Ryan Colucci's Blog, page 29

31 Questions for New Filmmakers - Part V

Today I answer Ted Hope's questions regarding The Changing Film World.
When I got started, if your film got into Sundance, it meantpeople would see it in America, and maybe the world. I used to be confidentthat my partners and I could get two or more major distribution slots a year.Now that control and scarcity don't define the Entertainment Economy, butsuperabundance & access do, how does that change things for creators? Thereare 45,000 films generated globally annually, and the largest consumptionmarket in the world – the US – currently consumes only 1% of the output.Recognizing that, are you changing the way you work, changing what you create?How? Why? Or why not?
In regard to the stories I'minterested in telling – no.  In the way Itell them, yes, slightly.  With that inmind we have to be more conscious of our budgets.  With more choices and platforms, things aremore easily digested and therefore more disposable.  There are very few 'classic' films madenowadays (and if they are, they are coming from oversees).  It is harder and harder to recoup yourbudget, so the way we make films must change. Also, it pays to tell your storyover a few mediums (this stupid word 'transmedia' comes to mind).  I just happened to love comics/graphicnovels, so was getting into this field anyway – but I think I could be doing amuch better job branching off and telling more stories within that same world (Harbor Moon comes to mind, as does REM – my second graphic novel and whatwill be my first feature film).  Justtelling the same story in a different medium is boring.  What excites me, and what I wish I caughtonto sooner, is using each medium to tell a different story within that world.
I am a big believer in the importance of social media in manyaspects of the film process.  Are you on social media and do you use it inyour work? Why or why not?
I am on social media.  I keep a blog (you're probably reading itright now: ryancolucci.blogspot.com)Twitter @spokelaneFacebook: Spoke LaneEntertainmentDigg: citydoglaxLinkedIn: info@spokelane.com
I use my Ryan Colucci facebookaccount for actual friends and family.  Idon't do business on there. Same goes for my personal twitter account@ryancolucci, where I post more personal updates.
I think social media is a great wayto stay connected to your audience (or if you are the audience – filmmakers yourespect), and more importantly stay current with what they are doing.  I get more of my news from Twitter feeds thananywhere else nowadays.  The key is beingselective with who you follow so your feed doesn't get overrun withnonsense.  That said, if you follow me at@spokelane – I will follow you back.  I'mgood like that.    When I got started there were two screens: the movie screenand the television screen.  Now there arealso computers, tablets, and phones. And screens are everywhere: the home, thebus stop, the elevator, the taxi cab. As a creator how does this effect thestories you tell and how you tell them?
I find this exciting.  Of course, I think that as a whole – I wouldlove to have been coming up in a time when movies were actually made on filmand appreciated, rather than digested and forgotten.  But I think having all of these 'screens'opens the world of storytelling up.  I'mnot a big fan of the term transmedia, but I love what it stands for.  I have always been captivated by the world ofStar Wars, how it started as three films and quickly grew to encompass books,comics, toys, video games and animated series – all telling different storieswithin that universe.  There are so manyprojects I think benefit from that – I think the danger is believing that everyproject can benefit from that kind of storytelling. 
I guess my one gripe with all ofthese screens, and ease of access is how easily forgotten digested media is.And with that comes a lack of production value. Because it is cheaper to spit these things out – knowing they have ashort shelf life.  I wish we would caremore about how things looked overall. It's not just about telling a story sometimes – it's about providingpeople with a visual experience.
If there is one or more thing you think would make the filmindustry better, what would it be?
Regulate managers like agencies areregulated.  They are, I believe, thecause of a lot of problems within the 'system'. It would also make agents actually do their job (trying to secure workfor their clients), rather than just being a screening service. 

Top 5 Damn It's Hot Movies

More top five goodness. This one is Top 5 Damn It's Hot Movies.  For a movie to qualify, the heat (or sweltering heat) must play some part in the story - even if it is visual.  Films that take place during summer or in the sun don't count, unless that summer sun is really roasting. Also, the entire movie should take place in the heat, with no scenes of winter/etc...

