Rusted Sun Films

Living in Hell-A: Day One... The End of Day Three

2011-04-26T15:40:00.000-07:00

Jesus and Mary Mother of God, I hate moving more than any other feasible and totally insane act of human nature. If I were born of a nomadic clan, then perhaps the act of dismantling everything that has encompassed the comforts of one’s life and packing them into boxes, bags, and other bubble-wrapped paraphernalia wouldn’t be so traumatizing. I mean, I lived in the same townhouse in Memphis for 6 years. I lived in our wonderfully quaint home in Pacifica (with an amazing ocean view, mind you) for 4 years. I like those solid comforts of being able to put something down and know that if it came up missing, that Christine was responsible. For the last two weeks, the items of utmost importance have been hidden away, saved for the final moments of insanity, and pushed into the dark musty confines of a recycled cardboard box. But now… I can’t begin to explain where anything is or is supposed to go. The writing on the boxes may say one thing but envelop something completely different. Shit, I used to throw away boxes after moving. Somehow I knew last time we played this unpacking game, that I needed to hang onto them… some spirit of the broken adult underworld tore through the ether and whispered, “Save them, you’re going to need them for the next move mwhahahahahaha! Hey, is that a single or a double malt? Really, I’m more of a Speyside man myself. Oh, gotta go. The wife is all pissed that I’m burning dinner. But seriously, the boxes…” And that’s how hoarding starts.

Currently I’ve set down keys, contracts, wallets, glasses, screwdrivers… anything of present and future importance and “POOF!” – gone. It might take me an hour to find that goddamn thing again. I’ll incorporate the wife and the dog on a mad search for these items… and they’re found, exactly where I left them… placed safely in a spot that i would remember and go to in my moment of need. The problem indeed, is the memory part. Let me break it down.
I’ve been packing and painting for two weeks. TWO WEEKS! I’ve been living in this purgatory of a half-lived / half-wrecked life. Then moving day, the day that we all dread. It’s a physical and emotional drain that can make grown men hovel, back spasm, and weep into the musty folds of a packing blanket. 5 hours of loading splintered fragments of my life… and if I didn’t have at least two decent friends, I would have broken down 10 minutes into the ordeal. I cannot thank Daniel and James enough for also being unemployed and taking the time to help a friend work through a breakup with San Francisco on a “It’s not you, it’s her” campaign. But fellas, “Thank you.”
So here I am, two days of massive physical labor, a 6 hour drive, pissing off my new neighbors, picking up a refrigerator (and lifting it up the stairs by mu-mucking self – almost as bad as that time I moved a piano down three flights), and driving all over Los Angeles in a 26 foot long U-Haul while ye olde Acura was in tow. Now we’re in the new digs, buried in boxes, I haven’t showered in three days or gotten more than 5 hours of sleep, and all I can think of is how I have to get some sleep or I may become the subject and catalyst of a David Lynch film based on a True Story.
I want a shower and a fresh pair of undergarments… but I have to find the box with the soap and whatnot in it… and then some underpants. I’m beginning to realize that I’ve taken a lot of simple complacent comforts for granted… like not having to smell your own rank. Maybe that’s just the family roots.
-B

Creativity or How I Learned to Love the Job

2009-08-24T09:50:00.000-07:00

Reading has always been a doorway to inspiration. I've found some of my favorite works and authors through suggestion or books gifted to me. They run through the heavyweight gamut of Hemingway, Camus, Conrad, and even my beloved Kerouac. Kerouac was something that happened to find me through bizarre circumstance (that will have to be saved for some tell-all memoir in the Autumn of my life - if I am fortunate enough to foresee such a turning of leaves). Therefore I will over-simplify the emotive complexities and say, a book of crazed exhaustion and paranoia, led a bright-eyed boy into a life fit for advances, rejection, inebriation, and a particularly distasteful madness that wound up documented throughout pocket notebooks and blurry bar nights. Vague for those that know not of this twenty-something battle of multiple personalities, but descriptive enough for the individuals lucky enough to be in the trenches of eternal youth to remember and nod with heavy hearts... but I digress.
This open door was none other than Big Sur. It was my introduction to a soul that I knew as well as my own... and too perfect a introduction, for 'ol Jack's signature piece, On The Road, would not have sunk it's teeth in as deeply as the wounded nature of Big Sur. With this connection to a lost and confused self-destructive manic, whose love of the world matched his love of love - I burned through the other literature pushed out by an eternal rebel with an eternal battle... fight the things that you love but never forget why you love them. This torture and turmoil followed his life and found it's way into the narrative of his words. The books read like streams (though the poetry was not poetry at all - something more bop-disjointed and less enjoyable). After a number of years, I had exhausted all of the material that this life was able to birth onto printed page. Years press on and more pages are found. Those following the grand drunken messiah found methods to organize the chaos left behind by their master. Posthumous novels whose meanings were port wine blurry were offered as a continual parting gift. His personal thoughts and journals were put up on auction and printed for the eager eyes - though not quite fit to be consumed.... and this my friends is where I have taken a moment to curl my toes in the grass.
The phrase, kill your idols comes to mind. For these secrets of our heroes are more damning than the actual evils (or rumored) than we could ever imagine. It's the moment in which we pull back the curtain and see all of the wires, tin foil, and unwashed dishes that the wizard left behind. When we die, the impending doom that should overtake us all is that our personal affects will be there to carry on a legacy that we may have never intended. Like an Estate sale, people dig through your goods like vultures and once the scraps have been picked they dig a little deeper until they can harvest and sell your very soul.
Through these series of edited notebooks and personal thoughts, I gained a bit of understanding - no matter how much magic had been washed down the drain. It brought a new beginning of scribbling through my personal pages and even so much as to revisit some of my old inked madness - dusty news notebooks sealed in a box intended to be released on the day of Apocalypse. And like the Book of Revelation, this box held the secrets to the end of the mind... a swirling maze of shoots and ladders that documented a mind embattled with the unanswerable questions of the soul. So many questions that the faces of strangers mirrored... everyone lost in the shadows of life. Seasons change and we stay the same. These questions have awakened something sinister. My writing has returned. The bubbling pit of madness/sickness is opening its berth, steaming the stem of the brain back into action. The coma of complacency is beginning to thaw and I could not be happier, yet more afraid of what it may bring. My filters will falter. My opinions will cut and stab, but there are times in which we must be slashed from our shackles and violently shaken from our hypnosis. The time has come. Grab your hammer, take some rope... we're going to burn the whole damn thing down. Revolution is upon us - the regime of comfort must die. Time to slide into madness... and thankfully I'll have enough of a warning to document it for good measure. Sounds like a road trip is in order.

Birthdays and Darwinism

2009-06-25T10:24:00.001-07:00

Late last night I was rolling through the random bits and pieces of the earlier moments that brought me to the off-kilter drive home. A co-worker's birthday had brought forth spilled drinks, distasteful shots of dark brown liquor, and trips across the various parts of San Francisco that have birthed some form of happy memory to the birthday girl at one point or another in her twenty-something life - some walking distance, others a stamina test of vehicular fortitude. Twenty-Six was the magic number. It's a number of memory (as far as the memories of my personal birthday experience), as I started to remember them a little better after the tender age of twenty-four. You learn to pace yourself. You learn the good and bad, and then occasionally you learn to throw caution to the wind because it's your birthday... and dammit you deserve the right to enjoy yourself. However, I use the term enjoy quite loosely and liken it more to brain damage than a casual sort of enjoyment. Much was the case last night as youthful self-destruction took over the evening like a noose.
Birthdays are apparently a test of wills. I've seen them come and go through various forms of voyeurism and self-exploration. I've witnessed disasters and breakdowns. I've seen glorious laughter and shattered tears... and vomit and IHOP interventions and bonds broken and hands tied. I've seen birthdays tear a hole in the sky and equally go by without the passing of a whispered hint. The previous notion is what I've dissected into a form of modern Darwinism. It is indeed survival of the fittest, and your duty as a being of flesh and blood to prove to yourself as well as the rest of the world that you are fit to keep your place in society.
Birthdays are a test. They are there to prove whether or not you should be allowed to live another year. If you pass the test, you can take another 12 months and chalk it up to life experiences (no matter how others may view your opinions, your particular way of life, or even your choice in music). If you pass the test, you get to repent the following day and go on living your choices, no matter how damning they may be.
However, it is our duty as your friend to attempt to KILL YOU through your own free will. We're not going to tie you to a chair, shove a beer bong down your throat, and continually pour Pabst Blue Ribbon into your gullet. Those acts are saved for fraternities (And trailer park rituals that have rarely been documented or displayed outside of their secret meth-lab/underground tunnels). We will buy you shots. We will purchase jet-fuel and potations, we will pay for your cabs, we will help you clean yourself up... but we will not force you to take it all in. It is your decision to how far you would like to test the boundaries of alcohol poisoning.
I hear rumor that some people just have a glass of wine with friends over a luxurious dinner, thank them kindly and go on about their merry way. I've never actually witnessed this, but there have been cases photographed somewhere on the outskirts of Montana and a small undisclosed location in the French country-side. Nonetheless, if you miraculously survive this misadventure, you have won the right to attempt life for another year. Now, you may not make it through that year... you are not granted immunity from your other acts of complete and random idiocy... but you do get to wear the memory of your battles in the meat-gray bags swelling under your eyes. You get to wear your scars with pride. You get to die another day.
Now, with that stated you will grow older day by day... pass momentous and blurred milestones until you get to an age in which you know better. Age grows an extraordinary knowledge of pain and pennance. The headstrong blindness of your twenties will scar over and build safety catches. You'll fall into black holes in which you simply cannot sustain the barrage of intoxicants (or intoxi-CANS as some have so humourously put it... though not so funny now that I'm caffinated and sober). Long story short, you learn to stop being so retarded and self-mutilating. You learn that the recovery time is not worth the brevity of swirling "goodtimes." You learn that eventually someone is going to not find your antics as amusing as YOU think they are... and they usually have a badge and party lights and the ability to find a very uncomfortable way to assist you in sleeping it off... and/or a ring and access to your bank account.
Birthdays still hold joy... and we should all continue this vicious circle... for I look forward to the next time I get to attempt to kill you... and I find humor in fending off all of JAMES SATCHER's previous attempts. You will never win James... you will never win. Happy Birthday to all, and to all a safe night.

-B

Turn of the Taciturn: A letter to a friend

2008-12-31T13:15:00.000-08:00

I recently found myself deep in personal reflection when writing a letter to a friend. It was a reply to a simple subject line: Still Alive?
I felt it necessary to post a short New Years Eve blog to remind myself (and those of you that actually read this shit) of where I've been and where I wish to be. I don't make resolutions. I make devised plans. The letter follows:

Yes, I am indeed still alive... I've been buried with work lately. We've been doing a lot of construction these last few weeks, and I'm still working on it today... and will continue to work on it throughout the following weeks. I'm a manager and a glutton for punishment, so I guess I have no one but myself to blame.
I've decided to really focus next year. I did kind of just fuck off in 2008. sure, I made some short films and what not... but I didn't really have the drive or focus that I did when I got here (SF) or before I left Memphis. Tomorrow I'll be taking a good portion of the day and proof reading the short film scripts we've been toiling over this last year, then sending them out for a fresh start. I'll email you a copy of it as well. We'll go into production one at a time. I'm hoping that the project really gets pulled together. It's a monumental task and certainly overwhelming from the start, but I'm ready to put myself into it. I've got to give up some of my "screw-off" time to focus on my dreams.
One of my Christmas presents was a custom made light box for my Mylar poster of Divine Manipulation of the Threads. I'll be hoisting it on the wall tomorrow to serve as a beacon and guiding light toward my desired future. Christ, this sounds like a blog already.
No more bad food. No more 4-night-a-week binge drinking. Occasionally I'll allow myself to have some breaks and "me" time, but you know the consequences of following your dreams, do you not?
I hope that you'll be on the same path. I could certainly use a confidant and partner in crime. We're not getting any younger, and I'm afraid that my good years of youth have been wasted on foolishness. Before you know it there will be kids and mortgages and ghostly visions of the dream that once was. While I've still got a little piss and vinegar in my system I'm going to bite it's fucking ear off and wait to punch the world below the belt while the ref isn't looking.
Give me a call tonight if you like. You'll be ahead a few hours for the turn of the year but with all hopes I'll be neck deep in a highball drink on a low key evening.
Talk soon,

B

So, I guess we'll wait and see what the turn of the year brings. I hope that you're all well, fat-drunk-and-merry. Happy New Year

Back in the Saddle Again

2008-11-10T11:21:00.000-08:00

It's taken a while to get back into the adult sized career spanning "swing of things" as of late. It would seem that as the crisp gray air of Fall (otherwise known as SUMMER in San Francisco) always brings forth a reflective melancholy "what the fuck am I doing with my life" approach to this thirty-something physicality I've been dumped into. Now, it's not a surprise. I didn't suddenly wake up one morning and have a management position and pubic hair ala Tom Hanks in the film BIG. It took he and I both a little time to get into a managerial position. However, it did come as quite a surprise that I was 31 years old and not as agile, flexible, or quick to rebound from binge drinking as I had previously been. My search for eternal self-destruction had finally killed off my twenty something invincibility delivering the long overdue message on some random hangover-Tuesday morning with a firm kick in the dangles. You're getting old.
Of course, it's not old in the worldly sense of old. It's not old in the philosophical sense of old... not the "Screw you I'm 42" sense of old... or even the technological definition of old. Hell, America is only 200-and-change. We were the youngest kid on the block for a long time. The only countries that have us beat are the bastard children of the former U.S.S.R. You know what? I may not be that old, but I'm old enough to remember the Cold War and I was born in the fucking 70s. Kids born in the late 80s make me feel like a pedophile - because, yes - when an attractive girl walks down the street, I take notice. It would probably help if some of these 40-something parents out there with teenage daughters didn't allow their precious little princesses parade around the streets like hookers.
God, I even sound like an old man. When did this happen?
I've veered miles from my point. I had a dream. I was an 8-year-old boy dreaming of Hollywood. I wanted to act. I wanted to be the next big actor. I wanted to be Spielberg. I wanted to live the American Silver Screen dream. I worked as hard as I could in the south to break out and start chasing that dream down. I played and made a fistful of films - features, shorts, experiments, and purges of madness. I played hard and did my best James Dean.
Have I given up?
Now, all I can work towards is to be the next Harrison Ford or Paul Newman. Not so bad, eh? Take this into consideration. Harrison Ford was 32 when he acted in American Graffiti. Paul Newman was 42 when he starred in Cool Hand Luke. I guess I've still got some time.
So, I should have this script wrapped up soon and ready for pre-production and regular production as well as post-production in 2009. It should be a lot of fun to see what a group of misfits (RSF[WEST] and After5Collective) can do with this stack of toilet paper. I guess you either do the job or spread the shit around. I feel confident. I don't know if this is the one to garner some kind of media attention. We'll just have to give it a shot in the dark.
Speaking of Shot in the Dark - can anyone else believe that they're actually making a sequel to the remake of The Pink Panther? And they're just calling it The Pink Panther 2?! I mean, at least the original sequels changed it up a bit... like Return of the Pink Panther, The Pink Panther Strikes Again, Revenge of the Pink Panther, Trail of the Pink Panther, Curse of the Pink Panther, A Shot in the Dark, Son of the Pink Panther... ...I mean, at the very least the Ocean's franchise tried by playing with the numbers.
I think Steve Martin can be very funny but stealing a 40 year bit from a dead man... What's next? A remake of Dr. Strangelove?
Fuck.
I shouldn't have said anything.
I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. Please do not remake Dr. Strangelove. It was bad enough that you tried to finish Eyes Wide Shut... and I'm sorry, Steven - A.I. sucked. The last Indy installment had me 2/3rds of the way, and then you let George pull the aliens bit. I understand... you both dig aliens. Awesome. Here's a lesson to you both: Do you know what made Darth Vader so menacing? His mask. A black mask that looked like the front end of a fucking Cadillac. What happened in Jedi, George? You took off the mask. The only way it could have been more stupid is if Luke's father ended up being a fucking Ewok. Oh, there's a novel idea. Why didn't the Ewoks make it into Indiana Jones and the Secret of Why George Lucas Should No Longer Be Given the Opportunity to Make Another Fucking Movie Ever?!? I'm sure you tried it though. I saw that gopher in the beginning credits. It looked a lot like a fucking Ewok. You just couldn't let them go could you? Which brings me to my next point.
Hollywood, please stop remaking movies. Take a chance on someone with an original idea, a love for the art, and someone with a sprinkle of talent.
Seriously? A remake of Friday the 13th? You're going to remake an original installment of a horror movie because the sequels spun out of control? Putting Jason Voorhees in space wasn't enough? Isn't it about time for another installment of American Pie? Jason Voorhees could kill those dipshits. Oh, how about we find a way to put Jason in the newest installment of The Fast and The Furious... this one aptly titled FAST AND FURIOUS... simply because they were all hurting for money and the attention span of your average 19 year old is shorter than a McDonalds Monopoly commercial.
This might be a case to start beating our children again. I'm not talking about coat hangers and electrical cords or even an open-handed slap to the face (though some of you clearly need it). Apparently the people green-lighting this catering truck full of shit-sandwiches needed some sense smacked into them a long, long, long time ago.
Take a cue from Clint Eastwood. I just saw a trailer for his newest film, GRAN TORINO. It's just like Pale Rider, except Clint is older and actually lives in town. That is the right way to remake an original idea.
How about continuing franchises I want to see. Someone please pay Bill Murray the money he wants to make a cameo appearance in Ghostbusters 3. Someone please pay Mel Gibson to reprise his role as an old beaten-down Mad Max (simply to act... I don't need a christian revival in post-apocalyptic Australia - and for fuck's sake don't let Shia LaBouf anywhere near this).
I guess that will do for now. I have to actually get back to my day job... eh... thanks for the time. I'll take another one for the road.

P.S. - Clint Eastwood, if you would ever like to mentor someone that would be eternally grateful and would vow to make meaningful cinema 'till his dying day... I'm just about 2hours up the road from you. I'll gladly give up the day job and come play apprentice anytime.

P.P.S. - I would also love to see you in another Western... though I'm sure you're probably tired of the boots.
-B

Through the Electric Eye: Tahoe '08

2008-04-01T17:01:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've taken a brief moment in time to self-indulge and post the random bits and pieces of my otherwise rough and tumble life. Now that I've nestled into the soil of the West Coast sandy beaches, I've become a little more comfortable with these strange surroundings. Don't get me wrong - I enjoy them. It's nice to have the thrills of a vast urban environment as well as the quiet calm of a beach side abode. I've made a couple of Award Winning Short Films in that time and have started pre-production on another feature that involves more than a fistful of short screenplays in various stages of development, with various different writers, directors, and we haven't even touched casting.
So here's a little fun. My new toy- the NIKON D80. It was a fancy man-toy gifted to me from the wife. I've always thought that I had an eye for pictures, so I thought that I'd continue to develop the finer art of one-frame-at-a-time.
We took a weekend trip to Tahoe this year. WE=10 adults, 3 dogs, and a baby. After the first night of drinking, I took up snowboarding... which apparently isn't that hard for me. I knocked that out in 15 minutes or so. Now, I was on a relatively small learning slope... but I'm ready to move on to steeper pastures. Enough on that. The second night, I took on the task of having our cast and crew embody an oddball SEARS catalog shoot from the swingin' drug induced '70s. The following photo-blog are the fruits of that labor. Enjoy. And yes, for all those that used to drool over CBS Newspath, that is Teresa Estacio.

The Married Life

2007-08-27T09:28:00.000-07:00

How Bevan Met Christine

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So, I'm married... let the laughter ensue. I have a friend who, for the sanctity of privacy will remain unnamed (Gabriel "Slate" Stutzky), that has come to a self-entertaining humorous method of answering my phone calls. I ring him up and his greeting is always the same, "You're married... ha ha ha ha ha hahahahahahaha." Indeed.
It's not that different from the moments preceding all of the "stand up-kneel-pray-stand up-kneel-Amen" rigmarole of our eye-catching Catholic ceremony (and for those of you asking yourselves 'what-the-f#ck?' - Christine is Catholic and we will do whatever keeps the girl happy, got it?). Life as we know it has not changed that drastically. Sure, we've got a bunch of nice new shiny free stuff in celebratory gifting for the lucky, lovely couple. They are things that we would have eventually been purchased and without a doubt, would have had to spend a small fortune on. They're great. I've got a mirror-refection set of stainless steel cookware that I'm very excited to use. I enjoy cooking. My comrades at work handed off a basket full of barbecue tools and gadgets along with a lovely card filled with gift cards from Home Depot. I'm quite thankful. Saturday I put those gift cards to use and purchased a mirror-reflection stainless steel gas grill. Getting the theme yet?
Apparently, the married life is full of silver colored shiny objects: pots, pans, grills, silverware, rings, bowls, kettles, and all sorts of this and thats that make the domesticated life not only simpler, but just a little more eye-catching and metro-stylish.
"The Wife" and I (as I'm still dog-tilting my head at times when the words spill out of my mouth - as though I were catching a strange sound from just beyond a door) are running things almost exactly the way we were a mere three weeks ago. I've been chastised for leaving my wedding ring on the bathroom counter after showers and washing my hands. I'm not forgetting intentionally but perhaps learning the necessity of keeping it safe and then putting it back on. It's a symbol. A symbol that I love and respect my wife... and more importantly, as Christine would so eloquently put it, a symbol that I am "Off of the market." Yes, the girl owns me. I'm the wolf brought in from the cold, she's nursed my wounds, and now I'm going to stick around the house for a while because I've got it so much better with the warmth of a gorgeous good woman than in the gnashing teeth of the urban wild.
Ah, I wouldn't have the energy to be conniving or deceitful. I'm thirty-years-old. I have no desire to gallivant around the clubs of twenty-something-hipsters all out on the town drowning their inhibitions and desperately on the hunt of getting laid.
Oh, I remember those days. I also remember the last time I tried to pull one of those 24 hour party people nights and came bashing through learned life lessons the hard way; hung-over, displaced, dejected, and taking far too long to bounce back from such a blow... physically and mentally. I clearly remember the point were I was "too-old for this shit."
So, now in my old age and comfortable bondage to a ball-and-chain, I'm content. I'm happy. I remain vain in certain aspects. I continue to work out, watch what I eat, hunt down indie artists and new music, and continue to read intellectual stimuli... mostly because I desire to remain interesting to people who might be of the like mind -- or interesting to those who find some mild fascination to such things -- and I wish to look good naked.
My hair goes gray, my beard mockingly speckles salt and pepper madness, and my eyes go all football shaped requiring me to pay closer attention to detail than before. Though, through all of those woes of men growing old, I have a woman who loves me... or can at the very least put up with my crap for an extended period of time... and really, what more can you ask for? Aside from a prenuptial... which I didn't do. We got married in California, she's going to get half of my shit anyway. But, if I mind my Pints and Quarts I'll remain married and my music collection will remain safe.
For all of you loners and once-bitten-twice-shy fellows still rambling about the cold... just give it up. You're never going to land Jessica Alba, Jessica Biel, Jessica Simpson, or Lindsay Lohan (though I'm not quite sure why you'd want the female embodiment of Robert Downey Jr. - ). Brad Pitt doesn't want to be your guy pal (he's too busy saving New Orleans and foreign babies). Stop going to the same bar in the hopes that you're going to see some girl that you saw there once, that you're never going to fucking talk too anyway. Find a girl that pays some kind of attention to you. Find out if she likes Star Wars or James Bond. If you find one of those girls, grab them up as soon as possible, they're the Pink Panther Diamond of Women... For all of those girls that couldn't care less about stupid guy things, play them a couple of Nick Drake albums or Tom Waits - Heart of a Saturday Night. You're in. Then we can start a poker club or something and watch Chuck Norris movies instead of being nagged about watching THE NANNY DIARIES. Good Luck.

RSF(WEST) and TEAM BP: The First project of 2007

2007-06-18T17:54:00.001-07:00

JUDGEMENT
The new project from your friends at RSF(WEST), the West Coast offices of Rusted Sun Films has been completed. I was approached about participating in a 48 hour film festival contest and gladly accepted. I was also chosen to be director for the project... and as one might imagine a plethora of other responsibilities came spilling forth. For the collaboration with TEAM BP (the production name for our group consisting of cast and crew members of Beyond Pix and KRON), I served as Writer/Director/Actor/Composer/Editing Assistant, etc. etc. There is going to be a full list of dedicated cast and crew credits coming soon. I've actually got to assign some additional credits to people that busted their butts and got this project in by the skin of our teeth.
For now... I will leave you with a fair amount of story detail that goes through the 48 hours rather quickly... without embarrassing detail. The film will follow in another blog (after the 48 hours screening... for legal purposes).

THE MAKING OF JUDGEMENT:
I was jinxed. While we drove to Fat City to check in, receive our genre, and all of the other creative required elements involved in this weekend of sleep deprivation, I thought to myself, "Don't say it aloud. You're certain to draw it, if you say it where others can hear. Just don't say it."
Butterflies swirled in my stomach. I was actually getting nervous. I was excited. This was the first project of the year and I wanted it to sing. The she said it.
"I hope we don't get Western," Christine playfully jabbed.
"Why would you do that? Why... Why would you say that? You jinxed us," I exclaimed.
I tried to shake it off. It was out there. I had to hope for the best.
When we arrived, the room was packed with filmmakers and artists of all shapes and sizes. Vintage clothes, black t-shirts with pseudo intellectual prints, and three day old stubble filled the room like wall to wall hipsters. There was a lot of competition. It seemed as though every filmmaker in the Bay Area had a white-knuckle grip on good intention.
The horde waited for a call to order. The teams were arranged into screening groups and the reverse-alphabetic choose your own adventure began to take form.
"Team BP" fell into screening group D. When the call came, I approached the stage and stood behind the line that stretched across the riser. I don't recall how many filmmakers had answered the call before me... though I remember that I was one of the first. "Team BP," bounced around the ceiling and filled my ears. This was the moment.
I crept past the line of film festival victims and dipped my hand in the purple cloth hat. "Why is it that all psychotically creative people are drawn towards purple," I thought, "Or perhaps that's all they had on hand."
My fingers whittled down the strips to a single slip of paper. I turned my head down to look. I wanted to make a sound... but I couldn't. There was a microphone one and a half feet away from my nose and all I could think of saying was "F#cK" at the top of my lungs.
"Your genre?" was asked.
I whimpered, "Musical or Western," took off my hat, raised it to the crowd and walked away. The crowd's reaction was a mixture of laughter and groans. Some felt the white sweats that had surged down my spine. Others in line were simply thankful that the bullet was out of the bag... or hat, as it were.
I trampled back to a corner and contemplated my fate. I had not made eye contact with anyone. The strip of paper mocked me. The only hope was a large gamble... the second chance known as a wild card.
Would I choose the wild card? How much worse could things get?
I phoned another member of our crew. I needed an opinion. I needed another response far enough away from my conflict of emotions... someone or something that could guide me in a suitable direction. Would I take the bullet or leave my fate to the purple hat yet again?
As the lottery continued I swirled into an alternate dimension, fighting against the initial spot of bad luck. After what seemed like an eternity of phone conversation, the groups had pulled their genre and it was time to announce the additional pieces of the film fest puzzle.
"There is a character by the name of MAYO or MAGGIE LOGAN. This character must be identified on screen. This character is a Chef. I repeat, a chef."
I rolled my eyes wondering what other kick in the groin would be revealed next.
"The prop that must be used is a JAR OF COINS." Okay, the first easy punch all night.
"The final note is a line of dialogue that must be used, 'Call me as soon as you hear anything,'"
The card were out. Now came the choice to fold or to go all in.
There were others that desired another hand at fate. Only six teams joined the stage in protest. The remaining individuals in the room either worked there or needed a little more information. I needed a sign. I needed to know more about my options.
I didn't join the rest on stage. I wasn't certain that I wanted to be responsible for sending the cast and crew into the possible realms of a War Film, Animal Film, Period Piece, or any other land mine that lay in that purple hat of doom.
I finally got the attention of our would be organizer.
"I need to ask you a question about our genre," I stated.
"Yeah, can you hold on a second, I need to wrap this up quickly and get these guys on our way."
"I understand but I..." and he turned away. I waited for another moment until the organizer turned to me again.
"I need to ask you a quick question," I stated urgently.
"Let me finish up here and I'll help you out," he replied.
"Yeah, but the question kind of depends on whether or not I need to get on stage with the rest of you," I thrust.
"Oh, okay."
I asked a series of short questions about the western genre, turned towards Christine and Lorelle and finally accepted our collective fate, with the words, "F#ck It, we're doing a Western."
We drove back to our meeting area where the rest of the team waited.
When I returned the news had spread though the ranks but the looks stretched across faces was not as solemn as I had imagined. The grand challenge had set in... the minds were at work and there was much work to be done.
We mulled over comedy, drama, thriller, and various fiction themes that could all fall within the "Western" genre. We didn't want to take the easy way out. We didn't want to be cheap. We wanted to take this thing by the horns, swing it into the walls, and pin it like the bitch it was. We just didn't know how to do that yet.
After 3 hours of brainstorming and kicking ourselves in the head an idea for the story was born.
Tony, Christine, and I returned to my home to write a script while everyone else went home to sleep. At 3am a script was complete. I awoke at 6am, reworked some wording, and returned to our staging complex at 7:15am.
There were smiles. The members of the crew that I had e-mailed the script to were pleasantly surprised. There was hope. It was good. We now had to tackle the task of making it come together.
A few phone calls were placed for locations. We had a Western. Of course, prop guns were going to have to be used. Where could we film without getting stopped. We needed a location for hours... for free... How?
Luck. That's how.
I received a phone call from Christine. She had worked on locations that would be acceptable for a Western. A friend of a friend of a friend gave us a number to a ranch. The owner of the ranch said, "Yes" and we were packed up and on our way.
A few quick stops at a thrift store, a grocery store, an Office Depot, and a Walgreens afforded us the other tools and wardrobe that we would need to pull this thing off.
We staged at my home, slathered on some make-up effects, mixed up a batch of fake blood, fed the dog, loaded up, and off to the ranch we went.
Once we arrived at the ranch we met the owner, who was the most approachable and coolest location owner I've ever met. He shook my hand with a firm grip and said, "Go where ever you want. You want a horse?" I nearly fell over. We had full run of the place... and run is exactly what I did. I took off up a hill to find a location to start our shoot. It was noon. Time had already jumped on top of us. We needed to start shooting an hour ago. I returned from a hill gathered our cast and crew into two cars, drove up the hill and started the shooting process known as "run and gun."
We had a script. We didn't have a shot list. Luckily there were at least four people that had at one point or another in their lives worked as a photographer. This would save us. While one camera shot, another shooter would focus on pick-ups, close-ups, cut aways, and various angles for coverage. Four minutes doesn't seem like a long time when you're rushing to get a tape across town and back into the hands of a festival executive... but it's an eternity to fill when you have a black hole.
We shot for five hours, through fog, dropping temperatures, the crew being bitten by ants, and father time taunting us.
At 5pm we had wrapped our first location. Next, we needed to find a bar/restaurant that would have enough grit to pull off a "Western" no matter how modern neons looked. Luckily, I knew of a place that could work... and even more luck poured in once we asked the owner if he could help out a desperate rag-tag group of filmmakers.
We were given permission. The second wind rolled through my bones. The crew picked up an armful of Taco Bell and we were back in business.
While one portion of the crew shot our second location and developing scenes, another section of the crew raced back to the city to load tapes and set up for our "martini shot."
The sun was setting. Daylight was no longer an option and thankfully it was no longer needed. The entire cast and crew rejoined in the city for the final portion of our production. The shots came easily enough... it was warm and inside... which was a nice change of pace. The first tape had been loaded. The second was soon to follow.
At 11pm, we had wrapped shooting.
Editing began at 4am. Tony had gone home to shower and grab a fresh change of clothes. There's only so much you can do while stewing away in two day old socks. When I arrived at our editing session, we needed to record our voice over, the western guitar score, editing the film in it's complete form, score the film, punch it out of the machine, and get it to the "church on time."
Never underestimate time. Never. There were hours of editing, titles, score, and they were all being glued together simultaneously... Or as simultaneously as possible. Still, at 6:15 a panic hit me again. It was going to be tight. At 6:50pm... I knew it was going to be really tight. A 7:05, I didn't think that we were going to make it.
We reached our destination at 7:26pm Sunday evening. We made it. Clearing the time frame for competition had been accomplished. The film was completed... or as complete as we could make it with no time to spare. "It is what it is," I thought, "And I'm simply amazed that we pulled it off within 48 hours."
Now I can drink.

