TRT
Once it ran 2 hours 34 minutes. Then it came in at 2 hours and 17 minutes. Now, now it is finally under two hours with 10 scenes and (hopefully) just one more pass to go (before sounds stuff).
Why we’re at One Spark
Here’s a little video explaining why ‘The Lengths’ is participating at One Spark. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCw38PFJ8X8
One Spark: Enhance your One Spark experience with Bonfyre!
Join Bonfyre App to Win 2 All-Access Passes (a $700 value) to One Spark!
For this year’s event we are partnering up with Bonfyre to take One Spark to the next level! Download the app now so you can receive important event updates, privately chat and share photos of One Spark…
One Spark
In just over a week One Spark will be hitting Jacksonville. I’ll be downtown with the newly ‘repaired’ (the gas pedal doesn’t stick anymore and I have brake lights) Rusty-T at Main Street Park.
I’ve got fliers, posters and t-shirts printed or in the process of being printed and am ready to talk movies, specifically The Lengths. I’ll be posting more information shortly about voting and or donating as we get closer but till then here’s a little overview of what One Spark and why I’m there.
So One Spark is a live crowd sourcing festival. Think the Kickstarter website but with tents and people and the ability to see and or interact with the creators and their inventions/projects. However, unlike Kickstarter, you don’t necessarily have to donate anything to see something get made. One Spark already has a $250k crowd fund that gets divided amongst the creators via vote of the populace. If I get 10% of the vote then I get 10% of the $250k (which would be cool). But, you can also donate as an individual if you’d like. What’s also great is you can vote for as many creators as you like (though only one vote per project) so you don’t have to try and decide between this great local feature (The Lengths) and you know, that guy who wants to build an orphanage that teaches kids how to be incorruptible world leaders - you can vote for us both! (and donate to us both if you so choose).
The Downside (for me at least) is you have to at some point during the festival (4/17-4/21) check in and register, either through an app (which reads your GPS) or at a One Spark kiosk at the festival. Which means no online voting.
My goal is to raise $12k to cover the cost of sound editing, mixing, scoring and festival submissions. That’s a pretty significant part of the vote and or private donations. Sound is going to cost around $7k and that is the first priority.
That’s more or less One Spark. I’m finishing up a new campaign video highlight what we’ve accomplished so far on this movie and the importance of having great sound. More One Spark updates to come!
A Road trip movie… in real time!
Sorry for the lack of recent updates. I’ve been making good progress with the movie. A rough cut of the whole thing is complete and I took a few scenes to L.A. with me to showcase to a few people. They were well received.
Last week I hosted a very small private screening (and sent the cut to a few out of towners) to get some story notes and ideas on how to improve the film. In retrospect I was probably a little too agressive in trying to get it out. It’s long, has many sound issues, and it’s quite ready to be seen by many people. That said, the viewers were very gracious and I came back with some really great notes.
Last week’s screening had a running time of 144 minutes. A bit of an epic. The goal is to have this movie finished around 100 minutes. This week, between applying for the IFP Labs, I’ve been making some broad cuts, eliminating scenes, and in some cases, characters all together. They haven’t been to painful yet, but that’s coming.
I know many of you are anxious to see it and I’m anxious to get it finished and out to you. I haven’t set a new deadline but I will have one by Monday. Here’s hoping I don’t blow through that one either.
Tim
Do you think Martin Scorsese would agree to mentor me?
So I’m a big fan of Scorsese. It’s not obvious in my filmmaking. I don’t trend towards his kinds of stories, I don’t move the camer like he does, yet, he’s hands down my favorite director. Currently the only films of his I have yet to see are a few of hid documentaries.
Here are some links to Scorsese talking about movies, his, and others.
Scorsese on Kubrick and D.W. Griffith On ‘Rear Window’. On ‘Citizen Kane’.
Lawrence of Arabia. On ‘On The Waterfront’
On Goodfellas. On ‘The importance of Visual Literacy’
and finally, for a little change of pace, Quentin Tarantino on ‘Taxi Driver’.
Fingers crossed
Late last night I finished editing and filling out my submission to the Independent Filmmaker Project Labs (IFP). It’s three, one week labs, focusing on mentoring first time feature filmmakers through post production to distribution. The labs will take place in New York City and only 10 films will be selected. I know I’m a bit of a long shot seeing as I don’t have a ton of shorts or credits, but hopefully they like the cut. It’s down to a mere two hours and seventeen minutes from it’s previous two hours and thirty-five minutes (still working on that).
I find out if I’m selected on May 5th or 6th.
Thanks to Nofilmschool.com and Filmmaker Magazine for making me aware of the competition.
Nora got lost in Los Angeles
It was not our night this past Sunday as ‘Nora’ was not selected to move on to the Cannes Film Festival. It’s a bummer as we were all very excited and hopeful to attend (and go to France). Regardless, we’re still proud of the film and hope it can make splashes elsewhere. Or this just may be a good place ‘Nora’ to rest and move on to other things…
Like The Lengths! It was a positive festival experience and I had a great time catching up with old friends and some Lengths cast/crew (Cody, Austin and Corsica).
I unfortunately returned home under the weather and that (with jet lag and times changes) has taken a toll on my energy levels. Regardless, I got some work accomplished last night and will get more done tonight. Here’s hoping for another ‘work-in-progress’ screening in the next couple of week.
The Independent Film Project (IFP) submission deadline is up next with One Spark quickly to follow. Updates to come!
The Career of P.T. Anderson in Five Shots
I’m just going to leave this here.
