WEBVTT FILE 1 00:00:02.000 --> 00:00:07.000 Downloaded from YTS.MX 2 00:00:08.000 --> 00:00:13.000 Official YIFY movies site: YTS.MX 3 00:00:45.045 --> 00:00:47.960 GUILLERMO DEL TORO: Making movies is beautiful. 4 00:00:48.004 --> 00:00:51.529 Prepping them, raisingthe money, selling them is horrible. 5 00:00:51.573 --> 00:00:52.574 Horrible. 6 00:00:52.617 --> 00:00:54.619 And I think Ican make movies 7 00:00:54.663 --> 00:00:56.273 the rest of my life. 8 00:00:56.317 --> 00:00:58.449 Selling them, you grow impatient, 9 00:00:58.493 --> 00:01:03.106 you see it for what it is more and more with every year. 10 00:01:03.150 --> 00:01:04.803 JUSTIN McCONNELL: It's been said that there are three things 11 00:01:04.847 --> 00:01:06.544 you should never do when making a film. 12 00:01:06.588 --> 00:01:09.504 Make a film about yourself, make a film about filmmaking 13 00:01:09.547 --> 00:01:11.723 or open the film with a quote. 14 00:01:22.473 --> 00:01:23.692 Test. 15 00:01:23.735 --> 00:01:24.910 MAN: Record. 16 00:01:24.954 --> 00:01:26.086 McCONNELL: Yes. 17 00:01:27.522 --> 00:01:28.871 Okay. 18 00:01:30.742 --> 00:01:31.917 Here it goes. 19 00:01:31.961 --> 00:01:34.746 I'm Justin McConnell and uh... 20 00:01:34.790 --> 00:01:36.444 [CHUCKLES] Welcome to the documentary 21 00:01:36.487 --> 00:01:38.272 currently entitled, um... 22 00:01:38.315 --> 00:01:40.361 See you can tell it's a current working title, 23 00:01:40.404 --> 00:01:42.450 because the name doesn't jump to my mind 24 00:01:42.493 --> 00:01:44.016 the second I have to say it, uh, 25 00:01:44.060 --> 00:01:46.106 but right now it's called Slate and Gain. 26 00:01:46.149 --> 00:01:48.586 No, Slate and Game. See? 27 00:01:48.630 --> 00:01:50.327 It's gonna happen. It's gonna need a title change. 28 00:01:54.462 --> 00:01:56.507 McCONNELL: I've wanted to make films since I was very young, 29 00:01:56.551 --> 00:01:58.466 but not since I was a little kid. 30 00:01:58.509 --> 00:02:00.685 At first, I wanted to be a paleontologist 31 00:02:00.729 --> 00:02:02.992 or a criminologist, but eventually I realized 32 00:02:03.035 --> 00:02:05.951 I just lovedJurassic Park andThe Silence of the Lambs. 33 00:02:05.995 --> 00:02:08.128 I absorbed everything I can get my hands on 34 00:02:08.171 --> 00:02:10.173 and aside from a few stop-motion experiments with toys... 35 00:02:10.217 --> 00:02:12.175 [WHIRRING] 36 00:02:12.219 --> 00:02:14.177 McCONNELL: I started seriously making my own movies at the age of 15. 37 00:02:14.221 --> 00:02:15.787 Documentaries for class at first. 38 00:02:15.831 --> 00:02:17.137 Have you ever wondered what it would be like 39 00:02:17.180 --> 00:02:18.399 to make a movie? 40 00:02:18.442 --> 00:02:19.835 Well, in this video, I'm gonna tell you 41 00:02:19.878 --> 00:02:21.489 what the roles of screenwriters and directors are, 42 00:02:21.532 --> 00:02:25.449 from big to small budget, from commercials to major films. 43 00:02:25.493 --> 00:02:28.452 Then short films and even my first feature when I was in high school. 44 00:02:28.496 --> 00:02:29.845 [COCKS GUN] 45 00:02:29.888 --> 00:02:31.586 Open the fucking cash register! 46 00:02:31.629 --> 00:02:33.283 McCONNELL: Consumer video tech was just then cheap enough 47 00:02:33.327 --> 00:02:34.850 that I could save up and buy a Handycam 48 00:02:34.893 --> 00:02:37.940 that wasn't great on quality, but served its purpose. 49 00:02:37.983 --> 00:02:41.073 Just a question here. How do you expect to get away with this? 50 00:02:41.117 --> 00:02:42.597 McCONNELL: Growing up in the '90s, 51 00:02:42.640 --> 00:02:43.902 my generation of filmmakers were raised in the wake 52 00:02:43.946 --> 00:02:45.252 of the independent film movement. 53 00:02:45.295 --> 00:02:46.688 The working-class success story, 54 00:02:46.731 --> 00:02:48.211 the self-made kid who worked outside the system 55 00:02:48.255 --> 00:02:49.734 and then broke in, 56 00:02:49.778 --> 00:02:52.302 the Sundance darling, the director as a rock star. 57 00:02:52.346 --> 00:02:54.435 So I grew up dreaming of when I might get the big break, 58 00:02:54.478 --> 00:02:57.264 that moment I made a film that would break into the public consciousness 59 00:02:57.307 --> 00:02:59.004 in a way that my career would be set. 60 00:02:59.048 --> 00:03:00.354 The dream of making it. 61 00:03:00.397 --> 00:03:01.877 A dream worth working toward, 62 00:03:01.920 --> 00:03:03.357 for that one day when lightning strikes. 63 00:03:03.400 --> 00:03:05.185 [GUNSHOT] 64 00:03:05.228 --> 00:03:08.144 McCONNELL: But who was I and what chance do I really have? 65 00:03:08.188 --> 00:03:11.582 I came from a small town in Canada, starting with zero contacts in the business 66 00:03:11.626 --> 00:03:13.280 and just a dream. 67 00:03:13.323 --> 00:03:15.499 Now, it's over 20 years later since the dream was born 68 00:03:15.543 --> 00:03:17.893 and the business is not what you dream it'll be, 69 00:03:17.936 --> 00:03:19.982 the industry is not the same as the hope, 70 00:03:20.025 --> 00:03:22.027 the reality does not match up to the dream. 71 00:03:22.071 --> 00:03:23.246 How could it? 72 00:03:23.290 --> 00:03:26.684 Okay. Mmm-hmm. Uh, okay. 73 00:03:28.338 --> 00:03:30.297 Film has always felt like the most important part of my life, 74 00:03:30.340 --> 00:03:32.342 my whole identity. 75 00:03:32.386 --> 00:03:34.344 My family and friends matter to me greatly, but for most of my life, 76 00:03:34.388 --> 00:03:36.477 I've had this feeling that if film was stripped away, 77 00:03:36.520 --> 00:03:38.609 I wouldn't be much of a person. 78 00:03:38.653 --> 00:03:41.917 I'd be a rudderless ship drifting in open seas with no hope of direction. 79 00:03:41.960 --> 00:03:43.875 But I can't deny that it's taken its toll 80 00:03:43.919 --> 00:03:45.442 in more ways than I can count. 81 00:03:45.486 --> 00:03:47.662 A few years ago when I was at my lowest point, 82 00:03:47.705 --> 00:03:49.925 I began to question why I'm even trying. 83 00:03:49.968 --> 00:03:51.709 The doubt began to creep in. 84 00:03:51.753 --> 00:03:53.407 I had tragically lost my best friend 85 00:03:53.450 --> 00:03:54.886 and writing partner of a decade, 86 00:03:54.930 --> 00:03:57.585 the co-architect of my strategy for breaking in, 87 00:03:57.628 --> 00:03:59.804 and it hit a big reset button. 88 00:03:59.848 --> 00:04:01.937 I gained weight and hit nearly 300 pounds. 89 00:04:01.980 --> 00:04:04.461 None of the projects was trying to get made were getting off the ground. 90 00:04:04.505 --> 00:04:06.855 I'd had a no-budget feature horror movie released around the world 91 00:04:06.898 --> 00:04:09.553 that while some people really enjoyed, enough people hated it 92 00:04:09.597 --> 00:04:12.034 that I started to really doubt my own abilities. 93 00:04:12.077 --> 00:04:15.820 I was in a slump and the business didn't seem to be doing any better. 94 00:04:15.864 --> 00:04:17.996 I, uh, find myself second-guessing 95 00:04:18.040 --> 00:04:19.346 myself a lot, lately. 96 00:04:19.389 --> 00:04:22.131 And it sort of feels like, um, the opportunity 97 00:04:22.174 --> 00:04:23.393 happened for other people more, 98 00:04:23.437 --> 00:04:24.612 way more than you know, it happened for me 99 00:04:24.655 --> 00:04:25.917 And I'm wondering... 100 00:04:25.961 --> 00:04:27.615 I'm always wondering why that is. 101 00:04:27.658 --> 00:04:29.007 I question it sometimes. 102 00:04:29.051 --> 00:04:32.446 I question, you know, my place in a business 103 00:04:32.489 --> 00:04:35.884 that is tough enough to get into on its own, uh, 104 00:04:35.927 --> 00:04:39.279 and even more difficult when people 105 00:04:39.322 --> 00:04:40.671 have written you off. 106 00:04:40.715 --> 00:04:42.630 The film business that existed when I was growing up, 107 00:04:42.673 --> 00:04:45.415 the one that I dreamed of working on is long dead. 108 00:04:45.459 --> 00:04:48.723 It died before I had a chance to even get to the proverbial locked door, 109 00:04:48.766 --> 00:04:50.202 much less walk through it. 110 00:04:50.246 --> 00:04:52.292 In its place is a Wild West of competing ideologies, 111 00:04:52.335 --> 00:04:53.815 a greater gulf between mainstream 112 00:04:53.858 --> 00:04:55.643 and independent cinema than ever before, 113 00:04:55.686 --> 00:04:57.427 more product than the population can handle, 114 00:04:57.471 --> 00:04:58.950 and more new types of media entertainment 115 00:04:58.994 --> 00:05:01.301 to compete with film than the business can sustain. 116 00:05:01.344 --> 00:05:04.869 The possibility of having a career actually creating content is there, 117 00:05:04.913 --> 00:05:06.741 but the competition is fierce. 118 00:05:06.784 --> 00:05:10.353 The market's oversaturated, only the very best breakthrough. 119 00:05:10.397 --> 00:05:12.442 But in that, there's hope I think. 120 00:05:12.486 --> 00:05:15.489 There's a reason to keep trying and there's more reason than ever before 121 00:05:15.532 --> 00:05:17.534 to try and become a self-made creator. 122 00:05:17.578 --> 00:05:20.537 The doors to getting your work seen are wide open now. 123 00:05:20.581 --> 00:05:22.539 The ability to make money off your work 124 00:05:22.583 --> 00:05:24.889 is what's much more difficult, which means, 125 00:05:24.933 --> 00:05:26.761 as I've learned the hard way countless of times, 126 00:05:26.804 --> 00:05:28.153 you have to be smart. 127 00:05:28.197 --> 00:05:30.199 You have to keep learning. 128 00:05:30.242 --> 00:05:33.158 You have to work hard enough and survive long enough to get your chance 129 00:05:33.202 --> 00:05:34.508 and know that your chance, 130 00:05:34.551 --> 00:05:36.814 your lightning strike moment, may never come 131 00:05:36.858 --> 00:05:39.034 and you have to be okay with that. 132 00:05:39.077 --> 00:05:40.992 That's a form of insanity, isn't it? 133 00:05:41.036 --> 00:05:42.516 I think it might be to be a dreamer, 134 00:05:42.559 --> 00:05:44.126 to live for a dream, 135 00:05:44.169 --> 00:05:46.215 but it's a form of insanity everyone trying 136 00:05:46.258 --> 00:05:47.825 to be a filmmaker shares 137 00:05:47.869 --> 00:05:49.523 and somehow I take comfort in that. 138 00:05:49.566 --> 00:05:51.220 I decided to make this doc, 139 00:05:51.263 --> 00:05:54.919 because I've been working in the film industry now for 15 years 140 00:05:54.963 --> 00:05:57.400 in an actual, somewhat professional capacity, 141 00:05:57.444 --> 00:06:00.795 but I also don't want to show a biased opinion 142 00:06:00.838 --> 00:06:02.666 of who I am, because I'm not... 143 00:06:02.710 --> 00:06:04.538 I'm not really anybody yet. 144 00:06:04.581 --> 00:06:07.105 I moved to Toronto in the year 2000, just a fan with a dream. 145 00:06:07.149 --> 00:06:08.716 Slowly built a career in post-production, 146 00:06:08.759 --> 00:06:11.196 made a bunch of short films and music videos, 147 00:06:11.240 --> 00:06:13.895 amassed a lot of debt, made a lot of mistakes. 148 00:06:13.938 --> 00:06:16.550 The first film I made that did any sort of real distribution, 149 00:06:16.593 --> 00:06:18.726 the documentary Working Class Rock Star, 150 00:06:18.769 --> 00:06:20.423 I made zero money on after being conned 151 00:06:20.467 --> 00:06:23.165 by a predatory producer's rep, having one distributor 152 00:06:23.208 --> 00:06:25.341 go bankrupt before I was paid out and another's releases 153 00:06:25.385 --> 00:06:29.214 get lost in the shuffle when their sub-distributor sold to a bigger company. 154 00:06:29.258 --> 00:06:31.260 I made a horror film calledThe Collapsed 155 00:06:31.303 --> 00:06:34.176 on basically pocket change, but sold to 13 territories 156 00:06:34.219 --> 00:06:37.222 and some sizable companies, and made a tidy profit. 157 00:06:37.266 --> 00:06:38.876 And then another documentarySkull World, 158 00:06:38.920 --> 00:06:40.487 which has a few distributors on board, 159 00:06:40.530 --> 00:06:42.837 but was partially self-distributed, 160 00:06:42.880 --> 00:06:45.274 and not very profitable. 161 00:06:45.317 --> 00:06:48.277 Around 2009, I started trying to get a bigger feature, 162 00:06:48.320 --> 00:06:50.584 The Eternal, made with little luck. 163 00:06:50.627 --> 00:06:54.022 Despite having a really cool attached cast of people who I grew up watching, 164 00:06:54.065 --> 00:06:57.242 the recession and a lot of bad luck led to that one going on the shelf. 165 00:06:57.286 --> 00:07:00.115 But in 2012, that project and my client work for Anchor Bay 166 00:07:00.158 --> 00:07:02.726 connected me with a prolific producer, Avi Federgreen, 167 00:07:02.770 --> 00:07:05.468 who I joined forces with to continue the development of my slate 168 00:07:05.512 --> 00:07:07.775 and help his distribution company IndieCan Entertainment. 169 00:07:07.818 --> 00:07:10.647 In 2013, I started working as a film festival programmer 170 00:07:10.691 --> 00:07:14.390 at Toronto After Dark and in various capacities for a bunch of distributors. 171 00:07:14.434 --> 00:07:17.828 I am really not anybody, you've probably never even heard of me. 172 00:07:17.872 --> 00:07:20.048 I'm one of thousands of people trying to do this, 173 00:07:20.091 --> 00:07:22.180 but I do think my experiences are a good jumping-off point 174 00:07:22.224 --> 00:07:25.096 to examine the business further to try and understand it more, 175 00:07:25.140 --> 00:07:28.186 and figure out how to keep a career building in the modern film industry. 176 00:07:28.230 --> 00:07:30.319 But there's no point in going it alone, 177 00:07:30.362 --> 00:07:32.974 so I've gradually collected the opinions of dozens of knowledgeable figures 178 00:07:33.017 --> 00:07:36.412 from across the industry who've graciously given their time, offer collective insight into 179 00:07:36.456 --> 00:07:38.327 such a complicated business. 180 00:07:38.370 --> 00:07:39.720 To be successful as a filmmaker, 181 00:07:39.763 --> 00:07:41.243 you have to be a fucking masochist. 182 00:07:41.286 --> 00:07:43.288 [LAUGHING] 183 00:07:43.332 --> 00:07:46.378 You have to, um, be a little bit insane. 184 00:07:46.422 --> 00:07:50.295 Independent film has never been something that you go into to get rich. 185 00:07:50.339 --> 00:07:52.515 I mean I guess in a sense in the '90s when people 186 00:07:52.559 --> 00:07:54.604 were getting rich off the Sundance sales et cetera, 187 00:07:54.648 --> 00:07:57.912 it created this illusion that there was this world out there 188 00:07:57.955 --> 00:07:59.870 that you could get rich making art. 189 00:07:59.914 --> 00:08:02.569 Um, you know, I think that was always kind of 190 00:08:02.612 --> 00:08:04.092 a bullshit assumption. 191 00:08:04.135 --> 00:08:06.834 If you are entering this business in order to be 192 00:08:06.877 --> 00:08:09.532 rich or famous, you're in the wrong place. 193 00:08:09.576 --> 00:08:12.927 If you can get distribution, most of that comes after the fact 194 00:08:12.970 --> 00:08:14.755 after you've made your movie. 195 00:08:14.798 --> 00:08:17.758 I get so discouraged sometimes, I go, "I'm gonna quit," you know? 196 00:08:17.801 --> 00:08:20.412 At least, twice during the... 197 00:08:20.456 --> 00:08:23.720 Last months right before we're green-lit, 198 00:08:23.764 --> 00:08:26.157 and it's so hard, and it's just not coming together, 199 00:08:26.201 --> 00:08:28.943 and you get a piece, but you lose a piece, and you're, "Oh, my God." 200 00:08:28.986 --> 00:08:30.074 [SPEAKING IN JAPANESE] 201 00:08:57.711 --> 00:09:03.064 Problem we now have is we a tsunami of product. 202 00:09:03.107 --> 00:09:07.416 We have much more product than it is possible to watch. 203 00:09:07.459 --> 00:09:11.333 JORDAN FIELDS: There are definitely more films made today than ever before, 204 00:09:11.376 --> 00:09:12.595 completely saturated. 205 00:09:12.639 --> 00:09:14.379 It just makes a job like mine a little harder, 206 00:09:14.423 --> 00:09:18.819 because I have to weed through so much to get... to find the gems. 207 00:09:18.862 --> 00:09:21.604 Nobody complained when there were thousands of paintings, 208 00:09:21.648 --> 00:09:24.389 and drawings, and comic book illustrations. 209 00:09:24.433 --> 00:09:26.827 Why should anyone complain about too many movies? 210 00:09:26.870 --> 00:09:29.917 Uh, the problem is there are too many great movies 211 00:09:29.960 --> 00:09:31.745 that nobody gets to see. 212 00:09:31.788 --> 00:09:35.357 I mean you can make wonderful film and never, it never gets seen. 213 00:09:35.400 --> 00:09:37.011 That's the problem today. 214 00:09:37.054 --> 00:09:39.317 I mean, that's happened to me several times, 215 00:09:39.361 --> 00:09:41.581 even with, even with the studios. 216 00:09:41.624 --> 00:09:44.018 CAROLYN MAURICETTE: I'm finding now if you're really active on social media, 217 00:09:44.061 --> 00:09:46.890 getting a big following, that actually helps your chances. 218 00:09:46.934 --> 00:09:48.239 It's all about money. 219 00:09:48.283 --> 00:09:50.720 That's why you get the Aliens 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. 220 00:09:50.764 --> 00:09:52.635 Terminator 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. 221 00:09:52.679 --> 00:09:54.898 Fast and the Furious 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. 222 00:09:54.942 --> 00:09:58.162 It's very telling that the fact that people now use 223 00:09:58.206 --> 00:10:03.211 terms of "content" and "pipeline" to describe stories. 224 00:10:03.254 --> 00:10:06.257 We need a content to feed our pipeline. 225 00:10:06.301 --> 00:10:10.653 That's sewage language or oil language. 226 00:10:10.697 --> 00:10:12.350 It's flow. 227 00:10:12.394 --> 00:10:16.528 It's only content for as long as it lasts in the pipeline 228 00:10:16.572 --> 00:10:22.404 and then it moves to the ocean of forgiveness and forgetfulness both, you know? 229 00:10:22.447 --> 00:10:23.840 It's air. 230 00:10:23.884 --> 00:10:25.407 McCONNELL: At this point, I was working with Avi 231 00:10:25.450 --> 00:10:27.801 to try and get a horror film calledTripped made. 232 00:10:27.844 --> 00:10:31.282 I had just optioned the film rights to a novel calledKane and had a dozen or so 233 00:10:31.326 --> 00:10:33.371 other projects on my slate. 234 00:10:33.415 --> 00:10:37.332 I just got an email stating that an actor I really respect, Michael Eklund, 235 00:10:37.375 --> 00:10:39.203 he wants to doTripped, which is a movie 236 00:10:39.247 --> 00:10:41.075 that I wrote with Kevin before he died. 237 00:10:41.118 --> 00:10:42.642 Uh, it's kind of about us. 238 00:10:42.685 --> 00:10:44.469 I always get excited whenever an actor 239 00:10:44.513 --> 00:10:47.472 that I like, uh, wants to do one of my projects, which is great. 240 00:10:47.516 --> 00:10:50.867 It's always great news, um, but I still have to get the bloody movie made. 241 00:10:50.911 --> 00:10:54.436 I've been down this road before while trying to get The Eternal made. 242 00:10:54.479 --> 00:10:56.743 I'll tell you what was uncomfortable in your situation 243 00:10:56.786 --> 00:10:59.310 is that you faxed me a contract. 244 00:10:59.354 --> 00:11:00.616 McCONNELL: I faxed you an LOI... 245 00:11:00.660 --> 00:11:03.227 Well, but you know, when you get to that point... 246 00:11:03.271 --> 00:11:04.968 -McCONNELL: Yeah. -It gets a little confusing. 247 00:11:05.012 --> 00:11:06.491 I mean if you really wanna know, 248 00:11:06.535 --> 00:11:08.450 before you start talking about money 249 00:11:08.493 --> 00:11:11.018 to any actor or any... or anybody else, you really 250 00:11:11.061 --> 00:11:13.411 should wait until you actually have 251 00:11:13.455 --> 00:11:16.327 cash or money in the bank or you, 252 00:11:16.371 --> 00:11:19.635 or you have a production, uh, office. 253 00:11:19.679 --> 00:11:21.506 Where you have some money, 254 00:11:21.550 --> 00:11:23.247 that doesn't mean the film's gonna get made. 255 00:11:23.291 --> 00:11:25.510 it doesn't mean anything, but you know, you wanna wait 256 00:11:25.554 --> 00:11:27.861 as long as you can so that you can move quickly. 257 00:11:27.904 --> 00:11:29.601 MICHAEL BIEHN: We never got to a point where it's like, 258 00:11:29.645 --> 00:11:31.603 "Okay, here's how much money you're gonna make," 259 00:11:31.647 --> 00:11:32.953 and so on and so forth. 260 00:11:32.996 --> 00:11:34.519 I know you were just tryin' to put it together, 261 00:11:34.563 --> 00:11:38.219 but I thought it was an extremely well-written script. 262 00:11:38.262 --> 00:11:41.570 Uh, the action was just like fantastic and if you 263 00:11:41.613 --> 00:11:44.791 ever had the, you know, time and money 264 00:11:44.834 --> 00:11:46.793 to make that movie the way it's scripted, 265 00:11:46.836 --> 00:11:48.142 I think it would do very well. 266 00:11:48.185 --> 00:11:49.447 McCONNELL: Eklund is definitely interested. 267 00:11:49.491 --> 00:11:50.840 Uh, he liked the script a lot. 268 00:11:50.884 --> 00:11:52.102 What do you think Tripped could get in terms 269 00:11:52.146 --> 00:11:54.278 of a Canada presale with Eklund attached? 270 00:11:54.322 --> 00:11:56.019 Well, that was a promising call. 271 00:12:01.068 --> 00:12:04.419 So the way it's working is that we need cast attachment 272 00:12:04.462 --> 00:12:05.725 to be able to go to Super Channel, 273 00:12:05.768 --> 00:12:07.770 so that we can get a presale out of them 274 00:12:07.814 --> 00:12:09.380 and a presale out of Anchor Bay, 275 00:12:09.424 --> 00:12:12.122 and uh, go and finance the tax breaks 276 00:12:12.166 --> 00:12:13.602 and that puts the movie together. 277 00:12:13.645 --> 00:12:15.386 But in order for that to happen, we need to get 278 00:12:15.430 --> 00:12:17.388 Michael Eklund to sign a letter of intent to appear, 279 00:12:17.432 --> 00:12:19.826 which is a legally non-binding document 280 00:12:19.869 --> 00:12:22.698 that just simply states, "I'm interested in this." 281 00:12:22.742 --> 00:12:23.917 That's it. 282 00:12:23.960 --> 00:12:26.049 But they're not gonna give us an LOI 283 00:12:26.093 --> 00:12:28.443 they said, "We're really interested, 284 00:12:28.486 --> 00:12:31.620 "but we don't want you to come back until it's a fully-financed film 285 00:12:31.663 --> 00:12:32.926 "and there's an offer to be made," 286 00:12:32.969 --> 00:12:34.928 which to me is like... 287 00:12:34.971 --> 00:12:36.103 [CHUCKLES] 288 00:12:36.146 --> 00:12:37.408 It's like everything else. 289 00:12:37.452 --> 00:12:38.888 You need to have the money first, 290 00:12:38.932 --> 00:12:39.976 but then in order to get the money, 291 00:12:40.020 --> 00:12:41.282 you need everything else in place, 292 00:12:41.325 --> 00:12:42.718 but in order to get everything else in place, 293 00:12:42.762 --> 00:12:44.285 you need the money, so in order to get the money, 294 00:12:44.328 --> 00:12:46.026 you need to get everything else in place. 