Wednesday, June 17, 2009

48 hour film project

Pick the thing up and do it. Wow. It is real.

I saw Celebration at the Music Hall some years ago. And Hoop Dreams. People. Camera. Relationships. Power. "Don't just stand there. Move it!" It's apt.

That was the line of dialog we were given. And Max Otterbein, waiter. And sunglasses and a genre: buddy film. And 48 hours to make – script, shoot, edit!! – a film.

Never had much pull for a 48 Hour Project till this year. And meeting Sean Hurley. We talked about collaborating. And then this thing in New Hampshire. Pick a camera up in our back yard. See what happens. Portsmouth has been much ignored filmically (not any more!)

Put down the money to enter.

Crazy week leading up to the Friday with two other films to be shown Thursday night. Hoo boy, didn't even read the rules till Friday and then a quick scan. Hope the guy at the table next to me wasn't lying about the 7 minute max thing.

Sean would bring Rick. I would bring Jay with a second (and preferred XDCam) camera.

Then went to the Fresh Local Truck (convenient camera platform for our opening shot) for lunch Thursday and met Doria. She's a sensation – an instant connection. She's dong a documentary on refugees from Bhutan. "Wanna help make a film this weekend?"

"Going to a wedding on Friday in NY, but I can get back if afternoon's not too late?" Get out! Jump in. What can she do/ want to do? "I can act if you'd like. Except I'm in the Union." Not a problem for me! 'Cept that I HATE paperwork.

So we all jumped in. Played. And believed that we wouldn't waste our time. We got the category we wanted (not that we knew any better). A buddy film. Sit and jabber. Let 'em roll. See what happens.

But we did so much more than just let em roll and get what we get. We started there. Doria said it. And she echoed a line in our climate change documentary project. "You begin where you are, man." We cut the specific line (remember that 7:00 thing??), but the thought permeated.

And Sean... alive from the first moment. He and Rick started improvising at Gill's Indian restaurant next to the Double D Comics (no other filmmakers were hungry?) right after we got our assignment. They started playing with elements.

Sean was alive and awake at – was it 5 or 6 AM as we began to plan the shoot, Rick was in by 6AM (doing the morning show on NHPR gets him going pretty early most days).

And the same on Sunday. Sean and I were up with the sun, cutting away. Could have used those 4 hours of sleep for a sound mix at about 6:41 PM Sunday. But jumped in the car and flew to Manchester Karmic radar detector set for every corner.

Thanks Chris and 48 hour Project folks. You kicked some life into these old guys. Well, Sean & Rick aren't so old.


Somewhat cross posted on our blog
coruway.blogspot.com


these old guys. Well, Sean & Rick aren't so old.





The above photo is why we wanted to use Jay's XDCAm:

Still pretty much as the camera recorded it, lit by two street lights, 7:56 PM (or thereabouts)

Friday, June 12, 2009

Uncle Joe Awards

The winners of last night's Joe Rogers Award for Independence were given at a packed hall in Boston. In this profile we learn the steps Michael Greene and Dennis Machado have taken to get where they want to go.

What a night! What a week! What a life!

As I get ready for the 48-hour film project beginning today I’m just getting over a previous 48-hour film project.

Last night was Awards Night – the Annual Celebration & Fundraiser for Work, Inc. a non-profit service provider in Massachusetts that supports people with developmental and psychiatric disabilities. One of the evening’s awards is the Joe Rogers award for independence in honor of my uncle and dedicated to his determined spirit. The award is presented by Joe’s family and my dad, Mark Rogers, performed the honor of presenting the awards to Michael Greene and Dennis Machado. As part of the celebration we have, each year, created video profiles of all the nominees and winners.

We had another profile this year: the 2009 Work Inc. Consumer of the Year. Maura Sullivan is inspiring in her quest to connect with others and her leadership in helping others with disability to similarly connect. There is still a bit of last night’s dinner on this monitor – don’t want to admit working till the last minute, but it does seem forensics might ID remnants of the roast beef served up. We were glad to provide this profile of Maura Sullivan – done with time to enjoy desert.

Thanks to Jim Casetta, CEO of Work Inc. and Jim Cawley, development director, and President of the Boston City Council, Maureen Feeney, who was nothing short of inspiring in her position of MC for the evening event. And to Joe Rogers for leading the way; David & Terry Rogers, Mark & Susan Rogers, Barbara Rogers and in memory of Leonard Rogers.



cross posted on Bald Guy on Climate Change and My Uncle Joe.org

Saturday, June 6, 2009

How to party with Bode Miller – on not

I am terrible at throwing a party.

It’s not that I don’t have something to offer – not embarrassed about the food, the conversation, the entertainment, the other friends, nor do I care if the party is for 4 or 400. I’m about typical when it comes to social quotient. I both like being with people and being alone. No shortage of entertainment in either place.

