tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56250810060052015522024-02-06T18:13:18.629-08:00New WaveAre you getting a little tired of the "same old story" and "remake" that Hollywood produces year after year? This is for the indie film connoissuer.Starving Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13021868010368078441noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5625081006005201552.post-31117042697079799192011-07-24T19:09:00.000-07:002011-08-01T16:01:20.602-07:00Another You: A Review of Another Earth<div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTjLA6Q1UW4shZXoj9BXcmMyA0baz3xhUPBsAOykz20a41HYQR4meSVWziytMhvS2O4fHaDSRkxw-ze2KABnW-XtogUYWuK1At5jAVjcOo28deo6uQr0BDQkogaJKmnBjd5uUZZo5Gdac/s1600/another+earth_pic.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 214px; height: 317px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5636023842133866578" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTjLA6Q1UW4shZXoj9BXcmMyA0baz3xhUPBsAOykz20a41HYQR4meSVWziytMhvS2O4fHaDSRkxw-ze2KABnW-XtogUYWuK1At5jAVjcOo28deo6uQr0BDQkogaJKmnBjd5uUZZo5Gdac/s320/another+earth_pic.jpg" /></a><br /><div><div> </div><div> If you could meet another you, what would you say? First-time director Mike Cahill plays around with this concept in the ambitious sci-fi drama “Another Earth”. </div><div><br />The film opens with an ecstatic Rhoda Williams (Brit Marling) at a party with friends. She just got accepted into MIT and she can only go up. The same night a planet mirroring earth suddenly appears in the sky. While driving home from the party, Rhoda takes her eyes off the road to look up at the sky. </div><div><br />At exactly the same moment, Yale professor and composer John Burroughs (William Mapother) is sitting with his family at a traffic stop when Rhoda plows into them. Fast forward four years into the future. Although Rhoda has served time, she won’t allow herself forgiveness and struggles to maintain a normal life. Despite her brilliant mind, she opts to work as a janitor at a local high school. She also musters up the nerve to enter a contest for a trip to the planet now known as Earth 2. Guilt-ridden she seeks out John at his residence intending to apologize by posing as a worker for a housekeeping company, but instead becomes entangled in a love affair.<br /></div><div>Although the concept is fresh in its approach of exploring the familiar territory of the human psyche, there were moments throughout where the camera work distracted from the fluidity of the piece. However the moving performances of newcomer Marling and Mapother more than make up for the film’s flimsy production.<br /><br />The verdict: B-</div></div></div>Starving Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13021868010368078441noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5625081006005201552.post-67413294954347050692010-11-02T09:34:00.000-07:002010-11-03T13:01:17.194-07:00When's the last time...?Last Friday, I had the opportunity to see Doug <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Liman's</span> <em>Fair Game</em> as part of <a href="http://filmindependent.org/">Film <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Independent's</span> </a>Filmmaker Forum. I went with another friend and later over drinks, we fell into a discussion about how there doesn't seem to be anything memorable lately in film. Yesterday, as I was surfing the net, I happened to come across this interesting article in the New York Times.<br />The article goes into great length to discuss how there seems to be less memorable one-liners in movies:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/20/movies/20lines.html">http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/20/movies/20lines.html</a><br /><br />Yes! I'm not crazy. I remember a few months ago going to see <em>Breakfast at Tiffany's</em> playing at a local cinema. Paul <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Varjak's</span> rant to Holly <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Golightly</span> about "being in a cage" is one that I'll always remember. When I looked at plenty of films that I was forced to look at in my narrative cinema history class, I am now reminded of how things are different. In one class, I had <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">professor</span>, whom some might say was jaded, but I see her point now after all these years. Back then, "thought" seemed to be put into the careful execution of the look and direction of a film, including the acting, etc. There was STORY.<br /><br />The Internet age has made it possible for anyone to pick up a camera, shoot and post it on the web (Both a blessing and a curse for us filmmakers that don't have funds). I call it a "blessing" because instead of waiting for the big wigs at the studios, we can do it ourselves. It's also a "curse" because there is <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">sooo</span> much out there and it can become pretty overwhelming. Maybe it's just me, but sometimes I find myself becoming very overwhelmed by the material.