Unfortunately, “Homemade Hero” did not make the cut of the top 15 films in the National Film Challenge. We’re still technically eligible for a “best in genre” award, as there were no “superhero” movies in the final 15, but we’re out of the running for both the grand prize and the audience award.
I’m torn. On the one hand, I want to be a good sport and offer my sincerest congratulations to those teams that did make the cut (and I do mean that). But on the other, having now watched most of the films in question, in several cases I have to say WTF? Our film is so much better than some of them. And not just in any one respect (creativity, originality, performances, technical execution, etc.), but across the board. Don’t get me wrong — there are some decent offerings, but nothing that makes me think our film didn’t absolutely belong in that group.
I suspect that’s just the nature of distributed judging — with any one judge seeing only a few films, it’s hard to develop any sense of comparison. This is basically what happened with the Project Greenlight script judging — you wind up with judges who can only compare an entry with the other entries they’ve received, without any way to judge how they compare with the bulk of the films in competition.
But in the end, we didn’t make this to win a prize (no, really). I think we made a damn good movie, and I’m still just as proud of it as I was before.
“Homemade Hero” is still available for online viewing at the main site, and the NFC films can be seen in their screening room. Give them a look, and let me know what you think.
And in the meantime, we’ll get cracking on our next planned short, “Some Kind of Hero”...
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
Friday, November 04, 2005
15 Minutes Are Up
Well, Sarah got voted off... I mean, “fired” on this week’s Apprentice: Martha Stewart. (I gave it a day or so so that those of you who TiVoed the show would have a chance to watch before I blew the secret.) I suppose I could have checked as to whether she was going to be out of the office yesterday (when she’d have to be doing the post-firing interview circuit), but I’m not quite that obsessive. (For those of you just tuning in, we produced Sarah’s audition video.)
For the most part, I can’t say I’m a big fan of the show. As far as I can tell, it’s a pale shadow of the Donald version (for which we also produced an audition video a while back). Martha’s trying to reconcile her hard-nosed businesswoman persona with her gracious TV face, and it just ain’t working. Donald’s an oversized asshole, and doesn’t try to hide it. Makes for a better “villain.” And let’s be honest — that’s what he and Martha are: the antagonists.
Another shortcoming of Martha’s show is that the goal is so nebulously defined — exactly what job is it they’re applying for again? With Donald’s show, the goal is clear: They’re hiring for a specific position running a specific operation within the Trump empire. With Martha, it’s just some job somewhere at the company. Hard to know what you’re working toward, what characteristics you need to accentuate, and so on. But worse than that, that vagueness completely destroys the illusion that this is any kind of “job interview,” as the contestants are repeatedly admonished to call it. No, it’s not an interview. It’s a television show. That’s it. Decisions are being made for good television, not any sort of good business sense.
Will I keep watching now that Sarah’s off the show? For a while, maybe, but probably only to see what happens to loose-cannon Jim (who, if real business entered into the picture at all, would have been let go long ago). After that? Can’t say I really care what happens.
Did Sarah deserve to get fired after this week’s performance? Judging by the way things looked on television (which is no doubt radically different from the way things actually happened), then probably so. Her team never developed a coherent idea for the task, and as project manager, she was ultimately responsible for the team’s performance (Sarah’s second-in-command Carrie was also fired). But I will say that I was heartened to see that, for probably the first time on the show, a project manager actually stepped up and accepted responsibility for the loss rather than trying to deflect blame onto someone else. Did she say that she deserved to be fired? No. But she made the argument for her continued participation based on her overall performance and potential rather than pretending that this loss was someone else’s fault. Hell, when asked who the hardest worker on the team was, she came right out and said it was Jim — someone whom she certainly had no desire to keep around.
So even in defeat, she handled herself graciously and honorably. A lot more than can be said for most reality-show competitors. And since she now has to keep working out in the real world (in fact, my team is working with her on a company video project this month), it’s nice to see she didn’t do anything to tarnish her reputation... or the reputation of those she represents (I suppose that’s me playing the role of “company man” there).
For the most part, I can’t say I’m a big fan of the show. As far as I can tell, it’s a pale shadow of the Donald version (for which we also produced an audition video a while back). Martha’s trying to reconcile her hard-nosed businesswoman persona with her gracious TV face, and it just ain’t working. Donald’s an oversized asshole, and doesn’t try to hide it. Makes for a better “villain.” And let’s be honest — that’s what he and Martha are: the antagonists.
Another shortcoming of Martha’s show is that the goal is so nebulously defined — exactly what job is it they’re applying for again? With Donald’s show, the goal is clear: They’re hiring for a specific position running a specific operation within the Trump empire. With Martha, it’s just some job somewhere at the company. Hard to know what you’re working toward, what characteristics you need to accentuate, and so on. But worse than that, that vagueness completely destroys the illusion that this is any kind of “job interview,” as the contestants are repeatedly admonished to call it. No, it’s not an interview. It’s a television show. That’s it. Decisions are being made for good television, not any sort of good business sense.
