KGB Productions

So I've been re-writing a screenplay of mine, and I'm suddenly more and more liking it. Of course I have no idea on how I'll get this into production, but for now I'm enjoying the experience of writing a new screenplay. As all of you know there are several stages a filmmaker goes through with his or her film. At any one of those stages the project can fall apart, or go through some drastic changes. I enjoy the writing stage , but it's a lonely one, and it all happens in your head. I know from experience that what is put down on paper is usually only a blueprint and that with more and more outside influences come change. It's a good thing and a bad thing. You as the originator of the idea have to know what is a good idea and what isn't. That person is called the director, and it's you're job to direct the project to a good and satisfying conclusion. In other words you NEED to know what happens and you need to get form point A to point Z. A director...

Okay I had to write this after seeing Jim Jarmusch’s film "Broken Flowers " starring Bill Murry as Don Johnston. It is a very little odd tale of a man who gets a letter supposedly from one of his many girlfriends that tells him that he has a son. The women’s identity is unknown, and there lies the mystery and the adventure that our hero takes. I can’t say I’ve seen many of Jamusch’s films, and the ones that I’ve seen I’ve either been impressed or just plain confused. To say Jarmusch is an acquired taste is an over simplification of his films. You either love it or hate it. There seems to be no middle ground with the Jamusch’s films. I was turned on by Jamusch’s first film " Strangers in Paradise ". Basically it was telling of a story all in master shots. There are no real close-ups in the film, and the film is heavy on dialogue. " Strangers in Paradise " was the film we talked about in film school. It came out in 1982, and it was just at that time as I st...

Okay so I've been thinking about it more and more, and so why not. I've been saying that this blogs purpose is to reach like minded people like myself. Filmmakers, film enthusiasts, and people who just love the cinema. Call me crazy but the cinema is a passion of mine. Heck I even made a film that's how crazy I am about the cinema. I've learned valuable lessons in what to do and what NOT to do, yet with all its headaches I still want to make more films. I'm finding it frustrating to move on, and do another film. Since this time of year is a time of reflection for most of us I too have also been doing just that. So what am I getting at? Well if you are a reader of this blog I thank-you whole heartily for reading these meanderings of this crazed person. I also want to extend my thanks and give you a chance to see the film that I did. Just send me your mailing address to: kgbproductions AT gmail DOT com. I check on this email every so often, so I'll check it in...

So the other day I cruised the web. I sometimes do this to see what’s new & different in the world, and as Time Magazine proclaimed ALL of US to be the person of the year I began to look at some of us. As an aspiring filmmaker I kind of have a vested interest in all this. After all don’t I want my films to be seen by a lot of people? Isn’t that what a filmmaker does? He or she communicates through their films in a form of entertainment. Well now with such things as MySpace , and YouTube we now ALL can communicate with each other and entertain too, so the walls of mass communication are starting to crumble. No longer does a studio or a media conglomeration have sway in what we see or watch. Variety has sprung up, and WE are all stars of our own lives. But wait hold on for a second. Weren’t we stars of our OWN lives before? We’re we NOT important before, as we are now with all our media outlets available to us? I would think so, or are we living our lives as we always have bee...

So how do I begin? I've been writing a screenplay that was so-so, and is slowly becoming something I'm interested in. I've been reading a lot of film criticism blogs lately, and I sometimes feel as though I'm not culturally empowered. I always feel as though I'm playing catch-up. I do read, and go to movies, but in my older age I've become more selective. Maybe it's a time thing. There are only a certain amount of hours in the day that I can create or try to indulge in my film making endeavors . After that theirs work, family, and sleep. So where do I try and catch up? Well let's see. If I cut in on my sleep time I'll be a big grumpy mess, who will eventually rap his car around some tree, so sleep is good and it's better to have more of it then less of it. Trust me as you get older you'll feel it. Then theirs family time. Let's see I grew up with a father who worked hard, and had little time for his family. It kind of sucked, and I ne...

I've been hearing about this for some time, and what makes it more interesting is that a BIG time director is actually distributing his own film. David Lynch is a filmmaker who you either love or hate. There seems to be no middle ground with a David Lynch film. " INLAND EMPIRE " is a 3 hour film, and maybe that's why Lynch is doing what he is doing. After all a filmmaker's job is to get his or her film seen by as many people as he or she can, and doing it through the Internet is a good way to go. Lynch already has a fan base, and he has been getting a lot of free publicity by being interviewed by the press, and standing out on the corners of Hollywood promoting his film. Over at the workbook project there is an interview with Eric Bassett . Bassett is a managing partner of Absurda . Absurda handles all of David Lynch’s interactive properties and is currently overseeing the DIY release of David’s newest digital feature, INLAND EMPIRE. Promotion is more...