295 00:12:46.069 --> 00:12:48.550 And it's just this big fuckin' circle of bullshit 296 00:12:48.593 --> 00:12:50.204 and it just... it's endless. 297 00:12:50.247 --> 00:12:52.641 It's absolutely fucking endless and it seems 298 00:12:52.684 --> 00:12:54.817 like how does anybody get anything made? 299 00:12:54.861 --> 00:13:00.431 I spent 10 fuckin' years tryin' to figure out how this thing works. 300 00:13:00.475 --> 00:13:02.477 If somebody had just been able to just walk down, 301 00:13:02.520 --> 00:13:04.348 "Oh, here's how you, you know, finance a movie. 302 00:13:04.392 --> 00:13:06.611 "You get this and then you go do this." 303 00:13:06.655 --> 00:13:08.396 You know, duh. 304 00:13:08.439 --> 00:13:09.919 You know, instead of just sitting there. 305 00:13:09.963 --> 00:13:12.356 Like, I think a lot of filmmakers 306 00:13:12.400 --> 00:13:14.794 before they've gotten the experience, 307 00:13:14.837 --> 00:13:17.361 think there's like, it's Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory 308 00:13:17.405 --> 00:13:19.146 where you just get the golden ticket, 309 00:13:19.189 --> 00:13:21.888 and then you're making movies, and that's not what it is. 310 00:13:21.931 --> 00:13:24.064 It's this business that's pieced together 311 00:13:24.107 --> 00:13:27.981 by these very defined components and if you get 312 00:13:28.024 --> 00:13:30.374 an understandin' of how those components work together, 313 00:13:30.418 --> 00:13:31.941 and you get an understanding of... 314 00:13:31.985 --> 00:13:34.378 of how to focus your energy, 315 00:13:34.422 --> 00:13:36.467 how to maximize the results from it, 316 00:13:36.511 --> 00:13:38.948 then it's much easier to make a movie. 317 00:13:38.992 --> 00:13:41.211 It's not a mystery, it's not a lottery, it's a... 318 00:13:41.255 --> 00:13:44.084 It's a sort of, you know, a formula. 319 00:13:44.127 --> 00:13:46.390 When I look at a project, I analyze it 320 00:13:46.434 --> 00:13:49.872 as if I were investing in real estate and I have to look at 321 00:13:49.916 --> 00:13:53.571 the package and, you know, what assets are in place. 322 00:13:53.615 --> 00:13:56.661 Obviously, the first, money in is always 323 00:13:56.705 --> 00:13:58.707 the hardest to find, but it's so much easier 324 00:13:58.750 --> 00:14:00.752 if you have a director that believes in your project 325 00:14:00.796 --> 00:14:02.711 and is willing to put his name on it 326 00:14:02.754 --> 00:14:05.192 or if you have a brand that really loves it. 327 00:14:05.235 --> 00:14:08.282 And there are lots of different aspects that are... 328 00:14:08.325 --> 00:14:09.849 that are more approachable than others. 329 00:14:09.892 --> 00:14:11.720 So maybe don't start with talent, 'cause that's 330 00:14:11.763 --> 00:14:14.288 a little scary and you wanna have some dollar signs 331 00:14:14.331 --> 00:14:17.508 before you go out there, but definitely 332 00:14:17.552 --> 00:14:20.642 flesh your concept out, definitely if it has any 333 00:14:20.685 --> 00:14:22.426 tie to a video game, reach out to video game. 334 00:14:22.470 --> 00:14:24.559 Like, you know, all that you can do to bring in 335 00:14:24.602 --> 00:14:27.127 more players and make it a more appealing asset. 336 00:14:27.170 --> 00:14:29.259 The old way, it used to be, you had a good script, 337 00:14:29.303 --> 00:14:31.174 you had a good mood board, maybe you cut together 338 00:14:31.218 --> 00:14:32.872 like a mood reel like you would take footage from 339 00:14:32.915 --> 00:14:34.351 other stuff and you would put it together sayin' 340 00:14:34.395 --> 00:14:35.831 you know, "It's gonna kind of feel like this." 341 00:14:35.875 --> 00:14:37.093 And that used to get it done. 342 00:14:37.137 --> 00:14:39.008 That doesn't get it done anymore. 343 00:14:39.052 --> 00:14:42.229 You have to have a really great, what people perceive, as a great pitch. 344 00:14:42.272 --> 00:14:44.274 I mean it is a bit unfortunate that, you know, 345 00:14:44.318 --> 00:14:45.972 you kind of think, "Oh, I could just get 346 00:14:46.015 --> 00:14:47.582 really good actors and it doesn't matter, 347 00:14:47.625 --> 00:14:49.497 like it'll be an amazing film." 348 00:14:49.540 --> 00:14:53.936 But uh, for people trying to select good films 349 00:14:53.980 --> 00:14:55.938 and put them on a platform where everyone can see them, 350 00:14:55.982 --> 00:14:57.853 it's like looking for a needle in a haystack, 351 00:14:57.897 --> 00:15:00.725 so it really helps to have, yeah, 352 00:15:00.769 --> 00:15:02.205 a cast in your film. 353 00:15:02.249 --> 00:15:04.077 If you're doing this, you know, fully independently, 354 00:15:04.120 --> 00:15:06.557 you're working with people who are even recognizable, 355 00:15:06.601 --> 00:15:09.821 but not necessarily like valuable names, 356 00:15:09.865 --> 00:15:12.563 least amount of money for the best quality product. 357 00:15:12.607 --> 00:15:14.391 JENN WEXLER: The other thing that really draws us in 358 00:15:14.435 --> 00:15:18.395 is when people have lookbooks, because just receiving a script 359 00:15:18.439 --> 00:15:20.963 is, it's a little bland and it's, ah, 360 00:15:21.007 --> 00:15:22.660 from a producing perspective, 361 00:15:22.704 --> 00:15:24.488 it's just like, "Oh, I have so many 362 00:15:24.532 --> 00:15:27.143 "things to do and now like reading the script." 363 00:15:27.187 --> 00:15:29.885 Um, but if a script is accompanied by a lookbook, 364 00:15:29.929 --> 00:15:32.322 then you're like, "Oh wow, I'm pulled in by this aesthetic, 365 00:15:32.366 --> 00:15:33.845 "this is so cool." 366 00:15:33.889 --> 00:15:35.108 Are we meeting about Tripped or are we discussing 367 00:15:35.151 --> 00:15:36.718 the option of a bigger film? 368 00:15:38.285 --> 00:15:41.288 [PLATO FOUNTIDAKIS SPEAKING] 369 00:15:41.331 --> 00:15:44.465 Have they specifically said that they're interested in making Tripped? 370 00:15:44.508 --> 00:15:46.728 [PLATO FOUNTIDAKIS SPEAKING] 371 00:15:48.904 --> 00:15:52.908 I'm really shitty at the financial end of movies of moviemaking, you know? 372 00:15:52.952 --> 00:15:55.606 I've been fortunate that most of the work I've been done 373 00:15:55.650 --> 00:15:58.435 has either been network or studio or, you know, things. 374 00:15:58.479 --> 00:16:02.613 Even my original stuff has been done within a system that funds itself. 375 00:16:02.657 --> 00:16:09.359 I have done some independent film work and it's, I think, it's more difficult than ever 376 00:16:09.403 --> 00:16:12.145 to find funding if you're not doing something entirely 377 00:16:12.188 --> 00:16:18.064 on your own, because it's so much more difficult to make a profit at this. 378 00:16:18.107 --> 00:16:20.544 So getting the funding to do a film that requires 379 00:16:20.588 --> 00:16:23.199 more than just homemade guerrilla filmmaking 380 00:16:23.243 --> 00:16:25.462 is excruciating and I, 381 00:16:25.506 --> 00:16:27.247 I wouldn't have a clue how to do it, 382 00:16:27.290 --> 00:16:29.379 you know, other than going through 383 00:16:29.423 --> 00:16:33.035 production companies or through agents or managers, things like that. 384 00:16:33.079 --> 00:16:36.299 Apparently, the investors he's talking to are actually really interested 385 00:16:36.343 --> 00:16:37.518 and they wanna raise the budget. 386 00:16:37.561 --> 00:16:39.128 Is there anything dishonorable with that, 387 00:16:39.172 --> 00:16:40.521 'cause I'm already also talking to Eric... 388 00:16:40.564 --> 00:16:42.131 [AVI FEDERGREEN SPEAKING] 389 00:16:42.175 --> 00:16:43.350 Okay, all right. 390 00:16:43.393 --> 00:16:44.960 I just, I wouldn't want Eric to get pissed, 391 00:16:45.004 --> 00:16:46.831 'cause I'm talkin' to someone else, too. 392 00:16:46.875 --> 00:16:48.442 But I think that's the... 393 00:16:48.485 --> 00:16:50.487 [FEDERGREEN SPEAKING] 394 00:16:50.531 --> 00:16:52.446 Yeah. Yeah, exactly. 395 00:16:52.489 --> 00:16:54.665 -It's the game, right? It's the way it's played. -[FEDERGREEN SPEAKING] 396 00:16:54.709 --> 00:16:57.016 -All right. -[FEDERGREEN SPEAKING] 397 00:16:58.843 --> 00:17:00.497 Yeah, exactly. All right. 398 00:17:00.541 --> 00:17:01.716 Okay then. 399 00:17:01.759 --> 00:17:03.979 Well, still seems promising on either end. 400 00:17:04.023 --> 00:17:06.547 MIKE MENDEZ: It's always an adventure when it comes to financing, you know? 401 00:17:06.590 --> 00:17:09.637 A, how you're gonna finance the movie is always a different thing. 402 00:17:09.680 --> 00:17:13.815 Currently, I'm in a project that is supposed to shoot six, seven months ago. 403 00:17:13.858 --> 00:17:19.560 Well, honestly three years ago, but lately we're supposed to do seven months ago and it... 404 00:17:19.603 --> 00:17:20.996 it, you know, the money wasn't closed 405 00:17:21.040 --> 00:17:23.259 when we were on set and it had to collapse. 406 00:17:23.303 --> 00:17:25.305 I'm supposed to leave at the end of next week. 407 00:17:25.348 --> 00:17:27.002 I don't know if I'm going. 408 00:17:27.046 --> 00:17:31.050 I never feel good when someone says, 409 00:17:31.093 --> 00:17:32.964 "We almost have the money." 410 00:17:33.008 --> 00:17:35.445 It's... "Next week, the money should be closing." 411 00:17:35.489 --> 00:17:37.056 I have never had a good experience. 412 00:17:37.099 --> 00:17:39.406 That is never followed by something positive. 413 00:17:39.449 --> 00:17:44.802 It's tough enough to find money,but to certainly find money that's not gonna weigh you down, 414 00:17:44.846 --> 00:17:46.021 you have 16 producers. 415 00:17:46.065 --> 00:17:48.545 I mean look at, look at movies certainly, 416 00:17:48.589 --> 00:17:53.028 at film festivals now, there's usually a whole list of credits, of producers. 417 00:17:53.072 --> 00:17:54.812 12 different executive producers. 418 00:17:54.856 --> 00:17:56.466 And that's where money starts to get expensive. 419 00:17:56.510 --> 00:17:58.729 It's like well, for every one of those people, 420 00:17:58.773 --> 00:18:02.255 they have their own needs, they want to pump up the budget 421 00:18:02.298 --> 00:18:04.648 but with that comes their perk package, 422 00:18:04.692 --> 00:18:07.695 and with it comes their, wife that needs to be in the movie. 423 00:18:07.738 --> 00:18:10.089 I mean it's a really, it can be a complicated process. 424 00:18:10.132 --> 00:18:15.181 My strategy is get a job, work, save your money, 425 00:18:16.182 --> 00:18:18.793 get a nice little, like, nest egg of cash, 426 00:18:18.836 --> 00:18:21.274 and then produce your movie yourself. 427 00:18:21.317 --> 00:18:25.756 Keep it simple, keep your movie small, get your own budget, 428 00:18:25.800 --> 00:18:27.584 and just keep it. 429 00:18:27.628 --> 00:18:31.458 The more insular you can keep your production, I think the better. 430 00:18:31.501 --> 00:18:33.242 I'm supposed to do the entire movie, 431 00:18:33.286 --> 00:18:36.027 initially based on plan for $275,000, 432 00:18:36.071 --> 00:18:39.335 which is really low for how many effects and how big a movie it is. 433 00:18:39.379 --> 00:18:44.166 And luckily, these guys, they're, they're more talking like 1 to 1.5 million. 434 00:18:44.210 --> 00:18:46.734 And I never, I've never seen Trippedas a big film. 435 00:18:46.777 --> 00:18:48.257 I have to choose the right partners 436 00:18:48.301 --> 00:18:52.087 and I have to make sure, like, they're not gonna sign it 437 00:18:52.131 --> 00:18:55.090 and then immediately replace me as director, which is not what I want. 438 00:18:55.134 --> 00:18:58.093 Or, you know, no matter what I need to be... 439 00:18:58.137 --> 00:19:00.095 I need to have some creative control on the project 440 00:19:00.139 --> 00:19:02.053 and if that means that I do it for cheaper, 441 00:19:02.097 --> 00:19:03.620 then so be it. 442 00:19:03.664 --> 00:19:06.406 Don't go into it goin', "Here's the movie I wanna make. 443 00:19:06.449 --> 00:19:08.799 "Here's the movie I wanna make. "Here's the movie to make." 444 00:19:08.843 --> 00:19:10.061 The first question should be, 445 00:19:10.105 --> 00:19:12.586 "What are the movies you're lookin' for?" 446 00:19:12.629 --> 00:19:14.065 You know? 447 00:19:14.109 --> 00:19:16.024 And ask that question to as many people as possible 448 00:19:16.067 --> 00:19:19.201 who are in a position to release movies, finance movies, 449 00:19:19.245 --> 00:19:21.334 you know, fellow producers. 450 00:19:21.377 --> 00:19:25.773 Just listen and get a sense of what type of material works for them. 451 00:19:25.816 --> 00:19:27.166 It's tough, right? 452 00:19:27.209 --> 00:19:28.558 You're, you're, you're, you're building yourself, 453 00:19:28.602 --> 00:19:30.125 building your name, and building who you are, 454 00:19:30.169 --> 00:19:31.866 and you don't really have a lot of bargaining power 455 00:19:31.909 --> 00:19:33.302 at this point in your career. 456 00:19:33.346 --> 00:19:35.130 This is the hardest business, all aspects of this, 457 00:19:35.174 --> 00:19:38.873 and it's not good enough to justbe one thing anymore. 458 00:19:38.916 --> 00:19:43.138 I'm a writer, I'm a director, I'm a producer. 459 00:19:43.182 --> 00:19:44.313 No, not good enough. 460 00:19:44.357 --> 00:19:46.881 I need you to be more than that. 461 00:19:46.924 --> 00:19:49.666 I need you to be all of those things and I need 462 00:19:49.710 --> 00:19:51.929 you to have legal skills, I need you to understand 463 00:19:51.973 --> 00:19:53.366 what legal jargon means, you need to know 464 00:19:53.409 --> 00:19:56.238 how to use QuickBooks, how to file your taxes properly. 465 00:19:56.282 --> 00:19:59.110 Like you cannot just say, "Well, I'm a director." 466 00:19:59.154 --> 00:20:00.808 Fuck you. 467 00:20:00.851 --> 00:20:03.419 I think this is a year where I, I start to grow the fuck up. 468 00:20:03.463 --> 00:20:05.247 A time for me to realize that I might not know as 469 00:20:05.291 --> 00:20:07.771 much as I think I do and that's the first step 470 00:20:07.815 --> 00:20:09.817 towards learning the things I need to know, 471 00:20:09.860 --> 00:20:11.645 to really survive in this business. 472 00:20:11.688 --> 00:20:13.821 I'm not as effective a producer as I think I... 473 00:20:13.864 --> 00:20:15.170 I want, I am. 474 00:20:15.214 --> 00:20:17.128 I mean I'm still pretty green in a lot of ways. 475 00:20:17.172 --> 00:20:18.739 I've always kind of done it myself every, 476 00:20:18.782 --> 00:20:22.917 everything, a lot of the jobs myself, a lot of the work. 477 00:20:22.960 --> 00:20:26.094 I put on multiple hats just to save money, 478 00:20:26.137 --> 00:20:28.575 but I need to learn how to work with a team. 479 00:20:28.618 --> 00:20:32.013 I'm currently working on the script for Kane, 480 00:20:32.056 --> 00:20:34.276 which Serena Whitney and I are co-writing. 481 00:20:34.320 --> 00:20:37.148 Around the same time I met Avi, I also met Serena Whitney, 482 00:20:37.192 --> 00:20:39.150 a writer who was working for Dread Central at the time, 483 00:20:39.194 --> 00:20:41.805 but quickly displayed real talent for screenwriting. 484 00:20:41.849 --> 00:20:44.504 We became friends and started working together on a couple of projects. 485 00:20:44.547 --> 00:20:47.681 Kanewas something I discovered when I was 12 years old. 486 00:20:47.724 --> 00:20:51.772 it was on my mom's bookshelf and I decided to read it one night, 487 00:20:51.815 --> 00:20:55.950 and I actually read it in an entire night, because it was terrifying. 488 00:20:55.993 --> 00:20:58.953 I told myself, by 30 I would try to get the rights to it. 489 00:20:58.996 --> 00:21:02.086 And that's when we got the rights to the, the film. 490 00:21:02.130 --> 00:21:04.698 McCONNELL: Having a female writing partner's pretty cool, because, 491 00:21:04.741 --> 00:21:06.395 [CHUCKLES] I've been criticized 492 00:21:06.439 --> 00:21:09.311 in the past for not writing great female characters 493 00:21:09.355 --> 00:21:12.488 and I'll be the first to admit that was the case for The Collapsed, for sure. 494 00:21:12.532 --> 00:21:14.447 Uh, hey, Dad? 495 00:21:14.490 --> 00:21:15.665 Yes, Rebecca. 496 00:21:15.709 --> 00:21:16.840 Can I head off for a bit? 497 00:21:16.884 --> 00:21:18.799 I need some privacy. 498 00:21:18.842 --> 00:21:21.541 McCONNELL: Yeah, I'm distinctly aware of how stupid this scene is 499 00:21:21.584 --> 00:21:22.890 during the apocalypse. 500 00:21:22.933 --> 00:21:24.544 In this case, we've got, we've got... 501 00:21:24.587 --> 00:21:27.764 This really tough task of taking this big-ass book 502 00:21:27.808 --> 00:21:30.506 and turning it into a movie that's tight, 503 00:21:30.550 --> 00:21:34.510 and still is true to the book and people will like. 504 00:21:34.554 --> 00:21:36.773 The press went out last week first that 505 00:21:36.817 --> 00:21:39.254 we optioned that bookKane by Douglas Borton. 506 00:21:39.298 --> 00:21:40.777 You know, we released the press 507 00:21:40.821 --> 00:21:42.779 and obviously they talk about the team's last projects 508 00:21:42.823 --> 00:21:45.304 and I guess my last one is The Collapsed, 509 00:21:45.347 --> 00:21:46.957 which was about 50/50 split. 510 00:21:47.001 --> 00:21:48.872 Half the people hated it, half the people liked it. 511 00:21:48.916 --> 00:21:51.179 But immediately as soon as the new press comes out, 512 00:21:51.222 --> 00:21:53.834 you've got people commenting and saying things like, " The Collapsedsucked." 513 00:21:53.877 --> 00:21:55.662 I always hate going into a project with a feeling 514 00:21:55.705 --> 00:21:57.838 like I have to win back the public or win back 515 00:21:57.881 --> 00:21:59.405 the audience, when, you know, 516 00:21:59.448 --> 00:22:02.190 the difference between a movie that costs $40,000 to make 517 00:22:02.233 --> 00:22:03.757 that we wrote in three weeks and the difference 518 00:22:03.800 --> 00:22:05.715 between a movie that's probably gonna cost 1 million, 519 00:22:05.759 --> 00:22:10.372 1.5 million that's based on a book that was written 25 years ago, 520 00:22:10.416 --> 00:22:13.636 that is a solid fucking book, is night and day. 521 00:22:13.680 --> 00:22:18.162 STEVE KOSTANSKI: I love reading the Amazon reviews forManborg, 522 00:22:18.206 --> 00:22:21.296 because one of them, a guy actually says, 523 00:22:21.340 --> 00:22:24.125 "This director should, like, quit filmmaking, 524 00:22:24.168 --> 00:22:25.605 "never make a movie again." 525 00:22:25.648 --> 00:22:27.911 The fact that any movie ever gets made is a miracle. 526 00:22:27.955 --> 00:22:31.393 So even like the... whatever piece of garbage movie you think is, like, 527 00:22:31.437 --> 00:22:34.091 the worst piece of shit you've ever seen in your life, 528 00:22:34.135 --> 00:22:37.007 that was somebody's life for like many years. 529 00:22:37.051 --> 00:22:40.489 And they worked really hard to make it. 530 00:22:40.533 --> 00:22:43.100 And it were, and it was really hard just to get it 531 00:22:43.144 --> 00:22:45.581 in front of you, and so I find that 532 00:22:45.625 --> 00:22:48.932 there's a certain amount of respect for the filmmaker that 533 00:22:48.976 --> 00:22:51.979 you can afford them that's just finding 534 00:22:52.022 --> 00:22:53.937 something good about it. 535 00:22:53.981 --> 00:22:56.462 KOSTANSKI: Reading stuff like that makes me feel really horrible, 536 00:22:56.505 --> 00:22:59.769 but at the same time it makes you wanna work hard 537 00:22:59.813 --> 00:23:01.205 and do a better job. 538 00:23:01.249 --> 00:23:03.904 If you get discouraged when people tell you 539 00:23:03.947 --> 00:23:05.471 that something isn't up to snuff 540 00:23:05.514 --> 00:23:07.951 or they don't believe in you or support you early on out 541 00:23:07.995 --> 00:23:10.258 or early out, then, [CHUCKLES] 542 00:23:10.301 --> 00:23:11.781 you might as well just give up, 543 00:23:11.825 --> 00:23:15.219 'cause there's no point in living a life 544 00:23:15.263 --> 00:23:17.787 where you always feel like you're less than worthy. 545 00:23:17.831 --> 00:23:19.223 All of us suck. 546 00:23:19.267 --> 00:23:21.400 [CHUCKLING] You know, like, we're all bad 547 00:23:21.443 --> 00:23:23.793 and the minute you think you're good, you should quit. 548 00:23:23.837 --> 00:23:25.316 You know what I mean? 549 00:23:25.360 --> 00:23:28.363 I'm sure Spielberg sits there and he's like, "I suck. 550 00:23:28.407 --> 00:23:29.451 "I could be better. 551 00:23:29.495 --> 00:23:30.931 "I can make better." 552 00:23:30.974 --> 00:23:33.629 You need that doubt so you can hopefully improve on, 553 00:23:33.673 --> 00:23:35.109 on the next project. 554 00:23:35.152 --> 00:23:37.154 And some of it's just fun to laugh at, too, 'cause 555 00:23:37.198 --> 00:23:40.984 like seriously Internet commenters are just ridiculous. 556 00:23:41.028 --> 00:23:45.902 DAVID GREGORY: It's definitely more of, "It's awesome or it's shit" world now. 557 00:23:45.946 --> 00:23:49.602 It's definitely more of a star-rating world now than than it used to be. 558 00:23:49.645 --> 00:23:52.735 But it's definitely more democratized as well. 559 00:23:52.779 --> 00:23:55.390 I mean everybody can have an opinion and, 560 00:23:55.434 --> 00:23:59.873 and influence the way people see movies, 561 00:23:59.916 --> 00:24:02.789 influence the movies that people want to see, I should say. 562 00:24:02.832 --> 00:24:05.008 Take it with a grain of salt, 'cause people are nasty. 563 00:24:05.052 --> 00:24:07.489 It's one of the reasons why I don't like social media. 564 00:24:07.533 --> 00:24:11.711 They will, you know, they're just hiding behind their keyboards, 565 00:24:11.754 --> 00:24:13.887 so they're gonna say whatever they wanna say. 566 00:24:13.930 --> 00:24:17.673 DAVE ALEXANDER: People do not act in a civil or polite manner often 567 00:24:17.717 --> 00:24:19.632 if it's in a virtual world. 