HOLLYWOOD — Several news and entertainment outlets are reporting that celebrity publicist Howard Bragman is producing the show in conjunction with JUMA Entertainment for air on A&E. The show will turn the cameras on the journeys of public figures who are looking for a vehicle to support them as they come out of the closet as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. Bragman is known for representing celebrities like Meredith Baxter, Chely Wright, Chaz Bono and Isaiah Washington. (Note: For this post, I use gay to mean all LGBQT people.)
I met Howard at the OUTFEST “Coming Out in Hollywood” panel on Saturday. He’s an incredibly tall man; I think he’s twice my height! He was very sweet and got down on his knees next to me for this photo. He’s a formidable presence and, on the panel, he spoke passionately about the importance for people to be out in our industry. Although it is complicated and difficult (knowing the once adoring public can turn on dime), Howard talked about how more visibility leads to more acceptance for everyone. He made a comparison to the lack of blacks in film and television in the 50′s and 60′s and how their insistence on being included brought diversity to mainstream media.
While listening to the panelists discuss the pros and cons of being an out actor, I was having a revelation. The focus of the panel was, in my opinion, a minor point in the bigger conversation. Don’t get me wrong, whether an actor is out or not does have an influence on the public but it really isn’t the big kahuna. A gay actor isn’t the same thing as a black actor. A gay actor is STILL INVISIBLE to the audience. That’s the “problem” with being gay, it can be quite easy to “pass for straight.” More gays in the industry and more gays being open doesn’t really change anything because, onscreen, it’s all the same. It’s not like putting a black, an asian, a hispanic or disabled actor on screen.
It hit me like a thunderbolt and I had a hard time sitting there. Howard was right. It was incredibly important that Meredith Baxter came out because everyone saw her as the all-American Mom. Her coming out made the public more aware that the all-American Mom could be a gay woman with five children and grandchildren (as Meredith is). For much of the audience, Meredith Baxter (the person) is indistinguishable from Meredith Baxter (the actress). Meredith’s coming out revealed gay Moms in America like me. It put my son’s life into the public dialog in a whole new way.
What is missing, in my opinion, are gay characters in mainstream film and television. Gay parents, gay teachers, gay repairmen, gay plumbers, gay farmers. Current estimates are that 1 in 8 Americans are gay. Imagine if there were one gay character for every straight character in contemporary television shows and movies. Just average, every day people who do their jobs, raise their children and live in the world like everyone else. And, in this regard, I disagree with some of the panelists. I do NOT think our coming out is our most important story. It is one of our stories. We have many others. Our sexuality is only one aspect of our personality. And just as the sexual rites of passage are important to the LGBQT population, it is important to the straight population. But, for all of us, it is just PART of who we are, not all of who we are.
I want every human being to have the right to “live out loud and proud” … no matter who he or she is. Everyone. And, I’d like us all to be visible in our media, in the stories we tell.
I wish Howard the best of luck on his new series. I do think it is important. Most of all, I hope it leads to the creation of many more gay roles in television and film … roles that are played by GAY AND STRAIGHT actors. That’s what I’m waiting for! Howard’s agency is FIFTEEN MINUTES, as in “Hey, where’s MY fifteen minutes of fame?!?”
Everyone has been discussing web distribution since my first Sundance Film Festival in 1996. I swear! There has been a panel on alternative forms of distribution at nearly every Sundance for the last fifteen YEARS. Serious film producers would always turn up their noses and say disparaging things about web content.
“No one is making any money at it,” they would sniff. “No serious filmmaker would consider such a thing.” After 15 years of promoting and prognosticating, it seems like Web Phenomenon is finally here.
At last year’s Power Premiere, I met the delightful Susan Miller. A terrific writer with a boatload of credits, she talked about her web series ANYONE BUT ME. It sounded like a fun concept and the series is now heading into its third season. It has over 4 million views worldwide and has been awarded with: 4 Streamy Nominations & Best Actress Win; Webby Honorees for Drama & Writing; 4 Indie Soap Awards; AfterEllen’s Visibility Award.
