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Ryan Barton-Grimley, or RBG as his most distinguished colleagues refer to him, was born in Harare, Zimbabwe in the mid-1970's. There, he bravely battled blood-thirsty lions and mad wilder-beasts for just shy of a decade before moving to the US with his family. After doing hard time at various public and private institutions and almost getting degrees in nine other fields of study, RBG graduated from UCLA with a prestigious degree in Art History. This astounding feat of academic excellence encouraged him to delve deep, like deep-deep, like really super-deep-deeply into the dark and mysterious world of performing and visual arts which eventually led to his writing/directing feature film debut, THE TRUTH starring John Heard, Brendan Sexton III, and Daniel Baldwin in 2009. This stunning piece of independent film was distributed worldwide in 2010, much to the chagrin of film critics everywhere. RBG is currently working on a slew of half-hour single-camera shows, comedic features, and believe it or not... hard-edged thriller/horror features. He's also co-founder of the website CATNUTS.COM where you can view short content he may have directed and/or written recently. Lastly, keep an eye out for improv shows he does at the Upright Citizen's Brigade and please follow him on twitter... @1funnydirector. He thanks you!
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Posts
- Mar 09, 12
I've recently come to terms with a major inner demon that was extremely counter-productive and really confusing my work habits, not to mention making my career trajectory very very blurry. I first heard the saying in a conversation with my good friend writer/director Steven Curley who works as an assistant on House of Lies(lucky devil). We were discussing a pilot he sent me about a stalker and how it was such a delicate balance getting the comedy in there and keeping the stalker stuff. I thought he did a great job, by the way. Then he said it… He said he'd realized recently that he was not really a DAWN OF THE DEAD guy after all. He was in fact much more of a SHAUN OF THE DEAD guy pretending to be a DAWN OF THE DEAD guy. It was a big get for him and freed him from having to do all this darker stuff he was constantly pushing to satisfy his idealist view of himself as an artist(I'm paraphrasing)
Well, I totally get it. I have been struggling with the same thing and I'd like to declare powerfully and unapologetically that I too am waaaaaaaaay more of SHAUN OF THE DEAD guy then I was or ever will be DAWN OF THE DEAD. There I said it. The weight is lifted. Onwards and upwards! - Feb 14, 12
Writing the funniest draft of a feature right now. It's called SLEEPER CELL. It's a super fun indie spy comedy that I literally can't wait to shoot on a shoe string! It's the funniest thing I've written.
NOT HOPELESS is an improv group I'm a part of that has been practicing weekly now for 3 months. We're doing a show in March…. We'll be doing a HAROLD! More on that later.Also starting UCB improv 301 class w/ Todd Fassen. I'm excited as CONVOY is one of my favorite teams. Look out! - Feb 14, 12
Relating to the last post...
THE WRITING:
Got a working draft of the feature MEMORIAL. It's high school. It's dark. It's multi-dimensional. Heck there's even some redemption for good measure. Got a draft of a revenge film named AMALIA. It's got social commentary, illegal immigrant underworld, and the hardest edged violence I've ever written. Oh and most of it is in Spanish. Rosetta Stone is in full effect. #3 is a secret for now.
TECHIE:
Just got my hands on a Rokinon 35mm f/1.4 lens for my 60D. With the cropped sensor, it's about a 50mm. It's gonna come in handy with all the natural-ish light shooting I'll be doing on the three projects! Looking for a Tokina 11-16mm zoom and some kind of steady-cam setup next. I'm also really studying up on lighting for DSLR which is something I've always wanted to do, but never got around to. I feel it's all about practicals and augmented natural light.
THE TRUTH:
Finally got foreign rights back from Nonstop and a dear friend is currently shopping it around. Feeling hopeful that we'll get some more territories sold and get seen in Europe and Asia finally.
Lastly, I'm on the hunt for a new city to shoot in. I need good looking locations that are unique. Oh, and talented, unspoiled talent and crew… Hmmmm… Gonna have to search long and hard for that one! Just kidding. - Feb 14, 12
The plan for 2012 is finally in and it's a slate of films…
We are going to shoot THREE features with film festivals and digital distribution in mind. All original scripts written by me, talented unknown actors, original scores, directed and shot digitally by yours truly, with small crews between Southern California and Portland Oregon. Over and out. - Jan 10, 12And… I hope you die a painless undiscussed death and disappear from my consciousness forever. 2011 = a closed chapter.
