Just wanted to share this music video from uber talented Xavier Toscano who generously provided two great songs for Mismo's soundtrack.
This video is produced by Bay Area talent. I was supposed to be there on shoot day, but I stupidly tripped and broke my collar bone. Congratulations to Xavier and his team. I'll be there for the next shoot... that is if I'm not producing it;-)
Friday, May 14, 2010
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
NCS Expo - some notes
“What do you have to do to get your movie made?”
“You do whatever it takes.”
That was James Dalessandro interviewing Bobby Moresco to a packed room of aspiring filmmakers at Northern California’s Screenwriting and Filmmaker Expo in beautiful Napa Valley on Friday, March 26th.
The audience was all ears. Bobby Moresco is a back-to-back Oscar winner for Crash and Million Dollar Baby and James Dalessandro is a best-selling author and screenwriter of Pixar’s soon-to-be first live action film about political corruption in San Francisco during the time of the Great 1906 Earthquake and Fire.
It was obvious the two men had respect for each other. The road to getting a script produced is not an easy one. While being turned down by every studio in Hollywood, Bobby had both family cars repossessed and had to give up his house because he couldn’t pay the mortgage. James quipped that 1906 has been in development longer that it took San Francisco to be rebuilt after the earthquake and fire. Both were emphatic: if you can do anything else in life, anything at all that will make you reasonably happy, do it!
Writers live every moment thinking they have nothing to give, but they claw at their souls and give it their all. And this is what it takes to become a success. Bobby said that no one can stop you from writing, directing, producing, but they can stop you from getting paid. He advised that you have to take control of yourself and not depend on someone to give you anything.
Despite the challenges, they offered words of encouragement and advice, one of the most important of which is find your voice; look for something personal in the human condition that you want to explore. Find a story that keeps your fire lit.
Drama is two ideas of equivalent strength in opposition to each other. Essential to any piece of drama is the core question, "do I care what's going to happen next?"
On the subject of writer’s block, “Sit at your desk involved in your world. Something will come. Even if it’s bad, it will lead to good writing.”
Monday, April 12, 2010
The Indie Fest - Our First Laurel!
Just opened letter to read:
Congratulations. You've won an Indie!
Award of Merit for feature film, Mismo.
It's not easy to win an Indie as the judging standards are high and winning means the craft and creativity exhibited by your entry is outstanding and stands above other productions. You can be justifiably proud of winning.
Here's a link to their website: http://www.theindiefest.com/Merit.aspx
Woohoo!
Congratulations. You've won an Indie!
Award of Merit for feature film, Mismo.
It's not easy to win an Indie as the judging standards are high and winning means the craft and creativity exhibited by your entry is outstanding and stands above other productions. You can be justifiably proud of winning.
Here's a link to their website: http://www.theindiefest.com/Merit.aspx
Woohoo!
Friday, April 9, 2010
Compulsion... Trailer for a feature film
I thought it would be fun to post this trailer that I produced and Gino directed what now seems a life-time ago. The trailer is based on a story that I came up with and, as with all films, there are three versions, the script I wrote, the trailer we shot, and the one that was edited.
It was so much fun doing this, I'm thinking making a short may be a fun project for the summer... something like One Sound that I produced for Donna Bellorado's directorial debut two years ago and on which Gino also worked.
It was so much fun doing this, I'm thinking making a short may be a fun project for the summer... something like One Sound that I produced for Donna Bellorado's directorial debut two years ago and on which Gino also worked.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Northern California Screenwriters & Filmmakers Expo and Pitch Fest
So excited for the Northern California Screenwriters and Filmmakers Expo this weekend. Great line up of industry peeps to learn from and network with:
On both Friday, March 26th and Saturday, 27th, there will be classes and presentations by oscar-winning screenwriter, Bobby Moresco (Crash, Million Dollar Baby); acting teacher and coach, Howard Fine (Fine on Acting); acting teacher and coach, Scott Sedita (The Eight Characters of Comedy), advertising genius, Tony Seiniger, (Star Wars, Jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Field of Dreams, Dances with Wolves, and over 1,500 iconic movies); and many other heavy-hitting industry insiders... including my good friend and mentor James Dalessandro, author of 1906: A Novel and screenwriter of 1906, which is being produced by Pixar.
And this is what I'm polishing my script and honing my pitch skills for - getting in front of those industry peeps!
On Sunday, March 28th, after a brief welcome speech by Napa’s Mayor, Jill Techel, there will be a pitch fest where attendees can pitch their scripts, projects, and headshots to Hollywood agents, producers, and studio executives.
In addition, at 4pm on Friday evening, March 26th, a wine-tasting event will be held where attendees can mingle, make connections, and sample fabulous Napa Valley wines. (Must be 21 to participate.)