Will I keep watching now that Sarah’s off the show? For a while, maybe, but probably only to see what happens to loose-cannon Jim (who, if real business entered into the picture at all, would have been let go long ago). After that? Can’t say I really care what happens.
Did Sarah deserve to get fired after this week’s performance? Judging by the way things looked on television (which is no doubt radically different from the way things actually happened), then probably so. Her team never developed a coherent idea for the task, and as project manager, she was ultimately responsible for the team’s performance (Sarah’s second-in-command Carrie was also fired). But I will say that I was heartened to see that, for probably the first time on the show, a project manager actually stepped up and accepted responsibility for the loss rather than trying to deflect blame onto someone else. Did she say that she deserved to be fired? No. But she made the argument for her continued participation based on her overall performance and potential rather than pretending that this loss was someone else’s fault. Hell, when asked who the hardest worker on the team was, she came right out and said it was Jim — someone whom she certainly had no desire to keep around.
So even in defeat, she handled herself graciously and honorably. A lot more than can be said for most reality-show competitors. And since she now has to keep working out in the real world (in fact, my team is working with her on a company video project this month), it’s nice to see she didn’t do anything to tarnish her reputation... or the reputation of those she represents (I suppose that’s me playing the role of “company man” there).
Monday, October 31, 2005
Oh, Yeah... We Made Another Movie
In the hectic pace of the past couple of weeks, I completely neglected to mention that yes, Tohubohu Productions did in fact complete and submit a film in this year’s National Film Challenge, written by Julia Montgomery, directed by Nello DeBlasio and produced by yours truly.
Our randomly selected film genre? Superhero.
Yeah, try doing that on a nonexistent budget. Oh, sure, it can be done (and I have seen at least one successful effort), but it’s way too easy to fall into the crappy satire category — which may sound good on paper, but almost always comes off as little more than a glorified home movie, in which watching produces more embarrassment than amusement.
But what if...? Yeah, that might actually work... But we’d need... Okay... So let’s try...
Give the resulting film — “Homemade Hero” — a look over at the main site and see how our take on the superhero film came out.
Our randomly selected film genre? Superhero.
Yeah, try doing that on a nonexistent budget. Oh, sure, it can be done (and I have seen at least one successful effort), but it’s way too easy to fall into the crappy satire category — which may sound good on paper, but almost always comes off as little more than a glorified home movie, in which watching produces more embarrassment than amusement.
But what if...? Yeah, that might actually work... But we’d need... Okay... So let’s try...
Give the resulting film — “Homemade Hero” — a look over at the main site and see how our take on the superhero film came out.
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Write This Down
Tohubohu has officially assigned a writer for our National Film Challenge entry, and we couldn’t be happier:
Julia from the award-winning Tequila Mockingbird.
I have been singularly impressed with her writing for the past couple of years (since Fray Day 7), and once we started considering bringing in an experienced outside writer for our team, I thought, “What the hell — doesn’t hurt to ask.” And — to my surprise — despite our providing practically no advance notice, she thought it sounded like fun (and a more thorough examination of both our site and the NFC site did nothing to dissuade her from this impression).
We just had lunch today to go over any last-minute explanations, make sure there weren’t any glaring omissions or deal-breaking issues, and we are a go. As with any creative enterprise, there are no guarantees, but I think we just dramatically increased the odds of putting together our best show to date.
Now I’m off to Indianapolis for a work video shoot, but I’ll be back on Friday. My plans to blog the 48 Hour Film Project last spring went absolutely nowhere (it seemed like I didn’t have a spare moment to sit down and write), and since I don’t think that’s likely to change this time around, I was toying with the idea of recording some real-time comments for a podcast of the event. No promises, but I’ll see what I can do.
Julia from the award-winning Tequila Mockingbird.
I have been singularly impressed with her writing for the past couple of years (since Fray Day 7), and once we started considering bringing in an experienced outside writer for our team, I thought, “What the hell — doesn’t hurt to ask.” And — to my surprise — despite our providing practically no advance notice, she thought it sounded like fun (and a more thorough examination of both our site and the NFC site did nothing to dissuade her from this impression).
We just had lunch today to go over any last-minute explanations, make sure there weren’t any glaring omissions or deal-breaking issues, and we are a go. As with any creative enterprise, there are no guarantees, but I think we just dramatically increased the odds of putting together our best show to date.
Now I’m off to Indianapolis for a work video shoot, but I’ll be back on Friday. My plans to blog the 48 Hour Film Project last spring went absolutely nowhere (it seemed like I didn’t have a spare moment to sit down and write), and since I don’t think that’s likely to change this time around, I was toying with the idea of recording some real-time comments for a podcast of the event. No promises, but I’ll see what I can do.
Thursday, October 13, 2005
Go Time!
Following on our award-winning effort in last year’s National Film Challenge, Tohubohu Productions will once again be doing the whole madcap movie-making weekend. And this time, we’re absolutely determined to take it all.