I found that most of my choices were actually war movies.  We tend to fight a lot of our wars (at least modern wars) in locations with sweltering heat.

City of GodFriday Night LightsLord of the FliesPredatorKids
Honorable Mentions (I got a lot of them - and I think some of these can be disputed if they can be considered 'damn it's hot'):

Tigerland
Flamingo Kid
Dog Day Afternoon
In America
Lawrence of Arabia
Apocalypse Now
Amores Perros
Cool Hand Luke
Black Hawk Down
Jarhead
Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas
Barton Fink
Hurt Locker
12 Angry Men
Laurel Canyon
Laws of Gravity
Sin Nombre
Three Kings
Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)
Tombstone
Tropic Thunder
White Men Can't Jump
Cujo

31 Questions for New Filmmakers - Part IV

The fourth series of questions posed by Ted Hope deal with The Structure of the Business.

Is the film business fair? Why or why not? How do you make theapparatus work for you?
I'm going to pass on this question,as I think it is a personal question – not an industry question. It's fair ifyou work hard and produce good material. I have scripts I think are amazingthat haven't broken through – do I blame the system?  No, it just hasn't hit the right eyes yet. Ithas nothing to do with race, color, religion, sex, etc…
Is it the filmmaker's responsibility to find and develop youraudience? Why do you feel that way? How will you collaborate with your audience,and how won't you?
Yes, it is.  Even if your film lands at a studio with aneight figure marketing budget – why would you abandon it when it needs youmost? You can be out there on social media talking about it, engaging youraudience, giving interviews, soliciting press, doing whatever you can to geteyeballs on your product. You can't rely on anyone to do your job for you.Don't regret anything.
I will make myself as available as Ican to my audience. I am a pretty private person (this blog is fairly open, butif you know me – you know I'm very quiet, go about my business, etc…), but ifyou are a creator of any kind – you have to deal with the fact that you are nowin the public eye and people may want to know about you, your life, etc… Thebest part about going to conventions and stuff isn't talking about my book perse, it is just talking to like minded people and making connections. That'sreally hard for me because I am not super out-going, but I'm open and excitedabout people. I'm not the type of person that looks down at the audience, I ammy audience to a certain degree.  I'm afan and I know what I want/expect as a fan – and hope to provide the same inreturn.
What do audiences want? And is it the filmmaker's role toworry about that?
I can only answer this as anaudience member myself.  I usually wantone of two things – to escape life for an hour or two or to experience a newculture/society/part of the world. Yes, I think it is our responsibility toworry about that, only because if you don't deliver on one of those two thenwhy exactly are you telling your story?
Is it possible to sell out? What would that mean to you andwould you like it to happen or not? What do you do to encourage theprofessional approach you want?
Yes, taking on any project formoney.
Sometimes it is necessary toactually live and pay the bills.  As longas you are aware of this, and don't ever forget it – you could be okay. JohnSayles has made a career out of getting big bucks for studio writing work andthen using that money to make his own movies. I've been broke for so long Idon't know what it is like to have money, so recently I put a movie intoproduction as a cash grab.  It had alsobeen 3 years since I have produced a film, so the clock was ticking. It was anecessity. I still want that film to be the best it can be and have made it mytop priority. If I'm going to do something, I try to at least give it my all. Iam pretty confident I won't get sucked into being a sell out though.
If I was asked what was the most important advice I couldgive a filmmaker starting out, it would be "Try to manage your life so that youwill feel as good about the film industry in fifteen years as you do now." Inyour experience, is that true, and what can filmmakers do to achieve thatchallenge?
I don't think I'm experienced enoughto answer this question. I guess I can say that if I ever do this to makemoney, rather than because I love film – then yes, I would agree. 
What role have film festivals played in your life so far? Whyare they necessary? How do you get the most out of them?
My early film life was more immersedin the festival world. I watched a lot of shorts and indies at festivals fromcollege through grad school and my early film career, working at Snoot andlooking for projects/directors. I found the short The Freak – by the directorof the short Terra, which later became my first feature film as a producer,Battle for Terra, at a film festival.
I don't spend much time at them now,but they are necessary curators of projects, especially now that everyone hasaccess to a camera and editing equipment. Some (eventual) mainstream movies start at small festivals and grow fromthere.  Where would those films wind upwithout that exposure or launching pad? 

