90s Movie Making Memories

This past week's module got me thinking of what making movies used to be like for me. Here's a piece I wrote a while back this year about those times. Enjoy.

When you start rummaging through boxes in the basement, you know you’re going to find memories. You’re just not sure what kind of memories. Mostly good ones, I suppose.

MXLLS
​​The photo you see (recently placed on Instagram by yours truly) is a stack of HI-8 tapes with various, as they call it today, forms of content that I was part of back in the 90s. Remember the 90s. It seems so long ago and when I look at the calendar, it feels even longer.

I have different memories from all those Hi-8 tapes and they’re all enjoyable. Just a bunch of naïve 20-somethings thinking they were the next coming of Kevin Smith or Richard Linklater. And if you’ve seen any of the content on those tapes, you’d soon realize that they were not.

No. You can’t watch it.

Who could forget “Grievances Foregone”, the most pretentious title ever put to a Hi-8 tape. That is until the sequel, “Retribution” was concocted and subsequently attempted. Truthfully, I’m hazy if we even finished “Retribution” or even it was actually the sequel or first movie. I don’t have the emotional strength to watch it and find out.

No. You can’t watch it.

The rest of the titles are skit shows we used to do. Just quick comedic bits that, as I think back are probably mildly offensive on many levels. Oh, to be young.

You can’t ever go back and sometimes your old content reminds you just how far (hopefully) you have come. For a while, amongst our friends, we were known for the Santa skit. Thankfully, that subsided. I hope.

No. You can’t watch it.

We had fun. We learned some things. No matter the size or the professional level of the production, if you’re genuine in your intent you’ll always grow as an artist.

I should also note that “Kissery” was written and directed by my friend. We all loved Misery and we knew someone that loved the band Kiss. Put your hands together and you got that fourth tape down from the top.

No. You can’t watch it. (You saw that ending coming, didn’t you?)

 

Module 11 Thought - Just One

I wanted to piggy-back on a section of the module that dealt with the visual over the written. Clearly, you've guessed by now, that I enjoy a great story. Movies have been part of my life for quite some time.

I wish I could tell you I remember seeing Star Wars in the theater, but I was 2 years-old and apparently I spent most of it in the lobby crying. I do have countless other memories associated with the movies and storytelling.

I discovered Spielberg in the mid-80s while watching "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" one night on HBO and loving it, only to find out that there was a first movie. "What?! What's it called?!"

I cheered loudly from the front rows in the theater with my cousin while watching "Total Recall". The house was packed and we all loved watching Arnie dispatch his so-called friends be the stairs as they tried to ambush him.

My first day working as an usher at the local movie theater was the opening weekend of "In the Line of Fire" and "Interview With A Vampire" and it was crazy, especially when the cos-play people showed up dressed like vampires.

Belaboring the point is that I clearly have seen quite a bit. Bad and Good. One of my favorite moments in cinema comes from the movie "L.A. Confidential". If you haven't seen it, please do. It's great.

There's a moment in the movie when one of our leads, Ed Exley (Guy Pearce) is telling the story of why he wanted to be a cop to fellow detective, Jack Vincennes (Kevin Spacey). Vincennes is an officer who prefers to moonlight as a police consultant with Hollywood. Vincennes like the easy life and is often considered less-than by many of his fellow officers.

Exley tells Vincennes the story of Rollo Tomasi who had murdered Exley's father. Exley's dad was a cop, but at the time he was off-duty when Tomasi killed him. The story is not the moment and I won't ruin the dialogue for you, if you haven't seen it.

The moment is when Exley asks Vincennes why he became a cop and Vincennes freezes. Spacey plays the moment brilliantly as he searches for the answer to the question and you realize that Vincennes has been lost this whole time. He comes back with a line: "I don't remember", but he doesn't even need to say it. We already know this.

No dialogue could've explained the backstory of Jack Vincennes better than those few seconds of Jack searching for the answer to that question. It's always the example I think of when people talk about "show, don't tell" in writing.

