Indefinable Orbits

This is the film I've been gathering shots for over about a two year time span. It's finally finished. It's uploaded to Vimeo in 1080p, so, hit the little Vimeo button on the movie, and it will take you there, and you can see it full size.

New screen grabs from "Indefinable Orbits"

I finally got the last footage from Indefinable Orbits transferred, and will begin editing soon. This little film (probably not more than 2 minutes) has taken me about two years to shoot because of certain shots I needed that I couldn't get right away. Anyways, still need to record the voice over, but will be working on the picture edit till then.

Future forward

It's almost November, which means the year is coming to a close. I was looking at my entry "2009/2010" and realized that some of my predictions (or goals) had been met, some had not (though there is still time to meet said goals). I look forward to writing my "2010/2011" entry, as I see a lot of things changing in the next year, and beyond. I have a back log of film reviews to put up, and, hopefully, Indefinable Orbits (which was supposed to have been long finished by now), will be done by years end.

It has been an interesting year for me, as far as film goes. I have seen a lot of great films, shot my first feature (PHX), and have been working on several ideas. I'm currently preparing one short, Little Fox, which I am very much looking forward too, when the time comes to shoot it (definitely next year). I am hoping to both shoot and edit on 16mm. Though I shot Indefinable Orbits on 16mm, I am considering getting it transferred to HD and editing it, with a possible edit and finish on film later.

More info to come at the end of the year when I write my wrap up.

I have been working

I know I always say I'm working on this or that, but I am actually working on stuff, it's just slow going. As proof, I offer some stills from a recent transfer I did of 16mm and Super 8. The 16 stuff is for Indefinable Orbits and the Super 8 (black and white) stuff is for an as of yet untitled film.

Update - 091208

Been really busy with helping put together a film for a group I'm a part of, and that's why I haven't really been updating or, for that matter, watching films in the theater. Got a little time to do that kind of stuff the last two days, so that's why you're getting reviews of Hamlet 2 and Baghead, and I'll be back, probably tomorrow, with a review of Burn After Reading.

Also, I've been watching all of the Wong Kar Wai stuff I can get ahold of. I realized, after watching My Blueberry Nights, that I still hadn't seen a lot of his early work. So, there will probably be a lot of Wong Kar Wai DVD reviews (including Blueberry Nights).

I took a trip back home, to Nashville, a few weeks ago, and shot a lot of super 8 for my multi-frame project, and some super 8 for something else, and I shot some 16mm the other day for a new project tentatively called "I Am In The Clouds".

So, things are happening, I've just been a little busy and a little lazy about updating this blog. I'd like to say I'll try harder, but, you know how that goes...

The Comic Book Lady

Being an independent filmmaker is harder than ever, these days. Most people would say that, with the advent of digital technology, it's become easier, but that's a lie. 10 to 15 years ago, you could make a film on your own and sell it to a smaller, independent distributor, or the indie wing of a major studio. They were gobbling these films up because, at the time, there weren't that many of them. Now, however, with High Definition technology making major advances, and standard definition Mini-DV becoming just as acceptable as 16mm as a filmmaking tool, films from all over the world, by every man, woman, or child who can afford a digital camera, have flooded the market. Even with the increase in film festivals, there are about 300 to 400% more films competing for spots in film festivals, in theaters, and, eventually on the shelves of Blockbuster or you Netflix queue, than when the independents were re-born in the early to mid-nineties with directors like Quentin Tarantino, Richard Linklater, Kevin Smith, and others. What does this mean? Well, it means you have to try a lot harder to make something that catches the people making the decisions at the festivals, for the distributors, and for the DVD market. But can you make something great, without compromising completely. I think you can, and I think Shayne Barker did exactly that with his debut feature film The Comic Book Lady.

The film concerns a comic store owner, played with incredible insight by Kathleen Jackson (who, in real life, owns the comic shop the film is set in, and was Barker's inspiration for the film). The comic book lady's life is filled with routine - wake up in the morning to a husband who is only interested in loving himself, go to work, deal with weird customers who often times try to connect with the unassuming Kathleen, either out of sheer loneliness or bold stupidity, then close up shop, and go back home to her hateful, obnoxious, and selfish husband. As the film goes on, we meet an interesting cast of misfits that walk through the doors of the shop, constantly looking for some relationship with Kathleen, but she is either unable or unwilling to give it to them. Their attempt at interaction with her is always met with a minimum of response - a nod, a stare, or sometimes she will come out from behind her counter and show someone what they're looking for, but never a word. In fact Kathleen doesn't talk at all through out, almost, the entire film.

