The next docs coming are The Bridge and Growin' A Beard.
While The Bridge is probably the farthest from the type of doc I'm working towards, I'm thinking that it may give me ideas on how to work with a limited material source. GAB just sounds like a ton of silly fun...and it's probably the shortest doc on my must-see list.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Friday, September 12, 2008
holy crap
Can't believe it's been over a month since I posted. August was full of peforming and then closing the play that our theater company was running. Then, to be honest, I was a bit crispy overall and had some family-type obligations that took up my free weekends.
I have been doing my homework though!
Last week I watched two docs - Air Guitar Nation and a pretty offbeat indie called Darkon.
Air Guitar Nation
Every August, the Air Guitar World Championships bring thousands of fans all the way to Oulu, Finland to see the world's best air guitarists battle it out for 60 seconds of mock stardom. For years, the USA was missing in action. Enter the first official US Air Guitar Championships. What starts as a friendly contest above a New York strip club becomes a battle of naked ambition played out on the national and, ultimately, the world stage. captures the explosion of competitive air guitar through the eyes of former world champions, fans and media, and through the personal rivalries of those trying to attain the title of "The best Air Guitarist in the world."
I have to say, I really enjoyed AGN - the way the filmmakers framed the story, I couldn't stop laughing. Although, I keep prefacing my recommendation to folks with, "it's the most stoopid subject matter for a film, but it was so fun to watch." I mean, the idea of filming people playing fake geetars...it's just insanity. And yet, the filmmakers pulled it off. They framed the competition well and focused on a hero and anti-hero (not quite a true villian) - and the most important thing is that they caught the joy and enthusiam of the action.
Unfortunately, Darkon didn't quite affect me the same way.
Darkon
Ordinary folks trade in their street clothes for medieval costumes, faux weaponry and full-contact battles. Darkon, a group that acts out fantasy war games based on complex rules and customs. Padded swords clash, armies advance and a ruler crosses the line, while off the battlefield, participants open up about what keeps them coming back for more.
This is a great story about a really specific sub-culture. Beyond a live-action role playing (LARP) game, it's very specific to these folks creating this particular fantasy. There are a lot of influences: Tolkien, myth, historical figures and battles. Unlike Civil War re-enactments, they are not re-creating, but fantasizing in their creation.
There are parts to this film that I think are marvelous, but as a whole, it left me a bit wanting. Mainly, I think the folks being filmed were waaaaay too aware that they were being filmed and were very concerned about coming off as silly or cultish. There was a bit of stiffness that ebbs and flows throughout. And there are some scenes that were obviously staged to give the audience a more cinematic feel and to raise the stakes. Still, the Darkon folks really did let the doc crew into the middle of the fray. One of my favorite shots was during a huge war battle, a knight/warrior yells directly into the lens, "MOVE THAT CAMERA OUT OF MY WAY." Kudos to the filmmakers for leaving that in. Sweet.
While the crew had full access to the fantasy side of the story, all but one of the LARPers kept the camera crew at a pretty sizeable distance when it came to their real-world lives. You get flashes of home and work, but you don't get to see too much of the reality and other parts of their "normal" lives. It's mainly focused on Darkon and for 86 minutes...it gets a bit "Cliff Clavin" at times.
When they do show folks in the real world, it's mostly with them doing things that they are, well, bored by. Work, laundry, etc. And to the point, while this may be the only outlet that interests these folks, it made the people seem somewhat one dimensional at times.
In an effort to show how committed and/or serious they were to the "game," there seemed to be a lack of a sense of humor throughout. When I say humor, I don't mean to ridicule or mock these folks, but to get a sense of the LARPers sense of humor. There are tiny bits of it scattered, but you really don't get a feel for it.
The two main LARPers they worked with did an alternative commentary track which I found much more lively, relaxed and full of the sense of humor that was missing from the doc. Then again, at a certain point in the conversation, the Darkon-speak got really self-referential, to the point that I felt left out.
It made me wonder if us theater-types ever do that to our "civilian" friends.