<br /><br />When I was still in college, another professor told us that our generation and below (Gen Y) have short attention spans,we like things fast, and when it doesn't come fast enough we move on to the next thing. We're constantly <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">inundated</span> with ways in how to receive information much quicker on our phones, etc. As a person of the Gen Y group, I am well aware of this. I often struggle how to make my ideas work without having big explosions, "big openings" to grab the attention of the audience without fizzling near the end.<br /><br />I'd have to say, along with the decline of memorable one-liners, what about moments in scenes that seem to stick, or that actually moved you? I'm trying to remember recently( the past few months) a film that I may have seen recently that evoked such feeling in me, but for some reason my mind draws a blank.Starving Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13021868010368078441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5625081006005201552.post-25115873951207108432010-06-08T11:49:00.000-07:002010-06-08T11:53:49.474-07:00Opportunity Awaits...While going through the bulk of my e-mail, I came across this competition that I feel is too good of an opportunity to pass and wanted to share it.<br /><br />The competition is for those of us go-getters who aren't waiting for the Industry to give us the greenlight. If you have a short film or web series that can be made into a TV series, I strongly urge you to consider applying. What have you got to lose?<br /><br />For more information, visit:<br /><br />http://www.nextventertainment.com/web/Starving Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13021868010368078441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5625081006005201552.post-55900102169186189582010-05-31T22:15:00.000-07:002010-05-31T22:25:16.095-07:00Keeping the Faith"Tell your own story, and you will be interesting.Don't get the green disease of envy. Don't be fooled by success and money. Don't let anything come between you and your work."<br /><br />Great advice by the late artist, sculptor Louise Bourgeois.<br /><br />Although this is a film blog, I believe that her advice applies to all artists. Since I've been MIA for awhile, I thought I'd write a brief entry, while I'm finishing up my q&a to be posted soon. I believe her words say it all and need no further explanation. Sometimes many of us lose sight of this, and could use the friendly reminder once in awhile.<br /><br />Until next time...Starving Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13021868010368078441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5625081006005201552.post-60815845410616098672009-11-15T22:10:00.000-08:002009-12-03T12:26:47.080-08:00Attack of the Remake MonsterA disease is running rampant these days, infecting everything in it's path. The bug: Remakes.Grrrrrrr. What is it about originality these days that most people want to avoid? Yeah, I know it involves money and not taking the risk. Especially in this economy, we can't take the risk to put up money for something that could potentially flop.<br /><br /><br />If one really thinks about it, nothing is ever "original"--It just depends on how one chooses to tell the story. I remember watching a t.v. program and during a commercial break they asked the question if "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" should be remade. Personally, I think no because (1) It probably would be hard to find that chemistry between Robert Redford and Paul Newman and (2) Enough of the remakes already! But I know that there probably is a script already in the making to redo <em>Butch Cassidy.</em> I can't speak for the general population, but I myself, wouldn't want to spend $12-$15 for a flick when I can rent it on Netflix. Maybe others can afford to do that, but as a starving artist living out here in 'glamourland' aka Los Angeles, I'd rather not. Sometimes the remake might be better than the original, thanks to the latest innovations in technology.<br /><br /><br />Don't get me wrong, I'm not anti-remakes, but when it seems that when remake after remake gets made, I almost want to scream "What's so bad about something original?" For some reason, I've always been more interested in Prequels. Perhaps for me, it's because it's always interesting to see how villians or other likeable characters became what they are. I like to think of it as "The untold story before the story begins."