Screening

Robert couldn’t show up because of  a bizarre incident involving his pants getting stolen. That’s two screenings of two movies he’s been in that he’s totally missed.

Danny, Jose, and Maggie showed up. I only talked with Jose – I didn’t get a chance to talk to the others. I left early because I had a killer headache and my stomach was killing me. I saw some cool shorts from the animation class and the beginning of Danny’s edit. Actually, I didn’t leave early … they started pretty late because of technical difficulties, among other things.

Last night I watched Cabin Fever which was very good. Much better than Eli Roth’s other two flicks, Hostel and Hostel 2.

Red Eye Screening at the DFC

Updated Jan 10, 2008 
At least one version of Red Eye will be screened at the Detroit Film Center’s new location on the evening of January 25, 2008. I have two concepts for my version – one of which I just thought of in the last couple days. This new version would be quicker and easier to edit so I have a wee bit of optimism that I’ll have something screened then. Otherwise, I’ll do my original idea later which will have to be finished … sometime later. I might … MIGHT … get this new idea done tonight. I can’t help but get my hopes up about that. Getting my hopes up is a new, very bad, habit I’ve developed lately.

Good Day, Sunshine

Just found these sites and I’m excited about being at all of these:

• Florida Film Festival
  It looks like I missed the deadline for 2008, but that also means I have plenty of time to get ready for 2009, eh?
• The Sarasota Film Society looks a lot like the Detroit Film Center (which I hope to see before I leave – they’ve moved to a new location… I haven’t had time to finish Red Eye because as soon as I got my current day job, I had to start looking for a new job in Florida!) in that they show local/independent films and have classes. They also show art films (which is good because the Maple and others in Detroit are just too far away) and first-run films. They’re totally showing Kids which I’ve wanted to see forever but it’s Jan 5 which is before I’ll get there.
• “Entries begin January 4, 2008″ (I’m not sure what that means, exactly) for the Central Florida Film Festival held in August. I wonder if I can finish … no, probably not. Well, I suppose I could get Red Eye screened … nah, I’ll do that as a Detroit exclusive … hmm… that might be a reason to come back up and visit for a weekend!
• I think every state has an office dedicated to the film industry – Michigan sure does. Florida’s official state-run department, Film In Florida, has it’s own website including a list of Florida film festivals! How cool is that?

I’ve tried to find info on local community access TV but my impression so far is there is none. Poop.

Me at my current (now temporary) gig at AT&T:

In all likelihood, all I’ll have is my own personal camera – not a super sweet one like Little Caesars’ at my disposal. I’ll have to spend a couple hundred on RAM and storage for my little Mac to edit with. Even with more RAM, I’m not sure it could handle Final Cut Express so it might be time to use iMovie. Crap … I’ll need a microphone, too, since my little camera doesn’t have much… it’s all do-able, though.

I’ve been reading a lot about John Carpenter, lately, and listening to his commentaries for The Thing and Halloween. I didn’t realize how low-budget Halloween was or that it was an independent film. Carpenter gives really good commentary. I like Halloween’s better, though, because I love the “how we did it” stuff for low budget productions.

Finally, I started editing Red Eye

And I’ll be doing that for another 10-15 minutes.

Robert’s Red Eye

I didn’t write Red Eye. Maggie, a fellow student at the Detroit Film Center, did. It’s just so … weird to work on a movie I didn’t write. It’s very different than being in a play I didn’t write. But then … I think it would be easy to be in a movie I didn’t write. Directing is a completely different animal. I’m not sure I’d completely enjoy being one of those directors who is in their own movie.

This sort of thing drives me crazy at my day job. I hate working on everyone else’s projects and never having one of my own. One of the pastors at church said, if I may remind myself, that I need to work on someone else’s vision before working on my own but … dude, that sucks.

I just feel like everyone thinks, “Oh, you’re only the director? You didn’t write it?” or “Oh, you’re only the designer? You didn’t actually create the content?” Actually, I don’t feel – I know … that’s what they say in job interviews. And my Mom says stuff like that. I didn’t plaster my name all over Madre because I feel that’s just, I don’t know, vain. And after she watched it, she said, “You’re name is nowhere on it” which made me wonder if she even believed I made it. Yeah, I could have filled the credits with my name for every crew position, put my name as producer, director, writer, but … whatever.

I should mention the writer/director of the church musical liked the editing and such I did of her show.

I’ve been very bitter and unfulfilled lately, if you can’t tell.