How annoying. Oof.
Although, I did learn a lesson.
Never trust elf mercenaries.
These are both worth renting, by the way!
I have been doing my homework though!
Last week I watched two docs - Air Guitar Nation and a pretty offbeat indie called Darkon.
Air Guitar Nation
Every August, the Air Guitar World Championships bring thousands of fans all the way to Oulu, Finland to see the world's best air guitarists battle it out for 60 seconds of mock stardom. For years, the USA was missing in action. Enter the first official US Air Guitar Championships. What starts as a friendly contest above a New York strip club becomes a battle of naked ambition played out on the national and, ultimately, the world stage. captures the explosion of competitive air guitar through the eyes of former world champions, fans and media, and through the personal rivalries of those trying to attain the title of "The best Air Guitarist in the world."
I have to say, I really enjoyed AGN - the way the filmmakers framed the story, I couldn't stop laughing. Although, I keep prefacing my recommendation to folks with, "it's the most stoopid subject matter for a film, but it was so fun to watch." I mean, the idea of filming people playing fake geetars...it's just insanity. And yet, the filmmakers pulled it off. They framed the competition well and focused on a hero and anti-hero (not quite a true villian) - and the most important thing is that they caught the joy and enthusiam of the action.
Unfortunately, Darkon didn't quite affect me the same way.
Darkon
Ordinary folks trade in their street clothes for medieval costumes, faux weaponry and full-contact battles. Darkon, a group that acts out fantasy war games based on complex rules and customs. Padded swords clash, armies advance and a ruler crosses the line, while off the battlefield, participants open up about what keeps them coming back for more.
This is a great story about a really specific sub-culture. Beyond a live-action role playing (LARP) game, it's very specific to these folks creating this particular fantasy. There are a lot of influences: Tolkien, myth, historical figures and battles. Unlike Civil War re-enactments, they are not re-creating, but fantasizing in their creation.
There are parts to this film that I think are marvelous, but as a whole, it left me a bit wanting. Mainly, I think the folks being filmed were waaaaay too aware that they were being filmed and were very concerned about coming off as silly or cultish. There was a bit of stiffness that ebbs and flows throughout. And there are some scenes that were obviously staged to give the audience a more cinematic feel and to raise the stakes. Still, the Darkon folks really did let the doc crew into the middle of the fray. One of my favorite shots was during a huge war battle, a knight/warrior yells directly into the lens, "MOVE THAT CAMERA OUT OF MY WAY." Kudos to the filmmakers for leaving that in. Sweet.
While the crew had full access to the fantasy side of the story, all but one of the LARPers kept the camera crew at a pretty sizeable distance when it came to their real-world lives. You get flashes of home and work, but you don't get to see too much of the reality and other parts of their "normal" lives. It's mainly focused on Darkon and for 86 minutes...it gets a bit "Cliff Clavin" at times.
When they do show folks in the real world, it's mostly with them doing things that they are, well, bored by. Work, laundry, etc. And to the point, while this may be the only outlet that interests these folks, it made the people seem somewhat one dimensional at times.
In an effort to show how committed and/or serious they were to the "game," there seemed to be a lack of a sense of humor throughout. When I say humor, I don't mean to ridicule or mock these folks, but to get a sense of the LARPers sense of humor. There are tiny bits of it scattered, but you really don't get a feel for it.
The two main LARPers they worked with did an alternative commentary track which I found much more lively, relaxed and full of the sense of humor that was missing from the doc. Then again, at a certain point in the conversation, the Darkon-speak got really self-referential, to the point that I felt left out.
It made me wonder if us theater-types ever do that to our "civilian" friends.
How annoying. Oof.
Although, I did learn a lesson.
Never trust elf mercenaries.
These are both worth renting, by the way!
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
clackity-clack
Still have to schedule with Geo to view footage...but I am working on the script - specifically on how to open the film. It has to be quick and concise and get the story out in a way that is enticing to the veiwer.
