It's every film maker's worst nightmare. The lights go up, an uncomfortable silence envelopes the theater. A moderator walks to the front, microphone in hand. "Let's talk about the film you've just seen" he says, innocently enough, and unleashes from the audience a chain reaction of hate-filled vitriol, all aimed squarely at your baby - your carefully crafted, defenseless little speck of a film.
And yet, the cruel reality of any artist is that any art they manage to make, be it a painting, sculpture, novel, or film, no longer belongs to them once they share it with the world. It is now out of their hands. It has a life of its own. Whatever ideas they were actually trying to represent have no relevance to the effects that the art actually has on an audience.
And the reactions that it may elicit from an audience are wide, varied, and entirely dependent on a seemingly chaotic range of variables specific to each and every person: do they even like horror movies; does the lead actor remind them of someone they hate; are they hungry, tired, hot, at the time of viewing; did they just get in a fight with their boyfriend; did they once have an idea similar to yours and now hate you for having finished this movie? Who knows. Somehow, all these variables get wrapped up into a hazy glob of something called "taste".
Two people, sitting right next to each other see the same movie - one says, "I thought it was very clever and effective. It really drew me into the story. I was engaged throughout and was shocked by the ending - very well done." The next person says, "I thought it was cliched and boring - totally obvious and had no sense of what it wanted to be. I hated it."
It's easy for an artist to want to go around defending their work - "yeah, but that's not what I intended...", "I originally wanted to do that, but we ran out of time...", "no, I wasn't trying to rip that off - what, no I've never even seen that film!" For me, with Enter the Dark, the most obvious bit of criticism is that it's a rip off of Paranormal Activity. The cruel reality is that I had my idea before PA was ever released and had to watch in horror as accolades were showered upon a film that closely matched many of my ideas. I knew that most people would assume that my short was just a reaction to PA, but I didn't care - I did it anyway, knowing that at least some folks would be able to discern the difference.
And so, I bring to you, actual unfiltered reactions to my defenseless baby, Enter the Dark after a screening at Toronto's WILDsound Film Festival this past April. These are some responses from your average film fans - not particularly horror fans mind you. And some of the reactions are quite brutal. If I had watched this soon after I finished the project, I might have been quite crushed, but having some distance of almost two years, and many successes later, I can take a (somewhat) more objective viewpoint. Still, it does sting a bit. Thank goodness however, for the ever astute viewer that shows up around 4:30 in the video - finally someone who was actually paying attention!! Oh thank you, thank you Mr. Dreadlocked Dude - you actually make film making worth doing!
Well, what's a film maker supposed to do, given these types of reactions by seemingly equally intelligent and reasonable folks. How do you judge if your ideas are coming across to an audience? How can you tell if you are an effective film maker?
Well for me, before I finished Enter the Dark, I was very careful to show it to a group of people whose opinions I trust. These were friends and family from a wide variety of backgrounds. Some who love horror films, some who never watch them. Some who are also film makers, and some who have never created anything close to "art" in their lifetime. I asked them to be brutally honest. I asked specific questions pertaining to what was working and what wasn't. I asked them specifically about the ending of my film, as I was unsure whether I was giving enough information to explain it.
After the screening, we talked about the film in general, but I also handed out response sheets so I could look over their reactions at a later time and sift through the data. What I realized is that you can never take one single piece of criticism at face value. Never ever take a note from one individual and assume that it is correct. Each and every person has such a unique take on things, that to try to please everyone is a fool's game. You will end up with a film that has no relation to the personal insights you originally intended. You must ignore any criticism that isn't corroborated by multiple people's responses.
If one person says they don't understand the ending of your film, then fine, take a note - but do nothing. If THE MAJORITY of people get and like your ending, you are golden - don't mess with it! However, if you continually get the feedback that folks are having issues with your ending YOU MUST FIX IT!
Always keep in mind that you will never get 100% of your audience to like what you are doing - nor should you even want that. Any idea worth doing is going to piss some people off - if you're not offending someone, then you're not trying hard enough!
Showing posts with label indie film. Show all posts
Showing posts with label indie film. Show all posts
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Friday, April 13, 2012
Fits and Starts
The life of an indie filmmaker is one of fits and starts: you have a flash of inspiration; you carefully and lovingly coax that spark into a fully formed idea; you motivate your friends and colleagues to join you in making this dream a reality; you toil through the process of production and post production; you do the dance of the press and film festival circuit and then...
Well then, your real life slaps you in the face. Stuff happens. You get buried under the avalanche of your daily life. You need to pay your bills - do your taxes - find paying work - chauffeur your kids to baseball practice.
You know - real life. And not that it's all awful - it's not, it's just really time consuming - which leaves almost no time for flashes of inspiration to spark in your brain.