568 00:24:19.675 --> 00:24:21.764 There's no reason to act like that. 569 00:24:21.808 --> 00:24:23.462 You wouldn't act like that if we were sitting 570 00:24:23.505 --> 00:24:25.202 in a room having a conversation, 571 00:24:25.246 --> 00:24:27.074 so why the fuck do you think it's okay 572 00:24:27.117 --> 00:24:28.554 that you can act like that online? 573 00:24:28.597 --> 00:24:31.818 ZACK BERNBAUM: Criticism is part of the business, 574 00:24:31.861 --> 00:24:35.038 no matter what, it'll happen. 575 00:24:35.082 --> 00:24:36.953 I think you have to have a thick skin. 576 00:24:36.997 --> 00:24:41.001 A film critic/reviewer is gonna look at a film 577 00:24:41.044 --> 00:24:43.351 the way that they're gonna look at it and I think 578 00:24:43.394 --> 00:24:45.745 the best thing we can do is just sort of let it go. 579 00:24:45.788 --> 00:24:48.399 In some cases I got savage reviews, but they always just, 580 00:24:48.443 --> 00:24:50.358 there was always good ones intermixed with it, 581 00:24:50.401 --> 00:24:51.881 but it all changes. 582 00:24:51.925 --> 00:24:55.189 It's strange how... 583 00:24:55.232 --> 00:25:00.455 a decade or two makes the difference of how people see your work and stuff 584 00:25:00.499 --> 00:25:02.326 that was... [SIGHS] 585 00:25:02.370 --> 00:25:03.937 Like a film like Frankenhooker was, 586 00:25:03.980 --> 00:25:05.765 "Oh my God, it's just tits and ass. 587 00:25:05.808 --> 00:25:07.462 "Just I mean, it's, that's nothin' there. 588 00:25:07.506 --> 00:25:08.942 "It's not a horror film, just tits and ass." 589 00:25:08.985 --> 00:25:11.814 Now, I read these reviews that say, "Oh my God, 590 00:25:11.858 --> 00:25:13.990 "it's, you know, it was so ahead of its time." 591 00:25:14.034 --> 00:25:15.339 Well, which is right? 592 00:25:15.383 --> 00:25:16.602 Which review was right? 593 00:25:16.645 --> 00:25:19.300 The contemporary review or the review today? 594 00:25:19.343 --> 00:25:21.563 I mean, the answer is none of it. 595 00:25:21.607 --> 00:25:25.132 McCONNELL: Last week, we had a meeting for gettingTripped made. 596 00:25:25.175 --> 00:25:27.134 they said they'd have contract to us on Monday. 597 00:25:27.177 --> 00:25:29.397 Nothing came on Monday, nothing came on Tuesday, 598 00:25:29.440 --> 00:25:31.486 it's Friday now, so I enquired to Plato, 599 00:25:31.530 --> 00:25:32.835 "What's up?" 600 00:25:32.879 --> 00:25:34.358 and it sounds like they don't want to proceed. 601 00:25:34.402 --> 00:25:36.665 MAN: [ON RECORDING] Now laid out our mission. 602 00:25:36.709 --> 00:25:38.449 I expect you to fall in line. 603 00:25:38.493 --> 00:25:39.581 [RINGTONE] 604 00:25:39.625 --> 00:25:41.322 McCONNELL: Hey, Plato. 605 00:25:41.365 --> 00:25:45.805 [FOUNTIDAKIS SPEAKING] 606 00:25:48.329 --> 00:25:49.417 Right. 607 00:25:49.460 --> 00:25:51.985 [FOUNTIDAKIS SPEAKING] 608 00:25:54.465 --> 00:25:56.598 [CHUCKLES] So it did come down to me. 609 00:25:56.642 --> 00:26:01.429 You know, I, I've only ever produced at the bare minimum of a budget like ever. 610 00:26:01.472 --> 00:26:02.735 Ever. 611 00:26:02.778 --> 00:26:04.650 Except the one, that one video fact video, 612 00:26:04.693 --> 00:26:06.652 but mostly everything I've ever done was really, 613 00:26:06.695 --> 00:26:10.264 really, really little budget and it's part of 614 00:26:10.307 --> 00:26:14.529 the reason, you know, I don't have footage that looks like Scorsese. 615 00:26:14.573 --> 00:26:16.836 Today, you can take a camera and go out and shoot, 616 00:26:16.879 --> 00:26:18.228 make a movie for no money. 617 00:26:18.272 --> 00:26:20.491 Now, it may suck, and it may not be a good movie, 618 00:26:20.535 --> 00:26:22.145 but you can actually look at it, 619 00:26:22.189 --> 00:26:24.539 and project it, and it looks pretty damn good in HD quality, 620 00:26:24.583 --> 00:26:26.280 and you can manufacture a disc, 621 00:26:26.323 --> 00:26:29.022 and put a little wrap on it, and look, "Hey, I got a movie." 622 00:26:29.065 --> 00:26:31.111 And that works until people have to sit and watch it, 623 00:26:31.154 --> 00:26:33.635 then it, kind of, that plan usually falls apart. 624 00:26:33.679 --> 00:26:35.681 There's lots of more, people more talented than me, 625 00:26:35.724 --> 00:26:37.378 and there's lots of people less talented than me, 626 00:26:37.421 --> 00:26:39.728 and I've seen less talented get more successful, 627 00:26:39.772 --> 00:26:41.687 and I've seen more talented get successful, 628 00:26:41.730 --> 00:26:43.645 and they all get, they all get there 629 00:26:43.689 --> 00:26:44.994 for different reasons and they all get their 630 00:26:45.038 --> 00:26:46.735 finance together for different reasons, 631 00:26:46.779 --> 00:26:48.694 but at the end of the day, 632 00:26:48.737 --> 00:26:52.741 I have just as much chance as anyone else, I believe. 633 00:26:52.785 --> 00:26:55.004 There are millions of footnotes in the history 634 00:26:55.048 --> 00:26:58.529 of Hollywood of projects that someone said, 635 00:26:58.573 --> 00:27:01.054 "You know, I would rather put this in a drawer 636 00:27:01.097 --> 00:27:03.317 "than, say, sell it." 637 00:27:03.360 --> 00:27:06.276 Um, but at the same time when you think about it 638 00:27:06.320 --> 00:27:08.670 if someone, you know, you hear these stories 639 00:27:08.714 --> 00:27:10.672 about someone saying, "Oh, they offered me all this 640 00:27:10.716 --> 00:27:13.675 "money if I walked away as the director and, 641 00:27:13.719 --> 00:27:17.070 and I think if, if that were a client or if, 642 00:27:17.113 --> 00:27:21.291 even if I were that writer or that filmmaker, 643 00:27:21.335 --> 00:27:23.816 I would think, "If somebody's willing to offer me money 644 00:27:23.859 --> 00:27:27.558 "to walk away, I can find somebody to offer me money 645 00:27:27.602 --> 00:27:29.430 "to stay as, as well. 646 00:27:29.473 --> 00:27:32.302 "If I'm getting this kind of interest in the material now." 647 00:27:32.346 --> 00:27:33.913 And now, I know. 648 00:27:33.956 --> 00:27:36.089 Right now, I'm, now, it's the material's being validated, 649 00:27:36.132 --> 00:27:39.701 this story that I want to tell is being validated. 650 00:27:39.745 --> 00:27:43.618 DEL TORO: The only way that you do it is you try to stay 651 00:27:43.662 --> 00:27:46.055 faithful to yourself and do movies that, 652 00:27:46.099 --> 00:27:48.101 that really need to be made. 653 00:27:48.144 --> 00:27:50.364 That really you think, for whatever reason. 654 00:27:50.407 --> 00:27:52.758 It doesn't matter if it's an intimate little story 655 00:27:52.801 --> 00:27:55.064 or giant robots and giant monsters. 656 00:27:55.108 --> 00:27:57.414 A part of you needs that story told. 657 00:27:57.458 --> 00:28:00.722 You know, my 10-year-old with my Godzilla on one hand 658 00:28:00.766 --> 00:28:03.638 and my Iron Giant and my Iron Man 659 00:28:03.682 --> 00:28:05.684 on the other are clashing. 660 00:28:05.727 --> 00:28:07.555 That's the guy that doesPacific Rim. 661 00:28:07.598 --> 00:28:10.601 The, the, super lonely melancholy kid, 662 00:28:10.645 --> 00:28:12.560 doesPan's Labyrinth, but it's, 663 00:28:12.603 --> 00:28:14.257 It's both equally me. 664 00:28:14.301 --> 00:28:17.565 So that's the only thing, it, it just tells you, 665 00:28:17.608 --> 00:28:21.395 You wanna fight for the stuff that is a lost cause. 666 00:28:21.438 --> 00:28:22.657 You know what I'm saying? 667 00:28:22.701 --> 00:28:24.833 A lost cause is the only one worth fighting. 668 00:28:24.877 --> 00:28:27.357 It's cool, because we're in the Frontieres Market. 669 00:28:27.401 --> 00:28:28.924 McCONNELL: Oh, my God, it's coming. 670 00:28:28.968 --> 00:28:30.709 -Oh, no. -[CORK POPPING] 671 00:28:30.752 --> 00:28:31.753 -McCONNELL: Look at that. -Yay! 672 00:28:31.797 --> 00:28:33.276 -Look at that. -[LAUGHING] 673 00:28:33.320 --> 00:28:34.713 From around the world over 100 projects are submitted 674 00:28:34.756 --> 00:28:38.281 and usually they're all pretty legitimate projects, 675 00:28:38.325 --> 00:28:40.719 because Frontieres is not just... you can enter, 676 00:28:40.762 --> 00:28:44.766 anyone can enter, but you... You really gotta have 677 00:28:44.810 --> 00:28:46.420 your shit together to even have a hope 678 00:28:46.463 --> 00:28:49.728 and we were among the 20 chosen, so that's awesome. 679 00:28:49.771 --> 00:28:51.947 We set out on a marathon of work getting a draft 680 00:28:51.991 --> 00:28:53.862 of theKane script ready to show in less than a month 681 00:28:53.906 --> 00:28:55.298 at the upcoming Market with the help of 682 00:28:55.342 --> 00:28:57.300 our consulting producer George Mihalka. 683 00:28:57.344 --> 00:29:00.826 WHITNEY: It's exciting because I've never done something like this, 684 00:29:00.869 --> 00:29:02.392 I've never been a part of a film market, 685 00:29:02.436 --> 00:29:04.786 it's kinda cool to be on the other side, 686 00:29:04.830 --> 00:29:06.570 uh, this is where I've always wanted to be, 687 00:29:06.614 --> 00:29:10.792 not just reviewing films but to have my, my film reviewed, 688 00:29:10.836 --> 00:29:13.403 which is what you should want. 689 00:29:13.447 --> 00:29:16.015 Um, so yeah I'm really excited. 690 00:29:16.058 --> 00:29:20.106 I feel like, I feel like it's, it's like 691 00:29:20.149 --> 00:29:22.282 a lifelong dream coming true. 692 00:29:22.325 --> 00:29:24.675 McCONNELL: I know that Serena's really excited and she's very optimistic. 693 00:29:24.719 --> 00:29:26.939 I've been down this road before 694 00:29:26.982 --> 00:29:28.418 where I thought things were coming together, 695 00:29:28.462 --> 00:29:29.768 and that the movie was gonna get made, 696 00:29:29.811 --> 00:29:31.726 and I was ready to almost celebrate, 697 00:29:31.770 --> 00:29:33.075 and then it didn't happen. 698 00:29:33.119 --> 00:29:35.251 And I am somewhat concerned 699 00:29:35.295 --> 00:29:37.688 that development's gonna take a long time, 700 00:29:37.732 --> 00:29:39.038 which, that's why 701 00:29:39.081 --> 00:29:40.256 you take the rights for four years. [CHUCKLES] 702 00:29:40.300 --> 00:29:42.215 The best thing you can hope for is 703 00:29:42.258 --> 00:29:46.306 for some investors to buy, 704 00:29:46.349 --> 00:29:50.876 but that is not the primary reason why I wanna go. 705 00:29:50.919 --> 00:29:53.313 It's to make the connections, 706 00:29:53.356 --> 00:29:55.184 learn more about film markets, 707 00:29:55.228 --> 00:29:57.230 and hopefully have something 708 00:29:57.273 --> 00:29:58.927 to show for it at the end of the day. 709 00:29:58.971 --> 00:30:00.842 Oh, wow! 710 00:30:00.886 --> 00:30:02.670 Look at it. 711 00:30:02.713 --> 00:30:03.889 It's real. 712 00:30:03.932 --> 00:30:05.194 McCONNELL: I think we're ready. 713 00:30:05.238 --> 00:30:06.456 I feel like we're ready. 714 00:30:06.500 --> 00:30:08.850 We put a lot of effort into the package. 715 00:30:08.894 --> 00:30:12.201 We've got a package, then a lookbook, 716 00:30:12.245 --> 00:30:14.290 then a printed lookbook, then flyers, 717 00:30:14.334 --> 00:30:16.292 and the posters, some concept art. 718 00:30:16.336 --> 00:30:19.382 We got the script to the point 719 00:30:19.426 --> 00:30:20.993 where we were really happy with it. 720 00:30:21.036 --> 00:30:22.429 I guess we're ready. 721 00:30:22.472 --> 00:30:24.126 ROSS DINERSTEIN: I think film markets are great. 722 00:30:24.170 --> 00:30:27.173 I think a big part of the job is to meet people that are, 723 00:30:27.216 --> 00:30:28.478 you know, shared similar interests, 724 00:30:28.522 --> 00:30:29.915 but are from all over the world. 725 00:30:29.958 --> 00:30:31.438 It gives you an idea of, you know, 726 00:30:31.481 --> 00:30:33.832 what your peers are doing, and what's coming up, 727 00:30:33.875 --> 00:30:37.879 and just kind of keeps you freshand keeps it competitive. 728 00:30:37.923 --> 00:30:40.882 McCONNELL: [ON PHONE] If you were in our shoes, and doing these meetings, 729 00:30:40.926 --> 00:30:43.667 how would you approach them? 730 00:30:43.711 --> 00:30:45.365 Like, from a creative perspective? 731 00:30:45.408 --> 00:30:47.019 What do they rather hear? 732 00:30:47.062 --> 00:30:48.759 Do they wanna hear about the money they're gonna make 733 00:30:48.803 --> 00:30:51.588 or do they want to hear about this great vision we've got? 734 00:30:51.632 --> 00:30:53.939 FEDERGREEN: They know how to do their job. 735 00:30:53.982 --> 00:30:57.072 They wanna know on the creative side what it looks, 736 00:30:57.116 --> 00:31:00.336 what it feels like, what would you compare it to? 737 00:31:00.380 --> 00:31:03.252 Because then once they hear all those things, 738 00:31:03.296 --> 00:31:05.298 they wrap their heads around that and go, 739 00:31:05.341 --> 00:31:08.083 "Okay, yeah, so I remember how successful that movie was. 740 00:31:08.127 --> 00:31:10.825 "If this is gonna be like that, then we can make X amount of money, 741 00:31:10.869 --> 00:31:13.610 "and we can market it in an X sort of way," and all that kind of stuff. 742 00:31:13.654 --> 00:31:15.786 McCONNELL: Yeah, all right man. FEDERGREEN: All right, talk soon. 743 00:31:15.830 --> 00:31:17.701 McCONNELL: Okay, take care, bye. 744 00:31:17.745 --> 00:31:21.357 STEPHANIE TREPANIER: Over the years, we saw how the community aspect 745 00:31:21.401 --> 00:31:24.317 of Fantasia was really important 746 00:31:24.360 --> 00:31:27.233 and was actually getting new films made. 747 00:31:27.276 --> 00:31:28.930 Filmmakers would meet. 748 00:31:28.974 --> 00:31:32.368 Creating the Market at Fantasia was an extension of that, 749 00:31:32.412 --> 00:31:35.023 but makin' it real, makin' it serious, 750 00:31:35.067 --> 00:31:38.070 and it went from 220 to 280, 751 00:31:38.113 --> 00:31:41.073 to 350 participants straightaway, 752 00:31:41.116 --> 00:31:46.034 and people from top production companies, sales agencies. 753 00:31:46.078 --> 00:31:48.167 LINDSAY PETERS: In contrast to some of the larger markets, 754 00:31:48.210 --> 00:31:51.648 we know that one of the key qualities of Frontieres 755 00:31:51.692 --> 00:31:54.347 is the fact that we create a relatively small 756 00:31:54.390 --> 00:31:57.480 intimate atmosphere that actually allows people to get to know each other. 757 00:31:57.524 --> 00:31:59.743 PETER KUPLOWSKY: I think after going through a co-production market 758 00:31:59.787 --> 00:32:01.789 or any kind of production marketplace, 759 00:32:01.832 --> 00:32:04.313 you're able to better assess the movie you're making. 760 00:32:04.357 --> 00:32:07.099 So I've had a project, which after going through 761 00:32:07.142 --> 00:32:09.188 meetings at a co-production market, 762 00:32:09.231 --> 00:32:12.800 I've then realized maybe this isn't the right project for this marketplace, 763 00:32:12.843 --> 00:32:14.280 because I've spoken to distributors, 764 00:32:14.323 --> 00:32:16.412 and exhibitors, and producers, 765 00:32:16.456 --> 00:32:18.762 and I've realized this isn't the kind of movie 766 00:32:18.806 --> 00:32:20.851 that people are making right now, 767 00:32:20.895 --> 00:32:25.204 and so maybe this is movie two, not movie one for this particular filmmaker. 768 00:32:25.247 --> 00:32:27.293 ANNICK MAHNERT: Having all these people together in one room 769 00:32:27.336 --> 00:32:29.295 for four days is really amazing, 770 00:32:29.338 --> 00:32:32.820 because you get all these ideas of how they would do the things off 771 00:32:32.863 --> 00:32:35.692 or maybe you might meet someone who has a project 772 00:32:35.736 --> 00:32:39.000 but he lacks funds and someone will say, 773 00:32:39.044 --> 00:32:41.655 "Well, this is great. I can help you with the fundings," 774 00:32:41.698 --> 00:32:44.049 or someone could help with post-production. 775 00:32:44.092 --> 00:32:48.183 They give you the opportunity to talk to people in a relaxed, 776 00:32:48.227 --> 00:32:50.185 informal kind of environment 777 00:32:50.229 --> 00:32:55.321 and that's really what this kind of event is all about. 778 00:32:55.364 --> 00:33:01.414 Otherwise, when you're back out in the big bad world, and you need your lawyers, 779 00:33:01.457 --> 00:33:03.764 and your managers, and your agents to open those doors for you. 780 00:33:03.807 --> 00:33:06.506 McCONNELL: We currently have 30 meetings definitely on the books, 781 00:33:06.549 --> 00:33:08.856 but there could be more, there should be more, 782 00:33:08.899 --> 00:33:11.859 and hopefully we get some traction with Mark of Kane. 783 00:33:11.902 --> 00:33:13.861 I'm cautiously optimistic. 784 00:33:13.904 --> 00:33:17.212 I think it's important to attendif you're interested in kind of going for it, 785 00:33:17.256 --> 00:33:18.518 for that world, 786 00:33:18.561 --> 00:33:20.172 and to be aware of who all the players are, 787 00:33:20.215 --> 00:33:23.044 and what each company is really there to do, you know? 788 00:33:23.088 --> 00:33:24.915 Are you talking to a financing producer, 789 00:33:24.959 --> 00:33:28.049 you know, production company, are you talking to this distributor 790 00:33:28.093 --> 00:33:31.270 and a lot of it is just communication and following up 791 00:33:31.313 --> 00:33:35.578 and figuring out how to match your project 792 00:33:35.622 --> 00:33:39.756 with the best collaborators that's gonna really get you what you want. 793 00:33:39.800 --> 00:33:41.628 When you look at an artist, you're like, 794 00:33:41.671 --> 00:33:44.631 "Can I be making movies with this person for the next 15, 20 years?" 795 00:33:44.674 --> 00:33:47.547 It's just too much effort to just do a one-off. 796 00:33:47.590 --> 00:33:50.724 It's too much effort if this is that person's one story 797 00:33:50.767 --> 00:33:51.855 and once they're done with that, 798 00:33:51.899 --> 00:33:53.422 they might just be done with film. 799 00:33:53.466 --> 00:33:55.381 I need someone who's going to be a director 800 00:33:55.424 --> 00:33:57.426 that needs me just as much as a producer, 801 00:33:57.470 --> 00:34:00.647 and we're gonna spend our career making films with each other 802 00:34:00.690 --> 00:34:04.129 and that's what you look for in someone you wanna collaborate with, you see a future. 803 00:34:04.172 --> 00:34:07.915 BRYAN BRUCKS: The biggest first-time filmmaker mistake 804 00:34:07.958 --> 00:34:14.008 is someone trashing that executive producer's movies. 805 00:34:14.052 --> 00:34:17.446 The first thing you should do is look on the wall, see the movies they produced, 806 00:34:17.490 --> 00:34:19.535 and, you know, don't shit on 'em. 807 00:34:19.579 --> 00:34:21.711 METTE-MARIE KONGSVED: If you're talking about being 808 00:34:21.755 --> 00:34:27.195 a filmmaker deciding which producer or financier or sales agent to work with, 809 00:34:27.239 --> 00:34:32.505 I mean, I'd say meet with them and see what your chemistry is and then do some due diligence. 810 00:34:32.548 --> 00:34:33.984 Ask around. 811 00:34:34.028 --> 00:34:35.812 Do you know anybody that's done business with them? 812 00:34:35.856 --> 00:34:39.251 Do you know anybody that has any experiences with these people? 813 00:34:39.294 --> 00:34:43.211 If they've been around, chances are people will have worked with them, 814 00:34:43.255 --> 00:34:45.474 and they'll have opinions. 815 00:34:45.518 --> 00:34:48.477 WHITNEY: I think it really went well, the Market. 816 00:34:48.521 --> 00:34:51.480 I think we were all really prepared, 817 00:34:51.524 --> 00:34:56.659 and that was one of the notes that we received that we were really prepared, 818 00:34:56.703 --> 00:35:00.533 and that was a good feeling to know that we could have stood out. 819 00:35:00.576 --> 00:35:03.579 We met with people that I never thought I'd get a meeting with 820 00:35:03.623 --> 00:35:05.494 at this stage of the game. 821 00:35:05.538 --> 00:35:08.236 Um, the producers of Driveand Only God Forgives, 822 00:35:08.280 --> 00:35:09.672 the Weinsteins. 823 00:35:09.716 --> 00:35:11.761 I know, I know, but nobody was talking about 824 00:35:11.805 --> 00:35:13.763 that particular scandal when I recorded this. 825 00:35:13.807 --> 00:35:15.025 I've got a lot of hope at this point. 826 00:35:15.069 --> 00:35:16.723 I'm gonna knock on wood. 827 00:35:16.766 --> 00:35:17.898 [KNOCKING] 828 00:35:17.941 --> 00:35:19.160 Knockin' on wood big time, 829 00:35:19.204 --> 00:35:20.770 'cause you never know, 830 00:35:20.814 --> 00:35:24.165 you never know until you know, but, uh, holy fuckin' shit. 831 00:35:24.209 --> 00:35:26.080 The fallout from the Market ended up being good 832 00:35:26.124 --> 00:35:28.474 in terms of building a network, learning some new things, 833 00:35:28.517 --> 00:35:30.389 and meeting potential future collaborators, 834 00:35:30.432 --> 00:35:32.217 but the response toMark of Kane 835 00:35:32.260 --> 00:35:34.741 wasn't as immediate as we'd hoped, so development continued. 836 00:35:34.784 --> 00:35:36.786 I filled my fall that year with client work 837 00:35:36.830 --> 00:35:38.614 and shot a zero-budget comedy short for fun 838 00:35:38.658 --> 00:35:41.095 calledDamned Selfie, but something was weighing on me. 839 00:35:41.139 --> 00:35:43.445 Despite some added interest that hadn't paid off, 840 00:35:43.489 --> 00:35:46.448 I started to realize I've been hitting a brick wall trying to getTripped made. 841 00:35:46.492 --> 00:35:48.842 The decision was made to put it on the back burner 842 00:35:48.885 --> 00:35:52.193 and focus on a lower-budget project that has more chance of getting to camera sooner. 843 00:35:52.237 --> 00:35:54.761 Maybe I suffer from having too much of the split focus, 844 00:35:54.804 --> 00:35:58.373 but I find that when one thing stalls, 845 00:35:58.417 --> 00:36:00.506 it's good to have something else to do. 846 00:36:00.549 --> 00:36:04.118 Every day, I am trying to move the pieces 847 00:36:04.162 --> 00:36:06.425 on my board forward, you know? 848 00:36:06.468 --> 00:36:09.906 It's an eternal chess game. 849 00:36:09.950 --> 00:36:14.607 So I have a few knights, and a couple of bishops, and many pawns, 850 00:36:14.650 --> 00:36:17.479 and occasionally a pawn can become a queen. 