Production: Introducing Tomorrow's Party

Considering the fact that this is a blog about film and filmmaking, you would think that I would talk about my projects. I'm not really sure why haven't. But yes, I have my own project. And I'm going to talk about it.

Currently I am working on putting together a five minute short film called "Tomorrow's Party". My roommate and drunken cohort Katie is helping me produce it. If I haven't driven her crazy yet... I have a feeling she may hate me by the end of it. Haha... I'm kidding... I think...

About Tomorrow's Party.

It's a screenplay that I wrote, will be directing, and am producing. When you're working on something this small you end up doing a lot of it yourself. The rest of it... I'm calling in a lot of favors. A friend from college is coming in from New York to be my DP. Various other friends are filling other crew positions. As I've mentioned all ready, my roommate is my producer. So far the only people enlisted who I didn't know previously are my actors.

It's a lot of work. It fills most of my free time. There are locations to be scouted, actors to talk to, insurance to arrange. And that was just the last three days. There's a laundry list of things to accomplish before Thanksgiving. This week.

When I stop thinking about how much I have to do, I start thinking about how I'm going to be able to afford this. By the skin of my teeth. It's incredibly stressful but I try and not let that freak me out. Because I know people who have done more than I'm doing with relatively less resources. I may be putting everything I have into this film, but I think I have enough. I think. I hope.

But that's an inescapable part of indie filmmaking. We do what we can with what we have. We may have to make sacrifices but in the end it's worth it. We've made a film. It's ours.

I'm not working in independent film at the moment but that is the world that I come from. The experiences have been frustrating, they've been painful, they've been frustratingly painful. And yet, this is the world that I come back to for my own work. Because real independent filmmaking, at it's best, is soulful. The people love what they're doing, we're passionate, and in the end our projects mean something.

Again. This is at it's best. At it's worst it can be soul sucking working. People will take advantage of you. Projects can be worthless crap. You may get nothing out of it.

Tomorrow's Party will be indie at it's best. I can say that with confidence. Because it is my project, I believe in it, and I truly appreciate everything that everyone is doing for me. I may not be able to afford to pay my cast and crew, but I do respect them. I will take care of them as best I can. I want to make this film worth it for everyone.

It's my first post-college project. My first real film. Yes, it's super short. But it's a learning experience. It's also a story I care about. Sometimes five minutes is all you need.

Tomorrow's Party is where my energy will be spent for the next three weeks (Wait, I really only have three weeks left? Now THAT is a terrifying thought). And my time. And all of my money that's not all ready going to rent or bills. But that's okay. Because we're getting this done. We're making a movie.

I'll try and keep posting updates. I can't promise anything but I'm sure there will be lots to talk about. Right now most of what I've got is stress and exhaustion. Oh yeah, and a conversation with a 75-year-old ex-rock band manager Holocaust survivor from Germany. I guess there is always that.

Production: Effect Inaction

A picture a friend of mine took last week in front of Disney Studios in Burbank, CA.

The show I am currently working on is looking for a PA. My APOC sent an email out to the coordinators' email list asking for resumes. This was yesterday. Ever since that email went out, she's been inundated with resumes from PAs. There have been phone calls. And in every conversation, in every message, there is a note of desperation.

Please, help me, I'm out of work.



Fox announced yesterday that it was going to go ahead and air new Family Guy episodes even though show creator Seth MacFarlane is on strike. Which is an interesting choice considering the fact the MacFarlane not only is involved in the writing of the show, he does several of the voices as well.

Last Sunday Fox aired the last completed pre-strike episode. Starting this Sunday, every new Family Guy airing is being produced without MacFarlane. While Fox does technically have the right to go ahead without MacFarlane's involvement, I agree with his assessment that it's "a dick move."

To quote him directly:

"It would just be a colossal dick move if they did that,"

So what's the big deal really? Family Guy is Seth MacFarlane's show. It's been a huge success for Fox and you know it's made a ton of money. Especially on DVD sales. Family Guy is famous for being resurrected after it's tremendous performance in the DVD market.

DVDs. One of the issues of this strike. Residuals that writers receive from DVD sales. Is this starting to come together for you yet?