So, while I've been doing lots of work this past year, sadly none of it has involved directing my next short film. What has been going on is my usual assortment of editing corporate videos, documentaries, local commercials and various odds and ends - a typical freelancers bounty and one that I'm grateful to have in these tough times.
Recently, I completed editing, sound mixing and doing graphic work for the Goldman Environmental Prize videos. These videos will introduce and tell the stories of this year's recipients of the prize that is awarded to everyday folks who do extraordinary things to protect their local environment. Each year we also re-edit the stories together into a half-hour show which airs on PBS called The New Environmentalists. It's always a pleasure to work on something that highlights such inspirational and compelling people, and we've been fortunate to have won a regional Emmy Award for this show twice in the last couple of years.
I'd love to show you the videos for this year, but you'll just have to wait until their names are officially revealed. I can tell you that one of the stories was very interesting to do as it revolved around an issue that got major worldwide attention recently. I was in the unique position of knowing about some of the elements of this story just a week or so before it exploded in the press.
On an entirely different note, I had a very troubling experience as an editor recently. As a freelancer who works from home, I am sometimes put in a peculiar position of having strangers in my house. Most of the people I work with I've known for a long time and consider them friends as much as clients, but with more and work coming through Craig's List and other online sources, this is now not always the case.
So, I was in the position of working with a new client when he decided that he wanted to come over to finish up work on a demo video we were doing for a new piece of software. Nice enough guy, so no problem. We finish up that video and he mentions he wants to do a small thing and edit some footage that he took of his family around his house that will be included in a little "happy face" video to open up some meeting. Easy enough - I do these sorts of things all the time. Nice guy, nice family - no worries. We finish the videos, he pays promptly - says the videos worked great, everyone loved them, he'll be sure to be back on any new projects that come through.
Months later, I get a rather strange call from one of his colleagues at the company he works for. So, I call him back and he says "I just wanted to let you know if you hadn't heard from John (not his real name) lately, that unfortunately he's been out of the office for a while." He continues, "Actually at this moment we're not sure if he's coming back." He sounds really uncomfortable and I can tell he's sitting on some bad news. I'm expecting him to say that John has some terminal disease and how awful it is.
Then he says, "We wanted to let you know before you heard it on the news..." I'm thinking, wha?
"John killed his wife."
My head spins. I can't believe what I'm hearing. All I can think about is this guy in my edit suite, in my house, watching video of his kids - laughing and playing outside the home where this guy will soon kill their mother.
Ugh.
It's hard for me not to question my judgement on people. How can you know - how can you really know what someone else is thinking. What inner demons they are fighting with.
You just never know.
On happier news, I'm pleased to announce that a film I did some editing work on last year just had it's premiere at the Atlanta Film Festival. Without a Net tells the story of four kids from the drug controlled slums of Rio de Janeiro, who become involved with a local circus. It's really a great story and I'm so glad that my friend Kelly Richardson has completed her project and is making the festival rounds. Check it out if you get the chance.
Speaking of women-produced filmmaking, I also recently funded this cool looking film noir project on Kickstarter called the Lilith Necklace by Melanie Killingsworth. It's always nice to have the opportunity to help others see their visions fulfilled. I figure, "Hey if I can't get my project rolling right now, might as well help someone else get theirs off the ground."
As for Enter the Dark, it is still going strong, with upcoming festival screenings in Chicago, Toronto and even all the way up there in Saskatoon. It's now running on its own momentum, as festival directors are now contacting me and sometimes even waving the entree fee! This is the advantage of a film that has already screened in many festivals and won a few awards. Once a film starts getting some buzz, it creates a life of its own. Starting the buzz is always the hard part.
Which brings me back to my starting point - fits and starts. I've struggled through a couple of ideas, but I think I've settled on a nice, tasty little moment of darkness to work on next. I don't want to give away too much of the piece yet, but it is inspired by very real events in my lifetime.
And also this famous image:
If I can pull this off successfully then perhaps bigger things are on the horizon. But for now, I'll take things slowly.
One step at a time.
Well then, your real life slaps you in the face. Stuff happens. You get buried under the avalanche of your daily life. You need to pay your bills - do your taxes - find paying work - chauffeur your kids to baseball practice.
You know - real life. And not that it's all awful - it's not, it's just really time consuming - which leaves almost no time for flashes of inspiration to spark in your brain.
So, while I've been doing lots of work this past year, sadly none of it has involved directing my next short film. What has been going on is my usual assortment of editing corporate videos, documentaries, local commercials and various odds and ends - a typical freelancers bounty and one that I'm grateful to have in these tough times.
Recently, I completed editing, sound mixing and doing graphic work for the Goldman Environmental Prize videos. These videos will introduce and tell the stories of this year's recipients of the prize that is awarded to everyday folks who do extraordinary things to protect their local environment. Each year we also re-edit the stories together into a half-hour show which airs on PBS called The New Environmentalists. It's always a pleasure to work on something that highlights such inspirational and compelling people, and we've been fortunate to have won a regional Emmy Award for this show twice in the last couple of years.
