Moviemaking: The Business --> Expectations

 

Moviemaking is not a straight shot to the top. There's a lot of things that have to happen to make yourself into a value-maker AKA being able to work on your art and not having 3 side-hustles to pay your bills on time. For most of us it's a time and process that takes years, maybe even decades. So read on and look for these movements I've cited in BOLD.

The options here usually are not defined as the first step but I'll try to make them in a linear path for you.

1. You get an OPPORTUNITY. You find Dad's old camcorder or buy a vintage Super 8mm camera like I did and you see the possibilities. You see a movie made locally and think you can imitate it at the very least. You recruit your family or friends to make your own movie they recruit you. You enjoy it way more than your office job. You meet an agent that works at CAA while selling your vintage Atari arcade game you've had in the garage. Tell them you only see yourself making movies.

2. You PREPARE. Self-explanatory. Get ready for your adventure. Research, read, learn, think of theories, understand yourself and your process of creation.

3. The opportunity allows you to EXPLORE how to make your movie. You find options to make money to get it made: you use a mannequin instead of a human actor jumping out of a car for that one shot. This is the creative production aspect. You are exploring how it all works.

4. Either you create MEETINGS or someone offers you to have a meeting with them. These are new chances to build your network. Treat these as ways to find your workmates, not to meet your arch rivals. Enjoy the process. It's not everyday you will get to know people outside of your realm. Enjoy listening to them and hopefully they will be wise enough to listen to you too.

5. You GET IDEAS for your current project or a future project. This is the inspiration for your movement you're doing or going to be doing. Write this down and map it.

6. You MAKE $ by the sale of the movie or as a technician or a member of management on the movie. What you do with that money is up to you. As a person that calls themselves a filmmaker, it's advisable to reinvest something into another film.

7.  You get another OPPORTUNITY to make something. You now have another chance to make more work. 

I got the image from somewhere online about playing video games and certain gaming mechanics. I now cannot recall exactly where or what site. If I do find out, I'll credit them.

First feature film from a director better be Pi or Memento

My opinion, yes, my opinion - not fact, is that many people think their first film needs to be Pi or Memento.

That's really strange to me. This is a craft. I expect everyone's first movie to be technically proficient but story engaging with imperfections present to regular audience members.

The majority of first time feature-films that knock out millions of sales are the lottery winners.

I'm sure you're thinking Tarantino did it with Reservoir Dogs, but that's not his first film. His first film is one he'll never show because it's not perfect. But here's the thing: Reservoir Dogs isn't perfect either. But it's fun. It's also a multi-million dollar first feature, so I don't count it. It's a well-marketed film by a failed-actor-turned-writer who also marketed himself enough to direct the thing.

Oh yeah. So, I like to look at David Lean or Marty Scorsese. They made a half dozen or more movies which ranged from $400(four hundred, not four hundred thousand) features to made-for-TV movies before they 'got their stride right' and started actually directing true films that gave their own spin on the medium.

That's media consumption in the 21st century: We are all actors and directors in our own right. Just like anyone can sing. But singing really well takes practice and commitment. I'm talking years of craft. A singer goes and sings Happy Birthday for a few friends first then a church choir then a crowd of 50 and so forth.

It doesn't mean there aren't movie director prodigies out there. But thinking that you are a prodigy will only lead to disappointment is all I'm saying.

Story is what matters. Characters matter. You are a craftsman and craftswoman. It's up to you to spend time on yourself before trying for Pi and Memento. Make a spirited effort in a film that runs 80 minutes. Learn from it. Be humbled from it. Get an award or two or 10. Then make a bigger spirit film. That's called dedication to the craft.

Have a nice day! ☺

This actually happened

I've been behind the camera since I've been in my early 20s now. But the love of immersing myself into a character's role has been there since I was a teenager.

I'm an actor if it's the right role for me. As a 20s male of middle eastern roots, I was offered every villainous role out there. But these were not villains with memorable lines or anything; they were typical one dimensional roles full of stereotypes that a beardy guy with thick eyebrows was perfect for in a racially charged America. 

Early in my career I agreed to it because the pay was substantial. And it wasn't a bad day's work either. But eventually I had to tell myself the truth: I'm a hero. I need heroic roles to portray. So I decided I wouldn't accept bad guy roles anymore unless the villain shows that their point of view is seen and they are relatable. Darth Vader redeemed himself. So would I. None of the phony bad guy that is bad for the sake of being bad.

So I have a friend who is a talent agent. She tries her hardest to get me in front of a camera once a year. At least it seems that way because I only hear from her a few times a year with an offer to audition for a support role for a good chunk of cash. These are the SLACKER, the SMART ASS types. They are the walk-on roles but tons of fun work and life of the party characters. 

I'm a director. I study acting and actors. I include myself with up and coming or established talent. It's my love and my job. I continue to  take part in the study of acting and recently voice-acting. Performance is just as important as sound design, cinematography, production design, and editing. As a quick note: I never let on that I'm a director inside the audition. My job is as an actor here and it's a job I gladly want to do and want to do only for them.

So I showed up for the audition and this is what happened. I showed up to the audition for some dating contestant sketch. I was Contestant #2. The one that never gets picked. (Why?) The contestant's character was much of a "don't care one way or another" kind of guy. I did my audition, shook hands with the casting people, and was picking up my belongings to leave when a woman walks in, very freaked out. She speaks in very loud pitches. She says, "I'm so sorry I'm late! I was just rear-ended when getting off the freeway!" All eyes were on her. I stuck around to hear what happened. She told exactly what happened. A brown car made in the 1980s hit her, making her car squeal off to the off-ramp wall. She was visibly shaking. Someone brought her a cup of water and she sat down to cool off. The producers nodded, said to her everything was going to be OK, and of course she was able to audition.

I decided I needed to head out. I stopped by the cafe and got myself an iced tea. As I made my way to my car parked on the street, I saw the woman that came into the audition. I went over to her and introduced myself, and asked her about the damage done to her car. She unashamedly told me she had made all of it up. I was damn impressed.

There was no way I wasn't going to get her contact information. Her performance was stellar. I believed her with all my heart that she had been a victim of hit-and-run. I felt so sorry for her at the time but later when I saw the truth, I knew that she understood acting. It's a truth as if 'what would I be like if this happened to me'? and using that to make a performance.

I did end up getting that audition. And I've kept in contact with my friend, the Scream Queen. She's a full-time audition attender - even if she's a little late because she's driving from audition to audition. Her paychecks only come if she goes to auditions, markets herself, and books the job. And she's very good at the job of being an actor.

Today is today, tomorrow is the future, and yesterday is no more

I had a fun Halloween. I went out to West Hollywood and crowd-watched, made some new friends, had a drink with said new friends, flirted back and forth with a nice girl who gave me a Hershey's bar because I'm Santa, possibly almost got mugged by a Juggalo, etc. Overall a very fun evening.