Unlike last year, I won’t be directing this time; while directing is certainly my first love, I am absent an experienced producer for this go-around. So I’ll be stepping into that role, and handing the directorial reins over to Nello DeBlasio, who proved his abilities with the 48 Hour Film Project entry “Quite Contrary.” (In the end, probably the biggest thing this means is that I get to unapologetically play “bad cop.”) We haven’t locked down a writer yet (we’ve decided to get away from the “writers’ bullpen” model we’ve used in the past), but I sent out a letter to an experienced and wonderful local writer yesterday — sort of a last-minute, thinking-outside-the-box choice — and I’m cautiously optimistic that it’ll work out. No details yet (don’t want to jinx it) but if this comes together, I will be seriously psyched about our chances of producing an exceptional film.
We’re also going to be taking a step up on the technical side of things — I just reserved a Canon XL2 for the weekend; we got a fantastic rental rate that we just couldn’t pass up. I don’t know that we’ll be able to master all of the new features of the camera in the brief time we’ll have it, but at the minimum, we’ll be able to shoot in native 16x9 mode, take advantage of the camera’s built-in “cine look” options, and — here’s the real kicker — shoot at 24 frames per second. Not that we’re likely to have an opportunity to transfer to film, but for the first time, we’ll have the option of doing so. And since Final Cut Pro can edit and output in 24fps natively as well, it’ll be a seamless process.
Okay, so the XL2 is no XL H1, but it’s still a big step up for us (not to mention the fact that we’re not geared up to edit in high-def just yet, which is kind of a critical step in the production process).
Things are really starting to come together. Which is a good thing, since there’s just one week to go before production time. So if anyone out there wants in, speak now. Or find yourself waiting for a screening after the fact, saying to yourself, “Man, if only I’d spoken up sooner...”
Unlike last year, I won’t be directing this time; while directing is certainly my first love, I am absent an experienced producer for this go-around. So I’ll be stepping into that role, and handing the directorial reins over to Nello DeBlasio, who proved his abilities with the 48 Hour Film Project entry “Quite Contrary.” (In the end, probably the biggest thing this means is that I get to unapologetically play “bad cop.”) We haven’t locked down a writer yet (we’ve decided to get away from the “writers’ bullpen” model we’ve used in the past), but I sent out a letter to an experienced and wonderful local writer yesterday — sort of a last-minute, thinking-outside-the-box choice — and I’m cautiously optimistic that it’ll work out. No details yet (don’t want to jinx it) but if this comes together, I will be seriously psyched about our chances of producing an exceptional film.
We’re also going to be taking a step up on the technical side of things — I just reserved a Canon XL2 for the weekend; we got a fantastic rental rate that we just couldn’t pass up. I don’t know that we’ll be able to master all of the new features of the camera in the brief time we’ll have it, but at the minimum, we’ll be able to shoot in native 16x9 mode, take advantage of the camera’s built-in “cine look” options, and — here’s the real kicker — shoot at 24 frames per second. Not that we’re likely to have an opportunity to transfer to film, but for the first time, we’ll have the option of doing so. And since Final Cut Pro can edit and output in 24fps natively as well, it’ll be a seamless process.
Okay, so the XL2 is no XL H1, but it’s still a big step up for us (not to mention the fact that we’re not geared up to edit in high-def just yet, which is kind of a critical step in the production process).
Things are really starting to come together. Which is a good thing, since there’s just one week to go before production time. So if anyone out there wants in, speak now. Or find yourself waiting for a screening after the fact, saying to yourself, “Man, if only I’d spoken up sooner...”
Thursday, August 18, 2005
Breaking Silence
Ahhh, finally! Anybody who knows me well knows I don’t do well with secrets. But back in February, Tohubohu Productions made a little video, about which I had to keep my big yap shut. And somehow, I managed to do so. Until today, that is.
NBC just announced the cast for the upcoming show The Apprentice: Martha Stewart. And one of the contestants (Sarah, the 25-year-old event planner) is a coworker of mine. But back in February, of course, she was just another hopeful.
So in a bizarre revisiting of past events — we had previously made an (ultimately unsuccessful) audition video for a prospective contestant on the Donald Trump edition of the show — we got behind the camera for yet another Apprentice audition.
Only this time, the contestant made it.
Don’t get me wrong — our part in this accomplishment is exceedingly minor; we could have made the greatest video in the world, and it wouldn’t have gotten an unexceptional candidate in the door. But still, it’s nice to feel like we’re progressing just a bit, from merely garnering a follow-up interview before to getting a competition slot.
And I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited at the prospect of potentially seeing even a few frames of our work show up on NBC (or conceivably on the eventual DVD edition of the show).
(Oh, and before anyone asks, I have no idea what happened on the set, or what Martha’s much-debated “catch phrase” will be. Beyond what I’ve just revealed above, I’m as much in the dark as anyone else.)
NBC just announced the cast for the upcoming show The Apprentice: Martha Stewart. And one of the contestants (Sarah, the 25-year-old event planner) is a coworker of mine. But back in February, of course, she was just another hopeful.
So in a bizarre revisiting of past events — we had previously made an (ultimately unsuccessful) audition video for a prospective contestant on the Donald Trump edition of the show — we got behind the camera for yet another Apprentice audition.
