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DAY 7:
On Day 7 of filming on the Southlan-Films Friday the 13th fan film The Man in the Lake we return to on-location filming at the property of Roland Force to not only film the death of actor Chris Whitley but to also do reshoots of the death of the Sheriff (played by Jim Adams), among other things. The most interesting thing about today’s filming are the reshoots.
Writer/director/editor Ron McLellen had already put together a rough edit of many of the scenes and soon discovered that there were sequences within the scene in which the Sheriff comes upon the domain of Jason Voorhees (of which we all know what happens when someone comes upon Jason’s home). He wanted to make the whole sequence longer and he wanted to elaborate on Jason’s “shack” through the eyes of the Sheriff who is the first person to come upon it. This being the first sequence filmed on the production, McLellen soon realized that the sequence was far too short and needed more suspense before the Sheriff died, so, since we had to return to the location anyway it was decided to do some extensive reshoots to make the sequence really stand out early in the film.
Today is designed to be a very light day. I missed the previous day of filming (Day 6) which was the production’s return to the camp grounds to film the wrap around segment of the film which includes a group of kids who are at Camp Crystal Lake when they start telling the story of Jason Voorhees (the rest of the film which is presented as a story told by the children). I missed all of this day of filming which reunited McLellen with the stars of his previous fan film Return of the Sandman – actors Ashley Ballard, Hunter Ballard, and Callan Wilson.
Once the reshoots with actor Jim Adams are complete the rest of the day is waiting for the sun to go down to film Whitley’s death for the film. In the mean time we waited for the make-up artists of 9 Cop Productions (Ondie Daniel and Ace Talkingwolf) to put Adams in his “death” make-up and prep for the death of Whitley’s character who wanders into Jason’s home and finds the Sheriff’s body just before he dies at the hands of Jason. It’s no secret that he’s going to die but it is the way in which he dies that will have every Jason fan screaming in their seats. McLellen has crafted many death sequences that will not only pay homage to the Friday the 13th franchise but will all leave fans with a big smile on their faces. This is a Friday film and the bloodier the better!
Today is just a very laid back final day of filming on The Man in the Lake. I say this because all principal actors on the film will be wrapped but we still have 2nd Unit scenes to film which don’t require any of the main cast members. This happens to be just a very relaxed day of filming because everyone is excited to be at the end of the production (even though it was only 7 days).
For me, it’s a totally different story as I will be on hand throughout the post-production process on the film and up to its Friday, August 13th premiere both online and on the big screen (as we plan on screening the film for cast & crew and anyone else who want to see the film). Once this film is complete I won’t have any time to rest as McLellen is prepping a sequel to his Halloween fan film Return of the Sandman which is tentatively called Revenge of the Sandman.
For more info on the Southlan-Films production THE MAN IN THE LAKE you can follow the production on Facebook here - http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=592735751#!/pages/MAN-IN-THE-LAKE-Official-Fan-Page/278862841916?ref=ts
Showing posts with label Ron McLellen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ron McLellen. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
MAN IN THE LAKE - Production Diary Day 5
DAY 5:
This is the second day of on-location filming at the camp grounds of which the majority of the Southlan-Films Friday the 13th fan film The Man in the Lake will take place. I was unable to be there for the first day on filming due to my obligations at my 9-to-5 job but this is just as well as the production was rained out for most of the day and only a little was actually filmed (a minor setback that will require an additional day at the camp grounds which we had not originally scheduled).
Today is a tough day as we try and squeeze in a lot of scenes that we didn’t get filmed last night. All the day scenes need to be filmed in addition to many of the night scenes and all of the “kill scenes” of the entire cast (with the exception of the death of actor Chris Whitley which is scheduled at a different location). On tap to do the Special FX make-up for the film is 9 Cop Productions (on set today are chief make-up artists Ondie Daniel and Ace Talkingwolf) which will have their hands filled killing 3 people (when it’s a major achievement just to kill one person per day on the set of a horror film). In addition to the 3 deaths scenes that have to be orchestrated we also need to film the climax of the film which requires is reminiscent to that of the ending of the original Friday the 13th. Although the running time of the film is not expected to be longer than 45 minutes, it is very ambitious as per the request of writer/director Ron McLellen.
The film is trying to make its release date of Friday, August 13 of this year. This seems like an impossible tasks but the production is filled with a talented cast and crew that work very hard to accomplish the impossible task of filming a lot of pages today despite the on-location problems. It does continue to rain today but not enough to cripple the production like the previous day and everyone works hard to finish filming all of the days pages and scenes.
Our make-up department also goes above and beyond the call of duty as they push themselves to complete 3 major kill scenes in the film. We’ve lucked out that there are so many people out there who love and respect the Friday the 13th franchise that they are willing to come out and help on this production for free simply to work on the film for no pay. It’s important to remember that fan films are produced by people who love and respect the film/franchise for whom their production is based. These films are produced simply for the fun of it and for all the fans out there.
My job on this production has primarily been as still photographer and as the “background” producer allowing McLellen the freedom to produce the film that he wants to without and hang-ups or problems. This has been made easier from a cast and crew who are simply doing this film for the fun of it and not for a paycheck (although regardless of the fact that this is a fan film it would be nice to pay the cast and crew).
Everything does in fact go on as planned for today’s production even though we were filming into the wee hours of the next morning. We encountered a few problems in regards to policies at the camp grounds that we filming but despite this the filming was complete and we do, in fact, plan on returning for another day of filming to finish everything else that still needs to be filmed.
For more info on the Southlan-Films production THE MAN IN THE LAKE you can follow the production on Facebook here - http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=592735751#!/pages/MAN-IN-THE-LAKE-Official-Fan-Page/278862841916?ref=ts
This is the second day of on-location filming at the camp grounds of which the majority of the Southlan-Films Friday the 13th fan film The Man in the Lake will take place. I was unable to be there for the first day on filming due to my obligations at my 9-to-5 job but this is just as well as the production was rained out for most of the day and only a little was actually filmed (a minor setback that will require an additional day at the camp grounds which we had not originally scheduled).
Today is a tough day as we try and squeeze in a lot of scenes that we didn’t get filmed last night. All the day scenes need to be filmed in addition to many of the night scenes and all of the “kill scenes” of the entire cast (with the exception of the death of actor Chris Whitley which is scheduled at a different location). On tap to do the Special FX make-up for the film is 9 Cop Productions (on set today are chief make-up artists Ondie Daniel and Ace Talkingwolf) which will have their hands filled killing 3 people (when it’s a major achievement just to kill one person per day on the set of a horror film). In addition to the 3 deaths scenes that have to be orchestrated we also need to film the climax of the film which requires is reminiscent to that of the ending of the original Friday the 13th. Although the running time of the film is not expected to be longer than 45 minutes, it is very ambitious as per the request of writer/director Ron McLellen.
The film is trying to make its release date of Friday, August 13 of this year. This seems like an impossible tasks but the production is filled with a talented cast and crew that work very hard to accomplish the impossible task of filming a lot of pages today despite the on-location problems. It does continue to rain today but not enough to cripple the production like the previous day and everyone works hard to finish filming all of the days pages and scenes.
Our make-up department also goes above and beyond the call of duty as they push themselves to complete 3 major kill scenes in the film. We’ve lucked out that there are so many people out there who love and respect the Friday the 13th franchise that they are willing to come out and help on this production for free simply to work on the film for no pay. It’s important to remember that fan films are produced by people who love and respect the film/franchise for whom their production is based. These films are produced simply for the fun of it and for all the fans out there.
