Documentaries: Honeymoon (18+)

The focus of this week’s review is a documentary called Honeymoon.  It is a film about Japanese pornography, so, if that offends you, you know what to do.

For tackling a subject this compelling to a male such as myself, ‘Honeymoon’ sure is a bore.

It seems to me that, when trying to present a document of the sex life of an alien culture, the film would need to be given some sort of context.  Whether it be a brief history lesson on the television station Paradise TV or even something about Japanese culture and sex, something to ease the audience into the subject would have helped immensely.  As it is, we are thrown into the daily goings-on of a Japanese porn set, which, for the uninitiated, will  be baffling

The film does capture the stories of both of it’s central characters very well.  Two fresh faces on the opposite ends of the camera working through their first jobs.  Ono, the director,  is a slacker, and Makoto, the actress, is a ditz.  We watch as they nervously do their jobs.

Because of it’s limited focus, ‘Honeymoon’ suffers from it’s length, as watching this strange fetish video becomes repetitive and tedious.  Makoto takes callers that tell her what to do as they…do their thing.  The callers are what you would expect, there’s even a kindly old man who calls in to be the creepy grandfather.

There’s no way I can recommend this movie as it is too much of a missed opportunity.  If you really need to see what could have easily been a behind the scenes on a Japanese porn DVD, then give it a go.

I didn’t enjoy myself.

If you would like for your film to be featured on the site, send us an email at ptkruz@jojevis.com.  No submissions ignored!

Microbudget Movies: The Creek

The Creek is a horror movie that fails in only one aspect if, in fact, it is intended to be a pure horror/slasher movie: it is not scary.  Where it did win me over, however, was it’s heavy reliance on characterization and acting.

Generally a horror movie requires actors to become a stereotype to give the audience satisfaction of seeing the know-it-all nerd, the prom queen, or the jerky jock die in horrible, painful ways at the hands of an inbred maniac with a knife, meathook or whatever else they may stumble upon in the wake of their destruction. The Creek asks different things of it’s ample cast.

So, if it isn’t completely obvious by now, the best part of  this movie is the acting.  All of the actor inhabit their characters well, giving them life and  personality usually absent from a these sorts of movies.  Where the story is predictable, the interactions between the characters allows for some entertaining moments.  It’s sort of like Clue only with a ghost, and a complete absence of mystery, which leads me to my biggest gripe of the film.

The story here is so standard, and so packed with cliches that are used in such a predictable way that it is glaringly obvious who will die and who is the bad guy from the moment you figure out what’s going on.  The kill scenes are equally lame, most involving being impaled by a stick.

Direction here is competent, none of the scenes outstay their welcome and there is no noticeable artificial run time padding in The Creek’s modest 90 minute run. The lighting is to be noted, too, because The Creek takes a tip from The Evil Dead by using flood lights to light up the woods so that everything is bright enough to see, but where Mr. Sam Raimi is bested is how none of the light sources are ever visible on camera. There are a few minor issues with the audio, the movie is dubbed very well, but at some points the ambient noise in the background rises over the dialogue too much.

There’s  not much more to say about The Creek, it’s an impressive effort from a competent director, but the story brings it all crashing down. I hope to see more from Erik Soulliard soon.

Interview with Erik Soulliard, director of The Creek:

MM – How long did it take to film ‘The Creek,’ and how did you fund the
production?

ES – We shot for 18 days which sounds like a lot for an independent film
but in reality it wasn’t. We started shooting April 27th and shot every
Thursday, Friday & Saturday for six weeks. The film is shot entirely at
night except for one small scene. So, we could only begin shooting at
around 8pm in the beginning of the shoot and 9pm toward the end. Also, the
sun began rising earlier and earlier each week. At the end of the shoot we
had to stop no later than 5:30 in the morning. Not to mention the birds
came out a solid half hour before the sun came up. This left us with about
seven to eight hours of actual shooting time at night. Most independent
films shoot 12-14 hour days so only having 8 was a definite disadvantage.

We initially were going to look for outside investors for the shoot but
seeing that this was our first feature film we decided not to. After some
long discussions my wife and I decided to finance it ourselves by taking a
second mortgage on our house. We did end up having one investor come in
right before shooting which was very helpful.