If you're interested in re-living the scene: See below.

Indie Film Cycle Script

I was going to copy and paste the script, but the formatting was terrible. Then I was going to offer the .pdf version, but...you can't offer any kind of downloads with blogger.

So I did some screen shots of the script and dropped them below. They are in order. Enjoy!

It's a script highlighting how the impetus to create stories all begins. For myself, it wasn't exactly like this situation. But a gradual realization that I wanted to make movies. Enjoy!

Indie Film Cycle - By Alex Faison

 

Web Series or Short Film - Inforgraphic

If you're trying to decide whether a short film or web series would fit your next production best, take a look at possible thoughts you might be having and how they relate to whether you're leaning towards a web series or a short film.

Mod 9&10 Thoughts - Crowdfunding

I have a love-hate relationship with crowdfunding. I hate having to promote myself, but I know it's necessary. I hate having to beg for money, but I know it's not really begging. In a perfect world, the door will open and someone, not my parents, will enter who believes in me and supports me financially in all my decisions.

The perfect world metaphor is overplayed, but it fits.

We used crowdfunding for my latest project: A web series about life as a 30 year-old - the time when we're supposed to be adults, but don't know how to be adults. The first season is 6 episodes, 15 pages an episode. We were in talks with a producer and that fizzled out, so we looked to crowdfunding as a source. The team behind the show was optimistic. I was not. I knew the struggles with crowdfunding from the countless stories I'd hear from fellow filmmakers.

These are productions with people, both in front of and behind the camera, that have significant credits under their name. If they couldn't wrangle enough money for their productions, then I didn't hold out hope for us. Don't misinterpret realism for defeatism. No one, including me, is a bankable talent. We just don't have enough credits at this time in any of our careers.

Our goal was the first season of the series and we asked for 50K. I knew we wouldn't get this. We weren't ready. We weren't prepared. Our perks weren't perky enough. The effort was there. What we were offering in return for funding wasn't enough. Again, my colleagues were hopeful, so we pushed forward.

One of the necessary components of crowdfunding is a consistent social media presence throughout the campaign. You need to be posting every day, multiple times a day through any and every social media portal. We did this, but when Facebook primarily consists of your friends and family and often times the two interchange with your production team, you're not reaching a whole lot of people. We did what we could on Twitter and Instagram, but still, it wasn't enough.

Out of our asking amount of 50K, we raised 2K. We used Indiegogo. They give you the option of flexible funding (for a fee). That allows you to keep anything you raise, even if you don't meet the goal. Kickstarter is all or nothing. You make your stated goal or you go home empty handed.

We took the 2K and shot several commercials and a pilot episode. The pilot takes place prior to the events of the first season. An introduction to the characters and a chance to create a content was what crowdfunding afforded our project. To me, that's a success. We would've still been talking about making our show if we never tried crowdfunding. We may have raised only 4% of our goal, but it was 4% more than we had at the time.

Speech Transcript and Video

Here's the video.

Here's the transcript:

Indie film is excitement. Indie film is energy.        It’s filmmakers, young and old, looking to tell their story, but many lack the tools and skills needed to make their films a reality.

IndieMaker will change that.

IndieMaker is an app-based product with a website element that will create a digital landing spot for indie filmmakers. IndieMaker will feature a variety of options for the new filmmaker such as:

Videos and How-To posts on different aspects of production, such as lighting techniques, low-budget special effects, finding the perfect location and much more.

Blog posts from other filmmakers on their experiences shooting their first features and the lessons they learned.

And a chance to connect with filmmakers from across the globe.

In the beginning, these posts will be a mixture of aggregated content and IndieMaker exclusives until finally shifting to all content on the app being provided by IndieMaker’s community of filmmakers.

“A strong and enthusiastic niche audience can push a topic into mainstream consciousness with speed and force.” - Rachel Sklar.

Indie film is the niche audience of the film industry. IndieMaker is that push.