On that note: HELLO 2012! I can't believe you're already here. I feel so unprepared and yet so hopeful for what you're gonna send my way. I'm going to work around the clock and milk every darn second out of you. By the time I'm done with you, you're gonna need a break 2012!And now a quick catch up… I'm finishing up the second round of improv at UCB in a couple weeks with a show on 01/21 at 4pm on the main stage at the UCBLA theater. So please come. Tickets are $5 and we'd appreciate the support.In CATNUTS news… Our 4 LEXUS MAN shorts are weeks from being released. They look amazing and are really funny! We're just working on our opening and fine tuning the cuts, so look out for one of those to be released each month through April.In THE TRUTH news… RBG Films LLC is getting the foreign rights back and will be doing a big push internationally. Can you believe there are whole countries out there that don't yet know THE TRUTH! So if you're anywhere but North America and the Middle East, look out for The Truth at your local video store or On Demand cable service this spring and summer, finally.In FAMOUS news… Ari and I are gearing up to shoot the rest of the scenes and are already working with a 25 minute rough-cut, so someday quite soon we should have a full comedic feature. Imagine that!In WRITING news… Ari and I have been swapping drafts of two different half-hour single-camera shows and they're starting to get really funny. We're hoping to wrap them up this month. Additionally, I've been polishing a draft of teen mystery-slasher THE MEMORIAL to shoot this summer after FAMOUS. I'll be setting up a Web site for that soon so that folks can follow along with the production process. It'll be a fun ride.So that is it! Get to damn work people! - Dec 07, 11
A few months ago, I decided to take a break from the serious world of indie feature filmmaking/writing and get the hell out of my head…. 2011 seemed to be all about adjusting to the fact that I am becoming more attracted to comedy, less attracted to serious fare, but have had no real in depth exposure to the world of comedy beyond my own projects.
So with that in mind… I decided to check my ego at the door and start studying comedy properly, starting from scratch, and in a community that fit my particular sensibility…. here: http://losangeles.ucbtheatre.com/
Today, I finished 8 weeks of sketch-writing with UCB comedy writing guru Lee Rubenstein and I'm already 3 weeks into the second round of improv with the always funny and inspiring Mr. Johnny Meeks. Now, I'm not gonna lie… It's been seriously challenging!
The sketch-writing is a completely different animal than what I'm used to and the learning curve has been very steep. That being said, I feel it's already paying off in the other projects I'm writing. It's all about identifying what you find funny(the game) and then heightening that in surprising ways. It feels incredibly formulaic at first(and after 8 weeks) but I feel that I may be onto something here. I'm going to take the next round and see where it takes me. Hopefully, I'll be putting some sketches up by mid year on the main stage. We'll see.
The improv was also really hard at first, but it now feels like I couldn't live without it! I confess that I'm addicted! I'm even part of a side practice group that's meeting once a week. I feel the improv is helping me be both more creative and focused when I'm writing. Not to mention, it is so damn fun! My intention is to carry on through all four levels. I may audition for a Harold Team or for a Maude Team as a performer. We shall see!
On the work front… All the Killer Friends are finished and posted. Lexus Men are being cut as we speak. Ari and I are each doing drafts of two single-camera half-hour projects as an experiment. Soon as all that's done, we're going full on FAMOUS. We'll be shooting the rest of it it in late January/February. Hopefully we'll have a final cut by the summer. We're also going to shoot 3 more killer friends and possible some more short stuff.
Alright, look out for more stuff on CATNUTS.COM and follow my TWITTER... @1FUNNYDIRECTOR for astute observations about everything. - Oct 27, 11
WHAT A CRAZY MONTH!
I started an Upright Citizen's Brigade improv class and then to over-extend myself even more, signed up for their sketch writing class too. They've both been great. Really grounded teachers, good peeps in the classes, and learning a lot about comedy that is not my brand, and just directing and writing in general. That's always good, right?
Did a complete re-edit of KILLER FRIEND 2 and KILLER FRIEND 3, posting those as we speak to youtube, facebook, and the Web site. Also did a ground up edit, sound mix, and color correct on 4 & 5 in the series that will be posted between now and the end of the year. Rough-cuts of all 4 LEXUS MAN shorts as well. I realized that I need some new stuff out there and this stuff has been burning a hole in my pocket, so… wala!
Lastly and most importantly, I had major shoulder surgery to repair an 80% tear in my left rotator cuff. Talk about throwing a wrench in the works… I've only been able to actually type with both hands this week, hence the flurry of one-handed editing!
I should be back to top form though by the end of the year and then it will be time to shoot, Shoot, SHOOT! Catnuts shorts, sketches, dare I say it…. we're going to finish up latest feature: FAMOUS.