Fingers crossed!!
On both Friday, March 26th and Saturday, 27th, there will be classes and presentations by oscar-winning screenwriter, Bobby Moresco (Crash, Million Dollar Baby); acting teacher and coach, Howard Fine (Fine on Acting); acting teacher and coach, Scott Sedita (The Eight Characters of Comedy), advertising genius, Tony Seiniger, (Star Wars, Jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Field of Dreams, Dances with Wolves, and over 1,500 iconic movies); and many other heavy-hitting industry insiders... including my good friend and mentor James Dalessandro, author of 1906: A Novel and screenwriter of 1906, which is being produced by Pixar.
And this is what I'm polishing my script and honing my pitch skills for - getting in front of those industry peeps!
On Sunday, March 28th, after a brief welcome speech by Napa’s Mayor, Jill Techel, there will be a pitch fest where attendees can pitch their scripts, projects, and headshots to Hollywood agents, producers, and studio executives.
In addition, at 4pm on Friday evening, March 26th, a wine-tasting event will be held where attendees can mingle, make connections, and sample fabulous Napa Valley wines. (Must be 21 to participate.)
Fingers crossed!!
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Cinequest Wrap-up
It's been a marvelous eleven days of indie film and Maverick meet-ups. Highlights included an evening with Deepak Chopra and a Day of the Writer with Lew Hunter and other eminent writers discussing the art of writing comedy. While the opening night's film The Good Heart was enjoyable, at a budget of $3.8 million, it doesn't fall into my personal category of truly indie... So, here are my picks for the best indie films I saw this week... while recognizing that there may have been a few notable flicks that I failed to see:
The Road to Sangam was truly wonderful in its storytelling of how a Muslim man uses Gandhi's peaceful methods to bring his community together.
Another indie from India, Semshook tells the story of Tenzin, a Tibetan born and raised in India, who hops on his motorcycle and embarks on a quest to find his identity and discover the beauty of his homeland.
Cost of A Soul tells the tale of two Iraqi vets who return to their hometown Philadelphia and are drawn into a vicious circle of violence.
Anyone You Want from Scottish filmmaker Campbell Graham tells the story of a couple exploring a life of fantasy until they come up against and have to deal with each other's reality.
Krews tells the story of two high-class cons who get caught in the drug and gang world of L.A.'s Watts neighborhood... full of twists!
And, here's a shout out to British filmmaker Beryl Richards for her short Perfect World.
Congratulations to one and all. I will look forward to seeing your films in my local theater and on DVD at the video store! Or, maybe, on demand on Zillions.tv:)
And tonight... it's off to the closing night awards announcement and a final Maverick's meet-up... I am going to miss my family of new-found filmmaker friends... until the next festival!
And to close, in the words of Deepak Chopra, "Science is an expression of our mind. Art is an expression of the soul. Great art is more than an expression of the soul, it's an expression of a higher consciousness."
Go indie filmmakers!!!
The Road to Sangam was truly wonderful in its storytelling of how a Muslim man uses Gandhi's peaceful methods to bring his community together.
Another indie from India, Semshook tells the story of Tenzin, a Tibetan born and raised in India, who hops on his motorcycle and embarks on a quest to find his identity and discover the beauty of his homeland.
Cost of A Soul tells the tale of two Iraqi vets who return to their hometown Philadelphia and are drawn into a vicious circle of violence.
Anyone You Want from Scottish filmmaker Campbell Graham tells the story of a couple exploring a life of fantasy until they come up against and have to deal with each other's reality.
Krews tells the story of two high-class cons who get caught in the drug and gang world of L.A.'s Watts neighborhood... full of twists!
And, here's a shout out to British filmmaker Beryl Richards for her short Perfect World.
Congratulations to one and all. I will look forward to seeing your films in my local theater and on DVD at the video store! Or, maybe, on demand on Zillions.tv:)
And tonight... it's off to the closing night awards announcement and a final Maverick's meet-up... I am going to miss my family of new-found filmmaker friends... until the next festival!
And to close, in the words of Deepak Chopra, "Science is an expression of our mind. Art is an expression of the soul. Great art is more than an expression of the soul, it's an expression of a higher consciousness."
Go indie filmmakers!!!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
To Screen or Not to Screen...
Sufficient time has passed with no word from our would-be 'distributor' that I feel I can comment on their proposition without being accused of libel, and, in fact, I'm not going to mention the company's name. So here's the deal:
First of all, my connections in the film biz said outright, "it's a scam." Never pay for representation!
I might add that they were asking for $25,000, which is double what it cost us in hard cash to make Mismo. Of course, the scammers didn't know that, and if anything good came out of this it's that they said Mismo looks like a $300,000 production.
