KGB Productions

Okay so after reading Filmmaker magazine’s blog I had to chime in on this. In the latest entry Scott Macaulay talks about the debut of where independent film is headed, and he sites two films that are fueling the fire of this discussion. They are Andrew Bujalski's Mutual Appreciation , and Kelly Reichardt's Old Joy . I have not seen Reichardt’s film, but have seen the trailer in a theater near me. I have on the other hand seen Bujalski’s Mutual Appreciation , and his first film called Funny HaHa . I also have seen Reichardt’s first film River of Grass awhile back, and it was that film that introduced me to Larry Fessenden a filmmaker I admire very much. What kind of got me steamed was the assumption that these two filmmakers are what are defining the American independent film scene of today. In the post Macaulay talks about the discussion about the independent film scene today and where Reichardt’s and Bujalski’s films fit in. Both films seem to be introspective dramas t...

  The above picture is from the shooting of my film “ Deadly Obsessions ”. On this day I took over my cousin & her husband’s house and ran a bit late. The funny thing is that I didn’t use as much footage from this location as I thought I would. In the script Rebecca and Lisa have a bit more conversation with each other, but as I found out in the editing this slowed the picture down considerably. So I took out the footage, and tossed it, but while shooting it I thought I needed it. It was in the script, and I liked it, but after repeating viewings it just killed the flow of the film, and even now looking back I can say that I’d cut some more out of the film to shorten it, but I let sleeping dogs lie. After all it wasn’t “ Heaven’s Gate ” which originally clocked in around 4 hours on its first cut. I did little damage to my cousin’s home, but I was reminded of some scuff marks I had left. Let this be a lesson to all up and coming filmmakers. No matter how small or how little da...

Sven Nykvist died today. He was one of my favorite cinematographers. He'll always be associated with Bergman , but he did do so much more, and he was a great cinematographer. I put him in the same league as Nestor Almendros another cinematographer who passed some time back, but they were very similar. They used simplicity and achieved dramatic results. There is so much more to say about him and his work, but it will have to wait till another post. He was 83 and he was considered the Master of light. God speed Herr Nykvist.

The other week I got to see the movie " Factotum " starring Matt Dillon , and Lili Taylor. It’s based on the writings of Charles Bukowski . Bukowski work was published through self-publications that the author did or published by the underground magazines and press of the time. The movie is based on one of Bukowskia’s books called “ Factotum ”. The word factotum is an old word, which means “a person with many responsibilities, and/or a general servant. The movie depicts Matt Dillon’s character Henry Chinaski a drifter of sorts who had many jobs & who battled the bottle also. The movie is a character study, and the characters that inhabit the world of Henry Chinaski are very interesting. I have always liked Lili Taylor as an actress. She doesn’t do anything halfway. She immerses herself into any role she plays. I first noticed Ms Taylor in the film “I shot Andy Warhol” where she plays Valerie Jean Solanas. She was great as Lisa Kimmel Fisher is the HBO’s series “Six Feet ...

So I recently came across a film that was picked up by IFC. The film is called “ Failure ” and is written & directed by Chris Suchorsky , and it’s about how he failed in making his film. It’s a amusing look at no-budget filmmaking, and its many pitfalls that most first time filmmakers fall into. It’s also very funny, and I was laughing throughout the film. What the film reminded me of my teenage years. It was there that I experienced most of what Mr. Suchorsky experienced in making his films. The no shows, the giggling actresses, and the off set shenanigans that happen when friends work together. Brought back a lot of bad memories, and ones that were quite frustrating. The DVD has two versions of the film. One the IFC version, which is 30, minutes long, and then there is the film fest version, which runs 34 minutes. There are some bonus materials on the DVD too such as a audio commentary with the filmmaker and his two co-horts that helped him. The film goes by fast, and it’s well ...

So I’ve wanted to do this for some time now, and figured this is as good a time as any to start reviewing & also telling you all about other indie work. After all there are a lot of other people out there doing their own thing, and a lot is worth mentioning here. So I’ll start with a film called “ The Box ” by Pete Bauer . No we’re not related or anything. Pete is based out of Florida, and he has his own blog too. I first became aware of Pete when he reviewed my film “ Deadly Obsessions ” for the web site Microcinema . He made some valid points about the film, and I believe I even had purchased a book about microcinema filmmakers he wrote called: “ 20 questions: The Interview series ”. In the book Mr. Bauer interviews several micro-budget filmmakers about their films. The book as well as the interviews in it are insightful, and worth reading. So I ordered a copy of his film “ The Box ” from his website, and decided to take a look. “ The Box ” is a drama about a girl who accidenta...

So I’ve been chewing on my comments about editing for some time, and suddenly I find another post at one of my favorite blogs called Self-Reliant Filmmaking about the long take. Paul Harrill who is the blogs owner has some good points about editing and why some of the movies of late have been in a word not up to snuff. I agree that most of the filmmakers who do seem to cut quickly are first-time directors on modest budgets. Having done my own film in the span of 11 days I do know that time is your worst enemy. No matter how much time you have it isn’t enough. I was always pressured to move on and get to the next shot, yet my movie is not one with quick cuts. In fact it’s been labeled slow. If I had MORE time I would have blocked with the camera and the actors at the locations I was shooting at, but time was against me, and so I couldn’t. I was lucky to have a day before shooting started with the actors, so I’ll count my blessings and chalk it up to experience. My actors had a lot of...

