there will be laughs!

Producing and Chaos Theory

Then we come to the epiphany of the weekend. Finally, I get it.. I get it .. I get it!!!

One of the most common questions I've gotten about filmmaking from wondering friends and relatives is about the about the common roles that you might find on and off set.

They would lean in, already skeptical about the magical fairytale land I must be participating in, and curiously ask... "Sooo I've always been curious... what does a cinematographer actually do.. OR what does a director do... and most often and most curiously to me.... what does a producer do?"

That was the most tricky for me. A cinematographer is the author of light, the camera technician and the achiever of the film's look on screen. Cut and dry. The director is the answerer of all questions. The guru of the direction of all aspects of the film... production design, look and tone, pacing... in collaboration with other departments and most specifically a collaborator and author of the actor's performances. Cut and dry..

But a producer? What did they actually do? Producers aren't as obviously celebrated. Their craft is a more subtle one. In school, I was taught that they were the business end of the creative process. In fact, my impression is that they were really weren't allowed to be creative at all, but did all the grunt work... and paper work .. and brought the money.

But when the the Oscar for the best picture is handed out, who does it go to? The producers.
That was when I realize that, if the motion picture academy gave the the producer the Oscar for the best picture, they must be responsible for everything you see on screen. And a feature film is made of a million parts.

1. Producers are responsible for EVERYTHING that happens behind the screen.

When you are watching "The Dark Knight" and the semi truck crashes and flips over in the middle of the road... the producer has authored that image. He and his team have:

a. gotten the permits to shoot on the street..
b. negotiated with the city and police to shut down the street..
c. procured the semi truck or set of semi trucks that will be demolished..
d. hired the team of stunt workers and coordinators to make the stunt happen..
e. hired the on set medical team to make sure if some one gets hurt they can have care..
f. rented the camera package in the collaboration with the Director of Photography to the camera department's budget..
g. hired the crew to rig the lights..
h. hired the director who will capture the event within the scope of the film's world..
i. gotten the trailers and trucks that the key actors, vanity personnel, props department, and wardrobe department are held in..
j. hired the catering team that will deliver food, timed to union sanctioned breaks and lunches..
h. worked with casting directors to cast extras and made sure they have signed appropriate releases for their image in the film..
.......................
and on and on and on...




there is a lot more behind the image you end up seeing on the screen..

2. Producers are the author and owner of the creative property.

The way that I see this is that the producer "owns"... for lack of a better word.. a series of intellectual properties that they manage.

In my opinion, these include:

1. The brains, skills and ideas of the director.
2. The brains, skills and ideas of the director of photography.
3. The brains, skills and ideas of the production designer.
4. The brains, skills and ideas of the composer.
5. The brains, skills and ideas of the screenwriter.
6. The image and skills and creativity of the talent.
7. The story and screenplay itself.

All of these come together for the final intellectual property... which they are credited with and can win the Oscar for: the film.

The producer owns these things, because they are the decider. They OWN the decision of matching the correct script to a director who's creative ideas will enrich.. in the correct way, in a natural and honest way.. its story. They OWN the decision of parring that director with a director of photography that will compliment the story and the director's storytelling POV. They see the characters of the film with a strong and intuitive vision of who they are and have an opinion about the actors that will best portray that vision.. in collaboration with their hired director and casting director. They not only support the characters in the script and story with the correct talent and direction but also support the the film's financial and market value with all these decisions.

And in turn, they OWN the final quality of the film... its honesty... its strength of storytelling..
AND they have to OWN those decisions reflected in a shallow, dull and lame film as well..
They are the ultimate (in collaboration with others) author of the film.

////////////////

This is what my definition consisted of.. and then I had an epiphany over the weekend.

Producers are at least responsible for another thing and.. (probably many more.)

-------------->

3. They filter chaos.

They create an environment in which the other members of the decision making team can be free to decide. They control chaos.

We always think life is about freedom of choice. To have all the options means you have the best chance at picking the best one.

But I have been thinking.. it is hardest to make a decision when there are too many.

When you have every option..there suddenly are as many good possibilities as bad ..and now the probability of picking a bad option seems more likely as well. Giving someone too many options is the same as overwhelming them.. limiting their creativity. But when you have a filter..

a carefully and intentionally created filter.. which may include seeing the project more objectively than the individual players and using a degree of healthy manipulation to steer the project towards where a smart producer knows it needs to end up for everyone to be successful.

As a producer you free those around you to be more creative then they ever have. You empower the people around you to be triumphant because you know exactly. where. they. should. be. And you place them there.

You are the destroyer of chaos.

master.

oh I am a sad soul sometimes.
holding on to past stuff. people of the past.

