Short Film Festival

God are short films done today bad.
First digital movies look awful projected. If you don't have a Hollywood budget it looks like turd. End of story.
Second...anyone tells stories anymore? Amongst the ones I saw last night, many were just concepts. For instance, one was about a guy who couldn't tell his father that he loved him. This was a comedy. You see where it's going. Another one was about two guys who steal an ice cream truck, even though it begins as two people planning a trip to Europe. These were the comedy section.

We began by watching a few dramas. Good god. If this constitutes the best of the best raked from around the world (which by the way, my company sponsors, which is why I got free tickets), we are in trouble for the future. OR...it's hopeful for filmmakers like me. As I was walking away, I told my friend that I thought we had an advantage. We see how the big dogs make their movies. So in our mind, anything is beneath us. I do sort of compare it to karaoke. We really want to see the seems. We HATE the ones who come in looking like polished Hollywood. Therein lies the grand joke, these are supposedly the future and they can't see the difference the digital world has vomited on them. They are happy with the results, when the movie feels like an overblown soap opera. Looks awful. SHIT SHIT SHIT! Jesus, people are dumb.
And these fuckers also have a budget. Watching this garbage last night, does lend to a lot of confidence. Though I personally shouldn't go too far with it. I'm not suppose to be running with the guppies, I'm suppose to be swimming with the sharks. And those people don't waste their time watching these efforts.

I will say...people are getting more sophisticated. Too bad they use this to do DUMB things with their bright shiny new gear. A crane shot with a digital camera is easy, doesn't mean you should use it. To be completely honest...the 48 Hour Film festival yielded better results. I know there were politics in this festival, in that we saw some celebrities in the short. An unfair advantage, sure. Good to know they are willing to be in crap too.

"The Homesman" (2014)

And now for something much more pleasant...

Director Tommy Lee Jones is determined to make you feel the west. In its harsh reality.  It may say more about the man than any interview could provide, but quite frankly, being an unredeemable prick sonuvabitch may be reality, but it certainly makes people hate your movie.

What starts off as a journey of discovery and humor, slides into a very dark bleak truth. Life in the frontier is hell. Worse off if you’re some 31 year old spinster desperate to put up roots. Hillary Swank, plays this spinster Mary Bee Cuddy, with the sweetness of a God fearing bible quoting lone wolf in the world. Her life is split between being a fine farmer and searching for a husband. The latter being what she is deficient in. Made even worse that she lives in a tiny town devoid of men, or ones that consider her wife material, despite her (actually very sensible) pleas.

This is when we discover there are three families struck with women who have lost their minds. They are all very distinct, in terms of their affliction but seem to function only to service the story. We learn very little of them. Only that they have suffered unspeakable pain. Though, they too are not innocent of the frontier. They seem to be victims of circumstance.

This movie is really frustrating, because we are so close to a great western, in the sense of a John Ford or something like Joshua Logan’s “River Of No Return.” I love these types of movies, which is why it hits harder that it could’ve been elevated by just a small bit of kindness. But that’s not who Tommy Lee Jones is. He offers a lot of humor, but as far as sentiment goes, you’re going to have to look elsewhere.

The cameos do come fast and hard. There is a few that seem really wasted. In particular, Meryl Streep and James Spader. Again, it is SO close, but it just veers off your expectation for no other reason than…it’s Tommy Lee Jones’ lot in life.

Those Plans Are Over

I was driving through Winnetka this morning when I saw a large group of police cars surrounding the street at the intersection of DeSoto and Saticoy. They street beyond Saticoy was cordoned with police tape. I wondered if they hadn't been filming something, as movies in this town are prone to do.

I knew it was much more serious since it wasn't police motorcycles in a motorcade, which is usually who deals with this stuff. They were the police cruisers and they weren't letting anyone through. I'm sure a crime had been committed, and most likely the scene had a death.

