The LoT Film Commission
 

Figured I'd start a planning thread.

Here is last year's rules for CineGear's Indy submissions (we do not have to be students - they have a separate category): http://cinegearexpo.com/filmseries/INDYENTRYRULES.pdf

I'm guessing we'll have until the end of May to submit it. (About 3 weeks prior to the expo.)

We need:

• Cinematographer (sorry, that's me - my gear, my job ;) )
• Grips (no talent needed - just a willingness to carry stuff)
• Lighting Designer (I have the kits and can help with this if needed)
• Script (I know some of you have a great story to tell)
• Locations (we really have no budget, so no money for permits - keep that in mind)
• Costumer(s)
• Set Designer(s)
• Admin/Scheduler
• Graphic Artist (titles, posters, packaging, etc.)
• Photographer (production stills are required in the competition)
• Editor(s)
• Director(s)
• Actor(s)

So, start signing up and let's get this show on the road!

I have 2 cameras, both capable of shooting in 24p (film mode), various rigging (cranes, tripods, etc.), lighting kits, professional editing system and pro DVD authoring software.

Let's get started. (Well, we kinda need that script first.)

Depending on what we're doing I could probably contribute to costuming.

Love to be an actor if there's a role for me.

Could probably contribute as a grip, assistant editor, or director.

I take it you're producing as well, yes?

Producing, yes - and I'd imagine NA will want to do that too, since she also wears many hats.

If there are any other takers on that, they're more than welcome. I will warn that it's incredibly time-consuming and can be annoying.

Ooh, Photog! Dibs!

I know a web site that's loaded with great royalty free script ideas.

I suppose I could be a grip. I have a truck and just spent a week helping someone move, so have recent practice lugging tons of crap around

;)

Anything with the name Gutenberg attached MUST be good.

Have you seen "The evolution of dance" on Youtube?


How about "The evolution of religion" Highlights off all the worlds great religions in 4min or less.... The possibilities boggle the mind... :D

I'm in. I'd love to be on the production design end of things. I can also act.

ETA: Also, I'll check with Bill, but if you need a 30's spanish revival house to film in, I'll volunteer our place.

I happen to know a duo who has experience in screenwriting-directing-editing...

We have a full edit bay in-house too. And screenwriting software.

I'd definitely vote for a new screenplay. (I am working on a full-length right now, but I can devote some time to a short if no one else is interested.)

I'm curious, other than Word what would one use for "screenwriting" software? What are it's top couple of features not found in word?

Edited to Add: Never mind. It appears there is more to screenwriting than I ever gave thought to.

A number of things, chiefly automated formatting. Doing it by hand is a royal pain. Final Draft is the main one used here, Movie Magic Screenwriter also a good choice.

Facinating. The things you never knew you never knew.

Why don't we pull a Princess Bride and figure out what our assets are first, then build a script around them? Sort of like the inspiration thread, only this time tailored specifically to scripts.

I say the script should be about Swanking (idea (c) bornieo) maybe a "recreation" of the Bon Fire with a bit of drama thrown in. There are plenty of beaches around. (idea (c) bornieo)

ALso, I am an experianced director - I had my own cable access show for a couple years. Did 30 episodes. Also, local cable companies lend out FREE equipment for shooting and they have edit bays available too.

Just an idea (c) bornieo) :)

Your brains, Fezzik's strength, my steel

I'll pitch myself for Set Decoration, semi design. You dint list it, but I know you need it.

NA would be good there too.

I would like to nominate GD and Tom as still photographers. They both put me to shame.

Gah!

I'm jealous... If you need any snowy scenes, you know who to call.

I also nominate one Mr. Pod for musical direction/supervision. Suggestions of "Yakety Sax" and "Spanish Flea" notwithstanding.

sure. I'm in, if you'll have me.

...but what's a short without Yakety Sax?

This is not to say that I'm not overfond of Yakety Sax. Who wouldn't love it?

D'oh! Totally forgot about Music Direction. MousePod is perfect!!

And I consider set design/decorating the same thing, so Ponine, you'd be great! :)

In Goonie's suggestion, we have the following so far: a couple homes, outdoor locales (gotta be careful about permit requirements on those though), all my gear, and I also have some pirate and renaissance costumes.

Bornieo, I love the beach idea, but dude... beaches are a bitch to film at. Sand is so not fun to trod through with a heavy camera. I will if I have to though.

