Working on your dream?

[meatball]

Weak2ndAct and matt35mm, more power to you both. I wish I could be in your positions. I just graduated from film school and I'm suffering from the "hopelessly-sending-resumes-to-everyone-with-little-results" virus. I've done a few day jobs, but damn I really need to get working before my laziness really sets in.

[Raikus]

(Fingers crossed) My dream seems to be manifesting. I've always writen films and now, with our local filmmakers group up and rolling, I'll be making them too. We've been lucky to get some real talent involved in the group; from people that have done this thing before, to film school graduates that never got to apply their love for the craft rightly, and even a former Hollywood producer that lives in the area.

We're beginning preproduction on the first short in May with shooting to begin in August. The goal is to produce about 4 film projects a year varrying from festival quality shorts to docs to features (in the future).

It's been some hard work organizing this (and the actors in the area along with supplimental talents--musicians for scoring, artists for storyboarding, etc.) but it's come together nicely.

I'm excited. And I guess at this point, that's as good as you can get.

[cowboykurtis]

And the hits just keep on coming:

I laugh rereading my October post, because what happened soon after wasn't pretty... So my time unemployed was fruitful for a bit, but I became horribly depressed.  My management and I could not agree on a script for me to work on-- they were definitely pulling me towards a direction way more 'commercial' than I was used to.  Out of some bizarre notion of politeness (and huge heapings of self-deception), I agreed to write an idea they presented me.  Things were okay for a bit, but the fraud revealed itself, and I was stuck with a piece of crap that I committed to delivering.  I did the best I could for a while, but it didn't take long for me turn to heavy drinking and the constant shifting of deadlines.  And worst of all, the cash was vanishing quick-- time to get a new job.  Out of the blue, my old work called and offered me my job back-- it seemed the bitch I hated got fired.  When it came to put-up-or-shut-up on my script delivery, I just flat out told the truth: I hate the idea, I've been shitfaced for months, and you know what?  I'm gonna write something that I LOVE and I'm not going to tell you what it is.  You'll just see it when it's done.  So I put down the bottle and got to work.  A month later, I had my new flick done, and I was convinced it was my best work yet.  I sent it over to 'my people' with the note that said 'oh yeah, I'm directing this too, no ifs ands or buts.  Their response?  Dismissal on the ground of being 'too edgy' and 'independent.'  It was not the Meet the Fockers they were expecting.  Now-- in the past, situations have risen, where someone tells me I'm wrong, this needs to be done differently, there are plot holes, etc.-- something inherently wrong with the basic math of the script.  But that wasn't the case this time.  It truly was a matter of taste.  There was no denying that the work was good, and that variables added up into a cohesive whole-- it was just whether or not they were willing to put in the work to get this going.  The Me of a couple years ago would have just shelved the material and moved on, but I said 'Fuck This,' and walked.  Away from everyone.  I know I'm right.  I've never been so sure of anything.  So I'm back at square one in a way, meeting people and trying to find someone who shares the same enthusiasm I do.  So far so good, I've gotten some good responses, and some people have offered a helping hand.  We'll see how it goes.  And oh yeah, irony alert: after walking, I randomly came up with my most 'studio' idea yet, which I've started working on.

out of curiosity - who are you repped by - you can PM me if you dont want to publicly announce - what kind of buedget are you looking at for this feature?

[atticus jones]

Currently in pre-production (casting) for my short film, Thomas Edison.

I'm going for broke on this one.

I am in San Diego County, actually.  Casting is currently going on between two high schools.  If I don't find what I want there, I'll open it up wider, but I've been involving these two schools, so they have dibs on the auditions.

how does one with such "going for broke" aspirations come up with an idiotic plan to cast a project in San Diego?...you are either still in high school or just plain dense...did you hawk your car trying to create this beast?...I know I am being harsh but my intention is not to be rude...I care enough to take the time to send you this wake up call...I actually mentioned your project this evening to an acting friend of mine and his wife laughed her ass off when I told them it was being cast in S.D....I have a piece of her fine cheek meat to prove it...young man...do you realize you are two hours away from arguably the largest acting talent pool known to man...what's the deal?...two high schools?...in San Diego?...can you swim...come on in...the waters fine

parting advice...if you do not cast experienced, trained, los angeles/ny actors 25-35 yrs old to play early twenties...you are pissing in the wind...the answer my friend is not blowing in this wind...you might be wet behind the ears but youre acting like your all wet...dry yourself off...turn the ignition on...and head north so your project doesnt go south...

friendly words of wiz dumb

[matt35mm]

Currently in pre-production (casting) for my short film, Thomas Edison.