<br /><br /><br />I heard about the <em><a href="http://www.indiewire.com/article/box_office_2.0_fall_winners_and_losers/">Paranormal</a></em> phenomenon, but was hesitant to see it. Two of my friends said that they were scared to go home after watching it, and with my over hyperactive imagination I'd probably fit in that category--however, I knew another couple that walked out. The first thing I thought, was not another Blair Witch project--which I remember seeing and thought was OK and couldn't understand why people were afraid of it. Back then, I could understand why 'Blair Witch' was all the rave because it was something 'different' out of the usual hum-drum being spewed out. I read that Paranormal was made around $15,000 and marketed virally, and finally grossed at $106,082,922.<br /><br />This always doesn't happen, but I like hearing success stories like this because it gives me hope that there is still a light at the end of the tunnel. Filmmaking is still a business.<br /><br />I see two things going on here--1) Audiences might be craving for something "different" and 2) When you don't have a lot resources at your dispense to make that big budget film, you're pretty much forced to reach deep inside the creative crevices of your mind to work with what you have.Starving Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13021868010368078441noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5625081006005201552.post-29709077524997982362009-04-30T21:24:00.000-07:002009-05-03T12:37:45.694-07:00Badass Female CharactersI decided to write this after reading an article about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gloria_Steinem">Gloria Steinem</a> turning seventy-five in an article featured on msn.com. For those of you, who don't know, she is a feminist icon, journalist, and social and political activist. In the interview, she said that a lot has changed with the women's movement, but yet there are still some hurdles that need to be addressed. In order to overcome these hurdles, consciousness in both men and women need to change. With this said, I firmly believe film to sometimes mirror our society.<br /><br /><br />Too often, I get a little annoyed when I see women in film portrayed as nothing more but weak, wallflowers, or just pretty decorations to move the film along. When I was in college, I was told by an instructor that the female lead was violent (by the way, the female was a drug lord), yet she said nothing about another classmate's story whose character committed glorified rapes and violence against the female characters. Mmm, maybe that's why I've always been drawn to some of the films of <a href="http://www.imdb.com/find?s=all&q=Pedro+Almodovar">Pedro Almodovar </a>and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000019/">Federico Fellini</a>, because the females are anything but wallflowers, but they also demonstrate how this minority group is sometimes exploited by the larger society. I've also been told recently that if I wanted to have a strong female lead in my script, to make her an assassin. Don't get me wrong, I love seeing a film with a femme fatale, but giving into the "status quo" defies the purpose.<br /><br />Below, I've listed Eight of my favorite female characters in film (Some fictional and some real life):<br /><br /><br />1. <em>She-Ra</em>, He-Man's Twin Sister. I grew up watching this in the 80s and yes I will admit that I begged my parents to buy the She-Ra sword and headdress!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtYRi2tbs8yF3obdRFkuD_ERZ2Yp3A8kM1h4bVsnQmKlV58_LJINQLiVO_7Ct95ovRtW_tab_8uyjDsJjIEYroDoPR1L9mUBXNBn-C5CUURAgvb7h5RX5N2qI2N6-xICfw1PBN1E8CZNs/s1600-h/She-Ra+animated+news.jpg"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 313px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331673214081401858" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtYRi2tbs8yF3obdRFkuD_ERZ2Yp3A8kM1h4bVsnQmKlV58_LJINQLiVO_7Ct95ovRtW_tab_8uyjDsJjIEYroDoPR1L9mUBXNBn-C5CUURAgvb7h5RX5N2qI2N6-xICfw1PBN1E8CZNs/s400/She-Ra+animated+news.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> image source: animatednews.com</span><br /><br /><br />2. Painter Frida Kahlo in Julie Taymor's <em>Frida</em><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm5fq8eks_sZBcclTYq_EQO_9pABnZqjYDZdFXx4jD6IY9CLf9rETQt4KjPzTw7mkNZJsKEHTlOaVYwM8XH5SNPHjcBxXgg4OcQDAw2NOcubvOb1jkYTYA5QP-VdJizA_Z18LygcAMGyw/s1600-h/Frida+imdb+image.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 136px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 136px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331672945171161074" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm5fq8eks_sZBcclTYq_EQO_9pABnZqjYDZdFXx4jD6IY9CLf9rETQt4KjPzTw7mkNZJsKEHTlOaVYwM8XH5SNPHjcBxXgg4OcQDAw2NOcubvOb1jkYTYA5QP-VdJizA_Z18LygcAMGyw/s400/Frida+imdb+image.jpg" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">image source: imdb.com</span><br /><br /><br /><div></div><div><div>3.Yu Shu Lien and Jen battle it out in Ang Lee's <em>Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon</em></div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHViPMpxy0aTWJ9_ascaz4hIQo5kENrgh4nO-zKqfNUt1X0SCt5eQ4Opq-lSEWym7CfCU9vekGtqLkXQ4HvMlph5fEcrfSFLVQY8sugV65a7fJJ7yPeA3FxeZ6HUWQVr8km6WpMVgmaiQ/s1600-h/crouching+tiger+imdb+image.