The Hollywood Complex

I watched a documentary the other night called The Hollywood Complex which is about the migration of hopeful child actors to LA for pilot season. It focuses on a few families who have come seeking fame and fortune and stay in an apartment complex that caters to those who are looking for their big break.
We see these young folks as they attend classes and seminars, go on auditions, and deal with the cruel business that preys upon the hopeful.
As a filmmaker I've worked with kids before. More than a few times. Each time I try and do my best to make the experience a fun one. I look out for them. Everyone on my crew does. The thought of them heading out to Los Angeles and being taken advantage of make me angry.
Another part of the flick that annoyed the heck out of me was a guy who was leading a seminar told the kids and their parents not to do student or indie films. Why? Cause they wouldn't make money that way. For me that's a terrible thing to instill in them. While most indie and student films don't pay their actor what the talent does get is experience.
Knowing how a set works and how to work under pressure is something anyone who wants to be an actor needs to learn. It will help build the confidence needed for those jobs that someone is laying money down for. Being confident is something I look for when in the audition process.
Of course I also really enjoy giving someone a chance who may not have had one in the past. You may not have a ton of lines or be the star but I will get you in the flick somehow just so that you can get a chance to work on a set and really find out if it's something you would like to do.
It's a good documentary that I think anyone who is thinking of getting into the acting game should watch especially if you are a kid or have kids who want to act. Be smart and aware that the road is not an easy one and there are trolls under every bridge.

See the film now on Netflix Instant Watch.

The first time I sat down at a make shift editing station set up in my living room to edit my first film on my own I had no idea that it was going to begin a career. Since that project I have edited all my own projects. I've even moved out of the living room into the spare bedroom after turning it into my office.

It was that first time though that I was thinking about while driving home from seeing a movie and a song came over the radio that triggered all sorts of memories. I listened to that song over and over again while editing that film and it now sends me back in time to recall all the fun of that edit even with the many issues that popped up while cutting.

One of the first things you learn when making a film is that just because something sounds good on the page it doesn't mean it's going to work coming out of someones mouth. A line that killed when you were writing it causes people to giggle when spoken out loud by the actor. There were a ton of those kinds of lines in this flick and most of them were coming from the same character. What resulted was the need to cut our about half the lines of that character. Surprisingly it didn't harm the storytelling but there was a short period of time when I really didn't know what to do with all that dialogue that just wasn't cutting it.

I'll be honest. It's not my favorite project I've made. It's hard for me to look past all the mistakes I made. I give myself a little break due to the fact it was my first attempt at doing something substantial but it was definitely an eye opener that pushed me to do better the next time. It seems each project I do has a little bit of that push as well. Each time I try and make sure I'm doing something challenging to make sure I never get stagnant. I think that is the problem with a lot of filmmakers in the DIY scene. They figure they can be lazy since they aren't a studio production. Good enough is good enough for them.

For me it's not good enough. I kick myself every time I start thinking that something is "good enough". Ever since I sat and watched that first project play out and I started making the list in my mind of things I should have done better I've always pushed myself to do better each time I set out to do another project. So far I think I've done a good job of delivering better each time but that doesn't mean that I can stop. It just means I need to once again truthfully evaluate my work and ask the same old question of myself.

"Now what can I do to make this better?" 

Busy. That's what I've been for the last few months. Projects have been building up as well as real world issues such as family, jobs, fun, etc. Now that the first month of 2012 has come and gone it's time to take stock in what I've managed to stir up this year so far...
I'm currently in production on a project that just might make us a little money in the next few months so that's always a good thing. It's a ton of work though and is taking up a ton of my time making it near impossible to get anything done on my own personal projects. Hopefully it will slow down soon and I can make some headway.
In a couple weeks I'll be working with another band of local filmmakers on one of their projects. It's going to be a few days of shooting and then a bit of editing. I'm looking forward to jumping back into a narrative project especially with these guys as it's always fun and professional. They are also very good at making those working on their projects feel like it's ours as well.
I'm getting the final bits put together on the documentary I filmed last summer. While the turn around time has been way longer than I would have liked I feel it's been one of my favorite projects to work on. Not only did I learn a lot about a style of film I love but I also made a couple friends in the process.
Along with some freelance vid work here and there I think I've done a good job at keeping busy so far.

Hopefully I'll get more time to write on this thing as well. 

Making Real Movies

I heard someone say tonight that they were working towards making real movies. This statement was said in comparison to films made here locally. So according to this person there are real movies and then there are the ones that people like I make. That annoyed me. Especially since the apparent determining value for this person of what makes a movie a "real movie" is the amount of money that goes into making it.
I argue that any story put to film is a real movie. It doesn't matter if the thing cost you a few bucks or no bucks... it's a real movie. Don't let anyone tell you any different.  Don't let someone downgrade the hard work you and others put into telling your story.

