Cave Walls Cinema_Ebertfest

Don will be traveling to Roger Ebert's annual "Overlooked Film Festival".
He posted his first blog about "Ebertfest" (as it's commonly called).
His Blog address is

http://cavewalls-cinema.blogspot.com

Don will be traveling to Roger Ebert's annual "Overlooked Film Festival".
He posted his first blog about "Ebertfest" (as it's commonly called).
His Blog address is

http://cavewalls-cinema.blogspot.com

post script

The script was posted by Tina Leach by the way.

Script

K, so here is a very very very rough draft of the script for the movie we talked about last time. I also have the short story that I wrote that it's based on. It's open to suggestion, as I've never written a script before. (but be gentle, I am a tempermental artist after all)
-----------
INT. THEATER.

DIRECTOR is holding two resumes and perusing them. He is looking straight ahead at two men that are off-camera.

DIRECTOR
Great guys, I assume you can start immediately?

Camera pans to show that the interviewees (NINJA1 and NINJA2) are ninjas. The Ninjas stand still and make no remark or gesture of any sort. Camera stays on them long enough to ensure that they will not speak.

DIRECTOR
Well alright. Welcome aboard.

Both ninjas look at each other and glare. A small glare, but a noticable one.

Fade out

INT. THEATER

Several shots of the ninjas as stagehands. Show a set, then cutaway, then the set is changed. NINJA1 and NINJA2 are in the same place. Sort of a montage. Show sets changed before actors are changed clothes.

INT. THEATER during a performance. Sound of applause and curtain goes down. NINJA1 and NINJA2 walk onstage. ACTORS are standing by watching backstage. Several cutaways from NINJAS to ACTORS to show how fast things are taken down.

SLOW MOTION shot of a board dropped by NINJA2 that lands on NINJA1’s foot.

NINJA1 kicks away board.

Both NINJAS stare at each other. Camera holds on this for suspense.

ACTORS stand by. No one moves. One of the ACTORS coughs. NINJAS immediately adopt a fighting stance.

Cue sound of a gong.

Camera pans to see a group of MARTIAL ARTS EXPERTS1 of all types running in to take a fighting stance behind NINJA1. Camera holds on this, then pans to NINJA2 where a second group of MARTIAL ARTS EXPERTS2 run in to take a fighting stance behind NINJA2. Both sides freeze in their poses.

one of MARTIAL ARTS EXPERTS2 (line will probably change)
Mortal Kombat!!!!

Cue the techno music. Then there is Ninja fighting. DIRECTOR looks around confused at where the music came from. All of ACTORS stand by starting fascinated and horrified and will be killed in some way by the crossfire. Only DIRECTOR survives. Fighting eventually becomes 1 on 1 (a disembodied voice in the background says things like “finish him” or “Fatality”), with winner from one fight will fight another winner until only NINJA1 and NINJA2 survive.

DIRECTOR runs into his office.

INT. DIRECTOR’S OFFICE

DIRECTOR searches through his desk until he finds his cd case. DIRECTOR rushes out of office. Walks around through theater searching for where the music comes from. As he gets closer to it, the music gets louder. NINJA1 and NINJA2 are about to fight, they take their fighting stance.

cut to DIRECTOR finding stereo system playing techno music.

cut to NINJAS about to fight

cut to DIRECTOR hitting stop on stereo.

cut to NINJAS staring at someone offscreen. They drop the fighting stance.

cut to DIRECTOR putting a different cd in the stereo.

a very, very sad song begins to play (something like Eric Carmen’s “All By Myself.”)

cut to NINJAS who immediately start weeping and then eventually sit on stage still crying.

DIRECTOR walks over to NINJAS

DIRECTOR (to NINJAS)
You killed all my actors, got blood all over my sets, and overall have caused me a whole lot of stress. That’s it. You’re both fired.

NINJAS drop heads in shame and leave the theater.

DIRECTOR
I’m never hiring ninjas again.