This last weekend, Meredith Baxter mentioned her latest acting gig. The web series WE HAVE TO STOP NOW with Cathy DeBuono and Jill Bennett. Two therapists on the verge of divorce discover the relationship book they co-authored is on the New York Times bestseller list. A reality show/documentary film crew moves in to capture the “magic” that made the book so successful. Comedian Suzanne Westenhoefer starred as their distressed therapist in season one. Now, Meredith Baxter is joining the cast for season two, as a rather odd therapist who doesn’t want the clients to talk too much during their sessions.
You may recall I was the production manager on a feature film called GIRLTRASH: All Night Long that Angela Robinson, Alex Kondracke and POWER UP developed from a Showtime web series. To understand more of how that series became a feature, you can take a look at the GIRLTRASH Blog to get the inner workings of that process.
Jamie Lieberman (Alec’s girlfriend) went to school with a bunch of people at Emerson (in Boston). They developed a web series that has now been picked up by Warner Brothers. Starring a bunch of young unknowns, DOWNER’S GROVE is a funny slice of life in a boring, small town.
There are a lot of plusses to making your own web series.
Webisodes tend to be short. Three to six minutes in length. You don’t need a huge budget or massive time commitment to put them on. You get to create your own characters in their own world. You don’t have to wait for a production executive to give you the green light. Since they tend to avoid risky projects, you can go out on a limb and prove the merit of your idea. Web series tend to build rabid fan bases that become their market for future stories. I have noticed that many web series reach out to their fan base for funding. Some sell subscriptions to support the series. Others get traditional advertisers to back their projects.
The biggest negative to a web series is the one faced by everyone in this business. Being wildly successful is a long shot. You have to invest a lot of time and money and creative energy in a project that may not go anywhere. If you’ve got a great concept and can serve a loyal market niche, you can have a life devoted to creating stories you love for people who greatly appreciate them. And, if you’re really lucky, they may catapult you into the big time.
OUTFEST, the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Film Festival is coming to a close today and the awards were announced this morning. I was delighted to see that A MARINE STORY won the audience award, the grand jury award and an acting award for Dreya Weber. Sweet. A MARINE STORY is the first film I worked on when I got to town. I went to one of the weekly industry mixers held by LGBQT icon JD Disalvatore (The Smoking Cocktail). Since she was producing the film, she introduced me to director Ned Farr and lead actress (also Mrs. Farr) Dreya Weber and the rest is history. I loved the project and thought it was important and told a story that needs to be in the mainstream. I loved that the script didn’t take predictable, cliche routes. And, as it turned out, actress Paris Pickard (Saffron) was good friends with Alec’s girlfriend, Jamie. (The film world is so dang tiny.)
I was also delighted to see that the Peruvian film CONTRACORRIENTE received a Special Artistic Achievement Award. Kathy Wolfe (Wolfe Video) said it was incredible and not to be missed. As usual, she was right.
I must also mention a LAUGH OUT LOUD short film I saw, YOU MOVE ME. The premise line for the short did NOT impress me at all and I thought I would hate it. But it was really funny. Witty dialogue, two funny characters, and I hear it may become a feature. You’ll want to catch it for sure!