Oh yeah, look out for all the new viral shorts on catnuts.com, facebook us, check out our youtube channel. - Sep 13, 11READER FEEDBACK:
So, I sent out a draft of THE MEMORIAL to my usual readers. I would describe it as a metaphysical re-invention of the traditional teenage slasher film with some pretty challenging timeline stuff and boy did I get some differing feedback.
The first crop of readers disliked the script to the point of not being able to give me any feedback on the actual script. Rather they suggested complete tonal, plot, and character changes, or complete abandonment. So no actual feedback on the script I sent, nothing really which was a bit depressing as I really liked the draft.
Now this not uncommon when you push the boundaries of a genre and write stuff that is out of the box regarding linear timelines and multi-dimensions and stuff. And heck, sometimes you think you're doing some really cool stuff and are just way off the mark. I mean, that's why you send your stuff to your trusted readers, to get the real unbiased skinny on what you're actually writing as opposed to what you think you're writing. Needless to say the second-guessing was creeping in bigtime. In fact I found myself int his weird position where I really liked what I'd written, knew it had some issues that I wanted to address, but was thinking I might put it on the back burner for a while to work on some stuff more promising… but then something really confusing happened….
My next crop of readers read the same exact draft of The Memorial. Weirdly, the same aspects of the script that bothered the previous readers enough to suggest abandoning it, were the exact things that made these newer readers LOVE the script. These were the parts of the script that made the read for them and felt were what set it apart from their usual horror reads. Confusing to say the least!
I guess it just goes to show, you really never know how your material will hit someone. And you really just need to write what turns you on. If there are issues with things being confusing, derivative, undeveloped, over the top, etc… those are things you should consider especially if multiple readers bring it up. But when it comes to the purely subjective stuff, story stuff, your stuff, you really have to be careful and stick to your original idea, come hell, come high-water. You need to protect it like the baby chic it is. It's your creative vision at it's core, follow it, protect it, be open to feedback, but take it all with a grain of salt. As William Goldman said "Nobody knows anything in this business. If they act like they do. Watch out." Anyway…
HOLLYWOOD REBOOTS:
Lastly, and this is on a completely different note…. I am not happy about the reboot of POINT BREAK! Lame, lame, lame, lame, LAME! Who on earth would think that's a good idea? Fire them!
http://www.thewrap.com/movies/column-post/alcon-entertainment-rebooting-point-break-30911OTHER NEWS:I'm getting rotator cuff surgery next week and will be completely laid up for a week, so I am going to catch up on a bunch of reading and movie watching! A week later, me and my arm-sling will be attending an improv class at UPRIGHT CITIZEN'S BRIGADE in the hopes of shaking things up a bit and learning some new directing stuff. It'll be fun to get on stage again! - Aug 23, 11PROJECTS:So I finally have a draft of my first feature screenplay as sole writer since ELIJAH'S ASHES in 2009!!!!It's called THE MEMORIAL and it could make a really fun little slasher film. It plays with the traditional conventions of the slasher genre and mashes them up in a blender. Traditional enough to be commercial and accessible, yet original enough to make it a bit challenging. There's some rumors circling around that it might be a spring shoot in Oregon, but we shall see…. Next up is AMALIA, which is just in the planning stages, but looks to be shaping itself into an unrelentingly dark revenge tale in the vein of "Dead Man's Shoes" or "Deathwish." But what I'm most proud of on this one and what I think will really separate AMALIA from its genre predecessors will be that it's told from the perspective of an illegal immigrant character that's not usually explored in mainstream film and will be told in a mix of Spanish and English. Exciting and challenging! THE TRUTH is still out there doing it's thing domestically and we're restructuring the way we are approaching the foreign distribution, so more on that later…. On CATNUTS, there is a new cut of Killer Friend: Part 2 as well as… finally…. KILLER FRIEND: PART 3! They're funny and silly. I've still got to cut part 4 and 5 and there's some really funny virals called LEXUS MAN on the way too, but more on that later…
READING:
I re-read MISERY and a collection of short stories by Stephan King. He's so good, it's silly! I'm on a Dean Koontz jag now with THE GOOD GUY. It's pretty interesting. Oh, and I also finished GATEWAY which really would make a great film! So please, if you own the rights… I'm available! Besides that I've been re-reading all the SAVE THE CAT books and some books on Joseph Campbell's heroic structure…. good stuff, confining, but good none-the-less.FILMS:ANOTHER EARTH was pretty cool and inspiring. Looks like it was shot for 12 dollars, but great acting and good direction. ATTACK THE BLOCK was awesome! If I ever get to make THE REJECTS, it will definitely be in that neighborhood of tone and action. Too bad the timing with the riots over there happened or else it would be a hit!That's all for now! - Jul 23, 11So, I'm writing… all features, all horror, all shootable on a small budget. And, I'm experimenting with new techniques for outlining and prewriting. Basically, I'm trying to apply more classical structure to my stories and have been trying every screenwriting concept I can get my not-so-little hands on. It's been an interesting experiment.On this latest one, I've held off on doing the first draft until I had 80 cards locked down. I got one for each scene, everything single thing mapped out, in order, most of the dialogue, all the characters, plot dynamics, character arches, transitions, everything, everything, everything… completely done before I pulled the trigger on the first draft. It's definitely been a fine line between stifling the creativity vs. making the creativity maximized for the audience… But once the monster plan is done, banging out the first draft is super easy and almost like shooting fish in a barrel. If you really follow the plan correctly, all your major points, transitions, and dynamics should lay out at the right page numbers in the script too.Books…. I really recommend BIRD BY BIRD, Stephen King's book on writing, both SAVE THE CATS… I'll list more later.Anyway… I'm excited to talk about the rewriting process, but more on thatLastly, I'll be posting a new tighter cut of Killer Friend 2 and a brand spanking new, never shown before Killer Friend 3 later this week, so look out for that!