Top 5 One Spot Movies

In an effort to generate more writing and film discussion from myself, I'm going to start posting my reactions to the polls they do each week on the podcast Filmspotting.  If you like film and don't listen, they have some great and insightful discussions there each week.

The first one I'll hit up is the Top 5 One Spot Movies - movies that take place almost exclusively in one location. This can't be a sprawling location (like the town in 30 Days of Night or Bad Day at Black Rock, or the jungle in Juarassic Park or Lord of the Flies). Or take place in one location with a lot of different flashbacks (Reservoir Dogs) or dream sequence type events (Beetlejuice).
The ShiningClerksNight of the Living DeadAlien (and Aliens)ClueHonorable Mentions:

Murder on the Orient Express
Taps
Titanic
Rear Window
Open Water
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (Disney version)
Panic Room
Moon
The Abyss
Bad Boys (Sean Penn version)
Cube
Hands on a Hard Body
Hunger
Klute (original version)
Murder on the Orient Express
The Name of the Rose
Rope

31 Questions for New Filmmakers - Part III

Here is the third set of questions from Ted Hope's 31 Questions for Filmmakers, which deal with The Process of Creating.


Generally speaking, when we want to learn about a film, wetalk to the director.  But those that make films, know how much they arereally collaborations. What makes a fruitful collaboration? What do you do toenhance the collaborative process?

