Cinematic Arias

Archive for the ‘Directing’ Category

Amazon Spec: First Call For Help – 17. July, 2009

Yesterday I pulled out the old Oxygen 8, hooked it up to GarageBand and pounded out a tune, more of a beat, actually. I also shot some photographic research and doodled a few storyboards (first graders can draw better than me but my boards get the job done). Later today I gotta take care of a legality but then it’s dressing the set and a mock runthrough.

This idea is coming together.

Holy, I think I’m doing this.

So this is where I come to you, the reader. There are two things I’m gonna need.

I need voice talent, especially folk that can do a few voices, the kind you might hear in a cartoon.
I need someone to help me animate. I’m shooting stop-motion animation. I’d say the key qualities I’m looking for are attention to detail and patience.

And for an example of my only serious attempt at stop-motion animation, here ya go.

Volunteers?

0 Comments

Posted in Directing, Short Films

Amazon Spec: Researching Reference – 15. July, 2009

Today was all about (re)writing the script and developing the concept. I think I have it locked so it’s on to research and storyboards.

Oh, but there’s one big element, something I’m gonna need help with, something I can’t do on my own, and this is the bit of reference I can share without giving away too much.

(gulp)

0 Comments

Posted in Directing, Short Films

Amazon Commercial Contest – 14. July, 2009

Pardon me for a second…

FFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCKKK!!!!!!!!!

…okay, where was I? Oh, right, everyone’s favorite web retailer, you know, these guys:

They’re holding a create-your-own-commercial contest and the deadline was just extended to July 31.

And I happen to have an idea that I’m excited about and I’m gonna hate myself if I don’t give it a shot even though that only gives me 17 days and I’m out of town for 4 of those days and if that weren’t hard enough most of my idea involves animation and…

FFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCKKK!!!!!!!!!

I want to do this. First things first, I need to pound out a script and storyboards tonight.

BTW, expect a call from me in the near future begging for your help.

0 Comments

Posted in Directing, Short Films

2009 Midyear Update – 4. July, 2009

Six months into 2009, I think it’s time to check in with those goals I set for myself back in January.

Getting Back in the Directing Chair – Sadly, I haven’t directed anything since I wrapped my film at the end of last year. I was hoping to direct a web series I’d been developing with a troupe of actors but that fell through. I’d like to get something under my belt before the end of the year, maybe a spec spot or a short doc, but at this point…

Write Two Features and One Teleplay – There is cause to celebrate here. I finally finished my TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES spec.

Once I broke the story, the script came easily. And I gotta say I kinda enjoyed it. I really think I might give it another go later this year with a FRINGE spec.

Oh, and for those wondering what I do with a T:SCC spec, so far I’ve submitted to the Austin Film Festival Teleplay Competition and the Disney/ABC Television Writing Fellowship and soon I’ll be sending it to the Warner Brothers Writers Workshop.

As for writing a new feature script, I always have to consider what I’ll direct next. I have a few ideas simmering. Basically, I’m deciding between a sequel to the film I just shot, a zombie flick, a coming-of-age comedy and a twist on the bromance movie. Of the ideas I just listed, each one gets increasingly bigger and I think that affects my ability to set them up as my next directing gig. I’m also working on a web-series of my own that I can’t talk about (it’s sorta a legal thing).

Network More – I’ve been trying to reach out to folks but there’s plenty of room for improvement. I am also on the verge of re-styling my website and then possibly this blog (more computer stuff to learn).

Work on Pitching – Yeah, I haven’t really worked on that.

As for my other non-film related goals, I haven’t achieved any of them. I’ve been swamped with work since the year started. But I am teaching myself After Effects and I’m learning how to use the Magic Bullet Suite.

Lastly, I hope you have a happy and safe 4th of July.

0 Comments

Posted in Directing, General, Screenwriting

New Goals for 2009 – 1. January, 2009

While I detest the ideas of new year resolutions I do believe that one should always have a goal. I think these are my professional ones (but I’m reserving the right to revise them at a later date):

Get Back in the Directing Chair – Although I’m posting my first feature as we speak, I haunted by this advice/warning: don’t start your first feature unless you’re committed to finishing your third. Therefore, I should to get back in the directing chair this year. I’m not sure if that would involve a documentary, some webisodes or another feature. Regardless, I do know that the savviest directors get their next directing gigs before their current film debuts. How else could you explain Frank Miller getting to direct BUCK ROGERS when THE SPIRIT sucks so hard?