-Bevan B. Bell
Writer/Director/Actor
Team BP
"Judgement"
San Francisco 48 Hour Film Project

RSF(WEST) Update #8: Return of Sanity

2007-05-29T11:27:00.000-07:00

First, the big news. DIVINE MANIPULATION OF THE THREADS, has been accepted to another Film Festival. This time we're in Corvallis, Oregon for the da Vinci Days Film Festival. We entered the film in their comedy division. Now, for me it's about a 9 hour drive. Christine and I took the 13 hour drive up to Ashford, Washington to the Rainier Film Festival a few weeks back. It was a very short whirlwind weekend trip. We didn't win anything, the lodging was taken care of (thankfully), the festival was in it's inaugural year and has quite a load of potential, but I did end up being quoted on the festival's front page: www.rainierfilmfest.com. Cool, huh? I guess I'm all famous and shit now...
...Back to the point.
After some of the lag and woes of beating my brain against film festival letters stating that we're not showing in their festival, another one came through the mail with a positive. I was very excited and for the short amount of time that it will last (until I get another rejection), I will have some faith in the festival circuit. At least, people will get to see the film and that is what counts. We want people to see the film. Of course, distribution would be nice... and that is yet another avenue for more people to see the film. Perhaps distribution and somewhat of a media push.
I'll be having a conversation with someone about just that in the next coming weeks. It's a reputable company that seems to have some interest in the film (hopefully, they'll still have some when we hold the conversation).
I've updated the OFFICIAL RUSTED SUN FILMS website this weekend.
and there are all sorts of news updates and new toys to pa ruse through during your workday doldrums.
Here is also a new toy for those of you that absolutely hate me:

Link: PlayMyGame

Link: PlayMyGame

It's a fun little thing I found through www.techcrunch.com . And the only reason I know what the hell that is, is simply because I spent all of Memorial Day weekend editing a piece for Yahoo! Yeah, this production house I've been working for in San Francisco has a lot of Silicon Valley clients. I'm learning all about "the tech" and I now know the meaning behind "I'm about to hackabitch." Blame Beck for that one... yes... the same Beck with the puppet show and bear costumes.
With that, I'll leave you... returning to more work for the week. However, there is one question I have. Ashton Kutcher... what the fuck is that on your head?

The Festival Season: Manic as Ever

2007-05-11T15:02:00.000-07:00

Here we are, drenched in a fantastically depressive point of the year where an e-mail can raise my spirits to the heights of Indie Film heaven or with a simple change of verb, crush me like the worthless wannabe nobody that I truly feel like. Rejection is a tough bitch. Each one of those sorrowful little festival letters that say "Thank you for submitting but your film has NOT been accepted to the festival" is like swallowing a mixture of broken glass, rusty thumbtacks, hot sauce, and horse semen. It sucks worse than waking up in jail in the spoon position. Although I am a huge fan of the film festival season... I am not a fan of being told that my film wasn't good enough. It sucks... but it's part of the game.
Make no mistake either. It is a game... much like dodgeball, when you actually get picked for the team.
However, there is a great accomplishment that I'm more than a little pleased to share with all of you. I have been awarded the Bonehead Award for Best Actor at the Barebones International Independent Film Festival. I'm really pleased with the win. There is a great swell of accomplishment that comes with it. Accolades from your peers is almost unmatched. It's that whole teary-eyed Sally Fields, "You really like me..." kind of "fuck yeah" that just makes all of the rejection wounds go away. That is, until the next ones come two at a time during the same day.
You can actually view the festival process on our website www.rustedsunfilms.com/filmfests.htm
It's nothing fancy... just a list of festivals that I've paid to enter, the fests that love us, and the fests that left us out in the cold.
We've also won a 6th place award at the TWIN RIVERS MEDIA FESTIVAL in Ashville, North Carolina.
I'm hoping to hear some positive notes back from the other festivals as the season presses on into the end of the year. I don't know what magic it takes to actually get into some of these festivals - because, as you know, we've got a fantastic film that has great production, entertaining characters and story, gorgeous visuals, talented actors, and a lot of genuine laughs. I have always been of the opinion that DIVINE MANIPULATION OF THE THREADS is perfect for independent film festivals. I don't know, maybe we're not "indie" enough because we're a bunch of straight white dudes that weren't molested, tortured, or have a heroin addiction that causes us to chronically masturbate to Asian Porn that we casually refer to as "foreign films."
So, with all good hopes, you'll be hearing more from us in the near future involving the elements of new film festivals, new awards, and new films.
I'm starting pre-production with a group of like-minded filmmakers here in the Bay Area for the San Francisco 48hr Film Competition. So, no sleep for the weary anytime soon.
However, I do have a video to share. It's my Director of Photography Reel. Pretty pictures. Hope that will tide you over for now...

BEVAN BELL - DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY

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RSF (WEST) Update #6: It's Official

2007-03-06T16:15:00.000-08:00

It helps to have friends... you know... someone to back you up when you get into a fight that might just be a little above your scale of warfare... A friend that is there for you when all the cards are playing against you and your amazingly entertaining little Indie Film is struggling to get the attention of festivals around the country. It's great to have friends... the kind of friends that support all of your lame-brained ideas and Dreams of Independent Film Grandeur. There are people you can count on. I'm always surprised at the support that I get from people that have seen DIVINE MANIPULATION OF THE THREADS or have had a hand in making it (quite simply) stand out above the rest. I'm not putting any one's film down. The bane of the Memphis Filmmaker is to simply put out ideas, film a half-cocked script, set it in motion and then self-destruct in production... leaving all of those that ever believed in your "movie dream" with the taste of self-centered asshole in their mouth. I'm not that guy. At Rusted Sun Films we strive for excellence, entertainment, and the proof that you can make a great film with talented performances, above average production, and laughs abundant without a budget - much less the millions of dollars that other productions spend. I'm not saying that it's easy. It can be done though.
So, thank you. Thank you friends of film. Thank you friends of Rusted Sun Films and our newly founded West Coast (home) Offices RSF(WEST). We have now received our first acceptance to a film festival in the year of 2007. The first to answer the call is none other than the festival that showed us the most love in 2005... that's right, BAREBONES INTERNATIONAL INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL, the festival that awarded me the 2005 Indie Auteur BoneHead, has accepted DIVINE MANIPULATION OF THE THREADS for competition. We are pleased to be involved in "The Friendliest Festival" once again. Although, I am now working in San Francisco and paying rent in Pacifica... I will do my best to make arrangements to come back home to BareBones. I'm in a better mood knowing that people actually want to show and see the film. I was beginning to lose faith... at that ever fragile stage that filmmaker go through wondering if all of this pain, sweat, and hard work was all for nothing and that all of my precious time was wasted. So in celebration of being accepted, I'm sharing with you a brand new trailer for the film. Click... enjoy.... then read on...

Divine Manipulation of the Threads Trailer2

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So, I also checked out my little featured extra cameo in Craig Brewer's film Black Snake Moan. I can tell that it's me. My friends have called and said that they recognized me. So, that's pretty cool. Just another step on the trail of Indie Film land greatness. It's not like Craig reads this thing... but Craig, if you do happen to stumble upon this rag, I'm still available for work... wink, wink...

That's all for the update now. I'll have something more this weekend. When I actually get some time off. Starting a new job is rough as hell, man.
-Bevan

RSF (WEST) Update #5: MySpace

2007-01-18T17:37:00.000-08:00

I'm learning a little more about this whole "viral marketing" thing these days. If you've heard of the Internet and have been anywhere near a computer than you've more than likely heard of youtube.com or even the ever-growing and more than popular MySpace.com. Yes, you know of these things? Good, than this will make it easier on both of us.
I've spent a good portion of my days off loading video clips to these various sites, building and maintaining these sites, and clicking around through overloaded pages on a search for friends to add. The grand hope of this cyberspace misadventure is to get a few more people familiar with or, at the very least, somewhat interested in what our film DIVINE MANIPULATION OF THE THREADS is all about.
Upon loading these clips, I decided to dig in and add a little bit of personality to the site by loading a few clips from the "MAKING OF" portion of the extras on the DVD. Here you can see a scene of well played "humour" (counting on the fans of British humor to help me out here) and it's accompanying clip from the "MAKING OF" so that everyone gets a little behind the scenes laugh in addition to all of the nut jokes we lay out there for you from the movie. Click on the scenes and watch them. I'll get back to you in about five minutes.
DIVINE MANIPULATION OF THE THREADS (Clip) - The Peanut Shoppe

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Making of DMOT: Nut Jokes

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Back already? Laugh a little bit? Laugh a lot? Fantastic. So, that's an example of the things you can find out there from these websites. A little viral marketing for those Internet zombies starved for entertainment. There are plenty more of these clips available for the viewing... In addition plenty more will be added as we work our days along toward festivals and all the like. So, would you like to see more? Here's where you can find the Official DIVINE MANIPULATION OF THE THREADS - The Movie! MySpace site:
www.myspace.com/divinemanipulation

If you have a MySpace page, add us. It's an easy way for us to get in touch with all of our friendly Internet junkies out there.
On another note, I've been looking for work outside of news. I think that I may have quite a great opportunity coming up... but I'm in a "trial period" where these new employers are seeing if they like me and if I like them. It's like making friends on the playground... or high school... or really cool adults that realize that they're kind of playing for a living.
Will I miss news? Yeah, some of it. But I'm not in the clear yet.
As far as my little rant earlier about submitting to film festivals, anyone that has ever run through the gauntlet of this festival submission mess can more than likely relate. There are manic ups and downs that come with acceptance or denial. So far, the pretty girl around the corner "unnamed Film Festival" doesn't like us that way. So, I'm going to have to ask out her sister and make her jealous. It's a huge game and for some reason I felt like I needed to let people know that (in the words of David Bowie) "It ain't easy."

Check out the MySpace page and get back to us!!

-Bevan

RSF (WEST) Update #4: Submissions and Rejections.

2007-01-09T00:49:00.000-08:00

You make a film. Now what? You want to show it to people right? Of course. We all want our magical little baby film projects to learn to walk on their own two feet and show the world that after learning to walk they can briefly brush the "running" phase and skip straight to kicking ass. Here's where we are right now:

"Oh, you had your premiere in April." "For ten days... you don't say?" "That sounds nice." "Oh, in Memphis." "Has it played anywhere else?"

No it hasn't played anywhere else... with an exception of home theater viewings hosted by friends and (with all great hopes and wishes) a few festival screening nights. That is the dilemma known as the dead period between grand opening and festival limbo. I have submitted our wonderfully fun feature comedy DIVINE MANIPULATION OF THE THREADS to a handful of festivals. Every week (or two) I'm submitting the film to at least two film festivals. As I've spouted off before, the process gets expensive. So at an average I'm diverting money from paying off my credit card to tenderly gardening this growing bulb of a film at $90 bucks/dollars/greenbacks a week. Yeah...
So far I've sent the film out to eight festivals. You do the math. Done? Yep. Expensive. Therefore, when a festival writes us a letter that basically says, "Thanks for sending your movie. For no specific reason - because if we got into specifics we would have to write a more personalized rejection letter that gave some small hint that we actually watched your film and are not just writing this because you paid the 45 dollar submission fee - Your film was not chosen for the festival program this year. We look forward to you stupidly sending in your piece of crap movies to our festival so that we can Xerox this letter next year. Chump," It gets a little disheartening. There is a twisting in my stomach that runs similar to being kicked in the balls. It's not that I hold any ill will towards any one of these festivals, especially the very popular festivals that seem to make or break a measly little film no body like myself. This little stint of depression is not so much a feeling of rejection as it is a feeling of, "Oh shit. I have just wasted a bucket full of money that I will never be able to get back."
Perhaps I should remind those that have gotten down to reading this far that our film, DIVINE MANIPULATION OF THE THREADS was made with NO-BUDGET. Yes, we don't have money just to throw around for things like publicity, a press agent, or production representative. We can't pay someone to go out and work the system to get our film into the right hands. We have to ship it off to festivals and pray to the film gods that some fair wind blows our way. It's frightening. It's a huge leap of faith... but without those leaps and without the faith in ourselves as much as we have faith in our projects, we would no longer strive to do anything better than put in 40 hours a week at a soul-less job, paying a mortgage, car note, and cable bill.
I want more than that... and I think that our film shows that. Although we've only received one letter of rejection, I'm certain there will be more. You sling a lot of chum on a wide swath hoping to attract the big catch. Lets just hope that we're going to need a bigger boat.
I'll let you know.

-B

Rusted Sun Films (WEST): Update #3 - Merry Christmas

2006-12-18T11:24:00.000-08:00

We've rounded the corner and the holidays have pounced from their shadowed striking position once again. Although, I knew that they were hiding just around the bend, they always seem to startled me with how quickly the holidays arrive. Thanksgiving melds directly into Christmas, the sales go blood-red with madness, cookies come in the mail, Holiday parties are planned, drinks are consumed by the gallon, and let us not forget... The Ham That Killed Momma Cass.
The early weeks of December have so far brought a few more paychecks so that we may pay a few more bills, re-instate my car insurance, attempt to get another iPod on the cheap (since someone smashed the window of the KPIX livetruck I was working out of and snatched my workbag), and try to figure out what expenses can be held at bay while we spend our hard earned money on a broad range of gifts for loved ones. 'Tis the Season after all my good fellows. The holidays bring family stress, a few fits of depression, and the worktime blues (especially for me seeing as how I'll be working the majority of the holidays). I do not mean for this to sound as a woesome invitation to the blues... I know that the holidays are manic joys, even if it's as simple as stuffing your face full of holiday goodness and feeling guilty about it later. It's all give and take... just give a little more than you take this year.
I am working on a few Christmas Projects for those closely knit friends of the Rusted Sun Films family. The new editing computer that is on loan from Christine has helped the process immensely. Anthony has been very helpful in sending assistance from our Memphis home office in ways of some software plug-ins and all of the like. I have also been busy sending DIVINE MANIPULATION OF THE THREADS out to film festivals around the country.
Let us not forget how expensive this process is. Film festivals charge a fee to submit your film for consideration. This fee can range anywhere from 30 dollars to 100 dollars. The ranges of fees fluctuate with time and date... earlybird, regular, late, extended... though they average around 50 dollars a pop. It also takes another little cut into the pocketbook with shipping costs. All in all, we end up spending money to share our beloved no-budget film with those like-minded or curious individuals around the country. People continue to tell me how much they love the film... so we need to get the word out one way or another. Anyone want to get a tattoo?
The festivals that we've submitted to so far are: Nashville Film Festival, Cinequest, Barebones International Independent Film Festival, and Ashland Independent Film Festival. I will be putting two more in the mail this week (if I can fight the droves of people filling the post offices to the extent that a Fire Marshall can handle) so that we can broaden our range of options. Film festivals, though they are loving to a great many of varied films, eventually have to turn away a great number of artistic submissions. Not everyone gets to play on the team. Let us just hope that we make the Varsity cut. As the year creeps on, we should hear back from these festivals as to whether or not we get to screen. Keep your fingers crossed.
It should also be said that support for our film is more than appreciated. DIVINE MANIPULATION OF THE THREADS is also for sale at www.rustedsunfilms.com . You can make a safe internet purchase and have it shipped to any address you desire. They make great Christmas gifts... wink, wink, hint, hint. There are also fun downloads, photos, bios, etc that can be found on the ELECTRONIC PRESS KIT. Just click here --> http://www.rustedsunfilms.com/Divine%20EPK.htm to join in on the fun. Speaking of fun, somewhere on the site is a link that will take you to the "fun" production photos that were taken while on set.
Christine, Anthony, Brad, and I all wish you a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a "fantabulous" New Year. I'll try to do better on keeping this thing up to date. I'm working a lot these days... got to make money to buy a camera.

-Bevan

Rusted Sun Films (West): West Coast Update #2

2006-11-24T11:40:00.000-08:00

As I've been put rapidly back into the troublesome daily grinds of television news, I have not exactly had a great deal of spare time to check things like e-mail or keep in touch the way that I've grown so used to. So, I'll do my best at keeping everyone up to date so far...
I'll go ahead and admit that I do dearly miss my friends in Memphis-town. I miss the Midtown nights, the ease of an eight minute drive into work, and having that comfort zone that comes with over compensating for boredom. I miss the laughs and the talk of movies and music. So for those of you wondering if your friends Bevan and Christine have moved out to San Francisco and forgotten all about you... Worry not. We've been under a bit of stress lately... You know, new jobs, new city, new problems, and newly engaged. But with all of those daily troubles of life anywhere around the world, I will say that there are a few things that help to melt all of the mind numbing adult ailments away.
This photo, my friends, is Sunday evening. There is nothing as absolutely calming as the crashing surf, the sky set ablaze with color, and a cool ocean breeze. We get to take the dog down to the beach (just a few blocks from the house) when time allows... And when weather allows, this is the view. Occasionally the turn of Fall in Memphis allows for colorful sunsets as well... But nothing stretches out so far as the seemingly infinite horizon of the ocean. It makes you feel human... And I'm okay with taking off the cape and being "human" for a while.
I stare at the sea and the ideas for dialogue, scenes, voice over and all of the like come pouring in. I desperately need to sit down to write again. When I get more than one day off in a row... I think I'll give it a shot. So, the new script should be coming along in the weeks to come. I think that it's time to write again. There's a world of inspiration in a single grain of sand... Now I understand why Jack Kerouac needed to go crazy in Big Sur.
This photo represents the last few days of our life in Pacifica, California. They don't call it Fog City for nothing. There is fog. There is serious Fog. It creeps up from the ocean carrying pirate ghosts, and siren's calls. It fills the night air with a hollow gray. The bleak sound of a nighttime rush is oddly still and somewhere in the distance stands a shadow. It's very film noir... Which is almost pushing me to write another little crime thriller... But that's another story.
The view from this photo is actually from the sidewalk directly in front of the house. Normally you would see the ocean. Now you see the nothingness that can swallow the entire coastline. However, it can completely envelope Pacifica yet leave the city of San Francisco sunny... Or partially covered. So, yes there are days where it's not ideally sunny and all California Dreamin'... on such a Winters day.

I'll give you another example of this strange anomaly known as "the fog." The gray cloud that seems to linger over the San Francisco sky line is not smog. That is actually fog creeping it's way over the hilltops to the other side of the bay. For those of you interested in visiting, I can give you a full rundown on my understanding of fog thusfar... But for now I will leave you in the wondrous mystery of mobile moisture. On with the show!

Next I'll give you a little rundown of my nightly routine after work. For those of you that have been paying attention, I take the BART into work everyday. It's basically a transit subway system that attempts to connect the majority of the Bay Area. I take the Colma station (the one closest to the house), park the car, jump on the BART and try not to touch anything that might be covered in sneeze juice. When I come home from work... The night has fallen... And the real adventure begins.

I walk the damp streets of downtown sometimes after midnight. All of the homeless are curled into covered little corners and huddled under blankets and make-shift clothing. They pose no actual threat... Aside from bumming change and the occasional cigarette (which I'm glad to say I no longer have for I have quit that nasty habit... Mostly because of all of the f-ing walking). But there are "cholos" that wait on corners on Friday nights... Perched and ready to attack.
So, one continues to walk from sidewalk to sidewalk at a speedy pace. It is not out of fear. It is out of a sheer rush to catch the damn BART train and not have to wait around in the concrete bowels of "The City" another 15 minutes for the next arrival.
It's actually not that bad. I like the city. I like the night. The streets are calm during the week and the Embarcadero Center is all lit up like Christmas. The bars are colorful, the traffic has died, and the cool night air makes for a pleasant rushed walk. I do, however, find it a bit discouraging that there is a Starbucks on almost every f-ing block. It's as if you can't wait one more block for another fix. But they make money... And pay the rent... And apparently everyone in this city is a caffeine/speed junkie. Or maybe they just like rapid bowel movements. I don't know, each to their own.

Speaking of bowels, this is the entrance to the BART system. It's not that exciting and I usually pick the entrance that has an escalator moving in the opposite direction, though not out of choice, perhaps just sheer stupidity. I also don't see the point of crossing an intersection just to get to an entrance that has an escalator moving in my direction. I'll just take the stairs... Everything will work out in the end. But as you can see, it's a lot of stairs. Up hill, up stairs, steep downhill slopes, it's a smokers nightmare... But people still do it. I don't know how or why. These stairs and walking the dog have helped me swear it off for really really intoxicating/intoxicated moments.

The Bart trains whiz by and come to a screeching halt. There are points of the ride that are loud enough to make your ears bleed... And everyone has an iPod. Everyone except for me. So I daydream of film scripts and just getting home to sleep... Or perhaps a two day weekend... Or at least going to the beach on some night to catch another sunset. But for now, I have to prepare for another night of work. I can't complain too much. At least I'm working. I could be curled up in a doorway wrapped in a U-Haul moving blanket and cardboard garbage from Starbucks. So it's Friday. Have a drink for me... I'll have a drink for you.

Maybe next time I'll have a film update. Until next week.
-Bevan

Rusted Sun Films (WEST) Update No.1

2006-11-07T16:40:00.000-08:00

Okay kids, I've got the latest tales of cross-country moving insanity, a few photos to share with our lovely devoted, and a fair list of other random bits and pieces that haven't quite made it onto shelves or labeled area of criteria. Lets grab a seat around the beach bonfire, perhaps an adult beverage, the makings of a smore, and I'll tell you a tale of a weary man named Bevan, the long and painful trip through the ass end of Texas, and the little Penske van that could.
As I was packing all of my necessary worldly belongings into boxes (while hocking the rest for a few measly dollars), I somehow managed to contract a head cold. It might have had something to do with going out for "a few" drinks with James Satcher. Being a responsible and somewhat experienced weekday drinker, I didn't fill my gullet to the point of spilling over, I merely smoked too much, wasn't eating right, was not getting sleep, and had been strung out to 175lbs mess of a man. Stress had gotten the better of me. Enter the kung-fu ass kicking power of a head cold.
My mother came down from the hills of Klamath Falls, Oregon to see her new grandchild (Lukas Cash Bell), my brother and new mother, and help take some of the toll off of moving and driving across country. While wrapping up the odds and ends of my vast Memphis experiences, mom threw the last few things in boxes, and the cold continued to work further into my system. Moving with a cold sucks and when loading a moving truck you find out who really is your friend. I know, a lot of people had to work... it's a general statement. When people set aside time to move your personal crap from one place to another, that's friendship, brother. Thank you Thomas Eldred. You may have indeed saved my life again.
Long story short, through the wind and rain of a oddly shaped Friday afternoon storm front, we loaded the truck, repaired a window, cleaned, left a big ass pile of garbage on the back patio, and moved to the next location of furniture, boxes, and very cautiously wrapped bedroom furniture. Yes, Christine's apartment had been neatly packed in storage unit in Bartlett, TN. Another long story short, we packed up the various items with thanks to Arnold Edwards, Dayna Hinkle, Melissa Moon, Thomas, and Mom.
I spent one last evening in Bartlett with Anthony and Anita, stealing a few cigarettes, drinking Miller Light, and chatting the evening away. To hell with the cold. This was truly my last night in town and I could think of no better way to spend it than slugging down beers in a garage. For some reason, it just made sense.
In the morning I jumped in the truck with the dog and started a short drive in a very long truck to meet my brother Brady and pick up my mother. On the way there, a tire attached to the "car-tow" trailer separated and started flinging steel belted radial across the Bill Morris Parkway. People honked and pointed... yeah, I get it... problem. At least it was while I was still in Memphis and close enough to the meeting point. A minor setback... but within an hour it was fixed and I had my nose pointed west... into Arkansas. God, what was I thinking? Well, if you thought that Arkansas had long stretches of nothingness, scary little road side truck stops, and a mentality that shoes are an item from another planet... like something that would make a Family Circle comic seem like the most interesting shining diamond of the mind... then you have never seen West Texas.
See that? Imagine that picturesque nothingness for some where around 3 days of driving. Hell, that photo has a mountain in it. Okay, take the mountain away and then drive. Everytime I see vast spans of land like Texas, the nothingness of west Texas, Arizona, Utah, and Southern California I never worry about those people crammed into 300 square foot studio apartments in New York, Miami, and even beloved San Francisco. I mean, these people could grab a tent and a refrigerator box and never have to worry about being bothered ever again. We won't run out of space. We just have to import the water. Actually, if Korea or China or Vietnam or whoever the next big communist power is ever decides to attack, we can hide in west Texas. I swear, they will never look there. Wonder why we've been in Afghanistan and Iraq for so long? Take a look at the southwest. People that choose to live in areas like that will not ever die... no matter how much shit you throw at them. The ghosts of gas stations and road side diners litter the highway. There is sun bleached wood and abandoned outposts scattered for miles. It's a post-apocalyptic zombie movie and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome come to life... and all you have to do is travel I-10.
That might explain why Buddha, one of the most attention demanding dogs known to man, is passed out cold in the seat. He was bored to tears and did the smart thing... slept through the whole damn trip. Lucky him.
Now, there was a section where I had to stop by the Connolly Clan household and ask the General for permission to live with/marry his daughter. It went over amazingly well. It was a pleasant trip and a welcomed break from driving the yellow monstrosity. Towing a car behind a 26ft. long truck is draining, nerve wracking, and impossible to turn around (or parallel park for that matter).
So, once we get past Los Angles and a quick stop in Pasadena, we're back on the magical highway headed to Northern California. Oh, there's a whole bunch of nothing in Northern California too... until you get somewhere around Palo Alto and the continual stream of suburban sprawl, highways, freeways (or whatever the f#{k they're called out here), the California Highway Patrol, traffic updates, an IKEA, and a whole other mess of things that flew by the truck through the rain. Yes, it was raining when I arrived.
There is also a wonderful thing about g-mail maps. Unless you have a visual reference, the last bit of the directions are always just a bit confusing... especially when you're in a 26ft. long moving truck, towing a car... it gets old quickly. So, I get lost in the hills of San Bruno and Pacifica... wet, steep ass hills... and the truck weighs more than God. A little worried, a little scary, but I got there nonetheless.
We unpacked the truck, and spent the next three days digging towards the floor. Christine has done a fantastic job picking out the place and even painting the walls in fabulous girly colors. At least it's not pink... but I can live with it. I'm also learning to live with sharing space for things. It's easy when all of the space is yours or not yours. When you have to share, closets become very, very important. As a consolation prize I was given the garage to do with as I please. I've already set up my drum kit and look forward to having the Pacifica Police Department called on me for noise violations.

The house is in some sort of assemblage. I've just purchased a new computer for the actual working section of RUSTED SUN FILMS (WEST). It's not going to be easy or financially pleasant... but it is a necessity. Next will be things like a microphone, lights, and most importantly-- a camera. I can't exactly make an indie film without a camera now can I?
Work actually came looking for me (calling me on myh 4th day in town and asking if I could come in that week) and I actually had my first day of "new job jitters" on Friday. I was hoping to have some time off to rest from all of this self-induced madness... but it's better to have work than not have it. Tha bills gots to bees paid, yo.
So, I'll leave you with a few photos of the new digs and I'll return a little later to keep everyone updated on movie goings, west coast misadventures, music, and this whirlwind life in general. Love and miss you all... unless you're in the bay area... then you should call and stop by or invite me out. I've been here 9 days and have ventured into the city only twice... and once was for work... but the work story will have to wait for another day. Let's just say, I was thrown to the wolves. Thank God for 10 years of experience busting my ass in Memphis. I hear actually working out here is like retirement though...
One last little tid bit of information. Christine and I are official. We're engaged to be married. There are also fun little details about the event but we've got to keep a few things for ourselves. I'm sure that after the two bottles of wine, Christine called quite a few people and gave them the good news. Yeah, I might be on a leash but at least I've got a nice warm bed to sleep in, a few good meals, and expensive rent... yeah, that last one isn't my favorite thing in the world either, however, the woman is good to me, the wine is cheap, and I'm pretty damn comfortable with myself and my surroundings. It's the start of a very strange adventure. Check back in a few days for more west coast and Memphis insanity. I leave you with the photos.

This wonderful little sequence is the living room. I call it "Christine Red."

This is a look at the kitchen.

This is a composite shot of the garage area. Much work still to be done.

This is what passes for "grass" in the front yard. It's aloe vera.

This is one look at the front of the house. It's on a hill.

More photos next time kids.
-Bevan

The Discs Are In: Farewells to come...

2006-10-15T20:24:00.000-07:00

I'm having a very difficult time this week/weekend. There is an energy humming about the air... something that gives me a great amount of joy. The immediate response to these happy incarnations are that the DVD copies of DIVINE MANIPULATION OF THE THREADS are in hand and actually work this time. What is more important is that they've yet to show a flaw!! Yes, the mystery glitch has been defeated and the film, commentary, and DVD extras all magically come to life the way they were intended. The man that made all of this happen deserves 1000 thanks. Trai Forrester. For those of you that want to avoid the chaos that took "us" for a ride, then contact Trai for more information. He can be located through www.dvdverification.com . It's well worth it.
Anthony, Brad, and I will have discs on hand to shell out at $10 a pop. We're still working on re-vamping the Official Rusted Sun Films website so that those of you that aren't in the immediate area can order a copy of the disc through a secure sales site. Hopefully you'll be able to order them via the internet soon. For those of you that are in Memphis and would like to purchase a copy, please feel free to e-mail us at bevan@rustedsunfilms.com, anthony@rustedsunfilms.com, or brad@rustedsunfilms.com
I'll be sending the film out on the festival circuit very soon. I don't want to miss any dates or deadlines. I know that Nashville's deadline is creeping over the horizon... and I have to get the screeners, paperwork, and money in before it's too late. This film is too good not to give it a decent chance at running.
It also brings me to the first of a handful of sad notes. Many of you know that Indie Memphis took place this weekend and continues on through the week. We weren't invited to play this year. I was invited to a "Indie Memphis Opening Night Afterparty" by a friend of mine who actually has a film in the festival. I'm acting in the film, so why not, right? Plus it was two blocks from my house. There were a fair amount of people there, everyone talked film and bullcrap. I got to say hello to a few friends. Indie Memphis used to be my favorite festival. They had always made "us" (Rusted Sun Films) feel welcome. They made us feel like we were on the path of doing something. Unfortunately this year all of that changed. I didn't even get a "hello" or a nod from those involved with running the festival. Of course, maybe they didn't recognize me... it was night. For those that did decide to talk to me... thank you... I had a good time.
The second sad note is that my moving date is growing closer and closer. My home is a wreck of boxes and scattered hodge-podge that hasn't found a box or other method of cross country transportation. I've sold a good deal of my worldly belongings for a fist full of dollars. I sit in my mother's antique rocking chair and become bored... a little depressed... thinking of my friends... fearing the struggles that will tear at my head and heart. I'm leaving a job that I've worked at for 10 years. I basically grew up there. I'm leaving friends that have shown me what it means to be a "real" friend. I'm leaving behind my beloved Memphis, a dirty little curbside that has been my home for 20 years. These manic swings and slides that I thought had disappeared some 5 years ago have returned... if only for a moment... or two to three weeks.
I'm going to miss this place... and it's just starting to dawn on me. It reminds me of when I was 8 years old and left Kansas for Mississippi. The small Kansas town of Halstead (and various parts of Wichita) is all I had known. It was heartbreaking. I'm doing the same thing at the age of 29... except for this time I'm doing it of my own accord. This is my birth into adulthood. I guess you can't be a 30 year old boy forever.
Although this is still in the "pre-production stages," Anthony and I have talked about expansion. With all good intentions, Christine and I will be heading up Rusted Sun Films (West). I'm currently fumbling my way through writing another script and there will have to be some equipment purchases in the near future... but Rusted Sun Films will eventually have a West Coast Office... and I'm proud to say that I will be able to remain a part of this great thing that we've built.
I'm sure I'll think of something more to say at another point. However, I'm kind of tapped at the moment. This whirlwind of life is currently knocking the breath out of me. At least TCM was playing TOUCH OF EVIL. There will be more to come soon.