I have been having a tough time with working out where I stand with my career goals and people.

I am so pent up by fear. I'm starting to believe that I always have been. Afraid to take credit for good things I do, because I think that others will see me as unhumble.. complete terrified to take credit sometimes, because then I will have to stand behind what I say.

I was noticing that sometimes the hardest thing to do is own up to yourself. Who you are.
I feels like people are always so willing to read into things. To be threatened or demonize you for things. It makes one terrified to be themselves, or to take charge and feel good about something that is them or that they have done.

I guess it all come down to knowing that you can't please everyone, and you can't be politically correct all the time.

I watched "Gone with the Wind" this weekend.. which is a beautifully shot film.......... but that seems to be what they whole film was about. Being loved utterly for just who you are. Not being a character that is too easy to love. Too boring to love.

Human means being unperfect.. maybe scarily so. I always thought that people should shape up.. get their lives together. Be put together and have everything figured out.. but I love so much when others are willing to give me the grace and benefit of the doubt, and to not see me for all my mistakes. I'm starting to believe that imperfectness is what you should expect and cherish.

That, sometimes, its okay to be cruel because you won't avoid it completely. Its okay to be weak and to feel the need for people.. to be needy for them once and a while because it is genuine. And in turn accept it from others. Give and take so that we all can be forgiven.

Its all growing pains.. even though I hate that word. Figuring out how to be. Especially knowing how to make boundaries for yourself, without trodding on others' .. Having enough ego to say "you can do something" without being arrogant. Loving others without becoming a martyr. Being kind without being taken advantage of. Its a masterful balancing act, and I see my failings. But! I am determined to master it.
Someday.

thank you michael mann!!!.......

for proving my theory that you do not need to fill your action scenes with crazy hand held shots to make it "action-y"

Should you hang your narrative thread's compelling-ness on form.... It should underlie what is already innate.

LOVE the reoccurring and curious use of the dead still frame in cinema!!!

Twin Peaks.

eeeeeerrrrie..

.:excuse the typos:.




//favorite moment above. lots o screaming and crying.. dang

and the characters are SO good. not cliches...............! they have a certain quality. He always gives them a certain quality. they become real.



its a mystery.!! someone's always gotta die in a lynch picture. no pun intended..

photographers of notes

Nick Knight

Sølve Sundsbø

creative things are coming..

lo-fi aaron roche

merrill garbus aka Tune-Yards has just released the most amazing album...

YOU MUST HERE IT

HERE

Notes // YOUNG MAN FALLING by Martin de Thurah

watched this amazing movie today and it immediately gave me a million thoughts. untangled them on paper and pose them to you. // please watch the trailer at the bottom too!

---> YOUNG MAN FALLING by

subtext is content Martin

de

Thurah

--> He is taking a test.

But how does he feel

about it?

STORY is king. But

story is more than

what just happens

physically.. but what

is happening big picture.

--> He is scared of failing

at the the test.

FORM! Close-ups

shallow depth of field

shaky camera - make you feel scared.

--> He is scared visually told through form!

YOUNG MAN FALLING

by MARTIN DE THURAH

prt. 2

______________

___________

Compelling-ness of story

is based not only on

content BUT also form.

-->He is taking a test.

simple, not necessarily

COMPELLING

But how important is this

thing to the character?

What is lying beneath

the surface? How can we

inform that by form?

How can we make simple

action the most compelling

moment for us through that

character. AND will it create

compelling questions in our minds?

prt.3

IF FORM SUGGESTS

undisclosed CONTENT

the audience will

have tons of questions,

they will ask TONS

of questions, that they

will NEED answered!

They will be

COMPELLED

to wait for your

answers.

They will be compelled

to wait until you

reveal the answers.

Slow disclosure

not cinematically but

story driven.

prt. 4

appropriate

use of surreal ----->

MISE en SCENE
------------------>

creating imagery

that might suggest subtext

RAISE questions,

but respect your audience

enough to answer them.

Absurd, surreal imagery

grounded in realistic

experience-able emotional

context!!

? right?

morning has come.

I was up too late last night. And now the morning has come too soon. haha.

coffee and music.............//

The Winston Jazz Routine is good for these mornings

make sure to listen HERE

sorry.

Its interesting. I have been feeling so disconnected with my new neighborhood for two reasons.

One, it has been raining here all the time non-stop.

When you can't take a walk and enjoy the block.. you don't really get a scope of it.. you don't really fully put together that it is there. Its just a place like Hong Kong. You know its there but its not tangible. It kind of fantastical. You build it up in your mind as something its not.

Two, I live three stories up.. so the building's look over the area makes it feel small and distant. You see people go by, in their little lives.. in their little cars that look so distant from above.