Respect.  It is hard to collaborate with someone youdon't respect. I'm not going to lie and tell you I respect everyone – Idon't.  I think there are a lot of moronsout there, and I tend to wear my feelings on my sleeve.  I'm condescending and somewhat sharp-tongued,so if I don't respect you – there's a chance you know it. And if I don'trespect you, how on earth can I take insight from you?  I can't. There are things that can elevateyou if you are not necessarily the top at your field – hard work. I can respectthat.
It is said that there are only six stories. Maybe twelve.It's all been done before. And we have seen it all. What do you do to keep itfresh? Is there anything that you can do to subvert the process to keep itoriginal?
That may be true, but there are manyways to tell the same story.  I think themost drastic is where you choose to set your story.  Look at two movies about human organtrafficking – Turistas and Dirty Pretty Things.  The former is based on a bad script, with amediocre director and crew set in South American jungles.  The latter is an amazing script, with a topnotch director and crew set in London.  
To keep it original I try to writeabout locations I know.  That way mycharacters feel more real and authentic. I like to think that when I watch a movie, no matter how fantastical,that I'm being shown a glimpse of that world – almost like a documentary.  And if those characters and places don't feelreal, the movie crumbles for me.
We get noticed because of our successes – but we create themon the back of our failures.  We learn best from the experiences where itdoesn't work.  And yet we still only discuss the success, not the failure.What failures (of your own) have you been able to learn from? How did theychange you and your process?
This is a hard one to answer withoutthrowing certain people under the bus. I will try. My first feature is at thesame time my biggest success and biggest failure. We were able to build ananimation studio from scratch, get an animated film made from start to finish,put together a really solid A-level cast, and get serious theatricaldistribution (and be on the first wave of 3D). It was also short listed for aBest Animated Feature Academy Award. At the same time, it's not a movie I caneven sit through. It's boring and tedious – and I hated the script. I alsothink the directing is somewhat flat, with fairly weak production design.
I learned to not get into businesswith people I wasn't on the same page with creatively – always talk about theend goal.  Don't get caught up in theprocess – always keep your eye on the final film. If you do, you'll be able tovet all decisions made. And if you're not seeing eye to eye at the beginning,it will only get worse. More than anything, it taught me to spend as much timeon the script as you can (same goes for my recent film White Space – which was being pushed forward by two (or three)differing ideas on what the script should be).
I often say one of the best methods of producing is"engineering serendipity." Have you encountered serendipity in your work and doyou think there is anything that you can do to bring more of it into yourcreative process? Why or why not, and if so, what is it that you and your teamcan do?
Research. I find serendipity – orhappy coincidences – in my writing almost every script lately.  That is because I do a tremendous amount ofresearch.  And I find that the more I diginto a topic, the more things start tying together.  Do your homework. Become as well versed inthe subject you're writing as you can.  From the big things to the small. 
If each member of the productionkeys does their homework and research – then you can engineer serendipity at ahigher rate and with more ease.
Films evolve through the creative process – sometimes mostdramatically in the  editingprocess.  It's often really hard to reconcile the difference between whatwe desired and what we achieved. How have you encountered this and how do youmove through it?
When I sat through the last short Idirected. The first assembly was brutal. It was cringe worthy and had methinking – 'man, I suck. I can't write and I can't direct.' In the post processit was cultivated into something I am proud of. Even the final product isn't exactly what I envisioned – limitationswith lighting, set, camera equipment (which all boil down to money). Part of itis discovering that what reads well on the page doesn't always translate wellto the screen. I've learned this a lot when translating my scripts to graphicnovel/comic form. That process has actually helped me tremendously.
You move through it by acceptingthat it will never be what is in your head from the start. That is perfection,and nothing is perfect. It may even be better than what you had in your head,but since it is different it won't matter to you – however, you need to acceptit and as Brock Lesnar says, 'turn chicken shit into chicken salad.'
"It all starts with the script." Maybe not, but when do youknow a script is ready to shoot, and what is your process of getting it there?
Hard question – because for me,personally, I've went into both my features as a producer with a script Iwasn't that confident in. Battle forTerra especially.  I hated thatscript. But sometimes you just want to make a movie so badly, you put thataside.  And the most important thing I'velearned is – that is a huge mistake.  Youshould always be able to fall back on the script.  And if you are working with a director whotells you – the script is a blue print – unless he's seriously proven himself –walk away. 
As a writer/director, I have one ortwo people I completely trust in terms of their opinion.  If they tell me it needs work or somethingdoesn't make sense, I address it. Usually they are calling bullshit on things I took a shortcut around,and deep down I know it needs to be fixed – I just need to be called out.
Everyone will have an opinion about every script out there – no matter howgood.  You have to have confidence inwhat you're doing and again, be confident that if anything happens, you canfall back on that script.  Poke as manyholes in it as possible.  Dissectit. 
Most of my scripts are becominggraphic novels, so I have these visual guides to help me – and there willinevitably be sections that are boring or lame and I can see that prettyreadily.  It's a luxury to have that –but if you can find someone to storyboard your script for you – do it.  You can cut those storyboards up and editthem into a movie on your computer (getting anyone you can to provide thevoices).  You will definitely find therough patches and holes – at least the glaring ones you may miss in theread.  Just don't fall in love with yourown writing.  I make this mistake all thetime.  Then a few months pass, I rereadit and ask myself, 'What the hell was I thinking?  Why do I think I'm so sweet?'
Several directors have told me that most of directing isactually casting.  Regardless of whether that is true, some actors have"it" and sometimes they need something to make "it" pop.  You've spottedthat "it" and captured "it". What is "it" and how do you find "it"?
For me, realism.  Do I believe the words coming out of thisperson's mouth? Some actors just say their lines – and they can be saidwell.  Other actors actually understandwhat they are saying and get you to believe them.
I often wonder why anyone would want to direct. Why would youwant to always have 100 decisions in front of you and have over 100 peoplewaiting on your answer?
If you're a storyteller – it is theultimate medium. Plays are in the moment. With films you can create thiseverlasting story that has more dimensions than a book – and you can use somany more techniques to tell your story. You have the color palette, the actors you choose, the performances youpull from them, the production design itself, the camera you choose, the stockof that camera, etc… they all play a part in how the story is perceived.  They all matter.  Who wouldn't want to have access to that kindof storytelling ability?  Film, perhaps more so than any other popular art form, is thecompromise between art and commerce. How has your art been shaped by both themoney you have had or not had? Do you create with budget limitations in mind?
I used to never write to a budget –but over the last three years or so, all of my projects have been written witha budget in mind. The fact is, you can't get your projects made over a certainthreshold as a young producer/director. 
That said, two of my scripts – Chasing Rabbits and Bulderlyns – are big, but are being produced as graphicnovels.  So, I have that going for me.Which is nice.