The full list of OUTFEST winners:
Special Programming Award for Freedom, Sponsored by ONEHOPE Wine
THE TOPP TWINS, Directed by Leanne Pooley
Special Programming Award for Artistic Achievement
Sponsored by The Los Angeles Athletic Club
UNDERTOW (CONTRACORRIENTE), Directed by Javier Fuentes-Leon
Special Programming Award for Emerging Talent
Sponsored by Kodak
Drew Droege, Actor
Audience Award for Outstanding Documentary Short Film
Sponsored by CRE – Computer Rentals & AV Solutions
I’M JUST ANNEKE, Directed by Jonathan Skurnik
Audience Award for Outstanding Dramatic Short Film
Sponsored by Entertainment Partners
YOU MOVE ME, Directed by Gina Hirsch
Audience Award for Outstanding Documentary Feature Flm
Sponsored by Yellow Cab
FOREVER’S GONNA START TONIGHT, Directed by Michelle Lawler
Audience Award for Outstanding Dramatic Feature Film
Sponsored by Overture Films
A MARINE STORY, Directed by Ned Farr
Audience Award for Outstanding First U.S. Dramatic Feature Film
Sponsored by HBO (cash prize of $5,000 from HBO)
THE FOUR-FACED LIAR, Directed by Jacob Chase
Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Documentary Short Film
Sponsored by Stella Artois
CLOSE (POD BLUZKA), Directed by Lucia Von Horn Pagano
Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Short Film
Sponsored by Wolfe
SAMARITAN, Directed by Magnus Mork
Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Documentary Feature Film
Sponsored by The Directors Guild of America
STRANGE POWERS: STEPHIN MERRITT & THE MAGNETIC FIELDS, Directed by Kerthy Fix and Gail O’Hara
Grand Jury Award for Outstanding International Dramatic Feature Film
Sponsored by Absolut
THE SECRET DIARIES OF MISS ANNE LISTER, Directed by James Kent
Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Actress in a Feature Film
Sponsored by The Standard Hotel, Downtown and Sunset Blvd.
Dreya Weber, A MARINE STORY
Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Actor in a Feature Film
Sponsored by Ramada West Hollywood
Stephen Guarino, BEARCITY
Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Screenwriting
Sponsored by APA Talent and Literary Agency
Douglas Langway and Lawrence Ferber, BEARCITY
Grand Jury Award for Outstanding U.S. Dramatic Feature Film
Sponsored by Lexus
A MARINE STORY, Directed by Ned Farr
I went to the OUTFEST shorts program last night and it was fantastic. Apparently there is something call “All Girl Friday” and there’s a shorts program that is part of that. The theater was full and the audience was in good spirits. Several of the shorts were quite funny! Laugh out loud funny.
The best part of the evening was meeting Meredith Baxter. You may remember her as Alex P. Keaton’s mom on the hit television series FAMILY TIES. 
Most recently, she appeared as Lilly’s mother on the television drama COLD CASE (a show that I have loved, loved, loved since the beginning). Meredith is big news at OUTFEST because she just came out a short time ago. TWO people asked me to photograph themselves with her. She asked if I was the official photographer. Cute. Made me like her more than I already did. Apparently she’s doing a panel today on what it means to be gay in LA … so I’m off to the panel for insights. Should be interesting. Will write more on it tomorrow. Meredith is waiting.
Post note: Went to the panel and enjoyed it immensely. The main point of discussion was about the consequences for actors coming out. Given the big dust up over Sean Hayes’ performance on Broadway, it was an interesting topic to view from the perspective of the actor seeking work and trying to build a career. Building a successful production film career is capricious, complicated, and volatile. It is, however, a cakewalk compared to building an ACTING career. The public is a fickle lover. And when she turns on you … well, enough said …
So it was interesting to hear the point of view of the panelists. Meredith was the only female on the panel (shocker? not!) She was quite clever and had several witty comments. Howard Bragman (Fifteen Minutes Public Relations), Meredith’s PR guy was also on the panel. His firm specializes in guiding actors through difficult media times. He had a lot to say about the importance that coming out made for the LGBQT community. The more visible and present we are, the better it is. I had heard Writer/Producer Don Roos speak numerous times at Sundance. I really loved his film, HAPPY ENDINGS. I did not know the two other actors on the panel. They both spoke about how important it is to be out and how they always had been. And I didn’t know either one of them. I thought that was significant. I have since been able to discover that one actor was Doug Spearman of NOAH’S ARK. I’m still searching for the other one.
Our dreams feed the movies. The movies feed our dreams. But somehow, our imaginations are still hungry.
Brilliant.
I haven’t blogged since we finished writing the Sally Hayfron script. I don’t know if I could say exactly why I stopped writing then. I just did. Now I look back on it and wonder if I should keep this blog going anymore.
When I was teaching animation, filmmaking, art and design, I’d post about indie films, festivals, books and other resources. There were several hundred people checking in regularly to see what was new and exciting in the field. Ironically, according to my internet stats, there are still several THOUSAND hits to this site every day. I guess that’s what happens when you have seven years of content on a site AND a lot of the content is about Sundance and indie films. Search engines help people find the unusual things they’re seeking whether I’m actively promoting it or not.
