Wednesday, May 2, 2012
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKixw7mwp1E
David Zucker and Jim Abrahams interview. Definitely an influence with Airplane! and BASEketball.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/25/matt-stone-trey-parker-ar_n_475744.html
Interview with Matt Stone and Trey Parker about their general reason for why they do things the way they do. They don't like to do what other people are already doing, and they like to make things fresh and new. I realize my film is about mormons and they have done that, but my inspiration for making a comedy this semester was because I didn't want to do what everybody else was going to do. I wanted to do something for myself that captivate my interest and make me have some fun.
David Zucker and Jim Abrahams interview. Definitely an influence with Airplane! and BASEketball.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/25/matt-stone-trey-parker-ar_n_475744.html
Interview with Matt Stone and Trey Parker about their general reason for why they do things the way they do. They don't like to do what other people are already doing, and they like to make things fresh and new. I realize my film is about mormons and they have done that, but my inspiration for making a comedy this semester was because I didn't want to do what everybody else was going to do. I wanted to do something for myself that captivate my interest and make me have some fun.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Updates
I am filming this upcoming weekend, I have my actors and crew aligned, and I am just acquiring some last minute props. I have also began to work with my composer, who has written several main themes I can work with. I have a tension theme, and themes for each of the characters as well as musical themes and gradations for Utah and Colorado respectively.
I am running a barebones crew, so I will mostly be utilizing natural lighting, besides for some garage lamps and a bounce positioned on C stands. I have a shoulder mount that I am going to use for steady moving shots, and have started to practice some of the scenes in order to work with the focus and steadiness at the same time.
I want my sound design to be filled with foley, so I have also started to collect recorded sounds with my Zoom H4n. I am working with people that I have worked with before on previous shoots, so I feel comfortable that my shoot with go according to plan as much as possible. Unexpected things will happen, but I am sufficiently preparing back-up plans for my back-ups.
Subtly will be hard to express in this short amount of time I have to work with being a seven minute-ish film. I am still deciding what to cut out of my script to get it closer to seven pages, and so I am consulting with my co-writer in order to get at the heart of the project, to really see what I need to include and what can be let out. At the moment it all seems important, so I may need to include more montage and flashbacks than I anticipated. I will try to use as little of these techniques as possible, as I know they can become repetitive and conventional.
I am running a barebones crew, so I will mostly be utilizing natural lighting, besides for some garage lamps and a bounce positioned on C stands. I have a shoulder mount that I am going to use for steady moving shots, and have started to practice some of the scenes in order to work with the focus and steadiness at the same time.
I want my sound design to be filled with foley, so I have also started to collect recorded sounds with my Zoom H4n. I am working with people that I have worked with before on previous shoots, so I feel comfortable that my shoot with go according to plan as much as possible. Unexpected things will happen, but I am sufficiently preparing back-up plans for my back-ups.
Subtly will be hard to express in this short amount of time I have to work with being a seven minute-ish film. I am still deciding what to cut out of my script to get it closer to seven pages, and so I am consulting with my co-writer in order to get at the heart of the project, to really see what I need to include and what can be let out. At the moment it all seems important, so I may need to include more montage and flashbacks than I anticipated. I will try to use as little of these techniques as possible, as I know they can become repetitive and conventional.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Updates
So the film is cast and the script is almost done, just working out the kinks. I need a crew member to run sound as I will be using a double system method using a Zoom H4N recorder and Canon DSLR 7D. I have used this camera in many situations with picture and video, so I am comfortable with the workflow and the extra work dedicated in post.
"Strong majorities of Mormons say there are absolute standards of right and wrong and that they feel their values are often threatened by Hollywood." Interesting indeed. I may have to use this detail somewhere in the dialogue. (http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1292/mormon-religion-demographics-beliefs-practices-politics)
"Most Mormons take an anti-abortion or "pro-life" position on the issue of abortion. Fully 70% say abortion should be illegal in most or all circumstances, compared with 42% among the general population. Two-thirds of Mormons (68%) say homosexuality should be discouraged rather than accepted by society. When asked about the theory of evolution, only 22% of Mormons say it is the best explanation for human life, with three-in-four (75%) disagreeing." (http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1292/mormon-religion-demographics-beliefs-practices-politics)
"Mormons make up 1.7% of the American adult population, a proportion that is comparable in size to the U.S. Jewish population."
"In Utah, July 24 is Pioneer Day, a state holiday commemorating the day in 1847 when the first Mormon settlers, led by Brigham Young, entered the Salt Lake Valley."
Apparently the Mormon Tabernacle Choir is all the rage with mormons. I think it would be great if the cop only listened to this when he is in his car.
A map dedicated to the population demographics of mormons in the United States. http://www.slate.com/articles/life/map_of_the_week/2012/02/mormon_population_in_the_u_s_an_interactive_map.html
Oh yes, and I found this cool website 15 must have freeware programs for filmmakers
"In Utah, July 24 is Pioneer Day, a state holiday commemorating the day in 1847 when the first Mormon settlers, led by Brigham Young, entered the Salt Lake Valley."