I was still willing to pursue the "opportunity," so I did the due diligence, which initially means Google. The word "scam" was associated with the company in several blog/article mentions and my experience was recited virtually verbatim. But, in fairness, I still thought that if it got me traction or industry connections, it still had potential... assuming, of course, that they would do what they said they would i.e. screen Mismo with an after party at Cannes. I thought that could be worth $25k.
So the next time they called, I asked for references of people they'd worked with in the past. And therein lies the rub. They would not (could not?) supply any names. I continued to get the hard -- though extremely slick -- sell, pressuring me to make a decision. I said that my partners and I don't do things in a hurry and no decision would be made without proper checking...
And I've not heard from them since. Except, I did get an email from an intern apologizing for "the delay," explaining that they had to deal with a catastrophe caused by the rain collapsing the roof of the Regency Cinema where their film festival was traditionally held.
First of all, my connections in the film biz said outright, "it's a scam." Never pay for representation!
I might add that they were asking for $25,000, which is double what it cost us in hard cash to make Mismo. Of course, the scammers didn't know that, and if anything good came out of this it's that they said Mismo looks like a $300,000 production.
I was still willing to pursue the "opportunity," so I did the due diligence, which initially means Google. The word "scam" was associated with the company in several blog/article mentions and my experience was recited virtually verbatim. But, in fairness, I still thought that if it got me traction or industry connections, it still had potential... assuming, of course, that they would do what they said they would i.e. screen Mismo with an after party at Cannes. I thought that could be worth $25k.
So the next time they called, I asked for references of people they'd worked with in the past. And therein lies the rub. They would not (could not?) supply any names. I continued to get the hard -- though extremely slick -- sell, pressuring me to make a decision. I said that my partners and I don't do things in a hurry and no decision would be made without proper checking...
And I've not heard from them since. Except, I did get an email from an intern apologizing for "the delay," explaining that they had to deal with a catastrophe caused by the rain collapsing the roof of the Regency Cinema where their film festival was traditionally held.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Under the Distributor's Gun...
Ooh… so exciting to wake up to a phone call from New York with an exotic accent telling you that they “love” your movie and want to represent it! Los Angeles Premiere with hip after party… ditto in New York… a screening at Cannes Film Festival also with after party, industry peeps, gorgeous people… an article in a renowned indie film quarterly… a pr pro assigned to your personally…
Enough to make one’s head spin!
Right up until the price tag is mentioned... Uh oh.
And then the need to decide quickly! Double uh oh.
It took us three years to make Mismo because we did everything to the highest standard possible within our meager budget. Even when we thought there was no way we’d be able to afford something – such as professional color correction – we did our due diligence, explored all options, and found a way to make it happen. Ditto with our ADR, editing, score, soundtrack, and sound mix. And that was just in post. During editing, we worked diligently and intelligently, filling any pauses due to vacations, etc., by conducting focus groups. When it came to creating our second trailer, we sought audience opinions and held brainstorm sessions.
So, it’s not likely that we’re about to pony up thousands of dollars for the vanity of having a screening and party at Cannes unless we’ve done our due diligence and can guarantee that we’re spending our money wisely.
Right now the jury is out. Stay tuned!
Enough to make one’s head spin!
Right up until the price tag is mentioned... Uh oh.
And then the need to decide quickly! Double uh oh.
It took us three years to make Mismo because we did everything to the highest standard possible within our meager budget. Even when we thought there was no way we’d be able to afford something – such as professional color correction – we did our due diligence, explored all options, and found a way to make it happen. Ditto with our ADR, editing, score, soundtrack, and sound mix. And that was just in post. During editing, we worked diligently and intelligently, filling any pauses due to vacations, etc., by conducting focus groups. When it came to creating our second trailer, we sought audience opinions and held brainstorm sessions.
So, it’s not likely that we’re about to pony up thousands of dollars for the vanity of having a screening and party at Cannes unless we’ve done our due diligence and can guarantee that we’re spending our money wisely.
Right now the jury is out. Stay tuned!
Sunday, January 24, 2010
a visceral creation...
on my way back to san francisco from northern nevada... to spend time with my family... there was a snow storm on highway 80... just outside of truckee... cal trans required drivers to install chains... the snow was coming down... just under 30 degrees...
my first impression when the 'chain control' sign was posted was 'oh shit, i don't want to do that...'... but the beauty about the situatiion was that i didn't have a choice if i wanted to get to san francisco... put on the chains or else park your car and watch it snow...
i got out and put my chains on... turned out to be great... the task forced me to go from thinking to doing... a much healthier disposition for a guy who thinks too much already... and while putting on the chains... and feeling the cold against my face.. and my hands starting to go numb... i was awash in physical embodiment... when i was done... and jumped in the car to take off... i felt alive...