31 Questions for New Filmmakers - Part II

Here are my answers to Ted Hope's second set of questions, which relate to The Love of Cinema.


What makes a film great for you? Are there certain qualitiesthat make a film better for you?
It's almost too hard to quantify.  I would love to say – the cinematography, theacting, the shot choices, the sound, the visual effects, the music… but I wouldput the writing and the story above all of those. Did I connect with the movie?  A great film for me is one that I don't want toend.   It definitely happens and it is amagical feeling.   I think of a movielike Once, which was so simple, butit just hit a special nerve.
What films have been the most inspiring or influential to youand why?
Everyone in this business has a filmthey saw and said to themselves, 'I can do that'.  There were two for me - Brothers McMullen andPi.  Pi because it was so engrossing andso different – and yet cost so little (comparatively).  Brothers McMullen was special for the samereasons, but also because I'm from almost the same background as Ed Burns.Irish Catholics from Long Island – and the movie was not only a world I know,but a world I lived in.
Over and above those, the two that hadthe most profound effect on the stories I want to tell and how I want to tellthem would be Good Will Hunting and Star Wars. I want to make films that spawn worlds like Star Wars, and I can onlyhope to achieve that level of filmmaking (the first three, not the most recentthree).  It is epic filmmaking at itsbest.  And Good Will Hunting was just aperfect movie in so many ways.  It lookedgreat, the score was amazing, the performances were all as good as can be – andthe script was tight and refreshing and spellbinding.  I didn't want that movie to end.  I remember seeing it for the first time in atheater while at Villanova and his red car races down the highway and I wasthinking, 'Please don't end.  Not yet.'
When you get angry at a movie, what sets you off? Are therecommon qualities in cinema today that you dislike? Is there something you tryto subvert or avoid or rebel against in your work?
Over exposition.  I am a fan of subtlety.  I really like Black Swan (I'm an Aronofskyapologist), but there were moments I could have done without – such asdescribing to us (at the beginning) what the play – and thus the movie – was about.  Don't tell me what's coming.  Let me figure it out for myself.  I think there is a lot of this in cinematoday – playing to the lowest common denominator.  I try to not do this in my writing.  I know that at some point things need to beexplained – but I guess I'm guilty of erring on the side of not explaining toomuch.
We are all here presumably partially because we LOVEcinema.  How did your love for movies get sparked and what can we—as acommunity—do to help others discover a similar pleasure?
I watched a lot of movies growing upin the 80's.  A lot of John Hughes andSavage Steve Holland movies.  They shapedwho I was as much as any other factor. We were lucky enough to have HBO when I was growing up (it wasn't asprevalent in homes as it is today) and if anyone from that decade remembers,they used to play movies over and over and over again.  Movies like Better Off Dead, North Shore and –my favorite film of all time – Rad. These became part of my childhood, and eventually adulthood – quotednonstop between my family and friends.  Ialso have fond memories of watching a lot of old movies with my dad.  For some reason he rarely watches new movies,but was always watching black and whites from back in the day.  I didn't really even know what I was watchingat the time, but as I fell in love with movies in my late teens, early twenties– this appreciation definitely came pouring out and shaped what movies Igravitated towards.
Helping others?  I guess by sharing the movies you love.  I am constantly recommending movies tofriends.  If someone asks me what theyshould watch, even if I love a recent studio release – I will recommend alittle known gem in the hopes that it sticks and they at least watch it at somepoint.