- Feb 04, 11
So we embarked on our 7-day, cross-country journey from Los Angeles to Palm Bay Florida for the WORLD PREMIERE of "Thanks for the Book" at the 15 Minutes of Fame Film Festival, following Interstate 10 the whole way, shooting 40 some scenes at different roadside landmarks and in the car, totally guerilla with no permission and I was the only crew member.
Our gear…. 2 x Canon 60D bodies, 4 x 16GB sdhc cards, 1 x JAG Monitor X, 1 x 17-50 f2.8 Tamron zoom, 1 x Tokina 11-16 f2.8 zoom, 1 x 24mm f1.4 Canon prime, 1 x H4n audio recorder, 1 x Rhode Stereo Onboard Mic, 1 x Senheiser shotgun mic, 1 x tripod, 1 x cam caddy handheld rig, 1 x Cowboy studio hands-free rig(didn't use it), 1 x Chinese Paper lantern, 1 x 200w photo-flood bulb, 1 x Micro LED battery operated car kit, 2 x lite stands, 1 x Mitchell suction cup rig….
What I learned technically:
1) you can never have enough crew.
2) you can never do enough takes when you're shooting handheld.
3) you can never have enough SD cards.
4) you can never have a wide enough lens.
5) you can never have a long enough lens.
6) you can always use a monitor.
7) you can always use a steadicam.
8) you can always use a bigger car when you're shooting in a car.
9) use your fastest lens in low light even if it restricts your framing.
10) always check your white balance and ISO.
11) always check and re-check your manual audio level, in camera.
12) Monitor X is clunky and needs better affixing method.
13) when in doubt, use the Chinese Paper Lantern.
14) get my own audio gear and get better at quick-n'-dirty audio.
15) find a better handheld rig.
16) get a slider.
17) get a portable power source.
18) get better options for rigging Chinese Paper Lanterns.
19) shoot close-ups with wide lenses.
20) ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS shoot more B-Roll than you think you need.
21) Lastly, shoot flat so that you CAN color-correct.
Anyway, I'm going to be setting up my edit bay this weekend, synch audio, and see what we really have and then the real work shall begin of planning the rest of the shoot, as FAMOUS is at best, only half shot at this point. It's a crazy evolving piece that will be very, very funny and creative when it's done. Hopefully we'll have most of it shot by mid-march and a locked edit by April-ish. I can't wait for it to be seen. Very proud of the indie-spirit that went into this one. A real artistic stamp as they say. More after the footage is analyzed. - Feb 01, 11
So in my last post I pontificated about learning to shoot on dslr cameras etc... I was planning on going through my learning process and documenting the whole thing and then life got in the way, or a project to be exact. Specifically short I did a while back called THANKS FOR THE BOOK got into this small film festival in Florida. It became the seed for a feature mockumentary project called FAMOUS that follows two desperate actors across the country, from California to Florida, to this small film festival in search of fame and fortune. Along the way they get into a bunch of trouble, drive each other crazy, and get to the heart of why they do what they do. It's very funny, basically a mix of "Waiting for Guffman" and "Due Date." I came up with the idea and within two weeks Ari Schneider(writing/producing partner and one of the actors in the real short) and I had a full story and about forty scenes to shoot at different roadside landmarks along the 10 freeway between California and Florida. Casey Graf, the other actor in the real short, was game and after only three weeks from the inception of the idea, we were on the road and shooting!!!
