AZ FILMMAKER
September/October 2013
VOL. 1 ISSUE 1
Child Actor
Anna Harr My Road To
American Bred VIDEO INTERVIEWS with
Dustin Rikert
of TEAM TWO ENTERTAINMENT & Special Effects Make-Up Artist
David Ayres
The Making Of
LOCKER 13
Vanessa Siler
MAKE-UP ARTIST Prosthetics Applications Gore & Fantasy Fashion & Editorial
Film, Video, Television, Photoshoots, Magazines and More Beauty, Fashion and Special FX
480-584-9899
transformyourmakeup@gmail.com
CONTENTS
AZ FILMMAKER AZ FILMMAKER 5
DUSTIN RIKERT TEAM TWO ENTERTAINMENT DAVID AYRES SPECIAL EFFECTS MAKE-UP ARTIST
6
20
FILM FESTIVALS PRESCOTT FILM FESTIVAL
PUBLISHERS
21
SCREEN WRITERS DON’T GIVE UP
22
8 12
INTERVIEW WITH JARROD WILSON PIRATE GRIP & ELECTRIC
LOCKER 13
27
MOVIE REVIEW SICKLE
MY ROAD TO AMERICAN BRED
28
15
SO, YOU WANT TO BE AN ACTOR
MEETING THE FISH
30
SLEDGE A LOW-BUDGET SUCCESS STORY
INTERVIEW WITH CHILD ACTOR ANNA HARR
18
HOW TO MAKE A MOVIE
4 AZ FILMMAKER
David Sipmann Joseph D. Becker
EDITOR IN CHIEF David Sipmann
ART DIRECTOR
AGENT/PUBLICIST SAME THING, RIGHT?
16
ARIZONA FILMMAKER MAGAZINE, LLC
September/October 2013
Joseph D. Becker
CONTRIBUTORS (Alphabetical) Joseph D. Becker Lynette Carrington Justin Chambers Debbie Jennings Sarah Korn Darian Lane Jason Merritt Donovan Montierth David Sipmann
MOVIE REVIEWS Bill Pierce
INQUIRIES AND SUBMISSIONS info@arizonafilmmakermagazine.com
ADVERTISING
marketing@arizonafilmmakermagazine.com
VISIT US
www.arizonafilmmakermagazine.com
FOLLOW US
twitter.com/azfilmmaker facebook.com/azfilmmaker
VIDEOINTERVIEWS
SPECIAL EFFECTS MAKE-UP ARTIST David Ayres
by David Sipmann I got into makeup at a very early age. At around 8 years old I fell in love with science fiction and monster movies. I saw The Time Machine at the Mesa Theatre and was blown away. Who and what were The Morlocks? The bug bit me. My father was a retired funeral director from Iowa. I told my friends he was an “undertaker” and watched their eyes widen. One day he brought out his old makeup case to show me, the one he used to makeup dead people, I was speechless. Now I had real makeup to use on friends and myself. I still have the case and most of the makeup, and a few of his embalming tools too. I started to buy professional makeup at Bert Easley’s Fun Shop in Phoenix with my dollar a week allowance. I volunteered for local theatrical groups and
practiced makeup helping with plays. There was only one good makeup book at the time. It was called Stage Makeup by Richard Corson. Later came a wonderful Monster Makeup Handbook by makeup artist Dick Smith. It showed how to make all kinds of fantastic monsters! It became my makeup bible. I practiced and learned. The pages became dog-eared and stained with spirit gum and fake blood. When I thought I had enough pictures of good makeups I had created, I sent them to Dick Smith. I got a quick positive letter back with many still photos of some of his best work. A series of letters went back and forth, then audio tapes. I would ask questions about how to make things and he would tell me. I always felt privileged and would try to pay it forward. I was very fortunate to
be helped along by this great makeup artist. Dick Smith is best known for the makeup effects on The Exorcist, Little Big Man, The Godfather, The Hunger, and Altered States. At 20 years old, I decided to pack up my makeup stuff and head for Hollywood, or rather LA. I found work at Don Post Studios, the world’s largest maker of Halloween masks, as a sculptor, moldmaker, and airbrush artist. The Burman Studios is where I worked on Close Encounters of the Third Kind helping to create all the background ETs. Besides working on local movie projects, my added passion is… Learn much more about David Ayres in the video interview available online http://arizonafilmmakermagazine.com
WRITER/DIRECTOR DUSTIN RIKERT Of Team Two Entertainment by Joseph D. Becker I got the film bug when I was just a little kid. I grew up on a dairy farm in Vermont. Sports was a big part of my life. I was a baseball player. I played three sports, and while I love sports, and the camaraderie from it, I’ve always loved filmmaking. I was always real big into art. I had a great grandfather who was a pretty well known folk painter and some of his works are on display at the American Museum of Art, the Smithsonian, places like that.
Film was a passion for me at a young age. Films like Jaws and of course Star Wars changed my life. I had a reading disability when I was in first or second grade and the first Star Wars books that came out were what got me really reading, really paying attention to reading. If I wasn’t playing sports, I was making movies on the very first VHS camcorders that came out. It was a big, huge bulky thing. It almost looked like a Betacam these days.
My brothers were really the unfortunate guinea pigs in a lot of my make-up experiments. Creature and film effects were the first things that I went into. Stan Winston, Rick Baker, Tom Sweeny, guys like that were big influences on my early life in terms of just gore effects. Films like Friday the 13th, and Halloween, and Nightmare on Elm Street. They were a big deal for me growing up in the back woods where, you know, it’s real dark at night. I wanted to learn how they did those creature effects, those gore effects, how they made them look so real. So, I was always down in the basement of my house sculpting, making molds of my brother’s face. I remember one time I got spirit gum, latex and cotton, and ended up sticking it all to my brother’s face. We had to tear off his eyebrows just to get it off.
Once I realized that I wasn’t going to be able to play professional baseball I moved out west where my girlfriend at the time was. She is now my wife. We’ve been together almost 24 years. She was living with her mom and I enrolled in some community college courses and applied to the USC Film School. At the time there were really two big film schools. One in NY, and the other was the University of Southern California. And I was lucky enough to get accepted into the program.
My brothers were a big part of my support, and of course I had incredible parents who put up with that mess.
Learn much more about Dustin Rikert in the video interview available online http://arizonafilmmakermagazine.com
That was an incredible experience for me, going to USC. College as a whole is just and incredible experience, coupled with what they offered in the film program and the type of mentorship you have. I mean, on any given day we’d have guest lecturers and guest teachers like James Cameron, Stephen Spielberg would come in,..
September/October 2013
AZ FILMMAKER 5
FORACTORS
Agent. Publicist. That’s the Same Thing. Right? By: Lynette Carrington
I am often Approached by fledgling actors, actresses and entertainers who are seeking a publicist. Sometimes, one of the first questions is, “How soon can you get me work?” I’m not sure why, but it seems some in the entertainment industry think that a publicist is an agent, or an agent is a publicist; or that an agent, publicist and manager are the same thing. Let’s cover just a few basics on talent agents and publicists. An agent is typically with an agency (although some work independently) and they work to get their talent paying jobs. In return, the agent takes a percentage of money the talent earns from doing that job. Most of you reading this probably know that and at this point I’ll inject some advice. As some of the strongest words of caution I can offer to talent that don’t yet know the ropes, finding an agent can be tricky. There are so many fly-by- night agencies that will dazzle you with name- dropping, claiming they discovered Brad Pitt or that Chris Hemsworth took classes with them, etc. Be extremely careful with any agency that relies on making you “star struck” but has nothing of substance to show in terms of what jobs they are getting for their clients. Red flag. HUGE red flag. Also, too, realize that every star has to start somewhere and even big name stars may have taken classes with many outlets or coaches prior to hitting the big time. No agency should try to lay claim to a star’s success in an attempt to separate you from your money or in a bid to get you to sign a contract. Agents or agencies that use this technique are banking that you’ll want your career to look just like that of Robert Downey Jr. or Jennifer Lawrence and you’ll do anything or spend any amount of money to make it happen. Don’t fall for it. The better gauge is to do your research. Before you commit to an agent or agency, get on to IMDb and look up your potential agent or agency. Who else do they represent? 6 AZ FILMMAKER
What kind of work has their current roster of clients been getting? Who have they represented in the past? Are they strictly booking commercials and industrial films or are they booking well-known network television shows and major films? Don’t be afraid to ask for the professional credentials and/or license numbers for agencies. Also, ask to get professional references from production companies, clients and/or corporate accounts. If a personal reference is what you want, just hop in the Internet, type in the name of the agent or agency and the word “complaints” after it. This should give you some idea if that agency is on the up-and-up or on the take. Also check the Better Business Bureau. If you hear an “agency” advertising on the radio that a big casting agent is in town casting for some huge company, just remember it is going to be a cattle call where you’ll be herded in with hundreds of others and in many times, you’ll be pitched classes and photos. That’s how they MAKE that money to run those radio ads. Be smart, don’t waste your time and don’t get suckered. Another red flag is any agent that promises you work or says they already have work for you before actually signing you or having you seen by a casting agent or director. (On a related note, a casting agent or director should not be your agent. In most cases, that is a conflict of interest and will be viewed by some as unethical.) No good agent should ever promise or guarantee you work.