Apparently the Mormon Tabernacle Choir is all the rage with mormons. I think it would be great if the cop only listened to this when he is in his car.
A map dedicated to the population demographics of mormons in the United States. http://www.slate.com/articles/life/map_of_the_week/2012/02/mormon_population_in_the_u_s_an_interactive_map.html
Oh yes, and I found this cool website 15 must have freeware programs for filmmakers
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Week Two and Three
“The most ordinary word, when put into place, suddenly acquires brilliance. That is the brilliance with which your images must shine.”
― Robert Bresson
I enjoy this quote because it reaffirms my belief that films are deeply shaped in the editing. Production is important, but the order of those "ordinary" shots creates the magic of cinema. I love the psychology of editing, and I believe it is deeply important to understand what images do together as a whole. Films have syntax and semantics just like language does.
A New York Times Article giving some insight into perceptions on a mormon religion and the recent PR campaign to improve the image of mormons.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/18/us/mormon-ad-campaign-seeks-to-improve-perceptions.html?pagewanted=all
Composition two-shot of a car scene
A similar shot
Costuming Research
Prop Research
― Robert Bresson
I enjoy this quote because it reaffirms my belief that films are deeply shaped in the editing. Production is important, but the order of those "ordinary" shots creates the magic of cinema. I love the psychology of editing, and I believe it is deeply important to understand what images do together as a whole. Films have syntax and semantics just like language does.
Research and appealing styles
The Blues Brothers
This style of comedy is simple and somewhat dry. I am inspired by dry humor, and especially Canadian dry humor. I want to incorporate moments that may be awkward, and humorously dry. The movie Dirty Work directed by Bob Saget and written by Norm MacDonald is a good example of the style of humor I will try to capture. Heres a link
Location for Utah/Western Colorado Filming
This location is ideal for filming because I will have unlimited access to the house and surrounding areas, which include an open grass field, and a grand mesa that I can also film around. This location is extremely close to the border of Utah as well, so I have the option of getting some landscape footage of Utah itself to give the location some reality. I also will be able to use my friends mother as an actor so I don't have to waste time, money, and aesthetic on trying to make a young person look older.
This is a picture of the Grand Mesa where I will be shooting my Utah sequences. I want shots of the very suburban neighborhood in this area and also wish to emphasize the open spaces of emptiness in Utah.
Color
In terms of color schemes, I would like to emphasize a warmer color palette for Utah and a cooler color palette for the Boulder sequences. This image greatly expresses some of the desired shot composition and mood.
In order to get a cooler color palette, I will need to film in areas with more trees than sidewalk, so I will most likely avoid shooting on pearl street. This picture is Boulder in the summertime, but I will still be able to create different moods with the different landscape in each of the two places.
Costuming
As of right now, I do not entirely have a vision of what the main characters will be wearing. I have narrowed it down to somewhat formal attire as con artists usually dress nicely to present themselves as orderly citizens and not stand out too much. They will discover in Boulder that the dress isn't actually as formal as they are used to in Utah. I need to get two pairs of sunglasses that are unique are characteristic to each character.
The corrupt police officer will be wearing dress khakis with a white button up shirt and plain black tie with plain black suspenders. He will appear more as a detective than a police officer.
Intentions
Freud thought that comedy came from the repressed. People laugh at something because they have repressed that specific desire or action. They have restricted themselves because of societal conditioning and when they un-repress, or sublimate in a cathartic act of laughter it is because the joke has released apart of themselves they that have repressed.
Movies
A good movie to see in order understand con artists more is this fictional documentary about a con artist named Casper Carr. It's called Street Thief, and gives a better understanding (even if fictional) of the ways into a con artist. From this movie I learned that being a con artist is all about the presentation and delivery of self as confident and belonging. He will wear a construction outfit, walk into a supermarket, pick the lock into the back room and steal all of the money in the safe. He would research his targets for weeks on end in order to get scores of $70,000 dollars or more. I want my movie to have some elements of style that this movie contains. An example:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTu1pXe452A
The style lends itself more to documentary, however, I want to utilize it in a way that works with my own tendencies and characteristics in my filmmaking. I think I could make this style work in at least one scene to build tension before the big score. The handheld feel builds greater tension and adds less stability, which would be good to build before the climax of the short film.
Further Mormon Research
I found this quite informational short film that is of great use on mormon.org. Full of useful facts, perceptions and information to use at my disposal.
Color
In terms of color schemes, I would like to emphasize a warmer color palette for Utah and a cooler color palette for the Boulder sequences. This image greatly expresses some of the desired shot composition and mood.