Okay so I've been catching a lot of newer movies that have been either coming out in theaters now, or are finally making their way to cable. The one thing that bothers me of late is the editing of some of these movies. I recently read this article written by Jessica Walter about " The lost art of film editing ", and she has a point. Way back in film school when we edited film we were taught film grammar. Like English film had it's own unique grammar. One can manipulate the image and make the audience feel a certain way by presenting it in different ways. Cinematography was part of it, but editing is where you put it all together. A simple example would be cutting from a long shot of a character to a close-up or extreme close-up of that character. It acts like an explanation point. The suddenness of the cut forces the audience's attention. It happens quick, and fast. Put certain music behind the shot and it becomes something like a jolt. Another example would be a ...

Why do I do it? Why do I always find myself wanting to do another film? I mean it’s time consuming, expensive, and frustrating. Yet just like an addict wanting another fix I revert back to filmmaking. I’ve discussed the whys previously, so why go over old ground. The script I have is almost finished, and I concede that it needs more work, yet I have another idea, and something that is a bit more personal, and maybe more poignant. Should I scrape the first and try the second knowing full well that the idea will not fit in a low-budget format? Maybe I should finish the first, and then take a stab at the second, and then come back to the first after I’ve either finished the second story or explored all it’s options. All this and not a single piece of film has yet to be shot. I itch to get back to production. It’s what I’m good at, and once you line up all that needs to be done all one needs to do is follow through. Maybe that’s the problem my enthusiasm for production overtakes me, and I ...

It's always sad news to hear of another passing, but after hearing that Bruno Kirby passed away on Monday due to complications related to leukemia I just had to write about him. Kirby was to say the least a great character actor. When he was on screen you remembered him. In 1974 he played the young "Pete Clemenza" in the " The Godfather II ". He appeared in several movies & television throughout the years. He played 2nd Lt. Steven Hauk in Robin William's " Good Morning Vietnam ", and he co-starred in " When Harry Met Sally " & " City Slickers " with Billy Crys tal. He also was in " The Freshman " with Marlon Brando , and in 1979 he was in" Donnie Brasco " with Johnny Depp . Recently he played a part in HBO's series " Entourage ". He was an unforgettable actor, and he is going to be profoundly missed.

I had just found out that Candice Rialson had passed away earlier this year in March. It seems many did not know this, and so it comes as a shock to her fans. Ms Rialson was 54. I'm always shocked to hear about another artists death. I was and still remain a big B-movie fan, and one of my favorites is " Hollywood Blvd ." Ms Rialson also starred in Roger Corman's film " Candy Stripe Nurses " a favorite among many teenage boys. These films hold a special place in my heart because it was an introduction to filmmaking, and it was a young boys memory of adolescence. You know the time where those hormones kick in, and things go a little upside down for you. Hey! I'll be the first to confess that it was a young boys lust that really drove his interest in these pictures, but seeing these films today confirms my belief that these films had heart. Sure these films were exploitive, and geared to the drive-in circuit, but they were done in taste. Not like the garba...

So at first you don’t succeed try, try again. That’s how the saying goes I believe, but how do you do it again when filmmaking is such a complex and trying endeavor. I mean it was fun when you were young and you picked up the camera and said to everyone “let’s make a movie”. It isn’t that simple anymore or is it? By making your first professional film do you suddenly throw up your hands and give up on creating another one. As a TRUE independent filmmaker not one that Hollywood labels as an “indie”, but one who is completely outside the system how can I make another film? I mean I don’t see any investors lining up outside my door willing to invest in my next flick. How do I move on, and continue to do what I really LOVE to do? So many questions and yet the answer is always in front of you. As an artist you use what you have on hand. If it’s limited locations, and limited equipment you make due with what you have and tell a story you think is worth telling. There will be a lot of peopl...

I know another review? But since I've been reading a lot about this film, and it seems as though everyone has an opinion I figured I throw in my 2 cents worth. I'll make it brief and to the point. After watching Michael Mann's 2 hour plus opus I had one thought. Interesting story, but sloppy. I know, I know can you do any better? I mean really who the hell am I to say that Michael Mann's film was sloppy? It's just an opinion, and I did go to film school, or at least that's what the diploma says so maybe I know something (just a bit, honest). I was interested in seeing the film because it was shot in HD. Yet Mann did use 35mm, and I know dollars to donuts that I can pick out the shots that are HD, and the ones that were 35mm. (I know freak right). Now I don't have a problem with HD. Collateral looked great, and it had an interesting feel to the film. I also have to applaud Mann for experimenting on a $135 million dollar film. The man has balls and I like...