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 124px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 119px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331671360670666642" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHViPMpxy0aTWJ9_ascaz4hIQo5kENrgh4nO-zKqfNUt1X0SCt5eQ4Opq-lSEWym7CfCU9vekGtqLkXQ4HvMlph5fEcrfSFLVQY8sugV65a7fJJ7yPeA3FxeZ6HUWQVr8km6WpMVgmaiQ/s320/crouching+tiger+imdb+image.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">image source: imdb.com</span><br /><br /><br /><div></div><div>4. The Bride is bent on revenge in Quentin Tarantino's <em>Kill Bill</em><br /><br /><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFLeQTcxOvfU3k2Li8NIaUv0id9Z4rfCJoftPhbzE2m5rcjQPLxdS6mHdxk-p321rsTN56z-F5wOxqPwgA3r02-37dafq3MO6eJBtlQzKUShQJvim_X4kIJlpwNQu3y9BvDs-UFgrYuLw/s1600-h/killbill+imdb+image.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 111px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 114px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331653168038935650" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFLeQTcxOvfU3k2Li8NIaUv0id9Z4rfCJoftPhbzE2m5rcjQPLxdS6mHdxk-p321rsTN56z-F5wOxqPwgA3r02-37dafq3MO6eJBtlQzKUShQJvim_X4kIJlpwNQu3y9BvDs-UFgrYuLw/s320/killbill+imdb+image.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">image source: imdb.com<br /></span><br /><br /><div>5. "Marji" dealing with the pains of growing up during the Islamic Revolution in Iran in Marjane Satrapi's autobiographical animation <em>Persepolis</em><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJzsJc5nDNhYWB474CXh7UA8Xq1ctd1uQ0fSwP-95ks8dSelQUz9NeGaS6g-6YRPjj50jh2nQCPvwr1-nCLErMsccNv_-yO0VMth1n9nEdN8z8xhUaorDZOaeA8wKO3cpgXZHwC3EMLgs/s1600-h/persepolis+imdb+image.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 114px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 120px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331652193176785378" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJzsJc5nDNhYWB474CXh7UA8Xq1ctd1uQ0fSwP-95ks8dSelQUz9NeGaS6g-6YRPjj50jh2nQCPvwr1-nCLErMsccNv_-yO0VMth1n9nEdN8z8xhUaorDZOaeA8wKO3cpgXZHwC3EMLgs/s320/persepolis+imdb+image.jpg" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">image source: imdb.com<br /></span><br /><br /><div><div>6. Raimunda in Pedro Almodovar's <em>Volver</em></div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaigIg-8TBn5h8305SF8ujICO82JuaQ1gkgjlVsJKYQSz-PLXQz6BKSi1Wr_Z1A9mrpp3czwMrfLC1-xJZToyZY8qeUzAjkMIadRtkA7aZxI2eNek1lG2oy359QW2_ANjZbQjOJikUbMc/s1600-h/volver+imdb+image.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 155px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 166px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331360228437998946" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaigIg-8TBn5h8305SF8ujICO82JuaQ1gkgjlVsJKYQSz-PLXQz6BKSi1Wr_Z1A9mrpp3czwMrfLC1-xJZToyZY8qeUzAjkMIadRtkA7aZxI2eNek1lG2oy359QW2_ANjZbQjOJikUbMc/s320/volver+imdb+image.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">image source: imdb.com</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>7. Erica Bain in Neil Jordan's <em>The Brave One</em></div><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3LwGWgyAezI1yytVgQdQqh0XAT1Jll0Besykr1SzZsb7kIb6MUKLrtv1F6gtFeUMHjDMTjGZkmJq2nYLD6zjSVWv9cvKoAt7NGSKgtz6EkAIMYKd5gjJb-WYlRJPKD3u8-44E4NjJRa4/s1600-h/brave+one+imdb+image.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 162px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 158px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331359688693477010" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3LwGWgyAezI1yytVgQdQqh0XAT1Jll0Besykr1SzZsb7kIb6MUKLrtv1F6gtFeUMHjDMTjGZkmJq2nYLD6zjSVWv9cvKoAt7NGSKgtz6EkAIMYKd5gjJb-WYlRJPKD3u8-44E4NjJRa4/s320/brave+one+imdb+image.jpg" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">image source: imdb.com</span><br /><br /><br /><div><div>8. Jackie Brown in Quentin Tarantino's <em>Jackie Brown</em><br /><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjniY53VpF5QoEXdPZUhbbGHWkIDqxlXCh_RyEPiTxxtqKf6L9x0uq9ht3d4NossY7wsWDGWeg7hxdTfgL1QunGVDzbHPPp-93FIaat5Ryoz6ZI3WZsyB0ex_JFpyVBnR8oE8WbMD4SGCc/s1600-h/Jackie+Brown+IMDB+images.