The funny thing was…. I was the only crew member we could afford! More on that later! - Dec 31, 10
So after playing hooky in the blogosphere for almost all of 2010, I am swooping in just under the wire to post.
Starting next week, the first week of 2011, I will be empowering myself as a director by learning to shoot DSLR video myself. Mostly for all kinds of short content. Possibly if I get it together, a feature or two. I will step by step, go through all the gear in my package and document my experience of learning to use it all as I shoot a bunch of short content for our Web site catnuts.com…. I'm excited! It'll be educational for myself and hopefully it will be educational for others. Here's to 2011!!! - Oct 17, 09
I think I'm going to stop trying to predict what I'm going to make next....
WORKS IN PROGRESS:CEREAL KILLER can best be described as throwing an episode of Scooby-Doo, Napoleon Dynamite, and Goonies into a blender and there you have it. It's fun, smart, quirky, and funny and close to being a solid draft+DEADTENTION can best be described as The Breakfast Club + Zombies w/ a co-writer which I haven't done in a while, but it's going really well. It's fun, smart, and scary and a draft in progress.+ELIJAH'S ASHES... I'm doing a tonal rewrite to lighten things up and get more quirky. Trying to bring out more heart in Lawrence, bring out the brother's past and their relationship more.+WASHINGTON PLACE... I'm doing a rewrite to really beef up the back stories and add more conflict and tension with more quirkiness. Trying to make it more original and much more sinister and mysterious.+THE OATH... can best be described as TAKEN in the wild wild west w/ a moral/ethical tilt is in the late outlining stage and is going to soon be hatched... FINALLY!!!As you can see I have at least 5 years of work ahead of me if I were to get this slate going which is of course the plan.Please keep in mind that if you are reading this and decide you like my stuff and want to adapt it into your own... all of it is copywritten and registered with the WGA and I have the meanest lawyer in showbiz so....Also, I'm posting this stuff to hold myself accountable as well as to give students in the future a way to track what I was doing and when.PROCESS:My writing process keeps getting looser and yet more honed in, if that makes sense. Repetition seems to be the reason. The structural elements seem to just push out of the material making themselves know. It's quite cool. I am also using the board a lot with my co-writer which is different than what I usually do and a very cool experiment. Still writing in public places, but also occasionally at home at night after things quiet down. 18th St Cafe and Rumor Mill are my offices right now.THE TRUTH:Is being represented for foreign sales by Nonstop AB out of Sweden. They're really great! Just a straight up, uncomplicated, and very professional company that really seems to have their act together. It's much appreciated. We've also just worked out a deal with Glen Reynolds of Circus Road Films to represent THE TRUTH for US and Canada. We're on the same page about the necessity of the festivals and are starting a big push towards both of the January festivals in Park City for our World Premier. We did a sneak preview in Boston which... could have been better, but at least we got to see how the film played and what needed to be changed. AFM is coming up soon, so we should have a strong showing there through Nonstop and if things work out we'll be getting ready to go out to Park City around the holidays. Fingers crossed!!!!!!MISC:Lately I've been really craving shooting something... anything so I'm going to scrounge around and buy a 35mm adapter for my little Canon HV30 and I'm going to shoot some stuff in the next couple of months. Just montage pieces for my reel to put up on RBG Films Website. Lastly, I'm going to be getting the "Behind the Scenes" footage from THE TRUTH and making some vignettes to put up on our Facebook and too have for whoever gives up a DVD deal. That should be fun too! - Jul 25, 09
Obama was right. It was dumb. On both sides. Just plain dumb.