Fox made a huge amount of money off of Family Guy when it was released on DVD. Fox continues to make a huge amount of money off of the show with new episodes, continued DVD sales, etc. And not only do they refuse to even consider sharing the profit with the creative talent behind the show, rather than respect the creator of this show that has turned them a substantial profit, the network and studio execs choose instead to go on without him.




So now I sit here in my office, look out over LA, and listen to the desperate phone calls.

"I heard you need a PA? Did you get my resume? Where can I send it?"

For one of these people there may be a job. For the rest? There will be uncertainty and frustration as they watch their job prospects fade away. The longer this strike lasts, more productions will shut down, and more PAs will being making these desperate phone calls to the few shows still running.

I am incredibly glad that I made the choice I did when I was offered this job I now I have. It wasn't my only option but it is the only one that currently still exists. If I had chosen differently I would be the one making the desperate phone calls rather than listening to my APOC answer them.

It all goes beyond money. It's about respect. It's about dignity. Right now, there's not much of any of that going around.

Article about Fox Airing Family Guy without MacFarlane

Thoughts: Mad Men

Now I know I don't normally talk about television shows but I feel like I need to mention how fantastic Mad Men is. It really is great. AMC did well with season 1 and I'm very excited to see what comes next in season 2. Which is scheduled for next year. Assuming things... whatever.

In the mean time AMC is running season 1 (which ended mid-October) so there's plenty of time to catch up with missed episodes.

It's just absolutely fascinating to watch. The characters are great. Even the characters who are bastards have their sympathetic moments. Oh man, and that season finale? I'm desperate for more.

I just want to spread the good television love. There's so little of it. And soon to be even less of it.

Production: WGA Strike & Functioning Chaos

Hollywoodland is all abuzz with news of the WGA strike that began this morning at 12:01. After months of getting nowhere, it's not a huge surprise that the WGA decided to strike. The big issues involve residuals with DVD sales, internet distribution, and other new media. Basically, the writers are getting the shaft and the producers don't want to fix the situation.

All that background, you can look up online.

What I'm really interested in talking about is what this strike means for those of us not directly involved but still very much so effected by this strike.

I'm obviously not in the WGA (...yet?) and I don't really know any writers. So I can't say what this is like for them. I don't know how this is going to effect them. Depending on how long this strike lasts (the 1988 one lasted 5 months), what will happen to them? They'll be out of work, sitting around, and waiting.

As lame as that is for them, I totally get it. I'm very much so on the side of the writers in this. I mean, you know people are making money off of the free downloads of television shows available on most networks's websites. So why should the writers not get residuals? People should receive fair compensation for the work that they do. Currently that's not happening. If a strike is what's needed to fix it then by all means strike.

But how will this strike effect the rest of us in production?

For me personally, probably not all that much until maybe January when the job I am currently working ends. I'm in the very comfortable position of being employed by a reality show that currently has no writers. No writers, no strike, production continues unfazed. An excellent situation for paying my rent.

In January, if the strike is continuing, my plans for future employment will probably change. I was hoping to possibly jump onto a different show where several people I know work. That probably won't happen with a strike because that show will probably not go into production. I was also hoping to possibly jump onto a feature. That may or may not happen. If I can get onto a certain one that is already in production, it'll happen. Otherwise, there probably won't be any features for me to jump on to.

What else will I do? Well, I'll have a month or two long vacation before production on my current show begins again. I'll stay in reality. Which isn't terrible. I just need to make sure I save enough over the next two months to be able to pay rent and live off of should that happen. I need to make sure I can afford to take a two month vacation. Considering I won't have any other options.

So that's what this strik means for me.

What does it mean for my roommate, who is currently working on a scripted sitcom?

The show that she is currently working on prepared somewhat for this strike. They have a small backlog of episodes ready to go. Three actually. So they're guarenteed another four or five weeks of production to shoot those three episodes. If the strike is still going at that point?

My roommate is then out of a job. And uncertain about what job she may find next. She may be able to find a feature already in production. She's interviewed with on already. But there won't be much.

We'll be out of work at the same time but at least I know I'll definitely have work to go back to.

It may turn out to not be a big deal though. At this point, who can say? Certainly not us here at the bottom. I don't even think those at the top, in the middle of the negotiations, have any idea either.

It may not be a cheerful Christmas in Lala land this year. And we haven't even gotten to the DGA or SAG negotiations coming up next year.

It's an interesting time to be in Hollywood. That is for sure.