Write Two Features and One Teleplay – I once heard Oliver Stone address Stanford university. After verbally masturbating all over the audience for 90-minutes he managed to toss out one useful bit of advice. He said, “if you want to direct, write two scripts a year.” Okay, but then I have to face my first obstacle: want do I want to write? I’m not sure if I should write my romantic teen comedy, my horror comedy, my low-budget ensemble thriller or a sequel to the film I just shot. Besides that, I want to write a TV spec. I’m pretty sure I’m writing something for this…

… but there’s a chance I’d write a teleplay for this show:

(honestly, I’d rather direct for the boob tube than write but I might as well give this a shot… let’s see if fate makes me eat those words).

I Need to Network More – I’m not sure how to go about this exactly but I need to let people know that I’m a director they can trust to get the job done. Maybe I need to revamp my website and then drive more traffic to it. Maybe I need to get more eyes on this blog. Maybe I need to shoot more short stuff and post it on YouTube. Maybe I need to get more involved with… something. I’d really appreciate some advice here.

I Need to Work on My Pitching – Ever seen BROADCAST NEWS? Remember Albert Brooks when he has to anchor the news? That’s what I’m like when I pitch. I really need to work on that.

As for non-film related goals, I’d really like to travel outside the country, do something that scares me, take a class outside of my field, take a road trip, read more fiction, take up the guitar (again), save more, get healthier… you know, all the typical bulls#!t people resolve to do at the start of a new year.

What about you?

Update: I forgot to mention this show:

Easily the most kick ass new show on TV. Once season 2 starts, I’ll see if I can come up with a good idea for a spec episode.

0 Comments

Posted in Directing, General, Screenwriting

The Worry Beard – 24. October, 2008

When I direct, I find that I grow a beard. It isn’t intentional. It sprouts from a lack of time and a natural triage of priorities (do I shave or race back to Film LA to book my location before rushing into a production meeting?).

Still, in an effort to reclaim my life from preproduction hell I’ve decided to name my facial growth.

Say “hello” to The Worry Beard!

I’m gonna grow this sucker until I’ve wrapped principal photography. Watch out Iron & Wine.

0 Comments

Posted in Directing, Last Night, Off-Topic

Hide & No Seek – 4. September, 2008

Does everyone here know Tony Jaa? He’s the Thai martial arts master from ONG BAK.

Well, now he’s shooting his directorial debut, ONG BAK 2, and things aren’t going well. Apparently he was so overwhelmed by the pressures of directing that he walked off set and disappeared into the jungle for 2 month. He’s now returned with a list of 7 demands.

Huh. I didn’t know that was a option. Maybe I’ll wander into the forests of Griffith Park.

(kidding)

0 Comments

Posted in Directing, Industry, Last Night

“10 Tools for Working with Actors” – 24. April, 2008

Of all the skills that go into making a film director, working with actors might be the most elusive. While all the other crafts seem like hard science, this one often feels like one of the dark arts. Therefore, it was refreshing to have Adrienne Weiss put on a great directing workshop sponsored by Film Independent.

(FYI, Adrienne offers a series of workshops but they aren’t cheap… why is it that directing workshops are always so damn expensive?)

With her direct and structured approach, Adrienne discussed many stratagems for helping an actor build a layered and nuanced performance. Now, if you’ve ever taken a good directing workshop, you’ve heard everything she has said before (you can find it all in the Judith Weston book) but it’s her approach that kicks ass. She wants to engage, not condescend.

Honestly, I’d have to say this is a big key to the director-actor relationship. Lord knows the number of times I’ve seen the director play God to his actors (and a vain, vengeful, Old Testament styled God at that). From my experience, this results in the actor shutting down and directing themselves. With a little bit of engagement, the actors will feel respected, they might actually listen to you and there’s a glimmer of hope they might give you what you want (maybe even something better).

0 Comments

Posted in Directing, Education

“Directing Actors” by Judith Weston – 12. November, 2007

This is considered the tome for film directors that know their lenses but handle their actors like dirty bombs left on their doormats.

Before getting into the book, why do directors think of actors as cattle?