Only this time, the contestant made it.
Don’t get me wrong — our part in this accomplishment is exceedingly minor; we could have made the greatest video in the world, and it wouldn’t have gotten an unexceptional candidate in the door. But still, it’s nice to feel like we’re progressing just a bit, from merely garnering a follow-up interview before to getting a competition slot.
And I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited at the prospect of potentially seeing even a few frames of our work show up on NBC (or conceivably on the eventual DVD edition of the show).
(Oh, and before anyone asks, I have no idea what happened on the set, or what Martha’s much-debated “catch phrase” will be. Beyond what I’ve just revealed above, I’m as much in the dark as anyone else.)
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
Tohubohu on the Big Screen
You’ve waited, you’ve wondered... and now here’s your chance to catch not one but all five Tohubohu short films on the big screen.
And as if that’s not enough, you’ll also see award-winning shorts from Gann Films (“Signs,” the Best-of-DC entry in last year’s 48 Hour Film Project) and WIT Films (“Occupational Hazard,” the Best-of-DC entry in this year’s 48HFP), a new short from Burning Toast Productions (“The Real Life: Garden of Eden”), as well as the long-awaited public premiere of the Red Baron/Team Jabberwocky production “Bystander.” Not to mention a stand-up performance by comedian Rory Scovel. And a filmmakers’s Q&A afterward.
It’s all happening as part of the Local Filmmaker and Community Night at the Avalon Theatre on Connecticut Avenue on Wednesday, August 24th. Tickets are just $8.50 apiece — and we’d really like to sell out the house. So if you’re in the area, please come out and see us. Hell, I’ll autograph your... whatever.
And as if that’s not enough, you’ll also see award-winning shorts from Gann Films (“Signs,” the Best-of-DC entry in last year’s 48 Hour Film Project) and WIT Films (“Occupational Hazard,” the Best-of-DC entry in this year’s 48HFP), a new short from Burning Toast Productions (“The Real Life: Garden of Eden”), as well as the long-awaited public premiere of the Red Baron/Team Jabberwocky production “Bystander.” Not to mention a stand-up performance by comedian Rory Scovel. And a filmmakers’s Q&A afterward.
It’s all happening as part of the Local Filmmaker and Community Night at the Avalon Theatre on Connecticut Avenue on Wednesday, August 24th. Tickets are just $8.50 apiece — and we’d really like to sell out the house. So if you’re in the area, please come out and see us. Hell, I’ll autograph your... whatever.
Wednesday, July 06, 2005
Ernest Lehman, 1915–2005
Just heard that screenwriter Ernest Lehman has passed away at the age of 89.
Lehman was, of course, the writer of one of my all-time favorite films — and inspiration for the Tohubohu team names “Kaplan” and “Thornhill” — North by Northwest (I still remember his insightful commentary on the DVD edition of the movie). Sure, the movie’s more often remembered as a Hitchcock picture, or maybe a Cary Grant vehicle, but next time you see it, pay careful attention to the dialogue — this is some of the wittiest stuff Hollywood ever produced. I actually used a scene from the picture in an acting class back in college. Never honored with an Oscar win, Lehman was nominated six times (four times as a writer, twice as a producer), and in 2001 was awarded an honorary statue.
Good-bye, Professor. Thanks for helping us make sense of this whole alphabet soup.
Lehman was, of course, the writer of one of my all-time favorite films — and inspiration for the Tohubohu team names “Kaplan” and “Thornhill” — North by Northwest (I still remember his insightful commentary on the DVD edition of the movie). Sure, the movie’s more often remembered as a Hitchcock picture, or maybe a Cary Grant vehicle, but next time you see it, pay careful attention to the dialogue — this is some of the wittiest stuff Hollywood ever produced. I actually used a scene from the picture in an acting class back in college. Never honored with an Oscar win, Lehman was nominated six times (four times as a writer, twice as a producer), and in 2001 was awarded an honorary statue.
Good-bye, Professor. Thanks for helping us make sense of this whole alphabet soup.
Thursday, May 26, 2005
I Guess We’re Taking a Break
Well, the official roster of teams for the Baltimore 48 Hour Film Project has been posted (though, oddly, I have not yet received any notificiation via email), and alas, Tohubohu Productions is nowhere to be seen.
Given the fact that there are only 26 teams in the actual competition (which means only 16 were selected from the random-drawing pool), I can’t really complain. But it’s still disappointing.
I suppose this gives us an excuse to work on prepping “Some Kind of Hero” (the script we were going to shoot before we got our last-minute slot in the D.C. contest) for shooting. Which is probably just as well, since that script’s generated a lot of enthusiasm. And if we take our time, we can really make that one a top-notch production.
Given the fact that there are only 26 teams in the actual competition (which means only 16 were selected from the random-drawing pool), I can’t really complain. But it’s still disappointing.
I suppose this gives us an excuse to work on prepping “Some Kind of Hero” (the script we were going to shoot before we got our last-minute slot in the D.C. contest) for shooting. Which is probably just as well, since that script’s generated a lot of enthusiasm. And if we take our time, we can really make that one a top-notch production.
