WMM's Pitch

Pasadena is part of the LA film business. John and I have neighbors who work in television, film, animation, and commercial audio, and that's just our block.

Like the music business, which lost its old model with the advent of music downloads, and like the publishing industry, which is experiencing a similar upheaval, the film business is changing. But film is a different animal because it's a group effort, a collective work.

I've told you before about my husband's film collective, We Make Movies. Right now, Blue Collar Interactive is holding a campaign to award $100,000 in agency services to the emerging company that demonstrates the greatest need by delivering the best pitch, and We Make Movies is one of five finalists.

I'd love it if you'd go to the link and vote for We Make Movies by 12PM PST on Friday, November 16, 2012. Why? I'll quote John's Facebook post: "Because Hollywood has lost interest in taking risks. The studios are manacled to their shareholders. Individual voices in film have to strike out on our own.

"We Make Movies was founded by filmmakers to develop, finance & distribute movies to our audiences directly. We've produced 3 feature films and dozens of shorts. Our membership has exploded in the past 24 months. We've just opened our first satellite chapter, in Toronto.

"We believe that if we remove the layer of middle-men between artist & audience, the artist will be free to create pieces that are not only true to their vision but also more entertaining & satisfying to the audience."

The picture at the top of the post is of the party on the roof after a WMM showing: filmmakers, actors and audience share the experience. What a concept!

**********

Late Update: Past PDP guest author, We Make Movies founder and board member Tara Samuel won Best Actress this past weekend for her performance in Ruby Booby, a feature developed through WMM, at the International Film Festival Manhattan!

Dog Wrangler

John and crew have been shooting his short film, Strong Love, at our house. My job is "dog wrangler."

During the two days of shooting last week I made myself scarce and took Boz to Burbank for play dates. But at 4:30 in the afternoon it's time for Boz to eat. Dinner has to happen because he's got a tummy like a clock. I could take kibble with me in the car, right? Not exactly. This puppy is 14 years old, with a gastrointestinal system like a 19th century sewer. He gets hamburger with his pills. So I brought him home for meals.

After dinner and a long walk, Boz and I closed ourselves in my office and he napped while I worked. Sometimes, between shots, we'd take a break. Dogs just have to be in the middle of things. I don't think he even liked it but he had to be there. (Thus the need for a dog wrangler.)

Two more days of shooting are set to happen in a couple of weeks. That's bonding time for the dog wrangler and her pal.


Be sure and vote before midnight tonight for your favorite of this past week's entries in the Camelot Where You Are photo contest! (Poll at upper left.)

Sweet Award

the film set

The American Business Awards were given out two nights ago. I picture a ceremony in New Yawk Sitty, with the men in black-tie and the women in sophisticated evening gowns and subtle jewelry. It could just as well have been an after-work chicken buffet, for all the facts I have at my fingertips. I would never have heard of these awards if not for the fact (at my fingertips) that my husband, John Sandel, along with the friendly geniuses at Superfreako Productions, created the video for Vertical Response, which won the award for "Video: Other."

Other! Isn't that great? It has a certain cachet.

Vertical Response beat out Dow Corning, Gatorade and even AT&T, which pleases me no end.

I posted about the shoot when John and his associates shot for Vertical Response at our place in January. John met the Superfreako people through We Make Movies, which is to the Hollywood film business what self-publishing is to the New York publishing industry.

Here's the video (that's John's arm and hand drawing):

Congratulations to everyone at Vertical Response and Superfreako. We've been enjoying feeling good about it. I'm proud of John. It's not the first award he's won, but it's sweet. And I know there will be more.

Guest Author: Tara Samuel

Tara Samuel is one of the reasons my husband John joined the independent film collective, We Make Movies. "She's good news," he says, and she is. I first saw Tara on screen in Ruby Booby, a film I told you about last fall, which she produced and starred in. She plays Ruby--quiet, unassuming, along for the ride and hoping not to get hurt. I can guess why Tara was attracted to the role--Ruby is her absolute opposite. Here's Tara: energetic, enthusiastic, a life force. I hope you enjoy her story.