i need to be physically engaged with my environment to feel alive... tapping a story's energy is dependent on whether i have tapped my own personal energy... my stories are stale otherwise...
my body's story comes first... the body's aliveness... then i'm excited to get back to the desk and write...
it's a dialectic between the world of motion... the natural world... the body in that world... and the cognizing world... the world of the pen... the world of the computer... this piece of mental before me...
interestingly enough.... independent filmmaking is a physically engaging endeavor... your body has to respond to the natural world.... location scouting... for instance... sometimes you voyage into caves.. basements.... rooftops... you name it.. you go... just to see if the space will work for your scene...
then on set... you make physical-based decisions especially if you are shooting outside... you are dealing with the elements... wind screws up sound... the sun moves... and sometimes... it rains...
i can still remember shooting the rooftop scene in mismo... rachel and jorge... it drizzled the entire shoot... forcing us to deal with issues you wouldn't if it was nice outside... just keeping the lens dry was a test... but heck... we only had the place for one afternoon... either get it done... or it does you...
and that is true of life.. in general... i guess to... either do life... or have it done to you...
so to all the visceral moments in my life... i salute you... for you help me feel the rapture... enough so that i can feel creative...
my first impression when the 'chain control' sign was posted was 'oh shit, i don't want to do that...'... but the beauty about the situatiion was that i didn't have a choice if i wanted to get to san francisco... put on the chains or else park your car and watch it snow...
i got out and put my chains on... turned out to be great... the task forced me to go from thinking to doing... a much healthier disposition for a guy who thinks too much already... and while putting on the chains... and feeling the cold against my face.. and my hands starting to go numb... i was awash in physical embodiment... when i was done... and jumped in the car to take off... i felt alive...
i need to be physically engaged with my environment to feel alive... tapping a story's energy is dependent on whether i have tapped my own personal energy... my stories are stale otherwise...
my body's story comes first... the body's aliveness... then i'm excited to get back to the desk and write...
it's a dialectic between the world of motion... the natural world... the body in that world... and the cognizing world... the world of the pen... the world of the computer... this piece of mental before me...
interestingly enough.... independent filmmaking is a physically engaging endeavor... your body has to respond to the natural world.... location scouting... for instance... sometimes you voyage into caves.. basements.... rooftops... you name it.. you go... just to see if the space will work for your scene...
then on set... you make physical-based decisions especially if you are shooting outside... you are dealing with the elements... wind screws up sound... the sun moves... and sometimes... it rains...
i can still remember shooting the rooftop scene in mismo... rachel and jorge... it drizzled the entire shoot... forcing us to deal with issues you wouldn't if it was nice outside... just keeping the lens dry was a test... but heck... we only had the place for one afternoon... either get it done... or it does you...
and that is true of life.. in general... i guess to... either do life... or have it done to you...
so to all the visceral moments in my life... i salute you... for you help me feel the rapture... enough so that i can feel creative...
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Same Town... Different View
In other words.... Mismo... pero diferentes.
At the end of the year I had planned for a three month sojourn in Oklahoma City... where I could spend quality time with my friend Hattie as well as knuckle down to do some serious writing.
When Hattie (who plays the contractor in Mismo) decided to leave San Francisco two years ago, I drove across country with her and helped her get reacquainted with her home town. We enjoyed going out in search of what we deemed civilization... yoga studios, organic produce, wine bars, gay nightlife... any nightlife! While we never found one vibrant hub that offered all, we had a swell time exploring and Hattie assures me that she has since discovered plenty of cool people doing interesting things. I was really looking forward to the change of scenery and had already reached out to fellow indie filmmakers who I was looking forward to hooking up with. Alas...
What's that saying about what happens while you are busy making plans? Oh, yeah, life happens, and to quote the Scottish Bard who's birthday is coming up, January 25th, "The best laid schemes o' mice an' men Gang aft agley" , which is another way of saying, here I am still in San Francisco, albeit across town enjoying a different view.
A snapshot taken on one of my neighborhood jaunts... looks like the Haight, feels like the Haight... except it's North Beach.
And for your viewing pleasure a souvenir of our road trip from 2 years ago:
At the end of the year I had planned for a three month sojourn in Oklahoma City... where I could spend quality time with my friend Hattie as well as knuckle down to do some serious writing.
When Hattie (who plays the contractor in Mismo) decided to leave San Francisco two years ago, I drove across country with her and helped her get reacquainted with her home town. We enjoyed going out in search of what we deemed civilization... yoga studios, organic produce, wine bars, gay nightlife... any nightlife! While we never found one vibrant hub that offered all, we had a swell time exploring and Hattie assures me that she has since discovered plenty of cool people doing interesting things. I was really looking forward to the change of scenery and had already reached out to fellow indie filmmakers who I was looking forward to hooking up with. Alas...