The DVD skinny: Great Things to Come

2006-09-22T01:01:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's been a while... so I'll try to be as brief and to the point as humanly possible. Our man in Pennsylvania, Trai Forrester has compiled all of the necessary data, tricks, and trades so that this project will finally come to the flickering light of home theater. The kudos I have to give this man for his dilligence, determination, and humanitarian effort are far too lengthy to plug on this particular blog. There will be a point in which I spill my love of Trai... but for now I will spare you. Let's just say that without him, this project may have become lodged in a realm of binary DVD coded 1's and 0's hell with no hope of escape. Lucky for us, that is not the case.

Trai shipped off a DLT (Digital Linear Tape) copy of the movie so that we could then send it off to be replicated once again. I've never seen a DLT... for they seem to be a virtual anomaly in Memphis. It's an interesting little black box that holds all of the hopes and dreams of a local Memphis filmmaker... and from what I have been told and my eyes have been able to decode through the pages of an Eclipse report, we should be golden. I have no reason to doubt, that this time, that we will get the product we have so desperately chased across the fruitless indie plain. DIVINE MANIPULATION OF THE THREADS will finally be coming to a DVD that we can hand out, sell at $10 a pop, and ship off to Indie festivals around the country. I have not recieved the final prints... but I feel good. For all of you out there in the processes of compiling a DVD, I highly - HIGHLY - recommend sending it to Trai Forrester for verification (www.dvdverification.com). This guy knows more about DVDs than the people making professional grade DVDs. As a matter of fact... they go to him. So, if you care about your babies... it's worth the extra step. I know that next time 'round I will go to Trai first. And, with all of that siad... he's a pretty cool cat.

Anyway... festivals. I'm hoping to send our stuff out to the Nashville film festival (if I haven't screwed it and missed the submission date). There is no way in hell to guarantee that it will be involved with any festival (though I have a hard time fathoming why it couldn't be) but Nashville would be a treat. You see, the Nashville Film Festivals has made a name for itself over the past few years. This "name" is why we could face some stiff competition. Now, festivals, as a whole, do have a tendency to show some off-the-cuff and rough-around-the-edges kind of material. As you know, DIVINE, is polished and ready for it's close up. With that said, we will soon begin the much needed festival push... for if no one knows that the film is even on the blurry horizon, then there is no chance in hell that your "delicate little film" will make a cough - much less a boom. Oh, and though I have not heard a definite "yes" or "NO," I still do not think that we will be invited to screen at Indie Memphis.

The word is that the DVD will take 2 to 2 and 1/2 weeks to come back to us. How's my timing for jumping into the middle of the Christmas rush? I will do my best to keep all of those interested parties up to date on the progress of our third attempt at pressing a disc. Be it myspace or e-mails or random meetings at bars... we will let you know. I'm desperately hoping that it comes home to us before I take the long and winding roads to join my lovely Christine in glorious San Fran.

There is more than likely a party taking place in the weeks to come. I hope that all of you can make it. We need a fantastic "roast-like" shin dig to send me off with laughter and smiles. I dearly love and appreciate all of you. We've still got a small window of time. Let's make the best of it.

-B

Just When You Think No One Is Paying Attention: Entry 105

2006-08-29T21:46:00.000-07:00

It always happens when you least expect it. With my little internet portal connected to various local filmmakers and affiliates, there are (I only assume here...) a few people that stop by, cop-a-squat, and read this diatribe from time to time. Apparently, in an fit of "local nobody frustration" and "DVD post-post production hell", I mentioned something that actually sparked the fire behind a comment or two. Amazing. I'm not even using my charismatic sarcastic charm here normally reserved for those asinine postings about apologies to Martin Scorsese. I'm actually shocked that someone left a meaningful and pointed comment.
The details are about Indie Memphis, our favorite local film festival. I (perhaps prematurely - as noted) made mention about the possibility of exclusion from the local film festival, and how some relationships seem to reach around the normal gauntlet of film festival acceptance procedures for a sure thing screening.
(To read the short blurb and responses click here):
http://rustedsunfilms.blogspot.com/2006/07/frustration-entry-102.html#comments
If I offended anyone, I apologize. The comments were not meant to be hurtful... just an observation that had sparked comment from several local filmmakers in Memphis, as it has been a point of desired clarity over the years. It should also be noted that Indie Memphis is not the only local film festival that takes a previously screened local movie into that area of consideration/thanks-for-playing. We all want our babies to be seen... and we all have to play by the rules. That's the way the festival game is played.
A COWBOY'S SILVER LINING, was the first film to sell out a screening at Indie Memphis in it's then 7 year run. It was a thrill. I think that everyone involved in that cinematic adventure was tingling with excitement having viewed the long-stretched line that turned the corner. I am proud to have been involved in that. I felt bad for the people that had to be turned away. I think that there are still some people that haven't seen the film because of the screening being sold out that night (not to say that they didn't have ample opportunity further down the road).
ACT ONE, another local film, pulled off a sold out screening last year and went home as the festival's sweethearts. They made a great film. I'm also proud of them and have made great relationships with those filmmakers.
You can sell out seats at a film festival. Being local certainly helps. Like anything involved with film - be it financing, hiring actors, garnering locations, borrowing equipment, marketing, or pushing the screeners out to festivals - there is an amazing amount of politics involved. Politics require relationships. Although as "politicians" we may not see eye-to-eye on every occasion, there are times where we need each other's vote to get something done. I've seen it happen. Local government is one of the most draining and frustrating things I've had to cover in my 10 years of local news. There are times where I wish I could have stolen those precious hours of my life back... but I digress.
Truthfully, (and again I may be speaking/writing out of turn here), I don't think that DIVINE MANIPULATION OF THE THREADS made the cut this year. We should know sometime in September. After sending out the screener, I realized that the DVD copy I mailed off for consideration had trailers and sponsor cards attached to the front end of the disc. Knowing what little I do about the pre-screening festival process... that would have been an instant eject from the player. So, in a rush to make a limited deadline, I probably screwed that one up.
It's not the end of the world.
Our DVD is still being mastered, by the master Trai Forrester - himself. I do know that when all is said and done with this DVD debacle, we will have paid out more than a fair share of money and will have a DVD that will definitely work. However, at this point it's still a waiting game to see when we'll get all of the discs back. Fun huh? Welcome to my personal hell.
Look, for all of you that actually give a crap... sorry if things written were taken personally. Filmmakers vent. Normally people don't pay them any attention. If we end up being involved in the festival, fantastic. I know a hell of a lot of people that will come out and see the film... a lot of them still want copies of the movie, yes... I know... I'm trying. If we're not in the run of things... I guess we'll have to work on our relationships.
On the other hand, we're still in the running for all of the 2007 feature festivals (with a few exceptions). I guess not getting the damn things finished until Feb. of 2006 helped us out. Man, that was a long time ago. And to think, we've got to figure out a goodbye party before too long.
-B

A Public Apology to Marty Scorsese: Entry 104

2006-08-24T12:23:00.000-07:00

My valued vacation time spent in the Fall temperatures of a San Francisco summer has given pass to finally calm the torrents of tedious work and sleep deprivation. I have enjoyed the weather. I have enjoyed the realms of making plans that involve "no plans." For today (Thursday) my only plans involve traveling to Coit Liquor, purchasing a bottle of 6 dollar wine, a small triangle of sharp cheese, and walking directly across the street into Washington park to "drink with the bums and pidgeons." My own little Kerouac dream in the shadows of City Lights Books. Sounds fantastic, no? Well these are the last few vacation days of my roaring twenties. There are some that would openly state in astonishment, "Pffft, you're under 30? You have nothing to complain about." Well, do not misunderstand me good knight... I am not making complaints of gray hairs and old age (today anyway). I have to take this small moment of clear-headed opportunity to give accolades to a grand mind of film and the arts.
Martin Scorsese has bled scenes from films that have been wiped away by a handkercheif and tossed into the garbage that fair far better than the majority of crap that has been slung across the silver screen throughout the last 15 years. However, Marty has never won the love of the golden boy, Oscar. It's a shame, truly. There was a time when I thought Mr. Scorsese's time had come and gone... that the fantastic creative genius that he polished with RAGING BULL, GOODFELLAS, and TAXI DRIVER had been passed over and had stiffled somewhere on the rough and rugged path.
When seated in the theaters of my youth, I shook with excitement when BRINGING OUT THE DEAD was the next greatest project from Martin. We thought that it would be in a similar vein to TAXI DRIVER. This, unfortunately, was not the case. Although it was a film splashed with genius and humor, it was no TAXI DRIVER. I had truly hoped that that GANGS OF NEW YORK would be a masterful violent return to Scorsese's previous roots. Unfortunately, I felt that Martin's hope and love of Leonardo DiCaprio was perhaps overzealous. Leo, though a talented actor (at times - like the picture that I'm watching right now, ROMEO AND JULIET) didn't bring it home for me. Thank God, Daniel Day Lewis took time off from beign a shoe cobbler to actually put some decent acting in that film. My argument states that Martin was either slipping, didn't get as much out of the pictures as he was putting in, or had bloated his budgets to the point that the keen and sharp vision of his films had become a milky cloud of mediocrity.
His last film, THE AVIATOR, I skipped. I just didn't think that it was going to be worth the time and effort of sitting through a period piece/biopic. It also called on Leo to once again carry the film. I just let it slip on by without a further thought.
There were conversations that pointed the various elements of the film and whether or not it was true Scorsese material. Time went on and I still did not watch the film.
While in San Fran, I sat down during a late evening and finally watched THE AVIATOR. Martin, I'm sorry. I apologize for all of the ill comments that may have passed my lips about your film or film making ability. THE AVIATOR is a fine movie. I actually enjoyed it. Now, it was not the kind of element that stuck to the ribs as did your previous films. However, the sets were expansive and seemingly expensive. I did notice the CGI but it did not distract so far as to pull me out of the film. Even Leo's acting seemed to fall into place. Kate Blanchett's turn as Katherine Hepburn was frighteningly realistic. So, well done, my good man. Well done.
With this said, and hopefully accepted with a smile and proverbial handshake... I would like to add that I dearly look forward to your next film, THE DEPARTED. Even though it is a twist on a "Hong Kong remake" I will see it opening night. I love Hong Kong Cinema... and from what I've seen of the trailer, Nicholson f#(king rocks. Now, Leo should do fine... Damon will more than likely keep it interesting... but Nicholson... I'm impressed with what I've seen on a two minute trailer my good man...
So, kudos. We might have to talk about this later though. If you need to reach me... perhaps sending a message through the Steely Dan website will work. Apparently they've had some success with Wes Anderson.

-B

The Man In Charge Of The Broken Circus

2006-08-07T12:38:00.000-07:00

I wanted to take a small break from the woes and wisdom of the Rusted Sun Films DVD/Independent movement struggle... and share with you a bright shining moment that had taken place exactly one week ago.

Let's just start this whimsical little conversation with a short statement of fact. Tom Waits is an eclectic talent that is either loved in the extreme measures that are usually reserved for those celebrities that grace the cover of grocery aisle magazines -OR- he is despised by the types that prefer to learn about "music" through a weeknight telecast of American 'Idle'.
Okay, are you with me? On the same page? Good. Now sit down with a tin cup, a bottle of whiskey, and I'll relay the story of a heat-dipped Memphis night that melted down the glass and steel like the fires of the underworld had clawed it's way through the pavement. Hell had not frozen over... the broken carnival of Tom Waits just remembered a spot on the side of the highway where they left a baby. That little child had been raised by wolves and waited for the return of his brethren... finally they had returned. (Christine had also decidedly taken a 'perhaps misguided' opportunity to return to Memph-o for the show. I suppose that was an added bonus for me).
On Friday August 4th, the long awaited reappearance of a minstrel in scare-crow form stretched an ominous shadow across a cemetery drape stage curtain. The hanging arms were raised through a tidal wave of glorious screams and chants that easily could have been mistaken for a locomotive attempting to stop on a dime. Dressed in what would have appeared to be "grave-digging-attire" Tom grabbed the microphone and growled through an opening rendition of Singapore. The mad-capped night had begin to sling sweat like a Filipino hooker dancing for her next John. A smile stretched so far across my skull that I was certain my teeth would rocket out of my head like poison darts into the backs of necks of the sonic-shaken fans seated directly infront of me.
The Orpheum was a can of Albacore Tuna in oil. Everything seemed to slip and slide through familiar songs of Tom Waits yore as well as a fist full of rumbled tunes from his latest album, REAL GONE. At a spot set aside for breathing room, Tom turned to the knights keeping musical vigilance just behind the brim of his bent and busted hat and with the wink of an eye, the troupe took leave stage left. As they slowly melted into the blood red curtains they left a void. It was an awkward moment that seemed to mimic the silence just before a junkyard dog viciously attacks. The dark empty spaces were only to be replaced by a piano that received an overzealous series of wall rumbling wails... rivaling that to the monstrous human chorus that greeted Tom, himself.
Tom tinkled through a few stories, switched his gravel chewed voice from 4-wheel drive to a soft and subtle 1st gear... either that or decided to take a half rusted muffler from an old Dodge Rambler and attached with duct tape to his vocal chords.
For some it marked the memories of a familiar bartop setting... a stretch back to the piano ballad past that Tom was most known for. Instead of the Cuban shouts and hacks of a literal blues explosion, they could slide headfirst into fond memories of strings, sad piano swoons, and blurred midnight drunks. I truly believe that the asshole next to me needed this little interlude. There were a couple of body odorous Midtown hippies that needed to get up and leave a few of times during the show. The seating in the Orpheum does not leave any room for such antics. Now, when one has to visit the lavatory or perhaps quickly run up/down a flight of antique carpeted stairs for another Jack and Coke, the entire aisle has to raise from their seats so that said person(s) can follow their desire. The man seated one over from my left (next to Christine) became vocally agitated with these two individuals and (I believe) threatened to crush their skulls. It was getting out of hand, even for a bearded self-obsessed prick. I do remember at one point that the man stated, "I paid 77 Dollars a piece for these tickets." Yeah, so did everyone else. I would have given you 10 Dollars to shut the f#({ up.
Anyway...
The night poured on, the piano took a bow and the band returned for a continued stomp through the tales of greasy spoons and the eternal search for a truly bad cup of coffee. Eventually, Tom took his leave... a small teasing moment of pleasure just before an encore return. However, his son, Casey Waits, who had been clamoring behind the drums all night did not return. I suspect that it has something to do with the song just before they left the stage. It appeared that the young Mr. Waits jumped the gun on a return during GOIN' OUT WEST. I was seated in the balcony and I could tell that it caught 'ol pa's attention.
So they finished up the two hour night with a ten minute version of SINS OF THE FATHER took off his hat, smiled a devilish smile, wiggled a finger or two, and left his screaming fans dearly desiring more.
The young boy sat in the crowd, fighting tears. His family had come home... but only for a short time. After all of the clank, boom, and steam he had found that he wasn't left by mistake. He was a gift from those that felt it necessary to share their vision with the world. His mission was to spread the word, to share the misadventure, and to bring us all into salvation. It was a big hat to fill. He remembered the fateful words shared on stage, "We'll do this again... We'll definitely do something again. But like I told you last time... save your money." And with that, the tears dried, a smile returned... and the adventure continues

-B

Frustration: Entry 102

2006-07-27T14:52:00.000-07:00

If you carefully examine the expression on my face in the partnering photo you'll see a forced smile, a deep inhale, gritted teeth, and the hinted sweats of a boiling rage. I haven't taken any photos that could pleasantly display the frustration that has been pouring out of me like a broken water main... So this is as close as I could get without dousing an object (animate or inanimate) with a highly corrosive/flammable liquid crushing it's skull (or something resembling a skull), dismembering said object, and setting it ablaze... Then perhaps running over it with a car. Get where I'm going here?
I understand, or at least I've been told, that someone is checking and double checking our second attempt at getting DIVINE MANIPULATION OF THE THREADS pressed to DVD. Second? Yeah, the first came back with a glitch... all 1000 copies. The following day I called our contact and told him of the unfortunate news. He said that he would get back on it and find out where the problem came from. After three weeks of going back and forth through phonecalls and bullshit, our contact finally said that "we" were going to take a different route. You see, the company that pressed the discs didn't want to take responsibility for the mistake. They wanted to play games and wait it out. They wanted to blame us for a problem with our master disc but kept saying that they wanted to run tests on our master disc to find out where the problem lay. We requested numerous times to send back our master... because there was no f-ing way in hell that there was a problem with our master disc. They didn't send it back, they kept screwing around.
Sound like a lawsuit? Yeah. I'm thinking that the Better Business Bureau might be a good path. Never pre-pay for a project... because once people are paid, it's a little difficult to motivate them to fix a mistake on their end. Now that we're having to get the project done again, there is a dance taking place in the grand ballroom of trust and money. You see, somewhere in this dance I felt a tug on my belt... as if someone were trying to steal my pants and screw me. The rumor that has been danced around is an issue of having to pay more money for a job that we've already paid for... a job that was not done correctly. It's bad business and this nice guy routine that I've been known for in the past is really starting to wear thin.
This is my baby... our project. This is something that people have been waiting to get their hands on for some time... and we're getting screwed around because some f#9{sticks in Chicago made a mistake and don't want to take responsibility. The movie was released in April. It's almost August. WTF? Perhaps the picture is no longer doing this steaming pot of frustration an ounce of justice...
I did submit DIVINE MANIPULATION OF THE THREADS to the Indie Memphis Film Festival through www.withoutabox.com . It's a helpful little sight that offers an electronic press-kit and easy processing. I'm certainly hoping that as "local boys" we are allowed in the competition. A while back there were some talks about Indie Memphis not letting in films that have previously screened in Memphis.
Um, every project from Sawed-Off Collaboratory or the Media Co-op was screened before their involvement with the festival. Hell, the "L'il Film Fest" short film winners (which are screened publicly at the L'il Film Fest) are guaranteed to be showcased at the Indie Memphis Film Festival. Let's not be hypocrites, okay? If you don't like the film... fine. If you exclude local Memphis films from Indie Memphis I think that you start burning bridges and treating those that actually put asses in seats during the festival like bastard step children. I don't think that we should start excluding local filmmakers because they've taken it upon themselves to have a premiere... but I may be getting ahead of myself.

On another note: I did see A SCANNER DARKLY and CLERKS II. The first was not that fascinating. The rotoscoping animation was perhaps the best part of the film. Transferring a book of that nature that gets so far in your head into a successful feature film is not an easy task. I wonder if they shot the film and had to find some way to make people want to go see it... sober people that is. From what I remember of the "Old Bevan" days of yore, that would have been a trippy ass film to watch while on mushrooms or some other psychotropic hallucinogenic. CLERKS II on the other hand was a healthy dose of Kevin Smith's gross out humor. I laughed a lot. However, remember that dance scene in "DIVINE?" Yeah, there's a dance scene in CLERKS II... for no apparent reason other than being odd and funny. So, I didn't steal the idea from Kevin Smith. I want that known and on the record.
Who needs a drink? Oh, the official Rusted Sun Films website is in the works for a make-over. I'll try to keep you kids posted on when the hell that will actually happen. Sometime when we have the discs I'm sure. There should be other festivals to submit to as well... when I get the 1000 discs back.

Film Reviews, DVD Update: Entry 101

2006-07-06T08:38:00.000-07:00

Okay kiddies, now that I'm playing the lonesome bachelor I've taken it upon myself to make the time to see the films that I couldn't have viewed while the girlfriend was in town. No, not porn you pinheads... Simply films (be they Indie or Studio off-shoots) that I wouldn't have normally been able to convince the girlfriend to otherwise join me in watching -- without kicking or screaming or favors that would slowly murder a small chunk of my soul in gut wrenching exchange (ie: girlie movies with names like FAILURE TO LAUNCH or THE LAKE HOUSE... but I might actually see THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA because Anne Hathaway is quite attractive... but that's another story for another time). So with this rare opportunity of available time held steady in the sights of somewhat meaningless disposal, I have chosen to meander through the fields of media consumption for the "Indie" road less traveled. There are other ways to spend the day. I could be reading my new "Story" book (that is supposed to help a poor screenwriter understand the delicate workings of a GOOD story -- As opposed to the relentless loads of Hollywood crap that has been developed and given the greenlight over the past few decades). I could have also been using this time to develop such said screenplay into characters, archplots, miniplots, negative/positive change, and all of the little elements that will, with all good hope, make my next little working something that people will care about. I decided that there still had to be some inspiration left out there in this world of film mediocrity and I surfed through the showtimes to find something to whet the cranium. Last night, I scheduled myself to make time to see the film BRICK.
I remember hearing rumblings around the film festival circuit when this film first came out. Of course, as I've been reading and learning all about the various processes that help to get a film distributed, I understand that any word coming out of Sundance (or any other major festival for that matter) should be taken with a shovel of salt. As Sundance is commonly viewed as the pinnacle of Independent Film success, it should also be understood that there is a fair amount of "shoveling" that spills into the streets, trade magazines, and hype squarely intended on getting people to get "hot" about any particular film. There are people that get paid by the hour to shovel the word.
The word was thrown around in various forms of clever genius... a film noir adventure that captures the audience... etc. etc. I'm kind of partial to the whole film noir movement, so that particular mound of wordplay caught my attention. There was one little mixture in this formula that made it stand out like a Freshman with a pair of speed-flung nunchaku... They took the classical film noir detective mystery and set it against the backdrop of a modern day high school. Hmmm... Well it could work. At least, it would be something different. I mean, it couldn't be any worse that LUCKY NUMBER SLEVIN (which was the first film that made me seriously think of getting up out of my seat, walking to the ticket counter, and woefully asking for my money back. -- I've NEVER walked out of a film, mind you... but LUCKY NUMBER SLEVIN and BOONDOCK SAINTS came damn close to breaking the chains of respective restraint).
Amazingly enough, it wasn't half bad. BRICK was shot well. The dialogue was pulled directly from an old film noir film, which is what made the whole "High School Setting" a little less than palatable. When a rebel high school student is "playing it cool" with Vice Principal Richard Roundtree, they exchange dialogue that only a Private Detective and a Police Captain would chew up and spit out across a shadowy office in the 1950's (daddy-o).
It's an interesting concept. Take a classic film noir in the vein of CHINATOWN or A TOUCH OF EVIL -- Then work up the script with clever dialogue and catchy neo-noir words. I'm sure the script was taken to a studio and someone said, "This will never work. People won't come out to see the movie. Film Noir is dead. 14 year old girls control the world. They have all of the money, they convince boys to pay for movies. Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake have made a killing off of this age demographic. Make a movie that teenagers will watch."
There is a terrible white sheet of fear that washes over someone after hearing words like that. But it can be fixed. "Okay, lets take the ultimate cool of film noir and put it in a high school with drugs, kingpins, murder, deception, and a kid that plays detective so damn well that he can't be stopped. Shit, man, don't you remember how the 80's blew up with 21 JUMPSTREET?"
And that's the best description I can mash together... take a fist full of CHINATOWN, half a cup of 21 JUMPSTREET, add the kid from 3rd ROCK FROM THE SUN, the chick from LOST, mix, and serve.
Other than some situations taking place around a bunch of high school kids (thus making the scenario a little too hard to believe -- But then again what the hell did STAR WARS have going for it if not a level of detachment?)... I enjoyed the film. I really enjoyed the music. It is clever. It will probably catch on to be a cult classic and the video sales will go through the roof. Hell, I'll more than likely end up buying a copy. However, I still have to pick up KISS KISS, BANG BANG and THE MATADOR. They may not be great films... but I haven't seen them and Christine can't yell at me for purchasing them from 3000 miles away. If you get a chance or some free time away from the girlfriend (unless she's into Indie film)... see BRICK. I'll more than likely catch PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN this weekend too. I can't help it Johnny Depp is a talent that cannot be contained and Kiera Knightly makes my heart twist in a state of flux.

So, want some updates on the progress of the DIVINE MANIPULATION OF THE THREADS DVD? So would I. I understand that the people that glass mastered and pressed the disc are of the opinion that the problem is on "our" end. It's been said that the master we sent them is the root of the problem. I don't necessarily believe it... I'll have to wait until Monday to see for myself. That could be a major problem. So, keep waiting. I hope to have this ass chapping debacle behind us soon enough. It's helping me find religion. I know that there are several people that want to purchase a copy. I want to sell them to you. I just have to make sure that the thing we're selling isn't a waste. A "skip" in the movie is not acceptable. Film festivals won't accept it and neither should you... or I... Well, it's hurry up and wait from here. Until next time...
-B

The Learning Curve: The 100th RSFblog post!

2006-06-15T14:12:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I clicked on an external link from the world renowned Internet Movie DataBase (www.imdb.com). The link read something along the lines of "What to Do Once You've Made That Movie." "Surely this is fate," I thought. So I traveled across the digital domains and read a one page blurb about how this book will help the aspiring film makers of the future. There was a quote about how there were "So many great films that are made and never get seen." "I know exactly what you mean!" I thought. I wanted to make sure that DIVINE MANIPULATION OF THE THREADS was in fact one of the exceptions to the rule... that people would see this film, that it would be available for the public to pick up, that it would be screened at festivals around the country, win awards and the love of various film making communities, and that Memphis would be able to add another Cinderella Story to the books. Yes, we'd all love to be the ones that catch a windfall break -- changing our toad-like pre-film "nobody" status to being invited to the grand ball, freebies, and the respect of those that never knew we even existed (like wearing a $2000 new outfit to Sundance, and being crowned the king of the festival).

Well, I think that we're all painfully aware that events of the previously mentioned "dreamland" don't happen. There is a lot of hard work, a lot of pimping out your movie to the press (and anyone else that will listen), and a team of individuals that spends day and night getting your precious little film into the hands, hearts, and minds of the "right people." Of course, I don't know how in the hell to do that... and I'm realizing that as everyone with access to a camera, microphone, and a half-baked idea is flooding the marketplace with "no-budget Indie films," I'm not the only one with a desire and/or lack of knowledge about getting a movie MADE (Not finished through months of post-production but "made" like a slack-jawed Wiseguy/GoodFella from Jersey). You don't just make a movie and get scooped up. This book lets you know what you need to know and even gives you a couple of companies/people to look up and help you on the way. Now with that said, it will cost money to hire these people (unless someone falls so in love with your film that they have decided to champion it across the pitfalls of connections, make a phone call to make sure it's at the top of the 200 tape high pile sitting on someone's floor, or even grease the wheels of a 'friendly' movie critic -- and then win the hearts of buyers that are excited enough to offer you something -- with the understanding that you should have a Production Representative or Entertainment Lawyer to seal the deal for you). You can't do it alone. It should be no surprise that the business is all WHO YOU KNOW... and subsequently who THEY know and who THEY can get it to.

The book does help but it is a conundrum of rules that are exceptions to the rule. You see, the entire industry is an exception. The book states through a series of success stories and interviews that, "Your film has to speak for itself," but it doesn't hurt if someone influential is speaking for it. The best results come from getting your film into Sundance... but if Sundance doesn't put it into competition then there are other "major" festivals that can be just as good (Toronto, Cannes, Berlin, Telluride). Oh, and if it does get into Sundance it may not get the best screening time or it may be in one of the "off shoot" categories (and if it is in one of those categories, odds are no one will pay attention to it... unless you've had a press screener and someone wrote a favorable review). There are a lot of "This Works" but it can also burn you -- Or there's no way in hell it will happen this way, but THIS FILM FROM 1996 MAGICALLY PULLED IT OFF.

Long story short. It's a helpful book. Unfortunately in a world of following the rules the only true way to success is breaking the rules... so there really shouldn't be any rules, right? Wrong. Confused? Good. Next, up I'm reading "Story" because I've got to find another screenplay under my skin somewhere. A great screenplay is apparently the best way to get a film noticed. An original screenplay is even better. I read something the other day... make the movie that you want to make... but make it from deep within yourself. Tell a good story. So, I'm working on that... I can start the script, I just don't know where I'm going with it yet.

However, Rusted Sun Films has decided on it's next project. Unfortunately, I (Bevan) may be championing Rusted Sun Films West for a while. The rumors are true. I will be leaving Memphis-town before the end of the year. When will I be back? Don't know. Will I continue to work on films here? Yes, when situations allow. Will I invite a few of our brethren out to SF to act and create a movie on the other side of the country? Yes. Will they come? Don't know. Regardless, I'll have to swing that way for a while because of the love of a woman. How's that for a story? Been done you say?! Yeah, well here's the kicker... it's a surprise ending... because for the first time in my life, I'm pretty sure that I have no f-ing clue as to what I'm doing.

There will be a Christine's Going-Away/Birthday/DVD Release Party planned for July 1st. I don't have the location yet. I'll keep all of you updated.

So, if the pages change a little bit in the not-so-distant future (like the title changing to Rusted Sun Films 'West' - although the web address will have to stay the same) don't be shocked. The funny thing about life is that events aren't permanent unless you make them that way. I'm still here for a while... I've got a movie to pimp.

Momma said knock you out

2006-05-29T16:39:00.000-07:00

It was a steamy Saturday afternoon in Bartlett, Tennessee. Long, arduous hours had been spent twisted in a battle of wits... Man vs. Machine, Art vs. Technology. Neither side would give an inch of ground as the Earth stressed and tore beneath them. Finally, something slipped. Perhaps, the computer wasn't paying attention... Or perhaps after weeks of delivering and absorbing disastrous, destructive blows the processor had finally made the decision to throw in the towel and let the feeble humans take some joy in their small victory... Or perhaps the binary Gods that lingered somewhere in the electronic hum of the "great unknown" took pity upon those poor souls that had prayed and troubled over such a silly thing as a movie. We may never know what happened or why this bright burst of change had taken place. One thing is certain, Bevan and Anthony have won the match. After months of slaving away, the DVD problems (amid the home studio) have been solved and Rusted Sun Film's second feature film DIVINE MANIPULATION OF THE THREADS can now be sent off to be duplicated, wrapped up, and made available to all of you. Within two or three weeks, we should have the DVDs. There are extras. There is new artwork. There is a love to share all of this with all of you and it is now finally possible!
I admit, when the infamous "layer break" issue had finally been solved I jumped into the air and came crashing down with "Hi-fives," joyous cheers, and middle fingers pressed firmly into the invisible barrier between the computer and the downstairs television.
"I beat you Motherf#({er," I screamed in delight. "I beat you." I smiled a painfully stretched grin of pure pleasure. The underdog had taken the heavyweight down. My eyes were wide and sparkled with psychosis. It was done. It was finally done.
So there was a knockout in round five. The count is still slowly coming across and we are waiting to see if the computer is going to get up to deal a few more blows (because in my daydream world of movies and technology time doesn't operate the way that it's supposed to... which might offer a small explanation for the extraordinarily long delay).
Yes, I realize that with the film's premiere release at Malco Studio on the Square and the subsequent release of the DVD actually works out to about 3 months-- The standard time of operation between films that actually have budgets and then a distribution release. However, I have learned that when films do come out, they don't always comply to a 3 month period between releases. I'm still waiting on the DVD release of Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang and The Matador. Don't even get me started on why Brick hasn't even played here yet. Maybe we'll have a DVD release party where everyone can meet with the filmmakers and cast, get things signed, make-out in a dark corner, possibly have a few drinks, and... oh yeah... pick up a copy of the movie. I'll keep you informed of how it goes. It's not too far away. Start taking your orders down on slips of paper. They're going to be priced to move. I'll have to make sure I can give correct change in return.

-B

over the millionth hurdle and into the pond...