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331357924626364930" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjniY53VpF5QoEXdPZUhbbGHWkIDqxlXCh_RyEPiTxxtqKf6L9x0uq9ht3d4NossY7wsWDGWeg7hxdTfgL1QunGVDzbHPPp-93FIaat5Ryoz6ZI3WZsyB0ex_JFpyVBnR8oE8WbMD4SGCc/s320/Jackie+Brown+IMDB+images.jpg" /></a> </div><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">image source: imdb.com</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><a href="http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMTA1NTY3MDg4MjJeQTJeQWpwZ15BbWU2MDc1NDI4Ng@@._V1._SX480_SY360_.jpg"></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Starving Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13021868010368078441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5625081006005201552.post-14268659615795912712009-04-08T12:38:00.000-07:002009-04-08T14:05:24.861-07:00Six Tips On How To Beat the Rejection BluesYou've spent months, maybe even years pouring your soul into a project and you've entered it into film festivals and maybe even to a few agencies and production companies. After weeks (sometimes months) of anxiously waiting, you finally get your answer in the mail: No. All you can see is the word 'NO' and nothing else. Sometimes the word 'no' blocks our ability to see the whole picture.<br /><br />One observation I notice about our society is that we are constantly surrounded by a culture that convinces us that fame happens quickly and when it doesn't happen when we want it to, we feel frustrated and want to give up. Here are some tips that I share with my other friends who are artists and that I use as a reference for myself when I feel like my work isn't going to land in the right hands.<br /><br />1. <strong>Take the word 'no' and turn it into a positive.</strong> The industry is tough and the word 'no' is my motivation.<br /><br />2. <strong>Surround yourself around positive people.</strong> It's bad enough when you have to deal with rejections and it certainly doesn't help when you constantly have people tell you 'what you can't do' or 'that's impossible.' Sometimes we get these words from family members or friends.<br /><br />3. <strong>Believe in your work.</strong> Sometimes deals will fall through with that producer or that director. It's one thing if you find a group who are passionate about your project, but when it balls down to it in the end, you must believe in your project.<br /><br />4. <strong>Make a list of why you do what you do (act, write, direct, produce,etc). </strong>When I get discouraged I usually write down a list of why I became a writer/filmmaker and the importance of showing my work to the rest of the world and what excites me about being a writer. After I make this list, I tape it visibly somewhere in my room where I can see it first thing in the morning and when I go to sleep at night.<br /><br />5. <strong>Read about people who influence your work. </strong>I love reading the biographies of filmmakers and writers whose works that I admire. Reading about their struggles and how they were able to get their projects made despite the odds, gives me hope.<br /><br />6. <strong>Be open to constructive criticrism. </strong>As artists, we tend to heavily guard our work like they're our children and want to protect them. Constructive criticism sometimes opens our eyes to what others pick up that we don't see and this is an opportunity for us to see how our potential audience views our work. Granted, you'll have some people who'll give comments that seem way out of left field, but really it depends on what you want to take away from the comments. Some comments you just have to take like a grain of salt.<br /><br /><strong>Additional Links:</strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><a href="http://www.raindance.co.uk/site/">http://www.raindance.co.uk/site/</a> - I've found that this website offers very valuable tips on improving your work. They even have a film festival.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.shootingpeople.org/">http://www.shootingpeople.org/</a>- originally started in the UK, but expanded to the US with branches in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. They have events and screenings and sometimes workshops. If you're a little wary about promoting your project on youtube, you can also upload your video to their site.Starving Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13021868010368078441noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5625081006005201552.post-8679600510538596262008-11-16T10:01:00.000-08:002008-11-16T13:19:56.993-08:00Question of the Day: Where's the Next American New Wave?Thanks to digital filmmaking and editing tools such as Final Cut Pro, it's easier ever than before for indie filmmakers on a budget to deliver their vision to the world via the internet, etc. Throughout cinema history, the world has experienced their own 'new wave' in the sense of breaking conventions and taking stories to the next level. What are your thoughts on an American New Wave--do you think it's already happened or is it still in the works?Starving Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13021868010368078441noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5625081006005201552.post-89170520560936662762008-10-06T17:40:00.000-07:002008-10-25T16:18:09.273-07:00A Conversation With Hoang A. Duong<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzqUZa0K_h41do-9OkkPvayFUmDcY4cxOX-rIaZs5NtQNKv2NksSUjtxIyLVoRa4RsrtoPnyfIrvtgW_ZxoqR68v-Dzq7wwTsnd8VEKyz9MDYKNwor954b8gvRGvvDPmWVqioVVaaLKg4/s1600-h/012.