What's that saying about what happens while you are busy making plans? Oh, yeah, life happens, and to quote the Scottish Bard who's birthday is coming up, January 25th, "The best laid schemes o' mice an' men Gang aft agley" , which is another way of saying, here I am still in San Francisco, albeit across town enjoying a different view.
A snapshot taken on one of my neighborhood jaunts... looks like the Haight, feels like the Haight... except it's North Beach.
And for your viewing pleasure a souvenir of our road trip from 2 years ago:
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Tips for Conducting Auditions
Be Open to Surprise
As you scan photos of potential actors for ‘the look’ that you want, keep your mind open to meeting someone who might not meet your criterion but who intrigues you in some way. Several of Mismo’s cast was a result of following our curiosity.
Actors are People too
As indie filmmakers, we like to run happy sets in which everyone feels valued. Set the stage with your audition process by giving the person time to settle their nerves before you put them through their paces. Not everyone can jump right into a When Harry Met Sally orgasm.
Be Prepared
Have a plan for how you propose to elicit the characteristics and emotions required for the role. For each of our characters we were looking for diametrically opposite qualities that exemplified their public and private persona: Toni, the cold calculating psychologist by day became the femme fatale at night; Mitch, the spiritual artist in public was uptight and obsessive-compulsive in private; Anjelica was kind and loving, but also tempestuous and extremely sensual.
Be Flexible
If the actor is not giving you what you want, try another tack… and another. Sometimes it’s in the way you phrase things - help the actor understand what you're looking for. Perhaps you’ll improve your own communication skills and become a better director.
Push
Don’t be afraid to push the actor - for the most part, they are looking for meaty and challenging roles. It’s also how you’ll discover boundaries, if they exist, and whether the person is right for the part. Gino loves to describe oddball scenarios followed by “Would you comfortable with this?” Often it’s meant as a joke, but can reveal a lot. It’s how we developed the character of our gallery owner, Rene. Unfortunately, as we made decisions about pacing and the core of Mismo’s story, the role of Rene was dramatically cut.
Be Professional
It’s a job interview, even if there's no pay involved. Thank the person for their interest and their time. Let them know when they can expect to hear from you and who will be the contact. While the person might not be right for this role, they might be perfect for another down the road, in this movie or another. We met a “damn fine actress” who we didn’t feel was the right fit for the role of Bella. As we advanced in our process, we needed someone for the senator’s wife and she was willing to play the smaller role (and proved her point!)
Remember to Laugh
Making movies is supposed to be fun!
As you scan photos of potential actors for ‘the look’ that you want, keep your mind open to meeting someone who might not meet your criterion but who intrigues you in some way. Several of Mismo’s cast was a result of following our curiosity.
Actors are People too
As indie filmmakers, we like to run happy sets in which everyone feels valued. Set the stage with your audition process by giving the person time to settle their nerves before you put them through their paces. Not everyone can jump right into a When Harry Met Sally orgasm.
Be Prepared
Have a plan for how you propose to elicit the characteristics and emotions required for the role. For each of our characters we were looking for diametrically opposite qualities that exemplified their public and private persona: Toni, the cold calculating psychologist by day became the femme fatale at night; Mitch, the spiritual artist in public was uptight and obsessive-compulsive in private; Anjelica was kind and loving, but also tempestuous and extremely sensual.
Be Flexible
If the actor is not giving you what you want, try another tack… and another. Sometimes it’s in the way you phrase things - help the actor understand what you're looking for. Perhaps you’ll improve your own communication skills and become a better director.
Push
Don’t be afraid to push the actor - for the most part, they are looking for meaty and challenging roles. It’s also how you’ll discover boundaries, if they exist, and whether the person is right for the part. Gino loves to describe oddball scenarios followed by “Would you comfortable with this?” Often it’s meant as a joke, but can reveal a lot. It’s how we developed the character of our gallery owner, Rene. Unfortunately, as we made decisions about pacing and the core of Mismo’s story, the role of Rene was dramatically cut.
Be Professional
It’s a job interview, even if there's no pay involved. Thank the person for their interest and their time. Let them know when they can expect to hear from you and who will be the contact. While the person might not be right for this role, they might be perfect for another down the road, in this movie or another. We met a “damn fine actress” who we didn’t feel was the right fit for the role of Bella. As we advanced in our process, we needed someone for the senator’s wife and she was willing to play the smaller role (and proved her point!)
Remember to Laugh
Making movies is supposed to be fun!
Monday, January 18, 2010
Importance as a storyteller to shuttle between environments
hello fellow storytellers... wanted to give you a peak into my world of shuttling between worlds...in this case... i left san francisco to spend time at my family's ranch in nevada... it was a chilly 32 degrees as i shot this short video... where do you go for perspective taking?
