Shot List

Shot List

• Rusty Nail

- blues performer interview

- footage of blues bands

• Expert – possibly music professor from UNCW

- interview

- phone interview with shannon's contact

• Demonstrations

- vox pop interviews

- demonstration on playing power chord; different age groups, including a young child, and elderly person, possibly a business man

• Archival Footage

- band photos such as The Who, Link Wray, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Kurt Cobain, etc.

- video performances of these bands if possible

- video performances of other styles of music, possibly country, pop, classic guitar performance

Cucalorus

I did not read about The Film Class before the screening so I actually thought that it was going to be a comedic short. Wow, guess not. I liked the film very much. I did not know anything, really, about the subject of racism against blacks in Israel. I am not sure if i find solace or discomfort in the knowledge that other countries also must struggle with racism of so grand a scale.

My only regret is that I did not have the time to see more films at the festival this year (I suspect that this is a common gripe). I went to the Prime Cut shorts to see Terry's film. It was nicely positioned between a documentary on Cocoa harvesting in South America and another chronicling an American born son taking the reins of the family business from his Middle Eastern father. It was a great piece on the clash of cultures and people seeking acceptance.

I had some issues with Control about the pacing, but the film itself was gorgeous. So much gradation in black and white. And the way the filmmakers handled the suicide scene was excellent. I gotta say I had a lotta fun just being at the festival. The party's were cool, aside from being a place to meet people in the industry from around the area. I did get quite a few business cards. All in all, i look forward to 14.

RockDoc

The power chord remains after forty years a very familiar sound associated with rock music. It is simple to play and sounds that dig their hooks in. However, it can be repetitive and today, it seems that it is being overused. Besides rock music, we intend to see just how versatile the power chord is and how many styles of music can it be found in. We have traced the history of the power chord back to the 1950’s with a rock song called “Rumble” by Link Wray. We are interested in looking at the social implications of the power chord as well. Through interviews with local bands, along with b-roll footage of their performances, a possible animation sequence, a presentation of exactly what the power chord it and demonstrations on the street to show how simply the power chord can be played, we are exploring the power chord and see just what it is all about. With live performances, interviews, and animations we plan to show the many views on the powerchord.

Big Sky

Big Sky is a five-year-old documentary film festival held in Missoula, Montana held during mid-February (14-20, 2008). The festival only accepts documentary projects and last year received around 1000 entries for the roughly 100 available spots. Filmmakers can apply through Big Sky's own entry form or they can submit their work through Withoutabox. Applications deadlines and prices are: Mini-doc - <15min.>50min
Early: July 1 Mini-$20, Short-$25, Feature-$35
Regular: September 1 Mini-$25, Short-$35, Feature-$45
Final: October 20 Mini-$35, Short-$45, Feature-$55

Festival Passes are $100 for all screening and $250 for the screenings and parties pass. The festival is friendly towards all formats of presentation. They screen 35mm and have also screened a doc made w/ a digital still camera set to movie mode. They welcome "experimental" films (at least in the website). However, there is no discount for student films (though in 2004 a student was the winner). The festival will not provide for travel or lodging, but will help w/ food and alcohol expenses (and a free passes). Seems like a friendly festival in a beautiful valley.

Blue Vinyl

Blue Vinyl captured my attention far more than any other film (do you still call it a film if it was shot on video?) has recently. Helfand and Gold’s film brings careful structure that slowly entrenches the viewer against the vinyl companies. They start by raising very simple questions, yet these questions (like most) simply give rise to more complex ones. As the filmmakers begin with the most basic questions such as “Where is PVC manufactured?” they begin their journey in Louisiana. The twists and revelations take them across the nation, across the Atlantic, and back to Connecticut a few times.

The filmmakers almost always let credible witnesses present their evidence for them. Whether it be the Italian doctor or the dedicated lawyer, why say something yourself when there is someone else who could say it so much more eloquently and irrefutably. Helfand never seems to be too pushy an interviewer, she only asks questions based on facts that she can support with evidence culled. I was impressed with her interview of the PVC spokesman, she didn’t seem to be making much of a dent in the man, but she held her ground. She lets herself become chastising or accusatory in her interviews (at least when she cannot directly back up her claims).

She leads the audience through the movie through acts based around questions. The first begins with “What has gone wrong?” The ugly blue vinyl on her parents house is the first and most basic problem for her. As Helfand gets farther along in her quest she must start asking more deliberate questions, “What are each person’s motives?” This applies not only to those who are ‘against’ her, but also lends credibility to those whose testimony she relies on. Her witnesses are used to their utmost brevity with their cross-examinations in the form of corporate letters and memos – not the most convincing way to argue it would seem.

Pitch

I have had quite a long weekend to think about the idea for a project. Last Thursday my grandfather died. I spent the weekend with my family in Florida. It wasn’t bad, but it was hard. Having the support of and adding to that of my family made the experience all the more bearable. My grandfather was old. He was really old. He was so old that he was too old to fight in WW2 (though he did train pilots for the Air Force). He lived an exceptional life, he married a wonderful woman (whom I‘ve started to learn much more about), he raised three children, he played golf until just a couple of weeks ago, and once he met Frank Sinatra. This weekend wasn’t meant for us to mourn his passing, we celebrated his life.

This marked the first time I went to the funeral of a family member. I never thought that it could be so funny. I have been fortunate enough to not have had to experience this in the past, but it left me rather blind to the ways in which a family copes with the death of a loved one. I had not realized how crucial a role humor plays in the grieving process. There were several times that jokes were made and it was either laugh or cry, so I tried (as often as possible) to laugh, for that’s how I will always remember him, smiling even at his most pessimistic moments.

I would like to make a short based on the humor that grief requires. In my mind I like the idea of having interviews with a diverse group (as diverse as possible), I’d put out a large cattle call and ideally I could figure out how to steal a page from Errol Morris and possible figure how to rig a camera with some type of mirror/glass contraption (all I can think of is refitting Comm Studies teleprompters) so that the interviewer and the camera are the same person, I believe Morris’ wife called it the Interrotron. I think with something like that the interviewee would be more likely to immerse him- or herself completely in their memories of laughing to cope with death.

We would also interview one or two local funeral home directors to gather on their experiences and insights on the subject, I’m sure they would make for quite the interesting interviews. We could also go the direction of UNCW psych professors to see what they say about how the brain copes with loss.

I’d like the tone of this project to be heavy but humor filled. I don’t want to dwell on the pain. I’d like to capitalize on the joy of memories and the power of sharing the laughter of a lost loved one. I want this to be the filmic equivalent of a hand held in the pew, a long embrace after the service.

Catching up.

Shannon,
I've read the book but mismanaged my time. I will have these posted tomorrow. Sorry!