851 00:36:17.523 --> 00:36:22.789 I am obsessed with doing work and I love family, 852 00:36:22.832 --> 00:36:25.052 I love my personal time when I'm not working, 853 00:36:25.095 --> 00:36:28.098 but, you know, I've always been somebody 854 00:36:28.142 --> 00:36:32.233 who has felt the need to do my own thing, 855 00:36:32.277 --> 00:36:34.366 so I don't work a nine-to-five. 856 00:36:34.409 --> 00:36:38.283 I always say, working for yourself is like working 24/7, 857 00:36:38.326 --> 00:36:43.505 because your hours are basically what dictate your output 858 00:36:43.549 --> 00:36:45.594 and what you end up accomplishing. 859 00:36:45.638 --> 00:36:47.901 You push as many things forward as you can, 860 00:36:47.944 --> 00:36:52.862 and, well, as they say, you throw as much mud at the wall and see what sticks. 861 00:36:52.906 --> 00:36:55.125 I've been trying to figure out an idea 862 00:36:55.169 --> 00:36:57.606 for a low-budget feature or something I could do for Collapsedmoney or cheaper. 863 00:36:57.650 --> 00:36:59.391 Um, 50 grand would be ideal. 864 00:36:59.434 --> 00:37:02.220 So I had this idea a while back I was gonna call Shifter, 865 00:37:02.263 --> 00:37:05.571 and it was just gonna be basically, 866 00:37:05.614 --> 00:37:07.094 vaguely, it was about a shapeshifter, 867 00:37:07.137 --> 00:37:09.096 someone who takes on a new face 868 00:37:09.139 --> 00:37:12.839 every little bit of time, um, and they are the same character, 869 00:37:12.882 --> 00:37:15.320 but someone else is playing the character throughout the movie. 870 00:37:15.363 --> 00:37:17.496 Now, I'm making a much more simple idea. 871 00:37:17.539 --> 00:37:20.368 I'm gonna call it Lifechanger instead of Shifter, 872 00:37:20.412 --> 00:37:22.544 'cause "Shifter"has been taken a ton of times. 873 00:37:22.588 --> 00:37:26.156 [MAN ON PHONE SPEAKING] 874 00:37:39.648 --> 00:37:41.650 McCONNELL: Are there character flaws that I have 875 00:37:41.694 --> 00:37:45.045 that you could point out things that might have pulled me back 876 00:37:45.088 --> 00:37:46.829 or things that I've had to overcome? 877 00:37:46.873 --> 00:37:49.963 If you had an idea in your head, it was right, 878 00:37:50.006 --> 00:37:52.531 you wouldn't take criticism very well. 879 00:37:52.574 --> 00:37:54.620 [MAN ON PHONE SPEAKING] 880 00:37:54.663 --> 00:37:55.969 Nope. 881 00:37:56.012 --> 00:37:58.711 The rule, the basic rules of the transformation 882 00:37:58.754 --> 00:38:01.366 is it can't use its power, 883 00:38:01.409 --> 00:38:03.803 it can't transform until it starts deteriorating. 884 00:38:03.846 --> 00:38:06.762 If we thought maybe it was something else 885 00:38:06.806 --> 00:38:09.896 or something you could do better, 886 00:38:09.939 --> 00:38:14.117 you really sort of got mad about it, you know? 887 00:38:14.161 --> 00:38:16.772 That's just the way you were or are. 888 00:38:16.816 --> 00:38:18.383 You probably are the same way right now. 889 00:38:18.426 --> 00:38:19.819 McCONNELL: [CHUCKLING] No. 890 00:38:19.862 --> 00:38:22.169 But yeah, you have to take criticism, you have to. 891 00:38:22.212 --> 00:38:23.649 -McCONNELL: Yeah. -Only way to learn. 892 00:38:23.692 --> 00:38:25.041 McCONNELL: My parents are right. 893 00:38:25.085 --> 00:38:27.261 I need to learn how to take criticism better. 894 00:38:27.305 --> 00:38:28.871 Somethin' to work on. 895 00:38:28.915 --> 00:38:32.179 So that's why it's able to touch people normally when... 896 00:38:32.222 --> 00:38:34.573 [MAN ON PHONE SPEAKING] 897 00:38:41.231 --> 00:38:42.581 If you're established, 898 00:38:42.624 --> 00:38:46.324 a successful writer, yeah, you have a, you know, 899 00:38:46.367 --> 00:38:48.195 justification to kind of push back. 900 00:38:48.238 --> 00:38:53.374 But if you're starting out, I mean, be open, hear out, you know? 901 00:38:53.418 --> 00:38:56.334 Think about it, mull it over, 902 00:38:56.377 --> 00:38:58.727 because the last thing you want to have happen 903 00:38:58.771 --> 00:39:01.774 is basically the movie gets made as-is, your vision, 904 00:39:01.817 --> 00:39:04.037 and then you just read in the reviews all the notes. 905 00:39:04.080 --> 00:39:06.605 Suck up your ego for a second and understand 906 00:39:06.648 --> 00:39:08.824 that, like, generally, 907 00:39:10.435 --> 00:39:12.828 all somebody's trying to do is help you. 908 00:39:12.872 --> 00:39:16.615 You don't ever have to agree with whatever anybody is saying, 909 00:39:16.658 --> 00:39:18.617 but it's very important, 910 00:39:18.660 --> 00:39:21.402 I think, to pay that person proper respect 911 00:39:21.446 --> 00:39:23.230 in terms of listening to it. 912 00:39:23.273 --> 00:39:25.275 In terms of applying those notes to the movie, 913 00:39:25.319 --> 00:39:27.103 I mean it just depends on who they're coming from. 914 00:39:27.147 --> 00:39:29.976 McCONNELL: I really have to start draftingLifechanger. 915 00:39:30.019 --> 00:39:31.673 I've got to start writing that script. 916 00:39:32.457 --> 00:39:33.806 Title page is laid out. 917 00:39:35.851 --> 00:39:38.506 So now, here's the first location. 918 00:39:38.550 --> 00:39:41.596 MICK GARRIS: The script is by far the most important thing. 919 00:39:41.640 --> 00:39:44.991 I would rather see a well-written, well-acted story 920 00:39:45.034 --> 00:39:50.518 about interesting characters that looked shitty or cheap or undistinguished 921 00:39:50.562 --> 00:39:55.001 than a big extravaganza with special effects 922 00:39:55.044 --> 00:39:57.395 and beautiful shots that was empty and nothing. 923 00:39:57.438 --> 00:39:59.614 You can make it look gorgeous, 924 00:39:59.658 --> 00:40:01.747 you can get it acted brilliantly, 925 00:40:01.790 --> 00:40:03.836 you can get really cool shots, 926 00:40:03.879 --> 00:40:07.013 but if it's just a weak story or it's boring, 927 00:40:08.580 --> 00:40:10.495 it's hard to fix that. 928 00:40:10.538 --> 00:40:12.105 I need to write. 929 00:40:12.148 --> 00:40:13.889 I need to turn around the first draft of Lifechanger 930 00:40:13.933 --> 00:40:17.676 if I hope to hit the plan that I wanna hit of shooting by March, 931 00:40:17.719 --> 00:40:19.460 early April at the latest kind of thing. 932 00:40:19.504 --> 00:40:21.680 If you don't have a deadline, you tend to go on forever. 933 00:40:21.723 --> 00:40:23.595 I know I certainly do. 934 00:40:23.638 --> 00:40:26.162 So, in a lot of ways, having a deadline is an extremely useful thing, 935 00:40:26.206 --> 00:40:30.036 because creativity, I mean, the kind of mystery of where creativity comes from 936 00:40:30.079 --> 00:40:31.951 is... You know, I can't answer that question, 937 00:40:31.994 --> 00:40:36.608 and in terms of feeling inspired when you're under a pressure, 938 00:40:36.651 --> 00:40:38.523 I find there's a lot more pressure 939 00:40:38.566 --> 00:40:40.829 that comes out of not having a deadline. 940 00:40:40.873 --> 00:40:42.440 The hard and fast rule is... 941 00:40:42.483 --> 00:40:44.050 I don't know who came up with this. 942 00:40:44.093 --> 00:40:47.357 Where I saw it was on Warren P. Sonoda's Facebook wall. 943 00:40:47.401 --> 00:40:50.099 When I'm writing and when I'm trying to come up with stories, 944 00:40:50.143 --> 00:40:53.102 I have a saying that I keep trying to hammer home, 945 00:40:53.146 --> 00:40:55.583 "Don't get it right, get it written. 946 00:40:55.627 --> 00:40:57.498 "Get it right in the rewrites." 947 00:40:57.542 --> 00:40:59.239 Which makes total sense to me. 948 00:40:59.282 --> 00:41:01.502 You get it down and then... 949 00:41:01.546 --> 00:41:04.113 I've got scripts that I'm on my eighth or ninth draft. 950 00:41:04.157 --> 00:41:05.724 You know, the first draft is the easy one. 951 00:41:05.767 --> 00:41:08.335 I used to think, "Boy, wouldn't my work be great 952 00:41:08.378 --> 00:41:10.816 "if it took me six months to write a script?" 953 00:41:10.859 --> 00:41:12.644 No, it would be labored and shitty, 954 00:41:12.687 --> 00:41:14.297 is what I discovered. 955 00:41:14.341 --> 00:41:18.519 So I would much rather just sit down and write a script, 956 00:41:18.563 --> 00:41:22.262 than outline it, and pitch it, and do all those things, 957 00:41:22.305 --> 00:41:23.916 and go through... 958 00:41:23.959 --> 00:41:25.526 That to me is agonizing. 959 00:41:25.570 --> 00:41:28.268 The writing process is exhilarating, 960 00:41:28.311 --> 00:41:29.878 and exciting and fun to me. 961 00:41:29.922 --> 00:41:33.316 Yesterday, I finished the first draft of Lifechanger, 962 00:41:33.360 --> 00:41:35.710 which is a pretty good accomplishment. 963 00:41:35.754 --> 00:41:38.191 I worked my butt off on it over the holidays. 964 00:41:38.234 --> 00:41:40.715 I used to look at life where I would think, 965 00:41:40.759 --> 00:41:41.934 "This is the year for me. 966 00:41:41.977 --> 00:41:43.936 "This is the year it's gonna hit. 967 00:41:43.979 --> 00:41:46.416 "This is the year where I'm gonna break out 968 00:41:46.460 --> 00:41:49.594 "and my career's gonna explode,"and all this. 969 00:41:49.637 --> 00:41:51.465 And I've stopped looking at life that way. 970 00:41:51.509 --> 00:41:54.773 I now look at it more like, "This is another year 971 00:41:54.816 --> 00:41:57.993 "where I'm gonna put more bricks on the wall that will support my career" 972 00:41:58.037 --> 00:42:00.953 or, you know, whatever lame metaphor you wanna use, 973 00:42:00.996 --> 00:42:04.043 "Plant the seeds," you know, whatever... 974 00:42:04.086 --> 00:42:06.132 "Climb the ladder" or... You know? 975 00:42:06.175 --> 00:42:11.485 I now look at it as a process as opposed to a big bang. 976 00:42:11.529 --> 00:42:13.922 Here's to next year.[SIGHS] 977 00:42:23.366 --> 00:42:26.456 It's incredibly important to fail in one's business. 978 00:42:26.500 --> 00:42:29.285 People that have had very little failure in their lives, 979 00:42:29.329 --> 00:42:30.939 I don't trust them. 980 00:42:30.983 --> 00:42:34.552 McCONNELL: I just made an update to the Facebook page 981 00:42:34.595 --> 00:42:36.597 ofThe Eternal andThe Eternal official site 982 00:42:36.641 --> 00:42:40.209 basically stating that the film is officially shelved. 983 00:42:40.253 --> 00:42:42.734 At a certain point, I just started to realize 984 00:42:42.777 --> 00:42:44.213 that this thing is not getting made 985 00:42:44.257 --> 00:42:46.999 and it's not getting made with me as the director, 986 00:42:47.042 --> 00:42:49.088 and I think the main reason is 987 00:42:49.131 --> 00:42:51.177 that I haven't really proved myself yet. 988 00:42:51.220 --> 00:42:53.614 At least, not to the point where people 989 00:42:53.658 --> 00:42:55.921 are taking a risk on a larger budget for me. 990 00:42:55.964 --> 00:42:57.836 I never used to have backlog of scripts, 991 00:42:57.879 --> 00:42:59.925 but now, I finally do, and it's very sad. 992 00:42:59.968 --> 00:43:02.492 They sit there saying, "What's wrong with me?" 993 00:43:02.536 --> 00:43:06.584 And then, I've also tried for many filmmakers to get their movies made, 994 00:43:06.627 --> 00:43:08.803 and though we do have a roster of films, 995 00:43:08.847 --> 00:43:11.850 I have a whole graveyard 996 00:43:11.893 --> 00:43:15.331 of sad, beautiful movies that lived in my mind 997 00:43:15.375 --> 00:43:17.638 and that we, over drinks, would be like, 998 00:43:17.682 --> 00:43:19.205 "This one's gonna be great." 999 00:43:19.248 --> 00:43:21.468 So it's, really, a tiny percent gets made. 1000 00:43:21.511 --> 00:43:23.383 It's one of the great tragedies. 1001 00:43:23.426 --> 00:43:26.255 If you're a shoemaker, you make the frickin' shoes, 1002 00:43:26.299 --> 00:43:28.867 if you're a filmmaker, you dream about the shoes. 1003 00:43:28.910 --> 00:43:30.869 It's just a sad state of affairs, really. 1004 00:43:30.912 --> 00:43:33.306 I always thought I was a reasonably smart person, 1005 00:43:33.349 --> 00:43:35.482 and I'm good at figuring out how things work, 1006 00:43:35.525 --> 00:43:37.484 and I've been making films for almost 30 years, 1007 00:43:37.527 --> 00:43:39.007 and I still don't know how they get made. 1008 00:43:39.051 --> 00:43:42.358 I mean, you know, by fate. 1009 00:43:42.402 --> 00:43:44.186 PAUL SCHRADER: I wouldn't want to do it all over again 1010 00:43:44.230 --> 00:43:46.580 because I don't think I would get as lucky a second time. 1011 00:43:46.624 --> 00:43:48.930 [CHUCKLES] 1012 00:43:48.974 --> 00:43:51.019 You know? And then luck 1013 00:43:51.063 --> 00:43:55.458 has played a large part in this. 1014 00:43:55.502 --> 00:43:58.331 You know, obviously life only happens to the prepared, 1015 00:43:58.374 --> 00:44:00.550 but you can be prepared and not lucky. 1016 00:44:00.594 --> 00:44:07.732 And so you have to have some fortuitous things happen. 1017 00:44:11.474 --> 00:44:14.303 McCONNELL: I applied to the Producers Network at Cannes, 1018 00:44:14.347 --> 00:44:19.004 which is essentially, each year they select or they allow in 300 producers 1019 00:44:19.047 --> 00:44:21.223 from around the world. They cap it at 300. 1020 00:44:21.267 --> 00:44:23.095 Um, I got in. 1021 00:44:23.138 --> 00:44:25.663 I decided a couple of months ago, 1022 00:44:25.706 --> 00:44:27.708 I was gonna go to Brussels for the Frontieres Market there 1023 00:44:27.752 --> 00:44:30.580 because we were in last summer's one. 1024 00:44:30.624 --> 00:44:31.843 They have one in Brussels, 1025 00:44:31.886 --> 00:44:34.019 one in Montreal each year, 1026 00:44:34.062 --> 00:44:35.629 where I'm allowed to go to the Brussels one 1027 00:44:35.673 --> 00:44:37.675 and get free accreditation and take meetings. 1028 00:44:37.718 --> 00:44:39.720 These two trips are gonna cost me a fair bit, 1029 00:44:39.764 --> 00:44:41.940 but I found online accommodation, 1030 00:44:41.983 --> 00:44:44.290 I booked all my flights, and I'm good to go. 1031 00:44:44.333 --> 00:44:46.509 [INDISTINCT CHATTER] 1032 00:44:46.553 --> 00:44:48.903 MAHNERT: What Frontieres achieved, really, is the fact that 1033 00:44:48.947 --> 00:44:53.299 you have this gathering of professionals of the industry 1034 00:44:53.342 --> 00:44:56.563 who concentrate on genre film, and who know what they're talking about, 1035 00:44:56.606 --> 00:45:00.698 and who constantly have to try to find new ways of financing genre film, 1036 00:45:00.741 --> 00:45:02.961 because it's really not something that is easy. 1037 00:45:03.004 --> 00:45:07.487 It's not easy in the US, it's not easy in Canada, and it's not easy in Europe. 1038 00:45:20.630 --> 00:45:23.895 I'm alone in a canal boat in Amsterdam right now. 1039 00:45:23.938 --> 00:45:26.767 Baked out of my mind after being at this 1040 00:45:26.811 --> 00:45:28.421 coffee shop called Baba. 1041 00:45:28.464 --> 00:45:29.857 It's been an amazing trip. 1042 00:45:29.901 --> 00:45:33.208 And I think it was the absolute right choice 1043 00:45:33.252 --> 00:45:35.254 for a lot of different reasons. 1044 00:45:35.297 --> 00:45:38.257 I met some people that are 1045 00:45:38.300 --> 00:45:40.650 potentially gonna be allies 1046 00:45:40.694 --> 00:45:42.783 in the path to getting these movies made, 1047 00:45:43.653 --> 00:45:44.872 people that can make 'em happen. 1048 00:45:44.916 --> 00:45:46.439 So we'll see what happens. 1049 00:45:46.482 --> 00:45:49.485 I've never been to the Cannes Film Festival before 1050 00:45:49.529 --> 00:45:54.055 or the Marche du Film, the Cannes market, which is why I'm going. 1051 00:45:54.099 --> 00:45:58.233 It's a flea market of film at the end of the day. 1052 00:45:58.277 --> 00:45:59.931 It's a bunch of little booths. 1053 00:45:59.974 --> 00:46:01.889 You go booth to booth to booth to booth 1054 00:46:01.933 --> 00:46:04.762 and buyers can walk around and see what the new product is, 1055 00:46:04.805 --> 00:46:06.633 and just make deals right on the spot. 1056 00:46:06.676 --> 00:46:08.156 A whole bunch of deals get made. 1057 00:46:08.200 --> 00:46:09.288 FEDERGREEN: This is the biggest game in town. 1058 00:46:09.331 --> 00:46:10.724 There is nothing bigger than Cannes. 1059 00:46:10.768 --> 00:46:15.163 Sales world is EFM, Berlinale and Cannes. 1060 00:46:15.207 --> 00:46:17.383 Cannes is most of the sales agents, 1061 00:46:17.426 --> 00:46:19.777 50% of their global business is made there. 1062 00:46:19.820 --> 00:46:22.301 What you can get done in a day in Cannes, 1063 00:46:22.344 --> 00:46:25.173 would take you two years to get done in Toronto. 1064 00:46:25.217 --> 00:46:27.654 COREY MOOSA: It's a place for sales agents 1065 00:46:27.697 --> 00:46:31.527 to basically try and sell pre-sales on their film 1066 00:46:31.571 --> 00:46:35.575 and to gauge interest from different foreign territories. 1067 00:46:35.618 --> 00:46:39.448 BRIAN YUZNA: When I first saw the first film market, 1068 00:46:39.492 --> 00:46:43.496 my eyes opened and I thought, "Oh, so you make the movie, 1069 00:46:43.539 --> 00:46:46.325 "you take it to the market, you have a little stand, 1070 00:46:46.368 --> 00:46:48.240 "and then people come from other countries, 1071 00:46:48.283 --> 00:46:49.632 "and they buy it from you, 1072 00:46:49.676 --> 00:46:51.939 "and you end up with more money than you start." 1073 00:46:51.983 --> 00:46:54.028 The whole thing made sense then. 1074 00:46:54.072 --> 00:46:58.206 FEDERGREEN: And you're in one place that the entire industry collects 1075 00:46:58.250 --> 00:47:00.339 for basically ten days 1076 00:47:00.382 --> 00:47:03.733 to help you realize possibilities. 1077 00:47:03.777 --> 00:47:06.780 There is so much content right now 1078 00:47:06.824 --> 00:47:10.871 that at these film markets, it's insane. 1079 00:47:10.915 --> 00:47:13.700 And so it's like, yeah, the film markets work for some people, 1080 00:47:13.743 --> 00:47:18.574 but it's like there's just more stuff at these markets now than there is room for. 1081 00:47:18.618 --> 00:47:21.055 FEDERGREEN: It's clear that without having a sales agent 1082 00:47:21.099 --> 00:47:23.231 come on as early as possible, 1083 00:47:23.275 --> 00:47:26.713 the opportunities for you to sell your film is less and less. 1084 00:47:26.756 --> 00:47:28.628 GRAHAM SKIPPER: It's just a whole different side of stuff, 1085 00:47:28.671 --> 00:47:30.369 'cause if you're an artist, you're sitting 1086 00:47:30.412 --> 00:47:33.981 in your dream world and you're just writing your ideal movie. 1087 00:47:34.025 --> 00:47:37.071 The business aspect is its whole own art form. 1088 00:47:37.115 --> 00:47:39.857 KEITH LEOPARD: You have to have an art and a commerce hat on 1089 00:47:39.900 --> 00:47:41.554 and I would just say to guys, 1090 00:47:41.597 --> 00:47:43.861 take the time to learn the business side of it 1091 00:47:43.904 --> 00:47:45.775 so that you can make an intelligent decision, 1092 00:47:45.819 --> 00:47:47.603 because there may come a time 1093 00:47:47.647 --> 00:47:51.738 when there aren't gonna be a ton of sales companies that can help you 1094 00:47:51.781 --> 00:47:54.219 and you might be out there on your own going, 1095 00:47:54.262 --> 00:47:55.698 "I gotta figure this out." 1096 00:47:55.742 --> 00:47:57.135 McCONNELL: Is this your first time at Cannes? 1097 00:47:57.178 --> 00:47:58.527 How many people have been here before? 1098 00:47:58.571 --> 00:47:59.659 -[CHUCKLING] -Yeah. 1099 00:47:59.702 --> 00:48:01.530 [LAUGHING] 1100 00:48:01.574 --> 00:48:04.185 -MAN 1: Yeah, come on. -And counting and counting. 1101 00:48:04.229 --> 00:48:06.535 You know, it's my 21st year in a row. 1102 00:48:06.579 --> 00:48:08.102 McCONNELL: Twenty-one years? MAN 2: Yeah. 1103 00:48:08.146 --> 00:48:09.930 -I got some news, guys. -Yeah. 1104 00:48:09.974 --> 00:48:12.106 I just got off the phone, all right? 1105 00:48:12.150 --> 00:48:14.152 You guys got Sony. 1106 00:48:14.195 --> 00:48:15.370 -MAN 2: Sony? -[CHUCKLING] 1107 00:48:15.414 --> 00:48:16.763 MICHELANGELO: Sony, it's a Sony. 1108 00:48:16.806 --> 00:48:18.025 Yo, bro. [CHUCKLING] 1109 00:48:18.069 --> 00:48:19.287 MAN 3: Yeah. 1110 00:48:19.331 --> 00:48:20.506 McCONNELL: This week's been crazy. 1111 00:48:20.549 --> 00:48:22.943 The opportunities that have arisen, 1112 00:48:22.987 --> 00:48:26.512 the possibilities for real dealsthat may happen. 1113 00:48:26.555 --> 00:48:27.905 I had meeting after meeting after meeting 1114 00:48:27.948 --> 00:48:29.732 after meeting after meeting after meeting, 1115 00:48:29.776 --> 00:48:33.214 and many of them were really promising 1116 00:48:33.258 --> 00:48:38.219 to the point where if any one of them happens, that's huge. 1117 00:48:38.263 --> 00:48:39.960 I sat within meeting today with a guy 1118 00:48:40.004 --> 00:48:41.788 who just wants to do the whole slate, 1119 00:48:41.831 --> 00:48:43.616 all eight to ten movies, 1120 00:48:43.659 --> 00:48:45.139 which... [CHUCKLES] 1121 00:48:45.183 --> 00:48:46.749 Hell, if I can get The Eternaloff the ground, 1122 00:48:46.793 --> 00:48:48.360 that'll be fuckin' incredible, 1123 00:48:48.403 --> 00:48:49.883 because I've been working so hard. 1124 00:48:49.927 --> 00:48:52.799 Even The Eternal is a possibility now again, 1125 00:48:52.842 --> 00:48:54.888 'cause of this. 1126 00:48:54.932 --> 00:48:57.499 So basically, I should be able to walk out of this and be set for life. 1127 00:48:57.543 --> 00:48:58.936 That's what it seems like. 1128 00:48:58.979 --> 00:49:01.373 It seems like that's what I've just done for myself. 1129 00:49:02.417 --> 00:49:05.072 So, you know, there's hope out there. 1130 00:49:05.116 --> 00:49:08.510 You just gotta work your balls off and it'll pay off. 1131 00:49:08.554 --> 00:49:09.859 I believe it'll pay off. 1132 00:49:09.903 --> 00:49:11.513 I think it's gonna pay off. 1133 00:49:11.557 --> 00:49:13.428 I hope it does, 'cause if I've got this, 1134 00:49:13.472 --> 00:49:15.387 and that catalogue of 1,000 companies in there, 1135 00:49:15.430 --> 00:49:17.258 and I can't make that work for me, 1136 00:49:17.302 --> 00:49:19.304 then I don't belong in this business. 1137 00:49:24.135 --> 00:49:27.573 I'm a little on edge right now for a few different reasons. 1138 00:49:27.616 --> 00:49:29.270 I mean, this is the week where I've been waiting 1139 00:49:29.314 --> 00:49:31.229 for a lot of answers to come back on Mark of Kane 1140 00:49:31.272 --> 00:49:33.448 and Lifechanger and all this stuff. 