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254205903246989170" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzqUZa0K_h41do-9OkkPvayFUmDcY4cxOX-rIaZs5NtQNKv2NksSUjtxIyLVoRa4RsrtoPnyfIrvtgW_ZxoqR68v-Dzq7wwTsnd8VEKyz9MDYKNwor954b8gvRGvvDPmWVqioVVaaLKg4/s320/012.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Intimacy. It is often seen as a potential threat and can make or break a relationship. Yet, many of us crave and need it—but what is it about this 'thing' that eludes us and makes it impossible for some of us to grasp?<br /><br />This is a question that award-winning filmmaker <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0387464/">Hoang A. Duong</a> seeks to explore in his films, along with providing his views on what it takes to survive in the industry. </div><div></div><div align="justify"><br /><strong>EH: I understand that in high school, you had your start in theater. What made you decide to pursue a career in film?</strong></div><div align="justify"><strong></strong></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>HAD: I studied theater in high school. I loved theater and wanted to become an actor. And in the middle of it my drama teacher told me to direct, like somehow she sensed it. I directed a couple of one-act plays and they did really well and won a few awards, so I got this directing bug. There’s a limit to creativity [in theater]. I’ve always liked film and I found [there are] much wider avenues to express yourself, so I applied to film school. In theater, you mainly tell a story through acting and writing and film is more of a director's medium. I applied for the sake of it and got in--UCLA was highly selective.</div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><strong>EH: How did your family react to your decision?</strong></div><div><strong></strong></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>HAD: They never liked it that I was involved in drama and I knew the disapproval way beyond high school, but they enjoyed the fact that I was in theater. They went to my high school plays and were proud to see their son on stage. I didn’t know what else to do…I was good in math and using my left side of the brain and I have a pretty good left side, but ultimately I’m an artist and you can’t deny that part of yourself. And ever since I got into film school--a prestigious school--it made them changed their mind in a way, and they thought I must have talent… but I have my own worst critic within me.</div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><strong>EH: Artists are sometimes their toughest critic when it comes to their work. If you weren’t a filmmaker, what else do you think you’d be doing?</strong></div><div><strong></strong></div><div><strong></strong></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>HAD: I don’t know. I haven’t really thought about it. For me, to be a filmmaker is to be an artist. You can’t escape yourself whether you make film or choose to do something else. I’m good at the logical stuff but I choose to be an artist, but if I was someone else...</div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><strong>EH: Who are your influences?</strong></div><div><strong></strong></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>HAD: I don't know. There obviously are filmmakers and artists that I find inspiring and feel kindred to--David Cronenberg, David Lynch, Claire Denis, and Sarah Silverman. Sarah Silverman is so inspirational to me. Also, I think that who influenced you could be someone that you consciously don't like, but yet unconsciously they might have more of an impact on you than the ones you like.</div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><strong>EH: What is it about [Sarah Silverman] that you find inspirational?</strong></div><div><strong></strong></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>HAD: She’s brave, but she doesn’t think she is, but she tells the truth and the truth can be really offensive. She just goes there--no qualms and uncomfortableness. I find her to be inspiring in the sense she doesn’t give a shit, not because she wants to be a troublemaker; she sees something and lays it there the way she sees it. Because she’s a comedian, her truth is her humor. Some comedians if they mess up, they always patch it, but she never apologizes if things fall apart--she jumps back to ‘This is who I am’; she’s not apologetic and that’s inspiring to me.</div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><strong>EH: Your thesis film from Columbia ‘Heavy Blow’ was an official selection at Sundance and won a Teddy Special Jury Prize at the Berlin International Film festival. Were you expecting this or did it come as a total shock?