Right now, I'm hedging my bets a little and plan on using some of the one-on-one interviews (quick edits) as a jumping off place. Followed by folks randomly (overlapped narration over titles/stills) reading off questions from actual quizzo events.
The lessons I've learned from working on SKALD stories is really coming in handy. In that competition, you only have 7 minutes to tell a complete story. It's a constant battle to edit (and re-edit) to clarify and condense the story. You don't want (or have time for) a lot of "drag" in a film this short. You need to cherry pick and highlight the details that make the story vibrant, fun and interesting. The more I hone the script now, the less time we'll waste in editing (the most time-consumming work to be done.)
In the meantime, I thought I'd attached this short little vid that Geo made right after we got back. This is one of the reasons why we had trouble shooting in the RV. It was like riding a rollercoaster at times (especially in that back bedroom.) Most docs that have RVs in them, I'm finding that in almost all cases, the solution was to shoot when the RV was at rest. Wish I had known that before the trip!
Shooting for those films took place after they were done driving for the day or had stopped/parked for sightseeing/lunch/etc. Which makes me wish that we had done a little more of that at the gas-up/rest stops. We didn't want to add to our 16 hr travel time (and to be honest, the DSP folks were still getting used to having a camera on them. )
One reason most doc have hours and hours of footage - is that it takes a long time for folks to relax and be themselves in front of a camera. Thanks to machinations of Mr. Aston Kuchner and the gentlemen of JACKASS, nowadays, everyone is concerned of being "punked" or looking the fool on video.
I'm not calling out who's "surfing" in back. We all pretty much looked that miserable when we were back there trying to get some shut-eye.
In other news, Ravin was asking about a title for this film so he could put it in his liner notes for his forthcoming CD. I've been dashing my brain, but I still think it's too soon to settle on one. Much like a nickname, I think it will present itself when the time is right.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
homework
To get my brain in gear for editing and pacing, I'm currently watching documentaries like they were going out of style. Which is fantastic, because I love them. Even crappily made ones...mainly, because I spend the time figuring out why it's crappy.
Is the subject matter? The editing? The way the shot is framed? The pacing? Is the narrative too plodding and repetitive?
I'm the kind of gal that learns way more from the mistakes I've made than by my successes. So, watching a great documentary, sometimes it's harder to keen why it's a successful film. But a poorly executed documentary, you can figure out what to avoid (when possible) and how to fix mistakes.
For example, I already know that all of the video we've shot at Quizzo night and The Riddle can't be used with the sound on it. Mainly because both were set in bars which played a lot of loud music. Music I don't have the rights to...nor have the budget to acquire. So I know that those shots will have to be overlaid with narration, edited with other sequences that have usable sound, or covered by incidental music.
It may turn out that the video we shot in the RV doesn't have great sound due to the engine and a/c noise. Again, that may have to be "covered" or at the very least, captioned.
Poor sound will kill you faster than a boring subject matter. Word.
Anyway, I'm knee-deep in my homework, bellied up to the bar watching films I haven't seen in years and lots of new ones as well.
Specifically, I'm focusing on films that have one or more of the following elements or themes:
1. Road Trip
2. Underground/Offbeat Group Conventions
3. Obsessions
4. Friends working towards common goal
5. The "Big Stupid Idea"
Examples of films I've been watching or have queued up are:
Pop and Me (1)
Where Are We? (1)
American Movie (3, 4, 5)
Trekkies (2)
Crumb (3)
King of Kong (3)
Supersize Me (1, 5)
Mad Hot Ballroom (2, 4)
The Young and the Dead (5)
Fast, Cheap and Out of Control (3)
This is Nowhere (1)
Growin' A Beard (4, 5)
The Journey (1)
Air Guitar Nation (2, 3)
30 Days (v.2)
For the record, I think most of these are great documentaries...I'm not focused on watching poor ones, I'm just not ruling them out.
I've seen a few other movies that I haven't listed here that would fit the bill like, Unconventional, Spellbound, and Word Play. I might re-rent those at some point. I'm steering clear of any mocumentaries for the time being.