I moved to the LA area a year ago to work in film. It seemed like the logical progression for me. In that time, I worked on three films. A MARINE STORY (which played at OUTFEST this week), ELENA UNDONE (which screens at OUTFEST tomorrow night) and GIRLTRASH: All Night Long (which is in post production now). My writing partner, Pam, and I finished the feature script on Sally Hayfron. We started working on a pilot. And, I joined a writing group to have a structure for the novel I’ve been trying to make myself write for the last fifteen years.
Alec got a job with Sony/Screen Gems working on visual effects as part of The Creative Cartel team on the film PRIEST. He’s still working there. All in all, it’s been a pretty eventful year. We’re both still learning a lot.
I remember doing a personal growth workshop a few years back. One of the things they kept saying over and over again, “You don’t know what you don’t know.” Having been here in Movieland for the last year — seeing how major films are made, meeting and greeting new people, networking with industry insiders — I was unaware of how many things I did not know. And we’re still learning. Oy.
I have spent the last two years of my life learning, thinking and writing about SALLY HAYFRON MUGABE. I have absolutely fallen in love with this woman. It all started when we were in Zambia in 2006 working on BAD TIMING. We went up to Victoria Falls and everyone was cautioning us not to cross over to the Zimbabwean side. They told us the economic and political situation was desperate; the people were dangerous. Staying at TAITA FALCON LODGE, the owner and his wife told us about how Robert Mugabe, the President of Zim, had changed after his wife died. “The death of Sally Hayfron was the death of Zimbabwe,” they said.
The romantic in me latched onto that story and wouldn’t let go. Imagine that. A love so powerful, an entire nation knew when it was gone. It took a couple of years before we could really start looking into the story. My writing partner and I were busy on the Zambia projects and then THE LAND OF REFUGE (about the Mormon Colonies in Mexico). We had to finish those before we could delve into the story about Sally. Being the dyed-in-the-wool romantic, I have always believed that “more is possible” when you find the “right person.” Would this story be an example of the real power of love?
After two years (and 120 pages), I can honestly say this story is even more amazing than I had imagined. Born in Ghana in 1931, SALLY HAYFRON was a teen when her homeland was gaining its freedom from the colonial British empire. A bright, inspiring, compassionate woman, Sally fell in love with Robert Mugabe, a visiting professor from what was then known as Southern Rhodesia. At that time, about 5 million blacks were governed by 270,000 whites. They were not allowed to vote. They were restricted in where they could live and work. 
They had virtually no schools. And, they were not allowed to own land designated for “whites only,” which comprised over 45% of the nation (about 90% of the best land).
Sally willingly went to live in this land, to help the citizens gain their freedom. Robert soon rose to prominence in Rhodesia’s National Democratic Party. As civil unrest grew, whites retaliated by electing Ian Smith as Prime Minister. Smith promptly declared independence from Britain and jailed all opposition leaders, including Robert Mugabe, who spent 11 years in prison. As Sally traveled the globe seeking support for his freedom, a bloody civil war consumed the country. Finally, in 1980, Southern Rhodesia was able to hold its first free election and Robert Mugabe won it in a landslide.
Sally was a tireless champion of the common people. Over the next decade, she encouraged the construction of schools and hospitals (many in places they’d never been before). The more I learned about Sally, the more amazed I was with all she had accomplished. Especially when I learned she had suffered from kidney problems most of her adult life and spent the last EIGHT YEARS of her life on dialysis. She traveled the world with a medical assistant in tow to manage her health care. Sally died on January 27, 1992 at the age of 60. Ironically, she was born in the first African country to gain independence from Britain and died in the last.
To this day, people in Zimbabwe write songs about AMAI SALLY (Mother Sally) and how they wish she were still alive and caring for her people. So do I.
(Photo above: Robert and Sally Mugabe depart from Andrews Air Force Base, 26 September 1983)
Word has come that AUGUSTINE LUNGU has died in Zambia. According to the reports, he died on the 20th of March 2010. He was only 40 years old. This was very sad news to get early this morning. 