September/October 2013
This brings me to one of the biggest, muddiest and nastiest problems that I’ve encountered with agencies. Some agencies make the lion’s share of their money off of selling you photos, classes or both. There are some known agencies that have been around for decades and that is pretty much all they do. They make money off you in that way rather than getting you actual work, leaving you bitter, frustrated or thinking that you are lacking in talent because you’re not booking work. What do you think that agent will tell you when you complain that you’re not getting work? Yes, they will very likely suggest that you need new photos and more classes. That being said, some agencies will have a small roster of photographers they utilize because they truly are good and can photograph to industry standards (sorry, Olan Mills isn’t going to make the grade, here). Either way, make an informed decision. I have personally encountered agencies that will tack on multiple hundreds of dollars to a photo session through a referred photographer because you need “professional photos”. Why pay $2,000 for your photos when your “agent” might be pocketing half of that money? You should be free to pick and choose your photographer and it would be best to ask your agent’s advice if you are going to use a photographer of your own. If an agent ever insists that they do your photos or that you absolutely must use this or that particular photographer...RUN, as quickly as you can.
FORACTORS
An agent or agency should not charge you a “fee” for representation; another red flag. However, it is very common that you might have some incidental fees for a video that needs to be made to show some basic skills or representation of yourself. You might have to pay a small fee to maintain space on a casting database in connection with your being a part of an agency or buy comp cards. Each situation will vary, but you should never feel like you’re being gouged or pressured into something that costs a lot of money. Remember, your agent makes money when they book work for you and you’ve completed the job. If money is an issue for you, be up front with your agent before you sign on so you know exactly what fees you’ll be responsible for throughout the year. In nearly every situation, you should never sign on to an agency hoping that being an actor, actress or model is going to financially support you. MOVING ON TO PUBLICISTS... a publicist gets publicity for you and publicity can come in many forms. A publicist is not an agent. A publicist will not typically be out looking for jobs for you. Rather, a publicist will help to find you publicity for accomplishments, awards, participation in different types of films, milestones in your career, etc. A publicist might maintain your social networking accounts and help to engage your fan base, although not all publicists do this. Sometimes that task falls to a manager or someone who does nothing but social networking. Places that publicists within the entertainment field seek publicity and related attention include radio, podcasts, television and cable shows, websites, magazines, local newspapers and possibly trade publications. If you are an actor and just starting out on your first indie film, you shouldn’t expect that you’ll see your name splashed across People magazine or on CNN. That being said, if you do have something that is news-
worthy, a good publicist will find a place to get you at least some level of exposure. I am a publicist that does not work with an agency. I am independent and I keep that in perspective. I am a fantastic choice for the right type of client who is either getting started or who has achieved some measure of success. Would I be right for someone like Tom Cruise or Hugh Jackman? Of course I could easily do the work, except I’d have to take my expertise to an agency that would offer the technical and logistical support that would fall along the lines of what someone of that stature would require. Being a publicist of someone on the A-List often includes not only a publicist, but an entire support team that is comprised of many people. Since I am not typically working with A-List actors and actresses (I do that in a different job as a writer, journalist and television host), I can indeed assist my clients with assorted other tasks that they don’t have time to do or for other requests that will naturally sound better coming from a publicist. I know that may sound a little funny, but there is definitely a protocol, lingo and considerations that are involved in my line of work. Knowing how to approach a magazine with a newsworthy item will differ from approaching someone that has a podcast, which in turn is different from what I might say to a newspaper. As a talent, when you approach a publication yourself, you will frequently not get the same reaction or response from a publicity outlet than if you had a publicist do it on your behalf. Typically, those within the media know that a publicist is in the business of handling schedules, following up and working at a level that is productive to both the client and the potential publicity outlet. We speak the lingo and know how to act as a conduit between a talent and
publicity outlet. Having a publicist can often put you ahead of the pack, too, because publicity outlets are used to dealing with industry pros. Other tasks I have dealt with under the publicist umbrella: putting out press releases, checking on a client’s property, updating and optimizing IMDb pages, securing legal representation, fielding fan mail, finding film festivals, industry networking, arranging red carpet appearances and yes, even dealing with online client defamation and stalking. Most publicists just deal with securing publicity, but since I’m not held to the constraints of a large agency, I have more flexibility to assist my clients with associated management tasks. How do you know when it’s the right time to hire a publicist? Once you’ve gotten to the point where you are busy enough auditioning and working that you don’t have time to maintain your own business affairs, it may be time for a publicist. If you are booking progressively more high profile jobs and roles, that may also be a time to consider a publicist. Or, you may just be looking for someone to field inquiries on your behalf. A publicist can be a great supplement to someone in the entertainment industry when the time is right. Join me on my always entertaining journey here on Facebook http://on.fb.me/OEhi1P.
Lynette Carrington, Freelance Features Writer
602-717-0806 480-924-2344 lynettecarrington@hotmail.com “Functions, Frolic, Film, Food, Fashions and Fabulosity. I Write it All!”
September/October 2013
AZ FILMMAKER 7
SUCCESSSTORY
LOCKER 13
FOR FANS OF THE TWILIGHT ZONE text and photos provided by Brother’s Ink PREPRODUCTION: When did you release the graphic novel/ comic book for Locker 13? Is it available online? Did you publish it? The first graphic novel, Locker 13: Down and Out will be available this fall online at Amazon in digital and print. It’s the first in what will hopefully be a series of comics based on the feature film. Brothers’
From the Crypt, Stephen King’s Creepshow and Steven Spielberg’s Amazing Stories. When did you officially start preproduction on Locker 13? Adam Montierth and I (Donovan) came up with the original idea for Locker 13 in early 2006, but preproduction didn’t happen until
At the Brothers’ Ink Production office, we had a great big white board that we cast the whole film. The 7 Brothers’ Ink guys read all the scripts, put actors pictures for each role on an index card and their name and we would mix and match the cast depending on how well they matched the other actors and who said yes to doing the film. We would approach actors by email, phone or through their agents, anyway to get ahold of them. We pulled in all our favors and kept working that board until we finished the film. It was a fun process and totally flexible based on the director’s vision for each segment and the input of the Brothers’ Ink guys. Who helped you cast the film?
Ricky Schroeder Behind the Scenes Ink is the publisher. We will also publish a series of short stories from the Locker 13 brand and the first one, Capacity to Kill is available now through Kindle. When 13 are published we will then publish the first set as an anthology in the first volume in hardback and continue that way until several volumes are published.
years later. Locker 13 has a ton of great actors. Did you hold auditions for any of the characters or did you already have specific actors in mind when you wrote the script?
In your kickstarter video you mentioned that Locker 13 was inspired by The Twilight Zone. Did you draw inspiration from any other TV Shows or movies? Twilight Zone would be our main inspiration, but when you see the film, you will agree that we were also inspired by other TV and Movie anthologies. Specifically, Boris Karloff ’s Thriller, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Night Gallery, Tales 8 AZ FILMMAKER
Eugene MacClemore (Bart Johnson)
September/October 2013
We did it all ourselves, the main people involved were the three Executive Producers, John, Adam and I and 2 of our Brothers’ Ink partners Nick Stahr and Jason Walters. Locations, locations, locations! Locker 13 looks like it’s got a ton of great locations. How many locations did you secure?
SUCCESSSTORY SUCCESSSTORY
The town that Waldron built. Producer John Waldron built the set they couldn’t find. We have 7 locations in the film. The great thing about doing an anthology film with all segments revolving around a mysterious Locker 13, is that the Locker can be anywhere; a bus station, a gym, a school, bank vault, morgue. It gives us variety and freedom to go anywhere and do anything within the framework of a thriller with a twist. How long did it take to find all the locations? Which location was the most
difficult (either to secure or to shoot? Our producer in California, Neil Mather, found us 3 of the locations in LA. 2 of the locations were found by one of our directors, Matthew
Mebane. They took about 30 days. The rest were in Arizona and pretty easy to find, except for the last one which was so hard to find and so hard to come by that our Executive Producer, John Waldron built it with his own two hands. That one ended up being a whole wild west town that he named Gunsight Pass and took 4 years to build.
to be told in the future, either as a TV Series or sequels. The description refers to an anthology of stories within one film, why did you choose to turn it into a feature as opposed to a web series or a television show?
We would love to do a web series or TV series or even both, but originally this was viewed as a feature film. We would love for it to
The description of Locker 13 reads: “A thriller anthology feature film, in the
style of ‘The Twilight Zone,’ revolving around a mysterious locker 13.” Are there sequels in the works, or is the film an anthology of different stories? Both. The film is an anthology of 5 stories and we do anticipate more stories
The church at Gunsight Pass can be rented
September/October 2013
AZ FILMMAKER 9
SUCCESSSTORY SUCCESSSTORY
act as concept for something bigger or even as a sort of back door pilot. You mentioned that there are more writers on the project; how many writers were there? How did the writing process work? Was the script divided into sections or did the writers work together on the entire script? We originally went out for submissions and had over 100 entries including several from the Brothers’ Ink guys and secretly from some of the producers and directors on the film. We had an independent panel of judges rank each script and in the end, it just happened by luck or by the sheer fact that the people closest to the project knew exactly what we wanted and were looking for...that the final 5 chosen for the film were the scripts we ourselves submitted. We then gave the top 5
scripts to the directors to choose from and they handled the rewrites based on their notes. In some cases, they rewrote the scripts themselves, in some cases they had the original writers rewrite them and in some cases they hired new writers. They turned out great and now we even have over 90 scripts to move forward with in the future. All scripts have been and will be negotiated as we put more into production. PRODUCTION: How long did Locker 13 take to shoot? Too long.