My job on this production has primarily been as still photographer and as the “background” producer allowing McLellen the freedom to produce the film that he wants to without and hang-ups or problems. This has been made easier from a cast and crew who are simply doing this film for the fun of it and not for a paycheck (although regardless of the fact that this is a fan film it would be nice to pay the cast and crew).
Everything does in fact go on as planned for today’s production even though we were filming into the wee hours of the next morning. We encountered a few problems in regards to policies at the camp grounds that we filming but despite this the filming was complete and we do, in fact, plan on returning for another day of filming to finish everything else that still needs to be filmed.
For more info on the Southlan-Films production THE MAN IN THE LAKE you can follow the production on Facebook here - http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=592735751#!/pages/MAN-IN-THE-LAKE-Official-Fan-Page/278862841916?ref=ts
Saturday, May 29, 2010
MAN IN THE LAKE - Production Diary DAY 3
DAY 3: Monday, May 24, 2010
By the time we get to the third day of filming on the Southlan-Films production of the Friday the 13th fan film The Man in the Lake, writer/director Ron McLellen has already put together a preliminary edit of all the scenes thus far filmed. This is not unusual considering the amazing turnaround time we had when we filmed the Halloween fan film Return of the Sandman last year. It was interesting to be able to view these scenes prior to going out and filming scenes that linked to the scenes thus far filmed.
Today is planned to be a light day as we are going out to Roland Force’s property once again to film the scenes where the Sheriff (played by Jim Adams) encounters Ralph (Dave R. Watkins) on the side of the road and Jason Voorhees (this time played by Kyle Thrasher) drags Ralph into the woods and kills him. The scenes where the Sheriff chases after Voorhees and is himself killed were filmed on Day 1 but now we will be filming everything that leads up to his death. We are also scheduled to go back to the Pop Stop (from Day 2) and film the exterior filler scenes of Ralph riding away on his bicycle (which we didn’t have on the original day of filming). By the end of today we should have two whole sequences of the film done.
Adding Thrasher to the film is a big coup for the production. After having played the iconic Michael Myers in McLellen’s Return of the Sandman, Thrasher is even more adequately cast as Voorhees. There is a slight difference in body type between Thrasher and Nathan Standridge (who is also playing Voorhees). Standridge is taller but Thrasher has the bigger and more muscular body frame giving him the Voorhees look of Parts 6 & 7 of the original series. Despite two actors playing the role I doubt that the regular audience members will even be able to tell that the role was played by two separate people. For Thrasher, this role is also preparation for his return as Myers in the proposed sequel to Return of the Sandman tentatively called Revenge of the Sandman which will film later this year before McLellen takes a break from his fan film trilogy of terror.
The location of filming on the Force property should be familiar to fans of the Southlan-Films production Bad Land as we filmed on the same spots used in that film. It was a great bit of homage that made filming that much more fun. It was an extremely hot day and we were plagued by the presence of ants and various other insects but that didn’t stop us from having a good time killing Watkins’ character Ralph, in fact, killing him was more exciting than killing the Sheriff (shoot me, I like to see people die in a horror film).
Although today was a short shoot it was a very eventful one as should be on the set of a horror film. Now that some of the easier scenes are done we will be able to more on to the real “meat & potatoes” of the film, which is killing everyone else!
By the time we get to the third day of filming on the Southlan-Films production of the Friday the 13th fan film The Man in the Lake, writer/director Ron McLellen has already put together a preliminary edit of all the scenes thus far filmed. This is not unusual considering the amazing turnaround time we had when we filmed the Halloween fan film Return of the Sandman last year. It was interesting to be able to view these scenes prior to going out and filming scenes that linked to the scenes thus far filmed.
Today is planned to be a light day as we are going out to Roland Force’s property once again to film the scenes where the Sheriff (played by Jim Adams) encounters Ralph (Dave R. Watkins) on the side of the road and Jason Voorhees (this time played by Kyle Thrasher) drags Ralph into the woods and kills him. The scenes where the Sheriff chases after Voorhees and is himself killed were filmed on Day 1 but now we will be filming everything that leads up to his death. We are also scheduled to go back to the Pop Stop (from Day 2) and film the exterior filler scenes of Ralph riding away on his bicycle (which we didn’t have on the original day of filming). By the end of today we should have two whole sequences of the film done.
Adding Thrasher to the film is a big coup for the production. After having played the iconic Michael Myers in McLellen’s Return of the Sandman, Thrasher is even more adequately cast as Voorhees. There is a slight difference in body type between Thrasher and Nathan Standridge (who is also playing Voorhees). Standridge is taller but Thrasher has the bigger and more muscular body frame giving him the Voorhees look of Parts 6 & 7 of the original series. Despite two actors playing the role I doubt that the regular audience members will even be able to tell that the role was played by two separate people. For Thrasher, this role is also preparation for his return as Myers in the proposed sequel to Return of the Sandman tentatively called Revenge of the Sandman which will film later this year before McLellen takes a break from his fan film trilogy of terror.
The location of filming on the Force property should be familiar to fans of the Southlan-Films production Bad Land as we filmed on the same spots used in that film. It was a great bit of homage that made filming that much more fun. It was an extremely hot day and we were plagued by the presence of ants and various other insects but that didn’t stop us from having a good time killing Watkins’ character Ralph, in fact, killing him was more exciting than killing the Sheriff (shoot me, I like to see people die in a horror film).
Although today was a short shoot it was a very eventful one as should be on the set of a horror film. Now that some of the easier scenes are done we will be able to more on to the real “meat & potatoes” of the film, which is killing everyone else!
MAN IN THE LAKE - Production Diary DAY 2
DAY 2: Tuesday, May 18, 2010
The second day of filming on the Southlan-Films production of the Friday the 13th fan-film The Man In The Lake is also the first day that the whole cast will get together for the very first time. Unlike most writer/director Ron McLellen’s previous films, there was no script read-through with the cast, so, today is the first day that McLellen has even met some of his cast members. I cast several of the actors on this film having worked with them on previous films but during the course of time between the first draft of the screenplay (which I wrote) and the final shooting draft (which McLellen wrote) there were a lot of cast changes and a lot of roles that were cut from the final shooting script. Although I am not 100% satisfied with the final shooting script, I was well aware of many of the changes that would eventually happen due to the fact that I wrote and over ambitious film that probably would’ve been more a feature and less a short film like what the director wanted. I also wrote my script with no regards to budget or limitations, which is a big factor when you’re doing a film in which you will never recoup any costs, so, I’m not surprised of the changes to my original script.
I also was writing the script based on what I would want to see in a Friday the 13th film mixed with the fact that I was bridging my script with McLellen’s previous film Return of the Sandman creating what would ultimately end in a “what if?” Jason fought Michael Myers type film. Over ambitious is probably putting it mildly.
The scenes we are filming today introduce all the characters as they stop at a gas station to fill up on supplies prior to going to the camp grounds. In the scenes are the actors – Lynn McArthur, Cesar Aguirre, JM Finnel, Andrew McClure, Chris Whitley, Jim Adams, Dave R. Watkins, Josephine B. Lawson, and several extras. We had the luck of finding a location perfect for the film. It was an old “Pop Shop” that had the look of having been built in the ‘50s and was still operational. McLellen found this location due to the fact that he knew the owners and they were very accommodating to the film’s needs. This location is rich with character and even though the scene, as written in the script, is only a few minutes long I wished that we could have spent more time at the excellent location to really use it in the film.