If the .05 people who read this want to suggest a doc for veiwing, please post it in the comments! Much appreciated...
Is the subject matter? The editing? The way the shot is framed? The pacing? Is the narrative too plodding and repetitive?
I'm the kind of gal that learns way more from the mistakes I've made than by my successes. So, watching a great documentary, sometimes it's harder to keen why it's a successful film. But a poorly executed documentary, you can figure out what to avoid (when possible) and how to fix mistakes.
For example, I already know that all of the video we've shot at Quizzo night and The Riddle can't be used with the sound on it. Mainly because both were set in bars which played a lot of loud music. Music I don't have the rights to...nor have the budget to acquire. So I know that those shots will have to be overlaid with narration, edited with other sequences that have usable sound, or covered by incidental music.
It may turn out that the video we shot in the RV doesn't have great sound due to the engine and a/c noise. Again, that may have to be "covered" or at the very least, captioned.
Poor sound will kill you faster than a boring subject matter. Word.
Anyway, I'm knee-deep in my homework, bellied up to the bar watching films I haven't seen in years and lots of new ones as well.
Specifically, I'm focusing on films that have one or more of the following elements or themes:
1. Road Trip
2. Underground/Offbeat Group Conventions
3. Obsessions
4. Friends working towards common goal
5. The "Big Stupid Idea"
Examples of films I've been watching or have queued up are:
Pop and Me (1)
Where Are We? (1)
American Movie (3, 4, 5)
Trekkies (2)
Crumb (3)
King of Kong (3)
Supersize Me (1, 5)
Mad Hot Ballroom (2, 4)
The Young and the Dead (5)
Fast, Cheap and Out of Control (3)
This is Nowhere (1)
Growin' A Beard (4, 5)
The Journey (1)
Air Guitar Nation (2, 3)
30 Days (v.2)
For the record, I think most of these are great documentaries...I'm not focused on watching poor ones, I'm just not ruling them out.
I've seen a few other movies that I haven't listed here that would fit the bill like, Unconventional, Spellbound, and Word Play. I might re-rent those at some point. I'm steering clear of any mocumentaries for the time being.
If the .05 people who read this want to suggest a doc for veiwing, please post it in the comments! Much appreciated...
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
back in the saddle
Apologies to the .05 people who might be following this blog. After the trip to Atlantic City I was traveling much of the rest of June for work and then immediately went into intensive rehearsals for a play that just opened last week.
It is (finally) a new day, which means that I'm ready to turn my attention back towards the documentary.
I still need to schedule time with our cameraman, Geo, to look at the footage we currently have of the trip and see what's useable - sound and picture-wise. Hopefully, that will happen within the next couple of weeks. (He travels quite a bit himself and I've been completely swamped up 'til now.)
Our still photographer, Kristine, sent me proof sheets from the trip. I plan for the film to be a mix of video and stills with narration (and original music.) She got some great shots! (although I'm having trouble loading them here...curse my luddite ways.)
In other utterly fantastic news, my man Dave Lykins emailed me the original song he wrote with the documentary in mind. It's called Come Along and it couldn't be a better fit for this project. It's more spectacular than I had ever imagined it could be (and I had my standards up pretty high.) Having the original music is going to give up a huge leg up on how we edit the peice, so I'm extremely grateful that he's finished it and that it sounds so phenomenal!
With a song stuck happily in my head and with contact sheets to peruse, I'm thrilled to report that the quizzo doc slowly takes it next step towards fruition!
Stumbling, baby steps...but steps none-the-less!
It is (finally) a new day, which means that I'm ready to turn my attention back towards the documentary.
I still need to schedule time with our cameraman, Geo, to look at the footage we currently have of the trip and see what's useable - sound and picture-wise. Hopefully, that will happen within the next couple of weeks. (He travels quite a bit himself and I've been completely swamped up 'til now.)