31 Questions for New Filmmakers

About a month ago, Ted Hope posted 25+ Things He Wanted to Know from New Filmmakers.  I'm going to share my answers to these 31 questions, but in sections...

The first set of questions relate to 'Getting Started'.

Was there a particular event or time that you recognized thatfilmmaking was not just a hobby, but that it would be your life and yourliving?
I was studying abroad at CambridgeUniversity in England… and there was all of this life outside of the bubble ofthe North East around me.  It was thefirst time I realized that there was more out there in the world than just theworld of finance, being a cop or teacher – which is what you do on LongIsland.  And at Villanova Universityeveryone was pretty much clones of each other. I fit in socially, but I knew I just didn't fit in for some reason.  And I was bursting at the seams to do this –reading voraciously everything I can get my hands on film related.  When I came back I dropped out of Villanovaand started to pursue film.
Is it harder to get started or to keep going?  What wasthe particular thing that you had to conquer to do either?
For me, the initial act of gettingstarted was by far the hardest thing I had to do.  In many ways I made this decision alone.  I actually went back to Villanova the nextsemester – after three days I was completely miserable and wanted nothing to dowith being there.  It felt like the wholescene passed me by.  So I walked to thebursar's office and told them I would like to withdraw.  I remember being white as a ghost and I musthave been shaking – cause the woman behind the counter knew something waswrong.  Me doing that and not telling myparents was the no turning back moment of my life.  It was right then that I decided I was goingto choose happiness over money.  Over thefallout my decision would create.  Keepin mind, I was a pretty high ranked finance/accounting student at one of thebetter north east schools in the country – which is a feeder for WallStreet.  Fresh off studying economics atCambridge.  My parents weren't too happy.
Once I made that decision, I jumpedin pretty full force.  It was prettyliberating.  Going to school and actuallycaring about learning – not caring about what grade you got.  It turned a light bulb on for me.  I did really well from the start, all the waythrough USC's Peter Stark Program. So it wasn't a huge struggle.  The struggle happened as I was producingBattle for Terra and then left Snoot Entertainment.  Because you realize quickly – making money atthis is very hard.  It's been a realgrind.  But I made a decision that day Ileft Villanova – I was going to choose this over money.  So my choices have been dictated by that(much to my parent's dismay).  It makesmy life much harder – but if I wanted to make money I would have worked on WallStreet.  I'm not in this for that ormeeting with stars, etc… There are stories I want to share and my goal is toshare them exactly how I see them in my head.
What advice would you give to someone who wanted to have alife creating film?
Make sure this is truly what youwant.  Because real filmmaking isn'tglamorous.  Writing is a lonely art.  Editing is a lonely practice.  Being on set is laborious and the days arelong and taxing.  You're not curingcancer, but it can be stressful.  Askyourself – are you doing this because you absolutely love film/tv/storytelling– or are you interested in meeting famous people or being famous yourself?  If the answer is the latter – go get richdoing something else and then invest in movies. We need you too.
What was the most important lesson you had to learn that hashad a positive effect on your film? How did that lesson happen?
That you can't control everything.  Once you understand that film is acollaborative medium and let go – you can focus on what you can control. 
It happened at a screening of ashort I directed.  It was okay, but itwasn't exactly what I wanted.  And it wasthere that I thought – I need to stop hiring my friends.
You are a collaborator.  How have you discovered membersof your team and how do you keep the relationship with them strong?
This is way too broad of aquestion.  As a filmmaker you have manymembers of your team, and thus many different avenues to them. 