Can’t Catch the Redeye

Finally found the script so I can start editing. It’s gonna look “experimental” because I don’t know what the heck else to do with it.

Started capturing and uploading bits of the wedding video. Google Video is getting on my freaking nerves lately.

Critique

An email from Natasha, my teacher at the Detroit Film Center is in red:

Hey Jay! Congratulations on your film showing! Great story! did you write it alone? where did that come from?

Well, I wanted to have as many reasons as possible for the Detroit Film Festival to take the movie. There was a slot free on latin night so everything about the story came from that. Latin actors, dialogue in spanish, Mexicantown location, and as many references to Pedro Almodovar as possible (priest, strong women, drugs, transvestite). I just needed to write & weave all those things together.

I LOVED robert’s part – really comedic.

Yes, Robert was the best thing about the film.

WHY WERE THE WHITE’S SO BLOWN OUT!!??? Your exposure was AHH!!! your F-stop open too too much

Well, I didn’t know as much as I do now about such things and, as I said in an earlier post, I scouted the location at a very different time of day when the lighting was nowhere near as bright (another novice mistake).

The actors where a little on the dry side- the mom mainly. The kids were actually pretty good. i think you already knew this….

Yes, all true and noticed by many but as I’ve also said before, there were things I could have done (there are lists in earlier posts) to improve their performance but didn’t.

LOVED the opening scene with the photo album.

Really? Thanks. That was kind of a last minute idea. I was unsure about it and wondered if it was too long.

LOVED highlighting that it WAS detroit

I’m glad no one made fun of my use of Google Earth.

So basically, your overall idea was fabulous.. it was just your production side that needed improvement but when you have such a great story, people overlook that.

I’m glad everyone likes the script as much as I do. I’m very proud of it.

BUT FOR NEXT TIME, don’t try to do everything alone.

I was warned about that but I honestly thought I could be the next Robert Rodriguez and everything would come out perfect with only me and no budget.

Now you have a pool of people to pick from all from DV1.

I really hope I get to work with Jose. I need to email him about some projects we discussed.

i’m really glad i met you cause i would love to help you out on anything.

I feel the same way. I’ve developed a small handful of people I will call with every idea.

the kids loved working with you too! i am sure they would love to continue working with you as well!

I’ve already got ideas in mind. Though I, actually, may snatch up Reynaldy’s dad first! That particular idea is the one I keep writing about having “writer’s block” with.

Red Eye and Madre Premiere

We just finished filming the final shots of Red Eye. They’re downstairs (I’m in the upstairs classroom at the DFC) capturing it onto Natasha’s (the teacher’s) laptop. When they’re done, I’m taking Little Caesars’ camera back to the office and going to the bus stop. It feels so good to finally be done with shooting for this. Now, there’s just the editing which, with no
deadlines, I can take my own sweet time with! THANK GOD!

Only me, Danny, and Maggie (the girl who wrote it and co-directed with me) have shown up for any of the make-up classes … or even the last couple classes. Everyone else seemed to lose interest.

Maggie might go to the movie tomorrow and one or two other people might show up from the cast so I’m thinking I’d like to go but I still don’t know. If Nikki wanted to then I’d want to more. When the audience was going to be all latinos and/or fans of latin art, then I was more geeked but tomorrow is Country music night. How many people enjoy country music AND movies with subtitles?

Red Eye Capturing and Shots Remaining

The first time I captured the footage for this I did the whole 50 or so minutes we shot and the audio gradually drifted out of sync in this as well. Tonight I’m doing it in smaller chunks and it seems to be fine so far. Natasha had captured takes of everything but I want everything we shot. I am sure my opinion of what shots are good will be very different. I have a … “different” vision for what I want my cut to look like.

I still want to get some cutaway shots in the restaurant and the class still has yet to get the final hospital scene. Apparently, it’s just a problem with getting scrubs which I think we should be able to get at any thrift store. Too bad I don’t still have mine from my nursing school days.

Hurray for Filters!

Tonight is class. Tonight is Final Cut in class so I opted to do my editing in the air-conditioned comfort of my office on my dual 2 GHz 5.5 GB RAM machine rather than the original iMacs at the Detroit Film Center where it’s ten billion degrees.

Natasha gave me a quick introduction to the audio filters before class began and I’m cleaning the hiss off my audio tracks in Madre Sabe El Mejor. Also, I finally found out how to apply drop shadows to text! AND how to copy that attribute to multiple clips! It’s a very good evening. My subtitles look much, much better.