That's not what this story is about though. My story is a lot like the protagonist of The Fountainhead. I'm not willing to give in to what I want and I've made peace that I will struggle for a bit. One of the new friends I made is an older gentleman, who goes by J.L.

He found out I'm an independent film producer. He works in the industry as well, mid 50s in age, and is doing well enough for himself. He saw that I am a young(er) man and still figuring a few things out to reach more people and decided he needed to tell me what to do to become "successful". He said that I needed to go schmooze more with more lunch and dinner dates, he started to tell me who all in Hollywood is gay(I already know who is and isn't - it's none of my concern who someone loves, as long as they love), and then that what I'm doing isn't going to bring me that money that the studios get. Which is the opposite of what I do. I'm doing almost everything I can to keep control of my movies. Sure, I'll work with a few people in the industry because I like them and I want to work with them, but not working with people that don't have my best interests with theirs is counterproductive.

This is where my personal opinion of the industry comes into play. The cigar-chomping mogul is not dead. But they are dying a slow death. My era of working out of my home is slowly becoming alive. I have been doing this for 10 years now. Four of those years in Los Angeles. I am not living in an 8 story Hollywood Hills residence. Nor would I want to! Do you know how much I'd have to work to pay the taxes on that? I'm a different new breed. I don't want to work more to have 1/16 more than others. I find happiness with inexpensive things. That person wants to work from 7am to 10pm everyday without a day off to send their kids to a premium school? Go for it. To quote Lupe Fiasco, "The school is garbage anyway". It's me who will teach my children(or nephews, cousins, friends and family and community members) how to be smarter, not to work harder. I'd rather work a quarter of these full-time psychopaths and make 1/2 of what they do and still feel I own my own life. I can step away from anything at any time and it doesn't bother me. I'm free. That's what this is all about. Being free to pursue the American Dream. I'm not willing to give up my freedom for a few points or a few zeros on a check for high end consumerism. That doesn't consume a lot of Reality Shows they sell but I rarely am a consumer - I'm a creator. Watch what I put out in the future. It's going to be a lot of fun!

Career of pushing the button

Photography has paid my bills for quite some time. I'd like to think that I'm a decent photographer.

What is photography though? To me, it's not about pushing a button in front of a subject. It's about interaction.

As photographers we interact with things and try our best to capture a moment of time.

With this understanding, we shouldn't look to see how nice of a camera we can ladder up to. We need to master our gear we use, yes, but we should also take notes on who we've become as a person using these skills.

East and West worlds

The title is called Two because of the main character's two sets of parents and being of two worlds - the West and the East.

It's a drama about adoption reunion and growing up middle eastern in America. A story of a kid born and raised in the Midwest and he travels to California for the first time in his 20's to try to find his biological parents and himself in the process.

I wrote it because of my life growing up having a specific look but my allegiance to being a nationalist first. It can be conflicting having people/media say that middle easterners are the enemy when it's not the people of any place that are the enemy, just the radicalized ones in charge that have an agenda to push onto others. That and oligopolization of governments that are either bound by slowly adaptive religion and/or greed/fear of the true people taking over as leaders. We as people are scared into not saying or doing certain things. This is a system of control made early on by the powers that be -  the Royal powers that started civilization. We are given consumption of information without a way to question it. We aren't given the chance to think large.

The happenings are fictional but the ideals written are real and of my own.

I've been told that this is my most mature work I've written. I'm going to make it with a budget of 1.5 million dollars and film it in the San Francisco Bay Area.

No matter what, this is supposed to be entertainment. But I do interject some thought-provoking content so people won't know they're being educated.

Regarding the Hollywood gender bias subpoenas

Hollywood is a strange place. It's like a strip club. No one really wants to go there, but some of us have no choice to either work there or be caught going there. Most of the action going on in a strip club is probably illegal but we all look the other way, because the alternative is independent contractors taking more money in without a middleman. Even our wording is male dominated. Middleman is just somebody that takes a cut, but we reference a man doing it. The major studios want money, just like any stripper or strip club owner wants. Actors and filmmakers being the strippers and the studios being the owners of the club.

This is America, where we are basically free to hire the best person for the job. Now, unlike strip clubs, the studios are being positioned as being immoral for not hiring women. I am not against the studios even though we don't work together. What I have been saying to friends and colleagues is asking why they haven't just created independent content instead with a camera and a lens like this?

Make a production company, hire women to direct, produce, write. Then hire men to make it even standards. But for some reason everyone wants to work in Hollywood, be a freelance director with an agent that is probably male, and hope for the best, but not expect the worst.

It's time our thinking evolved.

Why I won't change my black character

A potential producer/writer read my adoption script and notes he gave me were that I should write out the black character as being 'more urban'. Not that the character was a bad character; It was that the character wasn't 'black enough' and I shouldn't write a main character without some urban influence.

Background on the character I wrote: His name sounds urban-ish and his uncle lives in Oakland. That's it. That's about as far as he goes as being a stereotypical young black man. My black character I wrote is reasonably intelligent, a normal individual tossed into extraordinary situations. He's not white or black or yellow or brown in a box. He's a human being, a character in a story that has potential to be better if they make the right choices - and let's hope he does. I wrote the character to be like that, because that's the kind of people I write for. I want people to be better for watching my movies or be able to escape... or even learn to accept others for who they are.

I am not homophobic, racist, sexist, or hateful towards any types of people. The joke is that I hate everybody equally. People (currently) die eventually, one way or another. The next generation must succeed the previous. The producer/writer that read my script had some notes and I appreciate where he was coming from. But the fact that he is not understanding of today's nuances does make a difference. If this were a story set 10, 20, 30 years ago - then yes those notes would be much better to make a lot of impressions.

My black characters are black. They happen to have skin tone, but that is it. People come from a different range of backgrounds and cultures. This character is a modern man of the times. In fact, every one of the characters knows urban speak. They just don't need to use that type of language in private. Think about slang in your life. You might use it as a way of showing understanding but do most of you use it every minute? No. You are professionals, or working as professionals or you live with your parents who would slap the shit out of you if you talked to them like that. It's not a mindset that others think with on a consistent basis. That is important. There are kids growing up with knowledge of the world on screens all over. Ghettos will still be here for a while, but they are not going to be the same ghetto.  The black characters I write for grow up knowing black culture, but are more interested in learning about the entire world's culture, and communicating with others in EVERY culture they can access.

So these black characters are not typical of media idealism. They can still be tough, they can still get respect. They just fight with words more than fists or guns. It's reality becoming art and art becoming reality. As a writer myself, I control that ideal.

