Hey everyone! Welcome to the blog all about the CSU Northridge Senior Thesis film Str80s. This film has a hilarious comedic outer layer with a passionate dramatic undertone that rejects sexual discrimination.
So on our second day of casting, we found a wallet on campus. I tried to the contact information for this person but failed. I tried to talk to admissions and records on campus and they couldn't help. I called a business that I suspected the wallet's owner worked at, and it had gone out of business. Finally I decided to mail it to one of three addresses that was in the wallet (my best guess as to which one was current). Today I got a card in the mail from the owner of the wallet. It read,
"Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you. It feels good to know that there are good and honest people in this world just like you. Thank you so much for taking the time to return my wallet and I could only hope that one day I can some how repay the favor."
Enclosed was $50 that person became a contributor to the film and already has repaid me more than I could have ever expected. I guess it pays not to be a jerk.
Today was a tragic day. We lost 3 fine crew members, but got 3 fine, brand new crew members. More information about them in the updated crew section.
We also met up to today to begin discussing how we’re going to make this thing happen. I’m not sure if anyone quite knows yet... we’ll see.
Casting notices are up on three different websites and we already have over six hundred responses. Now it’s gonna be my job to schedule all those people for auditions and then sift through the best actors to find my perfect cast.
We’re also now in the process of locking all of our locations and locking down our shoot dates. Right now we’re planning on starting in 57 days on March 20, 2009. Wish us luck.
We also created a facebook group. Join if you can http://www.facebook.com/p.php?i=30511671&k=45DYYXT24W5M511AQC2XYP
Now our biggest struggle is putting together the funds. We’re looking for a way to gather approximately $35,000 to make the movie. It’s gonna be tough, but we’re confident we can do it. Any way you, dear readers, can help is more than welcome. Also now any donation to the film is tax exempt. More info on that to come...
Until later... Yeah I don’t know how to end this. Please give us money.
So I’m happy to announce today, that Str80s, IS OFFICIALLY GOING INTO PRODUCTION!!!! Thank you all kind readers, well wishers, and stumble-uponers. We’re slated to start shooting in about 60 days so we have plenty to do in the meantime. I’ll try to keep the many tens of you posted about production and everything that’s going on.
Along with Str80s four other films got picked. Congratulations to my fellow Hollywood Foreign Press Association Fellows. En Tiempo De Guerra, Director Brian Parada Everything, Director Jonathan Filion Sheeps and Wolves, Director Jamie Yukich Outgunned, Director Alex Agabon
More to come. I’m gonna go dance naked in the street now in celebration!
Ok so the proposal’s going great. I’m looking at it right now and most of it’s ready to go in. I do need to finish scouting locations and taking pictures, however that should be done by next week.
I’m currently on page 65 of my proposal and I’m wondering how many pages this is actually gonna be... I should probably trim out some stuff...
I’m currently working with very talented artist and we’re producing a beautiful storyboard, hopefully I’ll include some of the shots in the next entry.
I’ve been getting a lot of help from various alumni. Robert Larson and Liz Pantoja the director and producer of the 2007 senior project, Finding Bigfoot. Both have been incredibly helpful in providing feedback, words of advice, and of course keeping me going through this whole painstaking process.
I’ve also had a short correspondence with Jason Frizado producer of the senior film August 5th. He gave a lot of advice all about the budget and some good info about crew. Oh he also mentioned I should be making my producer do all this work. Eh oh well. Check out his film U.N.Y.P.
Also big shout out to my old roomie and good buddy Conor Barrett, he gave me a few tips as well as got me in contact with some peeps. He’s a good man and if you need a sound designer he’s the one to go to. That is until I finish my protools class, then come to me.
In the coming week I’m going to finish up the proposal, hopefully I’ll get all my locations photos all finished so I can begin doing the layout in Adobe Acrobat. And then if I keep the pace going strong, I’ll be able to get it edited and printed as a hardback. Oh that reminds me I gotta make art work for a dust jacket for the proposal... The things to do never end...
Yesterday I was casting and it was quite a treat as it always is. Some crazy good actors, some crazy bad actors, couple just crazy ones.
After each actor auditioned I was asking if I may use a clip of their auditions to post on here. Mainly there were a few really funny actors and good auditions and I thought the two people who look at this site might enjoy it. That all changed when a certain actress and her manager came to audition.
I asked her the same question I asked all the actors, who had all up until this point gladly said yes, if I may use a part of their audition for the website and possibly part of my proposal. She said “absolutely not.” I said ok that’s fine, I wont use it. They left and I continued with the auditions. I thought that would be the last I would hear from them.
About 20 minutes later my phone rang. I answered the phone and it was her Manager Joe Habak of JET Management, Talent Manager and CEO. Quite a title he has. Anyway he said basically said I have no right to use the video in anyway shape or form. I said, “That’s fine, like I told your client I will not use it.” He then told me they both look forward to the next rounds of auditions I laughed a little and thought it was over.
About an hour later I got another call from Joe CEO of JET Management felt that our verbal agreement simply wasn’t enough and wanted to e-mail me the terms of my verbal agreement and “get it in writing.” I said fine send an e-mail.
So Joe wrote me an e-mail last night with some sort of “contract” typed up that said his client's audition tape will not be released and/or used in any way any form in perpetuity. And that since I didn’t have her sign a release form, I have no right to use it. Oh also there was a confidentiality notice at the end of the e-mail telling me that any copying of the e-mail was strictly prohibited. Whoops. Now at the time he sent it, I was at home passed out from a long day of auditions.
Then the morning comes. I received three phone calls all from Joe. Again I was asleep and didn’t care to answer so I didn’t. He leaves a voice mail that you can hear:
Oh goodness, he’s going to chase me on this. But that wasn’t all. He also sent me a text message “reply to my email re [my clint] today, no later.”
After being rather annoyed with all this I sent my reply:
“Dear Joe,
I agree that I will use no part of your client’s audition tape for any purpose. The tape will not be released and/or used in any form including but not limited to the internet, or any other form wither known or unknown to man kind, or any other life form, in perpetuity (for ever and ever). Also the tape will not be distributed at this date, any future date, or at any past date should time travel be discovered. Your client will retain all rights to her performance in this or any other dimension even if the rules are “bizzaro” and apply reverse to all the rules in this dimension.
The contents of this e-mail are strictly confidential. Should said e-mail be shown to anyone or anything, all previous statements are to be considered null and void. By reading any of the above, you agree to the terms of this e-mail and are thus subject to that agreement, in perpetuity, in this or any other universe.”
He replied with a simple thank you, and he looks forward to hearing about call backs.
It’s a shame e-mails are at best questionable in their status as legally binding.
So my scripts been floating around to various people. I’ve been trying to get some straight forward feedback that will help me improve my script. Here are some quotes about what I’ve written.
“It doesn’t have any jokes.”
“... the characters are very endearing.”
“It’s a very serious topic.”
“Very funny and not at all offensive.”
“I don’t get it.”
“...very funny. I appreciate it's smart humor along with its simple storyline. Not only do I find it comical, but its ability to relate to any kid who has strived for acceptance, not only from their parents, but from others in their culture and environment is what I think makes the nature of your script concrete.”
“I need a description of the house so I can know something about the character.”
“Brilliant idea.”
So... Some mixed responses. I look forward to hearing more of what people think as I get more feedback. So far the people’s opinions I want the most I haven’t been able to get. Hopefully time will tell if this script is worth anything. Until then I’m focusing on producing this soon to be master piece.
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