So it’s Christmas and the networks blast there holiday favorites. Some how the movie “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” starring Matthew Broderick has become one of those movies that gets played a LOT during this time of year. The funny thing about the film is that it doesn’t have anything to do with Christmas. “Home Alone”, “Planes Trains & Automobiles”, heck even it’s a “Wonderful Life” I can understand why they play these films when they play them. But Ferris Bueller’s Day Off? What’s that all about? Well I do have a theory, so I’ll give it a shot. What does this film by John Hughes have to do with the holidays? Absolutely nothing, but as like all John Hughes films they do stir up memories for it’s audience, and right now those memories are very fresh. Why you ask? Well “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off was released in 1986. It was one of John Hughes most successful films, so a lot of people saw it. Now flash forward to today, and what do you have but adults having a nostalgia trip when they se...

It's been a while since posting, and I just thought I should write something. Being that it's the holiday season things get busy in our household. With two boys dreaming of race cars, trains and Christmas trees it gets harder to concentrate on my movie endeavors . I'm still writing, and experimenting, but time is at a premium. Also I haven't been too happy in the quality of my writing, so maybe there lies the crux of the problem. I've already come to realize that in order for me to make another film it is going to take some time for me to pull it off, and if I'm going to spend a lot of time on a film it better be a GOOD one, and something worth saying. In essence it better mean something to me. Money is also a factor, but more importantly its about what I want to say. Life is too short, and I want my boys to look at my films someday and maybe get a clue on who I am or was. Of course it's hard. Film is a collaborative venture, but it takes just o...

I just found out that Don Dohler passed away last Saturday. If the name sounds somewhat familiar it's because Dohler was responsible for such films as: The Alien Factor , The Galaxy Invader , Fiend , Nightbeast , and Vampire Sisters . He also published a magazine called Cinemagic which was bought by Starlog Group back in 1979. I was a kid back then who desperately wanted to know more about moviemaking. I would devour each issue when it came, and I even bought two books Dohler put out about Special effects & stop motion photography. This was way before the Internet, and it was comforting to know that others had the same interest as I did. Dohler's films were done on the cheap, but at that time it was a lot of money. Dohler was fortunate to have some films when the Star Wars craze hit. He sold his films to TV stations who demanded product. His films were a bit on the amateur side, but they were filled with love for the genre. If you want to hear an interesting interview with...

Okay I saw this on Matt's web site, and was intrigued about the idea that Andy had about a film criticism Blog-a-thon , so here's my take on it all. How does a person judge a film? A question asked for some time now. I mean I've always been intrigued by the French New Wave, and most of those filmmakers started as film critics, and I do sometimes here review a film I've seen. It's inevitable I guess. I'm a lover of movies, and so it's a natural progression that I write about them. But what can I bring to the table that would make my film criticism special or unique. With the internet now there seems to be a new crop of film critics who put more heart into their work then the simple jaded film/TV reviewer does that usually writes for a publication. That's not a bad thing. Passion is good, and I've met some reviewers who came off cold, and just too business like. I guess its par for the course especially if you do writing reviews as a profession. Imagi...

After hearing about Dance Party USA I was interested in watching it, so I ordered from the filmmaker. I like supporting other filmmakers, and am always interested in new work that seems to get noticed. Dance Party USA is about Gus (Cole Pensinger) a 17 year old who always seems to brag about sex in a graphic and misogynistic way. It isn’t until he meets Jessica (Ana Kavan) that Gus begins his transformation from crass ladykiller to sensitive boyfriend. Aaron Katz directed & wrote this film and he does have an ear for naturalistic dialogue. Dance Party occasionally has its young actors talk about life, or sometimes they don't talk about life. The film isn't afraid of long, silent takes, and maybe that’s where I had a problem with it. Dance Party captures that feeling of aimless youth wandering the landscape, but there is a fine line between naturalistic dialogue & being dull. Did I care enough about the characters to see them through the film, and I’d have to say I fast...