</strong></div><div><strong></strong></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>HAD: No it wasn’t a shock, nor was it expected. When you make a film, you know how good it is and how effective it is and if you win it’s your fantasy come true. When you go to these awards, there’s always a chance that you might win something.</div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><strong>EH: I really liked ‘Heavy Blow’. In the relationship, Kaleb [the boyfriend] is threatened by Chet, Mina’s friend. I really don’t see this in film where the ‘third’ person, the friend, is seen as a threat in a relationship. In real life this can be the case.</strong></div><div><strong></strong></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>HAD: Kaleb is insecure so anyone can be a threat. The relationship between Mina and her friend Chet is much more intimate than with her boyfriend even though theirs is a sexual relationship. Kaleb must have sensed this. His insecurity is a problem in the relationship.</div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><strong>EH: You captured that pretty well. Often in films, the triangle aspect mostly deals with romance.</strong></div><div><strong></strong></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>HAD: Thank-you. There is a dynamic between straight women and gay men--they have a very strong bond that goes beyond the more normal relationship of typical girlfriends, boyfriends. With gay men and straight women there’s a chemistry that’s very intimate and I wanted to portray this. I’m closer to my straight women friends than my lovers more often than not--there's no threat, there's no fear. It's a very treasured combination.</div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><strong>EH: I notice that in your films, relationships seem to be the driving force in the stories. What is it that fascinates you about this topic?</strong></div><div><strong></strong></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>HAD: Relationships are hard and what captivates me the most is the dynamic between people. Intimacy is very hard to obtain. Although people want it and really need it, it’s difficult. I want to explore what is difficult about this connection. It’s a way to heal and to discover something. People say to write what you know but while you write, you discover new things and I find that this topic really grasps me.</div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><strong>EH: ‘Trigger Point’, your current project, is a provocative film about a married woman who leads a double erotic lifestyle. How is it different than ‘Unfaithful’ or ‘Belle de Jour’? In ‘Belle de Jour’, this woman is seemingly married to the perfect husband and goes to the extreme by working in a brothel.</strong></div><div><strong></strong></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>HAD: To me, ‘Belle de Jour’ and ‘Unfaithful’ played with the audience’s morality. It’s not my intention to provoke people’s morality--it’s more about telling [this woman's] story and revealing her psyche moment to moment, and as truthfully as I can--what’ s going on with her, in her head, in her life and how she deals with her pain. However the audience chooses to process it is up to them. I think the difference is I'm not focused on society’s judgment and morality. Although I’m aware of it, it’s secondary to me. I’m more concerned with the characters and their interaction with each other and the result is that it holds up a mirror to the audience. With this mirror to the audience, and just telling it how I see it, not manipulating them to see it in a certain way, will reflect how [the audience] want it; ultimately the film is about them. Although it’s my personal story, I want the audience to enter themselves into it. This film may be moral for some and for some people an erotic journey or soft porn. I think it’s more than that, but you can’t tell a shallow person to be deep or a deep person to be shallow.</div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><strong>EH: What do you think is lacking in film industry today?