1141 00:49:33.492 --> 00:49:37.017 I'm gonna hear from MPI today or tomorrow, 1142 00:49:37.061 --> 00:49:39.454 apparently, about if they're coming on board for Lifechanger, 1143 00:49:39.498 --> 00:49:42.631 so that could be big news or it could be bad news. 1144 00:49:42.675 --> 00:49:46.548 Earlier today, I got a rejection, or a pass email from MPI. 1145 00:49:46.592 --> 00:49:48.333 They're passing the Lifechanger 1146 00:49:48.376 --> 00:49:50.683 after evaluating the project for about five weeks after Cannes, 1147 00:49:50.726 --> 00:49:53.642 and then shortly after that, like a couple hours later, 1148 00:49:53.686 --> 00:49:55.688 I got an email from the investors 1149 00:49:55.731 --> 00:49:58.038 that Avi and I met with two weeks ago and we pitched Lifechangerto 1150 00:49:58.082 --> 00:49:59.822 and it was another pass. 1151 00:49:59.866 --> 00:50:03.348 Constant rollercoaster, just ups and downs, and ups and downs. 1152 00:50:03.391 --> 00:50:07.047 [FEDERGREEN ON PHONE SPEAKING] 1153 00:50:07.091 --> 00:50:11.095 Phew! Every fuckin' bit of blood from the stone, man, 1154 00:50:11.138 --> 00:50:12.661 every bit of blood from the stone. 1155 00:50:12.705 --> 00:50:15.273 When you're dealing with a low-budget movie, 1156 00:50:15.316 --> 00:50:17.492 you have to be able to roll with some punches. 1157 00:50:17.536 --> 00:50:19.233 WHITNEY: I think it would be even better this year. 1158 00:50:19.277 --> 00:50:22.149 I think last year, we were very new to the... 1159 00:50:22.193 --> 00:50:23.846 Well, at least, the Frontieres film market, 1160 00:50:23.890 --> 00:50:25.892 I know I was new to the film market world. 1161 00:50:25.935 --> 00:50:28.329 Um, it felt more like speed dating, 1162 00:50:28.373 --> 00:50:31.593 whereas now you've already had that date, 1163 00:50:31.637 --> 00:50:34.640 and now you can actually make good contacts, 1164 00:50:34.683 --> 00:50:36.990 and be more confident in the meetings. 1165 00:50:37.034 --> 00:50:38.818 We're still promoting Mark of Kane 1166 00:50:38.861 --> 00:50:43.692 quite intensely, but I brought an entire slate, 1167 00:50:43.736 --> 00:50:46.304 so right now, what I'm doing is putting together a slate document, 1168 00:50:46.347 --> 00:50:50.221 which is basically a small binder of all of the projects 1169 00:50:50.264 --> 00:50:55.095 and films that I currently have in some stage of development. 1170 00:50:55.139 --> 00:50:56.966 FEDERGREEN: We've got a lot of projects in development. 1171 00:50:57.010 --> 00:51:00.579 I mean, I think, you know, the slate is so long, we could actually, 1172 00:51:00.622 --> 00:51:04.974 if you strung it out, we'd probably reach the Arctic Pole with it. 1173 00:51:05.018 --> 00:51:07.107 Uh, we'll see how it plays out. 1174 00:51:07.151 --> 00:51:09.588 We will see how our meetings go 1175 00:51:09.631 --> 00:51:11.503 and hopefully, we get some results out of them. 1176 00:51:11.546 --> 00:51:15.115 But long story short, I'm trying to be as prepared as possible. 1177 00:51:15.159 --> 00:51:16.812 ♪ Step up, step... ♪ 1178 00:51:16.856 --> 00:51:18.988 McCONNELL: When you've been to enough genre festivals, 1179 00:51:19.032 --> 00:51:21.687 you start to realize karaoke is kind of a secret handshake with this crowd, 1180 00:51:21.730 --> 00:51:23.732 so you better work on your chops. 1181 00:51:23.776 --> 00:51:26.257 There is a certain subculture, strangely, 1182 00:51:26.300 --> 00:51:28.128 and I think it's accidental. 1183 00:51:28.172 --> 00:51:31.131 I mean, we started doing it in 2007 1184 00:51:31.175 --> 00:51:33.220 and it just turned out that so many people 1185 00:51:33.264 --> 00:51:36.919 were closet karaoke fiends. 1186 00:51:36.963 --> 00:51:39.879 It's a fun time for people to relax and unwind. 1187 00:51:39.922 --> 00:51:44.144 I think a lot of people that are on the festival junket have seen a lot of films, 1188 00:51:44.188 --> 00:51:46.059 maybe they're here more to socialize. 1189 00:51:46.103 --> 00:51:48.453 GIGI SAUL GUERRERO: Maybe that's how filmmakers really connect. 1190 00:51:48.496 --> 00:51:49.758 With Josie Man? 1191 00:51:49.802 --> 00:51:51.717 I thought it was just with beer and drinks, 1192 00:51:51.760 --> 00:51:53.110 but karaoke? Really? 1193 00:51:53.153 --> 00:51:54.937 SHANE McKENZIE: That's how minors connect. 1194 00:51:54.981 --> 00:51:56.287 [ALL LAUGH] 1195 00:51:56.330 --> 00:51:58.115 GUERRERO: Karaoke seems to be what brings 1196 00:51:58.158 --> 00:52:02.336 the true inner filmmaker out of people and be like, 1197 00:52:02.380 --> 00:52:06.427 "I wanna see your films. You sing good. You must make good films." 1198 00:52:06.471 --> 00:52:11.345 We did a couple dozen meetings, and it was all very promising. 1199 00:52:11.389 --> 00:52:15.654 Everybody we wanted to take meetings with absolutely took the meeting. 1200 00:52:15.697 --> 00:52:18.178 Everyone's gonna look at our material. We'll see what happens. 1201 00:52:18.222 --> 00:52:19.875 So I just got the phone call from Avi. 1202 00:52:19.919 --> 00:52:21.442 Telefilm called Avi. 1203 00:52:21.486 --> 00:52:22.835 So they've greenlit 12 films 1204 00:52:22.878 --> 00:52:24.576 in this latest round of applications 1205 00:52:24.619 --> 00:52:26.317 and Lifechanger was not one of them. 1206 00:52:26.360 --> 00:52:28.101 I put a lot of work into that application. 1207 00:52:28.145 --> 00:52:29.711 It's not happening with them, 1208 00:52:29.755 --> 00:52:32.932 so that means I'm probably not shooting in November at all. 1209 00:52:32.975 --> 00:52:35.326 So, um, shit. 1210 00:52:35.369 --> 00:52:37.284 It's not that I was overly optimistic 1211 00:52:37.328 --> 00:52:39.895 that we were gonna get it, because it was a long shot to begin with 1212 00:52:39.939 --> 00:52:43.856 being how weird, and risky, and different the project is, 1213 00:52:43.899 --> 00:52:49.035 but once they called us in and had us present them with additional materials 1214 00:52:49.078 --> 00:52:52.865 and told us, "If you did this, we'll consider it more," 1215 00:52:52.908 --> 00:52:54.693 definitely, I started to get my hopes up 1216 00:52:54.736 --> 00:52:56.738 because they were actually taking it seriously. 1217 00:52:56.782 --> 00:52:58.479 Of course, those hopes were dashed. 1218 00:52:58.523 --> 00:53:00.829 The big issue is that [SNIFFLES] 1219 00:53:00.873 --> 00:53:03.092 I'm just unsure of myself these days. 1220 00:53:03.136 --> 00:53:06.357 I needed to clear my head, so I decided to take a trip to Fantastic Fest. 1221 00:53:06.400 --> 00:53:08.054 As far as genre festivals go, 1222 00:53:08.097 --> 00:53:09.882 it's one of the top destinations in North America 1223 00:53:09.925 --> 00:53:12.319 and having wanted to go for over a decade at that point, 1224 00:53:12.363 --> 00:53:14.234 I thought maybe the trip would inspire me. 1225 00:53:14.278 --> 00:53:16.367 -[POP] -[CHEERING] 1226 00:53:16.410 --> 00:53:17.629 [CLAPPING] 1227 00:53:17.672 --> 00:53:19.718 McCONNELL: I flew home from that 1228 00:53:19.761 --> 00:53:21.720 with a sole desire to produce something of quality as soon as possible. 1229 00:53:21.763 --> 00:53:23.156 I'm gonna drop a bunch of money 1230 00:53:23.200 --> 00:53:26.855 and make a short film on November 21st and 22nd, 1231 00:53:26.899 --> 00:53:29.031 mostly 'cause I haven't been behind a camera in a long time 1232 00:53:29.075 --> 00:53:30.729 and I need to get the juices flowing, 1233 00:53:30.772 --> 00:53:33.558 but also because I feel like we're going into these meetings 1234 00:53:33.601 --> 00:53:37.736 and we've got all this very strong creative material, 1235 00:53:37.779 --> 00:53:39.651 but we don't have a combined proof of concept 1236 00:53:39.694 --> 00:53:42.567 that both Serena and I have worked on that says, "Here's what we can do." 1237 00:53:42.610 --> 00:53:43.611 Everybody, if you have 1238 00:53:43.655 --> 00:53:45.004 the opportunity to do it 1239 00:53:45.047 --> 00:53:46.658 without breaking the bank, 1240 00:53:46.701 --> 00:53:48.790 shoot an actual couple minutes, you know? 1241 00:53:48.834 --> 00:53:51.924 An original proof of concept that says, "Here's what it is," 1242 00:53:51.967 --> 00:53:53.839 'cause then you can sit down with these people 1243 00:53:53.882 --> 00:53:55.667 and they're still aware of the obstacles and things. 1244 00:53:55.710 --> 00:53:58.147 But if you sit down and say, "I wanna make this," 1245 00:53:58.191 --> 00:54:00.324 and you've actually got a piece of it, 1246 00:54:00.367 --> 00:54:04.284 and they can look at it and say,"Well, that's kind of awesome. 1247 00:54:04.328 --> 00:54:05.503 "How do we help?" 1248 00:54:05.546 --> 00:54:07.679 So I'm gonna put in not a ton of money, 1249 00:54:07.722 --> 00:54:10.290 I mean, like, five grand, which is still a fair bit, 1250 00:54:10.334 --> 00:54:12.205 and make a ten-minute short. 1251 00:54:12.249 --> 00:54:16.122 You can leap and do a feature straightaway, 1252 00:54:16.165 --> 00:54:20.126 but obviously, it's much better to do a short first 1253 00:54:20.169 --> 00:54:24.652 because one, it's cheaper, it takes less time to do, 1254 00:54:24.696 --> 00:54:30.354 and it's a good way to get a lot of learning in terms of screenwriting, 1255 00:54:30.397 --> 00:54:33.444 in terms of pre-production, in terms of production, 1256 00:54:33.487 --> 00:54:36.098 but also learning in terms of the film industry. 1257 00:54:36.142 --> 00:54:39.101 The reality is most short filmmakers are taking a loss 1258 00:54:39.145 --> 00:54:40.581 when they make a short film, 1259 00:54:40.625 --> 00:54:42.540 because they're investing time and money on a project 1260 00:54:42.583 --> 00:54:45.630 that is not gonna see any substantial box-office return. 1261 00:54:45.673 --> 00:54:47.371 The best thing to do is to try and make something 1262 00:54:47.414 --> 00:54:49.460 that's a statement of yourself as a filmmaker 1263 00:54:49.503 --> 00:54:50.852 that can get you the next project, 1264 00:54:50.896 --> 00:54:52.898 that can get you the paid gig. 1265 00:54:52.941 --> 00:54:56.989 Be it a music video, be it a feature film, be it a commercial. 1266 00:54:57.032 --> 00:54:58.991 McCONNELL: I've been running a monthly short film festival 1267 00:54:59.034 --> 00:55:00.819 called "Little Terrors" since 2011, 1268 00:55:00.862 --> 00:55:03.430 and one thing I've learned from playing over 600 short films 1269 00:55:03.474 --> 00:55:07.173 is they tend to be very wise first steps toward getting feature films made. 1270 00:55:07.216 --> 00:55:09.349 I've lost count of the number of people 1271 00:55:09.393 --> 00:55:11.786 who made notable feature films in the years following me playing their shorts. 1272 00:55:11.830 --> 00:55:13.135 If you can do it, just do it 1273 00:55:13.179 --> 00:55:15.181 because even if you do something over the weekend, 1274 00:55:15.224 --> 00:55:17.314 and it's you do it for no money, 1275 00:55:17.357 --> 00:55:19.054 and it's not gonna get you anywhere, 1276 00:55:19.098 --> 00:55:20.578 at least you have something that people could look at to say, 1277 00:55:20.621 --> 00:55:22.362 "Okay, I see the way this person works, 1278 00:55:22.406 --> 00:55:24.582 "what their vision is." 1279 00:55:24.625 --> 00:55:26.366 KEVIN KOLSCH: If you've done stuff before and you've finished projects, 1280 00:55:26.410 --> 00:55:27.802 if you've done projects, 1281 00:55:27.846 --> 00:55:29.238 and you've actually got them completed, 1282 00:55:29.282 --> 00:55:30.892 -and out there. -Yep. 1283 00:55:30.936 --> 00:55:34.069 And you did it all on your own or with no budget or no money, 1284 00:55:34.113 --> 00:55:36.985 then they go like, "Okay, if I give this guy a budget and some money, 1285 00:55:37.029 --> 00:55:39.379 "he's gonna finish a product." 1286 00:55:39.423 --> 00:55:41.599 The most important thing about a short film is 1287 00:55:41.642 --> 00:55:43.383 is that you're making it with the idea 1288 00:55:43.427 --> 00:55:45.777 that you're gonna use this as sort of a calling card 1289 00:55:45.820 --> 00:55:49.171 to steer you into making your first feature and you can use those. 1290 00:55:49.215 --> 00:55:52.044 Telefilm, when you're going to apply for production money, 1291 00:55:52.087 --> 00:55:54.873 likes to see a sample of your previous work. 1292 00:55:54.916 --> 00:55:56.701 So if you've done two or three short films, 1293 00:55:56.744 --> 00:55:58.659 they're gonna ask to see those short films 1294 00:55:58.703 --> 00:56:01.532 when you submit your application for production financing, 1295 00:56:01.575 --> 00:56:04.622 so they can see, do you have the chops 1296 00:56:04.665 --> 00:56:07.538 to direct actors and make a good quality film. 1297 00:56:07.581 --> 00:56:09.278 That should be a close-up, right? 1298 00:56:09.322 --> 00:56:10.454 Of what? 1299 00:56:10.497 --> 00:56:12.412 Of when when you see the aftermath of it, 1300 00:56:12.456 --> 00:56:13.674 -when you move. -Yeah. 1301 00:56:13.718 --> 00:56:15.328 Yeah, well, it'll probably be like you wanna 1302 00:56:15.372 --> 00:56:17.156 be able to see Steve move and the blood to spray. 1303 00:56:17.199 --> 00:56:19.463 -So it's gonna be like medium close-up. -Okay, so, medium close-up. 1304 00:56:19.506 --> 00:56:22.814 -So he heads that way. -The killer isn't there, is he? 1305 00:56:22.857 --> 00:56:24.293 No, the killer's in the bathroom, this way. 1306 00:56:24.337 --> 00:56:26.426 -In the bathroom and comes suddenly. -Yeah. 1307 00:56:26.470 --> 00:56:28.036 McCONNELL: It's been stressful. This has been one of the more stressful 1308 00:56:28.080 --> 00:56:29.516 pre-production processes I've done. 1309 00:56:29.560 --> 00:56:31.257 Because I'm putting in all that kind of money, 1310 00:56:31.300 --> 00:56:33.651 I'd rather not rush a product and then just dump it online. 1311 00:56:33.694 --> 00:56:35.566 I think it's probably better if we take the time, 1312 00:56:35.609 --> 00:56:38.351 make it the best short film it can be in editing and post, 1313 00:56:38.395 --> 00:56:40.701 then release it as a proper festival short, 1314 00:56:40.745 --> 00:56:43.661 get the proper festival sort of traction, 1315 00:56:43.704 --> 00:56:46.533 and then release it online down the road, 1316 00:56:46.577 --> 00:56:49.231 'cause there's no point in just "blah" and then it's out there. 1317 00:56:49.275 --> 00:56:51.973 -So are we seeing him coming from downstairs there. -Yeah. 1318 00:56:52.017 --> 00:56:53.627 McCONNELL: We're gonna shoot that afterwards. 1319 00:56:53.671 --> 00:56:56.151 McCONNELL: Ready for action? MAN 1: I'm ready for action. 1320 00:56:56.195 --> 00:56:58.806 McCONNELL: Action! WOMAN 1: Get back! Get back! 1321 00:56:58.850 --> 00:57:00.634 Get back, Jessica! 1322 00:57:00.678 --> 00:57:01.940 [YELLING] 1323 00:57:01.983 --> 00:57:04.159 -Get back! -[MAN GRUNTING] 1324 00:57:04.203 --> 00:57:05.509 -[WOMAN 1 PANTING] -That's great. 1325 00:57:05.552 --> 00:57:07.336 -[WOMAN 1 YELLING] -It's enough. We'll cut it. 1326 00:57:07.380 --> 00:57:09.251 Now let it drop. 1327 00:57:09.295 --> 00:57:10.427 -[GRUNTING] -McCONNELL: Oh, shit. 1328 00:57:10.470 --> 00:57:11.950 -Whoa! -McCONNELL: Oh, dude, that's it. 1329 00:57:11.993 --> 00:57:12.994 WOMAN 2: Fuck. MAN 2: That was way too much. 1330 00:57:13.038 --> 00:57:14.474 McCONNELL: How did that happen? 1331 00:57:14.518 --> 00:57:15.867 Holy shit. 1332 00:57:15.910 --> 00:57:17.346 You know how gore gags are. 1333 00:57:17.390 --> 00:57:20.567 They always take longer than anyone plans for them, 1334 00:57:20.611 --> 00:57:22.743 but that's why you have to be patient with them. 1335 00:57:22.787 --> 00:57:25.442 GARRIS: You have to budget enough time to do it right. 1336 00:57:25.485 --> 00:57:28.401 If you're doing a decapitation or something, 1337 00:57:28.445 --> 00:57:31.709 some sort of body horror thing, it's gonna go wrong. 1338 00:57:31.752 --> 00:57:36.583 Chances are, nine out of ten, that you're going to need to do it more than once. 1339 00:57:36.627 --> 00:57:38.629 KOSTANSKI: Everybody talks about, "Oh, practical effects! 1340 00:57:38.672 --> 00:57:41.849 "We gotta have a creature or a gag in our movie," 1341 00:57:41.893 --> 00:57:44.809 and then they expect you to show up, 1342 00:57:44.852 --> 00:57:47.464 and basically walk on, the thing happens, 1343 00:57:47.507 --> 00:57:48.987 like you come out like a magician like, 1344 00:57:49.030 --> 00:57:51.032 "Oh, look at this cool thing. Bye." 1345 00:57:51.076 --> 00:57:53.078 And you walk off and everything's perfect. 1346 00:57:53.121 --> 00:57:56.037 But the problem with practical effects that people don't realize 1347 00:57:56.081 --> 00:57:59.388 is that they don't work 90% of the time. 1348 00:57:59.432 --> 00:58:01.782 PAUL JONES: A camera has been prototyped, and tested, 1349 00:58:01.826 --> 00:58:03.567 and it worked, and everything's fantastic. 1350 00:58:03.610 --> 00:58:05.351 You plug it in, you switch it on, 1351 00:58:05.394 --> 00:58:07.962 you move the lights around, it's gonna work every single time. 1352 00:58:08.006 --> 00:58:12.053 The severed hand gag or the disemboweling gag 1353 00:58:12.097 --> 00:58:15.579 that's been created for your movie was built once, 1354 00:58:15.622 --> 00:58:17.755 hasn't really been tested that well, 1355 00:58:17.798 --> 00:58:20.497 and God knows what it's gonna do on camera. 1356 00:58:20.540 --> 00:58:23.543 So the best advice I can give to anybody starting, 1357 00:58:23.587 --> 00:58:26.677 who wants to incorporate prosthetics into their production 1358 00:58:26.720 --> 00:58:29.636 is A, insist on camera tests. 1359 00:58:29.680 --> 00:58:33.422 Have somebody film it working before they bring it to set. 1360 00:58:33.466 --> 00:58:36.600 Be careful that you have a good stunt coordinator. 1361 00:58:36.643 --> 00:58:39.820 The thing about stunts is you can get hurt. 1362 00:58:39.864 --> 00:58:42.997 MENDEZ: One of my tricks that I at least try 1363 00:58:43.041 --> 00:58:44.869 is to have a second unit that I trust 1364 00:58:44.912 --> 00:58:48.786 that takes care of special makeup effects, takes care of stunts, 1365 00:58:48.829 --> 00:58:52.267 takes care of any sort of practical special effects 1366 00:58:52.311 --> 00:58:56.184 just 'cause it's you know... My AD calls it a "Time Vampire." 1367 00:58:56.228 --> 00:58:58.796 These things are time vampires and time is the one, 1368 00:58:58.839 --> 00:59:00.754 the most precious commodity that we have. 1369 00:59:00.798 --> 00:59:02.930 JONES: John Landis once said to me, he said, 1370 00:59:02.974 --> 00:59:04.628 "You know, a director's job 1371 00:59:04.671 --> 00:59:08.109 "is to listen to everybody's opinion and then make yours." 1372 00:59:08.153 --> 00:59:11.765 So if you're gonna hire any prosthetics guy, make sure, 1373 00:59:11.809 --> 00:59:14.072 especially somebody more experienced like myself, 1374 00:59:14.115 --> 00:59:15.943 listen to what they have to say. 1375 00:59:15.987 --> 00:59:18.076 Don't come in with, "Well, I need this from you" and that's it. 1376 00:59:18.119 --> 00:59:20.600 I think the consideration is largely overlooked 1377 00:59:20.644 --> 00:59:22.341 because if you're sitting in a trailer 1378 00:59:22.384 --> 00:59:23.951 and you're doing a makeup on somebody, 1379 00:59:23.995 --> 00:59:27.389 and an AD or an assistant comes in, 1380 00:59:27.433 --> 00:59:29.087 "How long is it gonna take?" 1381 00:59:29.130 --> 00:59:30.958 You say, "Half an hour," 1382 00:59:31.002 --> 00:59:32.612 and then they come in five minutes later, 1383 00:59:32.656 --> 00:59:35.746 "I told you, you know, half an hour. It's gonna take..." 1384 00:59:35.789 --> 00:59:38.705 And they keep coming in trying to get you to the set. 1385 00:59:38.749 --> 00:59:43.101 So if you hire me two days before you start shooting, 1386 00:59:43.144 --> 00:59:45.973 I only get 48 hours to build something. 1387 00:59:46.017 --> 00:59:48.236 I know it seems obvious, 1388 00:59:48.280 --> 00:59:51.065 but I'm finding with more and more projects, 1389 00:59:51.109 --> 00:59:52.937 regardless of the budget, 1390 00:59:52.980 --> 00:59:57.985 that the preparation part is being cut shorter and shorter and shorter. 1391 00:59:58.029 --> 00:59:59.944 McCONNELL: Are we ready? MAN 1: Okay, you ready, Justin? 1392 00:59:59.987 --> 01:00:01.119 McCONNELL: I'm ready, I'm here. 1393 01:00:01.162 --> 01:00:02.207 Action! 1394 01:00:02.250 --> 01:00:05.340 [SCREAMING] 1395 01:00:06.254 --> 01:00:08.474 -McCONNELL: Oh! -[WOMAN GIGGLING] 1396 01:00:08.517 --> 01:00:10.824 McCONNELL: We finished the sound mix and the final mix 1397 01:00:10.868 --> 01:00:12.478 onDo You See What I See?, 1398 01:00:12.521 --> 01:00:15.655 our short film, Serena and my short film, yesterday. 1399 01:00:15.699 --> 01:00:19.616 So now what we're doing is we're emailing it as a Christmas card 1400 01:00:19.659 --> 01:00:26.187 to every single producer, agent, studio person, festival person, financer, 1401 01:00:26.231 --> 01:00:28.233 etcetera, that we met in the last two years. 1402 01:00:28.276 --> 01:00:31.192 It's really just a proof of concept for us as a team 1403 01:00:31.236 --> 01:00:33.194 and just a way for people to see 1404 01:00:33.238 --> 01:00:34.631 that we're not just talkers, 1405 01:00:34.674 --> 01:00:36.154 we're not just there taking meetings, 1406 01:00:36.197 --> 01:00:37.459 we're actually making things. 1407 01:00:37.503 --> 01:00:39.636 Filmmakers today really have to do the hustle. 1408 01:00:39.679 --> 01:00:41.420 They have to get out there, 1409 01:00:41.463 --> 01:00:44.466 they gotta pound the pavement, they gotta hit the Internet, 1410 01:00:44.510 --> 01:00:46.512 they have to really canvass the markets, 1411 01:00:46.555 --> 01:00:48.688 and get to know the festival programmers. 1412 01:00:48.732 --> 01:00:52.692 It's so key, because there's such a glut of product out there now. 1413 01:00:52.736 --> 01:00:56.653 It's tough to get noticed, so you really have to put a lot of effort into it. 1414 01:00:56.696 --> 01:01:00.308 DEAN CUNDEY: There was quite a bit of hustle on my first films 1415 01:01:00.352 --> 01:01:03.572 because, you know, you need to make yourself desirable. 