Healthcare is retardedly expensive. Our healthcare costs more than a mortgage in most parts of the country. Why?THE TRUTH is being considered by top sales agents all over this planet, as we speak. We have already turned down multiple Producer Reps and Sales Agencies who did NOT have our best interests in mind. There is a resounding "thumbs-up" from everyone who has seen it. THANKS!It will find it's place and when it does, it will soar!WASHINGTON PLACE was written in 6 weeks and it will be my next film. It's smart, fast, twisty and I'm going to push it's style to the limits. Super wide. Super tele-photo. Everything moving and gliding. Slick dark style. Ala.... Senòr Fincher & Scorcese with the formalism of Mr. Hitchcock. Paranoid, wet, and stunning. The thrills will actually thrill in this one. I can't wait to make it!!!!!!ELIJAH'S ASHES is now primed to be number three and is on the hunt for future oscar winners to play the brothers. It's a good script, possibly the best I've ever written. I need the clout and the cash to get the right talent to bring it to life and it will sing... sing like golden statue sing.MY NEXT WRITING PROJECTS:JANE DOE, a thriller about a burned out detective, an unidentified girl in a hospital, and potential presidential candidate.THE OATH a bloody pulpy western about a guy who took and oath and must revoke it to save his family.Neither is for the week of heart or stomach. These are not projects for candy-asses, not like any of them are, but there is a genuine exploration of the underbelly of society and of those paid to protect it in both that is real and powerful. I can't wait to make them both.THE KEY TO PUMPING THEM OUT IS STRUCTURE FOLKS. BREVITY AND STRUCTURE. - Jul 23, 11NO REAL RADIO MUSIC IN LA:What the f-ing hell? Ever since indie 103.1 went off the air, there is no real radio station that plays stuff that is current and good. Seriously....? In Los Angeles a major city of 6 million people, one of the largest media markets in the world, the center of media making, there is no real radio station. It's crazy!!!! Is Kcrw's Morning Becomes Eclectic supposed to be enough? As if it actually had some attitude or grit? PLEASE!!!! KROQ you playlist is so 2003, c'mon. There is a ton of real successful music out there that isn't being played and it's mainstream. It's commercial. Everyone listens to it on their ipods, cds, computers, etc.... but none of its on the radio in Los Angeles. WEAK.SUMMER BLOCKBUSTER NIGHTMARE:On the one hand, I'm bummed because I might have extra money in my wallet if I hadn't seen these, but on the other hand, it confirms that I have a place in the industry, or at least I think so. Let the heads roll:WATCHMEN: Really? C'mon really? Please call me next time. I'd be happy to give it a crack.WOLVERINE: Really? C'mon really? Please call me next time. I'd be happy to give it a crack.TERMINATOR: Really? C'mon really? Please call me next time. I'd be happy to give it a crack.Seriously call me for a rewrite, wanna storyboard stuff, conceptualize.... whatever. I'll give ya a week for free, hell I might even donate all my time. I just want to be able to go to a theater and see a big summer movie that doesn't suck, that's all.READING:Just finished THE ROAD and wow...... it is seriously powerful stuff. I can honestly say that I envy the author's work and admire his talent. I picked it up and couldn't stop reading until I was done, no joke, 7 hours. Hillcoat, you did the Proposition and I was jealous of that. Now that you've done THE ROAD, I can honestly say that you are one lucky guy and you have an awesome career. My hat is off to you!WRITING:I blew through another ELIJAH'S ASHES rewrite and it's even better in all it's anti-epic-ness.10 more and it might even be great. Hahahahaha.Next up THE OATH, a hard-boiled western and LEISURE WORLD, a thriller based on a weird story I heard in my giant leisure world-like apartment complex. I'm going to try boarding on both for the first time and try to crank simultaneous drafts. More to come on that.THE TRUTH...is always complicated!Festival submissions are almost done, all the major ones anyway. Our graphics guy will be done with the poster and web design Friday, so a new website will be up within a week or so. Then the hunt for a Sales Agent will begin. Possibly we will cut another teaser by then too!!!! Some PR will hopefully happen soon too so that we can get the ball rolling. Yay!
- Jun 06, 09So we're doing our Wrap party finally. We're projecting the trailer (2:09)a twisted teaser (:29) sure to get the folks riled up, and even a couple of scenes!!! Everyone and their neighbor wants to see this thing and we just can't bring ourselves to do any kind of screening until its future is more clear. Sorry folks, we're gonna keep the cosmic tension wratcheted up!ELIJAH'S ASHES is coming along splendidly though. It's very nice to get into a brother relationship and all of that stuff. It's a very strange thing that brothers have. Rivalry, jealousy, envy, love, support, humor, inside jokes, etc... It's also really nice not to have to worry so much about plot. And writing for emotionally crippled people sure is fun. It's bound to be a classic. We just need the right guys to play the brothers and then hell... It'll be roll cameras baby!!!RED CAMERAS that is! I think I'm officially a fan. I know that Mr. Soderberg uses them and we had a pretty good experience on THE TRUTH. I like the look in the medium to long lenses. The wide is a bit tougher though. Ahh, things that can be worked around. And man you can't beat the cost, right?So on another note, I was discussing my CURRENT MENTAL STATE with my producer and it occurred to me that one of the things I love most about being a writer, artist, and especially a director is the chance to get completely absorbed in minutiae and micromanaging creative details. Now that I'm done with THE TRUTH, I feel this giant empty feeling, like one of my main senses is no longer being satiated. Time to make another film, hey?
- May 22, 09
THE TRUTH... is always complicated! It's finished. The masters are being made as we speak! Yes! The marketing/PR blitz shall commence with a giant push towards TORONTO. Fingers crossed!