I'm going for broke on this one.

I am in San Diego County, actually.  Casting is currently going on between two high schools.  If I don't find what I want there, I'll open it up wider, but I've been involving these two schools, so they have dibs on the auditions.

how does one with such "going for broke" aspirations come up with an idiotic plan to cast a project in San Diego?...you are either still in high school or just plain dense...did you hawk your car trying to create this beast?...I know I am being harsh but my intention is not to be rude...I care enough to take the time to send you this wake up call...I actually mentioned your project this evening to an acting friend of mine and his wife laughed her ass off when I told them it was being cast in S.D....I have a piece of her fine cheek meat to prove it...young man...do you realize you are two hours away from arguably the largest acting talent pool known to man...what's the deal?...two high schools?...in San Diego?...can you swim...come on in...the waters fine

parting advice...if you do not cast experienced, trained, los angeles/ny actors 25-35 yrs old to play early twenties...you are pissing in the wind...the answer my friend is not blowing in this wind...you might be wet behind the ears but youre acting like your all wet...dry yourself off...turn the ignition on...and head north so your project doesnt go south...

friendly words of wiz dumb

By "going for broke," I mean that I would go to LA if I had to.  But I am not really an LA kind of guy, and I prefer to search for talent elsewhere.  There ARE trained actors in San Diego, many with experience.  Also, I need actors that are younger than 25-35.  The characters' ages are 17 and 18, and that's not changing.

Mostly, I just don't believe that all the talent is in LA and NY.  But I am only starting with two high schools, and then going to a third and fourth and branching out until I find the right actors.  If I'm proven wrong, and it turns out that the right actors don't come along until LA, then I guess I'll have learned a lesson.

[kotte]

But why cast teens?

There is a reason why 25-30 yr olds are cast as late teens.

[matt35mm]

There is a reason why 25-30 yr olds are cast as late teens.

And for the most part, it's not particularly believeable.  I know I certainly heard the laughs when James Van Der Beek and Luke Perry were playing teenagers.

But I know the difference between a good actor and a bad actor (and if I didn't, then it really wouldn't matter whether I looked in LA or elsewhere), so my method of searching for actors really doesn't matter so much as the actors that I find.  And what I say now doesn't really matter, which means that I'll have to let the final film speak for itself.  I know what I want, so I feel comfortable in fumbling around as much as I need to in searching for it, and it'd be fine as long as, in the end, I get what I want.

[kotte]

Weak2ndAct and matt35mm, more power to you both. I wish I could be in your positions. I just graduated from film school and I'm suffering from the "hopelessly-sending-resumes-to-everyone-with-little-results" virus. I've done a few day jobs, but damn I really need to get working before my laziness really sets in.

Seriously, resumes are not gonna get you jobs in film. Make something yourself or visit Mandy.com (great place to find work on productions)...and get the ball rolling.

When I was in NY I had work on sets all the time thanks to Mandy.com.

[atticus jones]

There is a reason why 25-30 yr olds are cast as late teens.

And for the most part, it's not particularly believeable.  I know I certainly heard the laughs when James Van Der Beek and Luke Perry were playing teenagers.

But I know the difference between a good actor and a bad actor (and if I didn't, then it really wouldn't matter whether I looked in LA or elsewhere), so my method of searching for actors really doesn't matter so much as the actors that I find.  And what I say now doesn't really matter, which means that I'll have to let the final film speak for itself.  I know what I want, so I feel comfortable in fumbling around as much as I need to in searching for it, and it'd be fine as long as, in the end, I get what I want.

that's because flames van der geek and puke scarry are shitty actors...wise up young man...

aj's girl (27) just finished a week on csi playing (19)...sho creator loved it

alison lohman was (23) when she played (14)...very well i might add...

knowing the difference between good acting and bad acting has relatively little to do with actually locating talent...i'm afraid your free advice now comes to an end...

the holes in your flawed defense lead me to believe the game might be in jeopardy...

go deep...you need a score

[md]

trying to be a good boyfriend, while also trying to be good to myself...trying to learn logic 7 so i can become the next kayne and hopefully go west young man....experiencing and seeing because it is believing making my dreams into a reality

[jtm]

drinking. heavily.

[matt35mm]

go west young man....

I was randomly proud of myself for getting this reference.