I continually learn how important planning and pre-production are. If nothing else, taking your time in both pre-production and during the shoot. Sure, there seemed to be a lot of wasted time the nights we shot at the restaurant, but it’s easy, I think, to get disorganized when you’ve got people without well-defined roles when everyone is taking turns and, like my Madre project, little time for planning or shooting.

All in all, both experiences have taught me a lot.

I’m still craving more audio and lighting experience/learning. My bosses got me a DVD called “How to keep your do-it-yourself video from looking like you did it yourself.” From what I’ve watched, it’s not very good. I was hoping for – with lighting, for example – a person standing in various lighting setups on camera so you could see the difference. It’s all lecture though. Why make a DVD? Why not just write a book with no pictures?

With Madre, I learned that I need to allow myself more confidence and authority as a director.

Something that sticks out for me from the Red Eye shoot is having to stop repeatedly while the air conditioning or something turned on and waiting for it to stop so we could begin filming again. That’s something I wish I’d done with Madre – allowed myself some flexibility. The situations are different, of course, but still.

Natasha is a much better teacher than the teacher of the first class I took. Note to self: don’t forget to ask about audio filters.

Oh. Crap. I. Just… remembered … something … I am in serious trouble …

Pix from Classy Class

I’m tempted to get some footage on my own. Of Robert driving to the airport, of the airport, him walking through it. It’s not like we’re graded or it’s a competition, but I still feel like I’d be cheating. I suppose I could share this footage with the others. But then my project will … you know … yes, I want an advantage … that’s really my whole life. What can I do that’s special? That no one else can? When do I get recognized and set apart? Where are MY Mary Janes?

Below are pix Natasha, the teacher, took during our first couple nights.

First is Danny. He’s one of the people who suggested we film this elaborate fantasy sequence involving an evil clown or something. Danny missed a couple weeks of class and when he showed up for the first night of filming I totally didn’t recognize him and asked him if he was taking a class there (at the Detroit Film Center). He said yes and I asked him what class.

The Detroit Film Center is moving. To Eastern Market, which is very cool but not within walking distance like the current location. They’ll have air conditioning at the new location which will be very nice for the people who can get there.

In the locker room at the Y, there was a notice with little phone numbers to tear off for space in an artists’ thing at Eastern Market. Apparently, there’s a common area with common equipment and individual areas or spaces you can rent. The rent was super cheap. I’m doing a crappy job of explaining it but, wow, wouldn’t that be cool? I took a number but don’t know what happened to it.

Speaking of the Y, the blubber is melting off which makes me happy. I’m glad I have class tonight and tomorrow – I have an hour or two between work and class to work out both days.

This is me with the shotgun mike that really wasn’t working. See how chubby my cheeks are? I really don’t like my mouth or chin. As a young man, I was good looking. Now I’m just … ridiculous.

Here’s Maggie with one of the Joe’s in the background (and, of course, a cup o’ joe in her hand). The poster on the wall is for a Roy Orbison concert in 1970, I think. The whole restaurant is full of cool knick knacks. I need to at least get shots of those. And of Robert through the window. Well, as long as I’m doing that, I may as well get him driving to the airport, etc.

Jose and I going over the shooting script and shot list on the second night. Jose helped me with my subtitles on Madre a wee bit.

I think this is getting ready for a shot of Ariana dropping off coffee or french fries. The fries were never as good as the night we came to scout the restaurant.

Maggie, Jose and the other Joe on the first night of shooting. What I like about this is we’re done at 10 PM or so. When I shoot at night for Little Caesars it is often an all-night affair. I don’t think we’ve ever finished before midnight even on an early finish.

Natasha and Joe (and Roy Orbison).

I want to mention how scummy the hotel is this restaurant is in. When you walk from the restaurant into the entrance of the hotel … the smell assaults you like a homeless person crazy on crack covered with their own urine and puke. I remember this hotel from 20 years ago. When I was just going into the Air Force, we stayed there. It was disgusting then and seems as utterly depressing and revolting now. The bright spot is that City Club and Labyrinth are downstairs.

Robert looking thoughtful.

Capturing the Red-Eye

We’ve done two nights of 3-5 nights of shooting. So far, so good. First night I did audio for a bit, second night I directed – well, as much as you can direct with the rest of the class and the teacher giving their constant input that as often as not contradicts whatever you say. For example, within the same shot I’d be told “do it however you want” and “do it this way.” Again, lots of learning along with lots of frustration.