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Monday, January 11, 2010
is your backpack too full or too empty...
i went to the movies yesterday with my mom, darlene...it's a great way to spend a lazy sunday afternoon with mom...especially when it's below freezing outside...
we saw 'up in the air' with george clooney... clooney's character leads a seemingly empty life out of a suitcase, until his company unexpectedly grounds him...it's a movie worth seeing...clooney does a wonderful job in his role as a man hired to fire...
for clooney's character...home is in the air...in a different place every evening...sometimes even with a different woman...whatever the case, 'up in the air' gets us thinking about how 'home' or the concept thereof...is a survival tool...something that makes us feel at peace...or 'at home'....
while an outdoor guy like myself would go mad living exclusively within the stream of modern artifices...from the car...to the hotel...to the conference room...to the airplance...and all over again...we learn that clooney's character goes mad if not dieting on cultural articifices...this was his pocket of inner peace.
though pockets are sometimes places to postpone addressing our deeper fears...with clooney's character...we see that he's averse to commitment...when not firing people...he speaks to conference goers about lightening up their backpack...saying that it infringes upon their ability to move...and thus live...a speech he really is giving to himself...with others just listening in on his internal self-fulfilling dialogue...
he soon realizes that his backpack metaphor is catching up with him...it's a great lesson because for every person who has too light of a pack like clooney's character...there are hundreds needing to lighten their pack...
it's like independent filmmaking...you are automatically light...why...because you don't have the funds to put a lot in your filmmaking back pack...as a result you're able to move quickly...and adjust on the fly...
yet you see people who try to make movies all by themselves...a completely empty backpack...and yet to me this would be an unfulfilling endeavor...because while too many relations (a big production, for instance)...may be cumbersome...too few relationships...or none in the case of somebody who thinks they can do it all by him or herself...misses the opportunity to engage with other creative people who have similar interests...
it is about striking a balance in our relations...from family to film...and we only know when we have went too far...when our backpack is too full....or too empty...when we have risked living and lived risk...
we saw 'up in the air' with george clooney... clooney's character leads a seemingly empty life out of a suitcase, until his company unexpectedly grounds him...it's a movie worth seeing...clooney does a wonderful job in his role as a man hired to fire...
for clooney's character...home is in the air...in a different place every evening...sometimes even with a different woman...whatever the case, 'up in the air' gets us thinking about how 'home' or the concept thereof...is a survival tool...something that makes us feel at peace...or 'at home'....
while an outdoor guy like myself would go mad living exclusively within the stream of modern artifices...from the car...to the hotel...to the conference room...to the airplance...and all over again...we learn that clooney's character goes mad if not dieting on cultural articifices...this was his pocket of inner peace.
though pockets are sometimes places to postpone addressing our deeper fears...with clooney's character...we see that he's averse to commitment...when not firing people...he speaks to conference goers about lightening up their backpack...saying that it infringes upon their ability to move...and thus live...a speech he really is giving to himself...with others just listening in on his internal self-fulfilling dialogue...
he soon realizes that his backpack metaphor is catching up with him...it's a great lesson because for every person who has too light of a pack like clooney's character...there are hundreds needing to lighten their pack...
it's like independent filmmaking...you are automatically light...why...because you don't have the funds to put a lot in your filmmaking back pack...as a result you're able to move quickly...and adjust on the fly...
yet you see people who try to make movies all by themselves...a completely empty backpack...and yet to me this would be an unfulfilling endeavor...because while too many relations (a big production, for instance)...may be cumbersome...too few relationships...or none in the case of somebody who thinks they can do it all by him or herself...misses the opportunity to engage with other creative people who have similar interests...
it is about striking a balance in our relations...from family to film...and we only know when we have went too far...when our backpack is too full....or too empty...when we have risked living and lived risk...
Friday, January 8, 2010
The Cast Call
The beauty of having a small crew is that you’re nimble and can fit in tight spaces or, as we’d find out, be less conspicuous in the big outdoors… more on that subject later.
Here we were April 2007 with the goal to shoot a feature film ‘deconstructive’ style… a series of shorts, +/-10, that we’d submit to film festivals, YouTube, and everywhere else appropriate, along the way. Even in hindsight, I think this is a darn good idea, and I have a story about a serial killer in San Francisco that’s perfect for this approach, it's Seven meets Sliding Doors… but I digress.
Confident of our plan, 7-minute script in hand, we set about the task of casting and quickly realized that we needed to find all our principal cast, even for the short, i.e. Anjelica, Mitch and Toni. Since we were operating with zero budget, there was no discussion about hiring a Casting Agent, so it was up to us and resources on the Internet.
While Craig's List is always an option, as well as other indie filmmaker groups, my tool of choice was SF Casting. I can’t speak highly enough of their service – a great resource for finding talented actors; even better for indie filmmakers, it’s free. No sooner had we posted our profile and call for our cast and we were inundated with applicants.