The Indie App - Executive Summary

The world of independent cinema is vast. It is filled with creative hopefuls looking to share their stories with the world, but for many of these filmmakers they lack the tools and knowledge to make it happen. Having funding is one thing, but knowing how to spend that money is a different issue. The Indie App provides tips, tricks and information for all levels of independent filmmakers to help make their productions successful.

The first steps is creation of the app and the blog, which will require a small level of funding. this can be achieved by approaching several private investors in the filmmaking world. Other like-minded filmmakers looking to give back to their community. A crowd-funding campaign would begin to not only raise a small amount of capital, but gauge the interest level of our idea.

The difference from our app/blog and others is that it will be filmmaker focused. For filmmakers, by filmmakers. A blog component will include stories from other indie filmmakers. What they have learned on and off set. Problems they have encountered and their solutions. The indie filmmaker learns by doing and now they can learn by the experience of others.

Module 8 Thoughts and Tangents

I meet countless people who tell me an "idea for a story" that they think would be great as a book, movie, TV show, etc. And my response is always. "Great. Write it."

I never read it. It never arrives. Everyone has great ideas. As the professor states, "The execution of the idea is what matters."

@xamill mentioned last week about his doubts of having an original idea and I know the professor's recent email referenced the idea of doubt. There should be no doubt, any idea we come up with has already been thought of by someone else. A large majority of films released by studios are not brand new. Remakes, reboots, re-imaginings and adaptations flood the market each year.

The reboot of Ghostbusters is this weekend. Even in the face of countless people crying about an all-female cast or how they're childhood is being ruined by Hollywood remaking classics, that didn't stop Columbia Pictures from moving forward the production. Why should we let it bother any of us?

I'm not suggesting we rip-off other people's ideas, but it shouldn't stop us from coming up with any ideas. If we were thinking about stealing ideas, I've wanted to do a reboot of Monster Squad for quite some time and I'm definitely on board with that.

The other aspect of the lecture that I wanted to comment on was the brainstorming session and the idea of a system of creativity. I always shy away from "How-To" books on writing. Stephen King's book, "On Writing", was great because it wasn't telling me how to write. It was just showing me how King does it and what he's learned. Most books lay out rules and expect you to follow them. I hate that thinking.

Creativity should be unencumbered. There should be no harness for creating an idea. The execution of that idea, however, does need a guiding hand.

When I started writing and directing, it was little skit shows with my friends. It was fun. We had a great time with it. But soon, I wanted more.

I wanted to keep doing it so we started a production company, but it's more accurate to call it a collective. There were five of us. We'd get together and plan out what we wanted to do as a production. Initially, we were all writing and directing commercials for the company. We shot five commercials. I wrote and directed three of them.

Clearly, I was the leader in the room. I was the one steering the ship, not because I demanded it, but because I was passionate about making it happen. I pushed my friends to write, to direct, to edit. I pushed myself as well. This isn't to say my friends were less-than in any regards to me. I was pushy and probably a jerk. Is that why they don't talk to me anymore? (Just a joke. We all still talk)

I don't know if any of the commercials, short films, and eventual feature we ended up putting together before disbanding the collective would've ever been completed if there wasn't a guiding hand. Even if it wasn't me. If one of my friends took control and pushed us down a certain path. Would we have made the same content? Would we still be making content together to this day? That's probably a different discussion and class for that thinking.

It's having no doubt that allows us to be creative. It's the lack of focus that promotes creativity. It's focus that leads to execution. It'll be my complete lack of reason that will get the remake of "The Monster Squad" off the ground.

Tips, Tricks and Truths...Oh My. - Indie App Elevator Pitch

The first thing I ever shot, I had no idea how to work the camera. I figured it out, obviously. But that was a VHS-C Standard-definition handheld camera. (Yes, it sounds as awful as it sounds) These days, digital cameras are amazing. The world of digital filmmaking is vast. But there's no quick, at-your-fingertips guide at the ready in case a filmmaker has a problem on set.