2006-05-25T19:49:00.000-07:00

I will make one small admission. There are times when I prepare for battle against an unknown foe knowing that I am going to lose the first few rounds. I have heart. It's the only thing that keeps me taking punches to the nose. Who is this invisible foe that strikes from the darkness with sucker-punched glee? A f-ing computer. I read. I study. I have discussions with intelligent and well versed individuals on subjects that are meant to teach, enlighten, and spread the secret experiences behind the post-production hell of making a film with little (or NO) budget. I have spent a great deal of time hacking and chopping my way through the thick-wet crunches of "group of images" and layer break calculation coding. Much like the search for Solomon's Gold, there is the constant draw and hope that treasure is hiding beneath an unturned rock. After spending $125 on Dual Layer disks and laying them to waste as drink coasters at five dollars a pop, we have had a break through. Anthony put some money down for a new burner... Low-and-behold the madness!!! We are now capable of burning dual layer DVDs! Yes, there is a fabled light at the end of the edit bay. However, this light has pulled another small issue out of the digital muddled darkness and brought it to feast before the eyes. Apparently layer breaks pause for about a second while in transition. This I know. There has to be a small amount of time in which the laser readjusts so that it can read the information off of "Layer1" (as opposed to Layer 0-- stupid binary codes)... and that switching between layers causes the video and audio to pause for about a second (or half-a-second).

That small gap is too long for my taste... especially when the computer decides that it wants to put this layer break in the middle of a piece of dialogue or some other inappropriate segement that jars the senses and stops all elements of spatial enjoyment. The pause comes off looking like an unintentional glitch and I do not wish to simply "settle" with a layerbreak pause when we have spent so much time and effort to make this film as perfect as possible. So, we continue to burn disks at five dollars a pop until we can find a reasonable point of agreement with the computer. You see... the program doesn't like where I want to put the layer break. We've tried manually placing the break at several points. Most films find a fade to black or entail some kind of transition that appears to be seamless when the layer switch is made. I haven't found that "easy" transition yet. It's just not working right. So I argue with the computer and ask it "Why computer? Why won't you let me put the layer break where it will go unnoticed? Why won't you just work with me a little and stop wasting these precious disks? Why won't you listen to reason?" There is no answer. I want to take those 1's and 0's and stick them sideways up it's USB port. It's like arguing with a cat.

That's pretty much the latest update. We're burning money, burning disks (that actually do work... just not like I want them to), and burning a little more time before we write someone a $1700 check for 1000 DVDs. Trust me, the film will be on DVD soon. I'll be glad when it's in someone else's hands... because I'm tired of trying to get the damn thing out of the computer. Well... we can get it out of the computer, just like you can take a child to the grocery store... but I want to avoid a half-naked DVD screaming around the feminine hygiene product aisle... or maybe I can use that as an advertising ploy. Okay, maybe that's not a good analogy. By the end of next week we'll have the answer.

-B

No solution/ Music fest/Will Oldham

2006-05-07T15:57:00.000-07:00

When there is no immediate solution to a problem, odds are I (we - Anthony and I) continue to slave away at the brick wall towering overhead with clenched jaws, determination, and a genuine vibrant mind full of ideas. We try to imagine that there is always some logical solution to a problem... even if we don't understand it completely (or have the apparent programming knowledge in which to bypass a certain problematic element of DVD structure). Still, we slave on... day after day... night after night. We make phonecalls, e-mail friends and colleagues, and post little love notes on the Adobe forums that beg and plead for help. Somewhere around Friday afternoon, Anthony and I both decided to give up trying until Monday. With all of this stress and frustration that cannot be pointed toward a physical element (in which to smash into little pieces, in my case) we respectively decided to give it a rest for two days... rest the brain... slip away from the doldrums of work and the work week... and well... just drink.
So, Friday night Christine and I went down to the muddy-trampled riverside with the rest of the beer-soaked cretins. I have to say that I've had my fair share of inebriated reverie while listening to the not-so-satisfying live sounds of a Memphis in May hand picked band. Well, turning a few years older and not entering the park until after 10pm is quite a different sight to behold. The curbs were littered with drooling half-awake drunkards... full from a day of heat, rain, and a steady regimen of pot and beer. Kids, rednecks, adults... small children... it was quite sobering for a person that had a few gin and tonics at a high class eatery earlier in the evening. I wasn't fall-over-and-puke drunk... but I knew that I couldn't handle a high quantity slosh like the dirty little garden gnomes spread out across the pavement anymore.
We marched past the display of broken humans and approached the stage where BB King would play. His band opened, he stumbled out on stage, played a little guitar, never sang and played at the same time, told some jokes about viagara, and we left about four or five songs into the set. Christine just wanted to see him. He's 80, he's a legend... so is James Brown... so is Jimi Hendrix. Do you know why Hendrix sells more albums than both of them? Because we never got to see Jimi grow old. He's stuck in time, youthful, vibrant, and eternal. He will never fall or fail because we never got to see him continue on. BB and James made fantastic songs and albums as well. But now... it's just kind of a novelty. Hey, I saw Iggy Pop a few years ago. He's still got it. David Bowie too. The Rolling Stones don't have it... Paul McCartney doesn't have it anymore. Some people can still kick it out with age. Anyway...
Saturday night we returned for Cake's show. It was a long ass walk from one end of the park to the other. My thighs hurt. Christine can speed walk something fierce. We arrived just as they were taking the stage. They started with "Frank Sinatra" and after about 45 seconds and three loud-squealed feedback punches later, the vocalist stopped the song approached the mic and said, "Thank you for coming out, we love all of you, we'll be back in five minutes when they figure out what the fuck is wrong with the sound system." And yes, they left the stage... to a fair amount of "boos"... but they did return and play a massively sloppy set. The only humorous part of the show was when the singer started to heckle the crowd saying, "This next one is from our first album... but you don't know what albums are anymore do you? No, you just steal songs from the internet." The crowd responded with a resounding cheer. He continued, "Well I think all music should be free. That's right. It should all be free. I'm also of the opinion that all sandwiches should be free." The crowd laughed. "I will gladly trade you a song for a sandwich." about a minute later someone threw a sandwich on stage. I guess you have to be careful what you ask for.
On Tuesday evening I was working nights at the station and my old roommate James Satcher decided to remind me that Bonnie "Prince" Billy (Will Oldham) was playing that night at the Young Avenue Deli. I made sure to go. Matt Sweeney would be taking the stage with him that night as well. After paying 12 bucks to get in the door and another $5.50 for two Miller Highlifes, I found a place in the room and waited for the show to start. I have to say, as the show went on I was further and further impressed with the material. After the show ended, the band packed up their own gear and mingled with those that decided to stick around the bar. I approached Matt Sweeney and thanked him for an inspiring show, asked him what happened to Zwan, and bought him a beer. We talked about movies, music, and what places he should check out tomorrow since tonight was the end of their long tour.
We headed out to Alex's tavern proceeded to get shitfaced and I got a call from Christine somewhere around 3:30am to make sure that I wasn't dead. She was kind of pissed. I said my goodbyes, told Will Oldham that my friend Daniel (who is living in Jena) was jealous and would have loved to hang out tonight, and I went home to vomit. Yeah, I forgot to mention the Jager-shot that James made me drink after having 6 beers previous.
I've continued to work nights, have had a hell of a busy schedule and still don't have an answer to the wonderful DVD issue. We'll see what happens next week. I'm supposed to film with Arnold Edwards this weekend. I'm also on call. Let the games begin.
-B

Just when you think it's easy...

2006-05-03T08:33:00.000-07:00

It would be redundant to say that while making our second feature film, DIVINE MANIPULATION OF THE THREADS, we've learned a few important lessons of "how-to-do" and equally "what-not-to-do." You take these little tidbits of golden-nugget knowledge and try to apply them to the appropriate sized problematic holes so that our respective brains don't rattle around and fall out of our ears. From time to time -- it actually works. I would assume that we've learned from our episodes of misinformation while fumbling our way through a No-Budget Independent film. Hopefully it will be a little easier (and relatively quicker) on the "next go 'round." We will most likely purchase and/or make a few more items of equipment. There may be some relatively more complex shoots... but it will get done... with a little bitching and elbow grease. All of that seems a "million smiles" away in comparison to the "post-production hell" that Anthony and I have been wading through.
Digital technology is a wonderful thing. It's easy, it's fast, it's makes fascinating leaps of quality. However, it sinks you into an ass-deep sludge of "do-it-yourself" f#(k ups on a daily basis. Our newest conundrum deals with the majestic realms of DVD+R Dual Layer discs. Dual Layer technology has been used by Hollywood for years. When pushing out the twenty-dollar "gotta-have" DVD home movie with commentary tracks and little "peeks" behind-the-scene featurettes, the consumer never thinks about how they get all of that information on a single disk.
Here's a few things I've learned. When using dual layer technology, there can only be about 50 minutes of the film on one side of the disc when you have three audio (ac3) tracks, the visual portion of the film, and a featurette. The video and audio tracks are separate pieces of digital information that are played simultaneously, depending on which "Audio Option" you chose. If you chose stereo... the movie and the stereo track are played. If you chose Dolby 5.1... the movie and the surround track are played. When you chose commentary... the movie and the commentary track are played (the movie audio you here just under the "talking" is actually mixed on that track). With all of the menu information pre-writing and 94 minutes worth of movie, and a 31 minute "Making Of Documentary/Blooper segment" you're going to run into a problem with available disk size. Enter the Dual layer disc.
I've been told the way that this f-ing thing is supposed to work is that there is a calculated point in which the reading laser switches from the first layer (layer 0) to the second layer (layer 1) and continues on with the movie or allows the viewer to access the other entertaining features that were crammed onto the disc. There's a lot of binary number crunching, a turning of the laser, blah blah blah, technology is a wonderfully complex rash eating away at my ass. It's frustrating... because this consumer version of dual layer technology is new... Therefore, there hasn't been a sure fire way to burn a disc every time. There are programs that are used to burn these fantastic little pieces of shit. Unfortunately half of the programs tell you to go buy or download another program when it doesn't work the way you want it to. Then you have to guess your way through that mess of a binary shit storm. I'm not good with all of this sector value, division of 16, 10001100010101010111000101010 crack pot horseshit. Can you tell I'm frustrated? Good. Because this movie making thing isn't getting any easier this week. We cannot get the disc to make the switch from the first layer to the second. It locks up or kicks back out to the main menu. When it gets to the point in the film at which the disc is supposed to switch from layer to layer... it freezes, locks up, makes a terrible "whirring-chunk-whir-chunk" sound and makes me want to put my foot through the face of whoever put out this program without making sure that the thing works correctly. There's stuff on the disc. We just can't see what's on the "rumored" second layer. Bill Gates, we need to talk.
We're still trying to get the film out to the company that will ask a hefty price to replicate/duplicate a 1000 discs so that our wonderful fans can finally have a copy of our film with a few choice "extras" that are sure to entice a few more laughs. I don't know what the solution is right now. We're working on the solution... which translates to "We're working on the DVD." I don't have a date but I promise that before everyone loses interest in our local film we should have discs to sell. They will be sold at a reasonable price but because of the unreasonable price that we will have to pay to get these f#(king things made, we'll have to sell them (with an obvious exception to those that acted and helped in the production of the film-- since we couldn't pay them, they'll get a copy for all of their hard work-- least we can do, right?)
My plea for help would be that someone can assist in finding a solution. Any success with a dual layer disc? Tell us. Any access to a DLT machine? Please let us know. Any chance that we can get a cheap(er) price on having 1000 discs mastered and pressed? I would love to hear from you. That's where we are kids. Enjoy your week. I'll keep reading discussion forums and making phone calls until I can figure out how to get this movie out of the machine the way that we intended it.
-B

Vacation smiles...

2006-04-24T08:25:00.000-07:00

Last week marked a brief moment. This moment should be written down in the history books so that the children of our future can take in how society of the past worked their asses of instead of sitting around eating hostess products filled with creams and jellies. I learned a long time ago (well, not that long ago really... I'm not that old-- bringing forth another fine point) that if you don't take a chance -- if you don't work diligently towards a goal -- if you don't struggle day-in and day-out to tackle that "dream" and run it headlong into a wall you will find yourself sitting in the same chair, with the same complaints, and the same dire sense of failure that you had ten years ago. So, with that long winded statement in mind, I have been busting my ass. I have been burning both ends of the candle... And I'll tell you, there is little candle left to burn. Now, with that shorter analogy , last week marked a much needed break in candle lighting. I took the first vacation I've had since October of 2005.
I didn't have plans. I didn't go to any wonderful city destination. I didn't have another job lined up that would require taking off some time at the "day job." I simply took the time to "decompress" and grow a beard.
Now, that doesn't mean that I didn't work on the "film stuff" this past week. As a matter of fact I spent a good four days working on the DVD portion of the film during my much needed vacation. In that stretch of time I edited and finished the MAKING OF documentary for DIVINE MANIPULATION OF THE THREADS. It ended up being somewhere around 31 minutes of interview cuts and bloopers. It's sure to get a laugh. We didn't do interviews with everyone. That was a flaw on my part because I was a little busy working on the logistics of making the film. I wanted the documentary to be great... show a little bit of the fun that comes along with making a NO-BUDGET movie with your friends. I think we accomplished it... but the documentary did end up taking a back seat to everything else in the production. We didn't get key interviews with key actors. Apparently, that happens when you don't have a budget or an additional hand in getting documentary footage. Much like any other project, I always wish that I had more.
Brad, Anthony, and I sat down on Wednesday evening to record what will eventually be the "commentary" track on the DVD. It's kind of funny... but it's pretty stupid too. I don't think that we really added anything to the understanding of cinema. We really just joked about our flaws and how "if you look close you can see the screw up right here." So, for all of our hardcore fans in China... learn English, learn English slang, and then laugh your ass off... but please don't pirate. We're not a corporation. We're trying to find a way to make a living in the business that hates outsiders. Share... but no pirating... or there is going to be more than a little kung-fu fighting.
Back to the point, I did take some time for myself this week. I caught up on a couple of movies: Inside Man (go see it) and Lucky Number Slevin (don't bother). Inside Man is what once made movies great... worth taking an afternoon off and going to the theater for. It used it's star power very effectively. The story was strong and the "heist" portion of the movie was so clever I was pissed off that I didn't think of it. Lucky Number Slevin tried to be too clever. The stylized dialogue didn't work. The only thing that saved the movie from being a complete waste of time was the ending. Had the entire film been as dark/clever as the last portion of the film, someone would have likened it to Pulp Fiction (which can be a good or bad thing). I watched a few at home as a refresher course: Lost in Translation, Smokey and the Bandit, Spartan, and even took the time to watch another local filmmaker's latest production; Shutter.
I would like to think that I used my time well... because I needed a little calm after the storm. Oh, and I turned 29 on April 16th. The change of age just slithered through without a sound or major mental issue. It's nothing more than another day that I got presents and a few free drinks. I did get a few cool presents and Christine did her best to make it special. So we're a little older... a little farther ahead on the grand scheme of the product... And a little more aware of our surroundings (sleep is a good thing)... oh, and we're back at work. There have been some updates on imdb.com for the film... but someone has gone in and submitted their own stuff for it before I could get to it. So I'm now playing clean up on the film information. Until next time...

Rounding the bend

2006-04-12T08:42:00.000-07:00

Well, we finished up the grand premiere run of the film on Thursday, April 6th. It was a good time. I learned a few things about the film, about the people that came to see it, and I was taken aback by the massive strength and support of the individuals involved in this film. Many of them took it upon themselves to become our "street team" to put out flyers, posters, generate interest through word of mouth and short skirts. We may have made an entertaining film... but without the assistance of these fantastic people, I doubt that many people would have seen it.
I've heard fantastic stories of random people sharing their opinions, reviews, and "need to go see this movie" enthusiasm with others city wide. I think that we may have done something terribly right for a change.
The exhaustion is starting to take retreat... I'm getting a little more sleep... and there have been a few nights when I've been able to go home, cook a decent meal, and enjoy the simple comforts of sitting on my ass and watching "Lost." Currently we are undertaking the small project of editing the "joke documentary" that merely includes interviews and bloopers. It should be relatively short and sweet... and gives an inside look at how goofy we are on set. Because if you're going to make a feature length film with no budget... you should have at least have fun doing it. It looks like most of us did.
I share my birthday with the "Jesus party" known as Easter, this year. I'll be 29. I'll have you know that growing up sucks... I either have a pulled muscle in my back or I have a kidney stone... and I can't drink like I used to. Apparently you do have to take better care of yourself. I'll be on a much needed vacation following the birthday change-over. I don't have plans... maybe catch up on a few movies... have a couple of good meals... sleep a lot... and of course, finish up the details of the DVD for replication. The work never ends. Yeah, there will be another one in the works sometime soon.
Thank you once again to everyone who made our premiere showing great. Thanks for everyone that helped. Thanks for putting up with me. Thank you thank you thank you. I'll be in touch soon.

-B

We've been extended!

2006-03-30T15:29:00.000-08:00

Yes, it was an exciting beginning to the week. Divine Manipulation of the Threads had it's "soft" premiere showing on Monday. Between the interviews, running across town, buying 3-D glasses, and freaking the hell out I managed to catch the 1:20pm and the 7:35 show. The house didn't sell out but it was pretty freakin' packed for the first evening show. The laughs poured out in the right spots (thankfully) and everyone seemed to be pleased with the end result. The attendance has been interesting to watch... I recognized familiar faces, I see new faces, and continue to enjoy the tail end of the movie making process: SHARING IT WITH PEOPLE.
This brings me to the big news. Our screenings have been extended an extra week. That's right we'll be showing through this weekend and the show will end on Thursday April 6th. Bring a friend, tell a stranger, come on out this weekend to support local film! Need the times? Go to www.malco.com . We're still playing at Malco's Studio on the Square. 1:20pm, 4:30pm, 7:35pm, and 9:40pm.

There is also a fantastic article that was written last week by John Beifuss of the Commercial Appeal. You can read it here.
http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/movies/article/0,1426,MCA_15400_4565025,00.html

There is also a fantastic article by The Daily Helmsman (U of M paper) that can be found here:
http://www.dailyhelmsman.com/home/index.cfm?event=displayArticle&uStory_id=0603a0e9-59cf-447d-abc9-324ff579ab56

My good friend Stone Free Joey aka Forrest Pruett also shot some interview questions by me this week that can be found here:
http://216.71.135.182/FWP/fpwhatsnew.htm
I'm a bit long winded... even when writing... or especially when writing...

There will be more updates as we get them. It's been a crazy week and I'm trying to hold on as tight as I can.
-B

the home stretch the hamstrings...

2006-03-14T08:22:00.000-08:00

Okay, we've worked out some of the Rusted Sun Films magic to make sure that we've got a great theater to screen the premiere of our newest film adventure, Divine Manipulation of the Threads. Malco Studio on the Square has been gracious enough to offer four days of screentime for all of your viewing pleasure. Now, it is a Monday through Thursday screening. I realize that the majority of us work the M-F/9-5. So, go see the 7pm or 9pm show some night. Or if you work nights... there are two matinee shows per day. Yeah... four shows a day... four consecutive days. Rock the house, I know I will be.

We will more than likely have a night of reverie and drinks after the Monday night premiere show... but I've got to work in the morning... you can imagine the dragging of ass that will follow such said events. We will probably repeat the free flowed drinking spectacle after Thursday night's showing at Dish (located at the corner of Cooper and Young St. in midtown)... so come join the series of after-parties with us won't you? Members of the cast and crew will more than likely be attending several of the shows and we will be out in force on Monday and Thursday evening. Please invite your friends, family, acquaintances, co-workers, complete strangers, a girl/guy you've got your eye on, people that need a good laugh... you are guaranteed a good time. If there are still 11x17 posters around, get some signatures... they might go for something on Ebay someday.
There is still work to be done on the post. I've got to edit together the documentary addition for the DVD pressing (sorry, we won't have DVDs available at the premiere). So the work is never done. However, we might be able to take a breather in the near future.
Show the love/Share the love.
-B

As we crawl over the horizon: AN OPEN LETTER TO ROBERT

2006-02-14T09:40:00.000-08:00

This entry should mark a short return to the comical rants and raves that had been previously offered through this "blog" wrapped in aluminum foil at no additional charge. There will be some update of my continual struggle of spit-shine polishing Rusted Sun Film's second feature film, DIVINE MANIPULATION OF THE THREADS if you continue to read on. However, I will take this opportunity to write an open letter to a man I have grown to respect.
This man is an icon of how Hollywood changed throughout the 70's and 80's. Twenty five years ago his started an Independent Film Festival that would allow the "little guy" a chance to take Hollywood by the balls. He is an actor, a film maker, and a legend in his own time. (Yes, it's recommended that you read the entire letter).

THIS IS MY OPEN LETTER TO ROBERT REDFORD:

Dear Mr. Redford,
I took notice to a quotation that has been attributed to you, through an interview with the publication Newsweek. The statement of note was not shockingly inflammatory yet it did send a fervent wave of awareness through the system. Seeing such a bold statement made by the founder of the infamous Sundance Film Festival on it's 25th anniversary voyage was a warm welcome to the heart and soul of this particular filmmaker. First of all, I would like to congratulate you on a hefty feat. Twenty-five years is quite an accomplishment for any marriage. I'm sure that there was a great deal of blood, sweat, tears, and most of all dedication that went into this labor of love that started back in 1979.
I'm certain at some point through your career in film, you saw a gap in the process that needed to be filled. There were a lot of people out there that wanted to make films, had been making films, and were/are breaking their backs and bank accounts to tell a great story. Hollywood had shut the door on them paying the poor souls no attention. So, rightfully you started a process that allowed these budding and talented individuals the opportunity to show the people that wouldn't give them the time of day (through an overpriced lunch menu) that great films could be made outside of the Hollywood system. For many many years it worked brilliantly. Sundance became the singular festival that could make a young filmmaker. Distributors started to pay attention to the no-name geniuses that finally gained recognition through your dear Sundance. The entire industry started to follow suit. You had accomplished your goal early on and continued to push filmmakers to raise the bar. Congratulations on making your festival the best of the best and another congrats for a twenty-five year run. Now that we have all of the mutual B.S. out of the way... back to the comment which originally caught my attention:

"To the outside world, it's a big fat market where you have people like Paris Hilton going to parties. Now, she doesn't have anything to do with anything. I think the festival is close to being out of control."

Robert, if I may call you Robert... from one filmmaker to another... WHERE THE FUCK HAVE YOU BEEN FOR THE LAST DECADE? "Out of control," you say? Although your film festival may be the apex of greatness for all other festivals to aspire to, it has been consumed by the disease of the film industry that you were desperately trying to escape. It didn't just happen this year. This has been going on for quite some time. I'm sure that during hibernation, the Groundhog isn't aware of Starbucks buying up properties around his comfy little hole-in-a-stump... But at some point during his fantastic February voyage he's going to see that there is a line of designer-clad idiots pumping ten-dollar bills into the palm of an acne-ridden seventeen year old for designer coffee. If that little bustled blurt confused you... you're the Groundhog.
I realize that you cannot control the streets of Park City. These vendors slide into town riding their trail of oily bullshit offering shiny new silver dollars to people that will willingly rent out their homes, businesses, and shit-houses to anyone. They give away thousands of dollars worth of "free" goods to those "invited" to their parties so that some paparazzi will snap an opportune photo with said celebrity using their product. iPods, Sidekicks, cell phones, sneakers, watches, jewelry, shirts, jackets, cars, gift certificates, specialty liquors, portable DVD players, XBoxes, PSP, hand-jobs... you name it, they're giving it away to any sellout shit-heel that will show up, sell their soul, and smile for the camera. I'm going to give you a hint as of what the hell has been happening out there while you've been hiding in your cave.
NO ONE GOES TO SUNDANCE TO WATCH MOVIES. I distinctly remember having a conversation with an acquaintance that works in "the industry" just before the festival kicked off this year. The conversation had to deal with last year's big winners and how both of the films were shot in Memphis, TN. Therefore, our backwards-ass, good-ole-boy river town has gotten to experience a portion of Sundance's allure. The statement arrived with a smirk that was meant to display how naive I had become while living in the dream of what I thought the Sundance Film Festival meant. The individual spouted, "No one even watches the films at Sundance. They go for the parties, SWAG, and snowboarding. It's an all expenses paid vacation." I noticed the nice new iPod nano he kept playing with. I guess they'll have a few of those to hand out this year, eh? They like the idea of getting together for a film festival party... just minus the whole "having to sit down and watch film" thing. The majority of film makers invited to the festival actually do watch the films. It's the rest of the slags that you have to beware of. Example: Metallica played a venue in support of the film The Darwin Awards. Can you name the actors in that film alone? Joseph Fiennes, Winona Ryder, David Arquette, Chris Penn,
Julianna Margulies, Wilmer Valderrama... Sounds like a fist full of name actors to me. What the hell is "indie" about that? Perhaps the "World Premiere" idea of Sundance has come to a backlash. Stewart Copeland's documentary on The Police... I love the band but having the Police show up at Sundance seems a little odd, especially when Sting doesn't even stay for the screening. He comes all the way to Sundance and then doesn't even stay for the movie. Maybe he wanted to go catch the Metallica show.
A MOVIE WITH A 10 MILLION DOLLAR BUDGET (or just under) IS NOT AN "INDIE FILM." Most of the actors involved with these Indie films that eventually get invited to the Sundance Film Festival are familiar faces with the public. They usually get paid a handsome sum to star in these films. It more than guarantees that some distributor is going to buy the film... okay, smart business move for the filmmaker and investors. However, can you think of the last time that a film with NO BUDGET made it into Sundance? Don't think that a great film can be made without a budget? I implore you to think again... look a little harder... perhaps take part in the screening process. Don't get me wrong, I'm proud of those actors that will take their hard earned "studio money" and then transfer it into a budget for an "Indie film" that they've always wanted to do. I do however think that an actor getting paid $20 Million per role is just slightly insane. I could work everyday of my life and collectively never make $1 Million (if I continue to work in the News industry... no one ever said that I would get rich doing it). The best hope I've got to ever even work with that kind of budget would be to win the lottery. I play the lottery twice a week in the hopes that I could pursue making films for a living. The odds of winning are about the same as a no-name director with no-name actors in his clever little film has of getting an actual shot at Sundance.
The films that won this year were provocative. There are people out there still making great films for the greater cause. Together we can solve this problem. It's Utah, get some burly-ass guys with handlebar mustaches wielding Shotguns to guard the integrity of the festival. Keep anyone that has a dog that they can fit in a bag out of town. Keep anyone that dresses like a preacher or a pimp out of town. We can ship in some hobos from Memphis to mug the assholes that wear too much "bling." There are ways to fix these problems that will cost you no more than a few permits and a couple of Greyhound bus tickets. Here's a stroke of brilliance, get a few cameras rolling and we'll document the Sundance clean-up effort from tip to tail. Imagine the joy we'll all get from watching the tapes depicting an angry crowd of filmmakers flinging gutter-soaked snowballs at celebrity sluts in pink mini-skirts. It won't cost anything... hell, it's even publicity for the shitheels that fall under attack.
I'm not suggesting that you close-up shop and shut down your darling film festival. I'm not saying that Indie films have to be digital and cheap. I'm merely stating that when you don't clean house every once in a while, you shouldn't be surprised when you peel back the rugs to find parasites, dust bunnies, and Paris Hilton. You've done a great service with your film festival. I wish the best for it's future... But we've got to become a little more selective on who we're in bed with. Take it all with a grain of salt. I don't know very much about the film industry. I simply know that I love making films. I also know that "we" (meaning the filmmakers that know that they don't have a shot in hell at getting into Sundance) have been talking about your festival for a while. More specifically, what is terribly wrong with it. There are a lot of articles out there. Google it. Read some blogs. Read some articles. Ask around. You'll figure it out. I still have faith.

Sincerely yours,
Bevan B. Bell.

[DMoftheT Update: Still polishing scenes. Half-way through that process. Wrap party this weekend. 7pm - ? Saturday, Anthony's house. Rock the Question Mark.]

Mozel Tov: Rough cut updates

2006-02-06T13:03:00.000-08:00

The only explanation for the photo is that Joe was celebrating his picture wrap by crushing a can of soda, while I stare blankly into the abyss of complicated edit sessions. This past weekend marks another end-date of sorts. Over Friday evening, Saturday afternoon, and the majority of Sunday I set out to complete the rough-cut edits for all of the remaining unedited scenes of the film. By 10pm Sunday I accomplished that feat. There were about 14 or 15 hours worth of wild-eyed blank spots where my fingers and mind worked with a machine-like ethic... rarely getting up to eat, take bathroom breaks, or shake off the thing I'll call "Monitor hypnosis."
When one spends that much time in front of a computer, editing clip after clip, detailing audio takes, working around continuity problems and keeping a flow to the scene something drastically changes. Things don't appear as they seem, the mind doesn't work as it's supposed to and a robot mindset takes control. It was worth it. It might have been the only deadline I've kept for myself throughout the entire process ...And to tell the truth I'm ready to see the final product (or something arguably close to how it will end up). The rest of the week will be spent polishing the edits, paying particular attention to issues of color, brightness and contrast, and pacing. It's far from over but we've crossed the apex. It's all downhill from here... at least until the premiere... then the festivals... anyway, we'll be finished with the film soon even though the journey may be far from over. Oh yeah, then there's the making of documentary I have to finish.
So, those of you that actually give a crap, we're going to have an Official Wrap Party very soon (possibly this weekend... call Christine). I need a moment to let lose and have some reassurance that we're not all fools wasting our time on a project that no one will want to see. I'm sure that someone out there will eventually say that and I'll have to start finding remote areas in which to hide the bodies. So, keep your chin up kiddo... the movie will be finished soon.

-B

weekend twenty: a nice round number named 'fin'

2006-01-25T19:55:00.000-08:00

Somewhere on a rather insignificant scrap of paper stuffed into a jacket pocket or perhaps patiently waiting on the edge of a table are the child-like scrawls that represent an end-date. I loosely remember swallowing reasonably cool gulps of beer in a Bartlett, TN garage and packing up a few items of camera gear when Brad Alsobrook casually said, "We'll have to write down the time." The statement seemed to dance through the uncomfortable silence that comes at the end of a day when all of the "work" has been finished and the toys have to be placed back into their boxes. The words poured over me with little response but it would seem that "we" have made a business habit out of marking down these random times of day and night that serve as mile markers. I was too elated to burn the numerical time of evening into the back of my permanent memory. The smile stretched across my face displayed the joy of being able revel in the simplicity of the moment. The never-ending weekend shoots, the stress of juggling actor's availability, and the wonders of troubleshooting every possible hurdle that could shipwreck our voyage could now be put to rest. There was a weight lifted from my heavy head and heart, for the months of throwing my back out trying to lift the damn things were now over. We finished shooting Divine Manipulation of the Threads sometime before 6pm on Saturday January 21st 2006. I'm sure somewhere around the July entries of this "blog" there is a mention of when we started shooting production on this Indie film. Yes, it took us long enough... but you should try making a feature length film with over 30 leading and/or featured characters with no money and spare time. Shit ain't easy (to put it mildly).
My odd change of appearance marked the final shots of the film production. I walked around for a week with a platinum "match-top" head that attracted a barrage of comment. Anything from "What color is that Brokeback Blonde?" to "I looked outside... it seems to be a nice day for a White Wedding." At least, those were the most creative of the comments placed in my memory banks. However, the dark roots are pushing through my scalp and I've got a nice little dirty-blonde thing happening that occasionally looks Green. It's also nice to have the option to do what the hell I want with my hair. Maybe I'll go silver next.
Back to the point. We went through the rather relaxed motions of a final day of filming. You can see the anguish in Anthony's face. It's either anguish, elation, or someone ate cabbage for dinner.
The day started at a bank that chooses to remain nameless (though I would love to thank them for every large portion of assistance they provided in allowing us a great location), traveled back across Memphis proper to our location at Cafe' Francisco on Main St., and finally ending the day in Bartlett. The bank shoot had to be finished quickly... within two hours anyway. It was probably more fun for me than anyone else. I added a little something to my character that I'm hoping comes off well. I haven't looked at the tapes yet (the day job has been keeping me more than busy as of late). Luckily we noticed that a key prop was missing before we landed too many takes. You see, our script supervisor/producer/continuity supervisor was a little under the weather this weekend. Some kind of bug got under her skin on Friday and refused to let go. C. Marie Connolly (as we'll have to credit her) was a real trooper... as was our lead actress, who amazingly enough was also sick as a dog. I would normally make light of such a situation but there were very serious threats of vomit. Thank you for not puking on the set... or on me. Jen Weatherford pulled through for us, which shows the level of commitment that everyone involved in this project has. Thank you. Lisa Sanchez joined us for a quick cameo at the cafe' and Joe squirted half and half all over himself. He gets excited easily.
So at the end of the day we picked up a "missing voice over" (something that I thought I loaded into the computer but couldn't find... I've got 19 tapes worth of material to fish through... give me a f-ing break) and celebrated with a few members of the cast and crew with an impromptu beer drinking session. It wasn't an "official wrap party" perse... moreso a "wrap for the day party" with a side car of "what a long strange trip it's been." The official wrap party will come sometime in the near future and we'll let all of the appropriate people know of the time and place (but if you know a little about the people involved you can pretty much guess where the festivities will be held). I'll continue to update these pages as I press along with editing. The release date for the film is somewhere just over the horizon (we're thinking somewhere around the end of February or the beginning of March). So, I'll continue editing the rough-cut of the film during evenings and put in extensive hours of frontal lobe scorching, weekend-long editing sessions until we've got something polished and pretty enough to put in front of a test audience. Then the real cutting will start. You can't please everyone... but I don't think that we'll have too many problems softening the stiff upper lips of those that get to see the "first cut." It's a funny film... probably more amusing than we had anticipated.
The future? We'll run it through the gauntlet of film festivals and search for someone out there willing to distribute it. I'm not looking to get rich (even though that would be nice... which reminds me that I still have to check my powerball tickets)... I merely want people to share the joy in watching the film. I know that at some time, the money will eventually be there. We still need some cash to get the thing pressed to DVD. Anyone got a few extra bucks? I'll put together a coffee can beggar's cup and start collecting donations... want me to dance a gig?... I'll sing you a Bob Dylan song if you like...
Update when I can...