Your film is visually stunning; who was your DP and what sort of equipment did you use (camera, lighting, etc.)? The majority of the film was shot with the RED camera, with each segment having a different Director of Photography. Russell Carpenter agreed to shoot one of the segments when Matthew Mebane came on to direct. Russell won an Oscar for Titanic, so we knew we were in good hands. All the other DP’s that came on worked very hard to maintain that level of professionalism from that day on. We were extremely blessed to have a great cast and
Skip (Jason Spisak) and Archie (Jon Gries) crew on this project and everything seemed to fall together piece by piece. Was there anything you had in mind visually that you had to change? Things are always easier when you have a lot of cash. With that said were had nearly ZERO money to work with and I think truly that the film benefited for it. Not that I’d like to do that again, but with no money you find creative ways around
1010AZ AZ FILMMAKER 2013 FILMMAKERSeptember/October September/October 2013
SUCCESSSTORY SUCCESSSTORY
problems rather than just throwing money at it or fixing it in post. Like Jaws, if the damn shark had worked from the beginning it would be a drastically different film. Are there any special effects in the film? If so who was your special effects supervisor and what made them the right person for the job? We do have some nifty special effects shots in the film and I hope you never notice which ones they are. If you don’t we did our job correctly. Adam Benson was our special effects supervisor in production and he was great, fresh and hungry. In post production Frank DiBugnara took over as producer of post production and he really wore a lot of hats, including seeing the post production special effects through to completion. He’s a genius and an overlooked master right here in Phoenix.
While in post did you have to make any last minute changes to the story? If scenes had to be cut will we see any deleted scenes on the Locker 13 website? In post we have made some very hard decisions, but I’m very glad to say that we didn’t shoot a lot of extra footage that isn’t in the film. We did most of our editing of our stories in preproduction so that our production days went as smooth as possible.
DISTRIBUTION: How do you plan to distribute Locker 13? We plan on a simple theatrical release in Harkins this fall, maybe a rollout to a few cities and then a full rollout on Pay Per View, DVD, Cable and ancillaries like NetFlix and Amazon. Will the film be submitted to any festivals? No. FUTURE INTENTIONS: Are there any other projects beside Locker 13 you are currently working on? We have two projects with other producers right now. One is being considered by Hallmark and producer Andrea Schroder and the other film, based on our Emmy award winning short film Reveille is currently with Erik Adams and Sleeperwave films in preproduction.
David Huddleston
POSTPRODUCTION: Your Kickstarter is specifically focuses on post production, mainly marketing. Where do you plan to promote the film other than Facebook and Twitter?
Are there any visual effects in the film?
We need to come up with some fantastic artwork for the DVD and poster. That’s number one along with a fantastic trailer. That’s where we really need the money. We have a great Brothers’ Ink guy right here in town on our team that works for Disney as an Illustrator, named Adam Devaney. He will be our go-‐ to guy on this stuff and his work is phenomenal.
Did you go to a studio to edit, or were the edits done in a personal office? Where did you record the ADR? What software did you use to edit the project? Which visual effects programs (if anything) did you use?
Our visual effects were supervised in post, but mostly just consist of color correction.
Our post house is Salt Digital here in Phoenix and we used Final Cut to edit the film. We did absolutely no ADR for the film. It’s all live from the set.
How long have you been in postproduction? About 4-‐6 months. September/October 2013
AZ FILMMAKER 11
FILMMAKERPROFILE
MY ROAD TO
AMERICAN BRED An interview with filmmaker Justin Chambers
JUSTIN CHAMBERS: I’m just a small town boy with big city dreams. Where I grew up, you played football and that meant you were a star. But unfortunately my body wasn’t built to be hit repeatedly and still function. Plus my active imagination just made the thought of someone charging at me seem like the forceful collision of aTyrannosaurus and Spinosaurus aegyptiacus. That was for all my Jurassic Park brothers. I’ve had a passion for film since I was 8, maybe 9; it’s been so long I can’t remember now. It was my form of expression and what was going on in this head of mine. To be honest, imaginary became my reality. Was it an easy journey to get where I am today? NO, but come on, is any good achievement in life ever easy? So with that being said, all the heartaches and failed attempts, I don’t look for sympathy, not always anyways, only the failures that hurt really bad; then sometimes I need a shoulder to cry on. But mostly I keep positive because I know that success will be that much sweeter for how many times I failed, gotten back up, tried again and achieved it. I mean, anytime you’re learning you’re going to fall, but what matters is that you get back up.
12 AZ FILMMAKER
The name Crevice Entertainment, was derived from the thought that if you look beneath the surface of any person, opportunity, relationship, or circumstance, you might just find something unexpected. And unexpected moments can change your life if you’re flexible and always expecting the unexpected. That’s exactly what happened when I met Karina Diaz and William Alexander IV.
when you’re acting crazy people have your back. I knew there was something special there. That was 5 years ago… since then Karina has always been there for me in every aspect. I could literally go on and on because her and I have been there since the beginning and we have gone through so many partners of the company, projects, and situations where we have looked at each other and gone “what are we going to do?”
KARINA I still remember the first thing I said to Karina when I met her. We were on the set of a short film I was doing called “Elevator 7”; I had 75 students from the school to work on this film with me, to see who really had aspirations to be great. Now the school only had 250 to 300 students to begin with. So it was one of the biggest student body projects the school had ever seen. Most students had nothing to do but sit around and watch. So I saw Karina sitting there with a friend and out of everyone I walked up to her and said, “hey my dad keeps calling me, can you hold my phone and answer it if he calls again and just tell him what I am doing?” She was like “um okay, sure!”
It is impossible to do anything in this business alone and achieve success. Karina is the hardest worker that I know, and even if she doesn’t know how to do something she is willing to learn and stretch herself beyond her comfort zone. She doesn’t give up. And there has only been one time that I felt her come close, the car accident of Broken Roads, and even in that moment it was incredible to see her struggle through it and continue on, as she has so many times before.
I was so overwhelmed I didn’t even stop to think how crazy that sounded. But to know that even
September/October 2013
Now she’s serving as first lady of Crevice Entertainment, which only makes sense. Because I think she understands me so well, and has a faith in me that she uses to comfort others, even when some of my decisions may not be understandable at the moment. I have heard her say so many times to people, you
FILMMAKERPROFILE
may not understand him now, but you will. And that’s a kind of person you want to be a part of your team, a hard worker, determined, and always willing to learn, and has your back whether good or bad. Not to mention Karina has always been that honest ear for me, giving me the freedom to say how I feel without being judged, basically my safe haven. You may think she doesn’t
to work with him. Everyone loved William. I wish I could say the same for myself. While attending film school at Columbia, I was bullied by a lot of the other filmmakers. It almost felt like everyone hated me, for reasons I just couldn’t understand, because I was such an outgoing person, and just wanted success for us all. People were under the impression that because I was doing so many
then I became a senior and got into our thesis program.
say much, but when it’s just her and I. Boy there is plenty to say.
projects and films and was always getting opportunities, I was a sell out; my parents were paying my way through school, I was rich and only got these opportunities because they were handed to me on a silver platter.
person who had something to say in my defense was Will. He stood up to the kids and everyone in the class; silencing them and calling out their behavior as extreme hazing and jealously. That they are putting down something they should be learning from. And it was in that moment that I realized, that’s what I needed in my team, someone who could stand up for what is right. Who had loyalty, over and over gain and wisdom beyond my peers. Someone who would rather achieve so much more together, than try and fight this battle for success alone, and that’s how the final piece came to be.