I'd love to show you the videos for this year, but you'll just have to wait until their names are officially revealed. I can tell you that one of the stories was very interesting to do as it revolved around an issue that got major worldwide attention recently. I was in the unique position of knowing about some of the elements of this story just a week or so before it exploded in the press.
On an entirely different note, I had a very troubling experience as an editor recently. As a freelancer who works from home, I am sometimes put in a peculiar position of having strangers in my house. Most of the people I work with I've known for a long time and consider them friends as much as clients, but with more and work coming through Craig's List and other online sources, this is now not always the case.
So, I was in the position of working with a new client when he decided that he wanted to come over to finish up work on a demo video we were doing for a new piece of software. Nice enough guy, so no problem. We finish up that video and he mentions he wants to do a small thing and edit some footage that he took of his family around his house that will be included in a little "happy face" video to open up some meeting. Easy enough - I do these sorts of things all the time. Nice guy, nice family - no worries. We finish the videos, he pays promptly - says the videos worked great, everyone loved them, he'll be sure to be back on any new projects that come through.
Months later, I get a rather strange call from one of his colleagues at the company he works for. So, I call him back and he says "I just wanted to let you know if you hadn't heard from John (not his real name) lately, that unfortunately he's been out of the office for a while." He continues, "Actually at this moment we're not sure if he's coming back." He sounds really uncomfortable and I can tell he's sitting on some bad news. I'm expecting him to say that John has some terminal disease and how awful it is.
Then he says, "We wanted to let you know before you heard it on the news..." I'm thinking, wha?
"John killed his wife."
My head spins. I can't believe what I'm hearing. All I can think about is this guy in my edit suite, in my house, watching video of his kids - laughing and playing outside the home where this guy will soon kill their mother.
Ugh.
It's hard for me not to question my judgement on people. How can you know - how can you really know what someone else is thinking. What inner demons they are fighting with.
You just never know.
On happier news, I'm pleased to announce that a film I did some editing work on last year just had it's premiere at the Atlanta Film Festival. Without a Net tells the story of four kids from the drug controlled slums of Rio de Janeiro, who become involved with a local circus. It's really a great story and I'm so glad that my friend Kelly Richardson has completed her project and is making the festival rounds. Check it out if you get the chance.
Speaking of women-produced filmmaking, I also recently funded this cool looking film noir project on Kickstarter called the Lilith Necklace by Melanie Killingsworth. It's always nice to have the opportunity to help others see their visions fulfilled. I figure, "Hey if I can't get my project rolling right now, might as well help someone else get theirs off the ground."
As for Enter the Dark, it is still going strong, with upcoming festival screenings in Chicago, Toronto and even all the way up there in Saskatoon. It's now running on its own momentum, as festival directors are now contacting me and sometimes even waving the entree fee! This is the advantage of a film that has already screened in many festivals and won a few awards. Once a film starts getting some buzz, it creates a life of its own. Starting the buzz is always the hard part.
Which brings me back to my starting point - fits and starts. I've struggled through a couple of ideas, but I think I've settled on a nice, tasty little moment of darkness to work on next. I don't want to give away too much of the piece yet, but it is inspired by very real events in my lifetime.
And also this famous image:
If I can pull this off successfully then perhaps bigger things are on the horizon. But for now, I'll take things slowly.
One step at a time.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Top Horror Flicks of 2011... sort of
Since it's February, I thought now would be the perfect time to post my year-end best of list. You know, to beat out all the competition from the rest of those other bloggers and get my list out first to show how smart I am and stuff.
Oops.
Truth be told, it's just too dang difficult to get my arse out to the theaters and see new flicks as they premiere. With two young kids in my house, I'm lucky if I can get to the movies once a month to see the latest singing chipmunk flick.
And so, I'm left with waiting around until Netflix or On Demand can provide me with the movie that everyone was buzzing about.
Five months ago.
So, since I'm finally sort of caught up with what the cool crowd was into, I can now present you with my definitive list of the
BEST HORROR FILMS OF 2011
Wow.. ok... Well, I'd love to to that, but just between you and me, here's the deal.
This year kinda sucked for horror. I mean, really. There was not one single horror movie that really blew me away this year - no Let the Right One In, no The Ring, no The Devil's Backbone. There was some kinda good stuff and lots of not so good stuff. And as usual, the best stuff wasn't even produced by Hollywood.
So, I've had to expand my horizons a bit and open up the list to thrillers, sci-fi and grindhouse movies as well to be able to field a proper team. So here we go:
BEST HORROR/THRILLER/SCI-FI/GRINDHOUSE FILMS OF 2011
- I Saw The Devil Ji-woon Kim's masterful ultimate revenge flick. I don't know what it is about the South Koreans, but they love themselves some revenge! Please tell me you've seen OldBoy.