Plus with the beaches you have the licensing issues...

Let's see .. my talents would extend to screenplay writing, production design and cinematography ... but also have lots of skillz in the logistical and organiation departments necessary to a film production.


(Of course, if I produce the film ... the eventual Oscar is MINE!)

A wheelbarrow and a holocaust cloak, don't forget those!

Do ALL beaches require permits, or just State/Local maintained beaches? I know of a nice beach with no lifeguards/toilets/etc.

Hey, how about a story about time-traveling vikings?

If we don't plan on using any of the rigging there, we can usually get away with a handheld camera and an actor or two. (I've done engagement shoots on the beach without a problem.)

I have been kicking around the idea for producing a film for a few months now. I'm intersted in producing - it's pretty much my role in life anyways. ;) I know have a lot of talent here and I think we could pull off something pretty wonderful. But, I do think we need to start with a concept first. Concept > script > casting > filming.

So, why don't we start with concept ideas then go from there?

Yes, please! :D

Count me in as support staff/wherever you need help person.

I'm seeing....bacon.

Wow. You certainly have a lot of chefs.

ha.

But, can they all make bacon?

Seriously, concepts anyone? This is what has held me up thus far.

How about something in the vein of Billy's Daddy is a Fudge Packer?

I can offer my services for the editing, obviously, and the writing and directing and set photography. All things I can do pretty well. I also have a tiny bit of knowledge in scheduling and lighting. If anyone else here has any experience in lighting for film, I'd gladly defer, as it's pretty darned hard and highly specialized, and my experience with it is minimal.

As for ideas, has anyone yet started combing all the old inspiration threads?

Also, in respect to concepts, keep in mind the guidelines laid out by Cinegear on their website. They seem to be looking especially at the visual elements of the films:

I'd echo the above re: inspiration threads. There have been some terrifically filmic ideas from, say, EH and CP - among others.

(I'm also writing up some loglines right now. Ideas don't just come dripping out like so much mucous! Takes a moment!)

Bacon can be visually artistic. ;)

A film in the style of the German expressionists, based on the writings of Neitze, translated into lolcat.

Soooo, why don't we take a week or two to review what's already out there and give others a chance to submit concepts for consideration.

I think that's probably a good place to start. If it is visual elements they are after, I'm excited. I process visually and usually "see" things before the go any further into my conscious.

You had me at German Expressionist! (And, probably had Chris at Nietzsche.)

Revisionist fairy tale #1: Frog Prince.

Angela has a gift. And she's willing to share it. Prices negotiated at her kissing booth daily.

A transformation from slimy amphibian to dashing heroics is so everyday… but
kissing slimy men into frogs? That's priceless.

Revisionist fairy tale #2: she was a little mermaid, generally speaking. You might have heard stories about her in the past. But what you perhaps did not know was that she wasn't in love with the man so much as the idea of human reproduction. After, of course, gaining a fish-eye view of the pleasure she's never known as an egg-laying aquatic. But what will she do to become human?

I ran across this on slashdot today:


Open source on the big screen: Matt Ebb tells tales of Elephants Dream
Lead artist from Elephants Dream speaks about what it is like to make your own open movie using open source tools and the power of the community.

I do like the idea of a storyline that centers around, or occurs in the presence od, bacon. But at the very least it needs to make an appearance.

New concept that I've been kicking around: "Black Box Beowulf"

In terms of completed scripts, I've got

"The Renaissance": the Holocaust comes to America.
"Oedipus President:" self-explanatory.
"Lawful Truth," an "Office Space" like satire of the legal profession. Funny as hell, at least to me, but rather dated, particularly the scenes involving the George Plimpton murder trial.

Works in Progress include:
"Final Cut": raunch with heart about my vasectomy. The logical sequel to "Knocked Up."
"And Somewhere Children Shout": Oscar-winning midlife-crisisy weeper about dead parents, aging and sh*t.
"Sperm Wail" Troma-like horror film with 1950s-style sci-fi social criticism. Features a climactic scene in the private parts of the Statue of Liberty.

In terms of acting, I did a lot in high school and college. Also, I did an 8 month run in Hamlet before law school. Of course, that was Hamburger Hamlet, but I did serve a lot of actors. There, all the honor lies.