WILLIAM ALEXANDER IV William was pretty much the star producer of our school. Our school was kind of like a little Hollywood. There were big producers that everyone wanted to work with and editors and what not. I was, in that respect, the director that everyone knew and always had a major project going on. William and I weren’t necessarily friends but, we knew each other over the course of time and tried to work together a couple times, but our schedules never synced up. Everyone who knew Will wanted
I remember coming into school one day and students had vandalized my film posters that were hanging up in the hallways and the school couldn’t do anything about it, but basically told me to tough it out. I didn’t let that stop me, because I still went above and beyond and those who got to know me were like, everyone’s impression of you is completely wrong, so that was comforting. But
William was in my thesis class as well; which is a yearlong class, and it was there that things got really bad. The kids would constantly give me sabotaging and condescending notes and would say terrible things; the teachers really didn’t do anything or say anything to stop it. And the only
September/October 2013
AZ FILMMAKER 13
FILMMAKERPROFILE FILMMAKERPROFILE
AMERICAN BRED CONTINUED BROKEN ROADS I have been so blessed to experience things I never thought I’d get the opportunity to experience. My film seen all over the world, renting it, buying it off the shelf in stores, premieres and screenings all over the nation. It’s all just been a blessing. We worked so hard, I mean as we speak it’s 3am and I am working. It is the constant work we had to do to take this film from page to screen. People ask me all the time, “how did you do it?” Honestly it was spending every waking moment working on it. I remember I would be on Facebook and see people spending time at the beach, clubbing it up, traveling, mind you all these people claiming wanting success in this business… And I go how the heck do they have time to do all that stuff when I can barely find the time to spend with my fiancé. Then I realized, obviously success is going to take a little bit longer that way, than this way. So that tamed the envious spirit that had a tendency to build up in me when on Facebook. Really understanding you have to wait till your tree grows before it bares fruit. Now, you don’t have to sacrifice your life, or personal life, completely. I’m not saying that. But you do have to let everyone in your personal life understand that your work is just as much part of you as they are, and they will have to accept that, if they are going to be a part of it. Takes some very strong people to be friends or love someone like that. But the future success will be a direct result from that belief. So when you’re sitting in the theater 14 AZ FILMMAKER
with everyone around you, all your friends and loved ones, they will all agree, it was worth it! Something that was unexpected, is after thousands of people have seen your film, every one of them is going to have an opinion. Now your film is like your baby, it’s so wonderful when you get the messages from people on how your film has changed their life and how beautiful and proud they are of you etc. etc. But the people who feel you need to know how much they disliked your film; you want to pull your hair out and go why waste your time? In my case since I don’t have hair, drink or do drugs, you can imagine I probably take these things a bit more to heart than the next guy. I mean people tell me you have got to put the haters and the people that don’t like you behind you. I tell them the problem with putting the “haters” behind you is it makes it easier for them to stab you in the back. So over time I had to learn to just look at them dead in there face and say, “You’re not going to defeat me.” As well as distance myself from reading that crap and also understand that you can’t please everyone. So it honestly just made me a stronger person and filmmaker. AMERICAN BRED I had the idea for American Bred before I even thought of Broken Roads. But we were not ready for this film by a long shot. I wasn’t ready. The film was just too complex, too big, and intimidating, if we’re to be honest. So we needed Broken Roads just as much as Broken Roads
September/October 2013
needed us. Broken Roads taught us the ins and outs of making a motion picture and everything we needed to know to make a good film. That’s why I feel Broken Roads led us to American Bred. Immediately after we filmed Broken Roads, I put pen to paper and penned the script for American Bred in 5 weeks. A story that truly centers on family, trust and what defines us. American Bred is something we have never done before. I think people are going to be shocked. It’s a complete departure from Broken Roads. It’s me developing as a filmmaker, taking a peek into my dark side (Laughing). I think I’m breaking more into my artistic arena as well. Feeling as though I’m waking up from a comfortable and safe place within myself. Trying to push my limits, not playing it safe. Everything about American Bred makes me uncomfortable, from the graphic scenes, blood and guns to the bilingual aspect of it, the many character stories, and crashing story lines, it’s all so different than what I am use to. It’s a dark piece, at least dark for me and I don’t think people will ever see it coming. Because I mean I am a sweet guy, I don’t drink, do drugs, I get embarrassed when it comes to affection and adult topics if you know what I mean. So basically after you read this script you will definitely be like WHOA, Justin wrote this? Justin Chambers executive@creviceentertainment. com www.creviceentertainment.com www.brokenroadsmovie.com
CHANCEENCOUNTER
MEETING THE FISH by Darian Lane Photo: Jason Merritt
“I can’t tell you what to do.” His response was firm. “F#@k it.” I said to myself and headed toward the exit. “Tell me some more,” He asked, baiting. What was this The Matrix, I thought, but I obliged him. When finished, I asked, “Can I send it to your agent?” He looked at me dead serious, “I can’t tell you what to do.” That was it. I shook his hand and left.
Laurence Fishburne or Larry Fishburne stood at an astounding 6ft. I’m 6’4’’. I towered over him. Yet something was wrong. Here I was in his dressing room and he was making me feel small. I have always had intimidating eyes, which is why I wear glasses to dial back the intensity. This man’s eyes penetrated mine. He stood a whopping 3 inches from my face asking me, daring me, to pitch my story. I took a deep breath, averted my eyes (rookie mistake) and did. When I finished I asked if I could send him the full script. He looked dead at me and said, “I can’t tell you what to do.” “Are you interested?” I pushed.
Three months later, I’m standing outside the restaurant by my house in Malibu. I’m talking on the phone with my best friend, Kaz, when in walks Mister Fishburne with his wife and possibly his daughter. Without even thinking I yelled, “Hey, Mister Fishburne.” Without hesitation he walked over and asked, “Have we met?” I reminded him of our first encounter, he nodded, and bid me well. Yet I couldn’t let it rest there. I was sitting in the restaurant watching my beloved Eagles getting pummeled by the Washington Redskins, when out of the bathroom walked his daughter. She took one look at me and smiled, almost breaking into a giggle/smirk. Several minutes later Mister Fishburne walked to the bathroom. He took
no notice of me at all. I reached into my pocket and felt the lastest trailer to my new movie. It wasn’t the one I had pitched him, but it was my work nonetheless. He would be impressed. I sat in my chair facing the television and the bathroom and waited. He exited. As he passed my chair, I took all the guts I could muster and put them into words, “Mister Fishburne.” He stopped, looked down. I felt confident. “In case you are uncertain of my work, here’s the trailer to my latest film.” “Is this the project you were pitching?” “No...” I didn’t get out the rest of my sentence because he had bent down and was now two inches from my face. His breath hot against my nose. All my confidence had drained. “Why are you interrupting me when I am with my family? I am not here to talk business. Those times are clearly defined.” My East Coast upbringing should have kicked in and told him to back the fuck up, but I said nothing. He continued to berate me, but in a kind, stern and fatherly manner. When he finished, there was water in my eyes. “I will take your dvd.” He continued, “I take it your contact information is on it?” I nodded. He took the dvd, tapped me on the shoulder, and exited. I looked up at the television. The game was over.
September/October 2013
AZ FILMMAKER 15
FORACTORS
ANNA HARR Child Actor by Joseph D. Becker Photos provided
Anna: Well, when I was younger, I always wanted to be like, you know, famous, when I was just like a little baby and I did all this dancing and eventually my sister got into it, and she’s
my sister did, and then my agency said oh you should go out for this commercial even though you don’t act, just try it. And so I went out there, my very first audition, 30 minutes later, about 30 minutes later, I got the job, they called me they said... Interviewer: Can you tell us about some of the projects that you’ve worked on?
Taping a promo for Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader like oh you should do it too. so, she kind of brought me into it, and I’ve been doing it ever since. So yea, I originally went out to LA just for dance only, because that’s what
Anna: I’ve been on shake it up, the Disney channel series, I was the dancer on that. I’ve done stuff for E, I was on the Soup with ... Miller, I’ve done work with Michael Kirchhoff, I did a ... Children’s Medical Center video, and I did a lovely afternoon. And in a few weeks, I’m going to be filming a little series called, Lady Killers and I’m really excited for that. And this January, I’m going to be shooting a movie called bedroom stories with Perry Tao Interviewer: Anna, what was your most enjoyable acting experience so far?
With Jalene on the set of a new Disney Pilot
16 AZ FILMMAKER
Anna: That is a toughie, all the sets that I have been on have been really fun, but I think the, like best thing I’ve ever been on, I’m not going to say the best but like my most
September/October 2013
fun experience I’ve ever been on is probably shake it up, because that is like my favorite Disney Channel show. And I got to see where they shot all the scenes and stuff, I got to see the whole set which was really cool and I got to dance, so it was fun. Interviewer: Do you have any advice for other children who want to get into acting? Anna: Yea, just be yourself, go in there, just be yourself because they want you they don’t want anybody else, they just want you. Interviewer: We understand your parents are very supportive of your career, but a lot of children are pushed into acting by their parents. Is this something that you wanted to do? Anna: I wanted to do it myself, and they’re like ok, we’ll bring you out there, but overall they’re very supportive. My mommy and daddy they do a lot for me, and I’m very grateful. I love them so much. An upcoming movie I’m doing soon, is called Bedroom Stories and it’s directed by Perry Tao, it’s the, from the same producers who did saw. Hannah Ward is playing Dorothy, but her stage name is Lala, I call her Lala, and she’s super nice and she’s a great actress. And Jessica Cameron is playing nurse Tillie, and I play a twisted version of Alice in the Wonderland who’s been like locked up you know, just a scary version and I’m super excited for
FORACTORS
that, because I love horror films, and it is a horror film not a slasher. A few weeks ago, I did a shoot, a photo shoot for bedroom stories and it was really super fun. They had to put like fake blood all over me and all over my face. I had put a ton of makeup on and the blood was really sticky, they had to put it down my neck, and I couldn’t really move my neck because my hair was stuck to it and every time I tried to pull on it, it hurt. SO I was like moving like this the whole day, like hey guys, hey. But it was so much fun to be in like all that creepy scary stuff.
Anna with Howie Mandel after a taping of Mobbed film, it’s not one of those scary zombie films which I’m really excited for because I’m into the whole zombie thing.