ES - Shooting in the woods, in spring, with next to no budget, is a recipe
for disaster. We were very fortunate in that we only had to reschedule one
day for rain, however, it rained at least three days each week we shot.
Let’s just say MUD was very prevalent on set.

I also learned that you don’t shoot your opening scene the first night of
shooting. It seemed like a great idea at the time but in retrospect I would
have waited. The first night of shooting on something this low budget is
really sorta awkward. It’s like a first date. Everyone is excited but at
the same time they don’t really know what to expect. Actors are still
feeling each other out and sizing one another up. On top of that all these
people are supposed to be old friends and the scene is of them all
“partying” in the woods together. That can be a tough thing for a seasoned
actor to do. Throw on top of that a first time director and yeah…I should
have shot that on weekend two. I don’t think the scene turned out horribly
bad but at the same time your opening scene is your OPENING SCENE and you really want it to shine. I’d give everyone a better chance to shine next
time.

MM – Communicate the ultimate message of the film in one quick, clean

ES – Friends come and go but people you kill might just haunt you until you
die.

ES – It’s a bit cliché I think but I loved “Time Enough At Last”. The guy
gets his wish to have enough time to read but then his glasses break.  Talk
about an amazing moment that just says, “You’re Screwed!”

- Non-Fiction Book?

ES – It’s all fiction. Nothing is ever just straight facts. Everything is
filtered through the writer’s own goals.

-Children’s Song, why?

ES – Never Smile at a Crocodile. I have a script idea to use with it. It’s
just a plain creepy freaking song.

ES – There’s just too many options for this. Every time I think of one I
come up with another that’s better and my brain hurts. I’ll take the
cowards way out and say that I’d change the car scene in The Creek. Just
didn’t work the way I wanted.

ES – You can purchase The Creek online from all major DVD retailers.
You can google it and or go to www.thecreekmovie.com and we have links to
some of the bigger vendors on the homepage.

If you would like for your movie to be featured at Jojevis.com, contact us at ptkruz@jojevis.com.  No submissions will be ignored!

Documentaries: Snuff

Snuff is a documentary with a certain type of hype behind it, the kind of hype that says “Don’t watch, go away!” knowing that your brain is tickled from the moment you hear about it.  Like Faces of Death before it, Snuff explores death on camera, but this time it is to a more serious degree.

The film presents itself as a sort of scholarly lecture, featuring interviews with some relatively unknown people, the most notable of whom is Mark L. Rosen, producer of Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, who contributes his own first-hand experience with some part of the “snuff industry.”  Rosen’s story is fascinating, but, it is as close as the movie gets to actually exposing the existence of snuff as it is popularly percieved.

The movie’s true focus seems to be the second half of it’s title Killing on Camera, because it spends much of it’s time talking about and showing the only kill videos that can legally be distributed: Iraqi beheadings. Because they are the only thing close to snuff that they can show, it does feel a bit exploitative.  I mean, if it were legal for them to show kill vids made by Americans, Europeans, or anyone outside of the war zone, would they?

It is not, I think, that the filmmakers don’t have the balls to show you real evidence of snuff, it’s more that it is incredibly difficult to approach this subject legally.  At the same time it is not the fact that  we see no real snuff film that makes this doc feel sort of empty, it is the fact that the time it spends talking about the real thing feels rushed compared to all of the fluff that the movie spends time on.

Still, though, the movie flows well, and it feels very professional and polished.  What sucks, however, is that the interviewees that talk the most are the least interesting.  Instead of talking to some crazy movie buff guy in a black turtleneck,  it would have been more useful to attempt to gather interviews with more people who have had first hand experiences with snuff.

Snuff is a documentary that never feels like it isn’t put together to shock you into watching it like Cannibal Holocaust or Faces of Death, but unlike those movies, once you’re in the seat and watching it does it’s damndest to convince you ofthe horrible reality of snuff films and how it takes someone that is sick to watch real death for entertainment.

Snuff is an intruiging diversion for those too frightened to do their own research on this grisly subject.

If you would like your film to be featured on Jojevis.com, drop us a like at ptkruz@jojevis.com.  No submissions will be ignored!

Microbudget Films: Silence, ca tue!