1416 01:01:03.616 --> 01:01:07.576 But one of the things I always tried to do was, 1417 01:01:07.620 --> 01:01:09.404 on those low budget films, 1418 01:01:09.448 --> 01:01:11.929 give them quality, whether they wanted it or not, 1419 01:01:11.972 --> 01:01:16.977 providing the producer, whoever, with a a quality product, 1420 01:01:17.021 --> 01:01:21.242 something that, you know, fulfils their expectations or exceeds them. 1421 01:01:21.286 --> 01:01:23.331 McCONNELL: So how does it feel to have a finished short film? 1422 01:01:23.375 --> 01:01:26.900 Good. Well, I'll feel better once we know the reactions to it. 1423 01:01:27.684 --> 01:01:29.511 Um, but I feel good. 1424 01:01:29.555 --> 01:01:32.079 McCONNELL: I'm realizing that 2015 was a really banner year 1425 01:01:32.123 --> 01:01:34.125 in terms of making things happen 1426 01:01:34.168 --> 01:01:37.650 and travelling to a lot of these markets and festivals for the first time. 1427 01:01:37.694 --> 01:01:40.827 I have a really good feeling about 2016. 1428 01:01:40.871 --> 01:01:44.091 I took an arrow to the head from a guy standing five feet away from me 1429 01:01:44.135 --> 01:01:45.832 and it wasn't the arrow that hurt me, 1430 01:01:45.876 --> 01:01:48.356 but it hit the mask and then drove the mask into my forehead, 1431 01:01:48.400 --> 01:01:49.923 so I have a gash. 1432 01:01:49.967 --> 01:01:52.491 This is Freddy. How's it going? I adopted this guy. 1433 01:01:52.534 --> 01:01:53.840 Hey, buddy. 1434 01:01:56.277 --> 01:01:58.627 We're here for the world premiere of Do You See What I See?, 1435 01:01:58.671 --> 01:02:00.717 the short film we shot just before Christmas. 1436 01:02:00.760 --> 01:02:02.196 So are you nervous? 1437 01:02:02.240 --> 01:02:03.763 Oh, little bit. 1438 01:02:03.807 --> 01:02:06.374 But you know, it's a short, so we'll see. 1439 01:02:06.418 --> 01:02:07.549 [CHUCKLING] We'll see. 1440 01:02:07.593 --> 01:02:09.203 I don't think anyone's gonna boo. 1441 01:02:09.247 --> 01:02:13.164 HOST: Um, Justin and Serena um, was the idea initially 1442 01:02:13.207 --> 01:02:17.342 to subvert and make a mess of a Christmas movie? 1443 01:02:17.385 --> 01:02:19.300 I don't think the Christmas thing came up first... 1444 01:02:19.344 --> 01:02:22.782 SKIPPER: There's nothing like sitting in an audience with people, 1445 01:02:22.826 --> 01:02:25.698 and hearing the sound booming around you, 1446 01:02:25.742 --> 01:02:30.268 and seeing this beautiful image up on the screen 1447 01:02:30.311 --> 01:02:32.487 looking the way that you intended it to look. 1448 01:02:32.531 --> 01:02:36.448 Young emerging filmmakers should see their films with an audience 1449 01:02:36.491 --> 01:02:38.319 and see how the audience is reacting. 1450 01:02:38.363 --> 01:02:42.497 Flaws become really apparent when you're seeing them with a crowd. 1451 01:02:42.541 --> 01:02:44.456 I think when you're looking at it on a monitor 1452 01:02:44.499 --> 01:02:47.981 and you're with it and you're too close to it, you can't see them. 1453 01:02:48.025 --> 01:02:51.768 When jokes aren't working or if tension doesn't build right 1454 01:02:51.811 --> 01:02:53.465 or if it's too slow, you'll see that, 1455 01:02:53.508 --> 01:02:56.250 because people aren't reacting like you think they should. 1456 01:02:56.294 --> 01:02:57.904 I did feel the premiere was frustrating 1457 01:02:57.948 --> 01:03:00.994 and I was pissed off 1458 01:03:01.038 --> 01:03:02.779 that the short had a lesser impact 1459 01:03:02.822 --> 01:03:05.956 than I was hoping it would because of the tech issues. 1460 01:03:05.999 --> 01:03:08.175 And there's other stuff, too. 1461 01:03:08.219 --> 01:03:11.309 I mean, I know some people don't get the ending that clearly. 1462 01:03:11.352 --> 01:03:13.615 They see it as a they-live thing 1463 01:03:13.659 --> 01:03:15.966 and that the people at the party are demons as opposed to the opposite. 1464 01:03:16.009 --> 01:03:18.055 It's an augmented reality game 1465 01:03:18.098 --> 01:03:22.102 where the game replaces living people as visual representations of demons 1466 01:03:22.146 --> 01:03:23.756 to make it easier to kill them. 1467 01:03:23.800 --> 01:03:25.453 You're not gonna sell your short. 1468 01:03:25.497 --> 01:03:30.458 I mean, you may, but don't plan this. 1469 01:03:30.502 --> 01:03:34.854 But if it's good, it's gonna do the festival circuit. 1470 01:03:34.898 --> 01:03:36.203 If it does the festival circuit, 1471 01:03:36.247 --> 01:03:37.944 then it gives you an opportunity 1472 01:03:37.988 --> 01:03:40.207 to travel through the festival circuit, 1473 01:03:40.251 --> 01:03:43.820 to meet festival programmers, to make friends around, 1474 01:03:43.863 --> 01:03:46.126 to build that community that you're really gonna need 1475 01:03:46.170 --> 01:03:49.216 when you do your feature film. 1476 01:03:49.260 --> 01:03:51.871 Film festivals are hugely important to filmmakers, 1477 01:03:51.915 --> 01:03:55.135 mainly because it's a chance to develop the audience, 1478 01:03:55.179 --> 01:03:57.877 it lets distributors and salespeople know 1479 01:03:57.921 --> 01:03:59.923 that there is an audience for your film, 1480 01:03:59.966 --> 01:04:03.361 and it's basically a way of getting publicity and interest in your film. 1481 01:04:03.404 --> 01:04:06.843 It is another way for an independent filmmaker 1482 01:04:06.886 --> 01:04:09.497 to have that sort of audience-building, 1483 01:04:09.541 --> 01:04:11.891 and just to see whether your film's actually working. 1484 01:04:11.935 --> 01:04:15.373 You have to kinda get the lay of the land 1485 01:04:15.416 --> 01:04:17.941 and kinda figure out, well, what film festivals are valuable 1486 01:04:17.984 --> 01:04:20.508 for what it is, what film you're doing, 1487 01:04:20.552 --> 01:04:22.032 and what it is you want your film to do. 1488 01:04:22.075 --> 01:04:23.772 If you wanna sell your film, 1489 01:04:23.816 --> 01:04:25.774 then there are certain film festivals you should be pursuing. 1490 01:04:25.818 --> 01:04:28.821 If you want to get critical acclaim, there's other film festivals. 1491 01:04:28.865 --> 01:04:31.128 If you wanna just have a good time, and meet people, 1492 01:04:31.171 --> 01:04:33.086 and, you know, party, 1493 01:04:33.130 --> 01:04:34.871 then there's another set of film festivals. 1494 01:04:34.914 --> 01:04:36.873 MAURICETTE: You shouldn't just cast a wide net. 1495 01:04:36.916 --> 01:04:38.918 Just kind of focus on film festivals 1496 01:04:38.962 --> 01:04:42.661 and make sure you read the film festival mandate, 1497 01:04:42.704 --> 01:04:46.317 because that will tell you what the film festival's looking for. 1498 01:04:46.360 --> 01:04:49.189 A film festival, the buzz that comes out of it is, well, free. 1499 01:04:49.233 --> 01:04:50.451 For one, it's free publicity. 1500 01:04:50.495 --> 01:04:52.584 Well, how else are you gonna do that? 1501 01:04:52.627 --> 01:04:56.240 Build buzz on a bad movie, like, without film festivals, what are you gonna do? 1502 01:04:56.283 --> 01:04:59.330 So, yeah, I mean, film festivals, 1503 01:04:59.373 --> 01:05:02.463 it's absolutely critical if your movie's good. 1504 01:05:02.507 --> 01:05:04.335 All I can say is continue to make films. 1505 01:05:04.378 --> 01:05:05.727 I mean, there's one producer 1506 01:05:05.771 --> 01:05:08.861 that I've been dealing with for ten years. 1507 01:05:08.905 --> 01:05:11.168 He's been submitting films for ten years, 1508 01:05:11.211 --> 01:05:16.173 and finally in 2013, he had a film that worked, 1509 01:05:16.216 --> 01:05:17.609 and I selected it. 1510 01:05:17.652 --> 01:05:18.784 And it was great. 1511 01:05:18.827 --> 01:05:21.352 Like, it was a great feeling, 1512 01:05:21.395 --> 01:05:23.267 and I'm so glad that he kept on persevering. 1513 01:05:23.310 --> 01:05:25.399 I mean, his films went and played other festivals, 1514 01:05:25.443 --> 01:05:31.014 but people thinking that TIFF or Cannes or Sundance is the be-all and end-all, 1515 01:05:31.057 --> 01:05:33.059 that's the wrong way to do it. 1516 01:05:33.103 --> 01:05:34.974 You know, more and more now, 1517 01:05:35.018 --> 01:05:37.455 I'm seeing these situations where a film will get one festival date, 1518 01:05:37.498 --> 01:05:39.283 then a day or two later, you hear, you hear, 1519 01:05:39.326 --> 01:05:41.111 uh, an acquisition announcement, 1520 01:05:41.154 --> 01:05:43.548 which is always exciting, and then two days after that you 1521 01:05:43.591 --> 01:05:45.680 see a VOD date, and it's like, "Whoa! 1522 01:05:45.724 --> 01:05:47.291 "You've just strangled it in the womb." 1523 01:05:47.334 --> 01:05:49.162 Like, "Why in the world?" 1524 01:05:49.206 --> 01:05:50.729 You know, there's so many titles that are 1525 01:05:50.772 --> 01:05:52.557 being made now and they're being rushed to 1526 01:05:52.600 --> 01:05:54.428 marketplace quicker and quicker. 1527 01:05:54.472 --> 01:05:56.430 [EXHALING] 1528 01:05:56.474 --> 01:05:59.346 I still, I don't feel artistically fulfilled. 1529 01:05:59.390 --> 01:06:02.697 Every step of the career so far has been planting seeds 1530 01:06:02.741 --> 01:06:04.786 and hoping they bear fruit, and sometimes they do 1531 01:06:04.830 --> 01:06:08.834 and sometimes they... I don't even know. 1532 01:06:08.877 --> 01:06:11.619 I don't know what the root structure looks like yet. 1533 01:06:11.663 --> 01:06:13.752 I just haven't seen the fruit there. 1534 01:06:13.795 --> 01:06:16.320 All right. Okay, talk to you later. Bye. 1535 01:06:18.844 --> 01:06:20.889 [EXHALES] 1536 01:06:20.933 --> 01:06:23.588 McCONNELL: We... Looks like we have a green light forLifechanger, 1537 01:06:23.631 --> 01:06:25.198 these investors out west. 1538 01:06:25.242 --> 01:06:26.939 I have to now call Raven Banner and make sure 1539 01:06:26.983 --> 01:06:29.072 they'll take the pre-sale deal for it to offer 1540 01:06:29.115 --> 01:06:31.770 international rights like they agreed to before, 1541 01:06:31.813 --> 01:06:33.815 but if they take the deal, according to the terms 1542 01:06:33.859 --> 01:06:35.992 the investors want, we have a film. 1543 01:06:36.035 --> 01:06:39.256 I'm now looking at the uh, final co-producer 1544 01:06:39.299 --> 01:06:40.822 agreement for Lifechanger. 1545 01:06:40.866 --> 01:06:45.305 It looks like at this point set... you know, 1546 01:06:45.349 --> 01:06:47.568 if, if the other producers are legit, 1547 01:06:47.612 --> 01:06:49.701 and the money is actually there, which they say it is, 1548 01:06:49.744 --> 01:06:52.051 um, I, Lifechanger's a go. 1549 01:06:52.095 --> 01:06:54.532 At that point, ifLifechanger was going to camera that year, 1550 01:06:54.575 --> 01:06:56.099 it wouldn't be for many months. 1551 01:06:56.142 --> 01:06:57.752 So I planned and shot a micro-budget, 1552 01:06:57.796 --> 01:06:59.537 single-take style film calledRed Mile 1553 01:06:59.580 --> 01:07:01.104 in order to have something new to put into the market 1554 01:07:01.147 --> 01:07:03.019 and build the track record further. 1555 01:07:03.062 --> 01:07:04.759 TOM HOLLAND: If there's a mistake to be made, I've made it. 1556 01:07:04.803 --> 01:07:06.761 You have to keep producing constantly. 1557 01:07:06.805 --> 01:07:08.676 You know, get out your four-minute shorts, 1558 01:07:08.720 --> 01:07:12.463 get out your two-minute, you know, blackout curtain things. 1559 01:07:12.506 --> 01:07:14.987 You see, you cannot... 1560 01:07:15.031 --> 01:07:18.512 you cannot ever stop. 1561 01:07:18.556 --> 01:07:21.080 So this is the best advice, really, for young filmmaker. 1562 01:07:21.124 --> 01:07:24.431 Look around you, you are a storyteller. 1563 01:07:24.475 --> 01:07:26.912 Write a story that you can make a movie 1564 01:07:26.955 --> 01:07:29.088 with the means which are around you, 1565 01:07:29.132 --> 01:07:30.568 and just go ahead and make it. 1566 01:07:30.611 --> 01:07:33.179 And even if the first one is not the biggest success, 1567 01:07:33.223 --> 01:07:35.268 go and make the next one. 1568 01:07:35.312 --> 01:07:37.705 FRANK HENENLOTTER: I'm very happy working with as few people as possible. 1569 01:07:37.749 --> 01:07:39.533 I really enjoy it. 1570 01:07:39.577 --> 01:07:42.232 I mean, when I'm... when I'm shooting something on the streets, 1571 01:07:42.275 --> 01:07:44.843 I never have permission, and that's fine, 1572 01:07:44.886 --> 01:07:46.323 because nobody pays attention to it. 1573 01:07:46.366 --> 01:07:48.107 They assume it's a news crew or something. 1574 01:07:48.151 --> 01:07:50.631 So, nobody, nobody gives me... 1575 01:07:50.675 --> 01:07:54.287 any interference, whatsoever. It's what I prefer. 1576 01:07:54.331 --> 01:07:56.115 So I've got a really busy few days ahead of me 1577 01:07:56.159 --> 01:07:58.900 if I wanna have a cut of Red Mileready to view 1578 01:07:58.944 --> 01:08:00.728 as a screener for Cannes. 1579 01:08:00.772 --> 01:08:02.556 It's not gonna be a finished version of the movie. 1580 01:08:02.600 --> 01:08:05.603 Well, I love the editing. Editing is similar to writing. 1581 01:08:05.646 --> 01:08:07.605 When you're editing, you're really rewriting 1582 01:08:07.648 --> 01:08:10.086 the picture as... visually, 1583 01:08:10.129 --> 01:08:13.654 and tightening, and suddenly you realize you don't need this scene 1584 01:08:13.698 --> 01:08:16.092 or the material in this scene is repetitive. 1585 01:08:16.135 --> 01:08:19.660 GARRIS: Knowing how to edit, you know, and to be concise, 1586 01:08:19.704 --> 01:08:22.228 because there is a sure sign of amateurism 1587 01:08:22.272 --> 01:08:24.100 when you're masturbating with a camera. 1588 01:08:24.143 --> 01:08:26.972 To feel that every moment of your grand epic 1589 01:08:27.015 --> 01:08:30.106 is worth capturing, and... and feeling the pain. 1590 01:08:30.149 --> 01:08:33.152 You have to be ruthless when you're finally making your film. 1591 01:08:33.196 --> 01:08:36.068 I'd rather see a great, brisk 80-minute movie 1592 01:08:36.112 --> 01:08:37.896 that covers all the bases 1593 01:08:37.939 --> 01:08:40.159 than 120 minutes of navel-gazing. 1594 01:08:40.203 --> 01:08:42.466 McCONNELL: I showed the film last night to the cast and crew, 1595 01:08:42.509 --> 01:08:43.902 and they all seem to love it. 1596 01:08:43.945 --> 01:08:46.600 I know a lot more work needs to be done on post. 1597 01:08:46.644 --> 01:08:48.689 I'm still gonna bring this version to Cannes, 1598 01:08:48.733 --> 01:08:51.736 and try and get early talks going. 1599 01:08:51.779 --> 01:08:53.868 Leave for Cannes tomorrow. 1600 01:08:53.912 --> 01:08:56.393 I am still a little nervous about the heightened police state 1601 01:08:56.436 --> 01:08:58.134 that Cannes is gonna be under, 1602 01:08:58.177 --> 01:09:02.181 and the... the threats that, you know, beaches in Europe are, 1603 01:09:02.225 --> 01:09:05.532 are under right now, but... [EXHALING] 1604 01:09:05.576 --> 01:09:07.317 If something like that happens 1605 01:09:07.360 --> 01:09:08.970 and I am taken out of this world, 1606 01:09:09.014 --> 01:09:11.147 I feel like I've still lived as a good human. 1607 01:09:11.190 --> 01:09:13.540 This time last year, I sat on this exact balcony 1608 01:09:13.584 --> 01:09:16.456 and I did a self-interview, but I remember 1609 01:09:16.500 --> 01:09:18.110 talking and saying that I felt like 1610 01:09:18.154 --> 01:09:19.981 I was finally ready for this business. 1611 01:09:20.025 --> 01:09:22.854 I see a change coming and I hope it's a big one. 1612 01:09:22.897 --> 01:09:25.509 I hope that all the work, and all the groundwork, 1613 01:09:25.552 --> 01:09:27.380 and everything, all the effort that has been put in 1614 01:09:27.424 --> 01:09:29.252 over the years pays off. 1615 01:09:29.295 --> 01:09:31.297 The good news is that it looks like Lifechanger'sgreenlit. 1616 01:09:31.341 --> 01:09:34.213 I just have to... It has to be the best it can possibly be, 1617 01:09:34.257 --> 01:09:36.955 'cause that's what's gonna elevate me to that next step, 1618 01:09:36.998 --> 01:09:40.741 is making a quality film that people enjoy, 1619 01:09:40.785 --> 01:09:42.265 and putting enough thought into it, 1620 01:09:42.308 --> 01:09:44.397 and time and effort to do it right. 1621 01:09:44.441 --> 01:09:47.618 We actually struck out twice. 1622 01:09:47.661 --> 01:09:49.707 Once with the traditional funding, 1623 01:09:49.750 --> 01:09:51.535 and then once with the private funding. 1624 01:09:51.578 --> 01:09:54.625 It's a few hours after I got the email that 1625 01:09:54.668 --> 01:09:56.279 the investors were pulling out of Lifechanger. 1626 01:09:56.322 --> 01:09:57.802 This was gonna be my first movie 1627 01:09:57.845 --> 01:09:59.543 where somebody actually invested in me, 1628 01:09:59.586 --> 01:10:05.113 and my work, where, you know, aside from my parents or myself. 1629 01:10:05.157 --> 01:10:07.899 Still hasn't happened. [SIGHS] 1630 01:10:07.942 --> 01:10:10.815 I don't know what that means. [SNIFFLES] 1631 01:10:10.858 --> 01:10:12.904 I know the business is tough, but it isn't that tough. 1632 01:10:12.947 --> 01:10:15.298 There's shit being made all the time, so am I shit? 1633 01:10:15.341 --> 01:10:17.474 Is the stuff I do shit? Or is it just... 1634 01:10:17.517 --> 01:10:20.259 Yeah, it's a ladder and a rung just broke. 1635 01:10:22.000 --> 01:10:24.307 As much as the business feels difficult for me to navigate, 1636 01:10:24.350 --> 01:10:27.484 I'll fully admit I have no idea how difficult it must be 1637 01:10:27.527 --> 01:10:30.791 for people who are even more marginalized than myself to break in. 1638 01:10:30.835 --> 01:10:33.229 Even coming from nowhere and working my way in bit by bit, 1639 01:10:33.272 --> 01:10:34.752 I'm still a white male in a business 1640 01:10:34.795 --> 01:10:37.058 dominated by the same, and I'm not facing the same 1641 01:10:37.102 --> 01:10:38.973 systematic bias that others are. 1642 01:10:39.017 --> 01:10:40.932 The toughest job right now for women in the industry 1643 01:10:40.975 --> 01:10:42.760 is being a director, 1644 01:10:42.803 --> 01:10:47.286 because a woman's vision is not the same as a man's vision, 1645 01:10:47.330 --> 01:10:50.246 and we need to work so much harder 1646 01:10:50.289 --> 01:10:52.073 to convince buyers 1647 01:10:52.117 --> 01:10:54.119 and distributors that it's worth it. 1648 01:10:54.162 --> 01:10:57.165 Lloyd Kaufman recently called it the "blood ceiling" 1649 01:10:57.209 --> 01:10:58.906 in the horror genre, you know. 1650 01:10:58.950 --> 01:11:00.386 He actually said it was despicable, you know, 1651 01:11:00.430 --> 01:11:02.910 how few opportunities there are for women. 1652 01:11:02.954 --> 01:11:06.305 The stories are just, you wanna scream. 1653 01:11:06.349 --> 01:11:08.307 I have to prove myself a lot harder. 1654 01:11:08.351 --> 01:11:11.658 I'm also very bubbly and so at times, like, 1655 01:11:11.702 --> 01:11:13.704 "You make horror films? You sure? 1656 01:11:13.747 --> 01:11:15.053 "You're wearing pink right now," you know? 1657 01:11:15.096 --> 01:11:17.490 It's like you don't get... 1658 01:11:17.534 --> 01:11:19.492 I'm not taken seriously right away. 1659 01:11:19.536 --> 01:11:21.625 Part of what makes the world, and narrative, 1660 01:11:21.668 --> 01:11:23.714 and the stories that we... that we tell is that we tell, 1661 01:11:23.757 --> 01:11:25.933 that we have the voice of everyone. 1662 01:11:25.977 --> 01:11:30.721 That we have the voices of men and female, transgender, 1663 01:11:30.764 --> 01:11:32.810 all races, all colors. 1664 01:11:32.853 --> 01:11:34.986 That's why I have a very interest as a producer 1665 01:11:35.029 --> 01:11:38.642 to do cross-cultural projects, because again, 1666 01:11:38.685 --> 01:11:42.428 looking at the specifics of cultures that are not necessarily mine, 1667 01:11:42.472 --> 01:11:45.910 there is a universal quality that brings us all together. 1668 01:11:45.953 --> 01:11:48.129 VUCKOVIC: Look at the average filmgoers, you know, 1669 01:11:48.173 --> 01:11:49.827 more than half of them are women. 1670 01:11:49.870 --> 01:11:52.569 We know this is a fact, we know this to be true, 1671 01:11:52.612 --> 01:11:56.834 and yet the numbers are staggeringly low. 1672 01:11:56.877 --> 01:11:59.053 The numbers of women directing films, 1673 01:11:59.097 --> 01:12:01.055 producing films are staggeringly low. 1674 01:12:01.099 --> 01:12:02.927 MAURICETTE: I don't think powers that be have 1675 01:12:02.970 --> 01:12:08.106 a lot of faith still in having marginalized people 1676 01:12:08.149 --> 01:12:10.021 starring in their own film. 1677 01:12:10.064 --> 01:12:12.371 And I don't know what that is, because, you know, 1678 01:12:12.415 --> 01:12:15.374 I mean, everybody knows Jordan Peele sold millions of dollars, 1679 01:12:15.418 --> 01:12:17.376 and broke records, and Black Panther, 1680 01:12:17.420 --> 01:12:19.160 and the whole nine yards. 1681 01:12:19.204 --> 01:12:24.470 So that still hasn't really, I feel like, settled in. 1682 01:12:24.514 --> 01:12:26.298 OLIVIA SAPERSTEIN: I can point the finger as much as I want, 1683 01:12:26.342 --> 01:12:28.518 but how can I take responsibility for my career. 1684 01:12:28.561 --> 01:12:32.086 And if you're not doing the work and you have nothing to show, then... 1685 01:12:32.130 --> 01:12:34.393 -You're part of the problem. -You're part of the problem. 1686 01:12:34.437 --> 01:12:37.918 So, like my whole mentality now, it's just like, 1687 01:12:37.962 --> 01:12:40.921 "Okay, then I'm gonna write something that no one can refuse." 1688 01:12:40.965 --> 01:12:43.228 People say you can't tell new stories. 1689 01:12:43.271 --> 01:12:44.708 I don't think that's entirely true, 1690 01:12:44.751 --> 01:12:47.145 because I think there's a lot of stories out there 1691 01:12:47.188 --> 01:12:51.105 that haven't had the voice in the past. 1692 01:12:51.149 --> 01:12:55.980 So it's exciting that we're starting to get to see those stories. 1693 01:12:56.023 --> 01:12:58.199 McCONNELL: With Lifechanger stalled again, 1694 01:12:58.243 --> 01:13:00.158 I at least had the festivals and the release ofRed Mile to focus on. 1695 01:13:00.201 --> 01:13:02.334 We premiered in December at the Whistler Film Festival 1696 01:13:02.378 --> 01:13:04.118 and I managed to secure distribution, 1697 01:13:04.162 --> 01:13:06.686 which influenced the title change toBroken Mile. 1698 01:13:06.730 --> 01:13:08.732 We played another sizable fest in Toronto, 1699 01:13:08.775 --> 01:13:11.561 and a couple in the US, and the film was released in early summer 2017 1700 01:13:11.604 --> 01:13:13.389 in a rather limited capacity, 1701 01:13:13.432 --> 01:13:16.087 which is to be expected for a micro-budget film like this. 1702 01:13:16.130 --> 01:13:18.002 The reviews were mixed but skewed positive, 1703 01:13:18.045 --> 01:13:19.351 and the film did all right, 1704 01:13:19.395 --> 01:13:22.006 but didn't exactly set the world on fire. 1705 01:13:22.049 --> 01:13:24.487 Like before, I kept focusing on what was coming next, 1706 01:13:24.530 --> 01:13:26.271 the next rung on the ladder. 