I’m really glad I was able to get McClure and Finnel on board this film as they had such great chemistry in the Blank Stage production No Experience Necessary, which is where I first met both of them. Today was the first time that either had ever met the director McLellen so I was a little nervous on how the day would play out. All the other actors in the production McLellen had already worked with before so I knew they would be fine with McLellen’s filmmaking style, whereas McLellen’s style is very different than director Brent (No Experience Necessary) Brooks mainly because McLellen edits his own films and therefore only films the shots he’ll need to make the film look good. McLellen is very lax with clap boards and shooting “masters” and frequently shoots handheld to put the audience directly in the action of the film. Although there were a few shots done handheld a lot of what was filmed was done of the dolly because McLellen is using this scene as the intro to all the characters of the film and is building up to the impending chaos of the film later to come. All the actors did a wonderful job and elevate the film above the typical “teenagers in the woods” horror film (although that is still the type of film that this is).
Today is great for me as I get to see all the actors together and to get a cast & crew photo (the first one of hopefully many) which is something we’ve so rarely been able to do on a Southlan-Films production. Today just went 100% according to plan not to mention that we actually finished filming early despite having to endure noise problems when we shifted production to the exterior scenes of the location (something you just have to get used to on a low budget production).
The second day of filming on the Southlan-Films production of the Friday the 13th fan-film The Man In The Lake is also the first day that the whole cast will get together for the very first time. Unlike most writer/director Ron McLellen’s previous films, there was no script read-through with the cast, so, today is the first day that McLellen has even met some of his cast members. I cast several of the actors on this film having worked with them on previous films but during the course of time between the first draft of the screenplay (which I wrote) and the final shooting draft (which McLellen wrote) there were a lot of cast changes and a lot of roles that were cut from the final shooting script. Although I am not 100% satisfied with the final shooting script, I was well aware of many of the changes that would eventually happen due to the fact that I wrote and over ambitious film that probably would’ve been more a feature and less a short film like what the director wanted. I also wrote my script with no regards to budget or limitations, which is a big factor when you’re doing a film in which you will never recoup any costs, so, I’m not surprised of the changes to my original script.
I also was writing the script based on what I would want to see in a Friday the 13th film mixed with the fact that I was bridging my script with McLellen’s previous film Return of the Sandman creating what would ultimately end in a “what if?” Jason fought Michael Myers type film. Over ambitious is probably putting it mildly.
The scenes we are filming today introduce all the characters as they stop at a gas station to fill up on supplies prior to going to the camp grounds. In the scenes are the actors – Lynn McArthur, Cesar Aguirre, JM Finnel, Andrew McClure, Chris Whitley, Jim Adams, Dave R. Watkins, Josephine B. Lawson, and several extras. We had the luck of finding a location perfect for the film. It was an old “Pop Shop” that had the look of having been built in the ‘50s and was still operational. McLellen found this location due to the fact that he knew the owners and they were very accommodating to the film’s needs. This location is rich with character and even though the scene, as written in the script, is only a few minutes long I wished that we could have spent more time at the excellent location to really use it in the film.
I’m really glad I was able to get McClure and Finnel on board this film as they had such great chemistry in the Blank Stage production No Experience Necessary, which is where I first met both of them. Today was the first time that either had ever met the director McLellen so I was a little nervous on how the day would play out. All the other actors in the production McLellen had already worked with before so I knew they would be fine with McLellen’s filmmaking style, whereas McLellen’s style is very different than director Brent (No Experience Necessary) Brooks mainly because McLellen edits his own films and therefore only films the shots he’ll need to make the film look good. McLellen is very lax with clap boards and shooting “masters” and frequently shoots handheld to put the audience directly in the action of the film. Although there were a few shots done handheld a lot of what was filmed was done of the dolly because McLellen is using this scene as the intro to all the characters of the film and is building up to the impending chaos of the film later to come. All the actors did a wonderful job and elevate the film above the typical “teenagers in the woods” horror film (although that is still the type of film that this is).
Today is great for me as I get to see all the actors together and to get a cast & crew photo (the first one of hopefully many) which is something we’ve so rarely been able to do on a Southlan-Films production. Today just went 100% according to plan not to mention that we actually finished filming early despite having to endure noise problems when we shifted production to the exterior scenes of the location (something you just have to get used to on a low budget production).
MAN IN THE LAKE - Production Diary DAY 1
DAY 1: Saturday, May 15, 2010
Discounting all the preproduction work, the teaser trailer, and the pre-visual photos, today is the first day of filming on the Southlan-Films production of the Friday the 13th fan-film The Man In The Lake. The original story is by Ron McLellen and me with the final screenplay by McLellen, who is also producing and directing, among other jobs. The film is designed to be a short film the same as McLellen’s previous fan-film Return of the Sandman (based on Halloween) and the shooting schedule is only suppose to be just south of ten days.
The first day of filming McLellen decided to start things off right by killing one of our main actors. Of the actors on set today are Jim Adams (as the Sheriff) and Nathan Standridge (as Jason, although two people will play the iconic character throughout the film because of scheduling). The Sheriff is in much of the beginning of the film but it’s always good to start production on a horror film right by killing someone. Adams is in good spirits as today’s scenes require him to run through the woods, a lot, before being dispatched by a train spike through the head by Jason. It’s as good a way to go as any in a Friday the 13th movie.
We are once again filming at the home of Roland Force, an actor frequent in McLellen’s films (Jack O’Lantern, Hell’s End, Bad Land, Return of the Sandman) but his home has also been used in many of McLellen’s films including Bad Land, Jack O’Lantern, Return of the Sandman, and now this film. Force’s land is so vast that we could probably never see any of the same spots in any of McLellen’s films no matter how many times we return.
We are light on crew today as this first day of filming was meant to be fairly easy on all of us not to mention the production itself. In addition to McLellen and me, Eric Forest Burton is also on hand. He came aboard on the Southlan-Films team during the production of Return of the Sandman (not only as crew but as an actor as well) and returns on this film as well. On this production I am the production manager and still photographer (and generally anything else that needs to be done).
One of the reasons why we are keeping cast and crew down to a minimum is the fact that this is a “fan-film” which means we can never sale, distribute, or otherwise make a single penny on the production because the characters and rights all belong to someone (or some company) else. It would be against the law for us to ever make a dime off this production. We are making this film simply because McLellen has a need to produce this film not only for him but for all the other Friday the 13th film fans out there. It is also a good way to advertise the talents of all the people involved as well as meet other people who are enthusiastic about the same subject matter.
I’m not a Friday the 13th film fan. In fact, I don’t really care for many of them but I do understand why the franchise has so many devoted fans. I’m a huge fan of the original Night of the Living Dead (1968) and I have a huge collection of related memorabilia. The same can be said of McLellen and several of the people involved in this production. My number one reason for doing this film is because there is such a huge following for this franchise that doing a film based on it just seemed like a lot of fun and 80% of why I do low budget (or no budget as this film suggests) is because it’s a whole lot of fun.
That’s what this first day of filming was like – a whole lot of fun and it wasn’t just me that had a lot of fun it was everyone from Burton to Adams to Standridge and most of all from McLellen who was like a kid in a candy shop and wouldn’t you be if you got to kill off someone on the first day of filming? Every film production should be so lucky as to have as productive a first day as this day was.
Discounting all the preproduction work, the teaser trailer, and the pre-visual photos, today is the first day of filming on the Southlan-Films production of the Friday the 13th fan-film The Man In The Lake. The original story is by Ron McLellen and me with the final screenplay by McLellen, who is also producing and directing, among other jobs. The film is designed to be a short film the same as McLellen’s previous fan-film Return of the Sandman (based on Halloween) and the shooting schedule is only suppose to be just south of ten days.
The first day of filming McLellen decided to start things off right by killing one of our main actors. Of the actors on set today are Jim Adams (as the Sheriff) and Nathan Standridge (as Jason, although two people will play the iconic character throughout the film because of scheduling). The Sheriff is in much of the beginning of the film but it’s always good to start production on a horror film right by killing someone. Adams is in good spirits as today’s scenes require him to run through the woods, a lot, before being dispatched by a train spike through the head by Jason. It’s as good a way to go as any in a Friday the 13th movie.
