PROGRESS FILMING THE MOVIE...
SNEAK PEAK
February 20, 2005- I finally got my hands on a
rough, unfinished edit of 'Dry'. With a nervous anticipation, I
put the DVD in the player and figured out how to play it. Nervous
about watching my scene, I let the raw edit unfold before my eyes.
After a few scenes I hadn't seen before, there I was, standing at my
easel painting away. I've described the experience of watching
yourself on film to a few folks, and as awful and eye opening an
experience it is to hear your own voice on a tape recorder, it is
immeasurably worse to see yourself move and talk on screen. Seeing
myself made my teeth grit, and I had to walk out of the room for a
second. Beyond the personal dilemma that watching my scene became,
the movie seems to be in good, albeit rough, form. I thought my
scene played out pretty well, and with a couple small edits and cleaning
up, it could work out just fine, erasing my worries and self doubt about
screwing up the entire project.
On another viewing note, a female observer watched the rough 10
minute edit and casually rolled er eyes afterward. Her audible
response? "Boys. Boys unchecked." She then went into the
kitchen and cooked dinner for her husband and his friend. |
Pictures from the second day of shooting:
(click to make it bigger) |
Setting up the camera and the first shot of the day |
Wags with the prop that was painted during the movie
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Not quite ready for my closeup
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Making movies is a very tough business
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Leave your comments about this affair here:
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AIN'T IT COOL?
NEWS, RUMORS AND UPDATES:
QUIET ON THE SET!!!
January 22, 2005- I arrived at the set, surprisingly
refreshed and anxious to start the day, expecting to see a horde of
filmmakers yearning for coffee. Instead, it was 10:30 am, and
beers were being bandied about and there was only one small request for
coffee. The shoot was on.I've never considered just what
it takes to be an actor. Not that my lines or part was so
stressful to actually make me consider myself 'an actor', but there's a
lot more to it. Besides obviously delivering lines and remembering
the jumbled order of the shoot to keep your mind straight, you also have
to be in frame, move the right way for the camera, and not make eye
contact with anyone standing outside the shot.
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ABOUT THE FILM:
The film is a twenty minute movie following the eventful
happenings of a quiet individual in Austin. Filled with
characters whose varying levels of ambition and pretension play the
foil to our stoned hero, the movie is a funny reminder of how nice
life can get in Austin. Local favorites Pong is also supplying
the soundtrack. |
With a few extra takes here or there, some dumb rookie mistakes, my
nerves kept rattling, but I tried to play everything cool. After
the shoot ended, about five hours after it started, I really started
second guessing my scenes, and just hoped for the best. I got some
encouraging words from Paul the next morning, after he sat through some
of the documentary scenes, so maybe I'll stay off the editing room
floor. Mostly.
January 21, 2005- The cast and crew got together tonight for a big
walkthrough and took some time to set up the shots. Things were
supposed to start promptly at six, and I hitched a ride to barely make
it. With ample beer on hand for the crew that was gathering
quickly, things went smoothly, with a minimal amount of worry over
shots, paintings to be included, camera positions and the like. My
phone rang and Paul spent ten minutes talking a friend into coming down
and being the nude model in the scene. Once the logistics of the
horse mask were worked out, she wholeheartedly agreed to join the
project, and everything was on. With the large garage bay and its
lofts at the movie1 maker's disposal, the set was the director's dream.
Everyone was excitable and a few jokes carried on over the phrase,
"This is how movies get made!".Of course, despite the lighthearted nature of the
gathering, and in between the jokes and beers, a lot of work did get
done - as Paul was walking around at the end of the night with his
script in hand, scene locations marked up, camera angles, lines and cues
all scribbled down. And then my nerves started to kick in...
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Pictures from the Friday evening meeting: |
Wags
The star of the movie,
also the only character
I speak to. |
Paul going over scenes and the order of the shoot.
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Jeff
The documentary crew,
some of the clips he filmed
should be priceless. |
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The Director outside the set of Michael
Schliefke's scene.
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January 5, 2005 - Filming has begun on the long awaited production
stemming from the artful mind of Paul E. and a collaborative group
of actors, writers, and producers. This as yet untitled movie,
an Austin tale of drugs, slacking, and pretension and ambition gone
awry, will be 'in the can' by the middle of February. After
some careful editing and the marketing push through various Austin
film communities and festivals, the movie should make its debut in
mid-Spring.The movie, sporting a soundtrack by a popular
Austin rock and roll band, also
includes a scene in which Michael Schliefke plays a pretentious,
self absorbed artist. The quick paced scene, which will be filmed in
a veil of secrecy the weekend of January 22nd at an undisclosed
artist space in East Austin, includes a smattering of pop culture
and art historical references that hopefully will fit right in with
the casual settings throughout the twenty minute film. |
December, 2004 - Shooting on the movie is temporarily delayed due to the
team's lack of access to a camera. Apparently, these things run
about $1000, and Hollywood types are far less likely to skip a month's
rent to pay for art making materials than a starving artist.
There's still plenty of options, and I'm sure things will turn around in
the new year.
November, 2004 - Word on the street says one of the best bands in Austin
is considering making the soundtrack to this endeavor. Keeping my
fingers crossed for these boys who used to be in Ed Hall.
November, 2004 - I was officially introduced to the crew of the movie -
actors, writers, editors and cameramen who will produce the movie at a
scriptwriting meeting. After the chili cheese dogs were served,
and shots of vodka started being splashed around with little regard, the
Director of this movie turned to me and said, "This is how movies get
made!!!". I could hardly utter the words, "Hell Yeah!" because I
had my mouth full of my fifth complimentary chili cheese dog.
October, 2004 -
Chris Chappell
has officially signed on to the project to animate the opening credits.
No word on the use of
food items
or
toilets yet, but another announcement may be forthcoming.
September, 2004 - I received a phone call from Paul E. and was
approached to be in the movie, portraying an artist not too unlike
myself, but with a bit of pretentious elements that I try to avoid.
When told SCHLIEFKEVISION
would get screen credit, I quickly said, "So, I'm not getting paid for
this?". The reply was fast and furious - "Dude, we'll get you
drunk, and your paintings will get screen credit!" I immediately
agreed to whatever they wanted.
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