I first met Augie in August of 2006 at the Lusaka Playhouse in Lusaka, Zambia. Augie had agreed to play the role of the villain, Don Pelikan, in our film BAD TIMING. Additionally, he had acted as the liaison between the director, Jabbes Mvula, and the other actors and location providers in Zambia prior to our arrival.
The obituaries say that he is survived by his wife and four children. (His wife, Kamwengo, was also in the film, she played the part of Sullyna.) My heart goes out to them. Augustine was tireless and fearless in his effort to grow the film industry in Zambia. He was an avid supporter of the arts. Most recently, he was the Director of Programs at Muvi Television. He performed often with the Zambia One Comedy Group. His last role was in the yet to be released movie titled VANGUARD, a MUVI TV production.
There’s a Facebook page dedicated to Augustine, if you’d like to drop in and leave a comment.
(From the Zambian News today) Augustine Lungu has been put to rest at Lusaka’s Mtumbi Cemetery. Mr. Lungu who was Muvi TV Director of Programmes, died on Friday March 19, 2010 after an illness.
Hundreds of mourners from political figures, government officials, artists and clergy turned up at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Lusaka to pay their tribute to Mr. Lungu. Lusaka Province Minister Charles Shawa described Mr. Lungu as a multi-talented person who rose from being an artist to an accomplished broadcaster.
And opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) President Hakainde Hichilema says Mr. Lungu contributed in uniting political figures. A cross section of Zambian artists including Lusaka lawyer and former National Arts Council of Zambia Chairman Mumba Kapumpa has described Mr. Lungu in different ways.
The Cathedral of the Holy Cross was a hype of activities as artists avoided mourning and decided to celebrate Mr. Lungu’s contribution to the arts. For Mr. Lungu being an Easterner, Northerners took advantage of this and smeared their traditional cousins with Mealie Meal and white powder.
Mr. Lungu was featured in numerous theatre productions and once represented the country at the prestigious Edinburgh Arts Festival together with Benne Banda in the two man act play entitled “Headers and Footers”. Before he joined Muvi TV in 2007 he worked for Standard Chartered Bank, BD Studios and also provided private consultations. He was part of the team that spearheaded the rebirth of the Zambian film and theatre.
Lungu, who was born on December 12, 1970, died last week on Friday and is survived by a wife Kamwengo and four children.
Top photo: Augustine Lungu as Don Pelikan. Photo by Michael Montesa.
Middle photo: Kamwengo Lungu, family and friends, mourn the loss of actor Augustine Lungu.
Bottom photo: The wedding of Augustine and Kamwengo Lungu.
I became a fan of Kathryn Bigelow in 1988. She wrote and directed a horror film that I just loved. NEAR DARK starred Bill Paxton, Adrian Pasdar and Lance Henricksen. There was a lot of press about the director of this little film. They said she had saved a lot of money shooting the film because she did NOT shoot cover shots of every scene. 
She saw the film so clearly that she skipped covers on the scenes she knew she wouldn’t use them. It was a remarkable film.
I also loved Bigelow’s POINT BREAK and BLUE STEEL. Great films that elevated the cache of Patrick Swayze and Jamie Lee Curtis.
Now, Bigelow may become the first woman to be recognized with an Academy Award for directing for THE HURT LOCKER. A film about the Iraqi War experience that some critics are calling the most realistic film about this war. Jeremy Renner also garnered an Academy Award nomination for best actor. An extraordinary film, to be certain.
Bigelow deserves to be recognized for her work, not because she’s a female director but because she’s an extraordinary filmmaker who made a powerful film.
We’re gearing up for another documentary filmmaking project in Zambia. Ever since our 2006 visit to support native Zambian Jabbes Mvula in his quest to make the first full-length, dramatic narrative feature in the country, we’ve been aching to get back and capture the stories from each of the 73 tribes. Our goal has been to capture the oral history and tradition of the nation before national media and mass communication replace tribal storytellers as the conveyors of cultural knowledge.