What struck me was the white glove traffic cop who was standing at the intersection. He was cleaning his sunglasses and yawning. Seemed really bored. He wasn't anywhere at the ready. Nor did it seem ANYTHING bothered him. Just another day in the San Fernando Valley. It occurred to me how little people care when you die a sudden death. In particular law enforcement. They just don't give two shits. I've only seen one dead body in my life. And that was my grandmother who died of old age. This was more than likely a crime. And it seemed certainly bad. The white glove traffic cop just was clocking in and clocking out. Maybe this was his way to cope.

I had a conversation about sudden death yesterday. Guy was found in a parking lot in a library. Just up and died. No details, no name...just dead body. There didn't seem like a full investigation to foul play (as related to me by my friend who'd seen the whole ordeal). It'd also been a library where I'd often stop by since they have better DVDs than the city of Los Angeles (it was in Burbank...they're L.A. but they don't like to think of themselves that way). It was at this point that...unless it was a suicide...this dude and the crime scene I'd passed may've made plans that night. They may've Yelp'd a restaurant or planned to see the new movie and called and texted and Facebook'd everyone or whatever to indicate he had something going on. Well, those are the end of those plans. That's it. You just...have no other plans. It seems rather grim, but this dude no longer has to worry about what he wants for dinner anymore. No longer has to remember to take out the garbage. Or that nagging oil change he's been putting off...that's done. Or gripe about traffic in L.A. You no longer have anyone to impress. Worrying about bank account? That's done. It's strange to think that in one moment, no matter what that moment would be...your life sort of is done. The book is closed. There are no more thoughts or memories. I guess you probably should consider making the most of the fragile time you have here. It's not a bad thing to know the time clock ticks. I figure you could do much more this way, as a motivator. It's always a daily reminder how quickly it goes.

Ring The Fucking Bell

You know it’s weird. I have a ton of people who’ve made movies around me. There infrastructure that you would have on major motion pictures is available to me and to people who are connected to me. Only one person has really taken me up on my offer to help them with their movies. I get the occasional friend from “back then” that will solicit my help. And I have a brotherhood with the Tellos, who I’ve done plenty of projects with. The Tellos are the most prolific in terms of talking about a project and then executing. Well, my friend Bennie does too. That guy is always positive. He makes me look like a total fucking twat. He has a great attitude, is always living on the fray, but excited about making movies. I’m really fortunate to have met him randomly and especially glad he is in this town. He’s experiencing the bumps and bruises, but soldiers on. Probably no surprise either that I met him through a friend of a friend to the Tellos.

I like being around people who just do stuff. It doesn’t matter what it is, they just do something. The actress in “Poolside” does too. She can’t stand waiting for projects coming to her, so she pushes forth. She’s gathered a lot of steam on her own, since…again, people respect people who just do. They tolerate talkers. But the people who make something are the ones that really get the brass ring.

I often think about what others are in the process of doing. I heard on some podcast that people consider show business one big waiting room. Which is that people wait for something to happen. Anything. Doing something, then waiting for stardom. Waiting to wait. Moving on to waiting…and so forth. It’s pretty accurate. Waiting doesn’t mean just waiting. It is putting a lot of irons in the fire and seeing what comes of it. The other part of that adage is “balloons in the air.” I think that means that people are waiting for the balloon to pop and deliver your message to someone that will get in contact with you. I’m not sure. But, it is somewhat…that random.