Squealing Pig Productions Presents... ;)

Our assets so far:

Peeps w/skillz
The Internet (hmm... visuals, eh?)
Bacon
A couple houses
A fabulous and recently remodeled bathroom
Garb, and people who can make costumes
A couple really cute doggies
and
A rabbit

I wanna be "Best Boy."

I have no idea what a Best Boy does, but I just want that as my title.

You know, I'd love to do a tale of internet romance, couple people meet over bacon or something. We could make up a fake message board for them to meet on, etc. Maybe have them passing each other every day while walking their dogs or something.

If the rules mentioned it, I missed it, but . . .

How long is it?

Why does everything always come back to your work for Huckabee?

Damn, if I was down there (and notavoiding studying for the bar) I'd be all over the costuming and set pieces.

Of course, I'd also be pushing for it to be a musical. Cheeky lyrics: I haz them.

On Pru's suggestion:

Bacon, The Musical

Concept - New Years Eve swank at Lisa & Chris' house. The strike of midnight, toasts are made and everyone readys for bed. Just before dawn as bacon is sizzling on the stove - the Rapture occurs...

... and Jesus joins in the new tradition of Penis Pokey...

Kevy can play Jesus - in the tu-tu:snap:

...and thus the world explodes in chaos from trying to accept Jesus as a black man...

Um, bedtime is a LONG time after midnight.

At bare minimum, we need to stay up for the traditional 1:00 a.m. pants dropping.

How about a horror film, centering around the New Year's swank? Margarita blender goes berzerk, frying bacon jumps out of the pan, Cherny's bananas foster freezes over when he tries to light it. Then it takes over NA's laptop and starts appearing on screen (and the poltergeist is some Australian guy)

Sh!t, I'd go see this!

It will be the pants drop that caused the Rapture. . .

I think we should also include:

Rats, who take direction
Rather un-inhibited peeps

A humorus look at the rapture from the pov of those who are left behind, and don't give a damn.

Visuals? How's this for visuals...

Struggling recent grad from FIDM lands a spot in some fashion design contest/reality show. Busts her you-know-whatsis to work on a line to submit, falls asleep at her machine in spite of massive amounts of caffiene consumption, has some bizarre dream where she gets up and looks in her fridge for sustenance, sees bacon and becomes suddenly inspired by the appearance of it, and furiously produces several really bizarre (think Wicked costume bizarre) items that look way too much like bacon. Then she wakes up, inspired and starts creating several much more normal looking pieces that utilize the same color scheme, beating out some other designer whose all-brown line appears to have been inspired by the chocolate truffle they're eating in the one shot you get of them. And bacon is served at the celebration (for an ironic twist we could have the protagonist die of food poisoning from undercooked bacon). Chocolate designer gets last laugh.

Don't forget Bearded Dragons!

I don't care what the movie ends up being about, this HAS to be the name!!!

I've been a grip before- I've got mad skillz with gaffers tape.

I think that bacon MUST be involved, but I would prefer to keep it as a sort of "you got to know the joke to get it" thing. So, years from now, when the film becomes a cult classic, there can be a drinking game involving bacon. Every time bacon is seen or mentioned, you have to drink.

Even better, we'll play the bacon drinking game while making the movie...

Flippyshark needs to chime in. He's got several already-done vehicles.

I wonder if we could use bacon as gaffer tape?

I'm doing some research into that.

A gaffer tape and bacon hybrid would be the answer to all the world's problems.

Just use Bacon Tape.

If you want rabbit acting, DP better be prepared to shoot miles of film and Tom better be prepared to edit his socks off.


Of course I offer writing assistance (though I have no script experience) and I'm not camera shy (obviously), though I am not a great actor by any means. I also offer my photoshop services for poster design.

Ideas....if we can only find this place we could shoot a hell of a movie.

I would like to try my hand at Pina Bausch meets Bollywood choreography

There's a bar down on PCH that looks like this (at least from the outisde). I think it is called the Pit Stop.

Well, I guess scaeagles and I will be doing the catering. Is everyone ok with ham sandwiches?

They're sphincterrific!

ROFL Too funny

You need to cast someone to play the bitter east coaster. Every good film needs one of those.

What if you were asked to cover the cost of your own flight? ;)

Hell, we could dig up the thread and film one of our inspiration stories.

Hey BD, with this crowd I would be very careful about volunteering to do WHATEVER is asked of him. They can come up with things no one has ever thought about before and never will again:evil:

(and shouldn't have in the first place ;))

Any more ideas?