END

Fimmaker's Worksop Meeting Notes of 2006_04_02

Alabama Filmmaker's Co-op Workshop
Sunday, Apr 02, 2006, 2:00, Flying Monkey Arts Center

Type of meeting
Workshop
Meeting called by
James N. Reynolds, Alabama Filmmaker's Co-op Secretary
Attendees

Trevor B.
Tina L.
Jim R.
Don T.


Topics
Num.
Topic
Responsible
1.
Showed Trevor the Film Co-op library
Jim
2.
Libel Mouse (name was Don's idea)-
A mouse that gets revenge for its species by
suing mankind for injuries
Don, Tina, Jim
3.
Told by Catherine S. that the current “lounge area” is going to become a sound studio that Walter A. is donating to the Flying Monkey as long as he has access to it.
Jim
4.
Discussed separation of channels for the sound system we may get for showing films. Home theatre splits may be a problem for the audience in the back.
Don
5.
Brought up that the Film Co-op is building an archive for other film/videomakers to use.

Raw footage

Suggested using the mini-DV format and placing on DVDs with MPEG and Quicktime formats.
Jim


Don
6.
Talked about working on her puppet movie
Tina
7.
Will donate an older video card, but the film coop still needs a computer with enough power to video edit.
Jim
8.
Summer movie making workshop. Will be on Saturdays sometime in the Summer if anyone wants to volunteer to help him.

This time he knows to start with some of the kids who are writers

Had thought about doing an animation workshop in conjunction with SciQuest but they already have 2 animation programs for kids and hadn't heard back form them for any other connection with our film/video workshop.


Don

Anna Sue (not present)
9.
Needs to borrow the use of a trampoline for footage if anyone knows of anyone who'd be okay with that.
Tina
10.
Found a link (he couldn't remember where) of an
interview of a screenwriter (might have been the one who wrote Rainman) who talked about workflows and processes.
Trevor
11.
We'll start using the workshop to start videoing actual stories and things as well as showings.

Offered to write a shooting script
Don, Jim

Tina
12.
Locations

Interesting places to use to film/videotape in Huntsville and surrounding area.

Building a list for future use.

Example: Off of Dallas Street in the 5 points area where the old fie training academy used to be is a drainage ditch that has two really neat-looking stone archways. Shoot close on that an you can use it as a location or a second unit shot.
Jim
13.
Filmmaker friendly sites and the liaison for use

i.e. Chris B. and Curtis for OTCS


said Chris at Burning Nun was okay with her using that as a location


Jim, Don, Tina


Tina
14.
Discussed doing “experiments in style” from the same script, like one could be all extreme closeups.


Discussed a movie he saw at Roger Ebert's Overlooked film festival called Overtime that was shot in 70mm in long distance.
Jim

Don
15.
Firefly movie from the TV show had an explanation of how they did what looked like long continuous shots.

They would do a “whip pan” at a key point where its much harder to tell where an edit is.

They set-up two sets and edited to suit,
Trevor
16.
Knowing your ending helps a lot

Character Animators start with beginning pose and ending pose and wok on the middle and back and forth.

Just writes from the beginning and it usually just works out
Don


Jim


Tina
17.
Quote he couldn't remember where from:

“Stage plays are better verbally. Movies are better visually”

and

Neil Simon quote for comedy:
“Write Jewish, cast British”
Don
18.
Next Month we will start working on shoots for short movies during the workshop as well as showing things.
Jim, Don, Tina
19.
Cut-aways:

when 2 shots, it looks stilted.

When 3 shots, it has a better flow.

Don
20.
Tricks he learned from wedding photography:

Get a little bean bag a little bigger than your camera and you can use it as a stable base.

When you can't use a clapboard because you have to be quiet at an event you can use a photo flash. You use the white frame to sync up with any other sources.
Don
21.
Remember to check and post (please, others, post as much as you can, especially about your projects and useful information, like your podcasts or homepages, vlogs, videos, etc.)

filmcoop.blogspot.com

and

the livejournal

film co-op community
Jim

Additional information:

The next scheduled meeting of the Alabama Filmmaker's Co-op Workshop :
Sunday, May 07, 2006, 2:00, at the Flying Monkey Arts Center