I’ve done some pilots for Nick, or Nickelodeon but I can’t really say anything about it, until they air or if they air. And I’m filming the rest of Anti in October with Joseph... and it’s a psychological thriller. Yes I’m doing the pilot for ladykillers and the tagline is the repetition of the world slaving daily agency ... by a seventh grader and I guest star in that and I put like a little twist on the plot which is really super exciting. I’m doing an upcoming zombie film and it’s a comedy September/October 2013
AZ FILMMAKER 17
FILMPRODUCTION
HOW TO MAKE A MOVIE
OR WHAT I LEARNED FROM THE 48 HOUR FILM CHALLENGE Text & Photos by Joseph D. Becker THE FIVE MINUTE FILM Most scripts are one minute per page, which means a five page script for a five minute movie. Don’t push it, make it a 3-4 page script. Then you won’t run over and be trying to decide what to cut. Get one to three writers. Appoint a lead writer who will make final decisions, no arguments. Brainstorm and decide on a topic early on. Break it into three acts and finish the script by 2am. Start rehearsing the actors as soon as the script is done.
THE 40 HR FILM CHALLENGE Make your deadline 8 hours early. If you run into trouble, you’ll have time to fix it. Plus, if you get done in 40 hours, your editors will have time to tweak. Don’t let them use up all the extra time tweaking. Remember that you have to deliver the files on time for your film to be considered for the competition. Start your upload at least 2 hours before the deadline. You can run into trouble during the upload process. Make a DVD AND upload the files. That way,
if something goes wrong, you can deliver the DVD in person DON’T FORGET FOOD You will need to have enough food and drink for everyone on set. Designate someone to be in charge of crafty. Make sure they understand what’s required, and budget for it. Food costs money. You can do potluck, or make some other arrangements, but make sure you have food for your cast and crew.
KISS KEEP IT SIMPLE SPIELBERG You don’t want to depend on 20 people, and you don’t want to be running all over town. So keep your actors and your locations few. If you can get one location that has different settings. then use it. Like a house across the street from a park. Then you can shoot at the house and park. If it’s close to a school, maybe you can use a classroom, a school office or conference room but, try to keep them all within a half mile radius if possible. ASSIGN DUTIES Even though you are keeping it simple, you should still assign different duties to different people. This way, everything gets done and nothing gets missed. One or two people can gather free background music, while another person does titles and credits. The person doing titles should be provided with all names and titles spell checked. All titles should be checked, double checked and approved. Put one person in charge of digital files. This is a big one. The camera assistant or DP will hand off the full
18 AZ FILMMAKER
September/October 2013
FILMPRODUCTION
SD cards to the DIT. The DIT will load, organize and label the footage. As an example, label by film title, date, roll, camera, scene, take - just like on the slate. There should be a folder for each scene labeled Scene 1, Scene 2… This footage should then be sent to the editors.
the footage, we learned that Final Cut would not recognize it. We were able to pull the footage in thru iMovie, then export it, and then import to FCP but, it took time to learn that method, and the method itself took time. You don’t want to be wasting time or adding steps on a 48 hour film challenge, or any film, for that matter.
Get as much of that done as possible, as early as possible. Don’t wait till the last minute for anything.
There is a hierarchy and it will be followed.
RESPECT OTHER’S TIME If you are not needed on set, you will be eating, or resting, going over lines… but, you will not be held on set for hours if you are not needed. It is good to ask if someone needs help. If you are not needed in your position, see if you can read lines with someone, or help set up the next location...
it will be a much more pleasant experience.
WHISTLE WHILE YOU WORK QUIETLY PLEASE No arguments, no complaints, no walking off set, or not showing up. If any of that happens, you are off the set, off the crew… The director is in charge and makes all final decisions.
If everyone does their job with a smile and an attitude of gratitude,
COMPUTERS, SOFTWARE & CAMERAS Computers and software must be compatible. If you have more than one editor, make sure they have compatible hardware and software. If one is using FCP 7 on a Mac, and the other is using Adobe Premier on a PC, you are going to have problems. If you are using more than one camera, make sure the cameras are compatible. On one shoot, we had a small HD camera on a tripod for wide shots. When we went to import
You can hook a camera to the computer via cable, or insert a card into a reader. Most computers come with SD Card slots these days. Make
sure you have the cables and/or slots required for the media on hand. You don’t want to finish shooting just to find that you have no way of getting the footage from the camera to the computer. Remember, you’re all working toward a common goal. If you follow these simple steps, it will minimize the problems and maximize your efforts toward making a good film on time.
September/October 2013
AZ FILMMAKER 19
FILMFESTIVALS
PRESCOTT FILM FESTIVAL Enthusiasm and audience numbers continue to grow each year at the annual Prescott Film Festival! July 24 - 31st 2013 marked the 4th annual festival with highlights that included a special screening of Joss Whedon’s “Much Ado About Nothing” with special guest from the film Emma Bates. The festival also presented their first Film Retrospective. This year
successful as audience members left after watching some of the 93 films screened either laughing, scared, questioning deep issues or inspired to make the world a better place.
they highlighted the work of Beth and George Gage, documentary filmmakers for several decades. Five Gage & Gage films were presented with their latest film, “Bidder 70” as the Closing Night Film. Tim DeChristopher, the subject of “Bidder 70,” joined the Gages at the festival live via Skype for a Q&A after the screening.
hit The Kings of Summer. This will be one of the first events in the newly remodeled Yavapai College Performing Arts Center. The theatre will feature new comfy seats - with that most precious addition - cup holders!
Another highlight was the first ever program of all Prescott short films called Prescott on the Big Screen. From a documentary on dance to a zombie flick filmed on the Courthouse Plaza, it was exciting to see filmmaking grow in “Everybody’s Hometown.” The festival’s new tag-line, “Movies that Move You” was deemed 20 AZ FILMMAKER
The Prescott Film Festival will continue to feature special screenings of films throughout the year with the next one on August 30th at The elks Theatre & performing Arts Center, the documentary “Bully” with one of the subjects of the film, Kirk Smalley as a special guest speaker after the film. On September 28th we will be screening the award winning indie
In October we will feature two events; first the festival will be part of the Manhattan Short Film Festival, screening the competing films on October 6th and letting audience members vote for their favorites. On October 31st will be our traditional screening of a silent film with live accompaniment from the uber-talented Mr. Jonathan Best. The film this year is the classic
September/October 2013
horror film based (unofficially) on the Bram Stoker’s Dracula, “Nosferatu.” Costume-wearing will be encouraged in this Halloween event for grown-ups and kids that are tired of trick-or-treating! In November the film festival will be taking the month off, but supporting Yavapai College’s commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address. Part of the program will include lectures and discussions; along with the screening of five films including Gone With the Wind (and, of course, a costume
contest!) Other films include Glory and Lincoln. For more information on this film program please go to ycpac.com (Note, Arizona filmmakers get a 50% discount on submission fees to the Prescott Film Fest - just one of the ways we work to support film and filmmaking in AZ.) For more information on the Prescott Film Festival screenings please go towww.prescottfilmfestival.com, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter, @prescottflmfest.
SCREENWRITER
Don’t Give Up Before You Start
Five Things Every Newbie Screenwriter Should Know by Sara Korn
Becoming a great writer takes a lot of learning, practice, feedback, and more practice. Oftentimes, the hurdles in our heads are bigger than the challenges of the craft itself. Here are some tips that have been invaluable to me as a growing writer. WRITE FOR YOURSELF Even if your goal is to sell your work commercially, it needs to be for you as much as for an audience or a studio exec. There are two reasons for this: First, passion for the story keeps you going through the tough times. Writing a screenplay is a lengthy process that involves a great deal of commitment and perseverance. That’s why you should write about something that you won’t give up on easily. Second, people can tell when a story comes from the heart. When you write about something that matters deeply to you, audiences connect with it too. The story – the human element underlying the events – is what makes a wow movie, which is not the same thing as the concept, which is the hook for the movie. The concept gets us to see the movie. The story is what makes us glad we did. WRITE FOR YOUR FAVORITE AUDIENCE I know, I just told you to write for yourself. But if you want to sell your work, you need to write for yourself AND your audience. Not a one-sizefits-all mass audience. An audience that loves to see the kind of movies you love to see. Ask yourself these questions about your story: If you were sitting in a theater watching this movie, what would blow your socks off? What
would make you think it’s so cool that you want to see it again and again and bring all your friends? Write that movie, and write it from the heart. ONLY JUDGE YOUR WORK AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME During my first screenwriting class, I was struggling to complete my assigned pages. What I had written sucked and I knew it. I can’t turn in this crap! I thought. But I didn’t
“If fame and fortune is your primary concern, you’ll probably give up from frustration long before you make it to your goal.” know how to make it better. When I confessed this to my instructor, he gave me a precious bit of feedback. He said, “You have my permission to write a crappy first draft. Now go write.” Yes, you need to critique your work. But not at every moment in the process. There are times when you should just sit down and write. Let it all pour out, the good, the bad, and the ugly. Later you will go back and pick out the gems and dump the rest. But you can’t do that if you don’t have anything to start with in the first place. COMMIT TO THE PROCESS, NOT THE RESULT Ah, the dream of seeing your story, your brainchild, up on the big screen. Fame, fortune, and lunches with important Hollywood bigwigs – who wouldn’t love that? It’s fine to have such goals, but that shouldn’t be your main reason for writing. Screenwriting is an endeavor in
which the work is plentiful but the accolades are not, especially in the beginning when, quite frankly, you suck at it. However, if you enjoy the process of writing stories, if you enjoy becoming better at it, then you will be having fun even when the external rewards aren’t there. If fame and fortune is your primary concern, you’ll probably give up from frustration long before you make it to your goal. If you love writing stories, then commit to the process for the long haul. DON’T LOSE MOMENTUM There’s a popular saying that “writers write.” Basically, you can’t learn if you don’t practice. It’s also important to practice regularly and frequently. So carve out whatever time you can manage, write on a daily basis, and stick to it! You’ve heard of the dreaded writer’s block, yes? Well, you needn’t fear it. Not because it won’t find you, but because the tools exist to overcome it. Just Google “writer’s block” to find resources to help you out. There are plenty of reasons why you might get frustrated and stop writing – don’t give in to this temptation! Remember your commitment to the process and why you’re doing this in the first place. Writing great stories is hard work. It can be mentally, emotionally, and physically challenging. It can also be incredibly fun. If you love writing stories, then commit to the process and dive in. Learn a ton. Write a ton. Repeat. Have fun!