1707 01:13:26.314 --> 01:13:27.968 In addition to the constant client work, 1708 01:13:28.012 --> 01:13:29.883 I keep filling my days with little and big steps forward 1709 01:13:29.927 --> 01:13:32.408 and developing my slate, three projects in particular. 1710 01:13:32.451 --> 01:13:34.279 Mark of Kane, the feature-length version 1711 01:13:34.322 --> 01:13:36.020 of our short Do You See What I See? 1712 01:13:36.063 --> 01:13:38.457 and, of course,Lifechanger are the current priority. 1713 01:13:38.501 --> 01:13:40.894 Between all the meetings, markets, conference calls, 1714 01:13:40.938 --> 01:13:42.940 email chains, and rewrites, 1715 01:13:42.983 --> 01:13:45.464 they're all proving development is more of a marathon than a sprint. 1716 01:13:45.508 --> 01:13:47.684 Time keeps passing and hope keeps going 1717 01:13:47.727 --> 01:13:49.555 up and down like a roller coaster. 1718 01:13:49.599 --> 01:13:52.210 Oh, no. [CHUCKLING] 1719 01:13:52.253 --> 01:13:55.169 What I've learned so far, in the past couple of years 1720 01:13:55.213 --> 01:13:57.476 of trying to get this picture off the ground 1721 01:13:57.520 --> 01:13:59.913 is that you really need people to believe in your project. 1722 01:13:59.957 --> 01:14:02.742 You can't really take everything you hear from people 1723 01:14:02.786 --> 01:14:04.701 that can help you seriously 1724 01:14:04.744 --> 01:14:08.139 until the contracts are signed or deals are made. 1725 01:14:08.182 --> 01:14:10.968 I'm hoping this year is a year that we at least know 1726 01:14:11.011 --> 01:14:12.535 that it's going somewhere, 1727 01:14:12.578 --> 01:14:14.275 it's gonna be in pre-production by the end of the year. 1728 01:14:14.319 --> 01:14:16.190 I have a good feeling about that. 1729 01:14:16.234 --> 01:14:19.237 I met Justin a few years ago at Cannes and he told me about the project. 1730 01:14:19.280 --> 01:14:22.806 Um, I was really excited to have a read of the novel, 1731 01:14:22.849 --> 01:14:24.764 and then after doing that, 1732 01:14:24.808 --> 01:14:27.593 it was a case of just seeing what we could put together 1733 01:14:27.637 --> 01:14:29.813 to be able to finance it and make it happen. 1734 01:14:29.856 --> 01:14:31.815 At this point, we've built up a really solid project. 1735 01:14:31.858 --> 01:14:34.905 We've got Serhat, who's a fantastic director, on board, 1736 01:14:34.948 --> 01:14:36.602 we've got several major investors, 1737 01:14:36.646 --> 01:14:39.475 and we're just waiting on the final piece to kind of kick in 1738 01:14:39.518 --> 01:14:41.302 to cover our post-production. 1739 01:14:41.346 --> 01:14:44.958 Fingers crossed, we should be shooting within the next 12 months. 1740 01:14:45.002 --> 01:14:47.308 McCONNELL: I'm in a nice restaurant right now 1741 01:14:47.352 --> 01:14:49.310 and I'm marking this moment, because we just sat 1742 01:14:49.354 --> 01:14:51.487 with Keith at Uncork'd and I might have a green light for Lifechanger. 1743 01:14:51.530 --> 01:14:53.184 [PEOPLE SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY] 1744 01:14:53.227 --> 01:14:54.620 Uh, yeah. 1745 01:14:54.664 --> 01:14:57.101 I remember the steak was excellent that night. 1746 01:14:57.144 --> 01:14:59.930 [CHUCKLING] And so was the wine. 1747 01:14:59.973 --> 01:15:02.889 Took a lot of work, but we might be here. 1748 01:15:02.933 --> 01:15:04.543 Let's see. 1749 01:15:04.587 --> 01:15:08.199 We basically, at the end of that whole conversation, 1750 01:15:08.242 --> 01:15:10.723 before the main course arrived, actually, 1751 01:15:10.767 --> 01:15:13.857 we had solidified the agreement verbally. 1752 01:15:13.900 --> 01:15:16.381 What the structure is looking like is Raven Banner 1753 01:15:16.424 --> 01:15:18.122 coming on board for part of the finance 1754 01:15:18.165 --> 01:15:20.167 and selling international sales rights, 1755 01:15:20.211 --> 01:15:22.126 Uncork'd in the US coming on board 1756 01:15:22.169 --> 01:15:23.693 for more than half of the budget. 1757 01:15:23.736 --> 01:15:25.477 I got a very busy fall ahead of me. 1758 01:15:25.521 --> 01:15:27.523 I gotta shoot Lifechanger, and I've got tons of client work, 1759 01:15:27.566 --> 01:15:30.003 and then we have to get Mark of Kane 1760 01:15:30.047 --> 01:15:31.701 fully together and packaged, 1761 01:15:31.744 --> 01:15:34.399 and hopefully start shooting that in January. 1762 01:15:34.442 --> 01:15:37.271 So what we did is we hired a casting director named Ashley Hallihan, 1763 01:15:37.315 --> 01:15:40.448 who went out and got self-tapes from tons of different people. 1764 01:15:40.492 --> 01:15:43.582 We're talking like dozens, and dozens, and dozens of people. 1765 01:15:43.626 --> 01:15:46.498 You know, the minute that a casting director is hired, 1766 01:15:46.542 --> 01:15:51.938 it translates to the agents and managers that there's money, 1767 01:15:51.982 --> 01:15:53.810 the project's moving forward, 1768 01:15:53.853 --> 01:15:57.161 that the production is going to be working in a professional manner. 1769 01:15:57.204 --> 01:15:58.379 I've been going through these self-tapes 1770 01:15:58.423 --> 01:16:00.294 and then tomorrow, I'm going to the Carlton 1771 01:16:00.338 --> 01:16:03.471 to do one-on-one meetings with the finalists, I guess you could put it. 1772 01:16:03.515 --> 01:16:05.212 We're doing... I'm doing 15-minute meetings. 1773 01:16:05.256 --> 01:16:06.953 Every 15 minutes I meet with a new person 1774 01:16:06.997 --> 01:16:08.346 just to get a feel for who they are as people. 1775 01:16:08.389 --> 01:16:10.435 There's many actors for one role, 1776 01:16:10.478 --> 01:16:13.612 but there's only the one actor that's the best for the role. 1777 01:16:13.656 --> 01:16:17.050 And then simultaneously, I've been working with Sasha, the DOP, 1778 01:16:17.094 --> 01:16:19.531 to, you know, talk through the script, 1779 01:16:19.575 --> 01:16:21.751 and figure out the shot list, and all that sort of thing. 1780 01:16:21.794 --> 01:16:23.274 I'm excited about it. I'm happy about it. 1781 01:16:23.317 --> 01:16:25.319 I mean, I... This is what I've been working towards. 1782 01:16:25.363 --> 01:16:27.234 Having something where I can actually pull off 1783 01:16:27.278 --> 01:16:29.802 something on a... like with a budget. 1784 01:16:29.846 --> 01:16:31.412 Hell, I've got David Scott working on this movie, 1785 01:16:31.456 --> 01:16:33.501 who's like one of the best effects people in Toronto 1786 01:16:33.545 --> 01:16:35.852 for, like, prosthetics, and we're doing an animatronic. 1787 01:16:35.895 --> 01:16:39.812 Like these, these are things I dream of and I'm finally gonna get to do. 1788 01:16:39.856 --> 01:16:44.164 I'm looking now at our full cast list, minus one tiny role, 1789 01:16:44.208 --> 01:16:46.253 forLifechanger, 1790 01:16:46.297 --> 01:16:47.951 and we've got all the roles filled, 1791 01:16:47.994 --> 01:16:52.520 so we can now start setting up table reads, 1792 01:16:52.564 --> 01:16:54.435 and start rehearsing, and it's get... 1793 01:16:54.479 --> 01:16:56.568 Like, we're five weeks away from shooting now. 1794 01:16:56.612 --> 01:16:57.961 It's really soon. 1795 01:16:58.004 --> 01:17:01.747 So what I wanna get out of this meeting today 1796 01:17:01.791 --> 01:17:04.881 is put everything on the table, anything you're concerned about. 1797 01:17:04.924 --> 01:17:07.100 McCONNELL: You know, there are 148 scenes in the film, 1798 01:17:07.144 --> 01:17:10.277 and a countless number of shots. 1799 01:17:10.321 --> 01:17:13.759 And it's just... this is gonna be the biggest thing I think I've ever done. 1800 01:17:13.803 --> 01:17:16.544 136, 137, and 138 are all kind of... 1801 01:17:16.588 --> 01:17:18.808 -McCONNELL: They're all together... -Together and continuous. 1802 01:17:18.851 --> 01:17:22.115 -Yep, so we can shoot the bathroom stuff for sure. -Yep. 1803 01:17:22.159 --> 01:17:24.291 I'm a little... little stressed out right now 1804 01:17:24.335 --> 01:17:27.338 largely because we shoot in less than two weeks 1805 01:17:27.381 --> 01:17:29.166 for Lifechanger, and there's still a lot to do. 1806 01:17:29.209 --> 01:17:31.081 And we've got the fight choreography going, 1807 01:17:31.124 --> 01:17:34.171 I'm gonna go look at the makeup tests on Thursday. 1808 01:17:34.214 --> 01:17:36.347 We're getting as much rehearsal as we can done, 1809 01:17:36.390 --> 01:17:39.176 which I wish it was more, I mean, I always wish it was more. 1810 01:17:39.219 --> 01:17:43.746 PATRICIA CHICA: The acting process is so important in my way of making films 1811 01:17:43.789 --> 01:17:48.664 that I would invest a lot of energy and time rehearsing 1812 01:17:48.707 --> 01:17:52.493 and work-shopping the script and the characters with my actors. 1813 01:17:52.537 --> 01:17:54.800 Everything I've been working toward for the past 1814 01:17:54.844 --> 01:17:58.978 couple decades in film, since I was about 15, you know, 1815 01:17:59.022 --> 01:18:02.503 all those dreams and everything kind of cumulate with this. 1816 01:18:02.547 --> 01:18:04.505 All these people are working right now 1817 01:18:04.549 --> 01:18:09.554 alongside me as a team to recognize one vision 1818 01:18:09.597 --> 01:18:12.296 that came out of here a couple years ago. 1819 01:18:12.339 --> 01:18:14.124 I'm doin' this. 1820 01:18:14.167 --> 01:18:15.603 This is a big move for me. 1821 01:18:15.647 --> 01:18:17.214 MAN: And action! 1822 01:18:17.257 --> 01:18:19.216 BARBARA CRAMPTON: Film and... 1823 01:18:19.259 --> 01:18:24.221 and telling a story reminds us who we are, 1824 01:18:24.264 --> 01:18:26.397 and that's never going away. 1825 01:18:26.440 --> 01:18:29.269 Even the cavemen were painting in their caves. 1826 01:18:29.313 --> 01:18:32.577 We've always loved to tell stories 1827 01:18:32.620 --> 01:18:35.449 and always loved to tell stories with images. 1828 01:18:35.493 --> 01:18:39.279 I think that's why we created film, so we could make the images move. 1829 01:18:39.323 --> 01:18:42.979 Film is storytelling and... and we love a good story. 1830 01:18:43.022 --> 01:18:44.763 I've got like a full effects body in this trunk 1831 01:18:44.807 --> 01:18:47.418 of the... my parent's car right now 1832 01:18:47.461 --> 01:18:49.159 that we're tryin' to cover up in case somebody 1833 01:18:49.202 --> 01:18:51.117 sees it from a distance and thinks it's real. 1834 01:18:51.161 --> 01:18:53.816 Um, so it's almost like hiding a real dead body. 1835 01:18:53.859 --> 01:18:55.295 [CHUCKLES] 1836 01:18:55.339 --> 01:18:56.427 'Cause you don't want someone to get the wrong idea, 1837 01:18:56.470 --> 01:18:58.081 and call the police, and be like, 1838 01:18:58.124 --> 01:18:59.691 "There's a body in the back of that car in that garage." 1839 01:18:59.735 --> 01:19:01.084 Thank you. 1840 01:19:01.127 --> 01:19:02.302 We've done three full days of production now. 1841 01:19:02.346 --> 01:19:04.565 It's weird, I still get this surreal pang 1842 01:19:04.609 --> 01:19:08.918 when I'm looking at the slate, clapping for the shots, 1843 01:19:08.961 --> 01:19:11.268 that actually says"Lifechanger." 1844 01:19:11.311 --> 01:19:13.487 That... that the movie's actually being made right now 1845 01:19:13.531 --> 01:19:15.925 and I'm actually shooting it. [CHUCKLES] 1846 01:19:15.968 --> 01:19:17.927 It's, uh, I guess it's a win. 1847 01:19:17.970 --> 01:19:22.714 Just today, for example, I got to shoot an animatronic melt head. 1848 01:19:22.758 --> 01:19:24.455 I've never worked with animatronics before. 1849 01:19:24.498 --> 01:19:26.892 It's kind of a childhood dream, and I got to do it. 1850 01:19:26.936 --> 01:19:28.372 There's the first phase, is always that 1851 01:19:28.415 --> 01:19:30.113 you're pushing this project, 1852 01:19:30.156 --> 01:19:31.810 and pushing it, and pushing it, 1853 01:19:31.854 --> 01:19:34.334 and you'd give your life or your soul for the thing to happen, 1854 01:19:34.378 --> 01:19:36.772 you would sacrifice your firstborn 1855 01:19:36.815 --> 01:19:38.861 or do anything to close that deal 1856 01:19:38.904 --> 01:19:41.907 and get the movie to the screen. 1857 01:19:41.951 --> 01:19:43.866 And then, yeah, phase two, if you're lucky, 1858 01:19:43.909 --> 01:19:46.825 is the point where the project actually starts to move 1859 01:19:46.869 --> 01:19:49.045 and you find suddenly you're no longer having 1860 01:19:49.088 --> 01:19:50.437 to push it, and push it, and push it, 1861 01:19:50.481 --> 01:19:52.265 and the thing is actually moving along 1862 01:19:52.309 --> 01:19:56.095 under its own momentum and you're having to run to keep up with it. 1863 01:19:56.139 --> 01:19:58.837 Action. 1864 01:19:58.881 --> 01:20:00.360 Shake. 1865 01:20:00.404 --> 01:20:02.928 Tooth. Shake, tooth. 1866 01:20:02.972 --> 01:20:04.843 -Scream. -[MAN SCREAMING] 1867 01:20:04.887 --> 01:20:06.497 First. 1868 01:20:06.540 --> 01:20:07.672 Second. 1869 01:20:07.715 --> 01:20:09.108 [MAN GRUNTING] 1870 01:20:09.152 --> 01:20:11.328 When it comes to feature films, and you're on set, 1871 01:20:11.371 --> 01:20:13.156 and you're doin' this scene and you, 1872 01:20:13.199 --> 01:20:16.550 you say to yourself, "I've seen this scene 100 times," don't do it. 1873 01:20:16.594 --> 01:20:18.378 Do something different. 1874 01:20:18.422 --> 01:20:21.425 Find a way to take that scene, because you can't just throw it out, 1875 01:20:21.468 --> 01:20:23.340 and do something different with it. 1876 01:20:23.383 --> 01:20:26.734 We have a few really, really complicated days, 1877 01:20:26.778 --> 01:20:30.173 which I'm sure we'll get, but holy crap, man. 1878 01:20:30.216 --> 01:20:33.872 WEXLER: From a filmmaking perspective, it's important 1879 01:20:33.916 --> 01:20:37.310 to be loose enough that you can adapt 1880 01:20:37.354 --> 01:20:41.053 to the things that happen through every stage of production 1881 01:20:41.097 --> 01:20:43.490 and that you're prepared enough, 1882 01:20:43.534 --> 01:20:47.451 but you also have an eye out for happy coincidences. 1883 01:20:47.494 --> 01:20:49.670 DON MANCINI: It's an organic thing, filmmaking, and you... 1884 01:20:49.714 --> 01:20:53.631 you can't hold on to your original plan too tightly, 1885 01:20:53.674 --> 01:20:57.940 because I think, I think that will fuck you over in a whole other way. 1886 01:20:57.983 --> 01:21:00.725 So it's just... it gives it this combination 1887 01:21:00.768 --> 01:21:03.510 of planning it out to a tee, 1888 01:21:03.554 --> 01:21:08.037 but being open to other people suggesting, 1889 01:21:08.080 --> 01:21:10.213 "Well, maybe I have a better idea." 1890 01:21:10.256 --> 01:21:12.345 McCONNELL: We've just, as of last night, 1891 01:21:12.389 --> 01:21:13.912 wrapped our 11th day of production on Lifechanger. 1892 01:21:13.956 --> 01:21:15.871 It's gone by really quick, 1893 01:21:15.914 --> 01:21:18.525 yet at the same time, you know, each day doesn't feel like it's quick. 1894 01:21:18.569 --> 01:21:20.832 You're always racing the clock to try and get 1895 01:21:20.876 --> 01:21:22.965 your shots in, your day in, and hope that, you know, 1896 01:21:23.008 --> 01:21:25.619 you've had enough time to make the performance work, 1897 01:21:25.663 --> 01:21:26.925 which looking at the dailies, 1898 01:21:26.969 --> 01:21:29.101 I've got some editing challenges ahead of me. 1899 01:21:29.145 --> 01:21:31.234 No matter how much in love with the project you are, 1900 01:21:31.277 --> 01:21:34.498 phase three always arrives, which is the point on the project 1901 01:21:34.541 --> 01:21:36.848 when you'll do anything, when you will give up your life, 1902 01:21:36.892 --> 01:21:39.938 your soul, your firstborn just to have nothing more to do with it. 1903 01:21:39.982 --> 01:21:43.811 To not have to get up in the morning and deal with it. 1904 01:21:43.855 --> 01:21:46.423 It's only the director, maybe the producer also, 1905 01:21:46.466 --> 01:21:49.687 which are responsible for the fact 1906 01:21:49.730 --> 01:21:51.689 that everything we are making, anything we are making now 1907 01:21:51.732 --> 01:21:54.822 will end up as a movie, as a story, as a... 1908 01:21:54.866 --> 01:21:57.651 comprehensive idea. 1909 01:21:57.695 --> 01:22:00.741 And that is a consuming process. 1910 01:22:00.785 --> 01:22:03.353 It all starts with the concept, the script, 1911 01:22:03.396 --> 01:22:04.745 and putting in the right amount of pre-production work, 1912 01:22:04.789 --> 01:22:06.443 and the right casting and all that. 1913 01:22:06.486 --> 01:22:07.923 All that's the backbone of the movie, 1914 01:22:07.966 --> 01:22:09.620 but then you get into production 1915 01:22:09.663 --> 01:22:12.405 and, you know, you have to deal with people. 1916 01:22:12.449 --> 01:22:13.929 [CHUCKLES NERVOUSLY] Lots and lots of people. 1917 01:22:13.972 --> 01:22:17.062 And in this case, we're talking like 25 cast, 20 crew, 1918 01:22:17.106 --> 01:22:18.498 a whole bunch of extras. 1919 01:22:18.542 --> 01:22:20.283 Every single one of them's a personality. 1920 01:22:20.326 --> 01:22:22.067 JESSICA CAMERON: You have to make sure when you're hiring crew 1921 01:22:22.111 --> 01:22:24.548 that you get crew that are not only the best that you can 1922 01:22:24.591 --> 01:22:26.550 for the budget you're working within, 1923 01:22:26.593 --> 01:22:28.552 but that those specific department heads 1924 01:22:28.595 --> 01:22:30.423 and the people within those departments 1925 01:22:30.467 --> 01:22:33.774 all work well together and with those certain types of personalities. 1926 01:22:33.818 --> 01:22:35.776 ALEXANDER: You know, I had three kids before I made my first movie. 1927 01:22:35.820 --> 01:22:37.648 So I knew how to navigate personalities, 1928 01:22:37.691 --> 01:22:41.043 I knew how to damage control a lot of insane situations 1929 01:22:41.086 --> 01:22:42.958 that would crush lesser mortals, I think. 1930 01:22:43.001 --> 01:22:44.394 GREGORY LAMBERSON: The director is not just a person 1931 01:22:44.437 --> 01:22:46.352 who picks camera angles or locations. 1932 01:22:46.396 --> 01:22:49.225 A director has to know how to juggle 1933 01:22:49.268 --> 01:22:52.184 many different personalities and egos, 1934 01:22:52.228 --> 01:22:54.317 and know how to work with them, 1935 01:22:54.360 --> 01:22:56.667 and not bully them and get the best out of them, 1936 01:22:56.710 --> 01:22:58.408 and make them wanna do their best. 1937 01:22:58.451 --> 01:23:00.758 They all have needs, they all have wants, they all have quirks, 1938 01:23:00.801 --> 01:23:02.803 they all have flaws, they all have strengths. 1939 01:23:02.847 --> 01:23:05.023 If you have enough confidence to hire somebody, 1940 01:23:05.067 --> 01:23:06.503 then you should have the confidence to know 1941 01:23:06.546 --> 01:23:08.331 that they know what they're doing. 1942 01:23:08.374 --> 01:23:12.335 Whether it's Jim Cameron or Billy Friedkin or Michael Bay 1943 01:23:12.378 --> 01:23:16.774 or Quentin Tarantino or Robert Rodriguez, 1944 01:23:16.817 --> 01:23:21.039 these are people who have a lot of confidence in themselves, 1945 01:23:21.083 --> 01:23:23.607 and when they have confidence in themselves, 1946 01:23:23.650 --> 01:23:28.742 they're much more likely to listen to your suggestions 1947 01:23:28.786 --> 01:23:31.876 and think about it. "Is this gonna make my film better?" 1948 01:23:31.919 --> 01:23:34.487 I think the directors with the most confidence, 1949 01:23:34.531 --> 01:23:36.968 which are usually the ones that are the most successful, 1950 01:23:37.012 --> 01:23:39.536 are the ones that are most likely to listen to ideas... 1951 01:23:39.579 --> 01:23:41.320 Collaborate with actors. 1952 01:23:41.364 --> 01:23:44.149 ...and collaborate with actors and change things in their movie 1953 01:23:44.193 --> 01:23:45.977 to make the movie better. 1954 01:23:46.021 --> 01:23:48.588 They can identify a suggestion, 1955 01:23:48.632 --> 01:23:51.200 whether it comes from me or a prop guy, 1956 01:23:51.243 --> 01:23:54.768 or it comes from an actress or anybody, 1957 01:23:54.812 --> 01:23:57.423 "Oh, that's gonna make my movie better. Do it." 1958 01:23:57.467 --> 01:23:59.904 I think the only thing you need to do 1959 01:23:59.947 --> 01:24:02.907 to survive telling stories is to be yourself. 1960 01:24:02.950 --> 01:24:04.343 That's the one thing. 1961 01:24:04.387 --> 01:24:06.867 I mean, how you leader a group of people... 1962 01:24:06.911 --> 01:24:11.176 Everybody... Some of them are hard, some of them are nice, 1963 01:24:11.220 --> 01:24:12.830 some of them make a family, 1964 01:24:12.873 --> 01:24:14.919 some of them make an army, 1965 01:24:14.962 --> 01:24:16.877 some of them like to be generals, 1966 01:24:16.921 --> 01:24:18.749 some of them like... but the only thing 1967 01:24:18.792 --> 01:24:22.796 that people will respond to is if it's you leading. 1968 01:24:22.840 --> 01:24:24.320 You. 1969 01:24:24.363 --> 01:24:26.887 Not a character you invented a director should be. 1970 01:24:26.931 --> 01:24:28.193 It's you. 1971 01:24:28.237 --> 01:24:30.630 They see that you are high on your own supply. 1972 01:24:30.674 --> 01:24:34.112 I get a lot of pushback and it's like... 1973 01:24:34.156 --> 01:24:37.115 Sometimes you just wanna say, "Do this." 1974 01:24:37.159 --> 01:24:40.249 You want a collaborative atmosphere on set, that's the ideal scenario. 1975 01:24:40.292 --> 01:24:42.903 I just hate hearing "No." Let's just fuckin' try it. 1976 01:24:42.947 --> 01:24:44.775 I don't care if you've got 20 years behind you. 1977 01:24:44.818 --> 01:24:46.733 There's nothing to be gained by going, 1978 01:24:46.777 --> 01:24:49.606 "Well, that didn't work in the past" or being like, 1979 01:24:49.649 --> 01:24:53.305 "I've got all this experience, so I know this." Well, fuck that. 1980 01:24:53.349 --> 01:24:55.829 Steven Spielberg, if you see E.T., 1981 01:24:55.873 --> 01:24:59.616 notice that every camera angle is about this high off the ground. 