National Film Challenge 2007
Entered a film called "An Inconvenient Dame" in the St. Louis 'branch' of the National Film Challenge. For those who don't know, it's similiar to the 48 Hour Film Project where you are assigned a "genre" of film. And then are given required elements that must appear in your film. This year, I was given "Cop/Detective" as a genre. Elements were a character named "Kevin or Kathy Klonsky -Folk Singer. The prop was a "Toilet Plunger" and the line of dialogue was "Those are Ginormous."
My large crew from the 48 Hour Film Project were otherwise busy so I took on the role of Director, Camera, Grip, Sound, Lights, Editing... by myself. No big deal. I mean, it takes two seconds for me to set up a shot that may take ten minutes to explain to someone. It saves time. Plus, coming from an "improv' background I wanted to try something this time insofar as a script. And that was doing without one. Just jotting down a basic idea or outline. Taking a "jazz" approach if you will, this film will be in A flat and a 5/4 tempo.
We decided a dame would come into a Detective's office, looking for her brother Kevin the Folk singer. The detective would be hired to find him. That was pretty much the script. Of course, this only works if you have actors that can work without a net. Luckily, I did.
I only wrote one page of something that looked like a script for the opening scene - just to establish "character" and "plot". The melody, if you will. From then on, each actor took a solo from the melody.
Yea, Lee, groovy concept! However, I ended up with 20 plus minutes of material that I had to edit into an 8 minute (limit) film. So the editing actually became the "writing". For what I didn't put on paper insofar as a story, I had to manipulate into a structured narrative of film.
I made a decision early on, that I wanted a certain "look". I didn't want to shoot a nice safe -Straight on camera angle- movie. I drew inspiration from the French New Wave filmmakers and a little from Orson Wells. I wanted to have unusual framing and off kilter angles. I also employed the Jean-Luc Godard jump cut style to make it interesting. Straight on story telling bores me to tears. Nice clean lighting and camera framing puts me to sleep. So, yea. The last few Clint Eastwood movies put me to sleep.
Anyway here is the 8 minute version
My large crew from the 48 Hour Film Project were otherwise busy so I took on the role of Director, Camera, Grip, Sound, Lights, Editing... by myself. No big deal. I mean, it takes two seconds for me to set up a shot that may take ten minutes to explain to someone. It saves time. Plus, coming from an "improv' background I wanted to try something this time insofar as a script. And that was doing without one. Just jotting down a basic idea or outline. Taking a "jazz" approach if you will, this film will be in A flat and a 5/4 tempo.
We decided a dame would come into a Detective's office, looking for her brother Kevin the Folk singer. The detective would be hired to find him. That was pretty much the script. Of course, this only works if you have actors that can work without a net. Luckily, I did.
I only wrote one page of something that looked like a script for the opening scene - just to establish "character" and "plot". The melody, if you will. From then on, each actor took a solo from the melody.
Yea, Lee, groovy concept! However, I ended up with 20 plus minutes of material that I had to edit into an 8 minute (limit) film. So the editing actually became the "writing". For what I didn't put on paper insofar as a story, I had to manipulate into a structured narrative of film.
I made a decision early on, that I wanted a certain "look". I didn't want to shoot a nice safe -Straight on camera angle- movie. I drew inspiration from the French New Wave filmmakers and a little from Orson Wells. I wanted to have unusual framing and off kilter angles. I also employed the Jean-Luc Godard jump cut style to make it interesting. Straight on story telling bores me to tears. Nice clean lighting and camera framing puts me to sleep. So, yea. The last few Clint Eastwood movies put me to sleep.
Anyway here is the 8 minute version