We are once again filming at the home of Roland Force, an actor frequent in McLellen’s films (Jack O’Lantern, Hell’s End, Bad Land, Return of the Sandman) but his home has also been used in many of McLellen’s films including Bad Land, Jack O’Lantern, Return of the Sandman, and now this film. Force’s land is so vast that we could probably never see any of the same spots in any of McLellen’s films no matter how many times we return.
We are light on crew today as this first day of filming was meant to be fairly easy on all of us not to mention the production itself. In addition to McLellen and me, Eric Forest Burton is also on hand. He came aboard on the Southlan-Films team during the production of Return of the Sandman (not only as crew but as an actor as well) and returns on this film as well. On this production I am the production manager and still photographer (and generally anything else that needs to be done).
One of the reasons why we are keeping cast and crew down to a minimum is the fact that this is a “fan-film” which means we can never sale, distribute, or otherwise make a single penny on the production because the characters and rights all belong to someone (or some company) else. It would be against the law for us to ever make a dime off this production. We are making this film simply because McLellen has a need to produce this film not only for him but for all the other Friday the 13th film fans out there. It is also a good way to advertise the talents of all the people involved as well as meet other people who are enthusiastic about the same subject matter.
I’m not a Friday the 13th film fan. In fact, I don’t really care for many of them but I do understand why the franchise has so many devoted fans. I’m a huge fan of the original Night of the Living Dead (1968) and I have a huge collection of related memorabilia. The same can be said of McLellen and several of the people involved in this production. My number one reason for doing this film is because there is such a huge following for this franchise that doing a film based on it just seemed like a lot of fun and 80% of why I do low budget (or no budget as this film suggests) is because it’s a whole lot of fun.
That’s what this first day of filming was like – a whole lot of fun and it wasn’t just me that had a lot of fun it was everyone from Burton to Adams to Standridge and most of all from McLellen who was like a kid in a candy shop and wouldn’t you be if you got to kill off someone on the first day of filming? Every film production should be so lucky as to have as productive a first day as this day was.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
5 Elements to Look For in an Actor When Casting Your Independent Film
Producing an independent film is hard and nothing is harder or more important than the casting process. Although I’ve hired a casting agency and/or casting director for about 80% of my films, I’ve always casted all of my productions based on my own instinct and criteria despite listening to the advice of my casting director.
Having participated in the process of casting on several productions I’ve devised a list of elements that I look for in a potential actor for any of my productions. Although there are multiple elements that any actor can do to sway my favor in their direction, these are the five basic elements that I use to cast each of my individual actors. These elements are imperative to casting an independent film production but can be used to cast any type of film at any budget.
ELEMENT #1: “Check their resume and previous experience.”
One of the first things an actor will hand you (or your casting director) will be their head shot and resume, which will list all of the actor’s previous experience, training, and productions (be it film, theatre, professional, community, print, or commercial, etc.). This will help you decide if the actor has the training and prior experience to take on the role that they are auditioning for. It will also contain contact info for other production companies and agents so that you can contact references for the actor.
A thorough resume can be the deciding factor between two potential actors that are equally qualified in all other areas.
ELEMENT #2: “The cold reading verses the monologue.”
The audition is the number one way in which actors are cast not only in films but theatre, video, corporate, and commercial productions. There are two types of ways to audition – the cold reading (in which actors are given sides of scenes from the production on the day of the audition with little or no time to prepare) and the monologue (which is a prepared scene reading from the actor’s own choice of material). More often than not actors will be given sides for a cold reading but I prefer to see and hear an actor perform their own monologue. Cold readings have their benefits. From a cold reading I can tell if an actor can take direction from a director, whether they will be able to incorporate changes in the script on the day of filming, and will they be able to improv at a moment’s notice, among other things.
From a prepared monologue I can tell whether or not the actor will come prepared to set with lines memorized, whether or not they will bring passion to the role, and whether or not they will be an actor who uses their body and movement to help tell a compelling story, among other things. These are the criteria I look for in an actor while casting a film.
For my feature House of Secrets (produced by BLH Films) I cast one of my leads – Chris Whitley (Paperboys) based on his monologue. He gave a great cold reading but so did three other actors but it was his monologue (which the others did not have) that broke the three way tie. In fact, I ended up calling him that evening and telling him the part was his.
ELEMENT #3: “An actor must be able to improve.”
Because the screenplay is only seen and viewed as a “blueprint” for the final film product, actors must be able to incorporate changes while on location filming and sometimes even in the post-production process. Being trained in the art of improvisation is not something to take lightly. It is one of the many skills that an actor uses to not only help them find and create their character but to also interact and react to other actors. It is used to perfection in sketch comedy (i.e. Monty Python and Saturday Night Live) but is also an invaluable tool when changes are made to the screenplay on set during filming. Actors who posses this skill are more likely to be able to incorporate these types of changes without too many problems.
Director Ron McLellen (Jack O’Lantern) is very prone to script changes when on set and is someone who uses improv all the time to make scenes “pop” off the page. On the set of his Evil in the Flesh, McLellen was forced to improv much of the climax of the film when the lead actress injured herself (thankfully, not while filming or on set) and was unable to do many of the stunts originally required of her. The focus of the end of the film shifted from the lead actress to another actor and all the actors had to have the ability to improv the new changes to the film. Luckily, the two actors whom the changes affected the most had training in improv and/or performed with an improv troop. Because the director knew he might improv during filming these actors were given a leg up when we cast them and it ended up working for the production in the end.
ELEMENT #4: “Be aware of scheduling conflicts.”
One of the biggest problems I’ve encountered on an independent film production is the conflicts that are faced with the production schedule in terms of actors’ availability. Many of the films I’ve worked on have had their production schedule stretched two, three, or five weeks due to actor unavailability (I’ve even been on some where filming stretched more than a year). It is imperative that the shooting/production schedule be set prior to auditions and that all potential cast members are well aware of when filming will be. The last thing any producer wants to do is retrofit a new shooting schedule due to the conflicts of multiple cast members. Many future problems can be avoided if this is first addressed at the start of the production.
Production on the indie feature Out of Season (of which I star in and do cinematography) had to be postponed for six months due to the lead actress’ schedule. We were several days into filming when he encountered actor conflicts with the schedule. Principal photography was halted but ultimately when production began again the actress was replaced and everything that had already been filmed had to be scrapped. This is one situation that could have been avoided if production had gotten the actress’ conflicts prior to filming.
ELEMENT #5: “The actor should have enthusiasm.”
This is the hardest criteria to judge because most actors when auditioning for a role do not have the luxury of having read the entire screenplay prior to the audition. On most occasions the actor has only read the synopsis of the screenplay and/or a few sides of the screenplay, in addition to possibly a character breakdown of the role(s) they are auditioning for.
You won’t know from an audition whether or not an actor will love your screenplay or character, but what you will know is whether or not an actor is enthusiastic about their craft and the possibility of getting a role in your film. If you can find an actor who is enthusiastic just from reading a synopsis and sides of your screenplay then that’s half the battle.
In reference to House of Secrets, again, actor Whitley (who performed the monologue) was so enthusiastic during both his cold reading and the monologue that I immediately took notice. He was an actor that I was not familiar with prior to his casting and he had twice more energy than any of the other actors that came in to read. The same can be said for actress Alicia Schulz (another actor I was not familiar with prior to casting) who exhibited so much more enthusiasm than any of the other actors that came in that she was immediately put at the top of my list (and who eventually was rewarded with the role).