September/October 2013
AZ FILMMAKER 21
FILMPRODUCTION
Pirate Grip & Electric by Joseph D. Becker
AZFM explain what it is you do. PG&E As a gaffer I, and the Key Grip, work with the Director of Photography (the DP or the DoP) to help him or her achieve the look they want. First I work with the AD department to see how close we can get our trucks and equipment to set. Then I figure out if we are going to use house power or generator power. If we use house power then I need to locate the breaker box to see what we have to work with. Sometimes if we are using a bigger light or many small lights than a house plug is rated for we will tie into the box with a tie in set; which allows us to tap into the power that is going into the box and skip breakers. If we are using a generator I will talk to the Audio department and the AD department to see how close we can park the generator without it being a sound issue, out of the locals way, and lawful.
22 AZ FILMMAKER
Then we distribute our own power grid with extension chords or cable (when using a generator). We light the set for the scene, make sure that the breakers are holding, that the generator is balanced properly, and that the lights are at the desired color temperature.
We also power all other departments who need it and usually for night shoots we provide courtesy lights for basecamp and anywhere people need to see and be safe. As a Key Grip, I want to diffuse, color, and control the light with flags, gels, and diffusion frames to achieve the desired look. If we are lighting with the
September/October 2013
sun we will use bounce boards, frames to bounce and diffuse, and support camera whether they are on tripod, dolly, or jib/crane. The Key Grip is also the safety coordinator and makes sure that everything on set is safe! AZFM This is a very specialized field. You have to be a builder, electrician, engineer, inventor… You have to conduct yourself with professionalism on sets with big stars. It’s a long journey to get to where you are now. Tell us a bit about the path that led you here. How and when did you get into this business? PG&E I went to SCC film school about 13 years ago and worked on every student set I could; this is a chaotic time because everyone is learning and things take longer than they should. In the end it’s all about who you know. My Dad knew a freelance camera and sound man and I went out with him on jobs as a utility: helping with camera set up, lighting, grip, sound, and production assistant. This was a really great next step for me because I got to get my hands into every department on a small scale and it gave me a broad overview of what it took to accomplish the shot. On a bigger job for us I met a local Key Grip who then got me onto a big commercial set as a Production Assistant. I made a good impression on the Production Manager and Coordinator and started getting hired on commercial jobs as a PA. Greed and lack of available hands plays a big part in opening the door for people to step up – you have to take advantage of that, be ready, and be open to learn (quickly!!!). When the shoots were short on crew PA’s are sent to go
FILMPRODUCTION FILMPRODUCTION
help other departments. I liked helping the grip and electrics and starting learning the gear and the etiquette. People started knowing me as a “Grip/PA” and the local G&E guys took me under their wing. I then started to get G&E jobs on very low budget films; which showed me the importance of having the right gear for the job, but also, showed me how to be inventive and use what we had at our disposal. As I made money I started to invest in lights and gear that would make my life easier on indie film sets. When word got out that I had gear people started calling to rent it from me, which was another source of income that I re-invested into my company “Pirate.” A local First AD’s husband was getting out of the business as a Hollywood Key Grip and was selling gear; so I bought a 5 ton Grip truck, a one ton camera truck, fifth wheel trailer, and grip gear. The indie jobs started getting bigger and I even started getting small commercial and corporate clients and just kept reinvesting my money earned into upgrading my truck and equipment. Every single job teaches you something and I am a collection of them all up to this day...
AZFM I’ve seen you rig a car to hold a camera. What are the main things you’re thinking about when building a rig like that? PG&E When building a car rig, I first want to see the vehicle, know what camera we are using, where the DP wants it, and if we need to be prepared for lighting on the INT or EXT of the vehicle.
For me there are 4 ways of going about a car rig: hoodmount, hostess tray, vacuum cup/ speedrail rig, or a combination of all the above. Safety of the driver, people on the road, camera, and the gear is key!!! The rig must be strong and yet not damage the vehicle or inhibit the actor and/or driver from operating the vehicle. When rigging in wheel wells it is essential that the tires don’t rub or come into contact with the rig and there must be
an underside ground clearance factored in (are we driving on black top, dirt road, or rocky road??) If we are using a light I want to know how we are going to power it: battery belt, inverter (off the car battery or our own), or a small generator. If we are using a generator we need to build a “front porch” or “back porch” rig to connect it to the vehicle. When doing all the above we need to make sure that the actors and crew can have access into the vehicle and that none of our gear is creating anything that will inhibit sound. Between each take we need to check the rig to make sure that vibration didn’t cause anything to come loose: it is always good to have a to-go set crate of gear in a follow vehicle to quickly fix any problems that might arise in the rig. I always want to think ahead to plan B and C because car shots mean we are driving away from basecamp and our trucks and gear, and I want to have a quick fix close and ready. AZFM You build rigs to hold people and other objects as well. What’s the most elaborate rig you’ve ever built and what project was it for?
September/October 2013
AZ FILMMAKER 23
FILMPRODUCTION
PG&E Ironically the most elaborate rigs for me happen on jobs that are low budget and where we are making due. On a movie called “Yesterday’s Tomorrow” we made this vertical skateboard dolly rig that hovered 20 feet over a car hood that the two actors were laying on. The Camera move slowly descended using a rope and pulley! AZFM What was the most fun you ever had on a job? PG&E I had a lot of fun on an Italian movie called “I Found America” about a year ago. The days were 10 hours or less, we got to travel around Arizona, Utah,
and South Dakota, and everyone on the crew got along for the month long shoot. I was Best Boy Grip and got to spearhead a lot of car rigs. It was a semi low budget film but our G&E team was a good size and knowledgeable. AZFM You’ve accumulated a lot of knowledge and equipment over the years. Tell us what knowledge and equipment you use the most PG&E I’ve learned that certain set ups always use the same gear and that helps me think ahead and get that specific gear closest to set so that production isn’t waiting on us. The gear that works the most are full apple boxes and stingers (extension chords). AZFM Who’s your favorite director to work with? PG&E I’ve worked a bunch of movies with a local director named Dustin Rikert and we always seem to get a big look with a small budget and minimal crew: that gives me a good sense of
accomplishment at the end of each day. We are very similar in that we are high energy, hands on, and care too much. We’ve gotten into some pretty epic fights because of how passionate we are and always make up – when you can make up and carry on like it never happened you know you’ve found a good person to work with. AZFM What was your greatest challenge on a set? PG&E The greatest challenge on set is always social. People make movies. Everyone needs to work together and get along. The attitude trickles down from the top and being a manager I want to make sure people are empowered, happy, and safe. AZFM Think about all the on-set experiences you’ve had so far. Have you ever made a mistake (minor or major) that turned out to be a big learning experience for you? PG&E I am a human being and make mistakes everyday. The key is to not feel sorry for myself, get up, and try again. Every mistake is a learning experience. Also, I am working with other human beings who also make mistakes and making light of their mistakes is using negative reinforcement; I prefer positive reinforcement in acknowledging a good rig and job well done.
24 AZ AZFILMMAKER FILMMAKER 24
September/October 2013 September/October 2013
FILMPRODUCTION
AZFM Project yourself out another five to ten years... What do you see yourself doing or where do you hope to be professionally at that time? PG&E I just purchased a warehouse in downtown Phoenix and would like to be a hub, not only for G&E, but for camera, art department, and give provide a small cyc wall for still and motion shoots. I currently own two 5 ton trucks but would like to expand to include a 3 ton and van package as well as a smaller tow generator. LED technology is taking over so I need to stay on top of having cooler/battery operated lights available. Eventually I would like Pirate to be self sufficient so I can pursue some of the artistic endeavors that got me into the business originally.