The story of an independent director-producer team could be set in any city - but for us it was Pasadena. The filmmaking adventures of Jon Rannells and Tara Samuel are like a Family Circle map, dotting the Pasadena landscape: cross these train tracks to a fundraising evening of short scenes at the Rialto; jump this fence and attend a publicity stunt balloon launch at Lacy Park; run down this alleyway and find yourself at a wine & cheese screenplay reading at the Le Petit Vendome!

Our Film-Financing Coming Of Age story was set in Pasadena.

Curious about the balloon launch? But it's obvious isn't it? Jon and I decided that financing for his screenplay, Dream Box, could come from anywhere, including random places where balloons landed.  So we attached Dream Box "Evening of Short Scenes" invitations to balloons, launched the colorful carriers into the air and let fate take care of the rest. Would-be film financiers would find our charming postcards, and mark their calendars! Sit back and collect!

We knew of course that this savvy tactic would need to be complimented by door-to-door efforts. No face-to-face contact - not necessary - just your standard Dream Box Postcard gift bag - complete with Dream Box Pen - left on your lovely Pasadena front lawn. (Perhaps you, dear reader, are still in possession of one of these collector's items.) Each unsuspecting homeowner would be sure to light up at the sight of their bag, read the invitation, and be irresistibly drawn to us! Let the checks roll in!

Cut to the Rialto. Magical baroque setting, trademark sharp and original Jon Rannells script; intelligent and heartbreaking acting. 

Just a little low on audience members.

Cut to our next fundraiser - tucked behind Lake Ave. - hosted by the generous proprietors of the charming Le Petit Vendome! Never ones to give up - not ever - this event featured another outstanding screenplay written by Jon Rannells, Stand the Gaff. The setting was cozy and quaint. We were proud to be there. 

Just a little short on attendees.

And then, we ran out of patience. Waiting for a silly thing called a budget can get a filmmaker down. So we went into production. Held weekly candle-lit BBQ script readings in Jon's backyard under the Pasadena stars. Selected our shooting dates. Borrowed everything. Made our first feature film - RubyBoobyTheMovie.com - in the nooks and crannies of Pasadena. Now to fund the DVD prints, the festivals, the licensing…sigh…breathe…

My great awakening: Films need budgets. And the Independent Film Fundraiser in me will never die. Film-financing is a welcomed step; fence to jump; river to scout - in the HOW on the way to the far greater WHY. As my great friend John Sandel says: "These stories need to be released." John introduced me to California poet Gary Snyder: "We call them stories because that's where we store our wisdom."

So a group that I co-founded, WeMakeMovies.org - we are raising funds for five remarkable films. This is the new Hollywood model. And you, dear reader, are a part of it. Have your Film Financing Coming Of Age Awakening with me. I dare you to join the ride. This is just the beginning… http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/wemakemovies/we-make-movies-slate-two?ref=live

Tara Samuel

www.scriptkicker.com

**********************

 Along with Tara and the WeMakeMovies crowd, John S. and I are hosting a fundraiser at our house this coming Sunday, April 15th for their upcoming slate of short films (including John's!). Donations can be small or large. If you'd like to meet these independent filmmakers and become a film financier, contact me for details.

Promo

Last night, John, cast and crew shot a promo at our house for the We Make Movies Kickstarter effort.

When John and I had been married only a few months, we shot a short film at the house we were renting in Altadena. We swore we would never shoot in our own home again.

So anyway, last night's shoot gave make-up artist Kelsey Boutte a chance to try out ways to make actor Karen Zumsteg look dead. Our bathroom became the make-up trailer, which worked out fine except I had to go to the neighbors' to pee.

You'll have to see the movie to find out if, in full make-up and lighting, Karen really looks dead or not. When the promo's ready, I'll provide the link and you can see John, acting, in our own home. One day, when we have the big budgets, maybe we'll shoot at your house!

He Make Movies

Along about the time I started this blog (1/1/08) I was transitioning from an acting career into writing. I didn't know at the time why I lost interest in acting, though it's clearer to me now. I'd been working in Hollywood, in small parts on television. At first it was exciting--let's face it, it's fun to be on TV and it's an honor, too, because there's a lot of competition. But I found myself playing the same parts over and over again.