The early people who settled Zambia were probably of San descent, as in other areas of Southern Africa. Between 300 B.C. and 400 A.D., Bantu speaking tribes moved south and dominated the area that is now Zambia. Currently, Zambia’s 73 tribes have 286 chiefs, 54 senior chiefs and five paramount chiefs: Kalonga Gawa Undi and Mpezeni of Eastern Province, Chitimukulu of the Northern Province’s Bemba people, The Litunga of Lozi in Western Province and Mwata Kazembe of the Lunda people of Luapula province. Thus, Kalonga Gawa Undi and Mpezeni advantage Eastern Province with two paramount chiefs!
I don’t know how anyone can hide in the digital age. The fastest way to ferret out anyone or anything has got to be Facebook. I’ve been testing this on my writing projects lately. I’ve spent days and days researching in libraries, scouring historical society holdings and sifting through government records in search of “the truth” about a character or a story I am working on. It can be very satisfying to find some new nugget in these Herculean quests but I have found there’s a much quicker path to greater rewards. It’s Facebook and the internet.
Two years ago, I started researching a project on Robert Mugabe. I wanted more background information on his family, his wife and her family and their children. There was so little published that hadn’t been “sanitized” by the Mugabe government, I just couldn’t find anything that felt “real” about any of them. So, I went to Facebook and entered the family name and the country of their birth. 
Up pop several people who looked like they were probably related. I send off several Facebook messages (because you can do that even if you aren’t friends). Lo and behold, I get an answer from someone who can get me to the 98-year-old mother of one of the key players in the story … AND the woman is still alive. Seriously. The mother was still alive. Talk about access to real nuggets of truth. It was like the discovery at Sutter’s Mill all over again.
Today, I wanted to get in touch with some filmmakers and artists in Zambia. I’d met them in 2006 when we were there filming BAD TIMING. The phone numbers weren’t working and I needed to reach them pronto. Two were easily located on Facebook (name + country = target acquired). Another did not have a Facebook account. No worries, her niece has one. A couple of messages were exchanged and within 30 minutes, I had her current cell phone number. A quick Google search gave me the number for the National Arts Council as well. It also reminded me of a wonderful director I had wanted to remember to contact about the film she recently completed. I discovered she’d been to the Berlinale and was featured in a documentary. And, it had her email and telephone. Naturally, we’ve been corresponding all day!
Making GIRLTRASH: All Night Long was like being in the military. To be blunt, working on ANY film is like being in the military … minus, perhaps, the threat of a mandatory stop-loss at the conclusion of your tour of duty. Even though it is common, at the wrap of a film, to find a lot of film crews that “re-up” for subsequent film projects because these specialized teams have developed a level of trust, respect and safety in working together. I am certain many of the GIRLTRASH crew will work together, again.
GIRLTRASH is a POWER UP film. POWER UP is the only 501(c)3 non-profit film production company and educational organization in Los Angeles. As far as I know, it’s the only non-profit film production company and educational organization in the world. 
In their commitment to education, POWER UP has a Mentee Program that allows POWER UP members become part of the film crew and acquire the necessary skills to continue in a film production environment. Over two-dozen women and men joined the Mentee Program on GIRLTRASH. People came from as far away as Singapore, Australia and The Netherlands to work on the film. In the continental U.S., there were mentees from DC, Tennessee, Arizona, and New York.
They were divided into three teams that rotated through all of the key positions on a crew so they could gain experience in every area. They rotated through the AD Department, Craft Service and Transpo/Float. They were generally the first in and last out every day. I was impressed and amazed at their level of commitment and determination.
Their training began with a PA handbook and a meeting. The learned how to be a S.T.A.R (by being swift, tactful, aware and resourceful). They learned Set Etiquette and Walkie Etiquette. They learned to bring extra socks, extra jackets and notebooks. They learned about networking and set politics. They learned about hierarchy.
There is a clear chain of command on a movie set.