This installment of Microbudget Films comes all the way from Belgium, home to a great American hero: Jean Claude Van Damme. I would like to preface this entire article with this quip from the guru himself: “You don’t need a flash to photograph a rabbit that already has red eyes.”  You have to really give it to random nonsense from roundhousing Belgian martial artists,because, in this one statement he captures the truly anarchic spirit of this week’s focus:

Through it’s use of the mockumentary style, Silence, ca tue! uses the subtleties of human behavior to give life to it’s odd, hypereuropean cast.  In my time reviewing movies, this is one of the most solid scripts I have ever encountered, it’s also a brilliant display of an understanding of the way documentaries work in telling their stories.  A silent sort of narrative unfolds itself in a way that seems completely organic as the film careens through it’s brief 65 minutes.

It is comparable to something like Man Bites Dog, except filmed as an MTV True Life episode.  Speaking of the technical side of things, this film shines in every aspect.  No line is muffled by white noise, and no shot is marred by poor lighting, everything is completely polished to the bone.  The editing, too, is tight as hell, and I truly appreciate the decision to make the movie as short as it is.

Silence, ca tue! is a sort of character study, where every actor completely inhabits a character, providing depth through delivery and mannerisms.  The conflicting personalities allow for infinite interpretation of the meaning of the story told.

The one place that I feel Silence truly suffers is in it’s gore effects.  For being mockumentary it seems like the only part that didn’t feel real was the gore.  The blood has a purplish hue, and body parts float on water, and, as a whole I do think that more of a starkly realistic view of the violence would have been more appropriate. It will sometimes zip you right out of the experience and into that “oh, that’s fake” mindset for a little while.

Thankfully, though, Silence is not dependant upon the gore to keep the story moving, it is dependent upon the story to keep the story going.

I truly enjoyed myself.

Coming Soon (hopefully) an interview with Christophe Lamot, director of Silence.

Seeking Distribution: The Shadow People

There’s something innately unambitious about making a slasher film these days.  It’s less of a genre and more of a script template.  However, Keith Parker’s Shadow People delivers on the gore and some cool, homemade special effects to keep things spicy.

One of the things I like about film is that it, like few other mediums, has a great ability to tend towards unintentional hilarity. Shadow People does this like Ed Wood before it.  If the characters in this film are not screaming, they are nonchalantly reacting to some of the most craziest stuff. Example:

Bad Guy: Smash your brother’s hand with this hammer.

Loser Brother: OK.

Less Loser Brother: OWWWWGOD, what do you need us to do?

It’s moments like these that keep this very talky film interesting.  Where there is gore, though, the blood flows.  Eye-gouging, people being bifurcated, oh, it will make you afraid of your own shadow! If your shadow has crazy claws and is as skinny as Doug Jones.

The thing is, though, Shadow People definitely has an interesting concept, but it fails to deliver a good story from it.  This movie could have benefitted from a different angle to tackling the story.

The Shadow People is an honest attempt at making  a gory, scary film, but it ultimately falls flat due to a cliche-ridden script.  However, all of the actors have very convincing screams of pain, and the Shadow People effects do look pretty cool.

I marginally enjoyed myself.

Interview with Keith Parker, director of The Shadow People.

Seeking Distribution (SD) – How long did it take you to make ‘Shadow People’ and how did you fund the production?

Keith Parker (KP) – The actual shooting took less than 15 days; most of which was shot on a set in Indianapolis, Indiana.  In total with post production it took about a year to complete.  The entire project was self funded by my wife and myself.

KP – This was our first production and we have had no formal training in filmmaking.  We’ve started a production company, Tornspace Films, and have big plans for building a local infrastructure for independent filmmakers in Indiana.  I see myself continuing to grow and directing more features.  We also want to collaborate with other independent filmmakers to help bring their visions to the screen.

KP – The entire process was such a huge learning experience.  I still like the idea of running future projects with a small crew, but I know my limits and would like to have more people involved who have more knowledge in specific areas – especially lighting.

Hanging out with my Dad and Grandpa in my Grandpa’s workshop.  We always had a lot of fun building things together.

- Myth?

Cerberus – the three-headed dog that guards the gates of Hades.

- Smell, why?