Our still photographer, Kristine, sent me proof sheets from the trip. I plan for the film to be a mix of video and stills with narration (and original music.) She got some great shots! (although I'm having trouble loading them here...curse my luddite ways.)
In other utterly fantastic news, my man Dave Lykins emailed me the original song he wrote with the documentary in mind. It's called Come Along and it couldn't be a better fit for this project. It's more spectacular than I had ever imagined it could be (and I had my standards up pretty high.) Having the original music is going to give up a huge leg up on how we edit the peice, so I'm extremely grateful that he's finished it and that it sounds so phenomenal!
With a song stuck happily in my head and with contact sheets to peruse, I'm thrilled to report that the quizzo doc slowly takes it next step towards fruition!
Stumbling, baby steps...but steps none-the-less!
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Eve
It's been a hellva day.
Yesterday, my car died. I think, for good. We'll see. I'm trying not to stress about the car or money or all the things that are sitting in judgement in the back of my brain.
Last night, Double Secret Probation (that's our Quizzo team) played in our last game before heading out tomorrow. We won!...by a narrow, narrow margin. It was a great night to end on before the trek. Geo and K both brought cameras last night...and folks at the bar were buzzing both about our (insane) plan to attend the Finals and the doc.
This morning my extremely generous neighbor loaned me her car and all my errands - including dropping off my dog at my dad's. I'm hoping she won't be too much of a handful for him. We also had RV orientation and picked up the behemoth that we'll be trekking in. I'm packing now...waiting to hand the car keys back to my friend and then hopefully getting some sleep so when I get up at 3am to shower and take the trash out (I'm waaaay too beat to do it now), I'll be able to either drive or help navigate our way east.
Not sure that I'll be able to post much on the road, but I'll try!
Here's to an open road and safe passage to the coast!
Yesterday, my car died. I think, for good. We'll see. I'm trying not to stress about the car or money or all the things that are sitting in judgement in the back of my brain.
Last night, Double Secret Probation (that's our Quizzo team) played in our last game before heading out tomorrow. We won!...by a narrow, narrow margin. It was a great night to end on before the trek. Geo and K both brought cameras last night...and folks at the bar were buzzing both about our (insane) plan to attend the Finals and the doc.
This morning my extremely generous neighbor loaned me her car and all my errands - including dropping off my dog at my dad's. I'm hoping she won't be too much of a handful for him. We also had RV orientation and picked up the behemoth that we'll be trekking in. I'm packing now...waiting to hand the car keys back to my friend and then hopefully getting some sleep so when I get up at 3am to shower and take the trash out (I'm waaaay too beat to do it now), I'll be able to either drive or help navigate our way east.
Not sure that I'll be able to post much on the road, but I'll try!
Here's to an open road and safe passage to the coast!
Monday, June 2, 2008
T-Minus 4
The countdown has begun
We're four days away from climbing into the RV and heading towards AC. It all seems so confoundingly insane to me - but every person I tell this story to - the trip, the finals, the doc - gets so excited by the idea (and trust me, I'm underselling this crazy scheme) - that I'm thinking we must be onto something. The rampant enthusiasm quite honestly baffles me - but solidifies my idea that this doc needs to happen.
In terms of hitting the road, I'm fairly unprepared at this stage - I need to spend tonight getting my ducks in a row. Between making sure I don't leave any unattended fires at the office, making sure my dad is ready to watch my dog (in 9 yrs, I've never had to ask him to watch my dog as she's kind of a handful) and, most importantly, prepping my doc needs (releases, interview questions, shot list, tech needs, etc.), plus all the normal trip prep (pack, bills, where to park the car, etc.)
It's all a bit of a whirlwind in my head.
Wednesday - at Quizzo. Our last game before we head out!
Thursday - our 3 designated RV drivers have orientation/training...then we pick up the RV!
Friday - Hit the road!
Saturday - Film in AC, attend finals, shoot more! (mayhaps play a few games of chance!)
Sunday - Head home.
