Beyond the Frame

The relationship I had with Harvey was definitely more like that father-son relationship that you read about in literature and whatnot. I love him to death, but, yeah, I definitely had some issues along the way. … I was an idealist. I was a young man, and I believed kind of everything I was told. And back in those days, we were told, like, ‘This is indie war, man! We’re taking on the studios! They’re making commercial crap, and we’re making art!’ But you know what happens is, a good idea becomes a business, and suddenly there was a day where I was like, we’re listening to marketing data that you’re getting based on trailers. Not even like test-screening a movie — we’re test-screening trailers and poster images. There’s no more gut instinct in this.

~ Director Kevin Smith on Harvey Weinstein, who bought Smith’s first film and guided his career via NPR’s Morning Edition

A great producer is a creative collaborator with the director.  Even the most independent directors need strong relationships such as this one.

~ü

[Image: The Coldest Winter, Credit: Caleb Condit]

Much has transpired for EarthCircle Films in 2011.  Over the next couple weeks, I’ll be posting the notable events that have made this the best year so far.  Part 1 covered the impressive accomplishments of our closest collaborators. Today I’d like to detail the work that Kathryn Henderson, the producer, and David Schmüdde, the director, have done this year:

Kathryn Henderson added a new title to her résumé - producer at VSA Partners.  In the last year alone she has created videos for First Data’s implementation of Google Wallet, IBM and Proctor and Gamble.  In that time, she hasn’t lost her indie cred - she has continued to produce short films in Chicago.  The list is impressive:

• The Coldest Winter - Indie Drama
• Fall In Love - Dodge Challenger Spec Spot
• Pocus - Indie Comedy
• Tom Carter - Indie Drama
• Chrome - Bronze Telly Award-Winning Chrome Messenger Bag Spec Spot
• And finally, a webisode of the popular serial comedy Jack and Justin.  Click on the video below to catch the teaser:

[Video: Jack and Justin produced by Kathryn Henderson]

[Image: Zelda directed by Schmüdde, Credit: Elizabeth Morris]

Schmüdde’s 2011 directing credits include:

• Zelda - Indie Drama 
• The Coldest Winter - Indie Drama
• Elements • Winter 2011 - Experimental Short

And worked as an assistant director on:

• Old Movies - Comcast Spec Spot
• Tom Carter - Indie Drama
• Air Conditioner - Winterfresh Gum Spec Spot
• Fall In Love - Dodge Challenger Spec Spot
• Chrome - Chrome Messenger Bag Spec Spot

[Image: Zelda directed by Schmüdde, Credit: Elizabeth Morris]

Yesterday I used Ted Hope to illustrate what producers want.  Not surprisingly, it is more difficult to tell what they don’t want (other than a film that loses money).  To illustrate how difficult it is to point point, I’ll use Universal Studio’s chief Ron Meyer as an example:

“We [Universal Studios] make a lot of shitty movies,” Meyer said, “and every one of them breaks my heart.” While swearing that they always “set out to make good ones”—and reserving praise for films like United 93, A Beautiful Mind, and Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World (while also lamenting that they didn’t make enough money)

“One of the worst movies we ever made was Wolfman… It’s one of those movies, the moment I saw it I thought, ‘What have we all done here?’ That movie was crappy. We all went wrong. It was one of those things… Like I said, we make a lot of bad movies. That’s one we should have smelled out a long time ago. It was wrong. The script never got right… [The cast] was awful. The director was wrong. Benicio [del Toro] stunk. It all stunk… Wolfman and Babe 2 are two of the shittiest movies we put out.”

~ Ron Meyer’s recent speech at the Savannah Film Festival

For any chance of success, directors and producers must work together as a team on source material that is rich and meaningful.  The well-known independent producer, Ted Hope, opines on the ten things you must do before you submit a script for consideration to the person in charge:

1. Cut at least another 10% of the script. Even when you think you are finished, there’s always another 10% that can come out.
2. Clarify what you feel the themes are and how they evolve during the course of the narrative.
3. Figure out some of the ways that the story can be expanded onto other platforms.
4. Know what the historical precedents are for your story and how you differ from them in how you have chosen to tell it.
5. Review the script from each characters’ point of view and make sure that their dialogue and actions remain emotionally true for each of them in their different situations.
6. Recognize what some of the mysteries contained within both the characters and story are that you are committed to protecting — as not everything should be explained.
7. Understand why you are truly prepared to tell this story at this time – or not.  
8. Make the world that the characters inhabit truly authentic; don’t just give them jobs or apartments or hip music to listen to.
9. Make it somehow provocative, intriguing, audacious, or thought provoking — something that will make it stand out.
10. Make sure it is more than just a good story told well. Be truly ambitious. Take us somewhere new, or take us there in a new way.

The key thing with this list or any list is still to put yourself in the shoes of whom you are submitting the project to.