Monday, May 23, 2005
Tohubohu Rides Again... Maybe
Well, this past weekend’s Tohubohu birthday party project was a hoot — although the biggest lesson the girls learned was that moviemaking isn’t nearly as glamorous and exciting as TV makes it look. For the most part, you’re sitting around and waiting. Or doing the same thing repeatedly (though we certainly tried to minimize that for this group). We’ll see how it looks once I edit it all together (we did do a couple of pickup shots with my daughters on Sunday, just to cover ourselves a bit).
As for the Baltimore edition of the 48 Hour Film Project, still no word as to whether we’re in or not. We did end up signing up for the random entry drawing, though at first it looked like they’d closed the signups a bit early (according to Mark Ruppert, it was due to a website glitch, and he assured me we’d be placed in the drawing). So now we’re just waiting. And unfortunately, I have to jet off to Atlanta for another video shoot in about 20 minutes, so I may not know for a while.
I’ll try to post notice as soon as I hear, but no promises as to the timeliness (though if anyone else is watching, you could post a comment here as well).
As for the Baltimore edition of the 48 Hour Film Project, still no word as to whether we’re in or not. We did end up signing up for the random entry drawing, though at first it looked like they’d closed the signups a bit early (according to Mark Ruppert, it was due to a website glitch, and he assured me we’d be placed in the drawing). So now we’re just waiting. And unfortunately, I have to jet off to Atlanta for another video shoot in about 20 minutes, so I may not know for a while.
I’ll try to post notice as soon as I hear, but no promises as to the timeliness (though if anyone else is watching, you could post a comment here as well).
Monday, May 16, 2005
And That’s It for This Contest
Well, the official lineup for the “Best of the 48 Hour Film Project” has been announced, and it looks like neither Tohubohu film made it. Still, there are some really good films in the lineup, so I’d still wholeheartedly recommend attending the screening this Thursday evening.
I’m still trying to decide if we should enter the Baltimore contest — I’ve gotten a few enthusiatic participants, some more definite “nos” — and a whole lot of “no responses.” I’ve theoretically got until Friday to decide, but it’d be nice if I had a more confident feeling about it at this point.
As for Chicago, I assume I’ve got a little time, though they haven’t published an entry deadline date yet.
Of course, both our movies are up on our website — and very shortly (as soon as I get around to updating the site), our latest offerings will be available in stunning new Quicktime 7 format! Sorry to all of you PC people out there (for whom QuickTime 7 is not available — yet), but the quality improvement in the new H.264 codec is just too good to pass up (but don’t worry, we’re not taking down the older versions right away either). So check the site soon (and regularly), then sit back, grab some corn, and... it’s movie time!
I’m still trying to decide if we should enter the Baltimore contest — I’ve gotten a few enthusiatic participants, some more definite “nos” — and a whole lot of “no responses.” I’ve theoretically got until Friday to decide, but it’d be nice if I had a more confident feeling about it at this point.
As for Chicago, I assume I’ve got a little time, though they haven’t published an entry deadline date yet.
Of course, both our movies are up on our website — and very shortly (as soon as I get around to updating the site), our latest offerings will be available in stunning new Quicktime 7 format! Sorry to all of you PC people out there (for whom QuickTime 7 is not available — yet), but the quality improvement in the new H.264 codec is just too good to pass up (but don’t worry, we’re not taking down the older versions right away either). So check the site soon (and regularly), then sit back, grab some corn, and... it’s movie time!
Thursday, May 12, 2005
Audience Awards
Unfortunately, it looks like neither “The Big Lie (That Solves Everything)” nor “Quite Contrary” won their respective “audience award” honors. I can’t say I’m surprised, but I am disappointed, particularly in the case of the latter. “Big Lie” lost out to DC WIT’s entry, which is completely understandable, but “Quite Contrary” lost out to the entry from team Digital Tronics, which is affiliated with local video production powerhouse Henninger Video. Don’t get me wrong — their submission was really good (and technically impeccable), but I didn’t think it had quite the response of “Quite Contrary.” Still, I’m clearly biased (and their was actually in competition, a psychological if not a technical advantage).
Okay, all griping aside, congrats to all the audience award winners, and I look forward to hearing the lineup for next Thursday’s “best of” show.
Okay, all griping aside, congrats to all the audience award winners, and I look forward to hearing the lineup for next Thursday’s “best of” show.
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
Still Waiting...
Still no word on the winners of the audience awards for the 48 Hour Film Project, theoretically due to be announced “early” this week. (The final lineup for the “best of” screening is due “late” this week — so I’m not holding my breath on that one just yet.)
But I did notice that some photos of the kickoff and dropoff events for the D.C. competition have been posted, and you can actually catch yours truly along with producer Geoff Long dropping off the completed copy of “The Big Lie (That Solves Everything)” in photo number 4137. (You can also catch me — looking particularly scruffy — to the side of photo 4134.)