A few of my collaborators have comethrough school (USC's Peter Stark Producing Program), or through functions atthe school.  A large majority of mycollaborators have come through the internet. Seems weird to even type – but I found my artists on all my booksonline.  And they are scattered aroundthe globe.  Mark Newbauer from Mike thePike (The Skin Trade, White Space and the company financing my next 3 graphicnovels) found my email online and just shot me an email.  I met Ken Locsmandi and the team at Filmworksthe following way – Dane Smith, a Producer on Battle for Terra, knew I waslooking to direct something… he set me up with a DP for one of the short filmshe produced, Kev Robertson.  Kev had justDP's a feature directed by this guy Rufus. I met Rufus at Kev's house randomly. He emailed me and I went to meet him and a partner of his on a projectcalled Island of Diablo Madre.  Thatpartner was Ken.  We met and startedtalking about fighting, etc… and kept in touch and then our relationship grewfrom there.  Since then I just producedWhite Space which he directed.  Theproduction designer on that film is someone I hope to use on everything I everdo, Jessee Clarkson.  He responded to anad I posted on Mandy.com.  It turned outhe worked out for a company that shares space with Filmworks/FX called New DealStudios – and they gave him the thumbs up. 
You are here at the Universe's Grand Temple OfCinephilia.  You are here because of your work and how you do it. What are personal attributes that make for a good filmmaker, and what do you doto foster them?
The first is perserverance.  You are going to be told no a lot.  You are going to be rejected a lot.  People, lots of them, are going to pass onyour scripts/work.  You can let that getyou down, or you can keep getting better. The best revenge is success. 
The other two are somewhatconflicting – an iron will and open mindedness. You need to believe that what you are doing is right.  Correction, you need to know that what youare doing is right (difference is – go in educated.  Always be the smartest person in theroom).  Someone like James Camerondoesn't break or bend.  But with that,you need to accept that film is a collaborative medium.  Here's where it gets tricky – how does any ofwhat I said make sense?  The first partis surrounding yourself with people who are good at their job.  Even on low budget films – they are out there.  Don't hire friends.  Hire good people.  Hire knowledgeable people.  Hire people who are better than you at theirposition.  You're the producer/director –you should know how to talk about lighting, production design, wardrobe – youshould know exactly what you want – but you need people to carry that out.  And sometimes, often times if they are good –they will have great ideas in terms of adding or enhancing your originalidea.  I just had a talk with Jesseeabout production design for my next project – he pitched me something awesomethat completely changed the way I saw the script, not even just thatscene.  He also pitched me something Ididn't buy because it didn't fit with what I was trying to accomplish.  I explained to him why and he acceptedthat.  Which I guess makes for a numberfour – be able to express yourself.  Ifyou disagree with someone or something, explain why.  If you're an asshole, you better be the nextcoming of Orson Welles or you will have a shitty career.
When I wanted to devote my life to making movies, my firstdecision was NY or LA.  How does where you live influence how and what youmake, and how do you think NY currently effects your work and process?
Funny this is a question for Ted,because I have faced this decision my entire film career.  Being from NY, my entire family is from NY sothat is my home.  It will always be myhome.  Obviously there is a lot moregoing on in LA in terms of movers and shakers – but you can definitely do thisfrom NY.  I have to be honest, Ipersonally feel more creative in NY.  InLA, everyone is in entertainment – all of your experiences are based aroundentertainment or people involved in entertainment.  You aren't experiencing unique/differentpeople, doing different things.  I drawfrom the real world and being in NY just opens that world up.  Being outside of LA also keeps you a bit moregrounded.  No one is blowing your headup, and you're surrounded by non-industry people.  Industry people tend to think what they'redoing is the greatest and most important thing in the world.  Let's be real – we are doing movies/tv.  We aren't curing a disease or saving lives,etc… It's a big universe and we are small specs in it. 