The AD department sends out the call sheet and communicates who and when everyone is to be on set. NO ONE else gives out call times. The AD department also communicates with the cast. The First AD is the “king of the set.” He/she is responsible for the smooth and efficient operation of all departments so the director can “make his/her day.” The Second AD supports the first AD in marshaling the crew quickly into position and communicates with the cast. The Second Second AD manages all of the paperwork including the call sheet, the sides, SAG paperwork, the G’s and such.
The G&E (Grip, Gaffing and Electric) department powers the set. The Key Grip, Best Boy Electric and team will run cables from the generator throughout the set to power the cameras, lights, and audio equipment. The Gaffer will bring in the gear to modify and adjust the lights (scrims, screens, flags and so on).
The Camera Department and Audio Department are pretty obvious for most folks. The Camera Department includes the DP, the 1st and 2nd AC. The Audio Department includes the sound mixer and boom operator (or, as I inelegantly referred to him one evening, “the Boom Dude”). Other obvious departments include Art (production designer, art director, and prop master); Make-Up and Hair; and Costume/Wardrobe. On set, you learn that you don’t touch anything in another department unless you’re asked to or you ask first.
The Transportation Department moves all of the trucks to the proper locations each day AND makes sure that all picture vehicles are on set AND provides shuttle services for the crew on the days that the staging lot is distant from the set or the crew is in motion (process trailer or tow dolly).
In addition to the production mentees on GIRLTRASH, there were mentees in Camera and G&E. The mentees learned a great deal by working on a professional crew AND provided invaluable support and assistance to the entire GIRLTRASH crew. As the Production Manager for the film, I was intimately aware of contributions and learning gained each and every mentee.
It’s exactly the sort of learning that I sought to provide as part of the FilmZambia project in the fall of 2006 when we took 14 students and four faculty to Lusaka, Zambia to create the first feature film in that country. Unlike the POWER UP experience, the FilmZambia students were making films in a nation that had NO film industry. We had to carry everything with us and fashion it from whatever was available locally. The learning curve was steep and the experience required every bit of resourcefulness and ingenuity we could muster. Fortunately, the students were up to it.
I got an email from one of those students today remarking on how grateful he was for that experience and opportunity. Maybe that’s why I gravitated to POWER UP in the first place and why I am so aware of the benefits of the Mentee Program. I think these sorts of experiences are incredibly valuable, equally rare and totally worth having!
Tomorrow, more about the genius of the key players in the making of GIRLTRASH!
Producer Lisa Thrasher said it best, “When you come to LA to make films, you better bring your “A” game because all of the best filmmakers are here. Here, you are competing with the best of the best. In some other part of the country or some other part of the world, you can be a mediocre filmmaker and still get films made. Not here. Not in the film capital of the world.”
We were on our way to a V-Day luncheon, an extraordinary event founded by Eve Ensler. V-Day is a global movement to stop violence against women and girls that promotes creative events to increase awareness, raise money and revitalize the spirit of existing anti-violence organizations. Held on February 11, it was attended by Ensler and Charlize Theron, Jane Fonda, Gabourey Sidibe, Rosario Dawson, Dermot Mulroney, Jehan Agrama, Donna Dietch and dozens more film and feminist glitterati. Two extraordinary producers, Midge Sanborn and Sarah Pillsbury, were seated at our table. (They produced DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSAN, RIVER’S EDGE and HOW TO MAKE AN AMERICAN QUILT.) We chatted about Facebook and the challenges of getting a film made in the current market. Tough. So tough.
And, yet, as hard as it is to get a film made, I was in the middle of working on a film for POWER UP. And it was definitely requiring everyone’s “A” game. The film was written by Angela Robinson and directed by her partner, Alex Kondracke. Based on the super successful web series sponsored by Showtime, it starred Lisa Rieffel, Michelle Lombardo, Gabby Christian, Mandy Musgrave, Kate French, Rose Rollins, Clementine Ford, Megan Cavanagh, Jessica Chaffin and Michael O’Connell.
The film takes place in one epic night. It’s about everything that happens to Tyler and Daisy (Lombardo and Rieffel) as they try to get to a “battle of the bands” style competition. They are waylaid by Daisy’s sister, Colby, who has her sights set on hooking up with Misty, the girl of her dreams. The night spins wildly out of control. So, like SUPERBAD, the film takes place in one night. What that meant for our crew is that the film was shot mostly at night. Call times tended to be around 4 or 5pm. We wrapped around 4 or 5am. By the end of the production, mostly everyone was sporting a vampire-like paleness.