There are a lot of criteria that must be taken into consideration when casting for a film and none of it should be taken lightly because the people you cast will be with you throughout production of the film (and if you’re lucky on subsequent films as well), so, remember to never take the casting process lightly and always consider the suggestions and recommendations of not only the casting directors and agencies as well as producers, writers, directors, and all other important personnel in order to craft a final product that everyone involved can be proud of.
Having participated in the process of casting on several productions I’ve devised a list of elements that I look for in a potential actor for any of my productions. Although there are multiple elements that any actor can do to sway my favor in their direction, these are the five basic elements that I use to cast each of my individual actors. These elements are imperative to casting an independent film production but can be used to cast any type of film at any budget.
ELEMENT #1: “Check their resume and previous experience.”
One of the first things an actor will hand you (or your casting director) will be their head shot and resume, which will list all of the actor’s previous experience, training, and productions (be it film, theatre, professional, community, print, or commercial, etc.). This will help you decide if the actor has the training and prior experience to take on the role that they are auditioning for. It will also contain contact info for other production companies and agents so that you can contact references for the actor.
A thorough resume can be the deciding factor between two potential actors that are equally qualified in all other areas.
ELEMENT #2: “The cold reading verses the monologue.”
The audition is the number one way in which actors are cast not only in films but theatre, video, corporate, and commercial productions. There are two types of ways to audition – the cold reading (in which actors are given sides of scenes from the production on the day of the audition with little or no time to prepare) and the monologue (which is a prepared scene reading from the actor’s own choice of material). More often than not actors will be given sides for a cold reading but I prefer to see and hear an actor perform their own monologue. Cold readings have their benefits. From a cold reading I can tell if an actor can take direction from a director, whether they will be able to incorporate changes in the script on the day of filming, and will they be able to improv at a moment’s notice, among other things.
From a prepared monologue I can tell whether or not the actor will come prepared to set with lines memorized, whether or not they will bring passion to the role, and whether or not they will be an actor who uses their body and movement to help tell a compelling story, among other things. These are the criteria I look for in an actor while casting a film.
For my feature House of Secrets (produced by BLH Films) I cast one of my leads – Chris Whitley (Paperboys) based on his monologue. He gave a great cold reading but so did three other actors but it was his monologue (which the others did not have) that broke the three way tie. In fact, I ended up calling him that evening and telling him the part was his.
ELEMENT #3: “An actor must be able to improve.”
Because the screenplay is only seen and viewed as a “blueprint” for the final film product, actors must be able to incorporate changes while on location filming and sometimes even in the post-production process. Being trained in the art of improvisation is not something to take lightly. It is one of the many skills that an actor uses to not only help them find and create their character but to also interact and react to other actors. It is used to perfection in sketch comedy (i.e. Monty Python and Saturday Night Live) but is also an invaluable tool when changes are made to the screenplay on set during filming. Actors who posses this skill are more likely to be able to incorporate these types of changes without too many problems.
Director Ron McLellen (Jack O’Lantern) is very prone to script changes when on set and is someone who uses improv all the time to make scenes “pop” off the page. On the set of his Evil in the Flesh, McLellen was forced to improv much of the climax of the film when the lead actress injured herself (thankfully, not while filming or on set) and was unable to do many of the stunts originally required of her. The focus of the end of the film shifted from the lead actress to another actor and all the actors had to have the ability to improv the new changes to the film. Luckily, the two actors whom the changes affected the most had training in improv and/or performed with an improv troop. Because the director knew he might improv during filming these actors were given a leg up when we cast them and it ended up working for the production in the end.
ELEMENT #4: “Be aware of scheduling conflicts.”
One of the biggest problems I’ve encountered on an independent film production is the conflicts that are faced with the production schedule in terms of actors’ availability. Many of the films I’ve worked on have had their production schedule stretched two, three, or five weeks due to actor unavailability (I’ve even been on some where filming stretched more than a year). It is imperative that the shooting/production schedule be set prior to auditions and that all potential cast members are well aware of when filming will be. The last thing any producer wants to do is retrofit a new shooting schedule due to the conflicts of multiple cast members. Many future problems can be avoided if this is first addressed at the start of the production.
Production on the indie feature Out of Season (of which I star in and do cinematography) had to be postponed for six months due to the lead actress’ schedule. We were several days into filming when he encountered actor conflicts with the schedule. Principal photography was halted but ultimately when production began again the actress was replaced and everything that had already been filmed had to be scrapped. This is one situation that could have been avoided if production had gotten the actress’ conflicts prior to filming.
ELEMENT #5: “The actor should have enthusiasm.”
This is the hardest criteria to judge because most actors when auditioning for a role do not have the luxury of having read the entire screenplay prior to the audition. On most occasions the actor has only read the synopsis of the screenplay and/or a few sides of the screenplay, in addition to possibly a character breakdown of the role(s) they are auditioning for.
You won’t know from an audition whether or not an actor will love your screenplay or character, but what you will know is whether or not an actor is enthusiastic about their craft and the possibility of getting a role in your film. If you can find an actor who is enthusiastic just from reading a synopsis and sides of your screenplay then that’s half the battle.
In reference to House of Secrets, again, actor Whitley (who performed the monologue) was so enthusiastic during both his cold reading and the monologue that I immediately took notice. He was an actor that I was not familiar with prior to his casting and he had twice more energy than any of the other actors that came in to read. The same can be said for actress Alicia Schulz (another actor I was not familiar with prior to casting) who exhibited so much more enthusiasm than any of the other actors that came in that she was immediately put at the top of my list (and who eventually was rewarded with the role).
There are a lot of criteria that must be taken into consideration when casting for a film and none of it should be taken lightly because the people you cast will be with you throughout production of the film (and if you’re lucky on subsequent films as well), so, remember to never take the casting process lightly and always consider the suggestions and recommendations of not only the casting directors and agencies as well as producers, writers, directors, and all other important personnel in order to craft a final product that everyone involved can be proud of.
Friday, January 8, 2010
FRIDAY THE 13TH Fan-Film A Go!
After the success of the fan film HALLOWEEN: RETURN OF THE SANDMAN, director Ron McLellen and Southlan-Films are gearing up to take on Jason Voorhees in an all new fan film based on the FRIDAY THE 13TH franchise. Over the last week McLellen and company have been filming parts of a teaser trailer that are currently on You Tube at - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HX3Nh2Hd98Y
I am working on the film as production manager but I will also have a larger role in the film as an actor than my character in the previous film. It should be a blast and I'll keep you informed about the film as details are made available.
I am working on the film as production manager but I will also have a larger role in the film as an actor than my character in the previous film. It should be a blast and I'll keep you informed about the film as details are made available.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
HALLOWEEN Phan-Film A Sucess!
Last Halloween's Premiere of the Southlan-Film's phan-film HALLOWEEN: RETURN OF THE SANDMAN was a tremendous success. It first had a premiere screening on October 20th at the Gwinnett Center where it was greeted with an enthusiastic audience before having it's World Premiere online at You Tube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JF5GH1Q3F9s in which it was separated into 7 parts (or 73 minutes). The featurette has gotten great reviews from fans which is whom the film was made for.
Writer/producer/director Ron McLellen was at had at the Gwinnett screening (as was most of the cast & crew of the film) to support the film and to see it on the big screen with an audience. Although McLellen plans to do more phan-films in the future only time will tell if he does a sequel to this one.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
DIARY OF A FILMMAKER - Episode 1006 Now Online!