Joe Dante has been a favorite of mine since I was young. I loved Gremlins , and my wife is a fan of Innerspace . A favorite of mine is Matinee which I think shows a love of B-movies that only Dante could bring to the screen. Then there’s Small Soldiers which was a cute little film that my son’s really like. But what is it that makes Joe Dante that special sort of filmmaker. I do have a theory and that is Dante’s film’s have a humor about them that the audiences connect with. Mr. Dante’s films also contain a certain amount of anarchy which we all love. My first Dante film was Piranha , which was his first film he directed for Roger Corman’s New World Pictures. His first film which he co-directed with Allen Arkush was Hollywood Boulevard and is legend on how it was created using stock footage from numerous films. The film is a homage/parody of ultra low budget movies, and is required viewing by filmmakers of all ages. But the one film that I went ga-ga for was Dante’s The Howling . T...

Okay two in one day, and both obits! Today America lost a great director. Robert Altman passed away Monday night in LA . What can be said about this man that hasn't been said before. He's given us such films as The Player , M*A*S*H , Gosford Park , Short Cuts , Nashville , and McCabe and Mrs. Miller . Just this year he was given a life time achievement award by the academy. His style and his love for filmmaking were unbound, and he will be sorely missed. Altman directed actors like a maestro conducts an orchestra. Everyone wanted to work with Altman, and he was in a class with such greats as John Ford , Billy Wilder & Orson Welles . My first Altman film that I ever saw was M*A*S*H, and I was hooked on it from the first frame. The darkness of the film, and yet the laughter the film gave us. You knew by watching the film you were watching something special. Altman gave us a lot of work, and thank God for that. His films will be studied, and revered forever.

Gary Graver was a cinematographer who worked on a lot of B-movies, and by doing so he worked with a lot of up and coming people such as Ron Howard, & Peter Bogdonavich in the late 60's & 70's. What Graver will probably be best known for was working with Orson Welles. Graver had tried to finish Welles last film " The Other Side of the Wind " & to this day tried to get it finished. Mr. Graver tried to raise $3.5 million he thought was necessary to piece together thefilm from Welle's script and editing notes. Welles had only shot about 40 minutes of the film before he passed away. The film is about a gifted director's artistic decline that Welles had worked on for 15 years. It starred John Huston & Peter Bogdanovich Mr Graver had shot such films as " Grand Theft Auto , Satans Sadists , Toolbox Murders , Deathsport & numerous other films. I remember a lot of his films having seen a lot of his films on late night TV. It would have been re...

Here's a link that may interest some. It's a lecture with several filmmakers who did the DIY route. The filmmakers are Lance Weiler , ( The Last Broadcast , Head Trama ), Tiffany Shlain (The Tribe), Susan Buice, Arin Crumley ( Four Eyed Monster ), David Straus (creator of Withou-a-box ). It's an interesting lecture, and a detailed look at three films that use the web to self promote. It's interesting, and pretty eye opening. I'm excited and yet frustrated all at the same time. The lecture was given by Digimart : The International Digital Cinema Market

Okay I've done enough talking about ideas, and what I need and want to do, but I do get a lot of questions from students on what they should do. What idea should they write about? I hear constantly "Mr. B I don't know what to write?" I can't say I've had this problem because as far back as I can remember I always had ideas. Comic books, sci- fi novels, and TV , and movies kept my imagination fed. Now-a-days the average adolescent is bombarded with media of all sorts and it's any wonder they can form an original idea from all the nonsense kids are hit with. What I've noticed a lot is that "gaming" is very popular, and has taken hold of this generation in a strong way. I guess I can understand this since I loved playing asteroids , or missile command when I was a teen. But compare those old arcade games to what kids are playing now, and it's like comparing the stone age with the information age. The games kids and young adults play toda...

As all of you know I've been looking around the today's film making landscape, and am trying to come up with a viable idea for another film. As to date I am writing another script, but some articles which I read on different blogs have kind of made me think. One article is of a actor who is now doing wedding's on film. I've actually toyed with this idea, and have at times when I've been filming a wedding or at an event as a guest taken along my Super-8 camera , or my old Bolex . I usually just do it for myself, and I like the experience of shooting on film. I've even taken the old Arri out, and filmed our first Thanksgiving dinner as a married couple. Sync sound and all. The only reason I did this was for doing it. I like film, and am partial to it. Video comes close now-a-days, but shooting in film feels good. Focal length, f-stop, t-stops, depth of field, and film speed are all factors that go into shooting on film, and coming from the film arena I'm c...

Sometimes what works for me is that I write my original material in notebooks hand written, and then type it out in Final draft. While I type it out I begin re-writing some scenes, and in effect I create an 2 nd draft of the script. It's frustrating, and maybe a bit time consuming, but it's how I get to the meat of the story. I have a tendency to write on, and not concentrate on what I really need as opposed to what I think I need. In film you need to get to the story quick. William Goldman said the first ten minutes (ten pages) are what you need to draw your audience in. I'm not the greatest writer, and I've worked with others and always found it difficult accommodating others styles. I'm not against writing as a group, but only when there is an agreement with everyone involved on the story. Working on sections of stories is sometimes a good way to work. But all need to agree on where the story is going, and how the character(s) will get there. But mostly writing ...