Just read: GOD'S MIDDLE FINGER - travel writer's trip through Mexico's Sierra Madre...Holy Shit it is really bad, like Scarface in the stone ages wild wild west bad within 20 milesof our border. Makes you appreciate the "sunny & seventy" safety of Los Angeles:)Reading: MIDGET by Chuck Palhuniuk - it's an adventure, what can I say. Thanks for being you Chuck! Gonna try to get start THE READER soon as well. I heard it's terrifying. Can't wait.Watched: Friday 13th 1,2,3 + Sleep Away Camp (weird film) + All of Pierre Melville (the master) + HEATHERS (forgot how funny that was) "What's your damage?" and finally....NIGHT OF THE COMET - totally awesome and ready for a remake...? Anyone? Anyone? - Mar 29, 09
Today, Saturday March 29th, 2009 marks PICTURE LOCK of The Truth Is Always Complicated.
We did multiple screenings for all kinds of demographics, not really, but whatever, and got tons of great feedback. We recut, cleaned, viewed and repeated the process so many times my head hurts. I feel older and burned the F@$%* out, but we made it. Carlos Gutierrez Bustillo is an incredible editor and this project was very lucky to find it's way into his hands. It's only a matter of time before others see his talent and he is the busiest man alive! Thank you Carlos!What I learned after 4 1/2 months of editing: Shoot 2 camera, story-board even more if that's possible, story-board with the beats in mind, get more days of rehearsal and shooting for the actors. Give yourself a month for previewing, honing, and finishing. Have an assistant. Have very powerful studio monitors.I honestly can't wait for people to see this film. It is CRAZY!!! I'm still surprised when I see it, even on the 80th time there's parts that make me chuckle and squirm. It's a fun ride. Very funny and doesn't pull any punches. I'm proud!There's some throwing around of new titles for it, but we will see. The one I like sounds too much like a western but connects to multiple parts of the film and has a Tarantino-esque kitchy coolness to it. Others are suggesting some pulpier type titles that are pretty cool, but border on the genre thing too much. We'll see how that shapes up.Well, off to P-Town to work with Mr. Hughes on Monday. I am super excited!!! David is like a sound GOD. His IMDB reads like the who's who of my favorite directors and their projects. There will be some serious transformation happening during this month with him.Additionally, Adrien Capozzi and I have been playing around with the score and we're starting to hone in on a very cool atmospheric sound that is strong and dark. More on that later.More to come... - Feb 25, 09
Well, the family is uprooting from the tiny rent control box and moving on up to leisure world. That's right people. Leisure World!!! It'll be like vacation all the time! But seriously, it'll be nice to live near the boats and having more space will be great too. It is absolutely tragic how reduced rents have become, however ticket sales are up. I guess I'm in the right business after all. Even in a recession things are going buck wild. It's reassuring.
On creative things....Carlos and I are in the final stages of our edit and it's looking good!!! Our audio post and picture post are set up and we're already getting some distributors cold-emailing us about international distribution. Alas the art studio will be a casualty of the move. I'm trying to funnel all that creative energy in a different direction right now, but I'll be back with a new studio in a year or two and a new series.On the new project front...ELIJAH'S ASHES is finished for now. I'm letting it sit for a month before I get back to rewriting. I banged out a draft in just three weeks. It was crazy fast. The outlining really paid off. For the first time I was able to outline a lot and then let it go and flow where it needed to organically. It was surprising in a fun creative way. That will be my workflow from now on.Soon as the month is up, I'm going to get back in there and do minor surgery and fluffage, but it is already a funny heartfelt piece that will really grab people. I feel it could be a real "indie-darling" of a project with the right high calibre talent and a sparse style. It will be sweet. I can see it already, shot on Super16 or the SI2k ala Slumdog.... It'll be a very nice piece.I'm now working on CEREAL KILLER and am looking at three weeks to a month to go. It is seriously the dumbest funniest thing I've ever written. I can't wait for people to read it. It is so CRAZY! My penchant for the lowest forms of comedy are on display for sure. So far there are two major poop jokes and I'm only on page 30. I wanted so desperately to be working on this new thriller, but I knew it needed to marinate a bit longer, so I decided to finally give birth to this crazy little thing in the mean time.OSCARS....Mickey got robbed! I think he is just too much of a stretch for the crusty dusty Academy. He's back and kicking ass. I'd love to work with him, given the right project. I think he's one of the greatest actors of the last thirty years. Diner, Rumble Fish, Angel Heart, and now The Wrestler. No other working actor has the same level of humanity and sensitivity. Very unique. But hey... congratulations Mr. Penn, you did some pretty good stuff as Milk and if you're going to go political, this was a nice way to go. Equal rights! - Feb 12, 09ON