- 13 Assassins ok, I know this isn't even a horror/thriller/sci-fi/grindhouse film, it's a samurai action flick, but it was still better than most anything I watched last year, so it makes the list. It's my list dammit!
- Troll Hunter A hilarious mockumentary that brings storybook trolls to life. What's cooler than hunting a 200 foot mountain troll with a UV gun to try to turn it into stone? Nothing.
- Stake Land Yes, I know, technically this came out in 2010, but I've had stuff to do you know - so gimmie a break. A great post-apocalyptic zomie-ish vampire western road movie. With tremendous attention to character development and tone.
- Super 8 The first big ol' Hollywood film on this list. A great premise and it absolutely nailed the late 70's early 80's vibe of running around with your buds with a Super 8 camera. I was there. I was that kid running around. I should know.
I loved the first 2/3rds of this movie but then it kinda fell apart at the end. Too bad.
Do I really need to mention all the gratuitous lens flares that J.J. Abrams has fallen in love with?
- Grave Encounters I almost saw this low-budget indie film in Chicago in 2010 when Enter the Dark premiered there. But then the festival was running way late and we had to bail. This is one of the better found-footage horror flicks out there. A predictable setup of a tv ghost hunting team spending the night in a spooky location is handled well with some nasty twists and turns.
- Tucker & Dale vs Evil A very funny entry in the now well-established horror/comedy genre. Best one since Shawn of the Dead and Slither.
- Rise of the Planet of the Apes For a big tent-pole summer blockbuster, I thought it was very entertaining.
- Black Death Well-done medieval-witch-hunting flick. 'nuf said.
- The Woman Lucky McKee, the deranged director of cult favorite, May, brings you this very sick and twisted tale of a family man and the feral woman pet he keeps in his basement. And shares with his family. Pretty standard setup... right?
- The Rite Well-crafted, serious take on demonic possession and one man's faith. Oh yeah, and Anthony Hopkins is his usual awesome self. A lot of people didn't seem to like this film. I think they've burned out their retinas and brains with too many episodes of The Kardashians and Jersey Shore. Settle in and watch a mature and thoughtful movie every once in a while, willya?
- YellowBrickRoad Another cool indie film that leads a team of investigators into the woods to research the mysterious deaths of an entire small town. Another great setup that slowly builds its tale of madness gets under your skin. It may take a wrong turn here or there and you may not like the ending, but it sure sticks with you days afterwards.
- Attack the Block The darling of last year's SXSW festival is a hyperactive tale of British street kids duking it out with space monsters. Think Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels meets, oh I don't know, any alien invasion flick.
- Dead Hooker in a Trunk Yes, yes, once again this little gem actually came out in 2009, but it didn't get its wide release until this year. If you haven't heard of this film yet - where the hell have you been?? The Soska sisters' loving tribute to all that is grindhouse-y, Dead Hooker makes up for its no-budget shortcomings by being relentlessly entertaining.
- Hobo With a Shotgun Speaking of grindhouse... With a little more budget, a pissed-off Rutger Hauer and lots of colorful lighting, Hobo more than delivers on it's exploitation promise.
- Paranormal Activity 3 The problem with these PA flicks is they all fit the same pattern - slowly establish weird goings-on, give the doofus guy a reason to relentlessly videotape everything, ramp up the thrills and then give us a little twist at the end. This installment works because of the clever use of the oscillating fan-o-cam and it's Wicker Man-esque finish.
- Insidious I know I ripped on this film when it first came out, but I've changed my mind. No... not really. After seeing it again however, I really like the film up until the stupid ghost busters show up. So I'm recommending the first half of the film. Then turn it off and go do something useful with your life.
Oops.
Truth be told, it's just too dang difficult to get my arse out to the theaters and see new flicks as they premiere. With two young kids in my house, I'm lucky if I can get to the movies once a month to see the latest singing chipmunk flick.
And so, I'm left with waiting around until Netflix or On Demand can provide me with the movie that everyone was buzzing about.
Five months ago.
So, since I'm finally sort of caught up with what the cool crowd was into, I can now present you with my definitive list of the
BEST HORROR FILMS OF 2011
Wow.. ok... Well, I'd love to to that, but just between you and me, here's the deal.
This year kinda sucked for horror. I mean, really. There was not one single horror movie that really blew me away this year - no Let the Right One In, no The Ring, no The Devil's Backbone. There was some kinda good stuff and lots of not so good stuff. And as usual, the best stuff wasn't even produced by Hollywood.
So, I've had to expand my horizons a bit and open up the list to thrillers, sci-fi and grindhouse movies as well to be able to field a proper team. So here we go:
BEST HORROR/THRILLER/SCI-FI/GRINDHOUSE FILMS OF 2011
I loved the first 2/3rds of this movie but then it kinda fell apart at the end. Too bad.