Competition

In the world of film making there is competition. There really isn't a way to get away from it. Some competition is good for you. It causes you to want to do better each time you get behind the camera. You can't rest on your "good enough" as there is always going to be someone out there who is pushing to make a better film than the last one he made and you don't want to get left behind.
What we don't need is the kind of competition that results in back stabbing, name calling, manipulation, and flat out lying. This does nothing but breed a culture of weakness. We should not tear down others to make us feel stronger. We should challenge ourselves to actually BE stronger.
The best way is to focus on your own work. Don't bother yourself with what everyone else is doing. If you are then your attention is leaving your own work and causing it to suffer. Do your best and learn from any mistakes that may arise.
In a small film making community that I am in the best thing for it is for there to be as many good film makers as possible. One person can't support the community. The more great films coming out the area the more people of the community will take notice of what we're doing and treat us like a viable source of entertainment apart from the films Hollywood is pumping out.
It's not a life or death battle for king of the mountain. It's telling stories that might connect with others. Let's focus on that. 

Lack of Support

Most folks don't understand when I tell them that I am a filmmaker. I get quizzical looks and then the usual question.

"What does that mean?"

It means that I make films. While a lot of my work consists of weddings, commercials, promo videos, and web vids I also spend my time making narrative films. When I'm not shooting them I'm thinking about them, writing them, planning to shoot them, and talking about them. I have stories that I'm trying to tell and the medium I'm using is film.
People don't understand that I can do this without being in Hollywood. That I am able to do this in my town with very little money is really hard for them to understand. I think this is why people don't take the time to help support the local filmmaker. It's because they don't understand.
Indie and local film making is very different from big budget films. A studio will make a flick for millions of dollars and then spend nearly as much as the film cost to make putting it out in front of the public eye in the form of commercials and posters. We don't have that kind of money. We rely on word of mouth for the most part. Friends telling friends. When our own friends won't spread the word it kills a lot of momentum for our films to get out there. I don't think they do it on purpose it's just that they aren't used to having to spread the word about movies. They are used to letting the studio do all the work and for us poor local filmmakers that just isn't gonna work.
It takes everyone telling everyone to get these films out to the people. If a local filmmaker asks you to help out then I beg you to do your part. Even if the film isn't your cup of tea let it be known that this form of film making is out there and let people decide if it's for them or not. I also encourage discussion about the films. If there is something that doesn't work for you speak up and lets discuss it. Don't bash the film but come at it with a reasonable argument and lets chat. That's part of the fun about making the films. I want to hear what you honestly think. Who knows... you may change my mind on things and the next film will be that much better.
In the end it comes down to keeping the film out there. If it's sent to you then share it. Don't let the film stop on your doorstep and think that you don't need to help because someone else will probably do it. Support the local artists. Tell people.

Halloween Horror Triple Feature: The Aftermath

The premier came and went and in the end it was all worth it. We showed three of our short films to a crowd of folks at UNR and received some really good feedback that didn't feel like lip service. If you can't be honest with me about what you thought about the films then you aren't being helpful in the long run. Filmmakers need to hear what people think so they can adjust how they approach things the next time around. I'm not saying I'm going to do everything people tell me but I will consider what folks say.
We didn't have any technical issues which was a big load off my shoulders. The last time I saw movies in this room everything went wonky and the evening dragged a little because of it. Every film played perfectly and it all looked pretty cool on the big screen in front of an audience. There is no reason to make the films if they aren't going to be seen by the public.
Each one of the films were applauded and I heard people talking about them in a positive light after the screening. This is always a cool thing to over hear as they aren't talking to me about how they thought the film was which sometimes hampers the ability to get a good idea about what people really thought.
After the screenings we had a Q&A moderated by a fellow filmmaker from the area, David McDowell, and we had a great time on stage and were asked some really good questions by the crowd. It was fun talking about local film making with folks and they all seemed to be interested in learning more about the areas film scene.
One guy I met was from the campus film club and as I watched his reaction to one of the big reveals of one of the films I knew he got what I was trying to do with the whole film. It's things like that reaction that makes the whole thing worth doing.
There were a lot of folks generally impressed by the quality of the films as well. They looked and sounded professional and I don't think a lot of folks were expecting that when coming to a screening of movies made locally. People tend to have a mindset that these films are going to look cheap.

All in all it was a great night and one I will remember for a long time to come. I can't wait to get more of my projects out to the masses.

The Q&A