HERE ARE YOUR THREADS FOR THE WEEK:

BEVAN: Why pay five cups for a buck of coffee...
-- I know how to screw up lines.
ANTHONY: Look, I'm trying to get it up.
--as funny as it might sound he was actually talking about a computer.

-B

weekend nineteen: the subtle re-shoot and not so subtle change of appearance

2006-01-16T08:30:00.000-08:00

I think that it's quite obvious that there will be no more re-shoots after this weekend. We (meaning Rusted Sun Films in general) rarely re-shoot anything. Under normal affairs we will go through production takes until we get what is needed (or what may seem reasonably close to what we had originally envisioned) and most of the time... we do takes until everyone is happy with the Audio, Video, and Performance. Thankfully we capture a myriad of various angles and compositions to deal with any changes in continuity and/or dilemma that might come up in editing.
As we drove along through the rough-cut editing process (yes, I edit as I shoot so that I won't take another couple of months editing this film on 'spare time') we found a little problem with the top section of "THE DATE NIGHT SCENE." As far as the previous shoots for this scene, we've had to deal with sodium lighting color correction, squeezing in shoots with actors that were moving out of town, availability of The Peanut Shoppe, frigid wind gusts that cut to the bone, and emergency work trips out of town. It's actually quite fortunate that we had gotten this far without predicament. However, there was an issue with sound during the earlier production. A small electric hum emanating from the overhead lights seemed to cross into the dialogue to a point of irritation... an aggravation that simply would not migrate until we re-shot the scene.
So, we took forty-five minutes of a Friday evening to re-shoot a bit of dialogue. All in all, I think that the re-shot material will end up better than the original takes. That should be taken to heart simply because we owe it to everyone involved in this film to put out the best product that we possibly can (while shooting for free on weekends). I love making films. Which is why I have done, quite possibly, the stupidest alteration of coiffure. Saturday... high noon... the standoff between black shock and concetrated bleach took place. Only one came out standing... standing as blond as bleach blond could be. I bleached my hair. No, I didn't do the eyebrows.
The change is due to the last few scenes of Divine Manipulation of the Threads in which my character will drastically change his appearance. I've got to practice delivering my monologue in either a British accent (cockney or semi-proper), Scottish (ala Sean Connery), or something equally off-set to confuse our audience for a moment. Afterall, when you steal $70 million from a bank... you probably want to look a little different at the end of the day... then get the hell out of the country. So... until Saturday I'll be dealing with the asinine remarks of my co-workers, friends, family, and film cohorts (and probably after Saturday... or at least until my hair grows out).
Oh, I also joined the rest of the world and bought a personal cell phone. Apparently it's a necessity of survival... and it plays music, takes pictures, and can download television clips (a service that I will soon be taking off of the bill because, really... that's just ridiculous). So, for those of you that need the new number... you should probably ask me. I won't have a land line after this evening. I'm all mobile and sheeeeit...

HERE ARE YOUR THREADS FOR THE WEEK:

ANTHONY: "We've seen that face before"
JEN: "It's been a looooong time."
(referring to her "OHH" face).

BEVAN: "You have to point it there... 'Cause that's where the action is..."
(referring to taking the microphone and pointing it at his crotch)

weekend eighteen: all 'bout the josephs

2006-01-11T14:29:00.000-08:00

So when we started this Indie project, Divine Manipulation of the Threads, there was every intention of making it a comedy about a bunch of idiots trying to steal 70 million dollars. The storyline and the dialogue held a certain "Soderbergh" cool ala Out of Sight and Ocean's Eleven. I loved the idea of being able to play in this world of danger... yet have it actually be strangely comical. Well, one night the cast and crew were out celebrating after a full day of shooting and someone said, "You know what would be funny? If we had, like, a Broadway Musical in the middle of the film." There was a tsunami of drunken laughter that billowed to the high lofts of the rafters towering overhead. The mere idea of these oddly loveable characters singing and dancing in the middle of the picture (for no other reason that laughable entertainment and supreme idiocy) held some kind of sway within the hearts of the actors and filmmakers alike.
I mention the background on this idea of note because this weekend... we filmed the aforementioned "Broadway Musical Daydream Extravaganza Delirium." Originally, I didn't think that it was going to happen... but I'm quite glad that it did. Sunday was another windy day in downtown Memphis, however, we were quite lucky that the shoot didn't require the capture of sound. Lip-synching to the pre-recorded song would be good enough.
Friday had changed the temperatures to a bastard cold cutting edge that only tightly bound leather would serve as a formidable barrier. However, there was promise that Sunday would be a comfortable 62 degrees. Thankfully... the weathermen were right and Mother Nature kept her word... at least for the earlier hours of Sunday.
With the hurdles of weather playing in our favor, the next obstacle was the flood of "extras" canceling for the shoot. Friday, Saturday, and early Sunday morning were riddled with phonecalls, text messages, and e-mails from people that couldn't schedule the event it. I cannot and will not complain about any of these cancellations, people give us their free time... and thankfully having everyone there wasn't completely necessary. I will admit, however, that my heart started to sink. I truly thought that we were going to be left with three people and a sad testament to the original idea of a comic musical number.
When I arrived to the shoot location, my fears were put to rest when a fair number of our regulars showed up to "play movie" once again. One thing that I do so dearly love about our troupe of actors in Memphis is that there are those that you can always count on to participate. I've got a great group of people working with the company... and that's why we have formed, THE RUSTED SUN FILMS FAMILY. Basically, anyone that shows us heart, gives us their sweat and honest time is part of this ever growing family. For that... I say thank you.
Now, we really had a blast Sunday. I have never shot a "musical" sequence... but you wouldn't be able to tell that it was a first. The shoot was hilarious. Everyone was wired and ready to go for whatever stupid idea was served on the platter and did so without question... and maybe a chuckle. Joe Smith truly shined in his role as "Pooch" while mime-singing, dancing, and creating the music that made it all possible. The hard work is paying off boys... the hard work is really paying off. I have to give a giant "THANK YOU" to each and every one of you that showed up to film this weekend. You really made it happen.
We still have to put in a re-shoot before I can bleach my hair and continue on with the tail end of the production shooting schedule. The days of endless movie madness will soon come to an end... on the forefront, anyway. The grueling weeks of post-production will follow with rough-cut edits, re-edits, sound polishing, color correction, stylized post, test screening, and paying to get the final product PRESSED onto DVD.
I will share with you one thing that I learned from our experience with DVDs... don't burn them yourself. There are all sorts of issues that come up when you burn DVDs yourself. Spend the time and money to have someone press them professionally. It will save you a massive headache and will turn out a superior product. Yes, it will cost some money... but it's worth every penny. Trust me... I know... I can show you the receipts of last year's experiment in homemade DVDs.
Oh, did I mention that there's still a "making of" documentary that we have to complete? Yeah... I forgot about that one too. By the end of this project and the opportunity to reflect on exactly what the hell happened in 2005, I'm pretty sure that I will not be able to recognize the "old Bevan" in direct comparison with the "new Bevan." ...With an exception of the gray hairs, of course.
-B

weekend seventeen: dancing in the streets

2006-01-02T08:03:00.000-08:00

The Gods got together for a game of "No-Name Card Game" and cleared the skies for a wonderful backdrop this weekend. The cold breaths of winter had been shelved with the preserves. This weekend brought warmth and the much needed change of weather conditions that had to take place for a reasonable shooting environment. The only fear was that we would be "singing in the rain." Instead we were allowed to "dance in the streets." The warmth stretched smiles across everyone's faces... cast and crew alike. Happiness is a warm bum...
This was the weekend of "The Heist." The cast was dressed as though we had just escaped from a European Insane Asylum. It was precisely what was needed for the scene. We borrowed a "blimp" from Robert Saba and fell in love with the amazing ability of such a simple device. It slices the wind currents like a hot knife through butter... oh, and it gets great audio too. Since we were playing around the downtown area this weekend and the river is notorious for carrying tradewinds with it's downstream current, I knew that audio was going to be an obstacle. We actually had to re-shoot a scene from a few weekends ago because of a wind-noise rumble. I don't even like the word re-shoot... but it was necessary... and I believe it came out better because of the extra attention to detail.
Joe and I went through the "hand-signal dance off" in public this weekend. It came off as being even more humorous than originally envisioned and there was an added humor to everyone being able to hear the captions through a megaphone. It's amazing that we weren't bothered that much while shooting in public. I mean, we did catch the attention of a few beggars here and there but the passers-by didn't really mind that there were four oddly dressed people running around the downtown Main Street mall with a camera and crew in tow.
I haven't looked at the tapes yet but I'm sure that everything came off without a hitch. Arnold and Dayna did a great job as usual, Brad jumped back into action after a "butt flu," and your usual cast of characters rocketed through another manic Saturday afternoon movie shoot. One down, two to go. Yeah, only two weekends left on the production of this mother...
Sunday evening I got to catch Munich. Go see it. It's a fantastic film... a bit gory at parts but the blood is absolutely necessary. Spielberg shouldn't do press on his movies anymore. I think that negative review might have affected the turnout... but it's an amazing movie. I will make one comment that I want everyone to pay particular attention to.
DO NOT BRING THREE YEAR OLD CHILDREN TO AN "R" RATED MOVIE.
It's just bad parenting. I cannot possibly imagine how twisted that child's head will be once it's seen a fully naked woman spewing blood through a bullet hole in her neck. What the fuck is wrong with you people? You can't bring children to those kinds of movies!
On the other hand... all free thinking adults should go see it. The political message isn't really overwhelming.. it's just a good movie and I think that the director has done a fantastic job with telling "a" story... not "one side of" the story.
I hope all of you have a fantastic New Year. So far it's going quite well for Rusted Sun Films. 2006 will be our year. An eye opening year. A year of success and amazing dreams come true.
-B

after the christmas calm...

2005-12-27T08:04:00.000-08:00

This isn't exactly what my eyes took in on Christmas eve but it's pretty damn similar to what a Tucson Charlie Brown Desert Christmas looks like. The mountains around Christine's parent's house (double possession?) make me miss the mountains even more. It was a frigid 80 degrees on Christmas day. The vacation was just a little short. However, we needed the break like a junkie needs smack. I hope that everyone was refreshed over the holiday because this Saturday brings us right back to work on the last days of production. That's right... were' almost finished with the shoots on this film and I'm growing even closer to having to bleach my hair. Christine insists on going to a "professional" to get the bleach job "done right"... so apparently I have no choice in the matter and the "pro" doing the job has to have a mouth full of "chaw" and a mullet to make sure that it's "dun raight." I much prefer the Ralph Macchio approach taken in the film The Outiders. Just find a sink, some peroxide, a switch blade, and try to make it look like you're not playing for the "other team."
I think that the moustache I decided to sport for the past week did enough of that for my reputation. See, there's a man with his arm around me. I told him that I didn't want to play Brokeback Mountain but he just wouldn't listen to reason.
Burt Reynolds, you should watch your back and keep on the look out or Joe Smith and I are going to do a remake of Smokey and the Bandit so fast that you won't have time to shovel down a Diablo sandwich and a Dr. Pepper. It could be done. All we need now is Keira Knightley to play the Sally Field role (because I have to have her deliver the line: "I think I'm in love with your belt buckle." )... and (apparently) we'll need a shit-load of blow. I'm not judging, but you know that movie (much like the Cannonball Run) was fueled on cocaine. I just wonder how they managed to keep it out of the moustache on all of that film.
So, welcome back from the Christmas hustle and flow... Let's keep truckin' on production and manage to make this film the best Gol'damn Indie film this side of the Pacos. 2006 will be the year of Rusted Sun Films, guaranteed... and very soon everyone will be talking about the break-out film Divine Manipulation of the Threads.

And remember:
Nobody, and I mean NOBODY makes Sheriff Buford T. Justice look like a possum's pecker.

troubleshooting the unpredictable

2005-12-19T08:15:00.000-08:00

For those of you that have taken notice (or actually give a rat's ass about the forward progression of our little project), we've been knocking out scenes and production shoots at a steady clip for some time now. The weekends have been full of talented and dedicated people working on "our" movie for free. I keep mentioning this tidbit of information so that no one will forget or take the sacrifice that our troupe of actors and production crew gives every single weekend lightly. Without this "love of the game" that everyone brings to the table we simply could not do this. With that said, the dedication and sheer child-like enjoyment that people are taking away from this project (as well as putting into the project) is really starting to show on screen. I've been having a lot of fun editing and troubleshooting through other "challenging shoots."
This weekend was the first "vacation" weekend we've taken in a long, long time. I had a feeling that some of us were getting close to the point of burnout. I love making this film. I have a blast working on Indie projects in general. It's an adventure, a step closer to living the dream, and an opportunity to share your talents and desires with those that wish to view the final product. Yet, I will be quite glad to get this puppy finished. There is a lot of life put into this film... a lot of my life, specifically. I'm a little drained... but I'll be reborn when this film is DONE. Until then, we keep working the long and winding road. It would be similar to being in a band, traveling from city to city on the Great American Highway, pressing the flesh before the Friday Night Show, and selling a couple copies of your "album" after the show. You put it out there to share with people... I want people to see the film finished.
...And when people see the film... I want it to roll them. I want people to see this film and be blown away with the quality and professionalism that we put into it. I don't want people to look at this and say, "That was a nice Indie film." So far I've gotten, "This looks like a real movie." It is a real movie... we just don't get paid very well doing it. I kind of like the George Clooney approach to filmmaking. Don't take out $20 million dollars before hand because you'll probably never see it on the screen. But if you make the film, sell it, and make some money on the back end you'll be a hell of a lot more satisfied... or if you don't make any money, you still made a film that you wanted to make... or won't be embarrassed by... or be able to take the cop-out, "Well, the movie kind of sucks but I'm getting paid $20 million dollars to do it." That's a big problem I have with the Hollywood offerings lately. They're not throwing money at a problem. They're just not fixing the problem... the money is part of the problem. People with no integrity or spine would be another. I could go on forever... but what's the point of bitching? Instead, we fight the good fight with no money, credit card debit, thrift store wardrobes, cheap disguises, and laughs. I don't know about you but someone getting kicked in the balls is always funny.
Being rich would be great (don't get me wrong)... but I could be quite happy with being able to pay the bills on time... maybe a three bedroom house.
Enough rambling. We needed some time off to recharge the batteries, do some Christmas shopping, take a step back in reflection, and allow people to actually spend some time with their families. I didn't hear anyone complain about not filming this weekend, that's certain. Next weekend is Christmas... and we'll be prepared to start back on New Year's Eve-day. Hopefully the weather will be all-copasetic-an-shit.
I edited a few scenes on Saturday, got really really really trashed at M. David Lee III's "going away party" (dropped a shit load of money on the tab and physically paid for it all of Sunday - - I remember now why I quit drinking so much), cleaned house, and hid from the sun all day. The down time wasn't too bad. However, it all kind of started with the possibility of re-shoots. We haven't re-shot anything so far. I was editing a scene earlier in the week and Anthony and I decided that we were going to have to re-shoot a small scene... because there was a hum in the audio and it just wasn't going to work. There was the possibility of having to re-shoot a few other scenes from that Saturday because of wind noise... but I think I've edited around most of the problems.
It is a little frustrating to deal with those elements after the fact but I think that we're all in agreement that the quality of this project has to be top notch. We won't sacrifice quality just to make a date or to keep a schedule. We're not over budget... just a little behind... and there is nothing wrong with that. The only person I'm burning is myself... because we got a late start... and that's my fault.
I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. Enjoy the downtime. We'll see everyone on the other side of a Tucson Christmas. The Charlie Brown Desert Christmas isn't too bad. They do actually decorate cacti... and the sand kind of looks like snow after a few too many margaritas. Tequila and I don't speak the same language (and Christine's father is well aware of that).
-B

weekend sixteen: freezing wind and neoprene

2005-12-12T08:10:00.000-08:00

Yes, it clearly seems that we're insane. Who would wear clothing like that on such a blustery winter day? Probably the same type of misguided individual that would take on a full-length feature film with over thirty featured characters, several different external and internal locations scattered about the Memphis and Shelby county area, continue to work a full time job (that occasionally asks for severe changes in schedule with little notice before such changes in cahoots with long overtime hours and exposure to the elements), and attempt to tackle this Indie Film project with no budget what-so-ever. I'm actually surprised that I still have friends after spanning the film schedule from summer to the blistering beginnings of winter. We've gone from hot to cold within the flash of a kicked over light stand... And now we're paying the price with fingers that refuse to bend, clothing that is inefficient in blocking the full-bodied brunt of winter, and winds that rip off of the Mississippi river like the rancid blows of Death. It's f-ing cold outside... and we're trying to finish up the last "large" scenes we have left to put on tape.
You see, when we started filming this project I wanted to get the easy stuff in the can first. It made perfect sense at the time. We had taken quite a bit of time off from our last Rusted Sun Films project and I felt that we were a bit... um... rusty to take a full bite into some of the scenes that would require a great deal of time and preparation. So those bigger scenes kept getting pushed deeper into the unknown future, marinating in a slop of hopes and dreams that these obstacles would become easier as the project moved further along the stages of completion. Yeah... I had completely forgotten about Winter, apparently. I don't mind cool weather. Cool weather actually makes exterior shots comfortable... even pleasant at times. Cool weather is an enjoyable slow breeze that pours over you like a breath of fresh air at a pool-side bar. Cold weather, on the other hand is a bit of a problem for "no budget" film crews. You can't wear Winter clothing if most of the film takes place in the Summer. The storm fronts that bring in Jack Frost for a seasonal visit also bring wind, rain, and blistering cold that makes logistic troubleshooting damn near impossible. It gets so cold that I simply cannot think. I freeze. People stare at me expecting to hear some great way to solve a logistic problem and I slip into some form of dimentia, thus becoming completely useless. Cold weather is apparently my kryptonite. Because we have to "act" like it's Summer, we have to strip down the clothing (no jackets-- with an exception of our 'crazy homeless guy', Brady Bell -- it was really funny watching him chase pigeons around the downtown mall), we have to pretend that our collective testicles are not ascending to our respective abdomens, avoid capturing the "steam" that pours out of our mouths when we talk (learned a nice little trick on how to avoid that by the way), and somehow get all of the wonderful audio and video that we've got scripted out, before the sun decides to crawl behind a downtown building and place our nicely lit shot into the enveloping shade. Saturday's shoot was a little difficult. However, our cast and crew muscled through the weather and the complex positioning of the scenes. Saturday could have been a little easier on the constitution. By mid afternoon I had to change into my "cute in a retarded kind of way" outfit ala Hunter S. Thompson, do a little more camera set up and acting, breakdown and change locations to Cafe' Francisco, take a fall after being hit in the head by a cane, change wardrobe again, fight some more downtown wind, make sure everyone was fed-warm-and-happy, and manage to stay awake on top of it all. By the end of Saturday I was beat... physically and mentally. I caught a nap, took Christine out for dinner (I have to find ways to keep her happy), caught a showing of Syriana, and passed out. I have to thank Anthony, Christine, Joe, Ralph, Anita, Arnold, Dayna, Jen, Brady, Bob, The Shelby Co. Police Dept (yes, they guard the county buildings downtown), and Julie Ray. Without you guys and gals I couldn't get any of this done and this certainly wouldn't be as funny or as great of a film. Sunday was another day... but at least we would be filming inside... sort of.
Sunday brought the crew back out to Bartlett, TN. We decided that there was no way in hell that we could take another day in the raw elements. Sure Sunday would be warmer but not that much warmer. Five degrees of warmth doesn't mean shit when it's 40 and windy. So, we opted to push back the shoot two hours (I really needed rest), and shoot the scenes that take place in the garage. It's a little easier... no wind, a bit warmer, there is power, a bathroom, food and drinks, and a place to rest your bones. That was a dream compared to the previous day. We had a little help from Lisa Kiesel and finished up the shoots before it ran too late into the evening. I probably smoked too many cigarettes... hence the throbbing headache. Everyone had fun and really made it come together. We've only got a few more scenes to shoot before we're able to wrap this thing up... well, and dye my hair. It promises to be interesting.
On another note, I got to see some great friends Friday night at Jamey Tucker's Christmas/going-away party. Jamey is a very good friend and I'm glad that he's going to do so well for himself. Keep writing your script Jamey. It was good to see Joe Larkins and his lovely wife as well. I always have fun with you guys. Believe me... when I write that script about television news, you'll have a role. Back to the grind...

HERE ARE YOUR THREADS FOR THE WEEK:

JOE: Geez, anyone have a popsicle?
RALPH: Actually yes, I do.
--referring to a cold pee-pee.

RALPH: It's pink hours.
--apparently phone companies charge by the color.

RALPH: These chips are really f-ing hot.
JOE: You can use the pigeon shit as dip.
--because it's good

BEVAN: I think I actually lost a testicle. Yeah, it froze off and died.
--grapes anyone?

-B

weekend fifteen: 3 tapes and cold nipples

2005-12-05T08:39:00.000-08:00

Apparently in between filming, working the day job, walking the dog, loading tapes, drinking with friends, making lunches, buying and decorating a Christmas tree, Thanksgiving, dealing with the family, paying rent, buying presents, flying in a helicopter, doing laundry, and anything else that gets slopped across my over-filled plate of responsibilities I have missed a severe change in weather (or completely lost track of time). I admit that we could have started this "film" thing a little earlier in the year. I know that it's going to take some time working mainly on weekends when our actors and actresses are available. I'm rough-cutting scenes as we go along to save some precious time. I'm breaking down the logistics of shoots on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays so that we can shoot on those following weekends. I've been busy. I am a little concerned to find that when we started shooting Divine Manipulation of the Threads we had waded through quite a dripping-warm Summer. The suit coats, button-up shirts, and ties seemed a little foolish for such over-heated sweatbox environments. There were some days that boasted a temperature of 103 degrees. However, now that Summer has passed, we've skipped Fall and shot into Winter like a bullet train from Osaka... I might be one of the only characters that doesn't freeze to death on set due to the orignal layers of "man clothes" (and it is motherf-ing cold lately).
On Friday we shot at The Peanut Shoppe downtown. They close at 5pm and were gracious enough to stick around to allow us to shoot at that location after I escaped from work. Now, we did kind of run over our allotted time for the shoot. We got out of there fairly early for an evening but I think that we might have inadvertently stayed a little too long. Don't get me wrong, the location is great... smack in the middle of Main St. Memphis... neons, signs, mirrors, textures, colors galore... They've got all varieties of nuts, candies, popcorn, etc. I would like to invite all of you to stop by and purchase some warm nuts (start the jokes now... because our shoot at the Peanut Shoppe was one big "nut joke"). We simply kept the owners there a little longer than anticipated. So, I would like to personally thank the owners of the shop. We really had fun, we captured some great material and couldn't have done it without you. I'll be stopping back by soon for some Walnuts... spiced walnuts if you've got 'em.
Jen froze a little bit during the exterior shoot. When we started shooting the "date night" scene months earlier, she was wearing a low-cut violet tank top, blue jeans, and open toed shoes. If you were out on Friday night, you might imagine how the free flowing wind would have felt against the stark-white contrast of skin. I could have cut glass with my nipples, so I'm pretty sure she could have killed a rhino. We pressed on through the blustery evening, catching a few more exterior shots before I had to troubleshoot the one decision that I had been avoiding all night. We could no longer shoot outside in the wind (for audio purposes) or the cold (for skin discoloration) that evening. So, with the wind picking up too much, it was too cold for the cast and crew to use their fingers, and I had to figure out a method of improv script rewriting to move the next shoot inside. We figured something out and managed to stay warm for the remainder of the evening. Until we went out drinking.
Thank you to Arnold, Dayna, Brad, Anthony, Christine, Joe, The folks at The Peanut Shoppe, the lobby of 99 Towers, and especially Jen Weatherford. You held it together, made it happen, and rocked the house that rocks the house. You're all helping make dreams come true.... in really cold f-ing circumstances.
Sunday evening brought me back to Anthony's house to load tapes. The holidays helped me get behind on loading material "into the machine." I had three full tapes to go through, load, and prepare to edit. Some of it will be a blast, some of it will be challenging (as we still manage to make tiny mistakes along the way --- that's what the "no budget" thing is all about, troubleshooting). I'm starting to realize why some people say that you can't do certain things without money. You can do them, it's just easier with money... and warmer...
I'm reminded of a thread that I forgot to add a few weeks back that spilled out of Anthony's mouth: "I will never make a f#cking movie with no money again." With all good luck, I hope he's right. This will be a hillarious film, done on no budget, and it's going to turn people's heads. Hopefully the coming weekend will be warm. Mother Nature could really stick me in the ass. Maybe Fall will make a pugalistic comeback.
-B

weekend fourteen: saturday night's alright for fighting

2005-11-28T11:30:00.000-08:00

So, what happens when you decide to film at a bar at 2AM on a Sunday morning?
1.) You don't get too many extras (3) to show up as scheduled.
2.) You have to somehow coerce people in the bar to "stick around" and be in an Indie movie that doesn't' have any money to offer.
3.) It's quite difficult to actually tell drunk people to stay quiet during a scene while you're getting dialogue.
4.) Eventually (even if you stay as cool as a motherfucking cucumber) there is going to be an altercation with some asshole that doesn't want to behave and is so drunk that they're willing to spend a night in jail just to talk shit to the person that owns said bar.

You get where I'm going with this? Okay, we planned for all kind of problems. We tried our best to get people out to a shoot taking place during the wee hours of the morning. David Nestler was even kind enough to help us continue on with our dreams of making a film by letting us film during his last few hours of operation at Dish. A few people were kind enough to hang out and "play" extra for the scene at the bar on tail end of their evening (perhaps fascinated that a film was going on and they just so lucked their way into a walk-on role). I moved the camera around to catch some of the ambiance of the bar atmosphere early on (mostly for cutaways). Anthony dressed up in an outfit that would have made "The Duke Boys" blush. Minus having the room filled with a bunch of dancing men, everything for the shoot seemed to be going very well. Then we began filming our dialogue at the bar.
It was hard getting people to stay quiet for the dialogue shoots. It's a bar. There was alcohol being served. I knew that I would have to be patient with everyone involved, it was late, and we would have to be quick. We knew that eventually, we would get what we needed to make the shots work. However, I didn't plan for a drunken wad of fucking idiots to sit directly next to the microphone, refuse to cooperate, and then refuse to leave. The first couple of times... no big deal. However, after a couple of busted takes when Ralph asked the guys, "Do you mind giving me a break, I know you, I know you're family, we're working here. Do you mind giving me a break?" and then the dipshit (who happens to work for a radio show here in town) responds with, "No, fuck you"... there is going to be a problem.
5.) Ralph is a retired Memphis Police Officer. He doesn't take shit from strangers... he doesn't take shit from drunks... and if you're going to be disrespectful and screw with the crew or even try to screw up the production, Ralph will eat you alive and shit you out in chunks. I've never seen him that mad before but I'm glad he kept his cool.
Eventually David had to eject the "radio personality" and his shitheel of a friend. The cops had to be called, David injured his knee after just having knee surgery, a shirt was ripped, several weapons waited in the wings, and eventually the bumbling morons went staggering down the street into another bar and started some more shit. People like that need to be put down.
Now, after that little excursion, everyone was a bit rattled but we continued to film, get some great takes, and cooler heads prevailed before ending the shoot at 4:15AM. I guess that would be one of the bright shining examples of why there is no drinking on a movie set.
I would like to thank everyone that came to participate (with a glaring exception of the two flaming assholes that derailed the first portion of the evening): Arnold, Dayna Hinkle (I remembered your name), Bob, Forrest (for keeping me from stabbing the aforementioned assholes), and even the Memphis Police (though I really would have liked to see the officer put his billyclub to use). I would really like to thank David Nestler for making the shoot happen, taking care of the problems that arose, helping with lights, music, extras, and taking one for the team. Everyone involved with this film owes David a truck load of gratitude.
I can't wait to see the footage. I've got to load at least two more tapes (I got a little behind), rough cut some scenes, and I'm working "nightside" until Wednesday on top of overeating all weekend. We've got quite a bit of work to do. So, next time we'll have a little more control over the situation (I assure you). Even though we had a few people that were a little more than unprofessional, I can tell you that everyone else was respectful, very professional, and very cool to the whole operation. The moral of the story here is: DON'T ACT LIKE A DRUNKEN JACKASS WHEN PEOPLE HAVE CAMERAS ROLLING.... we pay people to do that (sort of), they're called actors.

HERE ARE YOUR THREADS FOR THE WEEKEND:

ANTHONY: Get me out of this outfit as soon as possible.
-- In response to wearing the "ubergay" cut off jeans.

RALPH: (bends over) That's why I come prepared.
--Ralph shows his piece.

BEVAN: What? There's a finger in your butt? You shit yourself? Why are you showing me your ass?
--In response to Ralph bending over

-B

weekend thirteen: muh-mucker it's cold ( and a blast from the past)

2005-11-21T08:33:00.000-08:00

Last Friday and Saturday marked another little adventure in making a feature length motion picture with absolutely no budget what so ever. As I had mentioned previously, the power grid at our warehouse location has pulled a Harry Houdini (disappearing and or dead) which made the possibilities of shooting our nighttime scenes nill to none. I like to think that overcoming obstacles with this film is something worth working towards and the act of beating these problems to a pulp should serve as a warm fuzzy feeling of accomplishment and strength in the face of adversity. When (baby) it's cold outside, and we've got to shoot out in the open air (or cold closed concrete spaces) logistics becomes a little bit of an issue. You've got to play nice and keep your actors warm. Now, actors will take a fair amount of abuse for their art. They'll do almost anything necessary to keep the production moving and keep the director happy with their performances. However, there are lines that are drawn. I hope that no one got sick from laying on the concrete floor Friday night. Thanks to everyone that stayed late into early Saturday morning. Thanks to everyone putting up with the cold. I did cut a few corners and decided to not put congealed "fake blood" on everyone that I wanted to. I was also told that I couldn't ruin Bob Nelson's Hugo Boss suit. That's a shame because I really want to be able to ruin expensive clothing... but on the other hand, I like Bob... and I don't really want him pissed at me (Bob called at 8:30am this morning to tell me how much fun he had and wanted to work with us again).
Chris Ross also did a fantastic job of bringing Tracy Adair back to life over the weekend along with his laughable counterpart, Kong - played by Freddie Mitchell. Those two are hilarious. Friday night Chris was pulling some jokes that made me laugh so hard that I simply couldn't get the shot. I actually had to walk away from the camera on several occasions. Howard Hodo made an Oscar-worth performance after being shot, Bob Nelson killed (on film anyway). Jessie King, Earl Thigpen, Marcus Seaberry hit the cold cold ground with realism everytime. T.D. and Travis were very kind to me after multiple takes of "being shot" and getting to the point where I know they were freezing their asses off. Friday night was the first time that I've actually seen a black man's nose turn bright red.
So, Saturday we caught a little sleep, pushed back the shooting schedule by an hour (because I was mother f-ing tired tired tired), we dealt with the pains of shooting on a public city street (and all of the vagrants that meander the sidewalks of Downtown Memphis), watched another cold front come in, and delicately balanced the scene we were going to shoot for the day because we forgot to bring another tape. The wind was a pain in the ass, we were hit up for money and cigarettes, I wasn't sure if a certain actor was going to make the shoot for the day, but we did have some fantastic new hands-on-deck for the production portion of this weekend misadventure. Lisa Kiesel, Arnold Edwards, and Dayna (I forgot your last name, sorry) were invited to come "play movie" with us this weekend doing an absolutely fantastic job (as I would expect no less).
So, for those of you that remember, or think that it's amusing... here is a little bonus picture from the days of long hair. Yeah... what the hell...