I write for characters of emotional and comprehensive intelligence in tough situations. That is the drama which I want to see. And correct me if I'm wrong, which I'm not, but everyone wants to feel that.

The Two Moons of Arrakis and not being unusually bored

I was labeled a gifted child somewhere around the age of 5. How this was discovered remains a mystery. I was sent to a counselor's office with my parents and being asked to listen to a story and then being asked questions about the story. I had little quizzes to take. I remember never having been in that room, it was stuffy in there, and not wanting to be there.

I was put into a "Gifted" class for 2 hours at a time on a Wednesday. All I knew was that I was happy not to be in class. Being reflective, I don't know how much I really learned there. It was very relaxed, and we got to do things we wanted like making new inventions or talking to each other. I got to get out or normal classes though and go do fun things like use computers, meet other kids who were different, and one time, our gifted instructor sat us down to watch a VHS movie called Dune.

It was magic. It was a live-action version of the serious cartoons I had envisioned in my head. I didn't know there were directors or actors at the time, I didn't understand the schematics of how they put on lavish costumes and worked with huge production puppets. Why were they calling me gifted again? Well, I assume every once in a while, one nerd slips thru the cracks.

David Lynch, one of my idols in personal and business sense, a decade or so later, would I realize was the director of Dune. And by critical accounts, hated for it. I couldn't understand it. The man was a genius. And his other work is part of my collection of most loved movies.

Every once in a while I'll go back and revisit the House of Atreides, Paul, and the spice melange. Yes, it's got a campy vibe at times, but the colors, the design, the magic is still there.

Also, in my teens, I realized that the spice was marijuana. I was way off with that thesis, but I'm pretty sure it made sense to me at the time.

Two

My first film was done with the help of my brother, who I met at the age of 13. He was given up for adoption and he was able to find us. This was back before the internet became popular. Our talks ranged from what sports we liked to how good we were in a fight. You see, my brother and I never got the opportunity to grow up as kids together, therefore, we lost out on a few chances to see who was the leader of the group. We are blood related, but as far as official paperwork goes, we are just two really good friends. When I told him I wanted to make movies, he wanted to be in my movie. Now, the end result was a 21 year old experimenting with moving images, but luckily I've grown my dedication to my craft. I've created over 50 short films, some very experimental, some have had slight viral success. I've always wanted to move forward and make a feature-film.

I write one feature-length film a year. About three years ago, I wrote an action-thriller that got some of the best responses I couldn't dream of. The problem is that no one will hand over millions and millions of dollars to a first time director. So I went back to the drawing board and wrote a personal story with dramatic elements - a combination of my brother’s life  and mine. What I came up with is Two. A story about someone adopted that goes searching for answers, and the answers aren't the ones that he was going for.

This is a personal journey, and I’d like for everyone to see my film. I’d like to have others see what being American by birth and having roots of somewhere unknown, is really like. I’ve rewritten this script almost a dozen times now, and with each revision, it becomes more magical. And I don’t use that term loosely.

I’ve directed dozens of films and commercials for startup companies and small businesses. I’ve produced music videos and commercials for large corporations. I’ve produced a feature documentary now. I want to see what else is out there to make as art, and make it a profitable venture. I can’t see myself doing anything else.

Movie Theater businesses evolving toward higher end clients

You may or may not have noticed that a few movie theaters are now offering beer and wine service. There's a few theaters around here that have chairs that feel like loveseats complete with ottomans.

This is a great evolution of film. Since film downloads and streaming have hit high marks, the theaters have been scratching their collective heads trying to figure out where to go and high end clientele still need a place to go out to, without going to a dirty club to dance to EDM music that they can't dance to anyway. Well, nobody can really dance to that music, that's the point, but that's another story.

There are even theaters around the country that offer waitstaff to bring select gourmet foods to your "table".  After doing some searching, here's an article that will give you some insight as well.

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/theaters-639602-movie-sushi.html

As a forecaster, I would assume this to happen for the future of my profession's cineplexes:

1. Less seating. More legroom, bigger chairs, plugins for phones(yes!), and pre-seating conversational music.

2. Age categorized rooms. Less teens mixed with seniors. Actually, both of those groups are the make-out groups, so maybe lump them together, and have 30s to 50s in same rooms and optional baby/kid clubhouse for rated PG-13 and up supervision.

3. Old Days. Tuesdays are half-price and you can sit with people that aren't in your preference and gourmet food and beer must be consumed out of the screening room.

4. Pillow rentals like a hotel.

Risk it

I'm not here to spin in circles.

One of the biggest principles I have stood for in my education, career, and life is in these two words.

Risk it!

It just sounds exciting even thinking about it. It’s a reminder to step aside from what I'm doing and reflect on myself if what I'm doing or saying is the right choice for what I want when trying something new. I like to ask myself these questions:


Is it a challenge? If not, then why am I doing it?
Is anybody else doing it? If so, then what purpose does it serve me?
Can I live with myself if I don’t do it? If so, then it’s probably not that big of a deal and I should find another task. If I can’t live with myself, then I better get started on the mission.


If I can’t answer these questions while thinking I’m going out there to make that small difference in the world, then I’m not interested. If I wanted to do nothing, I’d stay at home. Maybe taking risks won’t give me exactly what I want, but it’ll align the path to what I’m destined for. I'm not looking to win any awards, but what I am looking for is to have a simple message that anybody can understand. It's not an easy way to be subjective if I’m doing things the regular way all the time. I can be sure I’m onto something worth fighting for when my mind hits that certain threshold. I get more blood pumping in my veins. I have that specific vision. That’s when I know what I’m doing is making things happen. That’s when I know that persistence pays off and I’m going to go for the gold.

That's what makes me so comfortable about myself. I'm happy with who I am, and if it means I do things a little differently, then so be it. I dare myself to push harder, to reach the highest mountain. If I was content with mediocrity and being regular or average, I wouldn't be in college or I wouldn't have moved to California in search of bigger opportunities.


I surround myself with smarter than myself and risk-taking people. My principle is to lead by example, teaching others to check themselves before they wreck themselves. If a few more people can think about risking it more often, there’d be more chances of making that bullseye.

Wayne Gretzky said it best. “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take”. The odds are in our favor, then.

Actors List for Two

UPDATE: I now have been brewing about actors in my mind and the state of this list. As I watch more movies that I like and what makes a good actor, I've decided to look at theatre actors closer so this list will definitely change.


I've been acting as my own Casting Director's Assistant (Casting Associate) for my feature film, Two.

I've compiled a list of actors that would be within budget(not astronomically high cost for talent, the chances of being a diva to come play a few day's role). They should also be willing to work with a mixture of union and independent film cast and crew towards the ultimate goal of a subject of adoption. 99% of the roles are the ones that most actors would want to do because of the caliber of iconic roles they would be able to play.