The latest episode in my DIARY OF A FILMMAKER series Episode 1006 was just uploaded to You Tube and to my Facebook yesterday. Episode 1006 is the third Part of the series of episodes documenting the behind the scenes production of the Southlan-Films production of the HALLOWEEN phan-film RETURN OF THE SANDMAN which will have its World Premiere this Monday, October 26th at the Gwinnett Convention Center at 8:00pm.
There is at least one more episode for the this sequence before I head back to other film productions but it was fun while it latest.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
A FILM IN 48 HOURS: The Making of TURN THE OTHER CHEEK Part 4
7/01/09
The screening of all the films produced during the 2009 48 Hour Film Competition will began on Tuesday and continue until Thursday. There are six sections of screenings of which the Interstate Film production of Turn The Other Cheek will be part of Group C, which will screen at 7:00 pm tonight along with eleven other films. The trick is that each section is given a specific criteria to follow in order to qualify for the competition (these criteria being the specific prop, character, and phrase that had to be in all the films of each section).
The screening will all be at Landmark Midtown Art Cinema in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. This venue is a friend to independent cinema as it specializes in limited release domestic and foreign films not to mention being a sponsor of the Atlanta Film Festival (which also so happens to be a sponsor of this event). The venue is a great place to showcase these indie films to a larger audience.
Many, if not all, the cast and crew will be seeing the film for the very first time on this night so it is a big deal to us all. Although producer Gary Hamrick, Jr. is lamentably nervous about the whole affair having been on call for the entire process of the film (and lets not forget the other producer Ondie Daniel) because he was originally set to direct the film before relinquishing the role to Jim Adams.
We have an amazing turnout for the film that included (but is not limited to) actors Liz Martin, James Robert Jarrett, Luisa Casas (who also co-edited), Daniel, Corey Chalef, and Robert Sattler, to name a few. Members of our crew also made an appearance from Asa Rose (key grip), Emilie Peters (script supervisor), Christine Cuff (production assistant), and Michael Bailey (head writer), to name a few. It is a grand event as filmmakers from all the films screening show up to support their films as well as the event itself and fun is to be had all around as people cheered and awed at the amazing lineup of films on display.
This being my first 48 Hour Film Competition I just take it all in. It will be the first film I’ve been a part of that screened on a big screen (I don’t count JACK O’LANTERN since I never saw it on the big screen when it was screened). It is a great sense of accomplishment to see a completed film on the screen and that everyone enjoys the experience because regardless of the quality of the film it is one of the most nerve racking and exhilarating experiences that I have ever had (other then shooting my own film House of Secrets that is).
There is no describing the feeling one gets when you are able to see a finished film on the big screen and that people other then your own cast and crew are enjoying it. It is one of the greatest feelings that any filmmaker can have sinse deep down inside we all want someone to enjoy the films that we produce. I don’t know about other filmmakers but I like to think that I don’t do films just for me but that I hope others will enjoy them as well (no matter how messed up and unusual they are).
I have mixed feelings about the film itself but that’s because I have mixed feelings about everything I work on. I’ve never once had a great reaction to anything I’ve ever worked on and knowing that this is only a rough version and that director Jim Adams intends to film an expanded version of the film only solidifies my insecurities about the film since he wants to make the story better by working on the characters more. There is only so much you can do with a story that’s less then seven minutes long and in which we were given particular things to put in the film, but whatever…the festival version of the film is its own entity that will be separate from the expanded version just like the competition version of Ron McLellen’s Night of the Hungry Dead is vastly different from the final Director’s Cut, which was expanded post it’s festival version.
All in all I think the cast & crew of Interstate Films did a good job putting together Turn The Other Cheek and even though it may not be the strongest film that any of us have produced it is one of the most fun and I can’t wait for the opportunity to work with the cast & crew again.
Working on the 48 Hour Film Competition is a unique opportunity for me to work with other filmmakers and expand my skills as a filmmaker and I hope that I get the chance to repeat it next year.
THE END.
The screening of all the films produced during the 2009 48 Hour Film Competition will began on Tuesday and continue until Thursday. There are six sections of screenings of which the Interstate Film production of Turn The Other Cheek will be part of Group C, which will screen at 7:00 pm tonight along with eleven other films. The trick is that each section is given a specific criteria to follow in order to qualify for the competition (these criteria being the specific prop, character, and phrase that had to be in all the films of each section).
The screening will all be at Landmark Midtown Art Cinema in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. This venue is a friend to independent cinema as it specializes in limited release domestic and foreign films not to mention being a sponsor of the Atlanta Film Festival (which also so happens to be a sponsor of this event). The venue is a great place to showcase these indie films to a larger audience.
Many, if not all, the cast and crew will be seeing the film for the very first time on this night so it is a big deal to us all. Although producer Gary Hamrick, Jr. is lamentably nervous about the whole affair having been on call for the entire process of the film (and lets not forget the other producer Ondie Daniel) because he was originally set to direct the film before relinquishing the role to Jim Adams.
We have an amazing turnout for the film that included (but is not limited to) actors Liz Martin, James Robert Jarrett, Luisa Casas (who also co-edited), Daniel, Corey Chalef, and Robert Sattler, to name a few. Members of our crew also made an appearance from Asa Rose (key grip), Emilie Peters (script supervisor), Christine Cuff (production assistant), and Michael Bailey (head writer), to name a few. It is a grand event as filmmakers from all the films screening show up to support their films as well as the event itself and fun is to be had all around as people cheered and awed at the amazing lineup of films on display.
This being my first 48 Hour Film Competition I just take it all in. It will be the first film I’ve been a part of that screened on a big screen (I don’t count JACK O’LANTERN since I never saw it on the big screen when it was screened). It is a great sense of accomplishment to see a completed film on the screen and that everyone enjoys the experience because regardless of the quality of the film it is one of the most nerve racking and exhilarating experiences that I have ever had (other then shooting my own film House of Secrets that is).
There is no describing the feeling one gets when you are able to see a finished film on the big screen and that people other then your own cast and crew are enjoying it. It is one of the greatest feelings that any filmmaker can have sinse deep down inside we all want someone to enjoy the films that we produce. I don’t know about other filmmakers but I like to think that I don’t do films just for me but that I hope others will enjoy them as well (no matter how messed up and unusual they are).
I have mixed feelings about the film itself but that’s because I have mixed feelings about everything I work on. I’ve never once had a great reaction to anything I’ve ever worked on and knowing that this is only a rough version and that director Jim Adams intends to film an expanded version of the film only solidifies my insecurities about the film since he wants to make the story better by working on the characters more. There is only so much you can do with a story that’s less then seven minutes long and in which we were given particular things to put in the film, but whatever…the festival version of the film is its own entity that will be separate from the expanded version just like the competition version of Ron McLellen’s Night of the Hungry Dead is vastly different from the final Director’s Cut, which was expanded post it’s festival version.
All in all I think the cast & crew of Interstate Films did a good job putting together Turn The Other Cheek and even though it may not be the strongest film that any of us have produced it is one of the most fun and I can’t wait for the opportunity to work with the cast & crew again.
Working on the 48 Hour Film Competition is a unique opportunity for me to work with other filmmakers and expand my skills as a filmmaker and I hope that I get the chance to repeat it next year.
THE END.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
6/25/09 Finding a New Director
After Ron McLellen had to drop out of working with me on the vampire short "History of the Vampire" for the anthology film LAST CALL I scrambled to come up with another person to take his place. As luck would have it a friend of mine Bren Allison-Pettingill was interested in working with me again and the timing couldn't have been more perfect.
We spoke today discussing the script and any possible changes that she might want to the story and her ideas were all very valid. One of her key contributions is that she thought the two main characters of Jackaboc and William spend too much time sitting at the bar not doing much. She thinks that they should be doing something other then that which she suggested the action of playing darts. I agreed that this could be a possibility.