</strong></div><div><strong></strong></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>HAD: There are a lot of films out there, but if you look at Hollywood films, it’s more lacking than, say, in the 70s, when you had personal directors like Coppola, Hal Ashby and Scorsese. Hollywood has gone global and business has boomed all over the world so we’re seeing the same movie made over and over. But now it’s easier to see [non-Hollywood] movies from all over the world through dvd and internet streaming. For me, it’s not lacking for world cinema. But if you want to focus on Hollywood, it would be problematic.I don’t want to gripe. Filmmaking is going to always be hard no matter what you do. If you can’t find money there’s a reason why--it has to do with market. But there are different kinds of audiences. It depends on what you want to do--like experimental and have it shown in museums, there’s an audience for that. However, if you desire to show it in the traditional way through release in theater and dvd, you have to learn how to get into it--it is a business. Theatrical film is like a business corporation put together by a lot of business people. It is a machine, a system that has a long history. You have to know how the business works--I don’t want to say compromise--but if you get money to make a $5,000,000 film you can’t say I want to do whatever I want. You have to prove yourself--even the most successful filmmakers still have to acknowledge the reality of the business.</div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><strong>EH: Some people don’t like to accept the reality of that.</strong></div><div><strong></strong></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>HAD: I think that I used to be like that. You can still be artists--but it is a combination of business--stay in or not. Some people don’t want to stay, which is cool. If it makes you miserable then don’t do it. There are many other ways to express yourself. Why torture yourself to make a movie, especially when you don’t know if it’s going to be successful? It’s about going with the flow. The ones that can get even mediocre movies made they have a business sense inside them--they know how to sell, how to pitch, how to make people believe that it’s good.</div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><strong>EH: Can you tell me a little about your production company?</strong></div><div><strong></strong></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>HAD: EoA Film Productions is a company that I created to produce and develop my features that I write or co-write. Before that, I would have my scripts optioned by other producers, but then I feel that my projects would be better developed if I become one of the initial producers. I just wanted (or rather needed) to be more involved in the producing aspect of my films. It’s the nature of indie film producing these days where writer/director *has* to be more hands-on with their projects.</div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><strong>EH: Which project did you find the hardest to make, in regards to it being too personal?</strong></div><div><strong></strong></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>HAD: The current feature--‘Trigger Point’. If I didn’t have a co-writer it would’ve taken me forever to finish it. In some way, I feel even if the film is thoroughly mine, it helped me to have a co-writer for the first draft. I was able to communicate with her my ideas. Even when I was rewriting on my own, I was having a dialogue with her in my head. But it is hard in the sense that it is painful. Here’s an idea that’s really cool, but the script was really about me and it uncovered past wounds. Also, I haven't done anything this [sexually] explicit. Those things are difficult to show--one wrong move and it could turn into a joke or flip into soft porn. And obviously it's not about that. But shooting a sex scene is not much harder than shooting a fight scene in the sense of making something seem real that is simulated. You just have to get the actors who are comfortable with their bodies. I think kissing is more challenging because it has to do with the actors more than editing. </div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>Also difficult is how do you tell something [in sex] that is truthful and honest? People do have a prejudice and a harboring sense of judgmental eyes.But I wouldn’t do anything if it weren’t challenging, and you have to look at what makes you have this drive instead of playing it safe.</div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><strong>EH: A lot of artists fall into that playing it safe trap--I don’t want to tell that story because it’s crossing the boundary or it might offend people.</strong></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>HAD: To me, it’s not worth it. My thing is, making a film is hard no matter what you wrote, so why would you want to end up with something that’s not you?</div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><em></em></div><div><em>*Special note: 'Trigger Point' to go into production early 2009</em></div>Starving Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13021868010368078441noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5625081006005201552.post-3730876004626363132008-09-05T08:05:00.000-07:002008-09-05T08:07:44.644-07:00Interview with New York based filmmaker coming soon!Starving Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13021868010368078441noreply@blogger.com0