When you work in the Hollywood entertainment industry, unless you're a mogul you're always working for one--serving someone else's vision, supporting someone else's story, making someone else's dream come true. There's nothing wrong with that. But if you've ever wondered why even famous actors sometimes perform live theater for free, perhaps this makes it clear. Hollywood's not about art, it's about money. That's why you see remakes, why "blockbuster" films feel formulaic. They are.

Not so independent films. Their makers don't hold the big purse strings, but like self-publishing authors they are finding ways to make movies. Smaller movies. Different movies. Often better movies.

Which brings me to my husband, John. He's an independent filmmaker--a self-published filmmaker, if you will, "independent" isn't exactly the word. John's part of a collective called We Make Movies. I told you about We Make Movies when John and I went to a screening a few months ago. WMM was formed by indie filmmakers to help each other make their movies by sharing resources and working together. It started out as a couple of people. Now they have more than 500 members: actors, writers, producers and other film artists.

John produced a video for WMM's Kickstarter spring funding effort (other members shot, edited and participated, as you'll see). You could watch this video. You could even kick in a buck or two if you are so inclined. (It won't make you a mogul, but there are no moguls here, which is kind of the idea.) In the video, John explains (in fewer words than I've used here) why independent filmmaking is important. You get to see him in action! Sort of! (Well, he sits and talks, and he's wearing the same t-shirt in the video as in this photo!)

And if WMM reaches their fundraising goal you'll get to see John's short film, because his script was selected for funding this time around.

Home Studio

Lately my multi-talented husband's been doing some drawing work (animation, logo design) and yesterday he had an on-camera job. No, he's not launching an acting career. John's arm and hand were filmed at high speed while he drew, to be pixilated in a web video for a new website.

For one day, John's home office became both animation studio and filming location. This would have been claustrophobic for a big crew, but there was enough room for both set and crew because the cinematographer, lighting designer and post-production supervisor are all one person named Denny Kukahiko.

I took this shot of John and Denny before they started shooting. You can see the camera suspended above the drawing table. The lamps are called China Balls. I know they resemble what my parents had in their dining room when I was in high school but these are slightly different and they give a sugary, diffuse light.

There wasn't quite enough room on the set for producer Kendall Kanoa Hawley, who set up her laptop in the dining room. Kendall, Denny and Denny's brother Chad Kukahiko make up Superfreako Productions (rhymes with Kukahiko, see?). You met them here when I told you about their short film, Carefully Descending. John met them through his participation in the Hollywood film collective, We Make Movies. John's got more projects coming up with WMM, so I'll have more to tell you soon.


Update 1/17/12: Cinematographer Denny Kukahiko posted about the shoot on Superfreako's blog.

Update 1/20/12: Hey! Here's the final product.

We Make Movies, LA

The other night John and I went to a screening at a cool venue in downtown Los Angeles. We saw a feature, a short film and a handful of trailers, all presented by a collective called We Make Movies.

Impressed. Involved. Proud. These were the things I felt while watching--you know, as opposed to This is too loud. I wish those people in the next row would shut up. I have to pee.

Impressed: the feature, Ruby Booby, was made for somewhere around $7,000 and was more engaging than a number of $70 million behemoths I've seen lumbering across the screen. There was some fine acting, too, and if I were a casting director I'd be on the phone trying to book these people right now.

Involved: the short, Carefully Descending, takes you to the heights and depths of love with a story so piercing, sad and beautiful that I'm still hearing the superb music days later, and the casting director in me is still on the phone.

In fact I'd like to manage the careers of all the writers, directors, cinematographers, producers, etc. whose work I saw at the screening. Even the trailers made me want to see the films they teased, which is exactly what trailers are supposed to do.

This We Make Movies group -- watch for them. Unless, of course, you're the kind of person who sits through an indie film thinking, There should be more blood/sex/blood. Where are the explosions? They should be more abusive to the women.

Oh yeah.
Proud: my husband's a member.


Uppity Uppity Update:
There will be a free screening of Ruby Booby Tuesday, October 18th for cast, crew and industry folk (and readers of Pasadena Daily Photo!). The screening will be held at the Downtown Independent, 251 S. Main Street Los Angeles, CA 90012, (213) 617-1033. Doors open at 6:30pm, the screening begins at 7:00 and Ruby Booby starts at 7:30.

RSVP to rubyboobythemovie (at) gmail (dot) com to assure yourself a seat.