Pirate Grip & Electric jasper098@hotmail.com 602-451-9347
Shooting in downtown Phoenix
LOOKING FOR SHORT FILMS
for cable TV show in Philadelphia • Under ten minutes preferred, but will consider longer lengths • Most genres, including animation and music videos • no nudity, foul language and so on • Show airs at 10:00 PM on Monday nights
Stewart Brodian P.O. Box 1253 Easton, PA. 18044 sbrodian@yahoo.com
http://brodiansbasement.webs.com/ https://www.facebook.com/ AScreenwritersUtopiaAsu?goback=. gde_103359_member_266611348
DOMINIC’S A U T O
R E P A I R
602-460-7318
Engine Repair ■ AC Repair Brakes ■ Tune Ups September/October 2013
AZ FILMMAKER 25
2-DAY DIRECTING WORKSHOP MAKE YOUR MOVE INTO THE DIRECTOR'S CHAIR www.directingworkshop.com Weekend Workshop with writer/producer/director
Darin Scott
Saturday & Sunday, September 21-22, 2013 9am - 6pm Camarena Productions 3440 W. Lewis Ave #B Phoenix, AZ 85009
Learn practical secrets from a Writer/Producer/Director who has had 12 Nationally released feature films.Whether you're a Writer, a Producer, an Actor, or anyone else with a burning desire to tell stories in the cinematic medium, Darin can show you the real life, no nonsense techniques that go into making a successful film, whether your budget is $5 thousand or $50 million. Darin has made movies and TV shows in all genres, and he wants to share that knowledge and experience with you. You'll learn the practical realworld secrets to how to walk on any set and be an effective professional. This is knowledge that you just can't get in film school, illustrated with over 200 FILM CLIPS that visualize the principles and techniques being taught.If you want to stop dreaming about being a filmmaker, and take the step up to the next level, sign-up for the most important workshop you will ever take. Give Darin Scott two days and he'll make you the best filmmaker you can be.
YOU WILL LEARN HOW TO: * Analyze The Screenplay! * Create Compelling Images! * Design Your Shot Plans! * Choose The Right Cast! * Inspire Great Performances! * Run An Efficient And Creative Set! * Solve Production Problems! * Draw The Best From Your Crew! * Advance Your Career! ... and much more!
First Time In Arizona Tuition is only
$299
Class Size Is Limited So Sign-Up Now! TO REGISTER GO TO: www.directingworkshop.com/Filmmakers_Directing_Workhop/Register.html Darin Scott has produced, written, or directed such films as MENACE II SOCIETY, DARK HOUSE, THE OFFSPRING, LOVE & A .45, TO SLEEP WITH ANGER, TALES FROM THE HOOD, WAIST DEEP, CAUGHT UP, FEAR OF A BLACK HAT, SOMETHING WICKED, SPRUNG, STEPFATHER 2, and THE BROTHERS. He's recently directed episodes of a new crime series for HBO and the comedy feature, HOUSE PARTY:TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT, for Warner Bros.
26 AZ FILMMAKER
September/October 2013
MOVIEREVIEW
SICKLE by Bill Pierce
“When good Arizonans die they go to heaven; bad Arizonans go to Arizona” First and foremost, let me say how happy I will be when the whole “Grindhouse” fad finally dies and the Arizona filmmakers can get back to some serious movie making. I don’t mind a new genre’ in the least, but these flicks are all the same: the same look, the same story, the same music. Lately they even have the same actors, popping up in an endless cycle of films like some weird D-list rotary club. Most of these films make no effort at originality, happy to join the ranks of endless rip-offs. There can still be some originality when making one of these. Why, back in the day, even the “Jaws” rip offs were still entertaining and brought their own originality to the screen. They just used different critters in a Jaws-like situation to tell their story. Who could forget the dangers of menstruation on a camping trip when a giant “Grizzly” (1976) found your campsite! Or the havoc that is wreaked upon an idyllic wedding when crashed by a giant “Alligator” (1980). Which somehow brings me to the latest, locally made ‘grindhouse’ feature “Sickle,” directed by Robert Conway and starring a host of local favorites including Shane Dean, Tiffany Sheppis and the return of early AZ indie veteran Jose Rosete. ‘Sickle’ begins with bad boys Chino and Pablo (Dean and Rosete) making a drug deal in the desert and ripping off the unsuspecting buyers. After some graphic gut flying gun fighting they head off into the desert, stopping at the creepy, jerk-water town of Red Stone Arizona for fuel. Chino pays for the gas but Pablo robs the gas station, and Sheriff Sickle (Kane Hodder)
is summoned by the silent alarm. Arriving in his souped-up squad car complete with an enormous, rocket-powered spear mounted on the hood, the Sheriff administers swift justice the way they do it in Red Stone, dispatching the thieves in graphic and gory fashion. Back in the civilized world, sexy Jenna (Tiffany Sheppis) dances as “Miss Electra” and wins the pole dance marathon as the horseshoe hounds hurl heaps of cash at her. Jenna and three more of the worlds worst employees rob the sleazy strip club, killing every witness to their crime and taking every cent from the Russian mafiaowned establishment before heading for the border. On their way to Mexico, drug dazed Randy (Owen Conway) makes a wrong turn into (gasp!) Red Stone, and this time the Sheriff is ready for the thugs. He chases them down, taking the lovely Tasha (Taryn Maxximillian Dafoe) hostage, and hunting down the remaining thieves. Back in the civilized world again, murderous Russian mobster and club proprietor Yakov (Jason Spisak) is on the hunt for the ne’er do wells, blazing a trail of death and destruction that leads him to (gasp! Again!) Red Stone! There’s more naked girls, flying guts and cannibalistic trailer park law enforcement before psycho Sheriff Sickle can put things back in (law and) order, and return Red Stone to the terrifying and dismal law and disorder town it is supposed to be. It’s a pickle to pick a standout performance in ‘Sickle’ since the entire cast was clearly having a blast with this film. Ms. Sheppis has graduated from Horror University long ago, and is now the Dean Of Students, as the actors around her become energized, playing off of her screen experience and complimenting her performance. Shane Dean is in true form; bringing to the screen the frenetic energy he maintains even when the cameras aren’t rolling. Dustin Leighton plays ruthless ringleader Travis to a T, appearing clean cut and cold
blooded in a constant character contrast. It was a tough call, but I gotta give the serious props to Mr. Owen Conway as Randy, who was clearly the fan favorite when ‘Sickle’ screened at Phoenix Comicon 2013. Conway makes no attempt to refine, define or confine his character at any time, hanging loose and enjoying the ride, taking the entire audience with him. He dodges decapitations, survives gun battles and misses his missing drugs more than his dead pals as he floats through the hell of Red Stone in a loose and lazy, hilarious daze. From the beginning, ‘Sickle’ appeared to be (for all intents and purposes) just another one of the locally made ‘grindhouse’ knockoffs everyone is so all-fired up about these days. But there was something about this cheesy, sleazy horror that kept my attention. ‘Sickle’ is a goofy, guts ‘n girls gorefest that never takes itself seriously, inserting glaringly obvious and sometimes, stupidly subtle reminders that this is a dumb horror movie in the tradition of every dumb grindhouse/ horror movie. Just when the cartoonish color begins to fade or the exaggerated Dutch angles begin to align, director Conway does something dopey like tossing in a quick shot of a flying saucer from “Plan-9 from Outer Space” complete with UFO sound effects, to remind us that this is just for fun. Conway seems to go so far as to proudly and hilariously exaggerate the fact he is making an AZ indie film, as every single toothless resident of ‘Red Stone Arizona’ stands outside their (trailer) home, firearms in hand and glaring menacingly at strangers. ‘Sickle’ is a very entertaining film that creates its own originality by way of its shameless impersonation. A gory self-satire and fitting homage to the latest craze in filmmaking that doesn’t appear to be going anywhere for a while.
September/October 2013
AZ FILMMAKER 27
FORACTORS
SO YOU WANT TO BE AN ACTOR by Debbie Jennings
So you got the acting bug. And, now your wondering... how do I get more work? How do I get noticed? How do I become famous?!! Want to be successful in acting? A few simple steps:
Attitude:
Success in any business comes from being driven to succeed. You are action oriented. You get things done, you meet people, you train, you dig, you DO, you... don’t sit around. Smile and go!
Action:
I see a lot of people sit around hoping to get hired. They post on Facebook “here I am, I am available”. Well, that’s OK as an introduction, but from a marketing perspective, that’s not a call to action. If that’s all you ever do, and then complain that you don’t get any work, its because you haven’t made a compelling case for yourself. Stop complaining that your not getting hired and start taking positive action with your life and your career.
28 AZ FILMMAKER
Be Realistic:
I will give you some steps, but the truth of the matter is, only approximately 1% of all actors make it “big” and become a household name. Don’t let that discourage you. Becoming famous usually is not the end game, doing something you enjoy and being good at it is usually all we ever want. Oh, and to get a little positive recognition every now and again. To tell you the truth, I would rather never become famous - that’s not even on my goal list. Who wants to constantly dodge paparazzi, have to go out in public in disguise, and have all their personal dirty laundry aired every time you do something? Not me! I have already been occasionally recognized in public for commercial work (hey, wasn’t that you in that _____ commercial I just saw?) Luckily, not too many stalkers or paparazzi from that. My People Magazine appearance... different story!
Assess your Personal Situation:
What would YOU like to do with this acting bug? Full-time job, Parttime job, hobby, something to do when you retire? Are you interested in film, commercials, modeling, promotional work, voice-over, theater? You need to know what works for you. I have a full-time job. A very demanding 50-70 hour a week job, but I work from home. That gives me the flexibility to do commercial and voice-over work whenever I want to pop out and do it, but I have a lot of responsibility and expectations during the week. Theater? No time! Modeling or promo work? Most of the time, I am too old or too short (I am a realist). Film? I like weekends with
September/October 2013
my family, but occasionally I will take on a good paid role. I just don’t have the luxury of time. What is your situation? What is your goal?