The Indie App (and website) is there for the modern filmmaker. Tips on how to shoot with low light. Tricks about homemade fake blood. Facts that can help the low-budget modern filmmaker survive their film shoot without breaking their checking account.

Quick. Easy to use. Available on all smart phones. The Indie App is essential for every filmmaker looking to find a less expensive way to create their masterpiece.

Indie Blog - Elevator Pitch

Planning a film shoot? Looking for a location? Setting up a scene? These questions are always followed by other questions, concerns, worries and the inevitable...unseen problems. The ones you don't think about. But you're not alone. You have decades of people before you who have experienced what you're experiencing. Filmmaking. Indie filmmaking. Low-budget, no-time, not-enough-people filmmaking.

What do you do? Where do you find the answers to your questions? Where do you seek out a soothing voice to calm your worries?

The Indie Blog is there for you. Filmmakers from around the world share their first-production experiences. Some funny, some serious, but all poignant. Read about the missteps and successes. The choices other filmmakers made that could help you in your future endeavor of telling your story.

Remember. We're all in this together. Let those who've been in your shoes help you.

Everyone Wants to Be a Director

One of the first things I learned when being a indie filmmaker was that everyone on your set wants to be in charge. Everyone thinks they can do a better job than you. Everyone wants to be a director. It is hyperbole and no, not everyone is conniving behind your back while you're setting up a shot. But they all have opinions.

Every director is different. They all have different philosophies on directing and shockingly, some directors have no idea what they're doing. The way I direct is simple. Whatever is the best choice in service of the story. Going into productions, there are conversations about the look of a movie and that's in service of the story. If I'm shooting a film noir, I'm not going to suddenly have a scene lit like we're in a romantic-comedy.

Even if I've pre-determined my scene, shot selection and style ahead of time, I shouldn't be closed off to the opportunity for a better choice. I don't have all the right answers. No one does. Not even Hitchcock.

As much as I'm open to that. As much as I try to take care of my crew, that phrase always surfaces "Everyone wants to be a director," because there's always one person who thinks I'm doing it wrong.

My first short film was called "The Thing in the Cellar". It was based on a campfire story I heard many times as a cub scout. We shot over one weekend at my house. I paid no one. I couldn't and we were in our early twenties, so everyone was there because we all wanted to make movies. The short required a creature for the ending and since homemade CGI was not an option and I love practical effects, we opted for a creature to be made for us by a local artist.

I knew this person, let's call him Jim, through my best friend. Jim was going to make us a creature that would be "awesome" and he'd design this contraption to pour blood from its mouth when it took a bite out of our lead actor. Of course, this was going to cost money. And I was good with that. This was for the last shot of the movie and it was a reveal, so if there was a time to pay, this was it. Jim said he needed $450 and I agreed.

What I got was a hand-puppet. Now, I'm not saying some kind of effort and hard work went into this hand puppet, but not $450. The promised blood contraption was a plastic squeeze bottle and a tube. On screen, it looked like a hand puppet and that squeeze bottle and tube delayed the shot for an hour because it wasn't performing as it was meant to do. You know, pour blood out of a mouth. We had to take the bottle and tube and place it under our actor's shirt instead.

There was nothing I could do. I paid for it. It was all we had, so we shot it. Hey, live and learn. The production ends. I thank everyone and a week goes by. The puppet is at my house. I paid $450 for it, so it was mine.

But wait...

Two things happened next. I'm talking with one of my other friends, Kevin, and he tells me a story about the shoot. While I was in my basement setting up a shot, Jim was outside complaining about me. I wasn't choosing the right shots, I didn't know how to direct the actors, I should be getting different angles. Jim. The only one making money from this short. Complaining.

Everyone wants to be a director.

The 2nd thing that happened was that Jim called my best friend and asked for the puppet back, since he put so much hard work into it. $450 of work? I'd like to suggest that I took the high road here and handed it over without incident, but again, I was in my early twenties. The puppet may have gotten kicked around my lawn a few times.

$450 worth of kicks.