Do I really need to mention all the gratuitous lens flares that J.J. Abrams has fallen in love with?
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
What I learned from the festival circuit
After more than a year and almost 40 festival screenings, Enter the Dark's World Tour 2010 - 2011 is finally at an end. It's been a great experience and I've learned quite a few things that will help me as I move forward with new projects. I figured I might as well pass along some of these hard-earned nuggets to anyone who dares venture forth into the world of indie filmmaking.
First, in order to keep track of all the festivals I submitted to, I created a big-ole spreadsheet, including festival name, date of upcoming deadline, cost of entry, dates of the festival, location of festival, date when they would notify filmmakers of their decisions, whether I got in or not, and if we won any awards.
From these magic columns I can extrude the following data:
TOTAL SUBMISSIONS: 88
YES: 40
NO: 42
TO BE DETERMINED: 6
Almost a 50% batting average - not too bad. I can tell you this - in the future I would not submit to as many festivals. Since this was my first time, my main goal was getting as much exposure as possible and finding out which festivals were worth the entry fee. Having submitted to that many festivals, I now have a pretty good idea which are the good ones, and which are the shady ones.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Monday, October 17, 2011
Enter the Dark's FREE Online Halloween Premiere
It's been a great run.
My little horror film which started out originally as a simple exercise in micro-budget filmmaking has now played in over 30 film festivals worldwide, garnered 6 awards, and introduced me to a whole new family of horror and indie film enthusiasts.
Along the way, I've traveled with the film from it's premiere in Chicago last year, to screenings in Sacramento and San Francisco. I've made connections with fellow filmmakers and fans that I hope to nurture into collaborators and evangelists for my future work.
As I look back on the past year, it has been much more than I would have hoped. I am deeply grateful for all the help I received along the way - mostly from my tremendous group of friends that just happened to be my cast and crew, and also from the numerous horror fans, bloggers and festival directors that championed our cause.
Heartfelt thanks to all!
And now, as the festivals wind down, in recognition of the great year we've just had, I'd like to offer you something for free...
Yes, that's right kiddos, Enter the Dark will be going live on the big bad worldwide web this Halloween!
See what all the fuss has been about. See why folks much smarter than me have been saying things like:
Halloween - Monday night, Oct. 31, 2011 at 5PM Pacific Time, Enter the Dark will me made available for free for the first time ever on YouTube and Vimeo. And there it shall live - for all to see whenever you dang well please, in the comfort of your very own home. Copy it - send the link around worldwide - make fun of it - argue about it - I don't care, the more the merrier!
So now there's no excuses - you cheappos who won't pony up $1.95 to watch a 30-day stream from IndieFlix. Or you lazy types who couldn't bother to travel to one of the more than 30 festivals worldwide where it has already screened. No, that's fine - just stay right there. Yeah, don't move hardly a muscle - just click your little mousy-thingy and flood your computer with 17 minutes of spooky good times.
Be my guest.
Really.
Did I mention that it will now be FREEEEE!??!?!?
(good - just checking...)
My gift to you.
Enjoy!
Along the way, I've traveled with the film from it's premiere in Chicago last year, to screenings in Sacramento and San Francisco. I've made connections with fellow filmmakers and fans that I hope to nurture into collaborators and evangelists for my future work.
As I look back on the past year, it has been much more than I would have hoped. I am deeply grateful for all the help I received along the way - mostly from my tremendous group of friends that just happened to be my cast and crew, and also from the numerous horror fans, bloggers and festival directors that championed our cause.
Heartfelt thanks to all!
And now, as the festivals wind down, in recognition of the great year we've just had, I'd like to offer you something for free...
Yes, that's right kiddos, Enter the Dark will be going live on the big bad worldwide web this Halloween!
See what all the fuss has been about. See why folks much smarter than me have been saying things like:
…Enter the Dark, ladies and gentlemen, is what independent film making is all about.
The suspense was built up so finely that it almost started making me have a claustrophobic reaction in my room. HORROR SOCIETY
Miro's story works like a good horror tale should, suckering us in with one hand while it's preparing to pop up and scare us with the other. There's a command here that can't be taught, and Miro shows a natural gift for creating tension. FROM MIDNIGHT, WITH LOVE
…a very surreal, scary and realistic depiction of a universal fear that all of us have…
...a sonic achievement of style and horror, but in a very psychological way. SCARY FILM REVIEW
…Enter the Dark proves once again a good ghost story simply needs to put emphasis on the story and not flashy effects or big budgets in order to provide some fun and scares … delivers everything I look for in a horror short. ALL THINGS HORROR
Halloween - Monday night, Oct. 31, 2011 at 5PM Pacific Time, Enter the Dark will me made available for free for the first time ever on YouTube and Vimeo. And there it shall live - for all to see whenever you dang well please, in the comfort of your very own home. Copy it - send the link around worldwide - make fun of it - argue about it - I don't care, the more the merrier!
