Institute of Michigan and the Detroit Film Center supported the project with equipment rentals and donations. Makeup was donated by Avon. Countless volunteers provided generous donations of time, talent and resources. The unseasonably warm weather in late December 2006 proved advantageous to the film crew as many of the scenes were shot outdoors. Post Production The film was edited by the Director, Robert Cucuzza. Suzanne Mallare Acton worked closely with the filmmaker to synchronize the live performance with the film. The first cut of the film was completed in early February 2007 and the final cut was completed a few weeks later.