The cast probably will change a few names here and there as people die unexpectedly, or are busy doing their own thing, or would never want to work with someone else that is cast due to politics. That's the nature of this business and please don't hold it against me. I would love to work with every actor eventually and given the timing and nature of my writing, probably will.


A note about all this: I have been writing this list out, researching actors, looking at faces, ages, past work, personal behavior, etc. When I wrote this screenplay, these characters didn't have that personality they have today. It's because of this research, this thinking of what an actor could possibly bring to the role that I have brought this list out and given the material larger than life memorable attitudes. Once the actors are cast, these personalities become theirs and whatever choices they create are no longer mine, but they are of the screen in which you see them.


MAX
Michael Angarano
Taylor Lautner
Carter Jenkins
Corbin Bleu
Mark Indelicato
Dev Patel
Suraj Sharma


ALINA
Nicole Beharie
Lenora Crichlow
Ruth Negga
Yaya Alafia
Amandla Stenberg
Jurnee Smollett
Jordin Sparks
Keke Palmer


JESSICA
Retta
Rashida Jones
Tatyana Ali
Rosario Dawson
Persia White
Gugu Mbatha-Raw

TRÈS

Doc Shaw
Jaden Smith
John Boyega
Tristan Wilds
Michael B. Jordan
Evan Ross
Leon Thomas III
Dayo Okeniyi



ROXY
Kaya Scodelario
Analeigh Tipton
Brie Larson
Zosia Mamet
Kristen Stewart
Emma Watson
Zoey Deutch
Shailene Woodley
Ariana Grande
Victoria Justice
Selena Gomez
Hannah Marks
Lily Collins
Joey King
Lourdes Leon
Seychelle Gabriel
Josie Loren
Christian Serratos
Isabelle Fuhrman



MARIEL
Chloe Moretz
Juno Temple
Saoirse Ronan
Emma Stone
Shailene Woodley
Bonnie Wright
Kaya Scodelario
Mia Wasikowska
Emma Watson
Chloe Moretz
Mae Whitman
AnnaSophia Robb
Elle Fanning
Imogen Poots


UNCLE REGGIE
Craig Robinson
Jerome Caldwell
Terry Crews
Dule Hill
Dolvett Quince
Isaiah Mustafa
Derek Luke
Blair Underwood
Lenny Kravitz
Laz Alonso
Michael Ealy
Lance Gross
Jesse L. Martin
Morris Chestnut
D.B. Woodside
Charles Michael Davis
Damon Wayans Jr.
Shemar Moore
Jesse Williams
Boris Kodjoe
Andre 3000
Keith David
Dennis Haysbert
Samuel L. Jackson
Tone Loc
Isiah Whitlock Jr.


GOTHAM SHAH
Maz Jobrani
Richard Ayoade
Omid Djalili
Oded Fehr
David Cross
Ciaran Hinds
Tony Shalhoub
Ron Silver
Said Taghmaoui
Faran Tahir
Shaun Toub
Arjun Rampal
Sendhil Ramamurthy
Hrithik Roshan
Raza Jaffrey
John Abraham


VINCE
Whit Spurgeon
Gary Cole
William Fichtner
J.K. Simmons
William H. Macy
Harry Dean Stanton
Steve Buscemi
Thomas Hayden Church
Clifton Collins, Jr.
Bruce Dern
Chris Elliott
Sam Elliott
William Forsythe
John Goodman
Woody Harrelson
Michael Keaton
David Koechner
John C. McGinley


LINDA
Kathy Bates
Holly Hunter
Joan Allen
Jennifer Jason Leigh
Frances McDormand
Joey Lauren Adams
Catherine Keener
Jane Lynch
Edie McClurg
Catherine O'Hara
June Squibb


NESS
John Turturro
Christopher Walken
Erick Avari
Graham Greene
Luis Guzman
John Leguizamo
John Ortiz
Michael Pena
Miguel Sandoval
Jacob Vargas

MITCH
Douglas Booth
Will Poulter
Ansel Elgort
Kare Hedebrant
Paul Butcher
Kenton Duty
Mitch Hewer
Graham Patrick Martin
Brett Davern
Shane Sheckler
Rufus Taylor
Devon Gearhart
Lloyd Daniels
Chris Brochu
Chad Dylan Cooper
Sam Evans
Christopher Zurek


DAWOOD
Derek Luke
Columbus Short
Chiwetel Ejiofor
Tahir Moore


CAMEO ROLE
Danny Derakhshan (myself!)

Naveen Andrews
Serj Tankian
Daniel Martinez
Aziz Ansari

CYBILL
Lisa Kudrow
Kathy Baker
Suzanne Whang
Debra Monk
Amy Poehler
Bai Ling
Molly Ringwald
Tea Leoni
Uma Thurman
Winona Ryder
Patricia Arquette


TAMARA
Ariana Grande
Sarah Hyland
Zoe Kravitz
Vanessa Hudgens
Samantha Barks
Freida Pinto


KENNY
Cung Le
CM Punk
Nicolas Cage


MRS. YAMSKUL
Suzanne Whang
Lu Liping
Zhang Ziyi
Gong Li

Sandra Oh

DAVID YAMSKUL JR.
David Yu
Harry Shum Jr.

John Cho
Ezra Miller

DAVID YAMSKUL SR.
George Takei

Ken Watanabe

ANNA
Willow Smith
Saoirse Ronan
Perrie Edwards



FRONT DESK PRISON GUARD
John Amos
Anthony Anderson
Wilford Brimley
James Caan



CONTAINMENT CELL PRISON GUARD
Joaquim de Almeida
Scott Bakula
Corbin Bernsen
Vincent Cassel



ASIAN TOURIST
Suzanne Whang
Jamie Chung
Jenna Ushkowitz



INTERESTING FACES*
Dylan O'Brien
Bobby Cannavale
Allen Covert
Giancarlo Giannini
Giovanni Ribisi
Ben Foster

*Not in the script, but I l'd love to have these actors in something if I can find a part to write for them.

What It Feels Like to Do Everything and Nothing In One Day

Some new details for the Adoption Reunion story.

1. We've got a name! Are you ready to read the words of greatness? OK, here we go.
Finding His Family. I could not think of a title for 2 years of writing this story, with exception of Clocks That Can't Be Fixed, referring to being adopted and wanting to find out about roots being a way of time being lost. Philosophical? Yes. Easy to say? No.

2. After much feedback, I've been writing all week long to a better revision. It's almost surreal how close to a movie this screenplay is now. The even more surreal part? It's gonna get better with each revision. I have this vision of dialog becoming better and characters becoming more iconic and the right mix of known actors and up-and-coming talent being introduced to me.

