KGB Productions

The one movie that affected me more then any other is Star Wars. Yes I was and remain a child of George Lucas' imagination. It was 1977, and I turned thirteen. I was prime pickings for a tale of epic proportion where good and evil fought for control of the universe. All my movie going experience never prepared me for what I was about to see. Galaxies, star ships, hyperspace, robots, stormtroopers, and the force all had a serious impact on me. Not only was it a great story, but the effects were revolutionary. It was the effects that lead me down the path to filmmaking. I was already interested in movies, and I was experimenting with my Super-8 camera. I'd film epic battles in my backyard with GI-JOE's battling lizard men. But it was Star Wars that set me on the path in exploring the world of special effects and how they did it all. I found out about mattes, split screens, stop-motion, and miniature photography. I remember my frustration in not getting it right, and wanting t...

I did this trailer because I wasn't so happy with the first. I digitized the footage from a VHS tape so the quality is so-so, but I liked the way the trailer does flow. If I wanted better looking footage I should go off the DVD, but I'm not sure how to do that or even if I have the proper programs to do so. For the past few days I've tried encoding a video I worked on, so I can fit it on a DVD, but no luck, so it feels like I'm in digital hell. Maybe I just don't have the proper tools, but I've done some shorter projects with success, so this longer program is giving me a headache. If anyone has any suggestions I'm open to them. On the filmmaking front still writing, and experimenting as you can see with DV, and to think I do this on my free time. I must be a sado-masochist! POST SCRIPT: Got the Video to DVD. Seems Adobe Premiere likes DVD+ Not DVD- Premiere encoded and fit the video at the proper resolution, and frame rate. To say the least I'...

I’m an avid reader when it comes to filmmaking. I love books, articles, and magazines that deal with filmmaking, so it’s no wonder that I ordered " Tales from the Front Line of Indie Filmmaking " by Peter John Ross . Mr. Ross is a filmmaker who hails from Ohio. He’s been noted in such publications as Computer Arts, RES Magazine, Film & Video Magazine, LA Weekly, Film Threat and Internet Video Magazine. The book details Mr. Ross’ experience in filmmaking and he devotes a section of his book to the making of his first feature film " Horrors of War ". In the beginning of the book Ross discusses characters he has met in the DV filmmaking scene, and some tips about writing, editing, directing, and audition tips. Truthfully I could have done without the so-called characters Ross has come in contact with. I’m sure we all know that the world is a strange and peculiar place inhabited by wacko’s, weirdoes, and liars. To his credit Ross doesn’t go about naming these people...

Been listening to a discussion about DIY filmmaking , and I think it's all very inspiring. Check out The Workbook Project . Lance Weiler interviews Paul Harrill of Self Reliant web site, and Mark Stolaroff of No Budget Film School . They have some interesting things to say. Also if you get a chance take a look at crewless .com . Their a bunch of filmmakers in Alabama who made the film Hide and Creep . It was shown on the sci- fi channel, so they had some pretty good success. The film Hide and Creep was shot on Super 16, and the filmmaker really loves film, and he makes a really good argument for using it. I've always thought the DV thing sucks. The compression you get and the tapes themselves are the worst, and I work with them day in and day out. But I'll probably do my next film on DV . Why? Because it's cheap, it's accessible , and I can get fast turnaround. But I'm also doing some stuff with my Eclair NPR, and seeing what I can do. ...

So yeah I've been writing more and more. I'm working on a second draft of a film that I could possible do. As I write more it gets a bit more ambitious then I thought it would, but then again aiming for above what I wanted isn't too bad. If it ever gets into production I'll worry about it then. As for now I have one criteria in getting this script done and that is is it doable. I know it's all in the rewrites. I've read books, and heard commentaries about it all. Now it's time to apply what I've learned. Granted I have no idea if I'll get this script to the screen, but I promised myself that after this one I would write another outline for a film, and then maybe even tackle a long dormant project I had started but never really finished. One is even a short story which I think is more possible, and would satisfy my hunger to get behind a camera again. Yes it's a full addiction, and after the day job it's hard to get motivated or enough energy ...

If you want to hear a really good and inspiring interview with director Guillermo del Toro. He is the director of Pans Labyrinth. Go or better yet run: (it's that good) http://www.npr.org/templates/rundowns/rundown.php?prgId=13

I've been debating on how to start this entry, and figured I just wing it and explore some issues I'm mulling about. One of them is to do another film. No matter how much I talk here I really want to get another chance to do another film. Doing a first film is quite eye opening and you learn a lot. I want to apply that knowledge of what I learned and try again, but motivation is a problem. How do I motivate myself to do another film. How do I get myself to jump through all those hoops to do another film? With Sundance happening right now I guess the desire to do another film is high, but as I read about Sundance I am dismayed by how insular that world really is. I mean do I really have a chance to get in such a festival. I've tried to enter several festivals with " Deadly Obsessions " and I've always hit a brick wall. I even questioned the films quality. I mean when so many doors are shut in your face it doesn't take long for self doubt to set in. Then a...

Okay I did it. I finally got to the theater to see Babe l this week-end, and enjoyed the film immensely. I’m a big admirer of the director Alejandro González Iñárritu . I loved “ 21 Grams ”, and thought it was done surprisingly well. Since it’s win of a golden globe the movie is suddenly getting more theater play. According to Box Office report Babel came in 12 th up 505% from the previous week. Guess you can say that the Golden globe award can be translated into box office dollars. The film, which deals with several story lines that sort of inter-connect, is interesting, yet I did hear a few grumblings from the audience as I walked out. Seems as though some had a hard time following the characters, and the director’s use of non-linear storytelling confused the audience a bit. My only complaint was that some scenes played too long, and maybe the filmmaker could have cut it a bit. The film runs 142 minutes and though I don’t find that long I do feel there were some scenes that just ...

Seems like filmmakers Susan Buice & Arin Crumley are headed to Sundance . The Sundance channel is sponsoring them, and they'll provide daily (yes daily) video blogs from the festival. I still have not seen their film as of yet, but hope to someday soon. Whether you love them or hate them you have to give the two their props. They shamelessly promoted their film, and it got noticed. I hear they won some awards including some cash awards, so I'm thinking what next from these two. It seems that they've been pitching their movie "Four Eyed Monsters" for some time now. Hopefully we'll all get a chance to see the film soon on DVD or cable. Maybe then they can start on their second feature. CONGRAT "S guys on the success !

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...

Del Torro's Pan's Labyrinth is a visually stunning and poetic film that should not be missed. I'm a BIG fan of Del Torro , and he has a unique style. I hear he is planning Hellboy 2, and I'm sure it will be quite good. The story of Pan's Labyrinth is a stunning piece of cinema. I read that he made the film for $5 million dollars, and he was offered twice as much if he would make the film in English. I applaud Del Torro to sticking to his guns. I'm sure the film was a struggle to make. From the cinematography to the set design the film looks fantastic. The story of Pan's Labyrinth is also a great little story for our time. Set during the the Spanish Civil War where Franco crushed a rebellion by the republic. Franco went on to rule Spain with an iron fist for several decades. In a society struggling with freedom and terrorism this movie is about hope and sacrifice. It is also a fairy tale, and a good one at that. The actors all give great performances, ...

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 ...

I just read an interesting interview by Scott Tobias on the blog avclub . Go check it out. The most interesting tidbit of info that Norton talks about is independent film and the climate of production in today's market: "I think there's more ways to get a movie made today then ever in the history of the entertainment industry. It's a very exciting time to work in movies, if you're a creative person looking to make a very personal, weird vision."

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...