HERE ARE YOUR THREADS FOR THE WEEK:

1.) ANTHONY: It was a really large clit. There was a tumor in it.
BEVAN: I don't care how drunk you were, when you're sucking d!ck, you know that you're sucking d!ck.

2.) BRAD: That guy showed you his MATA card to prove that he was homeless?

3.) ANTHONY: Did you see the tumor on that guys ear?
BEVAN: Yeah, he had a tumor in his clit.

4.) CHRIS: Do you have a tampon? I hear that they're really good for bullet holes.

5.) BEVAN: That's the first time that I've seen a black man's nose become red. I guess he's cold.

not another wednesday evening...

2005-11-17T12:07:00.000-08:00

The Rusted Sun Films team (left to right: Brad Alsobrook, C. Marie Connolly, Bevan B. Bell, and Anthony Howald) attended a premiere screening of Robert Saba's first feature film, Delusions last night (Wed. Nov. 16th). I'm sure that all of us would say that we showed up to support fellow film makers, the Indie process, and "network" with all of the shiny happy people that managed to make it to The Complex last night. Truthfully (my own reason) the reason for making face was that I performed as one of the main characters in the film, produced, assisted in some camera work, stunt choreography, and did special effects make-up (mostly bruise and blood work). Delusions was "the other film" that I was intimately involved in over the last few months. I was excited to finally see the finished product and share in everyone's joy that they have completed through months of hard work. The film came across the projected screen with all of the rough-around-the-edges-fantasy intended.
The film is a little... um... dirty. It deals with people's choices... bad choices, at that. My character, Cyrus, is a leg-breaker. I'm the guy that you don't want to see coming to your door when you owe someone a lot of money. Most of the time I just belt out speeches about making "smart decisions" or how easy it is for people to "change the error of their ways." However, close to the end of the film, I have to kick some dead-beat ass. Everyone else that acted in the film was fantastic. Chris Ross (who we have the pleasure of working with on Divine Manipulation of the Threads) did an amazing job as a shitty-drugdealer that tries to make a change once he realizes that his actions are hurting the people he loves. After seeing his performance as a whole I started to understand the character a little better. The great thing about it was that I didn't think that I was watching Chris... ...I was watching PARKER. And PARKER is a piece of shit. So, great acting. Tiffany Pemberton did a fantastic job for her first time out of the gate. She really put some great emotional performances on the table and carried it away. Seeing Forrest Pruett as a hard ass pimp was a welcome change of pace for his characters... he always surprises me with something good. Muck, Hollywood, Lee Mauney, Travis, Sparky (and everyone else)... very good work. The performances specifically shine because all of the acting was IMPROV. I'm not knocking anyone. Without all of these great actors and talented crew, this film wouldn't have been as great. It would take some time to mention all of the actors and particulars of the characters that I liked. Everyone should be proud. I want to thank everyone that complimented me last night on the acting. It's always very hard to watch myself in serious roles. I'm glad that I didn't come off poorly (at least from what was shared with me). Robert, you had a great premiere... keep the momentum going. If you let it lull or get side-tracked you'll never forgive yourself.

So, this coming Friday marks another late night for shooting on "DIVINE". We should wrap up a few characters for the film. I took a look at the "director's script" last night and we're riding the line of being 2/3 of the way through shooting. I've got a lot of scenes edited and I'm very excited about finishing the project. "DIVINE" is a quite a different movie when compared to "COWBOY." Now, I've got to find a heater and a generator for power. I hear that Home Depot rents them.

-B

weekend twelve: return of the siesta!!!

2005-11-14T08:14:00.000-08:00

We're all smiles... or passing gas, you decide. As I had mentioned on the Friday edition of the "blog," I barely made it through the work-time hours of Thursday and Friday. Between the two days I might have caught about 3 and 1/2 hours of sleep all together... and I was dragging a large crate of ass through the remainder of the blurry time frame of Friday night. After work on Friday, I managed to go home for a short amount of time before our "call time" and gather some pieces of my shattered head, so that I might form a rational or composed thought while we were filming at the wonderful Siesta Motel.

For those of you who have never visited the Siesta Motel, I would like to invite you to make the short drive and take in all of the character from a time long gone. The Siesta is an old road side motel located on a stretch of Hwy. 70 (Summer Ave). that has been taken over by suburban sprawl much like the Kudzu vine snakes through crack and crevice to invade every inch of sun drenched space. Yeah, I'm not much for the "Burbs" (even though the film with Tom Hanks is mildly humorous -- back before the time that he was considered the "Great American Actor" -- but that's another story). The Siesta was built in a simpler time, when there wasn't a desire for all of the amenities of luxury and home. It was designed (rather oddly) for the weary traveler who simply needed a bed and a shower. Since it's heyday not much has changed. The windows have been painted shut (also a way to make sure that the daylight doesn't seep through the lack of curtains), the carpet shows the pock marks of cigarette burns and old greasy spills, the bathroom is small but at least the water is clean. There is a large bed, a table, a few chairs, an antique dresser (if you wish to put away your clothes), and a heater for those cold winter nights when you don't have an extra body under the covers. As the years have passed there have been a few added modern items for the weary traveler that expects just a little more out of a room these days. There is a small refrigerator, a microwave, and air-conditioning until, and even cable television. However, these modern additions do little to sway the original Noir nostalgia that overwhelms you as you walk through the door. The place is straight out of L.A. Confidential.

We've used this location more than just this weekend. The Siesta Motel served as a backdrop for Mac the Crackhead's debut in A Cowboy's Silver Lining. Why would we use such a place for a roadside motel where a drug dealer has held up to run shop? Because it fits the bill. We used this location again for Divine Manipulation of the Threads and I'll give you a little hint... there's some more gangster shit going down at the Siesta Motel in this film. You take one look at the oddly built rooms and know that you've found one of the best kept secrets in Indie Film (which I'm now sharing with all of you -- I doubt that it will hurt Les' feelings to get more business).

Now, I will warn you... some of the clientele that stays for weeks at a time at the Siesta are reasonably nice people. They don't mind saying "hello." They're usually quite interested in what this film crew is doing around the motel... coming in and out of the rooms... They're usually good people. However, you will get some of these loner types from time to time that seem to be "up to something" and don't really like all of these people around... or a camera... or noises at 1AM. One of our neighbors was kind of a prick for a Friday night. If you're staying in a roadside motel... expect that there are going to be some disturbances on a Friday night. Don't bitch and complain to the owner, don't slam the door, and quit acting like a fucking baby. If you want privacy, solitude, and silence go to another place. The Siesta is still alive and thriving... at least for the meantime.

So, this weekend's shoot went very well. My hands are still somewhat stained with fake blood. We took Saturday and Sunday off (other things to do in this crazy life). This coming Friday, Saturday, and Sunday is going to be quite busy. We've got an actor coming back into town from NY, Ralph Hatley is coming back home to work with us some more, and we've got to play catch up for all of the times that we weren't able to get a shoot happening for the weekend. It's going to be busy busy busy. No rest for the weary.

On another note, this Wednesday Nov. 16th there is a premiere for another film that I acted in. The film is called Delusions and it is Robert Saba's first feature film. I've got a couple of other screen credits for the film as well but I'm pretty excited to see the film in it's entirety. Here's the skinny.

WHAT: "Delusions"
WHERE: The Complex, 704 Madison, entrance in rear
WHEN: Wednesday, Nov. 16 at 7:45 p.m.
ADMISSION: Free if you're on the list. If you're not then you have to pay $7
Note: Doors Close at 8pm no one will be allowed in after that time.

work: an experiment in sleeping disorders

2005-11-11T12:18:00.000-08:00

Check it out... it's me pulling my hair out. Actually this is just another shot from our up and coming movie project. Here's the rundown: Ash is brainstorming and frustrated (that wasn't too hard to "act out"). Pooch is explaining the situation in the "garage," which will become an integral part of the film. However, this is how I feel today... and I'll give you a little insight as to why I'm functioning on only three cylinders today.
There have been a series of "meth" stories that have aired on "the news station." I've been putting in quite a few hours on those pieces over the last few weeks. Yesterday was a thirteen hour day. Normally that's not a problem. I actually welcome the overtime (because I desperately need the money --- Did you know that the country is headed towards a recession unless the "Average Joes" start receiving 60 percent more than what they've been earning in previous years?). So, a thirteen hour work day: Not a problem. Waking up at 3:45am so that I can be at work by 5am, then continue to work another 16 hour work day... makes things a little more difficult. I've done a series of these kinds of days before. They're not pleasant but they're manageable. You put in the hours and expect that at the end of a grueling two-week work period that the Tax Man will not have been so cruel as to take the majority of your blood, sweat, and tears away. $300 may not be much for a "Hollywood-Type" to spend on a pair of jeans at a Sunset Strip elitist store... but for filmmakers on a (cheap-ass) beer budget (Natural Light, anyone?), $300 is a lot of money! Okay. Here's the kicker... Remember that "second job" of being a filmmaker? Yeah, I mentioned something about that earlier. Well, take those two days worth of overtime, lack of sleep, and throw in a evening shoot at the Siesta Motel directly after work. You've got a recipe for passing the fuck out on a set of stairs and cracking your head open. Unfortunately, if there was something oozing out of my head it would be nicotine and Red Bull... because that's the only thing that has kept me running.
When your car starts to sputter or rock a little, you throw a can of "fuel booster" or "fuel injector cleaner" into the tank and hope that the problem will burn itself off. What the hell do you think Red Bull does. It's only 2:30pm and I've already had three. I'm out of cigarettes and I still have the entire day and evening shoot to look forward to. I will also tell you that Red Bull definitely flushes your fuel line (if you know what I'm saying).
So, if I'm not exactly all there tonight or if I'm bitchy or spacy or I just pass out... I'm sorry. It could happen... especially the being cranky part. I have to act tonight... but I'm getting my ass kicked, so I think that looking like hell will add a little character to the scene tonight. Whew... if I make it that far. So, Monday I'll give you the weekend shoot update. If I don't die.
-B

weekend eleven: picking up the pieces

2005-11-07T08:05:00.000-08:00

We continue to carve a little further into the stone as the weekends pass us by, turning faded greens to vibrant yellows, reds, and blushed orange. Our "rock," as it were, has yielded an impressive amount of talent, laughter, camaraderie, and (at times)even genius. --Or in "plain English," we've had another successful weekend of filming on Divine Manipulation of the Threads.
The series of shoots that took place Saturday, marked another set of hurdles to overcome through brainstorming creative measure. I would like to think that instead of merely jumping or running around these migrane-inducing obstacles, that we could blow those motherfunkers to pieces or set them on fire and ram through them with a motorcycle. However, I think that we managed quite well dealing with the warehouse location no longer having a power source, the wind picking up to the force of hurricane gales, and an "extra" that showed up forty-five minutes late and instead of waiting for his moment to shine in the film, decided to leave five-minutes later... never calling or showing up for the later shoot (I've gone over what I think of this particular kind of behavior, so I'll spare all of you the diatribe for now). The night shoot at the warehouse will be even more of an adventure I'm sure...
As I had mentioned, the wind outside was a little bit heavy. Had my hand not been on the camera, the wind would have tossed it crashing to the ground... and I'm sure that Anthony would have killed me without even questioning the rationale. Thankfully we weren't going to use too much of the audio from the shoot because... well, it's kind of ruined. We'll probably cover it all up with music when we edit the scene together. Forrest was quite brave to walk around the warehouse sans shoes. His feet were covered in a dusty mixture of dirt, dust, dead mice, dead pigeon, feces, homeless people, and frenchfries. Some of us managed to inhale so much of the dusty crap into our collective sinuses that I really thought that I was going to come down with some long forgotten version of the avian flu. When that stuff gets whipped around into gusts of wind, then blows into your nose and eyes... you just know that something bad is going to happen. If I come down with cancer or some undetermined virus or disease... I'll know why. I went through the day forgetting that I had a goatee precisely carved across my face... that looked really stupid (in my humble opinion-- even though it did make me look like a movie villain). I was happy to shave it off. I'm not a mustache kind of guy.
Sunday we managed to knock out some "pick up shots" that involved a voice over montage. I also shot a scene with my brother Bo, taking on his role of "Mac the Crackhead" once again. Later in the day I polished off another rough cut scene that had all of us rolling on the floor with laughter. I don't know if anyone will catch any of the dialogue on this film. The laughter is more than contagious...
Christine has the rest of the weekend shoots scheduled out (with all hopes that we'll make the days and everyone will be able to keep the schedule) so that we WILL be finished by the end of the year (or early January... we've got a few things to tweak in post that I know will take a fair amount of time). So, we'll keep working on it and hope to get it out for the viewing public as soon as we feel that it's ready. Peace and chicken grease.

HERE ARE YOUR THREADS FOR THE WEEKEND:

NICK: Can you believe that he has a shirt to match the bucket of chicken?
(you'll have to see it to believe it-- purple and green psychedelic chicken)

TRAVIS: I cannot believe you wasted all of that chicken.
(referring to perfectly good chicken being thrown on the ground)

FORREST: What's my motivation for the chicken? I have chicken in my mouth and I'm talking on the phone?
(making sense now?)

ANTHONY: His feet look like Fred Flintstone's.
(referring to Forrest's feet in the nasty ass warehouse)

BEVAN: This place is so old it could be Brontosaurus shit.
(referring to the nasty ass warehouse)

BO: I got chicklets, mayne.
(gun runners love chewing gum)

-B

vacation after the vacation...

2005-11-01T15:28:00.000-08:00

Thank you to all of those that spread kind words of praise after watching our little trailer for our newest of new film projects. I believe I can speak for everyone at Rusted Sun Films that we love making these things to share with all of you. As it has been stated in so many of the responses... I can't wait to see the entire film either.
I managed to edit about three more scenes for Divine Manipulation of the Threads and we're continuing to roll on this track of actually getting things done. This coming weekend marks yet another stage of hurdles to jump through, as I've just been informed that someone has ONCE AGAIN BROKEN INTO OUR WAREHOUSE LOCATION AND FUCKED UP THE POWER GRID. Seriously... will you assholes knock it off?!? I don't have the energy (no pun intended) to deal with people sabotaging our shoots. So, we've either got to borrow a generator (which will more than likely become a sound issue, or I've got to buy a series of lights that will operate on battery power). If I ever find out which crackheads are stealing the copper wiring out of that building, I'm going to castrate them with a wooden spoon... or a plastic spork... whichever will leave a lasting impression so that they soon not forget that there is a price to pay when you steal. Just so you know, it's not going to be replaced or repaired again... so there will be no more copper wiring to steal. I'll give you a fistful of pennies if you just walk out into traffic.
Anyway, with all hopes, it shouldn't be too expensive of a problem to solve for the weekend. Hopefully.
So, what happens when you make plans for almost every single day of your vacation? You end up needed more time to recuperate from your "time off." One thing can be said for taking time off this year... I've learned the hard way that I cannot drink nearly as much as I used to... Nor can I cope with the sordid hours of fuzzy-headed confusion and displacement that occur in the wake of such said post-imbibing madness. I liked playing my days away as a filmmaker. I've got to find some way to make money off of that.
On another note, I'm wondering if I have anything left to shoot for Black Snake Moan. Someone today said that there was a newspaper article that mentioned the production had completed shooting. Now, that can mean a series of things... but I don't know what exactly it means. I guess I'll just wait to hear if they still plan on shooting "that scene." Happy Late Halloween to those that care.
We'll keep you posted of the progress, problems, and changes as they slam into my face during the week.
-B

the new Trailer is here the new Trailer is here!

2005-10-28T07:40:00.000-07:00

Oh my God I can't believe it's true!!! Yes, we haven't even finished filming the script and there is already a trailer for the film! Hell, I figured if they could do it for Ocean's 12 or War of the Worlds I might as well be able to pull off something similar. Here's the difference... we don't have all of that fancy computer graphics stuff to "make" a trailer out of nothing. So, we decided to use actual footage. I know, crazy huh?! I guess you'd like to know how to get your hands on this thing, right? Okay.

www.rustedsunfilms.com is the location to find and view the trailer for our latest film Divine Manipulation of the Threads. It should give you a taste of what this film is ready to offer. I've been spending days upon days rough cutting footage into scenes... then we decided that we might as well cut a trailer for this thing. We want to get people excited about this project. So, for all those of you that have concerns that we have not shot with you as of yet... rest assured, we're still working on it.
On another note, vacation hasn't been all that restful... but amazingly enough I haven't been drinking that much beer. Hell, it's Friday, I guess that can change tonight.
I did get to see a couple of films at the Indie Memphis Film Festival (including my short-but-sweet performance in Slow Down... You're Dating Too Fast). Look out George Clooney, apparently I can be a charming son-of-a-bitch too... Enjoy the trailer and tell us all about it!
-B

and now, the rest of the story...

2005-10-21T09:04:00.000-07:00

That phrase is probably going to end up involving me in a lawsuit because of copyright laws and Paul Harvey Jr., so I'll get this over with as soon as I possibly can.
We're up to tape 10 (I've still yet to load tape nine), we've broken the half-way point of shooting for the film Divine Manipulation of the Threads, and I've just about completed the first pass of the Official Trailer for the film. I'm on vacation from the news station next week and I'll more than likely spend a large portion of that "down time" working on rough cut edits, the trailer, loading tapes, and drinking beer before the strike of noon.
I truly love vacations. Even though I'm not going anywhere (no planned trips) and even though I have to remain somewhat responsible over the span of next week (you know, film stuff and having to get my car tags renewed)... I look forward to the option of sleeping in, playing a game or two, going to see some films at the Indie Memphis film festival (although the more I think about it the more I get pissed off about not having anything to submit this year because we're still working on it), being able to pretty much do whatever-the-hell-I-want-to-do, and mainly getting a break from work before the dreaded November ratings book.
November sucks to work in news. There is no time off, you have to be at a beckon call, I usually have to work Thanksgiving (because I'm not married, have no kids, and my family structure pretty much doesn't exist), and everyone I work with goes squirrel-nuts-fucking-crazy from stress, deadlines, and expectations that often fall somewhere around the realm of making Micheal Jackson seem as normal as a Ziggy comic strip. The stress is enough to knowingly hit yourself in the face with a shovel, and enjoy it...
"Oh, well wouldn't it be smart to take time off after such a draining span of time?" Yes, yes, it would... but seeing as how I'm riding the middle of the seniority totem pole, the December vacation book fills up mighty quickly. So, it would be nice... but taking time off in December "ain't gonna happen." Besides, I usually take some time off around the Indie Memphis film festival so that I can attend movies, drink at afterparties until the "breaka-breaka-dawn," and not have to worry about the day job until the following week. Sanity...
I've got a shoot with BSM this Saturday (the somewhat dreaded shoot that may eventually cause me greif) we're doing some pick-up shots with the PHONE GIRL SCENE on our movie early Sunday morning, and then I'm putting together a crew of people to go see OCEAN FRONT PROPERTY at 1pm on Sunday. It's a film that a friend of mine from Dallas acted/directed/shot/etc. He's coming to town for the festival and I would like to show a warm welcome. It's a great film and I highly recommend film lovers to see this Indie feature. It's an amazing work... and it's often hard for me to give compliments... but damnit, it's good.
I'll post again next week, change some things with the Official Rusted Sun Films site and post the new trailer by the end of the week. So far it's taken on a 70's jazz kind of cool feel. It will spark interest and make me think about all of the shots I would like to get further on down the road.
-B

weekend nine: doing just fine...

2005-10-17T15:47:00.000-07:00

Blond, James Blond... (yes it's a pun). Every once in a while I get excited about the James Bond series of films. I grew up watching them and they are one of the many reasons that I wanted to "grow up and make movies." I grew up on Roger Moore, learned to appreciate Sir Sean Connery as the birth of cool, rode along with Timothy Dalton, loved the re-birth of Pierce Brosnan, and would have liked to have seen more from George Lazenby. If there were ever an opportunity to arise for an American to play Bond, I would jump through hoops to play the part (I've been practicing my Proper-English accent).
So, kudos to Daniel Craig for snagging the role as the "new" Bond. I envy you, you bastard... you were absolutely fucking great in Layer Cake, I hated your sniveling bitch of a character in Road to Perdition (which was the very intention, I'm sure), and I cannot wait to see what you bring to James Bond. Put in a good word for me when you decide to bow out of the role.
So, with that underway, I will progress to the weekend update of production on Divine Manipulation of the Threads. This weekend marked the return of the very talented Ralph Hatley. Everyone was glad to have Ralph back in town for the weekend (even though we really didn't get to film that much with him.) Instead we focused on the shoots that involved the talented and lovely Tabitha Warren, who plays MARGARET, THE GUITAR MAN'S rather bitchy and intimidating wife. Through her interpretations, the audience gets to see who really wears the pants in that family.
We had a very long Saturday this weekend. We shot from 9am to 4:30pm at Anthony's house. Tabitha got to hit someone in the head (fake hit, of course) with a cast iron skillet, chase kidnap goons around the house, and threaten me with a knife. She did amazingly well for working with us for the first time... and I'll say that she did exactly what we wanted (and even knew all of her lines!). At 6:30pm we moved from our Bartlett location to the warehouse downtown. Yes, that's right... we're shooting in the warehouse once again. It's a great location... I can't help that it's got 4 decades worth of filth floating around every nook and cranny. We continued to shoot until 9:30pm and called it an evening. I drank some wine and went to sleep.
Sunday marked a continuation of working on the interiors of the warehouse. We only filmed for two hours, so everyone got to reclaim part of their weekend. I want to thank all of those individuals that showed up, helped move gear, acted, laughed, or had anything to do with the shoot this weekend. I truly enjoyed this weekend's shoot and can say without a doubt that we've crossed the half-way point of production. We're working on wrapping up the last scenes of the movie (and we might actually get this thing finished in a timely fashion).
I don't want to give away too much information of what we filmed this weekend. We want to keep some of the laughs for the film... for I have a tendency to run my mouth about everything. This film is hilarious. We'll continue to work on filming it.

HERE ARE YOUR THREADS FOR THE WEEK:

TABITHA: "So do you have some padding or something or should I just go for it?"
--referring to "the grab scene."
MUCK: "It's okay, you're not going to hurt anything... it's really small."
--referring to "the grab scene."
BEVAN: "Am I stereotyping the black male with all of the drugs, guns, and dialogue?"
--referring to every scene involving black males
HOWARD: "Yes, yes, you are..."
--responding to my question
MUCK: "See, I told you it was really small"
--referring to being grabbed.

weekend eight: part two of "the date"

2005-10-10T15:59:00.000-07:00

As far as my Indie film experiences have gone, I've had a very exciting, pleasant, and vibrant time "playing movies" for the last few years. I've engaged in several learning experiences that run the gamut of pre-production decisions to post-production deadline issues. I've loved them all (as much as some have frustrated the ever-living-shit-out-of-me).

Lately, we've been dealing with scheduling issues. These problems will undoubtedly occur when your cast and crew are working FOR FREE. So, you deal with them. Luckily, we have been able to squeeze some last minute shoots together before a very talented actor (and good friend) left for New York once again. Thanks to the amazing producing talents of our crew (and some long nights worth of scouring through script and paperwork by Christine) we made this weekend's shoot happen. It was actually scheduled to a relatively smooth-as-glass sensibility... which lightens the load on my skull and stretches a smile across my face by the end of the day. I was very happy that this weekend's shoot was going to go off without a hitch. Then... it started to rain.

As a shook off a hangover and started getting dressed for our Sunday 9AM crew call, the earth shaking rumbles of lightning and thunder loomed overhead. "FUCK!" I thought to myself. "This is the one item that is out of our control." I hung my head and started off towards downtown with the hopes that we could "wait it out." Thankfully, we only ran about an hour behind schedule.

We started shooting downtown Sunday morning, focusing on TRACY ADAIR and KONG. I will state this as a firmly as I can... Chris Ross and Freddy Mitchell are (hands-down) one of the funniest pairs of comic relief actors I have ever seen. Even though there were bits of scripted dialogue and ideas that had to be conveyed from one point to another... most of the time I just let the camera continue to roll to see what madness we would capture. Those two goofy bastards really made the humor of the scene come alive. I feel confident that people will be rolling in the aisles when this film premieres. I can say this with assurance because of several key items that just "went above and beyond what we were expecting." They even had a security guard that was completely unaware of what was going on laughing out loud.

I would like to thank those that saw us filming on the city streets for not being too disruptive.

We finished our daytime shoots around 2PM... had a length lunch at Movie and Pizza Co. on Mud Island... watched the dailies... and took a much needed nap. We would gather again for our night-shoots around 9PM. Chris and Freddy continued to thrill and make us laugh with the silliest of improv.

Since the temperature has dropped a few key degrees in the last week, Jennifer froze during the evening but kept in great spirits. We were actually able to shoot a few extra moments on the "date night" scene... This really made me happy. Getting in extra shots along with making the scheduled production day is an added bonus to an already enlightened day. Thank you, thank you, thank you to all of those people that made it happen (Chris, Freddy, Muck, Jovan, Nick, Marcus, Joe, Robert, Christine, Brad, Anthony, and anyone that may have slipped my memory of the long day). Sunday was a fantastic day.

d i v i n e m a n i p u l a t i o n o f t h e t h r e a d s is going to be one funny-ass movie. For now we'll continue chipping away at the shooting schedule, get some more scenes in the can, and keep rough cutting the scenes we do have shot. I just love watching it all come together. The coming weekend is going to take a lot of time and effort. I'll try to keep my head together... I said... try.

HERE IS THE ONLY THREAD I CAN REMEMBER:

JOE: "What the hell time is it, 42 o'clock?" (Joe explains why the church bell tower had been ringing for five minutes straight)

should have started a documentary...

2005-10-03T08:09:00.000-07:00

This isn't a picture from this weekend but it should serve as some sort of visual representation of "The Morning After." This is a good picture of Bevan being quite hung-over after two or more days of continuous drinking. With this image in mind, I will proceed with the tales of adventures, reunions, mis-adventures, forgotten promises, a distaste for menthol cigarettes, and a wonderful dish of Pad Thai.
We had to call off shooting for the weekend on Divine Manipulation of the Threads for a series of reasons that just didn't come through. It's hard to get some of these shoots set up from time to time... and this one just didn't happen the way we wanted it to. So, instead I decided to attend a series of occasions that most of us (under any sort of normal circumstances) would dread and fear. Yeah, I went to my 10 Year High School Reunion...

As the days approaching this vastly uncomfortable chain of events disappeared behind the horizon, my brain began to work overtime. Should I go through the trouble of having someone help me document the occasion for a short film somewhere down the road? I would make it a documentary, but full of lies. I like the idea of Grosse Point Blank, when Martin Blank (a.k.a John Cusack) comes back to town for his 10 year High School Reunion after a freak-out incident at work (which by the way, he's a contract killer). Martin sees his old friends, the girl he left at the Prom and tells them the truth about his life after being prodded with the question, "10 Years! What the hell happened to you? 10 Years... 10 years."
"I freaked out, joined the army, went into business for myself, now I'm a professional killer."
Amazingly enough, no one believes him, so once he realizes that his new found honesty is taken as a load of shit, he continues to feed all of his old acquaintances a ration of lies and it makes for a fantastically humorous story. I kind of wanted to do that with a documentary. Instead I drank. I thought that it might be a better idea then having to kill a rival hit-man. Unfortunately they didn't hold the reunion at the school. I was kind of looking forward to that part.
Friday night we had a dinner meeting at Tsunami on Cooper. I had never actually eaten there before. I have to recommend the calimari... excellent. I talked to a few familiar faces, Christine was a trooper, and I ran into Samuel L. Jackson. If I were making it up I would just be lame... but Samuel L. Jackson showed up at my High School Reunion. He was having dinner (and the calimari, by the way). He was nice enough to entertain some conversation and I felt stupid about bothering him afterward. He did ask, "Do all of the girls look the same?"
I replied, "Amazingly enough they do."
"Really," he said, "That's usually never the case, they get all fat an' everything."
That made me laugh. Christine would later approach Sam to attempt a conversation and he told her that "You're not supposed to date the people you work with." Samuel L. Jackson still lives by the rules (it's the guys like me that break them).
Later in the evening I went to the Young Avenue Deli and got pulled along to One More, which is a lesbian bar (nothing wrong with that)... I just thought that I was going to get my ass kicked... and I told someone that they looked like Toni Collette (and that Toni Collette played a transvestite in a movie... it just got worse from there).
Saturday allowed an opportunity to sleep in. It was needed and welcomed. It also brought about an insane notion to go to the Shelby County Fair. Christine needed it... I just wanted a Funnel Cake. After a little "hair of the dog," I was feeling better. Then it started raining and this Saturday afternoon at the Fair turned into every "first date" movie that you've ever seen... bumper cars, running into the Skee-ball building to get out of the rain, and saying "fuck it" and walking home in the rain. Then we went to the "big" High School Reunion at Sam's Town casino. We showed up two hours late - but I did get voted one of three guys "Still 10 for 10" which roughly translates to "looking good Ten years later." One of my old buddies, Christine, and I then snuck out to drive back up to the Young Avenue Deli to see The Reverend Horton Heat (a fantastic Rock-a-billy show - or just a 'Psycho-billy-freak-out'). I drank too much Pabst Blue Ribbon, smoked too many squares, and got home around 3AM.
I got a call at 9:20AM Sunday morning from Robert Saba. Apparently I was supposed to film on Delusions Sunday morning and I flat out forgot about the shoot. Robert was calling from Birmingham... he didn't know that I was still in bed. I got to set at 10AM hung over as all hell... and I had smoke. I didn't bring a pack because I was sick of smoking and drinking and really desired to vomit. Someone on set had a pack of Menthols... so I proceeded to smoke take after take after take until we finished the shoot.
I got a fifteen minute nap, cleaned house, watched L.A. Confidential and played a video game for a few hours. By the time I had finished eating a fantastic meal at Bhan Thai, it was 9pm... there was an empty bottle of champagne and white wine... I barely made it to 11pm without passing out. There is no medium... the engine is either at a dead stop or the accelerator is smashed firmly into the floor board as though we were racing the Devil. And in a way I suppose I am racing the Devil... and I didn't kill anyone in the hallways of the High School. We get to rough cut the Stone Free Joey scene tonight!!! Filming this weekend?!? We shall see... we shall see...

who the hell needs sleep anyway?