She also suggested that there be a stronger modivating factor for the William character to remain in the bar all the while paying little attention to the story that Jackaboc is trying to tell him. This was also another idea that I had no problem with implimenting into the script.
After we discussed all the possibilities she said she wanted to read over the script again with all these new ideas in her head before officially jumping on the board the project. If she does agree she will be a great asset to the film as she will definitely bring a different approach to the film then McLellen primarily because McLellen has done mostly horror films and she has done adventure, drama, and comedy so they are both coming from two different backgrounds.
This should all be very interesting.
We spoke today discussing the script and any possible changes that she might want to the story and her ideas were all very valid. One of her key contributions is that she thought the two main characters of Jackaboc and William spend too much time sitting at the bar not doing much. She thinks that they should be doing something other then that which she suggested the action of playing darts. I agreed that this could be a possibility.
She also suggested that there be a stronger modivating factor for the William character to remain in the bar all the while paying little attention to the story that Jackaboc is trying to tell him. This was also another idea that I had no problem with implimenting into the script.
After we discussed all the possibilities she said she wanted to read over the script again with all these new ideas in her head before officially jumping on the board the project. If she does agree she will be a great asset to the film as she will definitely bring a different approach to the film then McLellen primarily because McLellen has done mostly horror films and she has done adventure, drama, and comedy so they are both coming from two different backgrounds.
This should all be very interesting.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
6/20/09 Hiring a Director
After a long talk with director Ron McLellen it was decided that he should no longer direct my screenplay HISTORY OF THE VAMPIRES for the vampire anthology LAST CALL (which is Executive Produced by Ondie Daniel). He is currently heavy in post on his own film EVIL IN THE FLESH which was filmed last year and is heavy in CGI effects right now. He is also prepping production on a HALLOWEEN fan-film and these two obligations prompted him to step down from behind the camera on my project.
Instead I now find myself looking for a new director for the screenplay which will also be aproved by Daniel. My second choice is Bren Allison-Pettingill who directed the film 6 DEGREES OF DESPERATION last year (among having directed many other short films and documentaries). I sent her both the original screenplay and the McLellen approved version for her consideration.
The reason I did this is because I want to give her the oportunity to read the screenplay as originally developed before McLellen & I did rewrites. I prefer the original version although I was always up for changing details to suit the director. I want to give Allison-Pettingill the opportunity to give her own input into the production.
Right now the only characters cast are minor characters with the exception of the WIFE in which actress Amy Wolkis (whom I worked with on BAD LAND and EVIL IN THE FLESH) is attatched. Many of the minor characters and vampires will be played by actors from the haunted house attraction Netherworld. The artists of Netherworld are also providing make-up, stunts, and CGI, among other technical support, to the film.
If Allison-Pettingill decides that she is not interested then I will direct the film myself which was never out of the range of possibility. Either way I look forward to working on the film and with Daniel again since the last time we worked together she was the Casting director for my film HOUSE OF SECRETS (when it was known as SHIVER).
Instead I now find myself looking for a new director for the screenplay which will also be aproved by Daniel. My second choice is Bren Allison-Pettingill who directed the film 6 DEGREES OF DESPERATION last year (among having directed many other short films and documentaries). I sent her both the original screenplay and the McLellen approved version for her consideration.
The reason I did this is because I want to give her the oportunity to read the screenplay as originally developed before McLellen & I did rewrites. I prefer the original version although I was always up for changing details to suit the director. I want to give Allison-Pettingill the opportunity to give her own input into the production.
Right now the only characters cast are minor characters with the exception of the WIFE in which actress Amy Wolkis (whom I worked with on BAD LAND and EVIL IN THE FLESH) is attatched. Many of the minor characters and vampires will be played by actors from the haunted house attraction Netherworld. The artists of Netherworld are also providing make-up, stunts, and CGI, among other technical support, to the film.
If Allison-Pettingill decides that she is not interested then I will direct the film myself which was never out of the range of possibility. Either way I look forward to working on the film and with Daniel again since the last time we worked together she was the Casting director for my film HOUSE OF SECRETS (when it was known as SHIVER).
Sunday, June 7, 2009
06/05/09 The Reading of the Screenplay with Actors
Producer Ondie Daniel put together a tean of actors (both cast and not cast) for the reading of my screenplay HISTORY OF THE VAMPIRES in order to work out some of the problems (if any) with the script prior to casting later this month. It was interesting as I originally didn't think that the reading would be all that benificial since I had already did a re-write of the screenplay changes things to meet expectations of director Ron McLellen, who at the last minute could not make it to the reading for personal reasons.
The reading was actually beneficial in that the notes that cast & writers had helped me see the problems with the story when I changed some of the motivations of the main character WILLIAM. These were small things but nevertheless things that when I change them will make the screenplay stronger as a whole.
The meeting/reading was also good in that it gave me and Ondie our first real meeting together on the production and we actually came to some decisions about my production and the entire production as a whole. I was also able to get the title of the film - LAST CALL, and I got a look at the film's promo art work that will be on the tee-shirts (among other items).
Now I've got to contact actors and try to put together other production items to get this film on the move.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
05/31/09 Rewriting the Script
Emailed the director approved version of HISTORY OF THE VAMPIRE to producer Ondie Daniel and director Ron McLellen yesterday (in addition to actor Chris Whitley, more on that later). Par my conversation with McLellen it was decided that the main character in the screenplay WILLIAM should not know he is a vampire, which upon closer examination I agreed with, so I incorporated those ideas into the current version of the screenplay.
HISTORY OF THE VAMPIRE is just one story of five in the Daniel produced vampire anthology (title currently unknown) of which I contributed one of the stories and wanted McLellen to direct if I was not going to do so myself. I could have easily done the film myself but I want to see how someone else interprets my work so I'm being very hands off on the production of the film.
Another fact is that I do not particularly like vampire films as the majority of the ones I've seen (which is a substantial amount) are dull and uninteresting. I just think the monster itself is dull and uninteresting. But I came up with a story that put my love of horror films and the vampire mythos on its head (or at least I hope it does). I hope the story is both informative and funny at the same time even in the gore-soaked bloody parts at the end (which I had a oy in writing).
I hope the film comes off just 70% as originally intended because then I know I'm closer to writing the type of screenplay that any director can come in and adequately interpret which is my true goal with this endeavor.
We'll see how the re-writes are taken when Daniel and McLellen give me feedback.
HISTORY OF THE VAMPIRE is just one story of five in the Daniel produced vampire anthology (title currently unknown) of which I contributed one of the stories and wanted McLellen to direct if I was not going to do so myself. I could have easily done the film myself but I want to see how someone else interprets my work so I'm being very hands off on the production of the film.
Another fact is that I do not particularly like vampire films as the majority of the ones I've seen (which is a substantial amount) are dull and uninteresting. I just think the monster itself is dull and uninteresting. But I came up with a story that put my love of horror films and the vampire mythos on its head (or at least I hope it does). I hope the story is both informative and funny at the same time even in the gore-soaked bloody parts at the end (which I had a oy in writing).
I hope the film comes off just 70% as originally intended because then I know I'm closer to writing the type of screenplay that any director can come in and adequately interpret which is my true goal with this endeavor.
We'll see how the re-writes are taken when Daniel and McLellen give me feedback.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
05/06/09 - Reading the Script
Just finished reading writer/director Ron McLellen's short film script HALLOWEEN: NIGHT OF THE BOOGEYMAN which is meant to be a fan-film that he plans on filming this year. It is a short film that is part remake and part re-imagination of the original John Carpenter film.