So now there's no excuses - you cheappos who won't pony up $1.95 to watch a 30-day stream from IndieFlix. Or you lazy types who couldn't bother to travel to one of the more than 30 festivals worldwide where it has already screened. No, that's fine - just stay right there. Yeah, don't move hardly a muscle - just click your little mousy-thingy and flood your computer with 17 minutes of spooky good times.
Be my guest.
Really.
Did I mention that it will now be FREEEEE!??!?!?
(good - just checking...)
My gift to you.
Enjoy!
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Where are the voices of anger?
And throughout all this upheaval, what has the medium of cinema had to say about all this?
I'm waiting...
In the 60's and 70's, the turmoil of society was reflected in its cinema.
Vietnam had fractured the country, but starting with MASH in 1970, filmmakers were already attempting to deal with the horrors of war and its effects on our country.
In 1976, Paddy Chayefsky and Sidney Lumet seemed to speak for a whole nation with their brilliant satire, Network:
 |
| "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore!" |
In the 80's and 90's a new wave if independent cinema burst in the scene.
In 1999 two films, American Beauty and Fight Club presented very different, but uniquely bold, amazing and heartfelt visions of modern-day existential malaise.
And then, it all seemed to stop.
Since Sept 11, 2001 this country has gone through multiple ongoing traumas, yet through it all, the filmmakers of today have been incredibly absent from engaging in an intelligent discourse with society that should be helping us all process an unprecedented amount of conflict, upheaval and crisis:
- coping in a post 9/11 world: terrorism; 2 wars waging for a decade; the loss of basic rights under the Patriot Act.
- economic collapse: massive unemployment; foreclosures.
- environmental calamity: global climate change; industrial pollution and devastating oil spills.
- major shifts in the workplace: outsourcing; longer hours; lower wages; increased productivity at the cost of leisure time; 24/7 intrusion of work into our private lives.
- runaway development of advancing technology that outpaces our ability to understand its effects.
- non-stop consumption of images, data and trivial information, with little to no time to actually process any of it.
- a completely dysfunctional government.
- inequal wealth distribution and a vanishing middle class.
- corruption by wall street and corporate interests.
- a major national shift away from being the world's superpower to just another player.
- a nation of repeated violence and tragedy - mass killings - rampage killings, murder/suicides.
- a mass media that fans the flames of ignorance and hatred.
- an oppressive, permeating undercurrent of paranoia that a nightmare apocalypse is just around the corner - 2012, Doomsday, The End of Times.
What have our current filmmakers had to say about these unprecedented turbulent times? Art can be a crucially important vehicle by which society processes confusing, disruptive and complex new ideas and situations.
While there have been many very good documentaries that have addressed some of these complex issues, I believe that narrative films can do even more to help a society work through its traumas, as cinema works at the subconscious level of myth and archetype.
I can honestly think of only a couple narrative movies that have attempted to deal with any of these issues: the academy award winning The Hurt Locker and the excellent Up in the Air.
I'm still waiting...
I don't necessarily expect Hollywood to be making these kinds of films. It's just not in their nature (or economic interests) to do so. But where the hell are the indie voices of indignation, frustration and revolution?
Television seems to have done somewhat better in this regard. There have been a number of excellent series that have dealt with many of today's pressing issues.
 |
| yes, I know Boardwalk Empire is set in the 20's - it is clearly an allegory for today's corrupt political system and economic disparity |
But Cinema, that great medium of dream and drama, where are you when we need you the most? Please prove me wrong - please present me with challenging, revolutionary ideas and visions that reflect our troubled times. Please shock me with outrageous dramatic representations of war, political corruption, economic upheaval and personal tragedy.
And then please give me stories of hope, compassion and humanities' capacity to do good.
Please tell me it's going to be okay.
So I can sleep at night.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Enter the Dark summer updates
So, it's been a while since I posted about my little bundle of cinematic chills - or about anything for that matter. Seems like "real life" has been taking most of my time lately. My day job as freelance video editor has finally picked up again and since I've been quite slow the past two years, it's been time to simply bear down and bank some coin.
This is good since it means I can continue to do the little things like pay my mortgage and keep our house. But it's also quite draining so there's been little time for much else.
However, the 2011 Enter the Dark World Tour continues with or without me! It's been doing tremendously, making the rounds and picking up awards along the way. Here's some spots our short film has screened since last we met:
- Seattle True Independent Film Festival
- Fright Night Film Fest - Louisville, KY
- Pittsburgh Horror Film Fest
- Motor City Nightmares - Michigan
- Tumbleweed Film Festival - Washington
- Action On Film International Film Festival - Pasadena
In addition, we will be screening at a number of upcoming festivals:
Tuesday, Aug 23, 4pm - Abington Theater, NYC
Friday, Sept 2, 10pm - Atlanta, Georgia
Sept. 8 -17 - Toronto, Ontario
Thursday, Sept 15, 10:30pm - Atlanta Georgia
Friday, Sept 23, 11pm - Tulsa, Oklahoma
Saturday, Oct 29 - Baton Rouge, Louisiana
If you're within spittin' distance of any of these events, please come on out and show your support!