3. A fellow producer, Dan Janvey, from Beasts of the Southern Wild is now on my Advisory Board. This is great because one of the smartest friends I've worked with are backing me up on this journey.

4. A SAG signatory producer is wanting to help me with logistics and actors to handle this project. We'll see if all the agreements happen, but no matter what, this means I can't stop now.

I've spent 9a.m. til 10p.m. today working. I've been applying to Producers Labs, tweaking the screenplay, and writing up potential actors for the project that I can see a good fit for the film and within the budget. I am 90% done with it and I'll post it up in case anyone has worked with anyone of them before and can introduce me once funding goes further.

I also edited a boxing promo for a local company nearby that I'll be doing some more videos for in the future and I got a local comic book shop to agree to me making their web commercial for them. I have a great idea of having a bunch of people in costume mock fighting in front of the store trying to get in to get the newest batch of comics. I got the pet supply store to set a date to film this web commercial for them too. I also spoke to the manager of a medical marijuana dispensary to create some educational and informative videos for them.

Basically, I worked all day and night on what I love, but now my eyes don't want to keep looking at a computer monitor for a while. The reason I wrote everything and nothing in one day is that I know I'm just one man and I can't do everything, no matter how much I want to. I spent hours and hours today working but the reality is I can't do it all and have time for any recreation. That's a problem I'm working on. I've got my eye on an experienced producer to come in and work with me to get things done soon.

OK, if you're reading this: Anything is possible. I'm the proof. Watch this as it happens cause I'm on the journey.

2 years and 1 week

It took me 2 years to write a real first draft of my adoption reunion drama. The revised draft is taking me a week. Of course, this is a whole week of doing nothing but writing. A big apology to all my family, friends, and bills that are past due; I've been committed to this work and nothing else. They say movies take 4 or 5 years to make from idea to seeing it at a theater or on Bittorrent. Well, I'm about halfway there now(haha!).

I've spent the same amount of time on the computer this week, but more re-writing than I've ever done. I wake up around 7 or 8am and I'll work a few hours at a time, take a half hour break, then go back at it, only taking time off to eat or run errands. Maybe it's cause I'm so anticipatory towards this version. A lot of good friends tearing into the story, telling me what was bad and what was horrible helped. I can't say this was all me. They took time to read it, and got me to realize what made it mean and full of life; like a pitbull figuring out it has teeth. Possibly the funniest thing that happened was with one of my longest relationships, a man named JP. His feedback almost gave me a heart murmur. It shocked me so hard that he was right, that I suddenly felt embarrassed I had sent it out to so many people.

Drama is not easy, especially for an 80's/90's person like me, who grew up on Terminator and Rambo and Alien franchises as well as cheesy comic book heroes like Superman, Spider-Man, X-Men, and the Fantastic Four. Also, I'm incredibly positive in life, and that is apparent in my writing. I had to go deeper and darker for this draft. And I'll probably have to go darker for the next draft after this.

OK, back to positive thinking: Most spelling and obvious grammatical errors fixed. Challenges to protagonist corrected. Discovery process for protagonist envisioned. Not everything is handed to him. It's his story about being adopted and trying to figure out how to deal with sealed birth certificate laws and circumventing them because they're outdated and information should be freely available.

I also figured out a scene I want to film as proof of concept and tone.

It's Saturday at night, and I should be relaxing, but I need to finish this. I'll relax next week. :)

Fast and the Furious

Sometime in the early 2000s, my brother got started with a Honda tuning crew. He bought himself a 1988 Honda CRX and started suping it up. It was great and a lot of fun to drive in the passenger seat so I decided I wanted a CRX too. I ended getting a 1991 model, but I didn't do anything to it except get a quieter tailpipe conversion. I wanted to be elusive in the the night while my brother wanted to show off during the 39th Street car shows.

Then, something happened. A movie trailer came out that depicted amazingly detailed cars in an action-thrill ride. We both knew we were going to see it on opening night.

We showed up around 7pm or so and the parking lot at the mall where the theater was located was packed full of mostly Asian and some European modded cars. My brother's CRX fit in perfectly.

The movie began and all the loud noises stopped as we began the journey of Vin Diesel and Paul Walker. When the movie ended, we all got up and paced towards the exit.

I'll never forget hearing a teenager in front of us yelling at the top of his lungs, "This is the best movie of the year!"

Production Designers

I was on a show that is very popular, and there was a subway scene in New York being filmed.

The Production Designer gave everyone briefcases and newspapers and coffee cups...

This is a problem in the 2010's and up era. Anyone taking the subway is going to have an iPad or Kindle or listening to music on their commute. The newspaper is still bought, yes, but not at the rate of people buying devices to read on.

Everyone should have earbuds plugged into them and playing on their phone or laptop. Just saying.

From the Heart Productions

It's funny how things work. I'm speaking about me and my work of course, since this is my blog. I've been working non-stop for quite a while now, marketing my new company's vision and strategy. I created FredRose Films to make movies but I had no idea what type at the time. I named the company after my father and my mother. Now, FredRose Films is set to be for my short comedy sketches and experimental short films. I created a new production company back in March. This company is for a feature film. A drama story. An adventure story. The company is called Derakhshan Films. Why? It is my goal to have the majority of people in the world know how to pronounce Derakhshan, much like most people can now pronounce Schwarzenegger. Something I've always dreamed is that my last name would be a household name someday. This is my dream becoming real with these steps I'm taking.
 

 a while back about what route I should be taking for my feature documentary, Panomundo. He gave me some sound advice and I incorporated it into my own style and now I'm using it towards my first narrative feature film.

I've actually been speaking with a lot of people lately. I've gotten some great friends who are guiding me towards a big thing like making a feature film that will look good and tell a good story.

I've never written so many drafts before. I've never changed so many characters I've loved and lived with characters I've hated for so long. It was this "character building" that got me where I want to be: Right here and right now.

I came home today and got my mail. I am expecting a check for either scholarships, sponsorships, or grants I've been applying to. I got rejected last week from 3 in less than 48 hours but I wasn't down. I understood the process. I got my mail and got a letter that felt like a rejection letter. I opened it and my Untitled Adoption Reunion story is now officially sponsored by From the Heart Productions. A wonderful non-profit organization is backing me up!

A bonafide organization that believes in me and wants the rest of the world to believe in me, and root for me to keep going. This was what I have been seeking. I was so happy I went to my next door neighbor and also small business owner, Jonathan Weitz, to tell him the great news.

It's time to apply for donations and seed funding. I've got a lot more non-stop work to do.
Stay tuned!

Untitled Adoption Reunion Project

Captain's log. Stardate -308660.8264205986.