Okay no more reflective crap! Back to business. The nuts & bolts of making a sub basement budget film. The above picture is some of the cast clowning around. I think it should be a still from my next film called “Force Four from Philly”. I had heard that it was a good idea to have a still photographer on the set, and make no mistake it is, but since we had limited amount of people I did the next best thing. I made EVERYONE a photographer. My wife and I gave everybody some disposable cameras so when ever the mood hit them or they had some down time the cast and some of the crew could take some pictures. It worked out okay, and hence some interesting and silly moments were captured on film. I’ve used the pictures for the web site, and newsletters that I’d send out to the cast & crew on the progress of the film. It’s not a bad idea, but if you can get a pro photographer so he or she can take some nice publicity photos of the cast & crew I’d say do it. A word about the budget ...

So what do I want to do? I mean isn’t that the fundamental question that we all ask? I mean really is this a hobby or something I want to pursue in a more professional venue? I’ve asked those questions countless times in my life, and I’ve come away with many different answers to them depending on when I asked them. Before making my film it was all I wanted to do, and then during the making of the film I asked why am I doing this, and then when the film was completed and all the war stories were behind me I suddenly realized I wanted nothing more then to do it again. Talk about schizophrenic behavior there seems to be no emotion that you don’t go through when you're making a film. All those doubts get magnified, and you wonder why do you go through this self-abuse. Could I not be happy with sitting back and watching others tell their story. The simple answer is no; the film bug long ago infected me and the addiction I talk about only grows stronger throughout the years. I can chal...

I was going to write about the process of filmmaking, and how hard it is to get motivated and make a good film, or at least a film that YOUR proud of. But I'll save that for another day. I've been reading up on Kevin Smith, and all the shenanigans that go into marketing a movie. I thought some of this would be of interest to some of you. I'm still a fan of Smith's, but when I hear things like this it only makes me think, and wonder. Follow the links and you decide. In Jim Emerson's blog he goes on to describe on how Mr. Smith watches his reviews, and fights his critics In Movie City News Mr. Smith is interviewed, and it's a frank conversation about his film. At the IFC blog there is a article called: " The art of storming art ", which covers the controversy of critic Joel Siegel storming out very publicly from a screening of " Clerks II ". It's all about the marketing of the film I guess. They say there's no good or bad publicity...

Okay so I said I wasn’t going to review films here because there are a lot better sites that do it, BUT since I’m a fan, and I do have admiration for Kevin Smith I’m going to. I can’t help it I like the guy. “ Clerks II ” is a funny film, and if you’re a fan of the first you’ll like this flick. I know Mr. Smith would like you to believe he’s an acerbic young punk who has a potty like mouth, and that he’s just a plain old sarcastic young man, but I beg to differ. After seeing “ Clerks II ” I believe Smith is a powder puff deep inside. Sure the dialogue is fresh, and full of funny pop culture type jokes, but in the end Smith goes for the schmaltz, and weirdly enough it works here. Smith even gets to say “something” here without hitting the viewer upside the head with his message. Why does “ Clerks ” work? Because you love the characters. Maybe you see someone you know in them, or maybe it’s even yourself. Their anti-authoritarian attitude, and their I don’t give a crap attitude is what e...

A couple writings back I wrote that if you thought getting your first feature off the ground is hard try your second. Of all the things I've learned you would think that maybe I wouldn't want to begin another project, but I'm afraid it doesn't work like that. When I finally finished "Deadly Obsessions" I thought okay it's done. For years I've wanted to do my own feature and it drove me, but it wasn't the idea of making a movie that I obsessed on. No it was of being a filmmaker. The landscape has changed in the coming years, and it's gotten easier for someone to pick up a camera and think of shooting his or her own film. Digital video has leveled the playing field, and there are now tools available for everyone to use for the creation of their feature. I always wonder what Cassavetes would have thought of DV. His filmmaking was raw, and visceral. Cassavetes knew the technical side of filmmaking, and he didn't care. He broke all the rules, an...

The shoot went all in all pretty well. What wasn’t expected was our neighbors giving me grief for shooting. I had gotten permission from my landlady about filming, but next door, and across the street the neighbors seemed upset. Now I didn’t need to get permission from these people, but it may have been a good idea to tell people about the movie. I broke no laws, and was well in my rights, but maybe telling others what was going to happen would have probably saved me a lot of grief. It’s just that one neighbor was a retired police officer, and the other was a city court judge. Both seemed to try and use their connections to shut us down, and yet not everyone was against us. Others were interested in what I was doing, but like the old saying goes it only takes a few bad apples to ruin everything. I even got a call from the film office . They wondered what I was doing, and I told them in essence that you guys knew exactly what I was doing because I went through their office as well as t...

The next step I needed to do after setting up the company and casting the parts for the movie was to set a date to start filming. At first the start date was in July, but after talking with the actors and crew August was a more realistic date. August 5th was the start date. On August 1st I checked the hotel reservation for cast and crew. Now of course had I an assistant that would have been great, but my assistant had a family emergency, and I was down a person, so that meant more work for me. I enlisted my wife for some of the grunt work, but I had to involve myself in readying the accommodations for cast & crew. Not only did my wife do some extra running around but she also acquired food for snacks and lunches for the first two days. All this while still going to her day job. Now as you can see I would have saved some money had I hired actors within the Philadelphia area , but remember this all started with an ad in Backstage . I received a majority of the actor’s headshots from ...