Jack Palance died yesterday at the age of 87. He was one of my favorite actors of all time, and I was glad to see him win an Oscar for " City Slickers " back in 1992. But what I remember Mr. Palance most from was such films as " The Professionals ", " Portrait of a Hitman ", " The One Man Jury ", " Revenge of the Gunfighter "" & " Vamos a matar Companeros " both directed by the Italian filmmaker Sergio Corbucci . It was only later in the 80's where I saw Jack Palance on the big screen in such films as " Alone in the Dark " and " Without Warning ". Most of the movies he had done were considered B-films, but man when Palance was on screen you could feel your skin crawl. His bad guys were memorable, and no one played the tortured protagonist better then Palance. In the late 60's & earlier 70's Palance played in numerous films directed by such filmmakers as: Sergio Corbucci , Freddie F...

The above photo is from when we were shooting my film " Deadly Obsessions ". It was the last day of principle photography, and I was quite relieved we were ahead of schedule, and actors had already their next gig lined up, so production was coming to an end. One of the crew made this sign to alert people that we were shooting a film. We didn't want to cause any problems with the neighbors like we did earlier in the shoot. We even had a police officer on the set to make sure that we were okay. Philadelphia now provides a police officer free of charge to a production if you request it, but back when we were shooting we had to pay for the officer. It was no big deal, but I could have put the money somewhere else had it been free. After all every dollar counts in a low-budget film. I currently find myself now in the process of writing another script. The first draft is done, and it needs some re-writing, and this picture reminded me that I should have that sign up 24/7 outsid...

So I just found out that Adrienne Shelly passed away on November 1st in her office. Ms Shelly had been best known for her parts in Hal Hartley’s film “ The Unbelievable Truth ”,which was her debut film, and “ Trust ”. She was a very interesting actress, who was lately concentrating on directing. She appeared in ” Factorum ” this year as Jerry, and has appeared in many other films. Her directorial debut was “ Sudden Manhattan ” which was made in 1996. Born in Queens and raised on Long Island, Shelly lived in Tribeca with her family and had been focusing more on writing and directing lately and caring for her daughter. Shelly recently wrote and directed a film called "Waitress," which starred Keri Russell and Nathan Fillion . Ms Shelly had just sent her most recent film, Waitress , off to the Sundance selection committee. Ms Shelly made a big impression on me when I saw her in Hartley’s film “Trust”. She brought to the role a kind of vulnerability that really made me interest...

So what’s the difference between amateur & a professional? The dictionary defines amateur as “ a person who engages in a study, sport, or other activity for pleasure rather than for financial benefit or professional reasons .” While the dictionary defines professional as: “ following an occupation as a means of livelihood or for gain ”. The word amateur comes from the Latin word “amator”, which means lover. I kind of like the word amateur, but it’s used a lot to look down on individuals who do not do what they love full-time. What made me think about this is what is happening now in the realm of filmmaking. Digital video has made filmmaking more accessible to the masses. All you need is a computer & a camera and you can do a lot with that. Along with the Internet one can be seen by millions all at the touch of a keyboard or mouse click. Of course this flood of films has produced some interesting and some not so interesting films. But why look down at these people who do it for ...

So this week-end is the Delaware Valley Film Festival , and I’m thinking of going. I do know of someone’s short film that is in the festival and it would be great to see it. The festivals requirements were that the films budget was not over ten grand, and that’s why I never bothered to submit my film. Now you say that with just $10K or less how can a person pull off a successful film? There would be certain limitations that is for sure when you’re filming for such little money, but there are also a lot of things you can do that will make you’re film just as interesting as the ones Hollywood churns out. How? You ask. Well first you’ll be shooting in DV. Not film. No lab, and no film stock, so you can now channel some of that money into your cast & crew. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Hire REAL actors. Go out and hold auditions, or use a local casting company. Local talent is preferred. That way you don’t have to splurge on hotel rooms, and extra meals. When ...