This is one of the most fun aspects of filmmaking… to actualize your vision of a character and see it embodied in a walking, talking human being. I’ll confess, it’s a bit of a meat market… kind of like online dating, at least to start, as you flip through pages and pages of headshots. Nope, too pretty… nope, too skinny… nope, too young… nope, no film experience… nope, nope, nope! Until you get to the maybe, maybe, maybe and hopefully, yes, yes, yes!
We whittled the list down to our top three for each role and thus began the parade – through my living room – of actors hoping to bring their interpretation of our characters to life.
Here we were April 2007 with the goal to shoot a feature film ‘deconstructive’ style… a series of shorts, +/-10, that we’d submit to film festivals, YouTube, and everywhere else appropriate, along the way. Even in hindsight, I think this is a darn good idea, and I have a story about a serial killer in San Francisco that’s perfect for this approach, it's Seven meets Sliding Doors… but I digress.
Confident of our plan, 7-minute script in hand, we set about the task of casting and quickly realized that we needed to find all our principal cast, even for the short, i.e. Anjelica, Mitch and Toni. Since we were operating with zero budget, there was no discussion about hiring a Casting Agent, so it was up to us and resources on the Internet.
While Craig's List is always an option, as well as other indie filmmaker groups, my tool of choice was SF Casting. I can’t speak highly enough of their service – a great resource for finding talented actors; even better for indie filmmakers, it’s free. No sooner had we posted our profile and call for our cast and we were inundated with applicants.
This is one of the most fun aspects of filmmaking… to actualize your vision of a character and see it embodied in a walking, talking human being. I’ll confess, it’s a bit of a meat market… kind of like online dating, at least to start, as you flip through pages and pages of headshots. Nope, too pretty… nope, too skinny… nope, too young… nope, no film experience… nope, nope, nope! Until you get to the maybe, maybe, maybe and hopefully, yes, yes, yes!
We whittled the list down to our top three for each role and thus began the parade – through my living room – of actors hoping to bring their interpretation of our characters to life.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Compulsion... Characters... The Muse that Compels to Create...
One subject that fascinates Gino and I as filmmakers – and one we continue to explore as we develop the script for our next film Pitchin’ Papaya – is human compulsions. We are interested in exploring what compels people to act in certain ways, do certain things, even when it goes against their better judgment. It’s the core of Mismo and our tagline …when fate and freedom collide; meaning that while we all have free will, we permit our innate nature to make our choices, thus leading to our inevitable fate… and oftentimes resulting in a collision.
We first explored this theme in Compulsion, the story for which was sparked by a real runaway bride who, to avoid a trip to the altar, claimed she’d been kidnapped. Her story spawned a nationwide search for her kidnappers accompanied by a media furor. It was likely the furor that tripped her up… in the end, she confessed it was a lie… she’d concocted the entire story. In our version, the runaway’s impulse, “I simply had to get away,” leads to another compulsion – greed – that leads to her being kidnapped for real.
Had we completed the script, the themes of freedom versus security, predictable versus risky, and passion versus romance would have been explored. As it was, Compulsion took many forms before finally settling on the genre of road movie – and, alas, a production beyond our modest means.
With Mismo’s parallel story lines the opportunity for compulsions to collide is amplified, leading to an ending that led one viewer to comment, “it sent chills right down my spine.”
While we have created our characters for Papaya, I am guessing that, as we write the script, at least one of them is going to take us on a road trip with her compulsion. It’s our journey as writers… to follow the muse… see what transpires… and in the end, we always have free will to delete.
We first explored this theme in Compulsion, the story for which was sparked by a real runaway bride who, to avoid a trip to the altar, claimed she’d been kidnapped. Her story spawned a nationwide search for her kidnappers accompanied by a media furor. It was likely the furor that tripped her up… in the end, she confessed it was a lie… she’d concocted the entire story. In our version, the runaway’s impulse, “I simply had to get away,” leads to another compulsion – greed – that leads to her being kidnapped for real.
Had we completed the script, the themes of freedom versus security, predictable versus risky, and passion versus romance would have been explored. As it was, Compulsion took many forms before finally settling on the genre of road movie – and, alas, a production beyond our modest means.
With Mismo’s parallel story lines the opportunity for compulsions to collide is amplified, leading to an ending that led one viewer to comment, “it sent chills right down my spine.”
While we have created our characters for Papaya, I am guessing that, as we write the script, at least one of them is going to take us on a road trip with her compulsion. It’s our journey as writers… to follow the muse… see what transpires… and in the end, we always have free will to delete.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
The Team of Many Hats...