We were also fortunate to have won a few awards, so I now have a growing collection of sharp-edged acrylic monoliths and other cool momentos:
Best Horror Short - Indie Spirit Film Festival:
Best Short Thriller - Bare Bones Film Festival:
Best Scare - Famous Monsters of Filmland Imagi-Movies:
 |
| Now that's really cool - I got a BANNER for that baby! |
Best Paranormal Short - Fear Fete Horror Film Festival:
 | ||
| Now I haven't actually received this lil' shirt-ripping dude yet, but I hope they'll send me one. How sweet is that! |
In June we also screened in my neck of the woods at Another Hole in the Head Film Fest at the Roxie in San Francisco. This was especially rewarding as I attended film school at S.F. State, so it felt like a homecoming celebration for film finals. Most of the cast and crew (as well as many friends and family) were able to attend the screenings, and actor Charles Yoakum and I were able to do a Q&A session afterwards. All in all, a tremendous time and one of those moments that makes it all worthwhile.
 |
| Outside the Roxie with Alaina Yoakum (Charles' wife) and hey, there's my dad too on the right! |
 |
| Yep, that's me with Kristin Nelder - Assistant Camera, Gaffer, and all-around great person. |
 |
| Charles and I gabbin' it up. |
As Enter the Dark nears the end of it's festival run, I am starting to gather the inspiration for the next short film. Once I get a little downtime, I'll jump on that baby and hopefully start shooting spring of 2012. Can't talk much about that one yet, but I'll leave you with this little visual nugget to chew on:
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Everything is Possible but Nothing is Real
So I was in Vegas recently, and while I was there I was stopped not once, but twice by strangers who wanted to comment on the shirt I was wearing. I happened to be sporting my Black Country Communion t-shirt.
Who are Black Country Communion you say?
Shame... Shame on you for not knowing. Well, actually it's not that surprising.
Black Country Communion
are a super-group of sorts, fronted by Joe Bonamassa
, who just happens to be the best blues-rock guitarist on the planet. It also includes industry stalwarts Jason Bonham (yes, son of the GREAT John Bonham, Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple, Black Sabbath), and Derek Sherinian (Dream Theater). Not that you should actually care or anything, but they happen to be making the best true rock sounds since Bad Company
and Led Zeppelin
.
But that's not the point.
The point is that while talking with one of the folks who felt the need to comment on my shirt (a drummer who supposedly knew Joe B. when he was just a wee lad), he made the comment, "Man, it's too bad he can't make it in the music scene today..." I said, "What do you mean - he HAS made it."
The rules of success in the music industry have just radically changed from where they were twenty years ago or so.
Joe Bonamassa has a loyal following who buy all his records. He tours all over the world. He even got to play with Eric Clapton at the Royal Albert Hall. That's success in today's music biz. Is he a household name? No, but he's not a 15-year old pop star kid either. The music biz is now even more divided between the 5 or 6 mega stars who are heavily marketed (Lady Gaga, Black Eyed Peas, Justin Bieber, etc.), and everyone else. It used to be you made money off sales of your CDs, but that's long gone. Now the CD (er... digital download I mean) is a loss-leader just to get people excited about your live shows. Cashflow is based mostly on ticket sales and merchandising revenue.
The time when an artist could make a living off the intellectual property of their art may be coming to an end. And it's all your fault.
Yep, it's your dang fault for having an insatiable need to consume music and movies and not want to pay anything for them. Once something can be digitized and transmitted as zeroes and ones on the net, it inevitably spirals down to a value of zero. Folks just don't wanna pay if they don't have to.
And this is the sad future for filmmakers as well.
Thanks to Netflix, the assumption is that at any time I can click on a box and instantly watch great entertainment in the comfort of my home. For free. Or nearly free. As a consumer, this is amazing. As a film buff I can now watch all sorts of titles I never would have been exposed to before. I know so many more directors and their visions. But are those filmmakers, really being compensated for all this?
Not really.
The indie film I edited and co-produced, The Commune, was offered a deal by Netflix for their Watch Instantly streaming service. Do you know what they offered us?
$7500.
And that was before the distributor took their 30% cut.
So, let's see, our meager budget was under $100,000. Hardly anyone got paid. And now, Netflix wants to own it and allow anyone in the world to watch it for free in the comfort of their own home. And for all that, we'll be compensated around $5000.
Now I'm not knocking 5 grand. Hey, that's better than nothing. Many filmmakers would love to be offered a Netflix deal.
But, do the math. It's not rocket science. There is no sustainable business model there.