WRITING:Finally finished a draft of ELIJAH'S ASHES today. It's going to sit for 2 weeks and marinate all by it's lonesome. It's got some good bones, but needs a couple of passes for each character, a couple passes to add some more funny, and a couple passes to punch up the serious stuff. I'm big believer in multiple passes. Rewrite, rewrite, rewrite. If you're not on draft 10, don't give it to people to read. You're short changing yourself, your original idea and it's development. You have to give yourself the chance to work through the evolution of your idea.I'm now torn between 2 new projects, a cop thriller JANE DOE and a comedy CEREAL KILLER. I guess I'll work on both until one takes precedence. I recommend indulging as many projects as you can wrap your brain around without going crazy and working on them simultaneously. They can feed each other, open up new thoughts, ideas etc..ON FILM:Our website is up thetruthisalwayscomplicated.com and I think it's pretty slick. I can't wait for the trailer to be up, ohh just a few more months.Finally saw THE WRESTLER. Mickey was really really solid. It took me back to the days of Rumble Fish, Diner, Angel Heart. Phenomenal. I did feel the movie was missing an act or set piece, or something even though it was full length. Maybe not enough of the love story. A few more scenes with Marisa Tomei would have been great. It would have built up the ending a bit which would have made it really powerful. Additionally, I wondered where his ex-wife was?It's funny... if Mickey wasn't in it and it wasn't shot on Super16 in it's psuedo-70's style, it would have been totally panned for not having enough meat. Just my opinion of course.I saw MILK. Another fine performance from a real craftsman. Again without Penn's credibility and strength, and again without the psuedo-70's look, I think it would have been panned as being a puff piece. More character development and struggle would have been good. It was all a little too easy and groovy for me.Writing people!!! Re-writing people!!! A couple more drafts are cheap!ON ART:After being a painter for many years, a graduate of the UCLA Art History Department (one of best in the world), and an "art snob" in general, it occurred to me that the art world is in a dismal shape. I was recently invited to an opening by another actress/painter which seems to be a new trend, much like the actress/singer-songwriter trend. The work blatantly ripped off Mark Chagal and Der Blaue Reiter artists Wassily Kandinski and Franz Marc.But it only ripped off their look, their underlying philosophy or any underlying philosophy was absent. Just a pretty shell and empty imitation for the purpose of decoration. I believe this is the anti-educational movement rearing its ugly head in the arts again. How can one consider oneself a painter if you have no idea about those who did it before you. How can your work be considered in the context of TODAY if you are imitating a style from the past, unknowingly and randomly.And by the way, it's not post-modern. Post-Modernism or deconstructionism is unattainable as a style if you have nothing to deconstruct to begin with. You have to know what you're doing to deconstruct it, right?Don't even get me started on all you "DIY" cartoon schilling hacks out there. That's a whole other conversation. To be continued....
- Feb 05, 09February 5th 2009I figured it was probably time to jump on the bandwagon. Maybe it will be nice to have an outlet to rant about all the things that need ranting about.As of yesterday Carlos Gutierrez (my editor) and I have exactly 2 months to deliver a locked cut of THE TRUTH IS ALWAYS COMPLICATEDto David C. Hughes (Master of Post Sound) in Portland OR. I'm really looking forward to going up there and kicking off the process for a couple of days with his team and then hopefully doing some location scouting for my next project. It will also be nice to get out of Lala land for some much needed R&R. I'm hoping to convince the Sim and Parks to come with. we'll see.THE TRUTH is really coming along well. It's turning out really nice, dare I say it, better than expected and quite stylish. I can't wait for people to see it in it's fully finished form. It's definitely got some legs, funny, twisted, smart, and keeps you guessing.My follow up project will probably be another thriller of slightly larger scope, but with my typical compressed time line, twists and turns, with some darkness for good measure. It's going to be a bit more mature, possibly slightly more mainstream, but still sick and twisted. I love it!That's it for now.
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- Forgot how subtly humorous BROKEN FLOWERS is. JJ should do more comedy.
- SNATCH was such a fun film.
- Cats away... Mice can play. http://t.co/SigTgH2B
- I'm flattered a gang of crows decided to squat in our back yard, but it's creepy when they decide to come INSIDE unannounced.
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- Have you seen VEEP? A certain UCB founder is really great on it.
- Great UCB 401 class today w/ mad improv professor Alex Berg of CONVOY. Stay tuned for upcoming shows!
- I know... the second cooking implement I've posted this week. What can I say, we've been eating takeout and http://t.co/siWNpco2
- The breakfast boneyard. http://t.co/oPh7z8XD
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