No More Haircuts

I turn another year older today. Apparently another year wiser and more experienced. It was definitely a year of learning. About my body as it crumbles because of years of damage due to sports, about filmmaking as I produced White Space, about myself as I continue to struggling with my wants (becoming a fighter and director, somehow at the same time) vs. my needs (keeping money in the bank). About life in general from my girlfriend and her daughter. And death from my grandfather, Frank Eidmann.

We buried him yesterday. Not the greatest birthday present a guy can ask for, but such is life. My grandfather (the only one I got to meet) and I were never that close while I was growing up. He was a pretty heavy drinker and had been since my mom was growing up. He was a WWII hero and later a fireman... but he was never really interested in the lives of his children and grandchildren. I don't necessarily fault him for that - that was his decision and it was his life to live (he was sober for the last 10-15 years). But since I moved back to help out with him and my grandma, I have spent a lot more time with him and we have grown pretty close. I will never regret for a second moving back home. My career sort of stalling a bit (financially at least) was the best thing that could have happened to me. I got to spend more time with both of them.



I was primarily responsible for taking him to all of his doctor's appointments, and for a while his physical therapy (until he kind of gave up on it).  Some of which were quick and easy, and others that had us waiting for hours.  He never wanted to leave the house, and would look for any excuse to duck out of an appointment - but I could usually get him to go. While there he usually bitched about the wait, or the old people around (he was about 90% blind)... and most of the time it was pretty funny. At least to me.

The one thing that I think I'll always keep with me when I remember him were our trips to the barber, which was another task of mine.  He hated going, but hated when his hair got too long even more. He also couldn't stand his barber, Sam.  It made the trips that much more interesting. My grandfather wasn't much for words and Sam didn't shut the hell up. Whenever we got there and there was someone in the chair, and Sam was talking his ear off - my grandpa would go off about them shutting the hell up (he was pretty much deaf as well and would speak in his outdoor voice at all times). Sam also wanted to cut his hair too short, and my grandma was very specific with me in terms of how she wanted his hair to be (sideburns not too short, etc...) so I would have to stand over his shoulder as he cut the hair. It was all pretty funny.

He told everyone who drove them that they were his favorite chauffeur.  But I'm pretty sure I was his favorite for real, and that's how I'll remember my grandpa.

Baby Joseph (the youngest great grandchild) and Frank Eidmann

Producing vs. Directing

I will start off by saying that I got into producing so that I could produce my own projects as a director.  Of course, that hasn't quite happened yet on the feature side (shorts and what not)... but it is still the case.  Although I do love certain material and want to be responsible for bringing it to the big screen (or smaller screens), in terms of overseeing the script, director that is brought on, casting, etc...  This applies more to things in the world of fantasy - worlds that need to be brought to life.  I don't need to be the director to see that through.  I guess science fiction can fall into that category as well, but I'm actually a bigger fantasy fan.  It's kind of funny to me that my first two feature films are science fiction - set in space.  I like sci-fi, but it isn't something I grew up obsessing over.  Star Wars maybe, but that is a totally separate animal in my opinion.

Film is a director's medium.  Ultimately, the producer is seeing the director's vision through. So when it comes down to it, I want to be a director. I admire producers (those that actually run their own set), but I don't really enjoy doing it. The paperwork, the coddling of everyone (you're basically like a kindergarten teacher), the finger pointing every time something goes wrong.  For the most part, it isn't fun. I could be working in finance and making way more money than I currently am - having no fun. I got lucky on my last film, White Space, in that I was partly responsible for the writing - so my connection to the material was greater.  So not only was I lead producer, but a lot of times the actors or crew would come to me about the story.  That is what I enjoyed the most.  And that is why I want to be directing.

As an aside, what may turn out to be my first feature as a director is R.E.M. - which is a science fiction drama/thriller.

Fire the Caterer

I remember one of the refrains from a professor of mine at Stark was 'Always fire the caterer after the first few days.' It was from someone I have a tremendous amount of respect for, who was a producer on Seinfeld, among other hit TV shows and movies.

It was said in a joking manner, but only slightly. The lesson was that you need to exert your power on the set, while showing the crew and cast that you care about them. And of course the caterer might suffer, but they are the sacrificial lamb.

This lesson definitely did not escape me when I had to fire the caterer on White Space after a few days. I didn't set out to do this... but the food wasn't that good, and it was a goal of mine that the crew and cast be served the best food possible (for our budget). And the guy serving it was creeping me out. I just found it pretty funny that the first person to fall under the axe was the caterer, after this lesson imparted on me back at USC.