In the meantime, while Baltimore’s looking like more and more of a possibility, I’ve managed to line up a couple of other projects to keep us busy. The first is a simple slideshow-set-to-music DVD for the wife of an old acquaintance. And the second — inspired both by the 48 Hour Film Project and by more performance-based events like the Neutrino Video Project — is a movie-making birthday party. Basically, we’ll shoot elements of a movie with the party attendees (and screen the raw footage there), then fold that footage into a larger story.
That one’s also being done for an old acquaintance. Specifically, an about-to-turn-nine-years-old acquaintance. More specifically, my daughter.
The first project’s pretty straightforward; don’t need any help there. But if any of the old Tohubohu contributors — or, frankly, any other folks — want to help out with the second one (the party will be on the 21st), drop me a line!
But I did notice that some photos of the kickoff and dropoff events for the D.C. competition have been posted, and you can actually catch yours truly along with producer Geoff Long dropping off the completed copy of “The Big Lie (That Solves Everything)” in photo number 4137. (You can also catch me — looking particularly scruffy — to the side of photo 4134.)
In the meantime, while Baltimore’s looking like more and more of a possibility, I’ve managed to line up a couple of other projects to keep us busy. The first is a simple slideshow-set-to-music DVD for the wife of an old acquaintance. And the second — inspired both by the 48 Hour Film Project and by more performance-based events like the Neutrino Video Project — is a movie-making birthday party. Basically, we’ll shoot elements of a movie with the party attendees (and screen the raw footage there), then fold that footage into a larger story.
That one’s also being done for an old acquaintance. Specifically, an about-to-turn-nine-years-old acquaintance. More specifically, my daughter.
The first project’s pretty straightforward; don’t need any help there. But if any of the old Tohubohu contributors — or, frankly, any other folks — want to help out with the second one (the party will be on the 21st), drop me a line!
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
Quick Update
Sorry I haven’t been writing lately — once the competition wound up, I found myself in the none-too-enviable position of having to catch up on all the work I’d put off. I’m still pretty well buried, but I thought I’d at least check in with a couple of quick updates.
The screenings for the two films went well, though the crowd wasn’t as enthusiastic as last year, particularly for the Thursday evening screening for “The Big Lie (That Solves Everything).” Still, both films got a fairly strong audience response, and I think at least “Quite Contrary” has a good chance of winning the “audience award.”
Which, unfortunately, is the only award for which it’s eligible. See, one week ago today, Nello (the director) got a call from the competition organizers — the tape they’d submitted had recorded nothing but timecode. No video, no audio. Which, in effect, meant no movie. We ran up to their production facility (well, the house in which they were cutting the tapes together) over lunch, but weren’t able to salvage anything; the content just wasn’t there.
We gave them a new tape, so they would screen the film, but it was unfortunately designated a “late submission,” and therefore ineligible for any of the judged awards.
Major disappointment.
Still, we know we (well, really more they, but I’m still clinging to my “executive producer” contribution) made the movie in the allotted time, and made one hell of a picture besides. Which, really, is more the point than the competition itself.
Both films are up for viewing at the Tohubohu website, so you can judge for yourself.
And coming up? Well, it turns out that they’re doing a competition in Baltimore. Yeah, it’s a little soon after finishing this contest — June 17th through the 19th, to be specific — but if people are interested, who am I to deny them?
And after that, Chicago (July 8–10) is still beckoning...
The screenings for the two films went well, though the crowd wasn’t as enthusiastic as last year, particularly for the Thursday evening screening for “The Big Lie (That Solves Everything).” Still, both films got a fairly strong audience response, and I think at least “Quite Contrary” has a good chance of winning the “audience award.”
Which, unfortunately, is the only award for which it’s eligible. See, one week ago today, Nello (the director) got a call from the competition organizers — the tape they’d submitted had recorded nothing but timecode. No video, no audio. Which, in effect, meant no movie. We ran up to their production facility (well, the house in which they were cutting the tapes together) over lunch, but weren’t able to salvage anything; the content just wasn’t there.
We gave them a new tape, so they would screen the film, but it was unfortunately designated a “late submission,” and therefore ineligible for any of the judged awards.
Major disappointment.
Still, we know we (well, really more they, but I’m still clinging to my “executive producer” contribution) made the movie in the allotted time, and made one hell of a picture besides. Which, really, is more the point than the competition itself.
Both films are up for viewing at the Tohubohu website, so you can judge for yourself.
And coming up? Well, it turns out that they’re doing a competition in Baltimore. Yeah, it’s a little soon after finishing this contest — June 17th through the 19th, to be specific — but if people are interested, who am I to deny them?
And after that, Chicago (July 8–10) is still beckoning...
Sunday, May 01, 2005
Must... Sleep... Now...
Well, it’s in. The latest Tohubohu offering — excuse me, offerings — have been turned in.
We made it. Both teams.
Tohubohu “Kaplan” drew comedy, and their resulting piece was (assuming they didn’t change it since last I spoke with them) entitled “Quite Contrary.” I’m anxious to see it, but since they’ve all gone off to recover, I suppose I’ll have to wait.