Now, musicians have a way to get around this dilemma. They no longer expect to make money off their art. They can make money off their live performances. And so now they are always on the road - like a hamster on a treadmill - keeping the machine running.
But filmmakers don't have this revenue stream. We don't get paid for live performances. Our films are our live performances. Unless you're Kevin Smith, no one really gives a s#!+ about hearing or seeing the director - they just wanna see the movie.
So how will the indie filmmaker survive in this climate?
I don't know. I really can't see it.
The only business model I can see working is to crowd-source the funding of your film. Spread the risk. Let your true fans feel like they are part of the process. Set up a kickstarter campaign and raise just enough money to hopefully cover costs. Maybe pad it a little so you can actually pay your rent while making the film. Then at least any scraps of revenue that are generated will be profit.
Do not go into debt and take out a mortgage on your home to make your next indie feature film kiddos. It ain't worth it.
Welcome to the future. Everything is possible but nothing is real.*
*(Living Colour - Type)
Who are Black Country Communion you say?
Shame... Shame on you for not knowing. Well, actually it's not that surprising.
are a super-group of sorts, fronted by Joe Bonamassa, who just happens to be the best blues-rock guitarist on the planet. It also includes industry stalwarts Jason Bonham (yes, son of the GREAT John Bonham, Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple, Black Sabbath), and Derek Sherinian (Dream Theater). Not that you should actually care or anything, but they happen to be making the best true rock sounds since Bad Company and Led Zeppelin.
But that's not the point.
The point is that while talking with one of the folks who felt the need to comment on my shirt (a drummer who supposedly knew Joe B. when he was just a wee lad), he made the comment, "Man, it's too bad he can't make it in the music scene today..." I said, "What do you mean - he HAS made it."
The rules of success in the music industry have just radically changed from where they were twenty years ago or so.
Joe Bonamassa has a loyal following who buy all his records. He tours all over the world. He even got to play with Eric Clapton at the Royal Albert Hall. That's success in today's music biz. Is he a household name? No, but he's not a 15-year old pop star kid either. The music biz is now even more divided between the 5 or 6 mega stars who are heavily marketed (Lady Gaga, Black Eyed Peas, Justin Bieber, etc.), and everyone else. It used to be you made money off sales of your CDs, but that's long gone. Now the CD (er... digital download I mean) is a loss-leader just to get people excited about your live shows. Cashflow is based mostly on ticket sales and merchandising revenue.
The time when an artist could make a living off the intellectual property of their art may be coming to an end. And it's all your fault.
Yep, it's your dang fault for having an insatiable need to consume music and movies and not want to pay anything for them. Once something can be digitized and transmitted as zeroes and ones on the net, it inevitably spirals down to a value of zero. Folks just don't wanna pay if they don't have to.
And this is the sad future for filmmakers as well.
Thanks to Netflix, the assumption is that at any time I can click on a box and instantly watch great entertainment in the comfort of my home. For free. Or nearly free. As a consumer, this is amazing. As a film buff I can now watch all sorts of titles I never would have been exposed to before. I know so many more directors and their visions. But are those filmmakers, really being compensated for all this?
Not really.
The indie film I edited and co-produced, The Commune, was offered a deal by Netflix for their Watch Instantly streaming service. Do you know what they offered us?
$7500.
And that was before the distributor took their 30% cut.
So, let's see, our meager budget was under $100,000. Hardly anyone got paid. And now, Netflix wants to own it and allow anyone in the world to watch it for free in the comfort of their own home. And for all that, we'll be compensated around $5000.
Now I'm not knocking 5 grand. Hey, that's better than nothing. Many filmmakers would love to be offered a Netflix deal.
But, do the math. It's not rocket science. There is no sustainable business model there.
Now, musicians have a way to get around this dilemma. They no longer expect to make money off their art. They can make money off their live performances. And so now they are always on the road - like a hamster on a treadmill - keeping the machine running.
 |
| Live to rock and rock to live! |
But filmmakers don't have this revenue stream. We don't get paid for live performances. Our films are our live performances. Unless you're Kevin Smith, no one really gives a s#!+ about hearing or seeing the director - they just wanna see the movie.
So how will the indie filmmaker survive in this climate?
I don't know. I really can't see it.
The only business model I can see working is to crowd-source the funding of your film. Spread the risk. Let your true fans feel like they are part of the process. Set up a kickstarter campaign and raise just enough money to hopefully cover costs. Maybe pad it a little so you can actually pay your rent while making the film. Then at least any scraps of revenue that are generated will be profit.
Do not go into debt and take out a mortgage on your home to make your next indie feature film kiddos. It ain't worth it.
Welcome to the future. Everything is possible but nothing is real.*
*(Living Colour - Type)
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, The Commune tells a tale of entrapment, sacrifice and familial dysfunction. It premiered at Dances With Films Film Festival and has received multiple awards.