Pay or not to pay, that is the question:
When I started, I did some short films, student films and such, to build my resume. After all, an agent won’t sign you until you have experience, and volunteering is the best way to get that experience. Help out your local school or indie filmmaker. I still do when I have the time, and if the role is something that speaks to me. After almost 3 years, I have an extensive resume and I know what I like to do, so 99% of the time, I get paid for what I do. This is not a hobby for me, its a part-time job. If you don’t care about getting paid and just want to have fun and meet people, without the worry of memorizing lines, that’s OK! Background extras are needed in almost every production; (and if your lucky, you will get paid every now and again for that too!). Just decide whats best for you.
Skills and Education:
Do you have a college degree, play an instrument, have a bl˘˘ack belt in Karate, or ride a horse? Producers are always looking for people with your knowledge and skills for their productions. List everything on your resume!
Be Professional:
I spoke about this in a blog post last week. You can refer to that for greater detail, but here it is in a nutshell. Professionals want to hire professionals. Pretend your in an office, in a suit, this is real. You are working with your supervisors (producer/director/other crew) and peers (actors) in a professional
FORACTORS
manner. Grooming, wardrobe, demeanor, arriving on time and doing what your told is what keeps your employed. This is the same deal. Trust me on this! Go above and beyond in your job to her hired, get noticed and get promoted (re-hired).
Recipe for Success:
There are some other things you need to do to be successful. You need to invest some time and money to get yourself out there properly and be taken seriously. If you really WANT this, get a parttime job to pay for some of these things.
Training:
Group classes, private classes, I have taken many of them. You can’t act unless you know what to do. Any profession takes proper training. Google “acting classes” and instructors in your area, or ask other actors who they recommend (and who to stay away from). There are a lot of great books on the subject and there are some great study groups as well.
Casting notices:
GoodFaithCasting.com, Durant. com, Movieworknow.com, to name a few, also Facebook groups -- all good places if you don’t have an agent and are looking for work. Headshots, Business Cards, Resume, Facebook, Twitter, IMDb, Website all important tools of the business. Some are optional, all are ideal. Network. Get to know others in the business. Facebook groups, meetup groups, mixers, festivals, theater groups. Find them and get involved. Lots of creative people out there, and you should know them!
Agents & Unions:
Should I get an agent? Should I join a Union? Both are complicated questions with no easy answer.
Agents:
Once you get training, experience and head-shots, you may want to hire an agent to assist you with casting notices. Make sure they are reputable. The best place to find one is either the Arizona Production Association site: http:// www.azproduction.com/clients. php?id=123 or through the SAGAFTRA site: http://www.sagaftra. org/agency-relations/sag-franchisedagents Most of them have web fees or minimal start up fees and all of them take a percentage of your pay. The percentage and fees depend on if your a union actor or not. The choice of an agency is very personal. I recommend getting an an appointment with all of them your interested in to see what they have to offer, and who is interested in you as a talent. Most of the time, if you hire an agent, you have to pay them a commission for any work you may get on your own. Most contracts are exclusive. Make sure you ask. If one says no, find out why and move on. Usually you are too new, or they have 6 people just like you (look, age). Don’t take it personal. You can also remain as an independent, but you have to work harder to find your own work.
work, and it can get complicated if your not paying attention. You can reach the local office for more information here http://www. sagaftra.org/locals/phoenix/aboutour-branch and tap into some local resources here http://www.sagaftra. org/locals/phoenix/local-resources
But wait, there’s more!
I can’t possibly cover everything here, nor do I claim to know everything about the business, but I wanted to get you thinking a little, and I wanted to help you get started. The most important thing is to have FUN! Good luck, I wish you much success in your acting career. See you on set! www.DebbieJennings.biz
Unions:
In states like Arizona, where the right-to-work law prevails and we have no tax-credits for film-makers, union work is hard to come by. However, we do have some work and there are union actors here. The union is very structured, organized, strict and pays very well. If you want quality over quantity, contact the local office to get more information. To become Union, you have to do some union September/October 2013
AZ FILMMAKER 29
SUCCESSSTORY
SLEDGE, A LOW BUDGET SUCCESS STORY An Interview With Filmmaker Kristian Hanson by Joseph D. Becker
Where did you come up with the idea of Sledge?
This is a Horror/ Comedy, something that’s been done. What makes Sledge different?
Sledge came from my wife to be honest. We were driving home from my brothers wedding and she told me to sit down and write a script that we could go film in Potsdam, NY where my Co-Director John is from. I sat down and in two days I had finished the script for SLEDGE and two months later, we began filming the film.
Sledge is different because it knows it is a movie. In a scene where somebody gets killed, one of our characters comes back to the campground and when he is asked where the character is, he explains how he was just killed, but he wasn’t there to witness it. It is meant to be fun and different. Yes, there are a lot of horror/ slashers out there, but Sledge is self aware of it being a B-horror film, and that is what makes it so fun.
You did this with almost no budget. Tell us what inspired you to try this on your own? We did this on our own because we didn’t have a lot of choice to be honest. We didn’t have a big fan base at this time, and we knew if we wanted to make a film, we would have to do it on our own. We put out an ad for people to audition and only had a few people show up. One person became our lead actress in Stephanie Tupper. The other lead actor Dustin Bowman, found out about the film in the local newspaper. We always joke and say Dustin is an Angel because who reads the local paper anymore. Also, without him, the character of Alex wouldn’t be as great as he is. This really would not have happened without all of the help of everyone in the cast who ended up also being the crew.
30 AZ FILMMAKER
What’s different about Adam Lynch?
The film is winning awards at festivals. How many awards has it won? Which awards? For what? We recently won The Award of Merit in Filmmaking from Indie Fest. Also, we were nominated for Best Horror Feature at the Action on Film Festival, but subsequently lost. We may not have won, but the people running the festival came up to me throughout the festival and told me how much they loved Adam Lynch and the film. They also told me that my poster and post cards I had given as handouts were the best in the festival and that everyone loved the artwork.
September/October 2013
Adam Lynch is just psychotic. There isn’t a rhyme or reason for why he does what he does. Jason kills people because he was drown in the lake and his mother was killed. Freddy is the bastard son of 100 maniacs. Adam Lynch kills people because...well...he is psychotic. Some people have asked me why he snapped and that there has to be a reason for why he snapped. Honestly, there isn’t. Maybe he had a chemical imbalance in his head, or he was on a bad medication that gave him an erection for longer than 4 hours causing him to go to the doctor and get a needle in his crank. That would make me go insane. Hey, maybe that’ll be the story of why he went nuts and believes he is in a movie and video game. To black out the memory of that horrific event.
SUCCESSSTORY
Tell us about the mask The Mask was created by Monster Matt Patterson. I texted Matt the moment I created the Adam Lynch character and told him the premise. I told him what I wanted, but told him to have fun with it. The mask if you look closely has dates and initials placed inside of it. It has my initials, Matt’s initials, and important dates carved into it like my wedding. These are meant to be the initials of his victims and the dates that he committed these heinous acts. Also, the mask is supposed to be the flesh of his victims sewn and stapled together, much like LeatherFace. I intentionally did this as a nod to Tobe Hooper and Leatherface, because you cannot make a skin mask without giving love to the creator of that type of mask.
What would you say to inspiring filmmakers?
Without any money, how did you make SLEDGE? Sledge in total was made for about $2000. To break it down for you, $1200 went to airfaire to fly myself, my mom and my wife up to New York. The other $800 was used to rent the lenses for the camera,
Who had the idea of making a movie within a movie? That idea came from the Co-Director John Sovie II. When we filmed SLEDGE we only had 67 minutes of footage. That would not be long enough for a feature. So he brought up the idea of a girl sitting on the couch watch television and the film is SLEDGE. So I added the Assly’s True American Horror Segment to it, and that is how the movie within a movie happened. Later we decided to make the fake trailer for next weeks ASSLYS TRUE AMERICAN HORROR, to try and add more realism to the overall film.
buy the clothes, make the mask and create the blood. I have told people since we started filming that the best thing to do is rent the equipment. John already had the camera, so we rented the lenses and made all of the fake blood ourselves. The blood was primarily red food dye, corn syrup and cocoa powder. However, one batch was also made with soy sauce, and I still feel sorry for my wife and Stephanie Tupper for having to use that batch of fake blood for their scenes.
I would say don’t let anyone tell you you can’t make a film. Also, don’t wait around to make a film because you don’t have all of the equipment. I was at a convention where a guy came up to me and said he wanted to make a movie. I said he should definitely go and do it and he said he still didn’t have all the equipment so he wouldn’t do it. This guy looked to be about sixty years old. Do not wait on equipment. Go and rent the equipment and go film the movie. By the time you gain all of the equipment by saving and waiting, it will be inadequate and something new and shinier will be out. Also, don’t be afraid of getting bad reviews or having people judge it. Not everyone is going to like what you make. Just don’t let anyone deter you from setting your goals and reaching for your dreams. I always wanted to create a horror slasher that was fun and people got behind, and I have done it. I can honestly say the coolest thing I have constantly heard from reviewers if that they want more of ADAM LYNCH in the sequel. I cannot wait to give them just that, another fun horror/ slasher with a horror character they love to root for.
September/October 2013
AZ FILMMAKER 31
PRINTER FULL PAGE AD
32 AZ FILMMAKER
September/October 2013