Being a short film and a remake of the original film (and not the Rob Zombie remake) McLellen's script borrows a lot from the original film with only a few minor changes mostly in terms of names of characters but the plot is 100% Carpenter HALLOWEEN, which is not a good thing.
In this day and age there are virtually hundreds of HALLOWEEN fan-films out there and doing a remake of theoriginal is probably not the best way to go. Of the few HALLOWEEN fan-films I've seen most of them have either done sequels to various films in the franchise or created stand alone one-offs but none that I have seen have tried to remake the original (which point of fact is too straight forward and kind of bland which is why Zombie changed so much for his version). McLellen has done some very interesting short films in his past, most notable NIGHT OF THE HUNGRY DEAD (which gets mention in this fan-film), THE INN, FROM ABOVE, and DER SOLDAT, but this film is lacking in originality and...well, a sense of fun.
Most of the fan-films I've seen relish the opportunity to have fun with their favorite character being able to put them in situations that "Hollywood" never would but this sense of fun is completely void in McLellen's script and in fact comes off as dare I say - bland and emotionless. Now this may be exactly what he is going for as it is a remake of the Carpenter film and if that is the case then he has succeeded but that doesn't always make for a good fan-film.
Regardless, I've always trusted McLellen with his productions and for the most part they are sound, so, I'm not too worried when we actually start to film. I'm actually looking forward to the filming as this will be my first fan-film and McLellen is working on getting the Myers mask from HALLOWEEN: H20 as opposed to any of the other versions of the mask. I know that he'll change it around and augment it to fit his own perceptions of how Myers should look. I also happen to be in the running for a small role in the film which should be fun since I've had no roles in quite a long time (by choice since I'm too busy) and I thought that this film would be a good film to re-enter the field.
I'll have more as we get closer to filming the movie.
Being a short film and a remake of the original film (and not the Rob Zombie remake) McLellen's script borrows a lot from the original film with only a few minor changes mostly in terms of names of characters but the plot is 100% Carpenter HALLOWEEN, which is not a good thing.
In this day and age there are virtually hundreds of HALLOWEEN fan-films out there and doing a remake of theoriginal is probably not the best way to go. Of the few HALLOWEEN fan-films I've seen most of them have either done sequels to various films in the franchise or created stand alone one-offs but none that I have seen have tried to remake the original (which point of fact is too straight forward and kind of bland which is why Zombie changed so much for his version). McLellen has done some very interesting short films in his past, most notable NIGHT OF THE HUNGRY DEAD (which gets mention in this fan-film), THE INN, FROM ABOVE, and DER SOLDAT, but this film is lacking in originality and...well, a sense of fun.
Most of the fan-films I've seen relish the opportunity to have fun with their favorite character being able to put them in situations that "Hollywood" never would but this sense of fun is completely void in McLellen's script and in fact comes off as dare I say - bland and emotionless. Now this may be exactly what he is going for as it is a remake of the Carpenter film and if that is the case then he has succeeded but that doesn't always make for a good fan-film.
Regardless, I've always trusted McLellen with his productions and for the most part they are sound, so, I'm not too worried when we actually start to film. I'm actually looking forward to the filming as this will be my first fan-film and McLellen is working on getting the Myers mask from HALLOWEEN: H20 as opposed to any of the other versions of the mask. I know that he'll change it around and augment it to fit his own perceptions of how Myers should look. I also happen to be in the running for a small role in the film which should be fun since I've had no roles in quite a long time (by choice since I'm too busy) and I thought that this film would be a good film to re-enter the field.
I'll have more as we get closer to filming the movie.
Monday, April 27, 2009
04/27/09 Turning In The Script
I gave Ondie Daniel my screenplay "History of the Vampire" last week. This short script is part of a vampire anthology she is producing. I agreed to contribute a script although I may or may not direct or even have anything to do with it. Although I would love to direct the screenplay, I think it would be more interesting for me to watch someone else interpret my writing. Right now I'm just waiting for feedback in regards to whether or not the screenplay is right for the film she is producing.
I designed the screen-story to be an homage to vampire films while also being a kind of "intro" to vampires. Since I don't particularly have an interest in vampires, vampire films, or this sub-genre of horror to begin with coming up with a story for Daniel's "Untitled Vampire Anthology" was a feat unto itself. The only way I got through it is by loosely basing the story and structure of the story on a thus far abandoned screenplay from almost eight years ago. Although I had very little initial interest the story seemed to write itself as it took me only two days to write the first draft (which came in at just under 30 pages).
Since giving the script to Daniel, we've discussed the possibility of Ron McLellen directing the film. I both like and loathe this idea. I like this idea because by having a seasoned filmmaker on board I can be assured of the high quality and production values but I loathe this idea as McLellen has a knack of dumbing-down his scripts and there is a lot of ambiguous moments in the screenplay that I don't want to be made obvious.
Upon reading the screenplay we discussed a few items mainly that he wants to change the ending so that the two barflies exit the bar and the audience has no doubts that they are vampires because they change into vampires to help a third one who is being attacked by vampire hunters. When I heard him say this I immediately knew that he didn't get the story as everything in the story is ambiguous in regards to the vampires and my point was to show that vampires in the modern age can hide in plane sight even from their own kind. If you reveal the two barflies as vampires then you loose the whole point that I'm trying to make with the story. He also wanted to change a lot of the dialogue since my original had very little and it was meant to be brutal and fast and disturbing. By adding more dialogue you miss the element of the brutality because the characters are being too talkative. The dialogue that is present is very stylized because the less said the better.
Now, I know I'll have to do another re-write of the screenplay which I am prepared to do but based on the input of Daniel and the rest of the producers. After that I will wash my hands free and leave it up to the director to deliver a good story. I'm fully prepared to see a finished product that is barely recognizable from my own. This is one of the reasons why I'm working on this production which is to see how I can work as a writer with other people.
I await Daniel's response to the script before doing anything.
I designed the screen-story to be an homage to vampire films while also being a kind of "intro" to vampires. Since I don't particularly have an interest in vampires, vampire films, or this sub-genre of horror to begin with coming up with a story for Daniel's "Untitled Vampire Anthology" was a feat unto itself. The only way I got through it is by loosely basing the story and structure of the story on a thus far abandoned screenplay from almost eight years ago. Although I had very little initial interest the story seemed to write itself as it took me only two days to write the first draft (which came in at just under 30 pages).
Since giving the script to Daniel, we've discussed the possibility of Ron McLellen directing the film. I both like and loathe this idea. I like this idea because by having a seasoned filmmaker on board I can be assured of the high quality and production values but I loathe this idea as McLellen has a knack of dumbing-down his scripts and there is a lot of ambiguous moments in the screenplay that I don't want to be made obvious.
Upon reading the screenplay we discussed a few items mainly that he wants to change the ending so that the two barflies exit the bar and the audience has no doubts that they are vampires because they change into vampires to help a third one who is being attacked by vampire hunters. When I heard him say this I immediately knew that he didn't get the story as everything in the story is ambiguous in regards to the vampires and my point was to show that vampires in the modern age can hide in plane sight even from their own kind. If you reveal the two barflies as vampires then you loose the whole point that I'm trying to make with the story. He also wanted to change a lot of the dialogue since my original had very little and it was meant to be brutal and fast and disturbing. By adding more dialogue you miss the element of the brutality because the characters are being too talkative. The dialogue that is present is very stylized because the less said the better.
Now, I know I'll have to do another re-write of the screenplay which I am prepared to do but based on the input of Daniel and the rest of the producers. After that I will wash my hands free and leave it up to the director to deliver a good story. I'm fully prepared to see a finished product that is barely recognizable from my own. This is one of the reasons why I'm working on this production which is to see how I can work as a writer with other people.
I await Daniel's response to the script before doing anything.
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