It didn’t take long to figure out this was no rinky-dink, college-indie-production.
Even though this was a SAG ultra-low-budget film, it was totally “A” game. Throughout the production, we were moving a 5-ton truck full of gear and a cube truck full of expendables, gear and craft service supplies. The 5-ton towed our generator into position so the Grip & Electric crew could provide stable power to all teams. We had two Panavision cameras, therefore, obviously, two camera crews. We also used a steadicam crew on several of the “club” locations and a crane crew on one amazing traffic sequence. Since the film is a musical, we had great audio guys who had to capture and mix sound AND provide sync playback. We had to have a transportation coordinator just to move everything into place. With this sort of filmmaking, you can’t just change direction on a dime. You’re moving TONS of equipment and nearly a hundred people a day into position.
Some of our more extraordinary moments had to do with our street scenes. We used a process trailer on two days and a tow-dolly on two days. Four of our 28 days were moving … literally. A process trailer has the “picture vehicle” with the cast up on a trailer that is being towed around the streets of Hollywood. It’s a wide setup that requires four (4)! motorcycle cops with you at all times. The tow dolly has the front wheels of the picture vehicle strapped in and towed behind the camera truck. It’s a narrower setup that only requires two (2) officers. It’s like a half-off sale. The tow dolly days were in the Arts District of LA … bright lights and sparkly night skies. I can hardly wait to see it on the big screen. Definitely going to see everybody on their game.
It has been so long since I blogged, I was wondering if I’d even remember how to do it. As you may (or may not) recall, I joined the crew of GIRLTRASH: All Night Long the Tuesday BEFORE Thanksgiving! Initially, the film was going to be done by December 23. Scheduling conflicts with the cast pushed another week of filming into January … and, then, the rains began and days were added. And it rained more and we kept pushing and pushing and pushing. It was a monumental struggle to get to the finish line. We finally wrapped on about midnight on Monday, February 15, 2010.
As some of you know, I taught digital filmmaking, 3D animation, web design, graphic design and publishing for a number of years in Arizona. I was always looking for information on how to make the TRANSITION from student to professional. The hardest part for “newbies” is that they don’t know what they don’t know. They don’t know what to ask. While I was making the film, I was being mindful of sharing what I learned when I was done. I haven’t had time to write for the last three months but I plan to spend the next few weeks sharing what I’ve seen, what I’ve learned, what I’ve experienced in the hopes of helping those who want to pursue this crazy dream.
At the end of the day, I can say that serving as the Production Manager on the POWER UP film GIRLTRASH has been one of the most amazing and valuable experiences of my life. It has also been one of the most difficult and challenging experiences. At the end of the production, I caught a wicked cold that has knocked me flat for a couple of days now. Sleep seems to be helping. My voice has dropped two octaves. I sound like a sexy 17-year-old boy.
Tomorrow, understanding the crew.
If you’ve been following this blog at all, you know that I believe the ANNUAL SUNDANCE FILM GUIDE is the most valuable thing you can get to ensure that you have a successful festival. Finding the guide this year was a bit of a hassle and, even more challenging, it was only available in sections. But, I’ve put them together so you can now download and study the Sundance Film Festival Guide for 2010!!
The guide will contain the full descriptions for all of the COMPETITION films (in the documentary and feature for both U.S. and world categories). The NON-COMPETITION section will include the premieres, spotlight films, NEXT (ultra-low budget films), from the Sundance collection, short films and animated films. The OFF SCREEN section will list all of the panel discussions, music cafe appearances, networking opportunities (like meet the funders and filmmaker outreach) and presentations. NEW FRONTIERS describes the new cinematic art forms and presentations (generally on Main Street). Finally, the TIMETABLE will list all of the films, panels, presentations and their screening times.
Download it now! Start reading. There’s some amazing stuff in Park City this year!