2005-09-26T08:28:00.000-07:00

The last few days have served as an eye opener on various different points of life and the desire to make something professional out of this whole "movie job." I made sure to go extremely out of the way to ensure that I had some involvement in a certain project... where as some other individuals that have been kind enough to use me in their projects have had fantastic opportunities dropped in their lap.
I talked to Robert Saba yesterday and he said that he quit a casting search for a BBC show. He mentioned something about having a problem talking to people about their fat kids at the Mid-South Fair. I don't know, I think he should be focusing on editing his film anyway (mainly because as I'm one of the leads and producers... so I'm eager to see how my on screen work comes together and how his first feature comes together as a whole). He also got a gig working with this Will Ferrell NASCAR movie in Birmingham. He'll be gone for two weeks... but shit man, he keeps getting these movie jobs so it's not half bad.
I had to work a few extra days this week. When I wasn't working at the "day job" I was working as an extra on Black Snake Moan. I got moved up to a Featured Extra on Saturday with some "interesting" screen time (but that's about all I can say about that situation-- I had to sign a confidentiality agreement). So I woke up at 7:30am Thursday to work the day job. I had leave work a little early to get to set (way-the-f-out in Fayette Co.) by 4pm. I was a little late. I worked there Thursday from 4pm to 6am. I drove home, picked up some fresh clothes, showered and had to be out at Wolfchase to meet my reporter on Friday morning at 8:45am. We were driving to Nashville (which by the way is a 3 and 1/2 hour drive if you speed). I got to sleep a little on the way there (thank God). I worked in Nashville for the day and got back into town dropping off my reporter at 5:50pm (after a good bit of racing down that flat line interstate 40 on a steady diet of Red Bull, Gobstoppers, and Trident White Gum). I had to bust ass to get back to the Black Snake Moan set by 6pm. I made it about 6:20pm. I worked on the set from that point until 7am on Saturday morning. I was one of the last "extras" on set. I can't go into any further detail about the shoot... but I will say that despite being extremely exhausted, the sunrise was gorgeous. It looked like the entire sky was set ablaze.
So, after all of that brain distress, physical drain, and dead-to-the-world brain activity that usually kicks in as a survival mechanism (or acting, take your pick)... I drove home, caught an hour and a half of sleep, and had to report back to NC3 for work at 9am. I got home somewhere around 6pm and crashed for a bit shortly afterward.
I managed to catch about 4 hours of sleep before I was told to wake up for a "birthday party." My head was still filled with a fine static hum of white noise... but a couple of drinks took the hard lined frontal burn off of my brain. Unfortunately it also took quite a bit out of my depleted energy level. Needless to say, we didn't film on Divine Manipulation of the Threads this weekend.
My biggest laugh came on early, early, early Friday morning when Craig walked over to me at my "extra start position" and jokingly asked, "You want to direct any of this?" I might have taken him up on it if I actually knew anything about the script. On the other hand, I might have been the only extra there that has the Directors cell phone number.
It was cool to see Craig work and how a "paying motion picture" actually operates. It's a much different creature than our little Indie Projects... much different.
I took Christine out for dinner on Sunday (as I'm going to have to treat her like a princess for putting up with my bullshit for a while-- again, I can't really talk about it) and we caught a 9pm show of The Corpse Bride. Now I'm back at the day job and mildly reeling from a very, very busy couple of days.
Oh, I'm also dealing with my dog's open wound from his neuter surgery. He just won't leave it alone, he's been wearing one of those head-cone e-collars for two weeks, he's knocked everything off of every table and inadvertently broken a few key pieces of "nice things that I used to own," but mainly, he's making attempts to lick his balls. Unfortunately he's been tearing the shit out of them with this plastic space helmet. It's kind of a fun time (mainly because I still have no idea what I've been through over the last few days)... I'm sure it will hit me later. But now I've got to figure out what we're going to film for this weekend... and call Colors to find out what exactly is going on with BSM. Aren't Monday's fun? I need a drink.
Oh, happy 10th Anniversary to Anthony and Anita!
-B

weekend seven: making a movie with Bevan

2005-09-19T08:28:00.000-07:00

Okay, I won't lie. When we have some changes that can move toward the possibility of setbacks, I start to freak out a little. On our last film venture, A Cowboy's Silver Lining, we lost an actress for an undetermined amount of time. I don't mean that we couldn't actually find her (though that did become a problem after a while), I mean that she wasn't able to film for a portion of time and we didn't know when she was coming back. So, when hurricane Katrina hit, we fell into the same situation as before. Thankfully, there are still a few scenes and shoots that we can put into a Saturday motion picture extravaganza before those absences will effect the pleasing forward direction of status thus far. Well, I could also keep loading tapes and rough cutting to buy a little more time before we run ashore. I'm not blaming anyone (with the exception of a hurricane and perhaps God). Our absentees are good people doing good work for a good reason. I'm proud of them and are willing to wait as long as I possibly can for them to return "home" to us.

Now, with that said... we rescheduled our Saturday shoot for Friday night... for three reasons. One was the previous message about people being out of town for disaster relief. The second is that I was trying to squeeze a funny scene about DOPPELGANGERS involving the Green Twins. Kelly Green was leaving town at 12noon on Saturday... forcing us to move the shoot up a day... directly afterwork... only allowing us an hour and a half to shoot an entire scene. Yes, a scene can be shot in that time and still look and sound great. The third reason is that the Cooper/Young Festival was taking place on Saturday. Yes, the last reason seems selfish but I'll explain myself in a moment.

The Friday night shoot was pressed for time. Because of the Cooper/Young 4K run... I was fifteen minutes late to set... with our other actor, Joe Smith. I had to pick him up because if he had moved his car out of the Cooper/Young area he would lose the space and have to walk 5 blocks to his car until Sunday. We got caught behind the runners on the way in and out of the area... eating away our precious Friday night. The scene was really, really funny. We pressed everyone with the time, stayed a few minutes late, and diverted a near catastrophe when Kelly couldn't find his car key (which was still in the door). I suppose that it's no real surprise that we named the newly purchased boom-mic stand "Kelly" (it's a long story that I'll save for another entry... or the documentary). Thanks to Joe, Shaun, and Kelly for giving us your Friday night... thanks to Brad, Anthony, and Christine for putting up with me. Thanks to Cafe' Francisco for allowing us to film with short notice and keeping a smile on when we went 10 minutes over.

Later that night, Christine and I drank with Joe at dish (a favorite local bar and a location for a later scene). The following day we drank for 12 hours straight (or so) at the Cooper/Young Festival. Okay, now the Cooper/Young festival is something that I have attended since before my days of living in Midtown Memphis. Now, I mentioned that scheduling the shoot for Friday was a little selfish. That's because I would have scheduled the shoot around that Saturday anyway. I love this festival. It's an art festival with a great atmosphere, good friends, cheap finds, cheap beer (if you have good friends), and carnie food. I can't help it... I love corndogs. After you've had a few barley-pops you really don't give a crap about what you're eating... as long as it sobers you up a bit. Perhaps one day I'll be able to replicate that whole scenario for a film... or at least have the money to do it if I wanted to. That would be fun, I think... well, probably a nightmare because I'd be sober.

So, Sunday I acted in two other films (the two other films that I had committed to before we started shooting on Divine Manipulation of the Threads). I've finished shooting on M. David Lee III's film Slow Down... You're Dating Too Fast. I was married off in the movie. That kind of scared me a little. But David was finally able to wrap the shoots for the film. Yes, I held him back for about a month... but he understands. I also filmed on Robert Saba's movie, Delusions. Robert says that he wrapped principle photography yesterday... which is pretty exciting... but we still have a few "pick ups" to do for that production.

Again, it's been a busy weekend. I'm sure this week will be just as full... because now I have to figure out what we're going to film this weekend (or just fall back to loading tapes and editing).

Whew.... sorry Ralph, I can't think of any threads (I drank them away Saturday)

tape two and three: loaded and rough cuts

2005-09-11T21:48:00.000-07:00

The joy of getting all of these shoots "In The Can" as they say (or at least as I've heard said before... seeing as how we're not really shooting on film) is all a fantastic thrill of progress. We have been trucking along quite fine these last few Saturdays. Our shoots have been limited as such because I've basically gotten in too far over my head when making certain commitments. I've taken my fair share of flack for holding up the operation, but I will have it known that I've been busting my hump on every single thing I do... cutting no corners and making certain that the projects I'm involved with will have the utmost attention to detail and production. With that said... The cast and crew of Divine Manipulation of the Threads got to take the weekend off.
I'm not being a slack-ass (as I've admittedly been on the months of pre-production stagnancy). The last few weekends have blossomed quite vibrantly. The stuff we've managed to capture is funny and encompasses the movie magic that I fell in love with in the first place. However, because my "dayjob" has scheduled me to be the on-call photographer, I figured it was in everyone's best interest to not schedule a shoot. For I know that as soon as I make the schedule, get everyone involved and where they need to be, and start rolling through the camera eye... I'll get called in. It has never failed. So, I no longer schedule anything of necessity or ask anyone else to give me their time when the percentages start to rise against the favors of our little indie movie production. Everyone got to take the weekend off except for me. Instead, I took advantage of this valuable down time to load tapes into the machine.
Now, I've made mention on how it takes twice as long (sometimes three times as long) to load video into the computer as it does to film it. So, one can imagine what feeding two hours worth of good takes does to the frontal lobe. My eyes went through sensory overload. Making the drive for the long and winding road home felt like a THC induced dreamscape. On the other hand... I got to revisit a lot of great material. It's satisfying to finally start getting the production into a rough cut stage of pieced together scenes and ideas. We're nowhere near the point of finishing the shooting schedule (by any stretch of the imagination). I just like getting a jump on the editing process. I love seeing it all come together. I guess, at heart I've always been an editor... It's the first job I got in television... and the first job I truly desired to master. A good editor can save a piece of crap from smearing it's oily discharge across the screen. A great editor can transform that same piece of fecal matter into a shining work of art that would make the masters envious. They will wish that their shit looked that good... they might even smell the rose scented aroma wafting around the load.
See... poop humor works every time. Anyway, I truly enjoyed my Saturday of loading and rough cutting the beginning stages of our film. Now, keep in mind, I've only got two scenes rough cut. We haven't even taken a splinters worth of weight off of this tree. However, the explosive orange and reds of fall will soon turn the corner... much as our production will follow suit and gently fall into a vision that demands sensory attention. I would know... I've seen the rough cuts...
-B

football season is over...

2005-09-09T11:33:00.000-07:00

FOOTBALL SEASON IS OVER

"No More Games. No More Bombs. No More Walking. No More Fun. No More Swimming. 67. That is 17 years past 50. 17 more than I needed or wanted. Boring. I am always bitchy. No Fun -- for anybody. 67. You are getting Greedy. Act your old age. Relax -- This won't hurt."

--This was Hunter's "suicide note" or at least the last thing he had written before he let himself out. Not too long ago his remains were shot out of a cannon and showered all over his friends and relatives that had gathered for his grand hurrah. What better way to share yourself with those you love then to have them gasp in amazement at a fireworks show, be fired out of a cannon, and have a little dried up piece of your cremated ball sack land in someone's eye. I wish that he and Brando could have hung out during their last days. Now that would have been an interesting story... a "Fear and Loathing" adventure just sitting around the patio with good books, good drinks, and guns. The great ones go out with a "BANG."

weekend six: making it stick

2005-09-05T07:48:00.000-07:00

(Yea, yeah, I know what else rhymes with six) Due to some last minute changes and actors that were unable to be with us this weekend, we fell a little behind the schedule. However, in our defense the schedule would have only been made had we started at 9:30AM.... and we started at 3PM... I'm very pleased with what we were able to get on film.
Once again we took over the back room of Cafe' Francisco for our Indie film shoot. Some unsuspecting individuals got to be guest extras, Joe made a new drink out of pure sugar (I'm sure the guys and gals from Red Bull will be calling him any day now), Jennifer got all crazy-faced when she dreamed about smashing a guys face in a waffle iron (and once again proved that she's just one of the guys... but much better looking), Shane's crotch got some special attention that made him scream like a girl, and I managed to get Christine's iPod a cameo appearance while keeping the first scene all together as the "straight man" of this little comedy troupe.
Anthony did a fine job of putting up with my crap and making sure that everyone was on the ball (as he likes to stay on balls for some reason). Brad held the boom mic for most of the day and talked about boobs, the boom operator, and being followed by a boom shadow. Christine was doing a fine job of watching the monitors and performances... but she kept walking off of the set and disappearing. I think it had something to do with Cappuccino and too much Olive Oil on her Greek Salad plate (if you know what I mean).
As the evening pressed on we finally got to see the debut performances of TRACY ADAIR and KONG. I've got to tell you that since this film has taken a turn of absurdity it's gotten to be really really really funny. When someone takes off a pair of sunglasses and you laugh... you know it's good. When a guy has his ears tucked into a high-roller hat because it's too big... that's good stuff.
We filmed a fight scene on a city street... got some applause for beating the crap out of people... and later packed up the gear and proceeded to get shyte-faced at T.J. Mulligans (who were nice enough to provide jell-o shots for us). So, we had some good times got some great material and managed to survive the debauchery that followed. For those of you that care...

HERE ARE YOUR THREADS FOR THE WEEKEND:

JOE: "Shake your sugar..."
(Joe knows what pays the bills-- and what gets you cast)

BEVAN: "Am I soft?"
(Bevan talks about the focus of the camera, but of course, it's takes a different meaning)

SHANE: "I thought my crotch was the star of this scene."
(Shane states the facts)

JENNIFER: "I'd give my left vagina for one of those"
(Because once you get a hysterectomy, they take the p#$$y but let you keep the box it came in)

tape one: locked and loaded

2005-09-01T12:36:00.000-07:00

It has begun. Last night I traveled out to Bartlett, the homebase-batcave-studio-rama where we base the majority of our "post-production" operations, some production locations, and sit in a garage enjoying the creature comforts of beer. Now, I didn't get to partake of the frothy goodness of an ice cold adult beverage... but I did get down to brass tacks with loading video into the computer. Now, I have to load the video in at "real-time" (or "reel time"). That's not a huge surprise. Everyone that makes these home-movies of sorts has to load in video at "reel time." There are some that a lucky enough to load video in a 2x speed... or even 4x speed... but those days are either long behind us or too far into the future to see. The point... it takes twice as long to load video as it does to shoot it. A one hour tape will take you somewhere around 2 and 1/2 hours to load (and that's just the good takes).

With loading the video I got a wild hair and decided to rough cut our first production shoot. The scene was a fun little warm up to the larger tasks ahead of us. So the shots are clean but not "as clean" as I would like them to be. You notice things like a slight bit of soft focus on a subject that should have been corrected... or a bag that was left just out of shot on a previous set up and is now sitting in the corner of the scene. You get to see your screw ups and how to "edit" your way out of them. God forbid that an actor does something in a good take and you don't have another edit to go to that matches the movement.

However, there is an immense joy in seeing this stuff come together. We're not close to being finished with the production... but I'm getting a jump on the POST. I'm quite pleased... I'm having fun... and we should be able to share some of it with you all very soon. So, until the next time...

-B

drive-in, Saturday...

2005-08-31T11:57:00.000-07:00

For those of you that would like to see the first set of pictures from our filming efforts this weekend, here are a few. If you would like to see more you can click on this link to view all of the fun shots from our "Stone Free Joey" scene this weekend. Apparently I'm listening to a David Bowie song (hence the title) and Anthony is watching pre-season football. It's amazing that we actually get anything done.

http://216.71.135.182/FWP/D/index.html

Enjoy!

weekend five: talking that slow jive...

2005-08-29T11:28:00.000-07:00

I'm fairly certain that the New Orleans Film Festival 2005 will either be delayed or (at worst case scenario) cancelled due to the flooding, destruction, and general mayhem that has been dropped upon the Crescent City. Filmmakers were going to hear from the festival on September 1st whether or not they were accepted and/or invited to take party in the New Orleans Film Festival (though I would assume that "we" probably didn't get in with A Cowboy's Silver Lining). I'll just accept it... though it would have been fun to go down there and be included in the film festival. So... we'll wait till the clouds, rain, sewage, and floating caskets clear up to find out what happens. I would hope that someone out there is running about with their camera documenting the whole thing. I'm sure the weather channel, the history channel, and several other cable networks would be interested for a first hand documentary. Sorry, I'm not up for it...
On the other hand, we had a very good time filming our scenes this weekend. Forrest Pruett put a breath of life into Stone Free Joey that made you choke and cough with giddy laughter. His addition of 10 scantily clad women, giggling, and rolling about the room also added to the contagious laughter. Filming went extremely well... everyone seemed to have fun... and we made the scene in good time.
The only moment we got behind filming was when we were waiting on a couple of our actors to arrive from various locations around noon. I won't bitch or complain too much... everything worked out, and it was well worth the time and effort to work all of that stuff into the scene. Joe Smith (a.k.a Robert "Pooch" Puchinelli), took quite a few production photos that we will be able to share with you as soon as I can get home and unzip file. I will warn you that the photos are mostly of women in "comfortable clothes," as they tended to fill the majority of the space in the room.
Soon there were only four of us left... Joe, Anthony, Brad, and I (a.k.a. - J.A.B.I.) were the only people left to finish the shoot for the day. Yeah, everyone else bailed. This part of the production took a little more time. We fought off the poor timing of jets taking off and landing... a neighborhood dog that wouldn't go home... some kind of strange banging that was coming from my neighbor's house... and Anthony bitching about his back hurting (I'm kidding... but not really... he was bitching). We finally figured out how to time the airplanes so that we could squeeze in one long take, I chased off the dog, figured that my neighbors had taken someone hostage, and got Anthony a beer (Anthony is to beer: as Popeye is to Spinach). After a few more shots we were done for the day.
Now I'll have to start going over to "The Studio" during the week to load the computer full of video and start rough-cutting these scenes together. The juices are flowing. I'm thrilled about seeing this come together. It's a funny movie. I just hope that it will be funny when it's done. That all comes down to editing... and timing... and fart jokes. Look for the production photos soon (here and @ www.rustedsunfilms.com ).

Here are a couple of THREADS from this weekend:

BRAD: When do we get to film the girl on girl kissing scene?
JOE: Bevan's head looks like it's going to explode.
BEVAN: Jason, I never thought I would say this... but... take your clothes back off.
JOE: That's not the nipple shot we were promised.
BEVAN: Anthony, I thought I told you to call the airport and get rid of those planes? Do I have to do everything around here? ANTHONY: You could try acting...

-Bevan

it was cold and it rained so I felt like an actor...

2005-08-26T11:19:00.000-07:00

I truly think that everyone should own The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust by David Bowie. It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of Bowie's body of work but there are some personal favorites from the collection. This album might be the most recognizable sound for the general public... but for those that gain a fair amount of pleasure from actually listening to Albums, Ziggy Stardust is a fantastic pinnacle piece of the collection. The side one/track one title is Five Years. If the album starts off like that follows through a magnificent work of art... hits a smooth apex with Lady Stardust and concludes with Rock & Roll Suicide and you enjoy each and every swell of sound then you can imagine the connections that an individual can make with the joy of a single song... which brings me to the point I've been desperately trying to get to.
Music makes a movie. There are certain emotional strings that are pulled when the guy races against time and all odds to hold his big 1980s "boom box" high above his head and play "In Your Eyes" to Fraiser's sister (you do know that was Fraiser's dad in that film right?). It's cheesy... but it works... and from that point on John Cusack was the only man that women were looking for. Unless you wore a trenchcoat and liked Peter Gabriel, you were screwed.
If I had money to put forth in our current film adventure,
d i v i n e m a n i p u l a t i o n o f t h e t h r e a d s,
I would more than likely spend the vast majority of such said funds on purchasing the rights to music for use in the film. For those that have bore witness to my personal music collection, you might imagine that I have a few ideas on what to use in any situation. With the addition to Satellite Radio, I've been thrust into a new realm of musical tastes and knowledge. I could make a movie soundtrack with artists that no one has ever heard of... sparking an interest in independent labels, independent movies, and emotional connections to music and artists that had been lost in the fray.
All artists want to share a gift with those that care to take it in as art. As John Cusack would further his career through "rom-coms" he would take on a character that knew about the subtle art of making a mix tape... and what is a movie soundtrack more than a well thought out mix tape?
Anyway, someday I would like the freedom to be able to take on such a daunting task. Until then, I'll have to score the film with beats, drones, and jazz influenced experiments. In the meantime, I'll keep purchasing albums and waiting to use Bob Dylan's "All the Tired Horses" in my "barhopping script" opening sequence. Stay tuned, this weekend is another Saturday full of filming.

weekend four: can we get some more?

2005-08-22T09:15:00.000-07:00

I think it would be fair to say that everyone has been very pleased with what we're getting filmed on these magic Saturdays. So far, we've made each and every one of our scheduled shooting days. As a matter of fact, most days we've finished earlier than expected. That certainly says a lot for the hard work and dedication of the individuals that make up this Family known as Rusted Sun Films. Everyone works hard and makes sure that we get exactly what we think is a great take (and most times even better than we had imagined). Thanks again to all of those that gave us some of your valuable time on Saturday. Soon, we might start working on Sundays as well (if for some reason we feel that we can squeeze all of that work in without running into a brick wall of exhaustion). It takes it's toll... but it's all for the love of doing it.
Now, we filmed a scene at a bank (that wasn't originally scripted... but still quite a fun little addition). There was a misunderstanding with a scene that involved passing a note to the bank teller that became a little more heated and a little more humorous with each take. In the scene, ASH is supposed to ask the bank teller out for a date. Because the scene wasn't scripted, the actress didn't know that was the case (she just thought it was supposed to read "This is a robbery"). So, naturally, when she read a note that said "Would you like to go out sometime?" hastily scrawled across a sheet of paper... she thought that I was asking her out. It got a good laugh. Of course, she thought I was a sleezeball for about half an hour... but it's all about the punchline, right? Oh, and Brad got his cameo appearance in. Thanks to Kevin, Arnold, Dayna, Charlee, John and Tiffany for making a shoot that was supposed to be fairly quick and easy stay fairly quick and easy. And thank you for returning my cash. Special thanks to the Bank president and staff that were nice enough to work with us on the shoot (I don't know if you wanted the name mentioned so I'll leave it as BofB).
The evening shoot was a little more taxing (no pun intended) than the Bank shoot. The main reason is that while we were in the bank, there was air conditioning. While we were shooting out by the church... it was warmer than Satan's balls. Everyone was drenched in sweat, there was a wedding at the church we had to "wait out," the battery on the camera was running low, the tape was running low, people kept driving by with their windows down blaring beats from the Hustle and Flow soundtrack (I shit you not), drivers honked horns (some even stopped to ask what we were doing-- as if the camera, tripod, and boom mic didn't instantly give it away), I got my ass kicked a couple of times by actors, managed to bruise something around my hip, but managed to make it all work by the end of the evening. We got some pretty fantastic stuff when all was said and done. Bob, Michael, and Eddy were great sports for braving through the oppressive heat that crushed the entire city on a steamy Saturday night.
Anthony, Brad, and Christine get major props for making it all happen.
Try to beat the heat kids... next week my apartment will be transformed into a "stoner pad" for our first shoot with Stone Free Joey, his harem, and boner roommate. Hurrah for Indie movies.

HERE ARE YOUR THREADS FOR THE WEEK

CHARLEE: "I didn't know what to think of the first one and then he did it again. I mean, he's doing this and his girlfriend is right there."

JOHN: "Code Green, pepperoni and cheese... no anchovies"

-B

weekend three: what's it gonna be?

2005-08-15T08:18:00.000-07:00

You have to be able to laugh at yourself. This weekend, like many of the previous weekends (not to mention many a weekday, weeknight, random conversation and all the like) I was asked the magical question for the next-to-millionth-time, "So what's your movie about?" When we did the last film, A Cowboy's Silver Lining, I came up with a few answers that seemed like a fair explanation of a dark and strange tale. Divine Manipulation of the Threads is a little easier to explain... and you would think that (as the writer and creator of the script) I would be able to give a well detailed description of exactly what my film is about. Here is the typical response and conversation that I give to those that may ask:

"It's basically a comedy that revolves around a Heist."
"A heist?"
"Yeah, a heist... a bank heist"
"Oh."
"There is a group of four that is trying to hijack a $70 million dollar bank transaction. Throughout the film you get to see that everyone is trying to screw each other out of the money. They're really just a bumbling bunch of idiots... but you later find out that there was a devilish plan designed by the main character to take care of all of his problems."
"So it's like Ocean's Eleven?"
"No... yeah... in a way... but it's not really... there's a dance scene."
"That sounds interesting."
"It will be funny. I had to promise to make a funny movie after disturbing everyone with A Cowboy's Silver Lining."

So, that's the general feel of the explanation and the typical responses. I'm sure that it wouldn't change too much if a film exec. asked what it was about. So, we finished off a couple of more scenes and pages with this weekend's Saturday shoot. Ralph and I had some fun, Joe was great as usual, Sara made a very interesting waitress costume (by hand)... it was really hot... I ate two props (ham sandwiches)... drank Ralph's beer... "got bitchy" about shooting in the 98 degree heat... cursed at trolleys and motorcycles... screwed up numerous lines... but most of all, we had a great time and that's why we do this thing called "playing movies." If we didn't love it, I'm sure that I wouldn't be able to get any of these guys together on the weekend. A lot of great people put a lot of their important time on the line to support each other and take a stab at living the dream.

So here are some of the threads from this weekend's shoot:

RALPH: "He's....Bevan's touching my pineapple"

SHAUN: (Ralph and Bevan mess up lines) "We're through with the stand-in's,bring in the actors"

BEVAN: "These are just pick up shots" (of the plate of food), SHAUN responds: "Where are the lines?"

RALPH: "Give me a Bruce Willis frame to hide my lack of hair," BRAD responds: "Can't we just get Bruce Willis?"

RALPH: "You tongued my Corona"

BRAD: "My Thong String is getting wet"

BEVAN: "fucking trolleys... fucking motor cycles"

SHAUN: "You tell Anthony that I don't tell him how to push the red button on the camera and he doesn't tell me how to point the damn microphone."

you know it's hard out here to be a pimp...

2005-08-11T09:51:00.000-07:00

I can't tell you how many times I've been standing on a sidewalk, getting out of my car, or just walking across the street and been bombarded with the license plate rattling bass lines from the Hustle and Flow Soundtrack. The entire city (including rednecks in pickup trucks) has been taken over by the friendly local aura of this "thug life" flow. I'm just blown away. Now, I'm sure it's happening all over the place but Memphis doesn't really do the iPod thing... we prefer to roll through town with our windows down (in 110 degree heat mind you) so that we can share all of our current musical tastes with the good hearted pedestrians of the city. It doesn't matter if you're at work or at home... we'll find you and make sure you can hear "Whoop that Trick" for the fourth time today. I'm not mad or even disturbed... I truly find the cross-over fascinating. I might have to go out and get some "Gol-teef."
Now, on that note... I'm "tied-as-hell," meaning that I've had about 45mins of sleep within the last two days. The day job has magically turned into a day-overnight-evening kind of gig. There isn't any big breaking news to share, I just happen to be the photographer living near the general area of Orange Mound homicides. I think that would make a great CSI series.... CSI: Orange Mound (starring Sam L. Jackson, Gary Oldman, and Eight Ball). I still think that hiring Ashton Kutcher to make Knight Rider into a movie would be a fantastic money making idea too. Aren't any of you MTV music video directors up to task?
I'm very excited to see that F.F. Coppola is finally going to do something with the rights to Jack Kerouac's novel, "On the Road." I have to find a way to get involved with this film. It has been a dream of mine to make a Kerouac book into a film. However, "On the Road" has been in pre-production hell for around 40 years. On the other hand, I would cherish turning Kerouac's novel, "Big Sur" into a motion picture. Maybe by the time I can get those wheels in motion (I'm very serious about this) I'll be old enough to play 'ol Jack's role. I could probably pull it off now but I've got to work on my slurred Lowell, Massachusetts accent.
We'll be filming on Divine Manipulation of the Threads again this weekend. I should go rather smoothly. I was quite surprised about how well the last shoots went. We never really had much time to rehearse them (actually we didn't rehearse at all) but everything went smoothly. I was pleased as punch and I'm sure that the saccharine sweet smile stretched from cheek to cheek will continue on through the weekend. Now, I've got to go screw up the NEWS.

-B

weekend two: the electric boogaloo

2005-08-08T13:19:00.000-07:00

Some of you might remember the laughable problems that took place during production of Rusted Sun Films' last feature venture, A Cowboy's Silver Lining. For those of you that aren't privy to the way I bitched and contemplated the astounding absurdity of these obstacles, you can check them out on the Official Rusted Sun Films website, www.rustedsunfilms.com or just ask one of us sometime. It made for an eye opening adventure in the trials and tribulations of filmmaking.
So, this weekend we had our first of many "scene shoots" for our next feature piece, Divine Manipulation of the Threads. We started early, had some great takes, a few bloopers, a lot of laughs... had some issues with neighbors mowing their lawn... and that was all before 11am.
We had a layover until our next shoot was to take place. We took some time to set up Anthony's television like a monitor... bought some headphones... ate some cheese...
Somewhere around 3:00pm a nice little typhoon rolled through our Bartlett location. The power flickered here and there... and then knocked power out for around three hours.
Joey Joe Joe (Joseph B. Smith) showed up to shoot and we couldn't get started until 7:15pm. We thought that if Anthony could learn how to breakdance (The Electric Boogaloo) that the Gods would smile upon us and bestow the house with the much needed Amps required for actually shooting a scene that day. No luck. Thankfully, the rainstorm cooled off the temperature to a bearable degree. I make note of that because we were shooting in a garage (which will be used a couple more times for a couple more shoots). We finished up the shoot within two hours, put the gear back in all of the cases, I managed to pull my back, and then we talked about the beginning of "The Threads."
Ralph Hatley (a.k.a. The Guitar Man) had an idea... To make note and keep a tally of all of our laughable and often idiotic sayings during the production portion of the film. Here's what we've got so far:
1. "Mrs. Mifune's hat looks like a condom's reservoir."
1a. "oh crap, it won't stay on...nail it, gaff tape it, glue it with gorilla glue, staple it...."
2. "The last time I did that was in Prison... I mean, uh... Church."
So, that's the news so far. We've got a few more weekends scheduled and ready to roll. It's been long shooting days with very rewarding material. We'll keep working on it... be ready to laugh...

kickin' the sickness...

2005-08-02T09:38:00.000-07:00

We pushed back a Saturday night shoot to a following Monday and guess what? I got super sick on Sunday. So Monday's shoot had me sweating it to the oldies. I had to push forward with the production because I couldn't allow myself to make any excuses. I couldn't allow these "pick-ups" to be pushed back again to some other day. I don't really like it when we can't get things the first time. And pushing things back just because "I" don't feel good wasn't a good enough reason. I didn't have to be on camera. All I had to do was find a few good shots of Churches and BBQ joints, take some more DayQuil, a zinc pill, some OJ, and sweat out weird dreams of Ninjas until 8am the following morning. Now, if I had to be on camera, that wouldn't have worked. I've lost my voice due to all of this sickness.
However, this Saturday as long as no one else is deathly ill, we will be shooting two scenes and continuing on with this wonderful thing known as Divine Manipulation of the Threads, Rusted Sun Films 2nd feature endeavors. Hopefully this film will catch some more attention, catch some laughs, win some awards, and keep us from having to sell shit through infomercials.

day one: dancing in the streets...

2005-07-29T21:56:00.000-07:00

It's not quite midnight and we've wrapped up the first day of shooting on Divine Manipulation of the Threads. I got to wear a three piece suit, filmed a lot of great exteriors downtown, and managed to get questioned by Federal police about what the hell we were doing. In this state of emergency and constant awareness, I'm not surprised that the "powers that be" wanted to know what we're up to. It probably helped that all of our IDs were very local. We're also very lucky that our tape wasn't confiscated... because along with a myriad of other rights and freedoms we've given up with the Homeland Security Act, the Federal police have a right to take you into questioning for just about any reason. With that out of the way... the new camera (DVX100) looks f-ing amazing. What a fantastic piece of gear! The pictures look like film. Just amazing... Or how about AWESOME (and I haven't used AWESOME in like... ten years, bro).
I'm very pleased with what we captured tonight. I think we're on the right road. Next time we'll try to avoid being arrested.
-B

the land of the boiling sun...

2005-07-25T13:00:00.000-07:00

I bitched about the heat in Tucson. I mildly complained about the Memphis simmering summer before I went on vacation a few weeks ago. But holy crap has it been hot this week! I know that it's been hot enough in some of these areas around the country to kill people. That's got to be a rough way to go. So, there's my small talk.
Here's the real news:
On Sunday, Rusted Sun Films held their first cast and crew meeting for the feature film Divine Manipulation of the Threads. It went off very well (if I do say so). I believe that everyone was entertained by the script. I promised them that it would be a comedy... and the laughs definitely reassured me. We welcomed some new faces to the Rusted Sun Films family and had a good time. Some people couldn't make the meeting due to conflicts and they were missed. However, there were those that said that they would be there, didn't show, didn't get in touch with us, and didn't return messages. That's a big no-no.
There are great opportunities that are made and lost with projects such as this. I'm not saying that we're going to make a movie deal worth millions of dollars that will get everyone involved with the project instant Hollywood fame... but I'm also not saying that the idea is an impossibility. I don't like wasting people's time as I equally don't like having my time wasted. Every bit of time we have to work on this project is important. Those who have worked on various indie films previously know the ropes and know that there are hard working people giving their all.... usually for free. No one likes being jerked around.
Anyway, the ball is rolling. We'll most likely start production this week and into the weekend. We've got a lot of things to shoot, edit, etc. etc. Time to start a'crackin'.
-B

creeping closer...