Team “Thornhill” drew fantasy, and we did a little movie called “The Big Lie (That Solves Everything),” (which takes its name from a song by Scott Andrew and the Walkingbirds) starring Tohubohu regular Stuart Scotten and newcomer Tim Randall. It’s about a genie who’s grown tired of the lack of truly epic wishes in the modern world, and has opted to drop out and work in a hardware store (you know that those people — the only ones on Earth who know exactly what obscure little part you need — are just a little bit magical). That is, until a corporate headhunter from a “rival employer” decides to try and recruit him back into the business...
Kaplan’s movie will screen at the AFI Silver Theatre this coming Wednesday at 7:15 p.m.; Thornhill’s will screen this Thursday at 9:30. You can get tickets online — and I would recommend doing so immediately if you plan on attending. Tickets sell out quickly (although the relatively short turnaround between completion and screening this year may mean a lower turnout).
But for now, it’s sleepy time...
We made it. Both teams.
Tohubohu “Kaplan” drew comedy, and their resulting piece was (assuming they didn’t change it since last I spoke with them) entitled “Quite Contrary.” I’m anxious to see it, but since they’ve all gone off to recover, I suppose I’ll have to wait.
Team “Thornhill” drew fantasy, and we did a little movie called “The Big Lie (That Solves Everything),” (which takes its name from a song by Scott Andrew and the Walkingbirds) starring Tohubohu regular Stuart Scotten and newcomer Tim Randall. It’s about a genie who’s grown tired of the lack of truly epic wishes in the modern world, and has opted to drop out and work in a hardware store (you know that those people — the only ones on Earth who know exactly what obscure little part you need — are just a little bit magical). That is, until a corporate headhunter from a “rival employer” decides to try and recruit him back into the business...
Kaplan’s movie will screen at the AFI Silver Theatre this coming Wednesday at 7:15 p.m.; Thornhill’s will screen this Thursday at 9:30. You can get tickets online — and I would recommend doing so immediately if you plan on attending. Tickets sell out quickly (although the relatively short turnaround between completion and screening this year may mean a lower turnout).
But for now, it’s sleepy time...
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
Change of Plans
The 48 Hour Film Project just had an opening.
And we — that is, the team I’m directing, Tohubohu “Thornhill” — was first on the waiting list.
After a quick call to my producer, I accepted.
We’re back in the competition! Both teams, “Kaplan” and “Thornhill.”
This is what we’d planned all along. Two films, each an independent entity, but connected by a common story thread. I am absolutely walking on air right now.
I’ve now got one hell of a lot of work to do across the next two days, but I’ve got some amazing people all willing to help (as this evening’s little team meeting/pep rally demonstrated — the news couldn’t possibly have come at a better time).
And I’ll have to throw the script we had been doing (a little piece called “Some Kind of Hero,” which I’m pretty damned proud of) out the window for now. But hell, we can always do that later. I’ll get my “Written and Directed by” credit another time.
This we can only do right now. And I’m positively ecstatic.
Okay, gotta run now. I’ve got a lot of calls to make...
And we — that is, the team I’m directing, Tohubohu “Thornhill” — was first on the waiting list.
After a quick call to my producer, I accepted.
We’re back in the competition! Both teams, “Kaplan” and “Thornhill.”
This is what we’d planned all along. Two films, each an independent entity, but connected by a common story thread. I am absolutely walking on air right now.
I’ve now got one hell of a lot of work to do across the next two days, but I’ve got some amazing people all willing to help (as this evening’s little team meeting/pep rally demonstrated — the news couldn’t possibly have come at a better time).
And I’ll have to throw the script we had been doing (a little piece called “Some Kind of Hero,” which I’m pretty damned proud of) out the window for now. But hell, we can always do that later. I’ll get my “Written and Directed by” credit another time.
This we can only do right now. And I’m positively ecstatic.
Okay, gotta run now. I’ve got a lot of calls to make...
Monday, April 04, 2005
Mixed News
Well, we just got the word: One of our teams has made it into the 48 Hour Film Project... but not both.
We are therefore making two films anyway.
I won’t lie — it’s a little disappointing not to have two teams eligible for the competition (and maybe even more so in that it’s the team I’m directing that didn’t make it). But there are some positives in all of this.
After all, we’ve already got our teams assembled (well, in principle, anyway). And since the single biggest obstacle to making these things (well, once you get off your ass and start) is scheduling shoots, I see no reason not to take advantage of this ready-made opportunity. What this does do for us is open up the possibilities for the second film, freeing us from the restrictions of the competition. Hell, we can start writing now. We can edit, add music, tweak effects later.
The first film team benefits in that we can allocate our strongest pre- and postproduction resources to them on the competition weekend. And the second benefits by having a more relaxed shooting schedule — we can shoot over two full days without worrying about leaving time for a mad-scramble edit.
And we’ll own the second film lock, stock, and barrel. No restrictions.
I need to sit down with Nello (the Tohubohu director who’s still in the competition) and our respective producers to hammer out exactly what our schedule will be, but I’m still optimistic. And incidentally, if anyone out there still wants to get involved, drop me a line.
We are therefore making two films anyway.