The more people you know, the more you have invested in the business. I’d gone to a barbecue where everyone there knew everyone else. Money people eating grilled food with movie people.  The more you know. I think it was meant as a mingler to figure out what possible future any of us could hold. You never know where the next big idea comes from. And as I wrote in a previous blog, the start of something new is more exciting than anything. For me, I just need to hunker down and finish what I started. Oh…that’s another thing. People do start a lot of things. The caveat to this is that it now must be finished. People do start doing something. The minute the interest wanes, they move onto something else. The trick is the make the risk and investment big enough that the interest continues, while concurrently just finishing your fucking project. It could be anything. Know this, you are never alone when it comes to this phenomenon in the “art world.” Rarely do artist feel complete. There is sometimes a debilitating pain that lingers for a while as your project is “out there.” There is no mystery as to why artist pop open pain suppressors. This could be drugs or alcohol. The danger is to muscle through the process, make something you are proud of, and move on. Movies are a bitch, because you are judged in a harsher light. Most people think they can do better. Most people will have an opinion. Most people feel entitled to tell you what is wrong with your movie. Most people will hate you for it. Read any critics forum, and even the best of movies will have their detractors. This is a neverending line, similar to in “Airplane!” when they form a line to calm the stewardess down by smacking her, hitting her with a bat, nuns with boxing gloves and so forth. People who pay hard earned money to watch your art, isn’t the same crowd that purposefully go to your gallery to view your portfolio. Movies are meant to speak to a wide berth of humanity. If you failed this, you are a person who just made a lopsided apartment complex, with tenants that will spend their time gutting you. Would you deserve it? Possibly. Listening to sound reasoning isn’t a bad thing. Shrugging it off, and content to take their dough is one way to go about it. That’s the P.T. Barnum approach. Sucker born every minute. But, to deliver a good product for which no one will burn your likeness in effigy while pleasing people is honorable. Especially if you take them out of their morbid angry gloomy village for a few hours. Hell, a few minutes. I honestly don’t know if I have the skill to do this properly (as I’ve lamented ad nauseum). I tend to feel more awe in the people who have gotten box office clout. The people who have a few movies that people are willing to want to go see. It’s certainly an ego boost to know that you have the same interest as others. In that sense, making movies is about ringing a bell and hoping others respond to the tune. You make lifelong friends this way.

Ray Combs

I may have spoke about him in the past. But his career hit closer to home than Robin Williams did.
Ray Combs was a comedian from my hometown. He'd frequently make references to Cincinnati as a host on "Family Feud." As a teenager whose Grandmother LOVED this show, I watched with her. Every time he mentioned the town, I'd get stoked. One of our guys made it to national television. It was definitely a thing to be proud of.

Johnny Carson endorsed him. Got some advice from David Letterman. This was at a time when just having Carson mention your name, you were a star. Looking at the guy, he was all smiles.

On June 1, 1996, he was admitted to a psychiatric ward in Glendale, California. The next morning they found him dead, having hung himself with a noose fashioned from his bedsheets.

I think about him every once in a while. He had fame and fortune. And was derailed from bits and pieces of his life that slowly became chiseled into his mind as failure. To me, a guy like that couldn't bounce back. Through the smile and laughter and entertainment of others, it seems he just didn't have peace with himself. I suppose you could blame the effects of success being too quick, but something deeper and darker lurked, as I imagine Robin Williams suffered with constantly. Just not to the public. This is probably the most loneliest. When you can't openly tell people what awful things are going on in your life, as you get judged by millions. If you look at both their histories (Williams' notoriety aside) they share very similar

Studio Movies and Love Of Film

I started a new movie recently at work. It’s with big names to which I can’t speak of now. But I started watching the way the large budget movies make them. I wonder what is beyond the frame. All the politics and crap that goes on with it. They have 40 days. I think about the journey this movie will take. That this footage will be looked at for at least 6 months over and over again. Poured through with every frame of its life. And then judged for its usefulness to the story.

I love the start of a new movie. Something feels…new again. I’m sure the writers are excited to see their work come alive. The director is excited to work on something new. The actors are excited to perform again. And well..the energy is so fresh. The first step to a very long process of ups and downs.