1982 01:24:59.659 --> 01:25:01.879 That's how tall you are when you're 12 years old. 1983 01:25:01.922 --> 01:25:04.273 The cumulative effect of "you're one of the kids." 1984 01:25:04.316 --> 01:25:06.710 He made you one of the kids simply because 1985 01:25:06.753 --> 01:25:08.929 you're seeing from where they were seeing. 1986 01:25:08.973 --> 01:25:12.150 You know, keys in your face. That's what a director does. 1987 01:25:12.194 --> 01:25:14.935 It's not just pointing the camera at the action. 1988 01:25:14.979 --> 01:25:16.676 All right? 1989 01:25:16.720 --> 01:25:19.549 McCONNELL: I'm hoping that the film does well 1990 01:25:19.592 --> 01:25:22.160 and that the end result of it is worth all this effort, 1991 01:25:22.204 --> 01:25:24.031 because it's a lot of effort 1992 01:25:24.075 --> 01:25:25.424 and a lot of different people working on it, putting in that effort 1993 01:25:25.468 --> 01:25:27.557 to make it just incredible. 1994 01:25:27.600 --> 01:25:29.254 The only thing you really got going for you 1995 01:25:29.298 --> 01:25:31.082 in an independent film is the acting. 1996 01:25:31.648 --> 01:25:32.866 Who is it? 1997 01:25:32.910 --> 01:25:34.651 HOLLAND: Good actors are everything, 1998 01:25:34.694 --> 01:25:37.654 because finally for all the... for all the ego and everything, 1999 01:25:37.697 --> 01:25:40.091 it's about who's in front of the camera. 2000 01:25:40.135 --> 01:25:41.832 This is what's holding the audience. 2001 01:25:41.875 --> 01:25:46.184 If your actors will make or break you, casting is everything. 2002 01:25:46.228 --> 01:25:48.839 I cannot underline that enough. 2003 01:25:48.882 --> 01:25:50.928 Directors should take acting classes 2004 01:25:50.971 --> 01:25:53.104 to understand the actor's process, 2005 01:25:53.148 --> 01:25:57.935 to give clues to an actor about where you want them to go 2006 01:25:57.978 --> 01:25:59.893 in a particular scene. 2007 01:25:59.937 --> 01:26:03.070 Having people who can act, you save... you save money, 2008 01:26:03.114 --> 01:26:06.987 you save... If a guy blows a line, that's a big take. 2009 01:26:07.031 --> 01:26:09.860 That means that whole... that scene's gotta be shot over again. 2010 01:26:09.903 --> 01:26:11.514 Take. 2011 01:26:11.557 --> 01:26:13.037 Action! 2012 01:26:13.080 --> 01:26:15.735 I have one week left of shootingLifechanger. 2013 01:26:15.779 --> 01:26:19.217 We've shot 15 days already, there's five days left to go, 2014 01:26:19.261 --> 01:26:21.828 one really big week ahead of us, 2015 01:26:21.872 --> 01:26:24.614 including the first sex scene I've ever shot, 2016 01:26:24.657 --> 01:26:28.313 a serious fight scene with breakaway glass, breakaway tables, 2017 01:26:28.357 --> 01:26:31.969 and a whole bunch of effects stuff and prosthetics, 2018 01:26:32.012 --> 01:26:33.797 and a really big, 2019 01:26:33.840 --> 01:26:37.017 fully prosthetic pod effect thing we're doing on Wednesday. 2020 01:26:37.061 --> 01:26:39.629 -Awesome. Here we go. -MAN: And set. 2021 01:26:39.672 --> 01:26:41.239 McCONNELL: Action! 2022 01:26:41.283 --> 01:26:43.154 But I think we're getting really good stuff, 2023 01:26:43.198 --> 01:26:45.896 and I'm... I'm proud that I've been able to get to this point, 2024 01:26:45.939 --> 01:26:49.682 and I do feel like I've got a future in this. 2025 01:26:57.124 --> 01:26:59.649 I'm about to start watchingLifechanger 2026 01:26:59.692 --> 01:27:03.522 from front to back as one complete, edited film for the first time. 2027 01:27:03.566 --> 01:27:06.830 -There's a part of it. -[WOMAN SPEAKING ON SCREEN] 2028 01:27:06.873 --> 01:27:09.528 Uh, yeah, I think it's pretty good. 2029 01:27:09.572 --> 01:27:12.618 Tomorrow morning, I've booked the Carlton Cinema 2030 01:27:12.662 --> 01:27:15.491 to test screen an earlier cut of Lifechanger. 2031 01:27:15.534 --> 01:27:18.233 I've got a survey for people to either fill out 2032 01:27:18.276 --> 01:27:20.278 in person while there or online, 2033 01:27:20.322 --> 01:27:22.019 there's a link at the top of the sheet, 2034 01:27:22.062 --> 01:27:24.674 and then I've been collecting people associated with the project 2035 01:27:24.717 --> 01:27:26.632 and close friends' opinions as well. 2036 01:27:26.676 --> 01:27:28.939 The testing process is agonizing for me, 2037 01:27:28.982 --> 01:27:32.203 even when it's just showing the film to my friends. 2038 01:27:32.247 --> 01:27:35.337 It's... it's horrible, because first of all, 2039 01:27:35.380 --> 01:27:39.297 all of your mistakes are there to be seen and commented on, 2040 01:27:39.341 --> 01:27:41.343 and then, very often what I discover 2041 01:27:41.386 --> 01:27:43.867 are the things that I thought were problems for people are not 2042 01:27:43.910 --> 01:27:46.130 and the real slap in the face are there... 2043 01:27:46.173 --> 01:27:50.047 there are things that I've never even thought twice about 2044 01:27:50.090 --> 01:27:52.354 that are... create huge problems for people. 2045 01:27:52.397 --> 01:27:56.445 Sometimes you see filmmakers that get really big, 2046 01:27:56.488 --> 01:28:00.971 and then they start making thesekind of bloated movies, 2047 01:28:01.014 --> 01:28:04.148 and you feel that somebody stopped telling, you know, 2048 01:28:04.191 --> 01:28:05.889 somebody stopped telling them "no," 2049 01:28:05.932 --> 01:28:07.630 and they don't hear the word "no" anymore, 2050 01:28:07.673 --> 01:28:10.328 and now they kind of, kind of go on their own whims, 2051 01:28:10.372 --> 01:28:12.852 and people just go with them, because they're that name. 2052 01:28:12.896 --> 01:28:14.767 I don't know if that's healthy. 2053 01:28:14.811 --> 01:28:18.336 I actually do welcome and encourage 2054 01:28:18.380 --> 01:28:19.859 producers to give you notes. 2055 01:28:19.903 --> 01:28:21.948 It's nice to have a little bit of resistance, 2056 01:28:21.992 --> 01:28:25.082 it's nice to have someone kind of second-guess you. 2057 01:28:25.125 --> 01:28:27.824 When you hear something that's consistent, 2058 01:28:27.867 --> 01:28:29.782 like, that's the most important thing, right? 2059 01:28:29.826 --> 01:28:32.350 You might disagree with something somebody says, 2060 01:28:32.394 --> 01:28:34.918 but if you hear another person say it, 2061 01:28:34.961 --> 01:28:38.356 and you hear another person say it, and another person say it, 2062 01:28:38.400 --> 01:28:41.620 whether or not you agree with it or not, 2063 01:28:41.664 --> 01:28:45.885 you really need to understand that an audience is 2064 01:28:45.929 --> 01:28:47.365 seeing that that way, though. 2065 01:28:47.409 --> 01:28:49.367 That's how something is being perceived, 2066 01:28:49.411 --> 01:28:51.195 whether that was your intention or not. 2067 01:28:51.238 --> 01:28:52.849 We did a test audience and we got back 2068 01:28:52.892 --> 01:28:54.459 a bunch of notes from that. 2069 01:28:54.503 --> 01:28:56.722 We... I've got back a bunch of notes from people I trust 2070 01:28:56.766 --> 01:28:58.637 and now the main core team of the film, 2071 01:28:58.681 --> 01:29:03.076 the producers, the distributors,they're all compiling a set of notes. 2072 01:29:03.120 --> 01:29:05.252 But the one thing I've noticed is that 2073 01:29:05.296 --> 01:29:06.602 nobody is saying the same things 2074 01:29:07.254 --> 01:29:08.473 and me as the director, 2075 01:29:08.517 --> 01:29:11.389 I still have to be beholden to the wishes 2076 01:29:11.433 --> 01:29:13.696 of the team, to an extent, 2077 01:29:13.739 --> 01:29:17.395 because they are the team 2078 01:29:17.439 --> 01:29:18.831 or they are the investors, you know? 2079 01:29:18.875 --> 01:29:20.529 They have a stake. 2080 01:29:20.572 --> 01:29:23.967 But I'm also, I gotta go with my gut 2081 01:29:24.010 --> 01:29:27.187 and like I... I already believe it's a good movie the way it is. 2082 01:29:27.231 --> 01:29:28.928 I'm gonna make more changes. 2083 01:29:28.972 --> 01:29:31.714 The problem I've got is like, which changes do I make? 2084 01:29:31.757 --> 01:29:33.672 You have to make everybody happy. 2085 01:29:33.716 --> 01:29:36.066 So find a way. 2086 01:29:36.109 --> 01:29:39.156 Hopefully, you know, everyone understands 2087 01:29:39.199 --> 01:29:43.813 the kind of film that it is, or the nature of the cast 2088 01:29:43.856 --> 01:29:45.771 that was assembled. 2089 01:29:45.815 --> 01:29:47.686 And so, you know, it's... 2090 01:29:47.730 --> 01:29:52.169 You have to judge every situation individually. 2091 01:29:52.212 --> 01:29:55.172 I've just picture-locked Lifechanger and I'm proud of it. 2092 01:29:55.215 --> 01:29:56.826 I think it's a fuckin' good movie. 2093 01:29:56.869 --> 01:29:58.741 It feels like it's a good movie. 2094 01:29:58.784 --> 01:30:00.177 I found out yesterday morning that 2095 01:30:00.220 --> 01:30:03.398 Lifechanger'sworld premiere is gonna be 2096 01:30:03.441 --> 01:30:04.834 at the Fantasia Film Festival, 2097 01:30:04.877 --> 01:30:07.053 which is a huge accomplishment in my mind. 2098 01:30:07.097 --> 01:30:10.100 I've wanted to play that festival forever. 2099 01:30:11.536 --> 01:30:13.103 Back at Fantasia. 2100 01:30:15.235 --> 01:30:17.237 With a film playing this time. 2101 01:30:20.197 --> 01:30:22.112 [INTENSE MUSIC PLAYING] 2102 01:30:22.155 --> 01:30:23.940 [INDISTINCT CHATTER] 2103 01:30:23.983 --> 01:30:25.768 -If you look at everyone in that picture... -Yeah. 2104 01:30:25.811 --> 01:30:27.117 Wait till you get inside. 2105 01:30:27.160 --> 01:30:30.903 -[LAUGHING] -[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE] 2106 01:30:30.947 --> 01:30:33.950 McCONNELL: So, enjoy the movie and if I break your brain, don't sue me. 2107 01:30:33.993 --> 01:30:37.170 -Have a good one. -[LAUGHTER] 2108 01:30:37.214 --> 01:30:41.044 -[CLOSING THEME SONG PLAYING] -[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE] 2109 01:30:41.087 --> 01:30:42.872 Movies are like children. 2110 01:30:42.915 --> 01:30:45.222 Um, after the... 2111 01:30:45.265 --> 01:30:47.659 The birth is always absolutely frantic, and insane, 2112 01:30:47.703 --> 01:30:50.836 and painful, and confusing, and horrible, 2113 01:30:50.880 --> 01:30:53.317 but then they grow up and they, 2114 01:30:53.360 --> 01:30:56.538 they go out into the world and as they grow up, 2115 01:30:56.581 --> 01:30:58.496 they make their own friends. 2116 01:30:58.540 --> 01:31:00.150 People meet the movies 2117 01:31:00.193 --> 01:31:02.413 who don't meet you, and come to love them 2118 01:31:02.457 --> 01:31:05.460 on their own, on its own terms. 2119 01:31:35.490 --> 01:31:36.882 [CROWD APPLAUDING] 2120 01:31:36.926 --> 01:31:38.797 ANNOUNCER: Please welcome Justin McConnell... 2121 01:31:38.841 --> 01:31:40.407 [ALL CHEERING] 2122 01:31:40.451 --> 01:31:41.974 ...fromLifechanger. 2123 01:31:42.018 --> 01:31:44.803 -[SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY] -[LAUGHTER] 2124 01:31:44.847 --> 01:31:46.326 This is fuckin' crazy. 2125 01:31:46.370 --> 01:31:48.067 ANNOUNCER: Please welcome Mr. Johnson... 2126 01:31:48.111 --> 01:31:50.200 I've never played to audiences this big, 2127 01:31:50.243 --> 01:31:52.768 or had reception like this, or had my work 2128 01:31:52.811 --> 01:31:56.206 programmed or showcased at a festival this important, 2129 01:31:56.249 --> 01:31:58.774 and it feels like a really major step in my career. 2130 01:32:08.610 --> 01:32:11.308 -Muchos gracias. -[CHEERING] 2131 01:32:22.667 --> 01:32:23.755 [INAUDIBLE] 2132 01:32:39.858 --> 01:32:40.946 [INAUDIBLE] 2133 01:32:47.736 --> 01:32:49.999 McCONNELL: It still blows my mind, 'cause I've been coming here 2134 01:32:50.042 --> 01:32:52.262 to see movies for, fuck... 2135 01:32:52.305 --> 01:32:55.221 2001. So it's 17 years. 2136 01:32:55.265 --> 01:32:56.788 In this case, we are in the big... 2137 01:32:56.832 --> 01:32:59.356 one of the biggest theaters and it sold out somehow, 2138 01:32:59.399 --> 01:33:00.749 which is fuckin' awesome. 2139 01:33:00.792 --> 01:33:02.925 Just means a lot to me, 2140 01:33:02.968 --> 01:33:05.667 'cause people actually wanna see the stuff I make, 2141 01:33:05.710 --> 01:33:07.669 which is part of the reason you make it. 2142 01:33:07.712 --> 01:33:10.367 And it's been a long road to here. 2143 01:33:10.410 --> 01:33:12.108 KUPLOWSKY: So this is a special screening. 2144 01:33:12.151 --> 01:33:15.285 The... You know, I've known the director of this film 2145 01:33:15.328 --> 01:33:18.070 for maybe more than a decade at this point. 2146 01:33:18.114 --> 01:33:20.464 I've programmed his short films. 2147 01:33:20.507 --> 01:33:24.120 I've worked together on his... on some of his feature films. 2148 01:33:24.163 --> 01:33:28.254 He's made... This is not his first feature, 2149 01:33:28.298 --> 01:33:31.214 and... but this is a really, really special movie 2150 01:33:31.257 --> 01:33:33.303 and I remember when he shared the script with me, 2151 01:33:33.346 --> 01:33:35.914 I was so excited just at the ambition 2152 01:33:35.958 --> 01:33:38.395 and the ideas he was packing into the script 2153 01:33:38.438 --> 01:33:40.092 and so impressed with what he pulled off. 2154 01:33:40.136 --> 01:33:42.660 And to see Justin travel the world with this movie 2155 01:33:42.704 --> 01:33:44.270 -that's played many festivals... -MAN: Oh, yeah. 2156 01:33:44.314 --> 01:33:45.750 -...to great acclaim. -[AUDIENCE CHEERING] 2157 01:33:45.794 --> 01:33:47.665 And he really, really deserves all of it, 2158 01:33:47.709 --> 01:33:49.841 so a big, big round of applause for my friend... 2159 01:33:49.885 --> 01:33:51.321 [AUDIENCE CHEERING AND APPLAUDING] 2160 01:33:51.364 --> 01:33:53.105 ...writer/director, Justin McConnell! 2161 01:33:54.454 --> 01:33:56.152 McCONNELL: I thank all of you for coming out. 2162 01:33:56.195 --> 01:33:58.676 One thing you should know about this, it was shot in Toronto. 2163 01:33:58.720 --> 01:34:00.199 Can you raise your hand or stand up 2164 01:34:00.243 --> 01:34:01.984 if you were on the cast and crew? 2165 01:34:02.027 --> 01:34:04.856 -There's a bunch of you in the crowd. -[CHEERING, APPLAUDING] 2166 01:34:04.900 --> 01:34:07.772 I wanna thank all of you for coming out and doing a sold-out screening. 2167 01:34:07.816 --> 01:34:10.949 It's been over five years since I started making this documentary. 2168 01:34:10.993 --> 01:34:12.603 A lot has happened in the... [CHUCKLES] 2169 01:34:12.647 --> 01:34:14.561 in those five years, a lot has changed. 2170 01:34:14.605 --> 01:34:18.087 I was going to Cannes every year since 2015, 2171 01:34:18.130 --> 01:34:20.045 taking meetings there. 2172 01:34:20.089 --> 01:34:23.875 I went to my first Berlin, European Film Market last year in February 2173 01:34:23.919 --> 01:34:25.137 and took some meetings there 2174 01:34:25.181 --> 01:34:26.965 and got to see how that market was different. 2175 01:34:27.009 --> 01:34:28.924 I've been going to Frontieres every summer 2176 01:34:28.967 --> 01:34:30.839 and things are moving forward, but one... 2177 01:34:30.882 --> 01:34:33.189 I've noticed is with Lifechanger, 2178 01:34:33.232 --> 01:34:35.844 it has made the doors open more and more. 2179 01:34:35.887 --> 01:34:37.584 People are willing to approach me about 2180 01:34:37.628 --> 01:34:40.457 possible projects or take meetings about the stuff 2181 01:34:40.500 --> 01:34:42.024 I've got on the slate. 2182 01:34:42.067 --> 01:34:44.461 When it actually started being distributed in the US, 2183 01:34:44.504 --> 01:34:46.985 it did fairly well, but then Netflix picked it up 2184 01:34:47.029 --> 01:34:48.421 for a bunch of territories and we even hit 2185 01:34:48.465 --> 01:34:50.946 number one trending for a short period of time 2186 01:34:50.989 --> 01:34:53.078 with the film, this tiny little movie. 2187 01:34:53.122 --> 01:34:54.471 It blows my mind. 2188 01:34:54.514 --> 01:34:56.734 I've learned most of all that the thing that 2189 01:34:56.778 --> 01:35:00.738 I can't be as passive, and I have to make things happen for myself, 2190 01:35:00.782 --> 01:35:02.479 and bring in the right team 2191 01:35:02.522 --> 01:35:05.656 to help launch that, collaboratively. 2192 01:35:05.700 --> 01:35:09.268 Just listening to people, and letting go of my ego a little bit. 2193 01:35:09.312 --> 01:35:11.531 The future is potentially bright 2194 01:35:11.575 --> 01:35:13.664 and full of lots of things 2195 01:35:13.708 --> 01:35:16.885 that I don't know are coming yet. 2196 01:35:16.928 --> 01:35:18.756 I mean, anything could fall apart, 2197 01:35:18.800 --> 01:35:21.324 and given that the film business, the way it is, I fully expect 2198 01:35:21.367 --> 01:35:24.719 things to fall apart or take longer than they're going to take, 2199 01:35:24.762 --> 01:35:26.024 but I'm not gonna give up. 2200 01:35:26.068 --> 01:35:28.026 I look at my life in sections sometimes. 2201 01:35:28.070 --> 01:35:30.768 As I age, I get a tendency to reflect, compartmentalize. 2202 01:35:30.812 --> 01:35:34.206 There was my life before film was my mission and my life after. 2203 01:35:34.250 --> 01:35:35.904 That's further broken down into when I was just 2204 01:35:35.947 --> 01:35:38.297 toying with the craft, learning and getting my feet wet, 2205 01:35:38.341 --> 01:35:40.865 to when I got really serious about it as the thing I was going to do, 2206 01:35:40.909 --> 01:35:42.954 to the marathon that's felt like the last decade or so 2207 01:35:42.998 --> 01:35:45.174 when I started seriously making features. 2208 01:35:45.217 --> 01:35:48.133 Tons of missteps along the way, tons of deviations from the path, 2209 01:35:48.177 --> 01:35:51.310 experimenting, trying things, hoping something will stick, 2210 01:35:51.354 --> 01:35:54.009 and now withLifechanger, it feels like the start of a new section. 2211 01:35:54.052 --> 01:35:55.967 And whether I continue toward my ultimate goal, 2212 01:35:56.011 --> 01:35:58.274 whatever that is, or crash spectacularly 2213 01:35:58.317 --> 01:36:01.843 or just fade away remains to be seen. 2214 01:36:01.886 --> 01:36:04.062 You may hate everything I do and that's your right, 2215 01:36:04.106 --> 01:36:06.586 but it doesn't really matter, because I'm doing it 2216 01:36:06.630 --> 01:36:09.676 and I've been doing it for years and years now without fully realizing it. 2217 01:36:09.720 --> 01:36:12.114 I've been chasing a dream so long, it took me ages to notice 2218 01:36:12.157 --> 01:36:14.029 that I was already living it. 2219 01:36:14.072 --> 01:36:16.161 I don't think there is a top to the ladder when it comes to film. 2220 01:36:16.205 --> 01:36:19.991 There's just the ladder, just the climb, endlessly, rung to rung. 2221 01:36:20.035 --> 01:36:21.950 If a shark stops swimming, it dies. 2222 01:36:21.993 --> 01:36:24.430 As a filmmaker, swimming is all there ever is, 2223 01:36:24.474 --> 01:36:25.910 forward to whatever that brings. 2224 01:36:25.954 --> 01:36:27.346 You may fuck up along the way, 2225 01:36:27.390 --> 01:36:29.261 you may never reach the top of the business, 2226 01:36:29.305 --> 01:36:32.090 but as long as you keep trying, keep learning, keep striving, 2227 01:36:32.134 --> 01:36:33.613 -it has to be enough. -[APPLAUSE] 2228 01:36:33.657 --> 01:36:35.137 Just survive. 2229 01:36:35.180 --> 01:36:36.834 The rest will come. 2230 01:36:47.845 --> 01:36:49.716 I always got cheated. [CHUCKLES] 2231 01:36:49.760 --> 01:36:51.893 I know I always should have gotten more money, 2232 01:36:51.936 --> 01:36:54.286 I should have had more time, I should... 2233 01:36:54.330 --> 01:36:59.291 but all in all, when you look back over 60 years, 2234 01:36:59.335 --> 01:37:01.598 I figure I had a ball. 2235 01:37:01.641 --> 01:37:03.600 I really did, I enjoyed it. 2236 01:37:03.643 --> 01:37:07.299 To thine own self be true, but if you want the Oscars, 2237 01:37:07.343 --> 01:37:10.999 and the mansion, and the limos, and the drugs, 2238 01:37:11.042 --> 01:37:13.915 and hookers, and all that, I think you have to go 2239 01:37:13.958 --> 01:37:15.917 to Los Angeles. 2240 01:37:15.960 --> 01:37:18.006 And if you've got any talent, 2241 01:37:18.049 --> 01:37:20.356 and if you're driven and obsessed by it, 2242 01:37:20.399 --> 01:37:22.184 you probably will do all right. 2243 01:37:22.227 --> 01:37:25.100 And there are great people, about 1/10th of 1% 2244 01:37:25.143 --> 01:37:28.886 of the movie industry are the best people in the world. 2245 01:37:28.930 --> 01:37:30.975 The rest are scum of the earth, 2246 01:37:31.019 --> 01:37:34.718 whether they're independent or whether they are in the mainstream, they are 2247 01:37:34.761 --> 01:37:36.154 scum of the earth. 2248 01:37:36.198 --> 01:37:37.852 So if you sign a contract with them, 2249 01:37:37.895 --> 01:37:39.636 you have to assume in your head 2250 01:37:39.679 --> 01:37:41.116 that the other guy... You may, 2251 01:37:41.159 --> 01:37:43.727 you may do what the contract says. 2252 01:37:43.770 --> 01:37:45.511 But you have to assume in the contract 2253 01:37:45.555 --> 01:37:48.775 that the other person isn't going to do what the contract says. 2254 01:37:48.819 --> 01:37:51.996 And make arrangements for the worst-case scenario, 2255 01:37:52.040 --> 01:37:54.433 so that you don't lose your house and your business 2256 01:37:54.477 --> 01:37:57.219 and decide to blow your fucking brains out. 2257 01:37:57.262 --> 01:37:59.264 That's good advice. 2258 01:37:59.308 --> 01:38:02.615 But if you want the golden ring, 2259 01:38:02.659 --> 01:38:05.053 go to the mainstream in Hollywood, 2260 01:38:05.096 --> 01:38:06.968 which is where the projects are green-lit. 2261 01:38:07.011 --> 01:38:08.970 And if you are happy 2262 01:38:09.013 --> 01:38:15.063 being a broken-down old drunken filmmaker like Uncle Lloyd here, 2263 01:38:15.106 --> 01:38:17.892 whose probably next move, career-wise, 2264 01:38:17.935 --> 01:38:19.937 will be in a refrigerator carton 2265 01:38:19.981 --> 01:38:22.331 under the Route 95 2266 01:38:22.374 --> 01:38:24.376 with the other crack addicts, 2267 01:38:24.420 --> 01:38:26.378 then you become an underground filmmaker, 2268 01:38:26.422 --> 01:38:28.467 which is basically what I've always been.