I won’t lie — it’s a little disappointing not to have two teams eligible for the competition (and maybe even more so in that it’s the team I’m directing that didn’t make it). But there are some positives in all of this.
After all, we’ve already got our teams assembled (well, in principle, anyway). And since the single biggest obstacle to making these things (well, once you get off your ass and start) is scheduling shoots, I see no reason not to take advantage of this ready-made opportunity. What this does do for us is open up the possibilities for the second film, freeing us from the restrictions of the competition. Hell, we can start writing now. We can edit, add music, tweak effects later.
The first film team benefits in that we can allocate our strongest pre- and postproduction resources to them on the competition weekend. And the second benefits by having a more relaxed shooting schedule — we can shoot over two full days without worrying about leaving time for a mad-scramble edit.
And we’ll own the second film lock, stock, and barrel. No restrictions.
I need to sit down with Nello (the Tohubohu director who’s still in the competition) and our respective producers to hammer out exactly what our schedule will be, but I’m still optimistic. And incidentally, if anyone out there still wants to get involved, drop me a line.
Saturday, March 19, 2005
Do-It-Yourself Day
Hot damn! The guy who designed the camera rigs in Killer Camera Rigs That You Can Build is a genius.
Adam and I (along with some help from my neighbor and “Screening Process” extra Eric) spent the afternoon starting construction on a camera stabilizer. Two, in fact, once we realized we had almost enough parts (and had already bought the tools).
We’ve still got some work to do — we’ve just done some basic initial steps on the second rig, and we still need to track down some specialized aluminum pieces to finish them — but we’ve already done the hardest steps. And these things are looking good.
I can’t wait to see them — and whatever other rigs we end up building — in action. The 48 Hour Film Project is gonna be a real step up for us.
Adam and I (along with some help from my neighbor and “Screening Process” extra Eric) spent the afternoon starting construction on a camera stabilizer. Two, in fact, once we realized we had almost enough parts (and had already bought the tools).
We’ve still got some work to do — we’ve just done some basic initial steps on the second rig, and we still need to track down some specialized aluminum pieces to finish them — but we’ve already done the hardest steps. And these things are looking good.
I can’t wait to see them — and whatever other rigs we end up building — in action. The 48 Hour Film Project is gonna be a real step up for us.
Wednesday, March 09, 2005
More Waiting in Store
Well, I just got the word — Tohubohu’s applications for the 48 Hour Film Project have been received... and did not make it into the first batch of 10 entries.
So both of our teams have been consigned to the random drawing. Which isn’t going to be held until April 2.
Not much to do now but go ahead with preparations, just as if we were confirmed as being in the competition. In fact, even if one (or both) of our teams don’t make it in, I suspect that we’ll go ahead and make the movie(s) anyway. After all, when else are we going to get everyone together to do this if not then?
So both of our teams have been consigned to the random drawing. Which isn’t going to be held until April 2.
Not much to do now but go ahead with preparations, just as if we were confirmed as being in the competition. In fact, even if one (or both) of our teams don’t make it in, I suspect that we’ll go ahead and make the movie(s) anyway. After all, when else are we going to get everyone together to do this if not then?
Thursday, February 17, 2005
A Taste of Irritating Obscurity
Just a quick update: I’m working on another last-minute Tohubohu video project that I just couldn’t pass up. And in a couple of weeks, I should be able to tell you about it (though I’ll have to check on the conditions of the secrecy surrounding it). Don’t start thinking it’s anything important — it’s just something that I found particularly appropriate, and that, by its nature, requires a certain amount of discretion.
Ooh, don’t you just hate those annoyingly vague hints? Sorry about that — I’m just terrible at completely keeping secrets.
Ooh, don’t you just hate those annoyingly vague hints? Sorry about that — I’m just terrible at completely keeping secrets.
Thursday, January 20, 2005
Hitting the Big Small Time
Okay, so it’s not a three-picture deal with Paramount, but it’s something, anyway.
“Screening Process” is going to be included on the Best of the National Film Challenge 2004 DVD.
Yes, that means you will soon be able to buy your very own copy, along with the other “Top 15” films.
In honor of the occasion (well, frankly, just a coincidence, but an apt one), I’ve put a copy of our first short (originally produced as my directorial audition for Project Greenlight 3), “Loose Ends,” up on our website. Give it a look, and feel free to blast away at my directorial naïveté. Still, I enjoy watching it to this day, so it can’t be all bad.
The 48 Hour Film Project is getting closer... and this one will be twice as exciting as last year (hint, hint)...
“Screening Process” is going to be included on the Best of the National Film Challenge 2004 DVD.
Yes, that means you will soon be able to buy your very own copy, along with the other “Top 15” films.
In honor of the occasion (well, frankly, just a coincidence, but an apt one), I’ve put a copy of our first short (originally produced as my directorial audition for Project Greenlight 3), “Loose Ends,” up on our website. Give it a look, and feel free to blast away at my directorial naïveté. Still, I enjoy watching it to this day, so it can’t be all bad.
The 48 Hour Film Project is getting closer... and this one will be twice as exciting as last year (hint, hint)...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)