2005-07-21T08:22:00.000-07:00

I received a free copy of moviemaker magazine yesterday in the mail. I might have signed up for a free subscription or something at some point within the last few months (I can't really remember) but the free stuff is kind of cool nonetheless. I began flipping through the pages of precisely directed advertising... photos with kids in film programs or film universities, etc. etc. Then there are the articles with filmmakers that simply tell people like me to go out and "do it." The best advice that I've seen through any of these magazines are "go make a film." Here's why:
1.) You can go to film school, get a degree, and still not know a damn thing about how to make a film.
--It's a trial and error process. You learn an amazing amount of things to do and to not do when you go through the ringer of making your own film.
2.) You don't necessarily need money to get a film finished.
--If you've got some friends that you can convince to help you out, then you might be on your way to winning a film award already. The film community loves encouraging teenagers to do this sort of stuff.
3.) It doesn't matter if it's stupid or doesn't necessarily make sense.
-- You've gone through the process of making a film. Most people just talk about it.

I guess after all of that I should actually try to put something together for a submission article. But then again, I remember that I don't actually give a crap about all of the guidelines and "how to make it in hollywood" bullshit. Don't get me wrong, I would love to "make it" and do this filmmaking thing for a living... but I've got to keep making films to get to that point. There are still people out there looking for fresh talent and new ideas. So, I'm making another feature film with Rusted Sun Films.
We will have our cast and crew together this weekend for a meet and greet production meeting this weekend. It should be interesting... and exciting. I'm ready to get this puppy rolling and after this weekend, the boulder will get a little push. The following weekend could be our first bit of production since September of 2004. I miss it dearly. If we look at it from the stand point of last year's production schedule... we started in March of 2004... so we would be five months behind (most of it is my fault). However, in that time we've purchased some new gear, made some new connections and are ready to get this bitch together. That's all for now.
-B

back to the grind...

2005-07-18T08:19:00.000-07:00

On Friday (7-15) I was reminded again of my wonderful extended vacation in San Francisco. I thought to myself, "You know, this time last week I was enjoying a nighttime bonfire on the beach. It was foggy, the beer had sand all over it, the sound of the tide slurshed and slammed, and although it had it's pros and cons I really enjoyed every little second of it. Now I'm back at work." Coming back from vacation is always a little depressing... but we always have to come back. I might have been coming back to Memphis and having to go back to work to pay the bills... but I'm also coming back to make some damn fine films.

I was involved with two production meetings this weekend. The first was with Anthony, Christine, and Brad. The idea was to get everything together so that we can have the first cast and crew meet and greet for our next film Divine Manipulation of the Threads. We will be setting things to film very shortly afterwards. I also got to take a look at our new toy-- The DVX100. What a great little camera! The 24p mode is simply amazing. I'm really looking forward to playing with that camera. The second meeting was for an improv project that will take place in the near future. It's an interesting concept (I still need to read the script).

The initial date for getting all of this film stuff done is Christmas (Dec. 25th). If you don't make a deadline for yourself, then you can stretch it out forever with excuses and all the like. So, everything will be finished by Christmas if not sooner. Look for the signs! I would really like to have Sushi for dinner. Sekisui is by far the best I've had in Memphis. The only other comparable establishment I've found in my travels is Osome' in San Francisco. I've had Sushi in a lot of big cities. The Darth Vader roll and the Lava roll are absolutely gluttonous. Check it out when you get the chance (I think it's on Fillmore). Peace!
-B

back from the west

2005-07-12T12:39:00.000-07:00

I just flew in from the west coast and boy are my arms tired... mainly because I wanted to strangle all of the dumb som'bitches that now inhabit airports. Perhaps I'm flying more often and becoming a little more familiar with the services now rendered by these flying Greyhound buses but I'm beginning to believe that if you don't have a shirt with sleeves you shouldn't be able to get on an airplane. If you can't buy a seat or a muzzle for a screaming child under the age of 10, leave the kid at home, or give him a valium and keep the kid sedated for somewhere around the 4 hours that it takes to get from one hop to another. If you can't follow the rules of security be prepared to be stopped and don't bitch about it. The London bombings just happened, how the hell do you think that the airports are going to react... but I shall leave those rants for another day all together. Now that I've gotten that out of my system lets share a little bit of fun.

Tucson was a good time. San Fran was a blast (aside from that nasty little bit with having the car towed... but I'll leave that for the narrative memoir that will hopefully one day get me out of debt). We spent some time at the beach, we took a lot of pictures, and had a lot of memorable moments with a few very good friends. I feel quite lucky to know such entertaining people. It's good stuff. Amazingly enough, Christine actually took some decent photos of me this time around... I kind of miss it already.

San Francisco is the kind of town that makes you work hard for your money... and the price of living is expensive. If one could be individually wealthy and enjoy living in the tiny digs that the city normally has to offer... I could see it as being amazingly enjoyable. The key things are having a garage or taking public transportation or walking the length of the city (because there is virtually no where to park)-- having a washer and dryer in your building or apartment is a luxury-- never keep change in your pockets because the bums can smell it-- get used to eating on the cheap-- make sure you have a good jacket and a backpack-- invest in an iPod-- having a dog at the beach may be one of the single best things in the world. I love the city but I'm not sure if I would want to work in the city. It seems like having to actually work there would be an immense pain in the ass. But on the other hand, there are a lot of freelancers out there that kind of get to work when they want to. I would certainly suggest finding a job with some kind of security. Owning real estate is probably the best bet...
I'll write more about it as I become more wanton to return. There's nothing like spending time at the beach, a good cafe, a bottle of wine in the park, mistakenly buying a large chunk of butter instead of a chunk of cheese (it's basically the same thing)... just sitting back and enjoying life. I even came up with some great T-shirt ideas while out there... maybe I can just sell t-shirts in Chinatown.
-B

leaving on a jet plane...

2005-07-05T17:29:00.000-07:00

I hate that song, someone in an airport bar got it stuck in my head. However, all of this traveling through stale and weathered airports to rocket fueled people missiles crammed with screaming babies and blathering idiots all in the grand idea to spend a birthday party with family and friends for the span of 10 or so days is kind of worth all of the trouble. I won't complain too much, the vacation time is well worth all of the bitchy discomfort that is otherwise known as the "work week." Though, as I sat cramped in my glorified pontoon boat chair I imagined what it would be like if some disaster had been sparked in the cabin of the plane. I imagined everyone drenched in white hot panic rushing towards an exit of some sort... overweight people moving in lightning fast knee jerk reaction from fear of death. Imagine about 157 hamsters being forced through a flaming papertowel tube at the same time. When one hampster freaks out and gets jammed up through the exit, passes out from smoke inhalation, and then kills the rest of the furry little rodents. I guess that I'd just have to sit back in my velcro covered seat and wait for the inevitable blow of death.
It's a little morbid but at least I'm having a great vacation so far... even with the sunburn that the state of Arizona had bestowed upon me in an early morning fury... and if you thought that Memphis was hot just take a moment to bake in the massive oven that is Tucson (110 degrees in the shade).
So now, Christine and I are having a great time in San Fran... having gotten excessively inebriated, ordered 80 dollars worth of Indian food, had a couple more people watch A Cowboy's Silver Lining and somewhere in the middle managed to catch a fireworks show. Having watched the film again, I now realize how amazingly dark that little film is. I'm quite proud of it now that I realized that we've made a film that really screws with people's minds. Hopefully the next one will make people laugh... We'll work on that when I get back from vacation. Good things are on the way kids... good things.
-B

on the road again...

2005-06-29T12:47:00.000-07:00

Speaking of On the Road, I'd love to be involved in making that book into a film. There are a couple of other Kerouac books that I'd absolutely be thrilled with adapting into a two hour misadventure but this in not the reason to add to the rants and raves page today. I will be taking my own mad adventures back to San Francisco for a few days with a stop off at Tucson before hand. You see, when you have a girl friend that you spend a great deal of time with, eventually you'll have to do something to make a birthday more exciting than the previous year. This year I'm traveling to go see her family and friends for a 10 day stint across the desert, mountains, and bay-- through a maze of airports, screaming kids, and no sleep.
In the meantime I'll be missing a great concert here in Memphis... see Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson are playing at the ballpark on Friday. This may be my last chance to see either one of them... but I can't make it... love conquers all (and then doesn't let go because there is democracy but no freedom). However, this old boy has had to scale down his midnight craziness... for with growing years comes the price of tougher rebounds. Those recuperation hours drag on into days... and I'm getting too old to deal with it.
If I had some time, money, and a camera I would start my cross-country documentary (which I'll not give any more information about because I would hate for some kid that has time and unlimited resources to steal my idea and take it to the festivals to win award after award and contract after winning contract). It unfortunately they don't really like it too much when you've got a video camera out on a plane... it's always a bad omen and the start of a terrible made for TV movies about the tragic plane flight that never made it. I'm not ready for that bend around the corner... there's still some fight in this old dog and I plan to give it to each and every scrappy bastard in the neighborhood.
On this trip, there might be a chance to go see a couple of films. Unfortunately, as I've mentioned days earlier in the blog all of the films we're being force fed this summer are re-makes. So, I'll suck up the hype and go see War of the Worlds. I'm a little frightened that it's going to suck because all of the publicity that "The Cruise" has done for the film has either involved proclamations of a strange new love, threats to psychology, threats to post-pardem depression, ridilin, being a scientologist, and every other little tid-bit that you could ever imagine Tom Cruise would go madly insane about... everything except for the film that he just finished. Therefore, I'm a little skeptical of going to see this film. Oh, and I've heard that Bewitched is "charming" but a little bland.
Anyway, I'll be out of town for a while. I don't know if I'll get to post from out West... so don't count on it. Maybe if you buy me a beer when I get back I'll let you in on all of the secrets.

-B

the answers are coming...

2005-06-27T12:03:00.000-07:00

There are those of you that are interested in hearing whether or not you'll be "Acting" in the next Rusted Sun Films project. The word should be going out (hopefully) this week. The decisions are made. There will also be some open spots for extras and featured extras that we will need to fill for certain scenes as they come up... those still interested in the project should keep a close contact with Brad and Christine. Anthony and I will be focusing on a couple of other elements of the film making process. Brad and Christine will be sending out e-mails, phone calls, and other means of communication to let everyone know about their involvement and keep everyone in contact with us. The announcement will be on the Official Rusted Sun Films sight, www.rustedsunfilms.com . Look under the news section (if I can get it done before Thursday morning).
-B

reinventing the flat tire... (your weekend update)

2005-06-24T11:16:00.000-07:00

Much like the music industry, the film industry has fallen prey to the razor sharp slashes that eventually bleeds an idea to a slow and painful death. Both the RIA (Recording Industry of America) and the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) are climbing through the fragged and tarnished frontlines of illegal downloading, pirating, and over-zealous fines directed toward whomever is unlucky enough to be caught in the crosshairs. Children are being forced to dole out thousands of dollars for something that we can all "admit" to have taken part in at one point or another. The unfortunate part of the equation (that makes me twist my face as though I had just eaten a chunk of sour milk) is that most of this illegal activity focuses around a bunch of material that is unoriginal, non-creative, and simply "sucks the big one."

We'll stick with the music analogy for a few moments. Music has only so many tones and sounds that can be recorded, emanate, or manipulated. There are no new sounds in the world. The sounds can be twisted and rearranged in particular orders so that they are more pleasing... or less pleasing... or some mashed tones and drones piled upon copious amounts of percussion that course through copper wiring at such high frequencies they'll eventually melt away the cheap plastic cones of your Wal-Mart speakers. It kind of reminds me of the scene in SPIES LIKE US, when the nuclear missile that threatens to start World War Three hits the MTV Satellite and blows up the television that has been hypnotically mezmerizing the black and neon clad girl in braces that quickly responds, "Wicked" once the boob tube dies in an explosion of sparks and smoke. Those moments are the ones that we're still looking for.

You see, films fall under the same theory... there are no new ideas. You can only place the pieces, characters, and relationships in different places to tell a mildly different account of the same story. I can only assume that these are the reasons that "re-makes" of older films and television series have become so "ultra-hip" these days. For the most part, they're fairly successful in their attempt to reinvent or recreate an older idea. We hold a saccarine sweet nostalgic place in our hearts for the Original Versions of these films and shows because they remind us of our youth... simpler, better times when going to the movies or watching a Sunday Kung-Fu matinee stretched a smile across your face large enough to birth a full-grown Dalmation. Growing up sucks for the most part. Our memories of the simple childhood joys are given another chance to have a small amount of life breathed back into them... usually through some 60 million dollar pet project of an MTV generation director that has had no more experience behind the camera than playing the role of an Assistant Director on a failed Limp Bizkit video. They do it for fun (so they'll say) but it's really about the money. Bewitched, The Dukes of Hazzard, The Honeymooners, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Batman Begins, War of the Worlds, The Longest Yard, Herbie: Fully Loaded, George Romero's Land of the Dead, The Bad News Bears, The Pink Panther... RING A BELL?!? That's because they'll all re-makes or reinventions of some thing that has already had some fair amount of success within the last few decades. Plus, all of these re-makes came out within the last month or coming months (yeah, I'm not kidding... all within a three month time span). Sure, lets bring it back out with a couple of new effects and fuck up everything we thought was pure so that these unoriginal assholes with bloated salaries can ruin a good thing for generations to come.

I can only hope that within the next few years, these indie film makers around the country (or internationally) that are out there busting their asses for free, will finally be recognized for original ideas, talent, and not allowing themselves to be manipulated by suits waving around imaginary digits that are supposed to represent a bank account or net worth percentage dividends from ticket sales and merchandising. There was once hope for such a fiery rebellion against those bloated bastards that control the film industry. I remember a time when Pulp Fiction was considered original or at the least a break from the standard bullshit that we were being fed every weekend at the movie theater. Pulp Fiction was nothing more than a rehash of Pulp Comics, 70's violence, and a cannon load of witty dialogue right out of a hipster's poetry notebook, daddy-o... It wasn't original but at least it was a FRESH look at something.

Okay, Shakespeare is a good thing... but even that gets old after a while. Instead, it's replaced by a theater production of ON GOLDEN POND, starring James Earl Jones that no one wants to see anymore because he's bowed out "sick." A great "known" actor playing that role would sell theater tickets (at least that's the mentality)... the problem is that people are proving that type of thought pattern to be correct. If Harrison Ford were doing it... people would probably go see it too... And that my feathered fellows is the Hollywood mentality behind this flush of re-makes. Put some notable faces in the roles of well established characters and let them vomit all over the celluloid while the production team jumps cars 70 feet into the air and blows shit up.... Oh, and make Ralph Kramden an urban black man... because our African American audience loved watching the Honeymooners in the 50's... God forbid they attempt a crack at making Sanford and Son into a movie starring Chris Rock and Dave Chapelle (shit, I have to get the rights to that an make a trillion dollars).

Did you know that they were in talks to make a Dynasty movie?! Who gives a fuck? Rambo IV is also in the makings?!? The Six Million Dollar Man is going to be made into a film?!? I'm now taking names for volunteers that are ready and willing to travel to Hollywood and crack each and every one of these senseless movie mogul bastards over the head with a ballpin hammer. We'll pillage the movie sets, production houses, and watch the whole industry go up in flames.... Oh shit, didn't they do something like that in Escape from L.A.? So much for new ideas, lets hire Ashton Kutcher and make a Knight Rider movie... David Hasselhoff can be the voice of the car.

-B

there has to be another way...

2005-06-21T14:53:00.000-07:00

Okay, a few weeks ago somewhere in LaLaWood California, a marketing schlub scraped away the midnight hours in a dark little room filled with RedBull, Doughnuts, Frito Lay products, highlighters, a lap top, and the hope that he could find a new idea to get people to go to movies. "We've got to stop this theater slump... we've got to somehow convince people to go to these big summer blockbuster movies like they did back in 1989," they thought to themself (or screamed out loud in painfully frustrating agony). The carpet was worn thin from hours of pacing wall to wall... the air crackled with static electricity and caffeine overdosed shaky surges threatened to tear the room apart with one final blast of frustrated fury. The marketing idea-person started to sweat bullets... an entire 6 hours had been burned without a single good idea (or at least that didn't include Taco Bell). The ideas had made "him" great. The ideas propelled new celebrity into realms previously unknown. His father had done if for Chuck Norris in the 80s. The current task at hand was supposed to be fairly simple. This STAR had already been established by years of over acting. Suddenly, the spark started to ignite a maniacal fire inside the crammed confines of his skull. The celebrity magazines strewn out across the floor and table of the tiny "Think Tank" began to take form. There, stretched out from cover to cover was that perfect smile... the smile that took a year of braces to form an even more sparkling perfection for those close up covers of celebrity magazine.
The pitch-man thought aloud, "Let's put these two together and throw every bit of their little love trainwreck on television and magazines... let's saturate every bit of the human senses with their smiles and crazy love soaked eyes... take away the sunglasses... put them in 'everyday' apparel so that the masses will connect with something simple and 'normal'... but still keep them tied to that celebrity sparkle. They have to be constantly adored by the screaming, senseless public. Get every detail of their celebrity love-fest leaked to the press, so that they'll chum the frenzied waters with this shit! People will eat it alive! We'll put it on talk shows... Letterman... Oprah... maybe Dr. Phil... wait, fuck, what am I thinking? Not Dr. Phil... okay... Not only that, it will give our client a younger image that will inevitably prolong his immortality for another 10 years or so. Look, if Katie Holmes will go for it, then Tom Cruise can LIVE FOREVER! Mmmwaahahahahahahaaaa....."

Seriously folks, that's how these twisted minds work. See, have you heard anything lately from the Brad and Angelina camp after the opening of Mr. and Mrs. Smith? No. But it sure as hell plastered their faces across the entire continent long enough for every single human eye to have seen them at least once... or have heard about it... The only safe souls that could have escaped such a wide swath of attack would be Arkansas or those enrolled in the Peace Corps. The movie failed to save the box office slump this summer. I often wonder if their 'love' would still be splattered across the airwaves and magazine covers if the movie had raised even more money for the box office?

Why are we still seeing all of this Tom and Katie shit? Hasn't Batman Begins opened? Yes... but it was never about Katie. It was always about Tom. Was K-Ho (funny... it worked for Jennifer Lopez... J-Lo) seen jumping and flailing about the Oprah couches? No, mostly because until Tom Cruise happened to fall "madly in love with her" most of the idiotic American Eye had no idea who the fuck Katie Holmes was... with the obvious exception that she was on Dawson's Creek (which I remembered after writing this little rant). Back to the point, we're still getting the 'Ol media flush because War of the Worlds hasn't hit theaters yet. However, they've scaled the mad-hot love affair back because the Money Men behind the studio behind the movie are starting to get creeped out... and that might be what the American public is feeling... and that might affect the movie turn out. God, we can't have that?! "How do we fix this problem?" they asked themselves... "Have them get married, so people will take them seriously... yeah, that's the ticket."

Anyone buying that ticket? I'm sure as hell not. However, I'll probably see the damn movie. Just please, for the love of God, please leave these f-ing relationships out of the public flood. Most of us don't give a shit... but I guess, for the rest of America, those that needs to be led around by the nose, it will sell the shit out of some magazines.

the ZERO dollar question

2005-06-20T11:53:00.000-07:00

I didn't get to count how many times I was asked, "So, have you guys made any decisions on casting for your next movie?" I didn't really count because it was coming from all directions and all sorts of different times during the day... and previous week. That seems to be the biggest query on some of the minds of actors and film makers alike for the time being. I'm ready to get moving on this project too. I don't want to make all of the decisions by myself, however. There has to be a group decision on this project because it has to have everyone on the same page in order to work the way that I want it to work. A lot of people have offered assistance as well as feigned some sort of interest in the up and coming project that seems to be stuck somewhere in pre-production.
I could make excuses and pull this little game of no answers on forever... but as I was told this weekend, "There are a few things up in the air." So... we're still figuring a couple of the details out. We do have some people locked into verbal agreements for parts... those are the easy decisions and the parts that were written for specific actors. Some of the other parts have been agreed upon, yet not expressed to the actors yet (assuming that they still want them). All in all, it's come to the point where it's up to "us" to make the first move, the big announcement, and get this ball rolling into production meetings and eventually the "FIRST BIG SHOOT."
That's a fun day... to start your own production. It's also frightening as hell because once you jump in that rocket, you're not allowed to come back home until the mission is over. I've got some great ideas, some fun places to start, and some locations to still lock down.
To tell you the truth, we've all been a little distracted lately with "other stuff." Some of it may be jobs, some of it may be other productions, some of it may be producing shows... We took a couple of different directions and kind of pushed a few papers off of the coffee table for a while. Those things happen. Right now, I'm looking for those papers again because they need another good look. We should announce something very soon. The ZERO (no budget, remember?) dollar question will be answered shortly.
I wrapped up a minor acting role this Sunday. I think that there may be another little shot or two in the near future... but there are no lines, nothing to rehearse, etc. etc. Next will be a little guest-directing stint on Third Wheel Date and shooting more with Robert Saba. However, I'm going to grab the reigns on Divine Manipulation of the Threads and start moving the buggy into the horizon. Happy Trails to you....
-B

theater etiquette 101

2005-06-16T07:54:00.000-07:00

I went to see Batman Begins last night. First off, it was a great film. Christopher Nolan was very imaginative with the visuals, creative with elements of the story line, and stuck to actual "Special Effects" rather than Visual Effects (the difference is actually blowing shit up instead of a computer generated explosion). Bravo Mr. Nolan... well played.
Now... having gone to the theater twice this week to catch up on some well deserved movie enjoyment, I find it a dire necessity to inform the various peoples of this fine city that there will be bloody-bashing acts of vengeful violence played out across the staggered rows of theater seats if some things do not change swiftly. Things have gotten out of control. So, I'll make a little list for those of you that may have forgotten how to behave in a movie theater.

MOVIE ETIQUETTE 101
1. If at all possible, arrive to the theater a little early.
I know realize that all issues of time delays and constraints are not always in our control. I have a girlfriend that takes FOREVER to get ready. She does her best to be on time for me, I do my best not to lose my head when I'm late. Now that there are commercials before the previews actually start, there is some time to still arrive at the theater and get all of your things in order.

2. Purchase your snacks and go to the bathroom before hand.
You can do these things before you go into the theater. Look, if you want to buy a soda and popcorn at the theater and spend 13 dollars for it, feel free. I don't... so I usually sneak in something to drink, if I need it. Admittedly there are times where I'll have a beer or two before a movie so that I can sit back, relax, and enjoy the show. Now, if you've had too much to drink and the film is somewhere around 2 and 1/2 hours long, I can understand having to get up to go to the restroom. However, these acts of getting up and stomping through the isles disrupts everyone in the theater. Stay seated, please.

3. Sit down and shut the fuck up.
Once you've found your perfect seat, open your candy and what not and get all of your little hushed conversations out before the previews end. I'll give you the time to talk and joke a bit during the previews. I'll even excuse the cellophane crinkles during the beginning of the movie. But under no circumstances should you ever talk during the film. I DON'T GIVE A SHIT ABOUT HOW CONFUSED YOU ARE OR HOW YOU THINK THAT SCENE IS FUNNY OR SCARY... Do NOT talk to the screen! Don't talk to the people around you. I'll repeat, SIT DOWN AND SHUT THE FUCK UP.
I can't tell you how many times I had to turn around and actually scream, "Quiet" yesterday. Hell, I moved seats in the theater after the film started because two ladies with a kid sat down near me and the kid just started talking away. He's a kid... I'll forgive him for that. However, the parents or guardians should have been WHISPERING to the kid saying something along the lines of, "Shhhhh, Honey, people are trying to watch the movie. Talking is rude." Which brings me to another rule.

4. Don't bring children to adult movies.
I don't give a crap if you think the kid can handle it. Odds are if the film is rated PG-13 there is a reason for it. If the kid is under 11 years old, don't take him into that kind of movie. I don't want to hear your babies screaming and crying, scared shitless because they saw something that they couldn't handle... like someone being shot in the face... or their parents being beaten about the head and neck for knowingly bringing a fucking kid into a movie that was too mature for them. If you can't get a babysitter... stay home. Don't bring a 5 year old kid to a movie that starts after 9PM. Kids have bed times. This was a Wednesday night. Go see a matinee.

5. Turn your fucking cell phone OFF!!!!
There is no excuse for that shit. I paid to see the film, not listen to your phone ring 8 times during the film. If you want to talk, go outside or go home. If you are on call and can't turn your phone off... I'm pretty sure you can turn it on silent. God help you if you answer the phone in the theater...

I have to actually go to matinees these days to enjoy a film. Why? Because no one will have to die by my hands... because the people at the matinee are sick and tired of dealing with all of these incosiderate assholes. I remember the days when you would be escorted out of the theater for disturbing those who paid good money to see the films. I think that we should bring these rules back. If you want to act like a stupid shit... you don't get to watch the movie... in fact... you don't get to come back to this theater for a month. If you do come back and do this again, you'll be arrested for trespassing... next time you will be shot in the kneecap... next time we'll cut off your ear... the next time the audience will be given razors so that they may have the satisfaction of slicing you to shreds.
There is no excuse for screaming at the screen, taking laser pointers, talking, cell phones, or breaking liquor bottles in the theater. If you can't abide by these rules, don't go to the theater. I pay a lot of dough to go see these films at my convenience. If you're ruining the experience, you're basically stealing my money. In some countries people lose hands for stealing. Perhaps we should adopt these cultural exchanges... I'll be watching you....

general understanding, bats, and screwy friends

2005-06-15T15:37:00.000-07:00

Okay, as I'm working on casting for Rusted Sun Films next project titled, Divine Manipulation of the Threads, I'm running into a few heartwrenching problems. There are a lot of people that we will need for this project. Not all of them will be starring or featured parts. Not everyone will be able to have a great amount of screen time, but I can say that certain people will have some. I want to include as many of these great actors and great friends in this project... however, I'm not able to squeeze all of them in and keep to the integrity of what I think will be a great film. Okay, it's a comedy... Okay, it's a misleading heist film... Okay, I should write more female parts...
I can promise to put certain people in scenes. It may not be the part they read for... it may not be as involved as they would like. All I can add to resolve some of those thoughts would be-- "Don't waste my time with attitude problems." Everyone is doing this free... for the love of the game. None of us have time to deal with prima donnas, glory hogs, or bitchy little actors/actresses that feel that their (free) talents are better than a couple of lines. Those that decide to work with us will be taking on a task that will become a great indie film. They will grow to be part of the family that is Rusted Sun Films. Most indie films have merely a handful of roles. We've jumped to 30 plus roles. That's a feat all unto itself... just casting those roles is a huge pain in the ass. Some people may want to help out as background or even crew. I hope that people will be interested enough in our little film group to do that and not just "play actor" in front of a camera. I'm don't want to hurt people's feelings. I know that eventually it's going to come down to that... pride will get bruised (including my own)... some people may drop out leaving the doors open for another talented and eager individual to take their place...
One hard lesson to learn in this game is that you can "always be replaced." So, when you get a position that you like... work hard to keep it.
On another note, I'm glad to see that my friends have been keeping themselves amused long enough to taunt me... Or maybe they really hate me... (together now) "That's What Friends are For"... They keep you grounded and full of shit at the same time.
So, I've got to go see Batman Begins tonight. I'm hearing great reviews. I expect it to be just as exciting as the 1989 version of Batman. Of course, I was a wee bit younger then, and I didn't have great expectations... but Jack Nicholson kicked mucho ass portraying The Joker. Rumor has it that Mark "Skywalker" Hammill might be getting a shake at the wild smiling villian this time around. That might actually spark another career great for the guy. I wish him all of the best... I mean, he kind of gets type cast with the Star Wars thing. Maybe now that the last three (prequel) films have blown bantha poodoo he will finally be able to slip out from under the cloud that is George Lucas. Harrison Ford did it, why not 'ole Luke... I mean... Mark... damn.
Film schedules are getting shifted here and there. It's finally dawned on me that there are a lot of indie projects going on this summer. I'm going to have to get moving on DMoftheT if we're going to make it before the end of the year. Time to start crackin'.

sometime Monday I became a mentor?

2005-06-14T08:04:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine started asking for film advice. So, now I'm being given credit as a mentor. I find it interesting that someone might take my advice or even listen to what I might have to say about shooting, editing, lighting, directing, acting, etc... I don't know if I've even had the "experience" to be considered someone of which to gain useful information. I don't know... it's just funny, I can' t even get my girlfriend to listen to me. Well, if I'm asked for advice I'll give it... Hopefully it will sound like I know what I'm talking about. I do shoot tape and edit for somewhere around eight hours a day, five to six days a week (and that's just the paycheck... that's not even the 'film hobby'). That might be able to transfer as "experience."
I did go see Mr. and Mrs. Smith last night. I needed a fun little escape. The movie served it's purpose... it was entertaining... laughable... pretty to look at. It just reminds me that Doug Liman usually needs someone to come in and save the film. I've read a couple of articles about his last few films. Apparently, Mr. Liman is a terror on set and one of those people that don't convey their vision to others well. I've seen directors that don't really express the things they want or envision correctly. Sometimes they're so overpowering that they're allowed to run free with all of this film, equipment, actors, time, and burn away days of shoots and re-shoots. However, when you throw the factor of $90 million dollars into a film project, someone is going to take notice that things aren't working they way that they're supposed to... and something is going to have to be done to pull the choke chain back on this little doggie. It's apparent in Mr. and Mrs. Smith that someone had to come in and save the film.
Towards the end of the movie there is a big shoot out in a Home Depot-like department store. At the big 'turn and burn' finale of bullets zinging and stylish 'gun-fu,' I noticed something. The action sequences were the same action run through as the previous 'turn and shoot.' They didn't shoot enough footage to keep the action sequence different (or that interesting for that matter). With a scenario of 2 vs. Infinite baddies, you would think that Mr. and Mrs. Smith might have been shot more than twice. Take a moment and think about the final shoot out in the film The Way of the Gun. Everyone was bloody, shot up, and barely able to move. It was realistic (to a sense)... or at the least, more believable than the finale of Mr. and Mrs. Smith. You see, once Mr. and Mrs. Smith were through shooting up all of the baddies... the scene fades to black...
This is a prime example of a shoot not being finished... or an editor desperately struggling to make chicken cordon bleu out of chicken shit. Don't get me wrong, it was an entertaining film... Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are extremely charming on screen. Doug Liman should have to go through the ringer of directing an entire television series to prove that he can still cut the mustard. Television is much less forgiving of a medium. If people think the show sucks... they don't watch it. Most of all, films shouldn't have all of these millions of dollars attached to a project so that people can just throw money at a problem. People just don't make good movies when the money people get deeply involved in the process. Big budgets have a tendency to ruin films. I guess I'll never be hired to work on one of those. Hollywood is extremely screwed up right now anyway... the age of digital cinema is upon us, think about it.
In the 50's we had the film noir movement.
In the 60's was all of the French Neu-Wave Style.
In the 70's we had the birth of Pulp violence.
In the 80's the family film took hold.
In the 90's the Independent Film movement broke through the dirt.
In the 00's we will deal with the rise of digital film.
None of the rules apply anymore. We may actually see the film medium die (or at the least, become a minority). The market place will be flooded. People rarely go to the theaters anymore. They're all buying DVDs and downloading movies from the internet. The digital age makes the accessibility extremely easy. Hell, there are 13 year-old kids out there that can hack into the Microsoft mainframe, much less steal an entire catalog of MGMs films. We're headed for a cliff, my friends... we either jump or go back home to eat Ramen Noodles in a dark corner of the house... Jump. Learn how to fly on the way down.

-B