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[November 24, 2009|08:30 pm] |
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Location scouting with Bill Winters...I took lots of
pictures but nothing compares to what he took so I'm just
posting his. And I really never post pictures of myself, but
there was no one else around.
We're getting really close! Yesterday we also went out to
CSC and had an amazing tech on the Arri 416...a beautiful
camera that I am lucky to even stand near.
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| (no subject) |
[November 17, 2009|10:30 pm] |
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The word of the day is costumes! Thinking about costumes,
talking about costumes, trying on costumes, taking pictures
of costumes. Costumes, costumes, costumes! I'm not knocking
the importance of costumes (I would never), but maybe not my
favorite subject. Just because, well, I've never really had
the best eye for costumes, maybe? Amy Christie did a great
job with Nathan DuPree...I can't count how many times I've
defaulted to a navy blue jumpsuit when I didn't have any
other ideas. For Herb X I just used all of Amy's ideas
again. For ND3 I had Zairi Malcolm, and of course the amazing
horse mask created by Spica Cheng (now Spica Wobbe, I
believe). Motel Room I was on my own, I think, and I felt a
lot more confident picking out wallpaper than picking out
shirts. This time I most likely have help. It's only five
outfits, plus three more. Five plus three. |
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| (no subject) |
[November 10, 2009|09:55 pm] |
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More production planning...things are going well, moving
right along. I'm getting convinced that it's actually going
to be fun!
Still working on locations, crew, set, costumes, etc. But
it's definitely getting real in my head. I've also been
thinking a lot about music...I'm not sure yet what direction
to go in for the film's music, but I've been inspired lately
(as ever) by the music of Ryuichi Sakamoto. I still remember
the first time I heard of him. It was at the Bardavon,
in Poughkeepsie, at the annual Vassar
College dance performance there. It must have been in
the winter of 1997, and there was a dance performance that was
called something like "Two by Ryuichi Sakamoto." I remember so
clearly the feeling of listening to that music for the first
time in that enormous opera house that I immediately began
searching for the recording. This being just before I would
immediately turn to the internet for a search such as this, I
went to Tower Records and bought his recent release, Smoochy,
the late '90s being the end of the era where one could actually
search and find little-known or at least less popular music in
a large record store.
Smoochy was a strange genre-bending recording, what I could
only describe as easy-listening electronica with ghost-like,
breathy Japanese vocals, yet what I was searching for was a
hard-hitting piano and string ensemble instrumental. The search
continued, but not before both my roommate and his father became
enthusiastic Smoochy fans. Once again I returned to Tower
Records, until I came upon 1996, a collection Sakamoto's pieces,
reinvented (by himself) for a trio of piano, violin, and cello.
This was what I'd been searching for, and since then I've been a
Sakamoto fan, most recently of his ongoing collaboration with
digital sound artist Alva Noto on several recent recordings.
Although there is more to Ryuichi Sakamoto's music than
Japanese pop-electronica, ensemble music string trios, and
minimalist digital soundscapes, what makes him such an
inspiration to me is his constant creativity, his ability to
really be forever new, no matter how many times he reinvents
Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence. His music makes me question why
I'm putting the camera at eye-level, why I'm shooting a closeup,
why everything is the way it is, and how it could be made more
effective, if only it were a little bit more... |
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| (no subject) |
[November 03, 2009|07:30 pm] |
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As promised, photos from last week's location scout. Bush
Terminal is full of amazing locations...but today I have
photos of just one.
Hopefully this is where I'll get to shoot...I'm working on
it! I'd say I've forgotten how complicated it is getting
locations in this city, but I've never had to get a location
like this before. One company is the leasee, another's the
manager, another's the owner, etc. And whatever one says, the
next says the exact opposite, and the third finds a way to
contradict both the first and second, even though they too
disagreed. At any moment I expect the solicitor's assistant
to arrive and report that my trial has not been going well at
all...
"Someone must have slandered Josef K., for one morning,
without having done anything wrong, he was arrested." |
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| (no subject) |
[October 27, 2009|05:10 pm] |
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More short film location scouting and building...I
finally took pictures, which I can't wait to share! I'm
shooting entirely in Brooklyn this time around, which I'm
looking forward to. I haven't shot an exterior in the city
since Herb X, when I shot completely with exteriors because I
didn't have any locations. Both ND3 and Motel Room were
almost entirely shot with interiors, so this will be a nice
mix of both. No need to go over the deep end every time!