I quit my dayjob almost a year ago to become a Captain. A full-time filmmaker and photographer. Most sales/marketing jobs let you do your thing, but there were a few that totally drove me up the wall with micromanagement and it was probably because I knew how little we were all getting paid for it. I knew I was worth a lot and I'm not talking money. Money is a tool and nothing more. It will never be a sign of someone's worth to me.

The film gods must see my persistence because they saw me starve this last winter and gave me a helping hand. The gods told me that since I was hungry, I could take up time in the day by writing continuously. I wrote and wrote and WROTE on this story so many times it changed into a new beast and it changed me as well. I've told this story so many times, I can recite it to anyone that passes by with barely a recollection needed.

My story is simple. It's about a Middle Eastern kid that is born and raised in the Midwest. He was given up for adoption as a baby and raised by white parents. He has never been sure where in the Middle East his ancestry is from, and all of his life he has felt there is a connection out there he wants to know and feel complete with. On his 20th birthday, he is kicked out of his home by his parents, who feel he needs to grow up, to stop being such a slacker with a menial job, and go find his destiny. He uses his adoption papers, birth certificate information, and with the help of his technologically advanced friend, goes to Northern California where the last known physical address of his biological parents is. It's here that he embarks on his journey to find out his roots, and hopefully himself.

The theme is about the discovery of ourselves through our past while embracing the present and keeping an eye on the future. And the strength to enjoy today. People of different backgrounds unite in the same upbringing, and that family can be anybody or any community you belong to. There are also underlying themes of coming of age, and the courage to deal with it.

Being American and having Middle Eastern roots is an interesting way to grow up, but this relates more to us all as being a nation of immigrants and keeping our ancestral identity while assimilating in the melting pot that is the United States of America. Now, the best part about this is that America is no longer the only nation of immigrants thanks to technology and advances and cost of travel. Our world is changing and it's the best time to be alive today.

I look forward to tomorrow.

Why "The Crow" directed by Alex Proyas and starring Brandon Lee reaches the biggest audience

In my pursuit of understanding myself and my moviemaking art, I develop deep connections to films that have changed my life. My favorite movie is "The Crow". I still own my VHS copy, I have the DVD, and I have a digital copy. I make it a point to see the movie on or near Halloween, and usually once during the summer.

I watched it on Blu-Ray this last year and saw many different things this time. The lighting seemed a little brighter and the story became more visual in its tone.

Below is a recollection of why the film got to me and why it reaches to the gothic era audience as well as male and female audience members alike.

It's a revenge story.
The reason Eric Draven does what he does is for love.
His true, only love that was taken from him, and is ultimately brought back to him.
Eric Draven as a person or as a sentient being is hurt. He does not want to put revenge on his enemy, he needs to do it.
Eric Draven is not a talker, he is a doer.
The main villains don't care about what's wrong and what's right.
It's not just an action film. It's a thriller with action elements.
The movie is shot monochromatic and it's dark. Black and white films reach to art audiences.
Eric Draven comes back to life to exact revenge on the ones that deserve it.
The film is dirty, very little is clean and crisp. There is trash blowing around the entire city.
Eric Draven is a brooding man.
The villain, T-Bird, is not the real last bad guy.
The last villain, Top Dollar, is truly sorry for what had to be done. He has to die anyway.

The film takes itself seriously as if this situation really could happen. That's where the magic comes from. No one can shake the idea that what is happening in the story is real. No one can be fully sure what happens next.

The Princess Bride: Special Edition

The Special Edition starts out strong. Vivid colors, and the sound felt like it was movie theater surround sound quality. 15 minutes into it, out of nowhere, midgets started having sex with each other.

WTF! I DON'T REMEMBER THIS SCENE.

No thank you, I'll stick to the original version.

Thanks Ethan.

Reasons to love Big Trouble In Little China

• It's American as can be. Even if you're not American, you gotta admire the passion that Jack Burton carries about him and his fellow countrymen.
• It's cheesy as hell. There is not one real thing in the movie that truly could happen. Yet.
• It keeps it's Chinese roots. Even though the movie is American and set in China, us the viewer, really feel like ancient Chinamen run around present day Chinatown.
• Green eyes for Chinese girls are a rare miracle. But get this: There are always others.
• Any way possible to get in or out. Example: To get out of a den, use a fireman's pole.
• The entire movie's point is to stop a royal wedding.
• Jack Burton isn't the real hero. He's a sidekick.
• 2 unlikely best friends must save 2 hot ladies with green eyes.
• Magic potion is real. Very real.

Talking about death...on Halloween.

I believe Hollywood might be dying. It's almost time for its death.

Filmmaking in general has become tiresome. The stories that we all know and love are painfully similiar.

I'm not sure what happened and honestly don't care.

Thesis Film: Struggle, overcoming, celebration. Sequel: New struggle with different variants.

Where is humanity if we can't evolve past imitation of the source? Hollywood might be dying but we'll live. It'll just be boring as fuck.

And if you know anything about me yet.... I'm against that option. I'm against becoming a 3rd World Country and me the King. I'll be in the chaos and thrive cause I'll accept death when the rest of the world is at peace.

I'll be causing lots of trouble. Just to keep things interesting. Something Hollywood can't do anymore and has been a long time since they even tried. There is no Cialis for a broken dick, only numbing paint-by-numbers theoretical antagonists and tired jerking-off from a stretched thin idea of orgasmic art.

Sex and Death. On Halloween. At 1:11AM.

I've got plenty more wads to shoot here. :)

Nothing goes your way so deal with it.

You know when you have something in mind when you try to make something artistic but it doesn't turn out at all like you want? That is the stress of being a film director. I write and I direct. Actors are great, they are there and do what is needed. But every other aspect of production falters.

I ended up being the last person to show up on set because of a snafu that happened mid-morning. The lady who is sponsoring the film didn't show up on time to get my order in. We needed sandwiches for the set and I submitted a proposal to her with a copy of the script, and storyboards. She was delighted to be a part of something and we agreed to meet at 11 AM. I wake up at the crack of dawn and get ready and am super prepared for the day ahead. I go there expecting her to be starting on it, but she is nowhere in sight. I ask and the guy at the front says that she should be in any minute. So I told him what was going on and if he could start the order for me. She shows up at 11:30. But to make it up she gave us a few bags of chips for our lunch to go with the sandwiches she donated for the cast and crew.  Saying that, I didn't leave to go to the set until noon. I was hoping to finish by 12:30 and then we could eat lunch...Nothing happens how you want it I guess.

I get there and there is a dump truck in front of my first location. Fine, I can deal with that. So we made our way to the next location and everything turned out OK. It was just odd that this was my project and I'm late. I'm super thankful that everyone there was understanding and no one complained.

I checked out the daily and it looks good. I got a lot of work ahead of me to edit this it into something manageable. Luckily, I'm officially a sponsored filmmaker. Now I can show people this and get more sponsors and more funding now.