Costuming
As of right now, I do not entirely have a vision of what the main characters will be wearing. I have narrowed it down to somewhat formal attire as con artists usually dress nicely to present themselves as orderly citizens and not stand out too much. They will discover in Boulder that the dress isn't actually as formal as they are used to in Utah. I need to get two pairs of sunglasses that are unique are characteristic to each character.
The corrupt police officer will be wearing dress khakis with a white button up shirt and plain black tie with plain black suspenders. He will appear more as a detective than a police officer.
Intentions
Freud thought that comedy came from the repressed. People laugh at something because they have repressed that specific desire or action. They have restricted themselves because of societal conditioning and when they un-repress, or sublimate in a cathartic act of laughter it is because the joke has released apart of themselves they that have repressed.
Movies
A good movie to see in order understand con artists more is this fictional documentary about a con artist named Casper Carr. It's called Street Thief, and gives a better understanding (even if fictional) of the ways into a con artist. From this movie I learned that being a con artist is all about the presentation and delivery of self as confident and belonging. He will wear a construction outfit, walk into a supermarket, pick the lock into the back room and steal all of the money in the safe. He would research his targets for weeks on end in order to get scores of $70,000 dollars or more. I want my movie to have some elements of style that this movie contains. An example:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTu1pXe452A
The style lends itself more to documentary, however, I want to utilize it in a way that works with my own tendencies and characteristics in my filmmaking. I think I could make this style work in at least one scene to build tension before the big score. The handheld feel builds greater tension and adds less stability, which would be good to build before the climax of the short film.
Further Mormon Research
I found this quite informational short film that is of great use on mormon.org. Full of useful facts, perceptions and information to use at my disposal.
A New York Times Article giving some insight into perceptions on a mormon religion and the recent PR campaign to improve the image of mormons.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/18/us/mormon-ad-campaign-seeks-to-improve-perceptions.html?pagewanted=all
Composition two-shot of a car scene
A similar shot
Costuming Research
Prop Research
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Week one
The Film
The film I will be creating this
semester can best be described as a comedy. It is about two con artists that
must flee Mormon Utah after catching some heat (selling fake bibles) with a
local (and very corrupt) policeman. They choose Colorado to escape the clutches
of religious tyranny. They know Colorado has friends they can lay low with, and
they know they can escape the law because of medical marijuana laws (not a very
smart thing to think). What they do not realize is that the dirty policeman is
actually after the money they stole from an old lady’s house during the con
involving the selling of fake bibles. One of the con artists was brought up in
a family of con artists, and conning is literally what he has to do because
there is nothing else he is good at. This character is a carefree, impulsive,
very socially adept, but very dense in every other aspect of life. He
constantly is conning people out of things that are quite useless to him, and
does not estimate the risk involved in each con because of his impulsive
nature. This character got his whole family thrown in jail because of his bad
judgment in a con, and he needs another person in order for him to con
successfully. The other character is socially inept, cynical, long-winded,
false accusational and cons people by making them feel bad for him or about the
situation he is presenting. He cons bums for money and his main concern is
escaping the law. This character started conning people because his family
needed money and was very well intentioned at first. His quality of cynicism is
a result of how conning people has worn on him. He is a self-criticizer and a
sarcastic asshole. The socially adept character makes the other character
believe that the money they are spending frivolously at different places is
from the successful con of selling the bibles, and if the smart, cynical
character were to know they are spending dirty money he would surely prevent
them from spending the money, as he understands the risk involved in spending
dirty money when gangsters are involved. Over the course of the film they will
discover that there is more to life than conning, and they both are actually
more skilled at other things besides conning than they believed.
**a mormon ad linked here** http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pjNWvEMYwo
The Passion
The idea came to me when advertising for the 2012 presidential election began to increase. These commercials are misleading and leave the punch-line "I'm a mormon" at the end to a humorous end. I have always wanted to try to create a comedy and have dabbled with some shorter comedies in the past. Most of my films in the past have been based off of poems I have written. In this way I structure images to words, but they only resonate with some people and I would like to create a film with a broader appeal. The Blues Brothers is a great film that has inspired me with its simple humor and relatable characters. I want to create characters that jump from the screen, as people will be able to recognize people they know in the personalities I plan to present.
Tentative Locations
The landscape of Utah is quite distinguishable from other places in the country. I am thinking that I at least need to travel to Grand Junction to get a similar landscape for the scenes when they are fleeing Mormon Utah. If all goes well, I will be able to film in Utah and stay in Grand Junction where I have some friends that would be able to accommodate a room. These scenes will require little technical aspects in terms of crew and will only incorporate 2-3 actors, so I believe this is quite feasible.
Tentative Locations
The landscape of Utah is quite distinguishable from other places in the country. I am thinking that I at least need to travel to Grand Junction to get a similar landscape for the scenes when they are fleeing Mormon Utah. If all goes well, I will be able to film in Utah and stay in Grand Junction where I have some friends that would be able to accommodate a room. These scenes will require little technical aspects in terms of crew and will only incorporate 2-3 actors, so I believe this is quite feasible.
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