This first picture of Ariana shows her playing her original role as the Writer Woman. I’m not sure why she was so uncomfortable in this role but she switched with screenwriter Maggie, who was originally cast as the Waitress. Ariana would say her lines so very quietly. Barely a whisper.

This is Ariana as the waitress. Once in this different role, she perked right up and said her lines at a normal volume. Ariana doesn’t look at all like my college friend Ariana. She does, however, look a lot like my old friend Meghan who is an actress/director in Texas now. Both Ariana and Meghan have those smiles that stop Great White Sharks and speeding bullets in their tracks. Shame there was no reason for Ariana to smile on camera. But the look she gives Maggie when she says “You’re the writer, right?” is really great.

Maggie as Writerwoman eavesdropping on all the other patrons – the businessman (played excellently by Robert Barnette) in particular. Maggie has some really great facial expressions.

I’m glad I got to see Robert really act. He didn’t have much to do in Madre. All he does is monologues in this, though. I can’t wait to see him act opposite somebody.

We got many shots from different angles, close ups and extreme close ups. Until I took this class, I didn’t know there was actually a technical difference between a close up and an extreme close up. I mean, I know there was a difference but I didn’t know there were actual definitions for such things. For example. a close up is just the face and an extreme close up is, for example, just the mouth or eyes or up someone’s nose.

One of Maggie’s close-ups. I can’t remember what this was … I got these shots just by scrubbing through the footage. It reminds me of John Michaelson back in college. He was the inspiration for a Chi-Alpha expression: “Scruncy-faced cool.”

Working Lots

I love the DFC t-shirt that says “shoot detroit.” Yesterday, we started shooting our class project. No pix yet. Natasha took ‘em so when she gives ‘em to me, you’ll see ‘em.

Yesterday, I shot in the 90 billion degrees F Fox Theatre.

This morning, we shot on the Ren Fest grounds and at a store in Plymouth. Fun times all around.

Class Project 2 and Madre Light (at the end of the tunnel)

I’m so exciting about shooting tomorrow. Natasha said she’ll show me how to use a mixer if I come to class early. She didn’t cover it during the Audio portion of class.

I didn’t know this but we’re all going to be editing our own versions of the movie! That will definitely be cool to see. Crap … I still have made a shot list/storyboards for the particular shots I want to make sure I get. Of course … I could go get them on my own after … that way no one has those shots but me … hmm… I could do that today …

I’m hoping to finish Madre tonight.

Class Project

We’re using Maggie’s script, “Red Eye.” The other 2-3 students that wanted to do their scripts … the scripts had these elaborate fantasy sequences, FX requirements, locations … it was just nuts. We’re filming at Luci & Ethels which is in the Leland Hotel so if you’ve ever been to City Club or Labyrinth you’ve seen it. Last Wednesday, we scouted it and the Bagley Grille (both locations said yes) and we took some pix for storyboard usage.

This is Jose who I will hopefully work with outside of class and Natasha the teacher. I wish I knew what she was making a face about. Isn’t that pinball machine sweet? I’m glad we got the location because there are tons of knick-knacks and memorabilia for cool cutaway shots. This isn’t for a shot in the film – I don’t know who took this picture or why.

This is Jose and … John? standing in for two people arguing in Spanish at the counter. I took this picture from the Writer Woman’s perspective. Friends of students will be playing these parts.

Much of the movie will be shot from the following perspective. Maggie, the woman what wrote the script is sitting in for … I can’t remember her name either … which is insane because it’s a totally cool name … she’s a student and she’s playing the Writer Woman which is the female lead. In the background you see me sitting in for the Businessman character which will be played by Robert Barnette. He’s a friend of a student (me). This restaurant has really great fries, by the way.

Natasha and Maggie. There’s a scene with the Woman Writer and the Waitress at a counter. I’m not sure who is playing the waitress. Maybe Maggie is. Not that you care.

Natasha doesn’t think we’ll need lighting because of the natural light but I feel differently. It got dark that night quicker than I think anyone thought it would.

The Difference

The script for our class project is shorter than Madre but we’re doing the shoot over four nights of about 3 hours each. I shot my longer script in just a couple hours. So, I think if I had to do it over again, so I wouldn’t feel rushed, I’d do the priest’s scenes one day, then Robert’s, then the main characters. So, at least three days of 2-3 hours each. Not to mention supervised rehearsals.