I just moved to Los Angeles, what now?

I had a lovely chat with a friend of a friend who is a budding movie Producer. After we had talked I got home and jotted down what she had said. This is the recap:

Live in LA for 10 years to make it big in the movie business.(note that another friend here said it's actually 15 years to become an overnight sensations!)

Its more about how you are presentable and being discovered is a big part of the reason why you want to be presentable. So look good, smell good, kiss everyone's ass you can, live in these areas: Los Feliz - Eagle Rock - Pasadena - Koreatown - Westwood- Culver City- Toluca Lake - Silverlake(I will lose 50 points to a girl if I live in the SF Valley.) (Second note: I said "fuck it" and am living in Studio City anyway.)

To start in the studio system, be a Production Assistant for 3+ years, then move to Camera/Direction Assistant.

Other words of advice she gave me:

Find a Jewish kid who's father runs CAA/ICM/Warner etc and become his best friend.(Also try winning the lottery!)

Find a producer/DP and stick to them like glue.(Good advice.)
Get an agent.(Good advice.)
Indie moviemaking  will get big but then you are inside looking in without knowing how the studios work.
Write the best script then force them to let me direct it.(best advice.)

Out of the hour long conversation we had, I realized the studios have some really horrible writers. So:
Writing is the most important part of the system. The only way for me to make it is to write.

Directing is a natural progression.

Horror movie guide for Halloween

The horror genre ranges from campy to gory. Sometimes a horror movie is so bad its funny. Sometimes, a billion sequels are made as in the case of Saw. Some people claim horror films are really comedy in disguise. Some people are dead before the end of this sentence.

Below are some of the "spookiest" movies for Halloween fun and excitement.

Saw(the original)

Alien

Halloween(duh!)

Night of the Living Dead

Psycho

Carrie

The Simpsons Halloween Specials(its not scary, but there are numerous parodies of the other movies here)

Silence of the Lambs

Misery

Rosemary's Baby -directed by Roman Polanski

Army of Darkness

Scanners(one of the underrated films of our time)

Invasion of the Body Snatchers

The Rocky Horror Picture Show(not really scary unless you are afraid of transvestism, and raunchy sex)

Is there something missing here? Suggestions are always welcome...to go to hell! MUHAHAHHAHA.

This movie cost $150 billion dollars to make

Someone in Hollywood has hefty pockets. Imagine the conversation that goes by to make a movie for a cool $300 million.

Quentin "Hey Harvey I got a movie idea."
Harvey, smoking a pipe and watching television. "What is it and what is going to cost?"
Quentin "Its a sci-fi in the same era of the 70's slasher movies, but this time Uma will play the male dominated role of Wackerbee."
Harvey is interested, he sets his pipe down. "I like it so far. How much?"
Quentin "Well, I won't bullspit you. I'm going to need $400 million and I want distribution percentages."
Harvey coughs up a lung. "I'll give you $300 million, but I won't give you distribution, but you can direct it."

If only that kind of dreams would be that easy to pursue. The reality is that movie budgets ARE EXAGGERATED TO EXTREME HEIGHTS.

Here are some figures to look at. Note that the numbers are not based on inflation.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End $300 million
Spider-Man 3 $258 million
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince $250 million
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest $225 million
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian $225 million
X-Men: The Last Stand $210 million
Superman Returns $209 million
King Kong $207 million
Quantum of Solace $200 million
Spider-Man 2 $200 million
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines $200 million
Terminator Salvation $200 million
Titanic $200 million
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen $200 million
The Dark Knight $185 million
Wall-E $180 million
Waterworld $175 million
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra $170 million
X-Men Origins: Wolverine $150 million
Star Trek $150 million
Casino Royale $150 million
Transformers $150 million
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button $150 million
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa $150 million

Notice anything yet(besides bad html)? Almost all these movies were made within the last decade.
Before the 90's boom of blockbuster moviemaking, budgets were already getting ridiculously high, but the exaggeration of the amount it took to make them was noticeably more minimal. If there could be a few movies that started this game of who spends more money, it would probably be Terminator 2, Jurassic Park, and Mission Impossible.

The general public seems to go wide eyed when an astronomical figure is thrown at them with how much a film took to make. The importance is that nobody actually cares if a movie cost the entire world to make or if it was made for $23,000 in the woods of Pennsylvania.

Gee, maybe movies need bigger budgets to be better you might be saying.

By the way...highest grossing movie so far? Yup, you guessed it.
Titanic with $1.9 billion in revenue.

Beards and the filmmmakers who love them

A concise guide to beards for the film director. Yes, it is a requirement to be taken seriously in the industry of cinema. Many feature film people have tried to go on directing without hair on their face despite the warnings of comrade film professionals, and this has led to the unwanted: car commercials, music videos, and the worst of them all...short films.

First a little about this odd looking facial growth. A beard is hair that grows on the chin, lower cheeks, upper neck, and the area under the nose and above the upper lip. Generally speaking, only males going are able to grow beards once reaching puberty and beyond. There are some cases of women with that may develop a beard as in the case of the bearded lady, and that is perfectly acceptable.

So beards are some sort of growth from the one place you want to keep looking young as long as possible. Given that, there are still youngsters out there that defiantly grow a beard, and not because they are too lazy to shave, or don't have the IQ to understand how to use a razor; but because the forefathers of cinema did it and we continue this tradition.

These young people grew up to become:

Joel and Ethan Coen

Terrence Malick

Stanley Kubrick

George Lucas

Hayao Miyazaki

Steven Spielberg

Francis Ford Coppola

Michael Haneke

Michael Moore

David Fincher

Peter Jackson

Bela Tarr



Mustaches do not count as a beard, though in most cases it does go with the whole appearance of a beard. Therefore: beards are cool. Not so cool is back and shoulder hair.

Screenwriting for Smarties

As you go browsing the local bookstore for a decent copy of The Hollywood Standard or The Screenwriter's Bible, you might come across a book titled "Screenwriting for Dummies". Browsing thru the book you will notice it has some decent information in there, at least much better than 90% of the junk out there. It seems like everyone that has written a script, potentially sold their spec, or maybe never written a script in they're entire life have come up with a viable income selling books on how to write and format a screenplay, sometimes in thirty days or less. Sometimes in twenty days or less. No template to make a huge cash settlement for three days worth of writing yet, but with some luck there will be.

Now before you go on thinking that you've read all the books by William Goldman, Robert McKee, and Blake (RIP)Snyder: please listen up.

Story is story. The story doesn't change whether you change written technicalities or not. If you're story stinks, then it doesn't matter if it the format is right. Now for the other billions of screenwriters out there that don't have Victor Hugo finger clicking all day, format is what will make script reader lives a little less angry and less liable to toss your piece of vile filth(sorry to be blunt) into the trash.

