The Boston film industry is a vibrant and diverse ecosystem, with numerous professionals making significant contributions. In this article, we'll take a closer look at some of the key players who are shaping the local film scene.

Discover the Talents Behind the Boston Film Magic

Angela Peri and Lisa Lobel: The Casting Titans

Peri, a Cambridge native, founded Boston Casting in 1990 as a backup plan. "I was an actress in Boston with a thick accent and couldn't get work," she recalls. Five years later, Lobel joined, and together they've cast over 140 films. Out-of-town productions often find leading roles in L.A. but rely on Boston Casting for other roles. With a database of over 100,000 performers, they cast 2,000-plus people per movie. For example, in "The Fighter" (2010), Peri searched for actresses for Micky Ward's tough sisters. When no one at the casting call matched the hardened Lowell-bred energy, she sent them home. But then one girl said, "Hey, Angela!" and when she replied, "Fuck you," she got the job. This shows their ability to find the perfect fit.They've also worked on recent Oscar winners like "The Holdovers" (2023) and "American Fiction" (2023), as well as the limited series "The Perfect Couple" (2024). Their expertise in casting authentic Boston roles is truly remarkable.

Virginia Bristol Johnson: The Costume Design Maestro

What started as a hobby for Johnson turned into a successful career. She first designed costumes for summer and children's theaters before moving on to GBH docudramas and Hollywood productions. Whether it's sourcing patterns for '90s-era nurse scrubs or shopping for contemporary items, Johnson and her team outfit every on-screen character, including stunt doubles.Her resume includes out-of-town projects like "Hillbilly Elegy" (2020) and the upcoming Netflix Western "American Primeval". She particularly loves working on films set in Massachusetts, such as "Patriots Day" (2016) and the recent Max reboot "Salem's Lot" (2024). "I've gotten the opportunity to see Massachusetts like a tourist, but with a much deeper appreciation because I live here," she says.

Mark Fitzgerald: The Location Scout Extraordinaire

Fitzgerald started as a boat-driving production assistant on "The Crucible" (1996) and has since scouted locations for over 70 films. His team hunts for locations for every scene, from major settings to the briefest shots. Once locations are chosen, they coordinate schedules and obtain permits.He's been integral to Boston-based scenes in many Damon and Affleck films over the past 30 years, from "Good Will Hunting" (1997) to "The Town" (2010). For "The Instigators" (2024), he orchestrated a Back Bay car chase across the Mass. Ave. Bridge, closing Memorial Drive for five hours. "To get the permits to do that took months and a hundred meetings," he says. "It was epic."

Nerissa Williams Scott: The Diversity Advocate

After high school in Massachusetts, Scott worked as a production assistant on TV shows like "Everybody Hates Chris" and "Scrubs", as well as managing live-theater productions. She finally settled back here in 2008.She wears many hats, including producer, Emerson College instructor, and cofounder of That Child Got Talent Entertainment (TCGT) and the Secret Society of Black Creatives. These organizations aim to increase diversity in the predominantly white film, TV, and theater industries.Since 2009, she's steered TCGT from a production house to a professional development hub, focusing on young adults aspiring to enter the industry. "Nobody [was] really paying attention to the Black and brown community," Scott says. "We realized that we should really be helping people to find each other."

Tracy Spiegel: The Craft-Service Guru

The Boston College alum's first film was "Gone Baby Gone" (2007). Since then, she's worked on dozens of Massachusetts productions and is the go-to crafts person for Damon and Affleck. At one point, she was even Affleck's personal chef.Describing herself as a "glorified snack person", Spiegel buys, makes, and serves drinks, coffee, and general sustenance to hundreds of cast and crew members all day long with her two-person team. "I'm everybody's favorite person on set," she jokes.She's worked on projects like "The Instigators" and "Beetlejuice" (2024), but her largest project to date was feeding 700 people for "Spirited" (2022). Craft services is the cast and crew's "happy place", where people go to escape from everything else.

Tom Williams: The Sound Mixing Maestro

After studying recording engineering at Berklee College of Music, Williams landed a gig at a Tremont Street recording studio and became a sound mixer for GBH documentaries, commercials, and narrative films.He and his team capture the dialogue and all ancillary audio for every scene. On set, the Pennsylvania native sits on his sound rig, adjusting mic levels as every actor speaks. "It's like long-distance running or swimming; you become a machine," he says.Among his many credits are Oscar nominees like "American Hustle" (2013) and "Don't Look Up" (2021). In "Ted" (2012), he had to ensure the sound quality matched when Seth MacFarlane was directing and voice acting simultaneously. Sometimes, they constructed mini-plywood walls to mimic acoustics. "We have to give it our all, all the time," Williams says. "Whether or not that sound is usable, we have to act like it is, because there're all sorts of tricks in post that can salvage something."

Brian Drewes: The Visual Effects Visionary

After working in San Francisco, Drewes moved to Boston in 2010 to start Zero VFX. He's since worked as a visual effects supervisor on over 50 feature films.His team blends practical on-set effects with digital enhancements to bring the impossible to life on screen. In "Little Women" (2019), Florence Pugh's Amy falling into an icy pond was shot with plexiglass over a real pond, digitally layered with snow, and the ice chunks added in post-production. For the Golden Globe nominated "Challengers" (2024), he designed the visual effects for the final scene when the viewer takes on the perspective of a tennis ball."We chose the name Zero because we wanted the audience to be surprised that any visual effects were involved," Drewes explains. "We're fooling people a bit."