It’s just the logistics of a party. The f-ing details. And the question of why.

Making a film – or any creative endeavor is a little like throwing a party. You invite people you know to participate. You give them a sense of why, when, where, who. Like a barn raising. But, of course the difference is, unlike a barn-raising, many (most??) projects take more than a day, a weekend, a month... So at the end of the party you say, “Hope you had a good time! See you at 6 AM tomorrow for doughnuts and coffee!”

Not a popular closer for most.

But even for the singular, one-off, run of-the-mill party it’s still a basic question of who, what, where, when and embedding the why in there. Do we need to know why we should party? I think it’s handy to know if we’re to buy tupperware, drink like Lawrence, or catchup with old friends, yes.

And there’s the rub. Work to have fun? How come?

Here’s the connection, tangential as it might be. I was talking with a friend about wanting to make a fort for my kids. He said excitedly that he had a fort he was looking to move, his son having gone off to college and the big wide world. My friend is a builder and his fort is solid. Cool for us! But we’ve got to get a crew to move it. Now moving a fort is not quite party material, just needs a few guys to grab corners and heft the thing into my friend’s trailer. But how to make that happen. I stink at throwing parties. One time I invited friends to a party then didn’t show up. True story. That’s when I knew. And it seems especially bad when the purpose is to get friends to do something for me.

I’m actually pretty good on the communication of that last item. It’s a matter of being honest, straightforward and staying away from any guilt trips – YOU OWE ME! It’s the time thing. And it’s THE CIRCLES OF CONNECTION. I bet my cousin in Connecticut could help. Or my brother in Columbus. Or my friend in Massachusetts. But it has to be realistic. A real fort needs people in close enough circles. And then there is the issue of the social circles. A “hefting of the fort” can be a good way to join circles – my local friends, to my film friends.

Connection and the why. The fort needed 4 people to move. Tim, my friend the builder, me and two others. I made a few calls to local friends and could find only 1. So the 2 of us showed up at Tim’s house.

Tim builds houses. So the fort was really a little house. On 7 foot four by four stilts. Around a tree that burned down leaving the fort standing. Amazingly the 3 of us lowered the building to the ground, using the concept of leverage and a deep and abiding faith in God. Once to the ground we realized that there was no way the 3 of us, or even 4 guys heftier. Tim’s built like a house framer, but, me and David are finish carpenters, at best. So we need at least 6 people. A bigger party. For another day of fun.

And it hit me. I like helping friends out. I like hanging out. I like creating. I like helping others create (editing, shooting, writing...). I hate organizing schedules. Does anybody? Some tolerate it better than others. I work with one such person. But I just want to hang out with friends. Hang with creative folks, even those who don’t think they are.

I’ve been out at Sundance a few times. One time I was there for a screening of my Bode Miller film, Flying Downhill, showing at the competing XDance. I was at one of the Sundance hotels looking for a friend, hyping (inviting him to) my screening. And as I was being as cool as possible to fit in – arrogance works as well in a pinch. I could see the buzzing of little parties. One group was assembled around their film and it seemed that some of those party-members sole purpose was to wrangle other partiers to attend their film. Some of the group were solely “ticket-givers” and knew who should sit where. These were professional party people, not amateurs like me. They knew where everybody should stand at the party. And what kind of vodka was in. And out. Don’t know if this was the group associated with another party (film screening) scheduled for the same time as mine. But my friend told me that he had to go to that party, even though he had seen the film and the distributor had already been chosen. He simply had to get more of Little Miss Sunshine. Even though I hadn’t seen it... how could a reckless skier compete with a kid with a great smile, not to mention my hero, Alan Arkin. Our Bode party was good, but would have been better had Bode not been such a good partier (or, at least talked about such before the party).

People who are good at social media look like they are good at a party. But really it’s all about a simple conversation. No problem. My mon, who seems to be good at parties, taught me that many people feel awkward at a party. You just talk. Be yourself. Listen.

I gotta run to find some friends to move a fort! And hang with the kids.

But I do want to pitch that I’ll be working with Sean Hurley and some other friends on the 48-hour film project. We’ll begin at 7PM Friday, June 12 and the party ends Sunday night at 7PM. A movie in hand.

We never had a wrap party for our Bode film because it was moving with us as we went. One such party was in Park City, 2002 after the final Olympic slalom. At 4 AM I walked out from my bedroom and told Bode and the 20 or so others in the living room playing coin games that it was time for me to get some sleep. Thus, end of party. He said “That’s cool.”

We need someone in our endeavors who likes to throw a party. Me, just let me cook and talk. I’ll clean up after. Eventually.

Cause a good party can even help promote climate change solutions. Really.