William Goldman says it best. "Nobody knows anything." That is the essence of Screenwriting for Smarties. Save yourself the money, the time, and the anguish. The best way and the honest way to write is in these steps below.

1. Read.

2. Write.

3. Watch movies.

4. Repeat steps 1,2,3.

If you are not a screenwriter, but a writer of news articles, or novels, step 3 is not necessary.

Don't listen to anyone, just write your story. If you don't know how to format a script, have someone that has the know-how to ghost-write it and pay them a grand a week. This is cheap labor compared to what you will actually receive when the film is made. The only worry you'll have after this is if the company you sell it to wants a sequel from you.

With that, screenwriting books are worthless. They only make you seem smart by having books on your bookshelf. Writing is a humble profession. Humble yourself, but don't forget to show your work, otherwise no one will know to option it, so you can pay your bills.

Good luck and have fun!

New Years approaching brings out a chance for personal improvement

OK, admit it. You don't think twice about your New Years Resolution after January 10th. Good advice would be to not even try to lose that 20 pounds you tucked away into the regions of your chocolate eating, chicken frying, high calorie soda swilling gut.

Why even try? You'll never actually go past it once the "Happy New Years" is shouted at 11:59pm on December 31st. All you care about is hopefully getting to kiss someone within the next minute and getting laid to start out the next crappy year of your life.

Maybe you'd like to stop smoking? In this economy, forget it. No one wants to handle stress with a glass of water or would be able to take the day off because the rent is so inflated. Better to just keep smoking because no one likes a quitter anyways. Probably the best thing you can do is only smoke in the morning, and after dinner. And possibly just one before bed and in the afternoon.

Wait, what about being closer to family? That's a great resolution. Nevermind that it was your own brother who borrowed three thousand dollars from you and hasn't found a way to pay you back though to his bragging, he just bought a new Mustang that he can drive around on the weekends as he goes to gamble his life away at an Indian casino.

The point here is, kiddos, why settle for being a better person once a year for a week and then back to being a bum a week later? You can do better. Some random internet search says that New Years Resolutions have a 12% chance of completion. Round 12% down and its 0%. Zero is a number. If you know you're going to fail, why try? Don't.

If you're a bum, be a bum. There is no changing you. Be happy with yourself as a resolution. Only a small percentage of people take initiative and make the world a better place. Maybe its not your year or decade. It doesn't have to be. You're alive. You are better off than the dead of last year. Be a happy about that.

Look, if you really want to improve something, be prepared to make sacrifices. Knowledge is power. Open up a book and get off the internet every once in a while. Spend time with family, buy your neighbor lunch, go for a walk, its a nice day outside even if its raining. Don't run around sulking because you're fat, balding, and never finished that movie you made in college. Time is plenty, and you might not have money, but you've got the time. Get your act together and do something at least.

As a last resort, whatever you do, do the best you can, even if all you can amount to is a bum. And if you are a bum, quit asking for change, lead by example and get a job collecting cans you lazy jerk.

James Cameron vs. Kathryn Bigelow

The Hurt Locker vs. Avatar this year? Nope. Its Ex-Husband vs. Ex-Wife.

So who will win? My guess is Avatar. Its not a great film, but its full of special effects and movies are eye candy. Though The Hurt Locker has many nice scenes and good moments, Avatar is 3D blue Gumby graphics at its best(so far!). The Hurt Locker just has a crazy guy running around getting off on being unsafe in bomb-defusing which creates more action scenes. The camera zooming in and out to create more tension didn't do much to add to the confusion. Avatar seems to only care about showing off 3D effects. Maybe there is hope that Inglourious Basterds could win Best Picture.

The worst part is that James Cameron said he could do without another statue cause he has so many of them already. We'll see in a few more days.

3 Day Film Challenge is coming

A bay area production company is hosting a short film festival at the Bluelight Cinemas in Cupertino by DeAnza College. Its called the 3 Day Film Challenge and will be playing at Bluelight June 19, 2010.

The website http://www.3dayfilmchallenge.com states that there are prizes available including a 4 day Red Camera package rental and even an Apple iPad among more to come.

Taken directly from the site:

An opportunity for filmmakers throughout the Bay Area to put a team together, make a short film and then get a chance to share your film with family and friends during the Premiere Screenings at the Bluelight Cinemas the following week. Each film must be a min of 3 minutes and not exceed 6 minutes in length.

Volunteer Teams will have three days to write, cast, shoot and edit a film - starting on Friday June 11th at 7pm and returning a finished project by Monday June 14th at 7pm. Other than forming your team and finding your actors, selecting your equipment and securing shooting locations; All Actual Productions from Scripting to Post Production MUST BE Completed During the Film Challenge Period June 11th -14th, 2010.

-

If you are a local filmmaker, get your creative ideas ready to shoot.

For the rules please visit http://www.3dayfilmchallenge.com/rules.html

Genres

Action

Erotica

Adventure

Comedy

Crime and Gangster

Drama

Epics and Historical

Horror

Musicals

Science Fiction

War and anti War

Western

Movies imitate life

Life imitates movies as well as movies imitating life. People that go to movies can have discussions about topics of the film or even saying lines of dialog in pop culture references in everyday life.

Movies like Clueless and Juno changed the way people talked, right? Not necessarily. These movies were careful observations of people of that time and thus used in the screenplay as guides of youthful mannerisms. What happens next is young and hip kids that hadn't heard of the lingo or actions will use them as their own original thoughts in public such as parties or get-together with friends. These friends will also mimic the lingo or action until a fad is created and eventually everyone believes the mannerisms came from the movie first. Pretty scientific stuff here.

As an example, real life gang members knew to point a gun sideways before movies like New Jack City, Menace II Society, Boyz n the Hood among others glorified that action. Of course now its been spoofed in comedy films that its lost its momentum but you get the point.

There was as a kid saying this to his parents after he had done something wrong and they said he was a bad kid and should be spanked for some discipline. He retorted "If you spank me in a dream, you better wake up and apologize." This line was a stolen quote from Reservoir Dogs by Quentin Tarantino. He was eleven or twelve years old at the time. That attitude of the movie stuck with him throughout the teenage years because it was powerful and exciting. As a grown-up now, he does think it was immature, but no one can go back into the past and reinvent themselves as they would have liked, but also that attitude makes that person who they are today. This is an example of how movies imitate life and life bringing it back full circle.

So what good are movies if they do this? Good question. There needs to be moviemakers out there that bring positive thinking into the ending so that when the movie ends, the audience goes out wanting to bring about positive change in their own lives. That is the power of film. Yes its entertaining but its also a tool. With this tool is a chance to enrich lives of everyone and anyone willing to give it a chance.