Monday - Recouperate
Rain or Shine
We're meeting up at 4am on Friday with the intent to be on the road by 4:30am. Hopefully, avoiding the majority of the Chicagoland/Gary rush hour. This means, we should arrive in AC sometime around 7pm or so. Not sure how long stops to gas up with take (or how often they'll occur.) So it could be later than that....due to the weather.
Right now, the forecast for Friday is Scattered Thunderstorms (in Chicago) from Fri-Sun - which means we'll be leaving and coming back thru some pretty crappy weather. It looks like much of our route to Jersey will be stormy/rainy on Friday. Makes me a little nervous as 1/3 of the RV driving team. But, as long as we take our time and pay attention to the road, we should be good. The good news is that Saturday in AC (when we'll need to get the most footage) is going to be party cloudy and in the mid-70's.
I'm prepared that we won't be able to film during the actual Quizzo Finals, as it's at a casino and they are kinda anti-video cameras in those places. But, we should (fingers crossed) be able to bring in some still cameras, which is why I'm basing part of the look of the film as still shots...who knows if we'll be able to get audio....?
A lot of our local footage will be shot after we get back, but I'm getting itchy and excited to start the ball rolling with the filming!
*For the record, I'm not sure if we'll take the Skyway, as it doesn't seem worth it to pay $12-15 (RV price) to cross the bridge when it won't save us that much in time or gas at that hour in the am. I just threw it up since that glowing neon is one of my favorite signs of home from many road trips of yesteryear.
We're four days away from climbing into the RV and heading towards AC. It all seems so confoundingly insane to me - but every person I tell this story to - the trip, the finals, the doc - gets so excited by the idea (and trust me, I'm underselling this crazy scheme) - that I'm thinking we must be onto something. The rampant enthusiasm quite honestly baffles me - but solidifies my idea that this doc needs to happen.
In terms of hitting the road, I'm fairly unprepared at this stage - I need to spend tonight getting my ducks in a row. Between making sure I don't leave any unattended fires at the office, making sure my dad is ready to watch my dog (in 9 yrs, I've never had to ask him to watch my dog as she's kind of a handful) and, most importantly, prepping my doc needs (releases, interview questions, shot list, tech needs, etc.), plus all the normal trip prep (pack, bills, where to park the car, etc.)
It's all a bit of a whirlwind in my head.
Wednesday - at Quizzo. Our last game before we head out!
Thursday - our 3 designated RV drivers have orientation/training...then we pick up the RV!
Friday - Hit the road!
Saturday - Film in AC, attend finals, shoot more! (mayhaps play a few games of chance!)
Sunday - Head home.
Monday - Recouperate
Rain or Shine
We're meeting up at 4am on Friday with the intent to be on the road by 4:30am. Hopefully, avoiding the majority of the Chicagoland/Gary rush hour. This means, we should arrive in AC sometime around 7pm or so. Not sure how long stops to gas up with take (or how often they'll occur.) So it could be later than that....due to the weather.
Right now, the forecast for Friday is Scattered Thunderstorms (in Chicago) from Fri-Sun - which means we'll be leaving and coming back thru some pretty crappy weather. It looks like much of our route to Jersey will be stormy/rainy on Friday. Makes me a little nervous as 1/3 of the RV driving team. But, as long as we take our time and pay attention to the road, we should be good. The good news is that Saturday in AC (when we'll need to get the most footage) is going to be party cloudy and in the mid-70's.
I'm prepared that we won't be able to film during the actual Quizzo Finals, as it's at a casino and they are kinda anti-video cameras in those places. But, we should (fingers crossed) be able to bring in some still cameras, which is why I'm basing part of the look of the film as still shots...who knows if we'll be able to get audio....?
A lot of our local footage will be shot after we get back, but I'm getting itchy and excited to start the ball rolling with the filming!
*For the record, I'm not sure if we'll take the Skyway, as it doesn't seem worth it to pay $12-15 (RV price) to cross the bridge when it won't save us that much in time or gas at that hour in the am. I just threw it up since that glowing neon is one of my favorite signs of home from many road trips of yesteryear.
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