(Hitchcock commented, “I didn’t say actors were cattle. What I said was actors should be treated like cattle.”)

A director’s domain encompasses all aspects of a film production. You must have an opinion on the lighting, the color of the wall paper and even on the microphone used (it happened to me once). This is overwhelming. When the prop person asks, “do you want the character to write with a wooden pencil or a mechanical one” you’re positive your head is going to explode. What’s nice is that your “direction” leads to a clear action with the intended result. If you say “I want the actor to only write with a 0.7mm clear-blue plastic mechanical pencil,” they do. With actors, not so much.

You might tell an actor “be more natural” and they may give you a performance that makes Jim Carrey look like Daniel Day Lewis. This is especially true of inexperienced actors. If you’re lucky enough to work with a seasoned actor they might have learned how to direct themselves but if they’re not giving you what you want, good luck trying to steer their performance in another direction.

First and foremost, in order to direct actors I think you need to 1) love actors and/or respect what they do, 2) have a great bulls#!t detector and 3) be decisive (but it’s okay to be wrong and change you mind).

If you have that, this book can help. This book arms you with a powerful set of tools for engaging the actor. Yes, there are the standard pages of action verbs but more useful might be all the script analysis techniques. These force the director to think like the actor. They also help you cultivate better strategies than “No, more natural!” when your original direction fails.

If I have any complaint it’s that the book is a bit verbose; I guess that is the writer’s way of directing. I would absolutely recommend this book but it can’t be your only source of learning. Take classes, direct actors. Better yet, act in someone else’s film. It’s a humbling experience that gives you valuable insight.

0 Comments

Posted in Directing

A Highly Subjective “Best of” from FIND’s Director Series, part 3/3 – 11. April, 2007

James Gray (writer/director of THE YARDS), John Axelrad, Kent Sparling (editor and re-recording mixer on Gray’s upcoming WE OWN THE NIGHT) and Phil Benson (former supervising sound editor on THE YARDS, now director of production for Skywalker Sound) took us through the “Music and Sound Design” lecture. First, as someone that’s taught sound design, I can attest that this craft often seems more like one of the black arts. People in the know will tell ya that “sound gets into the brain through the back door” or that “sound is you biggest secret weapon” or better yet that “sound makes your film bigger than your vision” but few have more to offer beyond that. Sure, they’ll point you towards post guru Walter Murch (apparently James is obsessed with Murch’s “Shimmering Semis” background) but talking about sound, strange as it seems, is like dancing about architecture. A few bits of practical advice: Robert Zemekis previews his mix mono then decides to feature music or effects. Still, I don’t believe you can grab a close-up in sound (I once had a guy say that in an editing class) but sound can shift your sympathetic point-of-view.

“In Short: Music Videos and Commercials” was the final lecture in the series with guests Matthew Colin (a commercial director for Motion Theory) and Mark Webb (primarily a music video guy)… okay, I’m just gonna be a dick. These guys seemed nice enough but I got nothing out of this one. Advice like “people skills are crucial” or “your work needs to be emotional” were dolled out. Um, duh! Oh, BTW, it seems like “emotional” is the new industry buzzword, as “sizzle” was/is (dear God, tell me another moron won’t approach me and ask “can you make it sizzle?”).

But I will give Matthew this. His final quote was a great one to close out the series. Someone asked a lame question but his answer was “If you’re not failing, you’re not pushing yourself to get better.”

Amen to that.

… one last thing, the word is “incarnations,” not “incantations,” Harry Potter. Idiot.

0 Comments

Posted in Directing, Education

Archive for the ‘Directing’ Category

Amazon Spec: First Call For Help – 17. July, 2009

Amazon Spec: Researching Reference – 15. July, 2009

Amazon Commercial Contest – 14. July, 2009

2009 Midyear Update – 4. July, 2009

New Goals for 2009 – 1. January, 2009

The Worry Beard – 24. October, 2008

Hide & No Seek – 4. September, 2008

“10 Tools for Working with Actors” – 24. April, 2008

“Directing Actors” by Judith Weston – 12. November, 2007

A Highly Subjective “Best of” from FIND’s Director Series, part 3/3 – 11. April, 2007

My Latest Tweet

Tags

Polls

Blogroll

Recent Posts

Recent Comments

Meta