My Publishing Plan

My article deals with the decision most modern filmmakers are faced with these days in this digital landscape - Do I shoot a web series or a short film?

Each has their own advantages and disadvantages, but I'll leave that for the article.

My publishing plan would be for an on-line source. Most people thinking about creating a web series are working in the digital field, so they would find this article easier on-line.

Some publications I would approach could be:

Filmmaker Magazine - This site is a bit high-brow, so I would have to tailor the article a bit. Maybe leave out the familiarity-like way I write. A bit more formal, perhaps. (not like that last sentence)

IndieWire or IndieSlate - I grouped these two publications together because they are basically the same type of magazine. Their articles seem to be more towards indie film (feature), but that doesn't mean their readers are not dealing with the same questions my article would address.

IndieFilmNYC - Full disclosure. I know the editor and have written for this site before. So there's a good chance I could get the article on the site. I'm really not bragging because the article needs work, but the subject matter falls right in line with what IndieFilmNYC is trying to do.

There are countless other e-zines I could approach. This topic is one, I know, filmmakers think about constantly and it would be extremely useful with their decision on which way to turn - web series or short film. But something else happened as I wrote this article. I imagined it not as just an article, but a series of them. I grouped different aspects of creating the content in the article, but I could easily branch off from there and create articles for each topic.

Not sure how to pitch a series to an e-zine since it's not just one piece being published. How would you pitch that to a publication that you've never written for before?

Self-Evaluation

The subject of independent film is one I know well. I cut my teeth on indie film in the late 80s/early 90s when it was all the rage, before the studios gobbled up the indie houses and gentrified the entire indie film scene. I discovered a love of cinema with Richard Linklater ("Slacker", "Dazed and Confused"), Kevin Smith ("Clerks", "Chasing Amy"), Quentin Tarantino ("Reservoir Dogs", "Pulp Fiction"), Robert Rodriquez ("El Mariachi", "Desperado"), Steven Soderbergh ("Sex, Lies and Videotape"),  John Dahl ("Red Rock West", "The Last Seduction"). I could go on and on. I've watched so much.

That love of indie film evolved into a desire to create my own stories. I've written countless scripts, short and feature length, and I've directed a small fraction of those stories. I've worked with wonderful people and not-so-wonderful people. I've rode the roller-coaster of indie productions and lived to tell the tale. Throughout this time, I was always the one leading the charge. Out of all my friends and fellow filmmakers, I was the voice that urged us all forward. This isn't a boastful statement, merely an accurate account of my experiences in indie film.

The one aspect I've always felt I missed out on was having a mentor. Someone to guide me through the pitfalls. Someone to help me find my way to the career I desired. Someone to push me. Someone to feed my passion. Someone to feed the right wolf.

I chose indie film because I've learned a few things along the way and maybe my articles and thoughts could serve as a mentorship tool for those young filmmakers looking to tell stories. Perhaps I can fill the void that was in my early life for others.

The articles I've written have touched upon different aspects of indie film from story creation (Do Not Manufacture Story) to the technical with How to Paint a Green Screen. But it's not limited to just making indie movies. I like the idea of shaping the way people watch movies.

The audience approaches a new movie with a sense of "been there, done that." We're not surprised anymore by storylines, plot points or style. That doesn't mean these things don't exist on an elite level. It's important to understand why a movie doesn't work or why it does work. Sure, this is a subjective field and not everything pleases everyone, but there are multiple reasons why movies don't work. I explored this with Stop Blaming Actors which explains that bad acting doesn't necessarily mean we're watching a bad actor.

My voice is pretty strong in this field, but it still needs strengthening and focus. I've always written articles in the past about indie film, but they were for my personal blog. I've never been paid to write these articles. The second half of #506iv intrigues me. Perhaps I've experienced some of the information heading our way, but understanding it and using to my advantage is probably where I'm lacking. I've never been very good at pitch meetings. I have great difficulty with boiling down a script to three lines. The creation of a story or article is one thing. It's the mechanics of the business that I have difficulty navigating. Can't wait to start.