A little insight into studio movies, they tend to schedule the shoot they intend to use for the trailer first. Well, technically, it’s the star’s schedule first. But…the trailer material usually comes first in a large budgeted movies. They want to put out a teaser as quickly as possible. For a movie with the Coen brothers, they could care less. It’s the movie first. For something like James Bond, it’s the action sequences. To get the world pumped up. We’re scanning a trailer now with a movie that has a few stars in it. They can wait until principal photography ends to put out a teaser while editorial is putting the movie together. Another secret, editorial seems to speak bad about everything about the movie. I’m not sure where this comes from other than boredom and that editors are usually frustrated directors. But I would hate to be a fly on the wall while editors sliced my movie. Even on this one movie we did, the dailies assists were cracking wise about Robert Duvall (this was years ago). If you were ever insecure about your project from the beginning, this type of talk would make you suicidal. I’ve been in rooms where these peons would attack the story or the plot as if they were there during the writing process. They’re total jackasses, and it’s no mystery as to why they haven’t moved up. I’ve defended their process outside the frame many times. With comments such as “…that’s how he gets into character,” “he’s fishing for the right intonation,” “…this is the process.” To which they usually roll their eyes, thoroughly disgusted at being the wet blanket to their rudeness. My guess is that they feel by doing this, they may be taking a little bit of celebrity out of them. As if by criticizing they somehow have the advantage over this megawatt star.

The first day of this new movie’s dailies were on a soundstage. The set looks like a set. But, it’s suppose to. The best thing about shooting a movie on film on a set is that it does smooth over the fact that you are shooting on a set. Today I got the B-camera footage which is presumably the one that have for non-sync sound. It doesn’t mean it’s not in sync, but that they may’ve wanted to do speed changes. Slow motion (overcranked footage) requires you have a camera that pulls film faster the through the camera giving the illusion that the action slows down. Digital shooters may want to take note, the concept of slow-motion shooting may be foreign to you, if you dial in shooting incorrectly. I’m not completely plugged into the process with production as of lately, but your lights may flicker if you shoot at the incorrect speed. It may not sync up with your movie lights. With the change to L.E.D. bulb lighting, this may be a non-issue. But back in the day, if you were using daylight balanced lights with a ballast, you would have to sync up lights with camera movement. Obviously, not having a shutter (in most digital cameras) negates this completely. As I’m not completely sure if they have moving shutters in DSLRs. It sure does still give you the snap shot noise as if one moves with internal mechanics.

I just love the look of film. If you consider the format, it is a romanticized thing. I realize many people will tell you that they can add in “film looks” to your movie. To which, some have argued, that is still a replication of the film. If you were so inclined to have a film look, the additive is essentially admitting that digital doesn’t look up to your standards. I understand if this is a question of budget. But so many people are concluding that film costs more. When in reality, the transfer is not any more or less than the digital workflow. Recent movies of this year have chosen film to originate from to save this extended post. Post production is starting to get on my nerves. I thankfully have film to look at. I also am perplexed at the assertion of movies turning to digital so rapidly. Do you think “Jurassic World” would’ve benefitted from digital? “Star Wars: Force Awakens”? “”Spectre” (James Bond 25), “Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation” or any of these other massive titles. My faith would be that when people look at their projects they’d want these success to push film for years to come. Make no mistake, the top money makers of 2015 will have been shot on film. I feel that with the sequel to “Star Wars” it would most likely light a fire under filmmakers to go back to shooting film. Even on a smaller scale and success like “Trainwreck” or even my project. The contention being that film still holds the crown over even the best digital. Whilst digital cameras are finding new ways to make it the new medium, shooting film still prevails in terms of storytelling. I guess I could sit here and keep writing about the virtues of film over digital. But many know my stance already. The hopeful romantics in us understand the limitations of the medium. And it’s not just a failing way to make movies. It’s a proven one. Yes, it’s got the romanticism to it. I shoot with the same camera they use on movies like “Fargo” or “Shawshank Redemption” or “Return of The Jedi.” I feel in some sense connected to the artisans that made those images. NOT that just having those cameras would yield the same result, but having the same tools certainly gives one more confidence that you do use the same tools. Would having Pete Rose’s bat make you hit like he did? Forget it. But having it in the batter’s box does psyche you up. Why else would sports figures endorse products then? To use that psychology. Yes, it more than likely is voodoo, but it doesn’t hurt.