What The Comic Book Lady does is take this woman's private pain and deliver it to the audience the same way that the comic book lady interacts with her customers - through little moments. The film is set up as a series of vignettes, all of which take place in either the comic book shop, or in her home. We see her, consistently, being used by everyone around her to achieve their own needs, whether it be companionship, to make themselves feel better about themselves, or just to get some dinner.

Through these little vignettes, Barker drives home the redundancy and quiet desperation of this woman's life. Like Lars Von Trier, Barker is uncompromising in his push to make the audience FEEL what his character is going through. You don't just look at this woman and say "Yeah, she's got it bad", you actually feel the desperation of her life as she deals with idiots in her store, and a self-hating husband who consistently berates her at every turn. At times, as an audience member, Barker can drive you to the brink of insanity with this constant deluge of hopelessness, but ultimately, he's accomplishing a huge feat. Most directors get you to understand what their characters are going through, but very few actually make you feel what their characters are going through.

The Comic Book Lady is NOT an easy film, but it is quite an experience. Like Dancer In The Dark, I left the theater feeling like I had experienced this woman's life. It took me to places that were uncomfortable to be in. It lifted me up, turned me upside down, and shook out everything I had, and I feel like I have some slightly better understanding of humanity for it. 

The Comic Book Lady IS, however, the reason that independent cinema exists. I love a great popcorn and soda movie just as much as anyone does, but in the end, the reason we go to movies, to plays (and, to a much lesser extent, watch television), or read books, is that we are trying to find some way to connect, some way to feel things that we aren't feeling in our everyday lives. The Comic Book Lady gives you that chance. It may not be the kind of feelings you thought you wanted to feel at that moment, but it may be something you need to feel. It may be a catharsis you didn't even know you needed. Barker and Jackson weave a tale that needs to be told. It is both hilarious and heartbreaking, just like real life, and for that I have to salute both of them.

A few other random reasons to see this film - 

- It's shot on beautiful Kodak Double X 16mm black and white film.

- Toby Radloff and Harvey Pekar both make hilarious guest appearances.

- Jackson's performance is the definition of saying everything, while saying nothing.

After the screening at the San Antonio Film Festival, I talked to Shayne about the film. Here's a little video of it - 

Interview With Shayne Barker from Stewart Schuster on Vimeo.

Discount Moviola, Part 1 - Big Time Summer Fun Project

So, I drove up to Austin today to pick up a 16mm Moviola that I found on the Austin Craig's List. I've been looking for a Steenbeck, or Moviola, for a long time. I actually found a Steenbeck in Dallas, on eBay, but someone beat me to the punch on it, so I thought I'd pick up this Moviola. Needless to say, even though I got it for cheap, it needs a little work. Mainly some serious elbow grease to get it cleaned up, but it may need some minor mechanical and electrical work. Looks like I now have a summer project.

Pure Moments

Today has been great, so far. I went to see Julian Schnabel's film The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (which was AMAZING, review to come soon), and when I got home, my Bolex test footage was waiting for me. I can't express how awesome it was for me, personally to open up the little black box, pull out the spool, thread up the projector, and see the footage that I shot come to life before my very eyes. I mean, it was just test footage, basically stuff I shot in and around my parents house, but still... I can't wait to get started on Indefinable Orbits now.

She... She screams in silence...

That line, from an old Green Day song, gave me an idea this morning. One that may be another film to make with my Bolex.

I sent off my Plus-X test roll last week, and I should be getting it back this week, along with a couple of cartridges of Vision 2 Super 8 film for Steve's wedding (nothing but the best for the Crawford clan!). I'm looking forward to see how the Plus-X turned out, and, if everything is cool, it will be time to start shooting on Indefinable Orbits.

I'm piecing together ideas for Raccoon Head right now, which I am hoping to shoot on and off over the next year/year and a half. I'm trying to make it a comedy, but, it feels like it keeps pushing more towards drama. Since I don't have a script draft, I guess I shouldn't worry too much about it, for now. We'll let it be what it is.

I watched the commentary for Linklater's You Can't Learn To Plow By Reading A Book, and it really got me psyched up to do The Definers on Super 8. I want to take a chance and make the film EXACTLY how I want to make it (of course, sans the professional actors, which I can't afford). But after having listened to Linklater talking about just going out and doing it, and experimenting, and telling the story you want to tell, how you want to tell it, everyone else be damned, it really got me hyped up. I'm gonna take the chance. It's time to start finalizing the script, and do the pre-production on it.

Also, I've made it my goal to finish With/Without and submit it to festivals for the upcoming season. It deserves to have a chance to live outside of the Watkins student screening and a couple of DVD's with rough cuts on them. I've put in the final sound effects that it was missing, and am re-doing the credits, and... I think that's it. It will be ready to go. 

Wish me luck with everything.