All this makes it seems so intimidating.

I need to go and get out into it. So that I know it for what it is... then I think I will discover something awesome...

heard on the radio.:.

St. Edwards

Why are all the cool guys I know such dick-less wonders? Their dick runs off without them..!! and in turn they lose their heads! So very disappointing to see so many smart and fun guys be such utter losers. At the first sign of some junk in the trunk and its like they are drunks. And, in the end, all they ever become is stone cold cynics... .. always whining that love is dead.

hahaha OH SHUT THE HELL UP. you get what you ask for

Anyways,

while all these dick-less wonders running around knocking into trees and sliding down slippery slopes, I am determined to be productive.

Yes. I get lonely. But I also am empowered and enlightened that I can do so much!! and enjoy this time thoroughly. since I am naturally dickless and have a head start in the smarts.

What is the matter with going and doing things alone? I am thrilled at the idea. Lots of people move to new places and new environments... I am tired of telling myself I will do something when I find someone rad to do it with. I've been waiting forever and I am done with it!! Another note is that now I am finally old enough and privileged enough not only to take all the responsibility of a million new bills to pay but also to be able to ramble to places on my own and do whatever I please!

Sometimes it takes basking in what you were afraid of to see how blessed you really are to have it in your life. To push you further. To make you better.. to refine you..

And being alone was something I have always been afraid of.

That is why this weekend I went to St. Edwards.. maybe my favorite place in the whole world. It is the creepiest forest in the Seattle metro area. You would swear you just stepped into a storybook or a fairy tale.

Friday night I had watched an episode of 48 Hours Mystery called "In Broad Daylight" about two teen girls that were snatched, raped and killed... one while walking to school, the other while jogging in the park.... both in broad daylight. .. This did not help my situation at all. The path to the lake was dark and the sky was cloudy. The switchbacks cut your view of the oncoming hikers and I felt nervous that I could have such a likely fate.

But I have always used this excuse.

Sahale can't go hiking because Sahale has no one to go with..... and she is a girl...... so if she goes alone, of course she will get raped.

Not this time. I figured I would rather get raped and killed than be forced by a theoretical assailant to stay home and bemoan my existence.

I was hoping that the trail would have something to offer me. Something profound and something to inspire. The place did, as it always had. The stalky, ancient appearing, trunks supported the mass of weighed down branches, filled with pine needles and moss. The muddied creek beds made trickling sounds in frozen and still valley. The smell of the forest and the plants reminded me of all the fun adventures I had, had there.

But what was truly profound, as I came up out of the forest, on the other edge of the lake, was that this experience was mine. Mine and no one else's.

No one else's permission required. Not even the lack of someone was there. No lack of someone's presence haunting me. No one to tell me that St. Edwards was stupid. That the drippy trees were boring.. or that the hike was too long. Or to give me a dull look as I gapped at the valley in awe. No one to share it with but definitely, and also, no one to ruin it for me. That experience could be, for me, exactly what I wanted it to be.

the path narrows on the other edge of the lake to pull you through the most amazing valley

muddy!!

when you come up the other side you are greeted by the old seminary. beautiful..

3 epiphanies

urban forest. seen running under I-5 Seattle

I have had three epiphanies recently.

One.

It is much easier to go running without 2 keys in your boob.

I go running occasionally.. exploring the Seattle streets and sights.

I have one key to the front door of my apt. building and one key that opens my door. When I go running I can't rely on my housemate being there to let me in, so I had been putting both keys in my sports bra. Not the greatest. BUT! this week I realized that if I carry just my car key, I can lock the other keys in my car, down the street. What. do. you. know! Awesome.

Second.

I want to write a film about a psychiatrist that prescribes movies and music. Music and movies are kind of the only way I got through various times in my life. They help me see I'm not alone. This psychiatrist however will be rouge. He prescribes music to women to get them to come to his undercover rock band shows. Hm. We shall see. That seemed like a awesome idea in the squash, but maybe not so much outside of it.

Third.

Ray Bradbury is a god.

I want to make films EXACTLY how he writes novels.

Proved to me this week that I am not intensely crazy for wanting to.

I remember that I was always trying to explain plot ideas to my professors only to totally confuse them. It made me discouraged. Maybe my ideas were total crap. But lo! comes Ray Bradbury to encourage me. His style is so perfect. He tells just enough to give you the story, the tone, the visuals... and then he pulls you here and there, without out any much additional content. He makes you feel the world, but not totally understand it. For me, I connect with it even deeper because of it. I can make films like this!! Just have to, like a broken record, WORK ON CLARITY. His writing is so direct. No fuzzy business.. and THAT is why it works.

yay