KGB Productions

How does one get better at ones craft? Easy. You learn by doing, and thereby is the crux of the problem. I haven't been doing as much as I should. Filmmaking isn't easy, but with the digital revolution it has gotten a bit easier to create something. All you need is a DV camera and a computer with a fire wire port. Yet the Internet is littered with all sorts of videos, and video clips. Has anyone taken a look at YouTube. The website contains a lot of interesting videos along with some (okay a lot) not interesting videos. Seems everyone has a web cam or a DV camera. But I'm more traditional. You have a story, you write a script, and you get your talent & start shooting. There's a process, and I like it. It can get complicated, and expensive, but it really isn't that hard. The hardest part in all of it is to get the people together at a particular time. You all know my thoughts on pay or non payment of talent. I've come to the conclusion of "...

On occasion I head on out and try to see what's new at the local video store. You know that building that has a lot of DVD's where you choose which movie your going to watch that evening. It seems like yesterday when there were so many of those mom & pop stores that had actual video cassettes of movies that you once saw or never heard of. In the 80's it was all about action adventure, horror videos & porn. Very few studios released their films onto tape as quick as they do know. Today it seems as though a film that was playing three months ago is easily available on DVD soon after its release. It's the nature of the beast. In todays marketplace there are companies now such as Netflix that deliver DVD's to your door. It has become a consumer orientated driven business. At one time you get a name actor in your film & have some exploitative elements in your film and you were guaranteed a release, but now it's different. The DV revolution kind of put a m...

I've been writing more here about films I've seen then films I want to do, and that is a bit annoying. So here's a post from the heart, and what I've been wrestling with. I had seriously considered folding the company known as KGB Productions, Inc. There has been little activity, and I certainly haven't made any profit from the company. It cost me about $150 to $200 dollars a year to keep it open a year, and it has always been something of a reminder to me of why I formed the company in the first place. And that reason was and is to make movies. I haven't been doing that, and it bothers me. My day job as a media technician for a school district keeps me busy. I cover events, sports, and award ceremonies for their in-house cable outlet. I like what I do, and I like the people I work with. I'm also frustrated in that I know I can do more, and I have other things I want to say. That's where KGB Productions comes in. It's my outlet. My wife is a partner ...

So no reviews, and no production news. Just some thoughts at the end of this year. I've been trying to make this blog a blog that deals with filmmaking, but real life always interrupts. I'm basically an AV geek who is fortunate to work in a field where I can use my skills, but I've been trying to get inspired, and do another film. A film that counts, and a film that if it winds up to be the last film I do I'll be happy and satisfied. So hence the schizophrenic blog entry. I guess we all sit down this time of year and count blessings, and for others it's a time of deep depression. There seems no in-between here, so we do what we can, and push on. Filmmaking has been something of a saving grace for me. It feed my dreams, and helped me focus in those wayward years called the teens. It's also inspired me in my adulthood, and I've seen some great films in the past that sometimes just come and go. You would think more people would see them, and be inspired by thes...

I noticed that I haven't posted here in a while, and its not because I haven't anything to say it's because I have too much to say. To make a long story short I've been hashing around ideas and thoughts for a new project. I've also been keeping busy at work with various events needing my assistance. But the main thought is what to do as a next project. I want to do so much but before I go down that path I need to make sure that the story and the project is worth doing. Because I have a feeling I'll be living with this one for sometime. Short or feature? I really don't know. I've come to the conclusion what ever better fits the story I'll do, but first I need to write it. I can tell you that it has a lot of personal stuff in it. About mortality, the relationship between fathers and sons, and just plain generational stuff that makes us who we are. If that sounds vague its not on purpose it's just that I don't have a handle on it all yet. Like I...

So after seeing some good cinema the past few weeks my mind goes on to wanting to do something myself. I even put on a documentary on the making of " The Texas Chainsaw Massacre ". Not the remake, but the original by Tobe Hooper . While watching the documentary I began to wonder how does a movie like TCM or " Night of the Living Dead " get made. Now these are two American horror movies but one could also look at such films as " 400 Blows ", " Breathless ", " Citizen Kane ", and " Easy Rider " as films that are now classics and will always be classics. It fascinates me on how these films were ever made. A lot of them were made on a low budget, and with a lot of blood sweat and tears from the filmmakers. But the one factor that comes into play about them all is that these films were made by a person with a unique vision who then assembled other like-minded people in order to create the final film. Sometimes it’s just pure luck t...

What can I say about this film that hasn’t been said before. “ Children of Men ” is one of those films that after seeing it you just can’t get it out of your head. Alfonso Cuarón brings to life a near future that is bleak and dying. A world without children and a world slowly sinking into oblivion. He uses immigration, jihads, rebellion, and apathy to create a world that seems to have no hope. Using today’s headlines Cuaron shows us a glimpse of a world that could be. The film is based on P.D. James novel “Children of Men” and was published back in 1992. The movie provides us with such a unique view of the world that you’ll want to know more on how we got there. My only suggestion is go read the book. “ Children of Men ” is one of those films that takes hold of you and doesn’t let go. It will affect anyone who sees it. I swear that after seeing it I just wanted to rush back home and hug my boys. I wanted to hear them laugh and run amuck as children do. I really can’t attest to Cuaron...

So after seeing the other night the original film " Rocky " on TMC I had to see the last and final one in this franchise known as Rocky. I am a BIG admirer of the first one, and still find it today a very inspiring and tender story both in its story and in how the movie was made. To say that the original film came out of nowhere is an understatement. The film was about an underdog and it championed the underdog to mythic levels. I don't care if you're into boxing or not at the end of the original you'll feel as you went 15 rounds with Rocky, and when you hear Bill Conti's theme blaring there is no way you can not be involved . The movie rocks and the man who made it rock if you'll excuse the pun is the man Sly Stallone. He's a good writer and a good study of the human condition. Sure Stallone may be more known for his Rambo series then his Rocky, but you can't take away what Stallone wrote. He also stuck to his guns and wanted himself to do the ...