I don’t know if my opinion mean squat, but if it does, and you are as passionate about filmmaking as I am then you should be reading Christine Vachon’s new book “ A Killer Life: How an Independent film producer survives deals and disasters in Hollywood and Beyond ”. Vachon has been a producer on several independent films that are outstanding. They include: Boys Don’t Cry , Far from Heaven , I Shot Andy Warhol , Go Fish , Safe , One Hour Photo , Hedwig and the Angry Inch (a favorite of mine) and Infamous just to name a few. Vachon wrote her first book “ Shooting to Kill ” way back in 1998. In that book Vachon gives a new nonsense view on producing independent films. In A Killer Life Vachon tells us all about the nuts and bolts of filmmaking. She takes us on a tour of what a typical day is for her in her production company called aptly enough “Killer Films”. From the arguments with film financiers to Hollywood stars Vachon shows us how things really work behind the scenes of filmmakin...

Short film or feature film? I find myself questioning what I should be doing. I've done a number of shorts, and have written short film screenplays in the hope of putting them in an anthology. This may be a way to go, but I'm not sure. Long ago I was involved in such an endeavor, but it all fell apart, and I never looked back. I ask myself why would I want to do this? Why make a short film? There is no market for a short films. Film festivals, and maybe the Internet are my only option and I'd never make my money back, so what's the point. Filmmaking is a risky business, why would I want to do a short film with no chance of getting some of my investment back. Short films are usually used as a calling card. I'm still on the fence on this, and I don't know what I'll be doing next. I did see a very interesting short recently and thought that it was very good. Maybe a short has its place in this digital era, but it does seem that there are a lot of these sh...

Okay I had to see it. I love Martin Scorsese , and I’m a big fan. I was not disappointed. Scorsese has a knack about telling tales of criminals and cops. It’s a genre I don’t think he can fail at. I’ve grown up watching Scorsese and have enjoyed his tenacity. From “ Mean Streets ” to “ Goodfellas ” Scorsese never disappoints. He’s a true American maverick. Is it his New York roots that make him so unique? Scorsese knows how to tell a story. His dialogue in a lot of his movies seems true, and you seem transported to another world where most of us wouldn’t survive. I had heard about the reviews, and no matter what I wanted to see this film. It’s a hard driven character piece, which has multiple characters. Jack Nicholson plays a crime boss named Frank Costello. He is the head of a gang of Irish Mafioso who does battle with the Boston State police. I have to say that I was interested in the characters & it’s story. By the final reel everything falls apart. It is the inevitable conclus...

So I’m writing something that I can possible produce that won’t break the bank. Writing within a low budget kind of sucks. Plain and simple. So how do I make it interesting while obeying the low budget film rules. Rules you say? What rules are they? Well maybe not rules, but lets say their suggestions rather then rules. They are in no particular order: 1. Limited locations 2. Characters kept to a minimum 3. No costly special effects 4. No animals 5. No children 6. Short shooting schedule 7. Use local talent 8. Small crew 9. Shoot DV 10. Pay people for their time I’m sure there are more rules, I mean suggestions, but I think you get the idea. The following ten things to get your film done is written by me and is the culmination of my experience in making a film & going to dozens of lectures by producers. If these suggestions or rules help great, but remember it’s the story stupid. Above all else the story better be good or all you’re work will be in vain. So why am I writing somethi...

Ideas, thoughts, and visuals. How does one live in a vacuum. I don’t think it’s possible, but then again I can be wrong. How many scientist, artists, and writers have lived in their own worlds? Think about it for a moment. Take all the artists & people who have made a mark in their respective fields and see how they got there. I believe it was never by taking a poll of what people thought. I more see these people like Sherman tanks running over things that got in their way. Sometimes aggressively, and sometimes these individuals were a bit less aggressive. Either way their work eventually caught on, and the result is that their work prevailed among all others. Sometimes these individuals were way beyond their time. Eventually others discovered them, and their work rose to the surface while others didn’t. Is it truth or a connection with other like-minded people that elevate these individuals work? Is it their brilliance that suddenly grabs us, and thrusts them into the forefront of...

** So I find myself missing the grind of filmmaking. It’s unlike anything anyone can experience. The chaos & creativity that swarms around a movie set is both intoxicating, and maddening. I do remember that whenever I was on a movie set I couldn’t wait till the end of the day. Just for the silence, but I be lying to you if I told you that I hated it all together. A film set can be one of the most creative places around. Just putting a scene together takes a lot of energy. To do this day in and day out can be exhausting, and yet exhilarating. But I’m finding myself more and more challenged to try and get motivated enough in telling a really GOOD story. There was a time when I loved horror movies & other low budget films because it was what really got me going. To some extend I still do love these films affectionately called B-movies, but lately I’ve lost interest in what studios are producing and labeling as horror. Maybe it’s my age. Maybe I’ve just lost my fill for horror and...