Terrible Photography Part 2

I’m now pouring through about 20,000 images on this website cutting out the shots that don’t showcase the best of the best. And boy…just...the photos are just awful. I know I bitched about this before, but it is near impossible to be kind when it comes to what some people consider image worthy. Now don’t get me wrong, I am certain these photographers tried. But they are terrible. As if they don’t see what the difference is between a photo that works and one that doesn’t.

I’ve completely removed my images from this particular group because I consider it in bad taste to include them in with this. Not because of some ego thing, since they can clearly see that I am trained, But that if they can’t see where they need improving, it’s safe to say nothing I can do is going to help them. Except to delete them from the showcase.

What I don’t get, are the ones who watermark their images. As if it would be stolen. There is a certain arrogance to doing this. Especially if the image isn’t all that great. Made worse if the watermark is also awful. Actually, it makes it funny, and gives you an insight on that person. God! Do they try.

The truth is, they need to train themselves better. Look at images and do the legwork it takes to shoot stunning images. The people they need to emulate is where they should start first. Because an image that Walker Evans does looks so simple, they believe just shooting the marquee of an abandoned movie theater is enough. It is NOT. You think it’d be that simple, but…MAN…what a difference. It definitely makes you appreciate the masters. More interesting is how people can’t dissect the difference.

To be completely fair, I deal with a ton of fuckwads in Los Angeles that are aspiring photographers. Their work is to be self-promoting. Often times they do copy others’ style. I can’t stand that sleek car in the L.A. River reservoir look. But EVERY photographer in this fucking town does it. Or a hard sunlit bikini model look. Looks like a cheap calendar for a tool company. It’s just terrible lighting with hot women. Or the late afternoon hippie dressed lifestyle photographs. Blargh. But they do it will shameless bravado. They have to outdo the guy/girl next to them. So the competition is high.

But, still, these above I’ve mentioned rank much higher than what I’m moderating now. I mean, it’s awful. But again, I think if people are serious they would surround themselves with complete assholes who traded their inheritance for a camera and hustled like a mofo. These are the people who seem to make it. But let me be clear, it’s not the camera that is doing it. It’s the hustler behind. In this town, you can get hot women to pose for you. In Omaha, Nebraska…it’s not as prevalent to get women to pose for you, or have the interest. In L.A. the resources are available. I’m sure you can find plenty in your community that do. There are modeling agencies in every town that you can trade for their time in front of your camera. Then get your practice in. Another thing is to get in with a crowd that would push you. So often photographers have a lone wolf mentality. I get it. But getting a group of people who share your interest may be a great type of competition you need to push you. This is the harsh competitive stuff you deal with. Let’s say you have one model for which you all photograph. She’ll inevitably pick the images she feels most represent her. None may come from your camera. To which you can A) cry B) get upset at the person C) learn to do it better. See, the competitive part in our brains get rejected immediately. The secret is to not take it to mean you are terrible. I struggle with this myself. You have to push through. And in doing so, you find your own eye and it makes you bankable and unique.

Too many people, I think, just pick up a camera and shoot models thinking this will get them gigs. Sometimes it does hit out of the gate. But it is rare, and shouldn’t be a story told to beginners. The truth is, people get frustrated and quit. The reality is that it sucks, but this is unconvincing since most “production shots” get so much attention because of supposed glamour, that most don’t see the work, struggle, sweat, anger and tears. Most will immediately give it up and do something less taxing on the emotions. Because in order to be decent at this, you have to power through criticism. Mostly coming from within. Yes, you have to be your worst enemy. Even after others are tearing you up. This type of piling on isn’t for the weak. This is the worse, because you can’t sit in your underwear all day having arguments with yourself, if you plan on being a sane person. You have to plow through with confidence. And be realistic to your goals. You don’t have to be Mario Testino overnight. So be yourself…in baby steps.