Our Scary Cow pitch attracted the cameraman that we desired, the "legendary" Danny Baldonado. I figured that if a guy can shoot skateboarders while he's also on a skateboard, well, he's our man! Thankfully, he liked our idea.
When it came to lighting and sound, there was no-one withing the SC community, so I called on my friend Jeffery Davis with whom I'd attended film school. He also liked our idea, but not the monthly SC fees. It wasn't hard to do the math and conclude that we were better off putting $$ directly into our own kitty rather than compete quarterly for bucks that might never come our way.
Et voila... that was our team... and for those of you who wonder what a "real" film team looks like, I'm providing this image courtesy of The Guerilla Film Makers Movie Blueprint by Chris Jones, Jonathan Newman and Cara Williams.
When it came to lighting and sound, there was no-one withing the SC community, so I called on my friend Jeffery Davis with whom I'd attended film school. He also liked our idea, but not the monthly SC fees. It wasn't hard to do the math and conclude that we were better off putting $$ directly into our own kitty rather than compete quarterly for bucks that might never come our way.
Et voila... that was our team... and for those of you who wonder what a "real" film team looks like, I'm providing this image courtesy of The Guerilla Film Makers Movie Blueprint by Chris Jones, Jonathan Newman and Cara Williams.
Monday, January 4, 2010
oh honey...feed me a grape...
before our screenplay was complete...much was processed...thought about...written about...researched...edited...thought about again...
lorraine and i aimed to develop provocative characters and develop nothing sacred scenes that when brought together...would make a meaningful story...
as for character development...we got to dig into the shadows of the unconscious and work with the rawness of human experience...things you've (we've) wanted to say...things you've (we've) wanted to do....things you (we) long for...but that you can't pursue without being thought of as...well... you know...you fill in the blank...dozen of maddening adjectives...
the characters in mismo are a derivation of mindful experimentation and our experiential mind...these characters spoke to us...either as people we've crossed paths with in the exterior world...or people that have migrated before us in our inner world...
once we had our characters...in loose form...we needed them to meet up...this is where scene development comes in....
you ask yourself...what would i like to see them do...a part of this is based on personal interest such as my interest in having bella and diego feed each other grapes...i once saw an ad for a high end carpet store in san francisco showing two young...beautiful people...laying on a carpet...scantily dressed...feeding each other grapes...i thought...heck...why can't the 'other side of the tracks' characters share in this bliss...nothing sacred, right?...
yet as mismo got built out...an internal gravitational pull started to create boundaries for what was possible and impossible...since as we developed characters...we also developed expectations for our characters...the consistency factor crept in...
once we had the characters and scenes developed in loose form...we posted the scenes...in the form of index cards...on a wall so we can see if our characters and scenes were consistent with what was in our head... or how much of story was still in our head...
lorraine and i aimed to develop provocative characters and develop nothing sacred scenes that when brought together...would make a meaningful story...
as for character development...we got to dig into the shadows of the unconscious and work with the rawness of human experience...things you've (we've) wanted to say...things you've (we've) wanted to do....things you (we) long for...but that you can't pursue without being thought of as...well... you know...you fill in the blank...dozen of maddening adjectives...
the characters in mismo are a derivation of mindful experimentation and our experiential mind...these characters spoke to us...either as people we've crossed paths with in the exterior world...or people that have migrated before us in our inner world...
once we had our characters...in loose form...we needed them to meet up...this is where scene development comes in....
you ask yourself...what would i like to see them do...a part of this is based on personal interest such as my interest in having bella and diego feed each other grapes...i once saw an ad for a high end carpet store in san francisco showing two young...beautiful people...laying on a carpet...scantily dressed...feeding each other grapes...i thought...heck...why can't the 'other side of the tracks' characters share in this bliss...nothing sacred, right?...
yet as mismo got built out...an internal gravitational pull started to create boundaries for what was possible and impossible...since as we developed characters...we also developed expectations for our characters...the consistency factor crept in...
once we had the characters and scenes developed in loose form...we posted the scenes...in the form of index cards...on a wall so we can see if our characters and scenes were consistent with what was in our head... or how much of story was still in our head...
Sunday, January 3, 2010
from the soundtrack for Mismo
This was supposed to post from YouTube last week as an early New Year's pressie... I resposted it again today and the YouTube share isn't working... ah... the challenges of technology. Thankfully, there's always more than one way to accomplish a plan (which surely has to be the producer's credo).
As it transpires, it is appropo to follow Gino's commentary on public and private persona using Toni, the voyeuristic psychologist in Mismo, as an example. Here you can see Toni in nasty mode... or is it nice?
As it transpires, it is appropo to follow Gino's commentary on public and private persona using Toni, the voyeuristic psychologist in Mismo, as an example. Here you can see Toni in nasty mode... or is it nice?
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