My Facebook announcement for the Puzzled screening has
gone over pretty well...people might actually come! The
festival is also hosting opening and closing night parties
which could also be fun, adn will give me an excuse to give
out some of the Puzzled postcards I have on my shelf! |
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| (no subject) |
[October 20, 2009|12:30 am] |
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I received a very ominous email from the Big Apple Film
Festival saying that my screening as yet had sold no (zero!)
tickets! Don't worry, I've kept my composure and responded
the only rational way possible: I put the screening as an
event on Facebook! Let's see if anyone shows up. I remain
calm by believing that if I had a
friend/associate/acquaintance with a short film in a
festival, I would not most likely purchase a ticket in
advance but instead just show up and hope for the best, which
is what I'm hoping all the people who consider me a
friend/associate/acquaintance are doing right now.
Also regarding Facebook, Ben Miller posted an amazing
picture of our Sight & Sound class on his facebook page,
setting off a flurry of responses. It was fun, but not all
that nostalgic as most of the people who responded I'm still
in touch with. The picture:
I made it small so you might not be able to find me! I
look the same. |
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| (no subject) |
[October 13, 2009|11:10 pm] |
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More short film preparations and also working on Kelvin
Bias's film this week...I have been building a set, which I
haven't done since Motel Room, but it's tons of fun. Actually
I'm using much of the set from Motel Room for this film, but
I don't think it'll be recognizable. I'm also, by the way,
using the wood paneling from the therapist scene in Nathan DuPree and the Knights of
Yesterland. |
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| (no subject) |
[October 06, 2009|03:10 pm] |
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The 6th Annual Big Apple Film Festival program is now
available! Puzzled is playing on Friday, November 6 at 6:30pm
in Tribeca Cinemas Theater 2. For the complete schedule, CLICK HERE!
Tickets will be available starting October 11. To
purchase tickets, please CLICK HERE! |
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| (no subject) |
[October 06, 2009|09:30 am] |
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The Big Apple program is scheduled to be out tomorrow.
We'll see.
Just found out from the short film depot that
applications are now available for the 16th Regensburg Short
Film Week! Perhaps it's time for Puzzled's German debut?
Wish I had some cool images to share, but alas, I have
nothing. I am short film planning full-time, with no time for
taking pictures. But since we're on the topic of Germany,
here's one from my 30 mintues in Germany on a Sunday in 2001,
when all that was open was a fast food restaurant, and I never
got my passport stamped.
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| (no subject) |
[September 29, 2009|11:10 am] |
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Still no official program from the Big Apple Film
Festival! What are they waiting for? Impatiently
waiting...
So I'm officially shooting a short film this fall. It's
based on the feature I've been working on, but it's only 4+
pages long, so it's going to be shot in two days. I'm in the
midst of casting and location scouting, the two most
difficult parts of filmmaking for me. At least with casting,
there's probably some reason why people would actually want
to be in a movie, but there's no reason I can think of why
someone would want you to shoot a movie at their place,
whatever their place may be. I'm working on it.
I hope to get everyone excited and announce casting soon,
maybe even before the Big Apple Film Festival announces their
program. No, really, I'm not impatient. |
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| (no subject) |
[September 22, 2009|08:50 pm] |
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I got a message today through my withoutabox account that
said that Puzzled had been accepted to the 6th annual Big
Apple Film Festival! I am very excited...a film of mine
hasn't played in a theater in New York since Nathan DuPree in
2000, and never in a real competitive film festival. And it's
a nice change from all those "Dear Filmmaker" rejection
emails I've been getting for the last 9 1/2 years.
The official program has not yet been announced for this
year's festival, but you can still check out their website: CLICK
HERE! |
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| (no subject) |
[September 20, 2009|09:00 pm] |
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Puzzled and Corn can now be viewed at MiShorts.com! MiShorts is a brand new
UK-based paid short film download site, which is great,
because I can finally make some pence off my shorts!
In addition, I've taken Puzzled and Corn off view on
www.preginning.com, so I can see how successful the films
will be when they're not available for free. Don't worry,
they'll be back some day (perhaps even some day really,
really soon).
Lots of other things going on...there's a rumor floating
around that Motel Room will finally be completed in true HD,
which would be fantastic, and a first for a film of mine.
Also always looking backward and forward at the same time.
Currently I'm in need of a Hi-8 video player, a cassette
player, and a slide scanner. It will all come together. And
to top it off I think tomorrow I will be back wandering
around South Brooklyn.
» Puzzled on MiShorts.com
» Corn on MiShorts.com |
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preginning's journal