I have an awful sense of smell, so probably smelling food grilling out on a warm summer day would be the best.

KP – The scene in “Hellraiser II: Hellbound” when Dr. Channard kills Pinhead.  Pinhead was always portrayed as being extremely powerful and during this fight scene, it was just like he gave up – pretty lame.

KP – We’re working on two scripts right now – “Fractured Reality” a thriller/horror and “Laid Bak: The Bong Warrior” a dark/stoner/kung-fu/comedy.  We hope to shoot one of them this year.

KP – Please check out our website at: www.TornspaceFilms.com where you can purchase a copy of “Shadow People” directly from us as well as find out more details and our future productions.  Our contact information is also available on the website and we do respond to every email.

KP – No matter how discouraging or how much people say “you can’t do it”, never give up on your dreams.  If you work hard and persist, you will accomplish your goals.  And don’t be afraid to not make a blockbuster with your first project.  You will learn from the experience and your next one will be even better.

If you would like for your film to be featured on Jojevis.com,  contact us at ptkruz@jojevis.com. No submissions ignored!

Microbudget Films: El Alambrista

The layman’s perception of the mystical martial arts of the Lucha Libre seems to be that they are silly men in masks who put on a pretty neat acrobatics show, but, to those of us in the know, Lucha Libre is one of the most honorable vocations that a true man can take on.  To be a Lucha Libre one must achieve brahmavidya, there must be a direct connection with the universe and all things weaved within it.

El Alambrista is a movie about not selling out, and not being anyone’s ho-ho.  The story itself is nothing special, it has it’s moments, but it serves the same purpose as the average Dragon Ball Z story, that is, it is just an excuse for some awesome, back-breaking beat downs.  That is not a complaint, however,  as I have often enjoyed story-less gore fests like The Story of Ricky.

The movie’s sense of humor is, sadly, pretty dry, but some of the actors, such as Julio Garcia, really get into their roles and steal their scenes, injecting a little humor into the proceedings.

Most of the technical  work here is great, the sound, somehow, was wonderful, the color palette was well-chosen, and the locations were perfect.  However, the editing was a bit jumpy, it seemed like there was a cut every five seconds or so.  This technique can sometimes be applied effectively to a film to speed up the pace, such as in Dark City, but it becomes jarring here.  The editing in the wrestling scenes is so jumpy, in fact, that it  seems like scenes are too disconnected, leaving me a bit confused until one man is declared the winner. Sometimes, though, the editing does properly showcase the acrobatics of the Lucha Libre dudes as  they throw eachother around the ring.

The best thing about this movie, though, is that, even without understanding Spanish, you could follow this movie without subtitles.  Not to say that the story is overly simplistic, this movie actually just effectively communicates it’s story visually.

I did respect this movie’s moxie, and I really enjoyed the ending.  My only true gripe is that it could have used a few more jokes.

I enjoyed myself.

Interview with Alfonso Sahagun Casaus:

Microbudget Films [MF] How long did it take you to make ‘El Alambrista’ and how did you fund the production?

Alfonso Sahagun Casaus [AC] The film took me and the cast about two and half years to complete. I lucked out because the cast worked for free.  My biggest expense was post production computer stuff and sound effects. All the cash came out of my pocket but I have some cool friends that lent me a camera and computer.

[MF] How long have you been involved with film production and what kind of future do you see for yourself in it?

[AC] I have been working on no budget films with my friend Angelo Lopes for about eleven years. I work in local tv as a cameraman so that is where I learned to shoot.  I think I can have a career in film if I can just come up with a budget, every filmmakers handicap. I am not saying you need money to make good movie but it doesn’t hurt. Cameras and computers cost money.

[MF] What is the philosophy behind ‘El Alambrista’?

[AC] The philosophy of Alambrista is a hero can come from anywhere.

[MF] What problems did you encounter while making ‘El Alambrista,’ and what did you learn from them?

[AC] The biggest problem was getting extras to come out and film.  What I learned is that it will probably happen again.

[MF] What’s your favorite?

- Ice Cream?

[AC] I am lactose intolerant, but I love mint chocolate

- Dog?

[AC] I like Appenphinser, the devil face dog, little and doesn’t bark a lot and looks like a ewak, you know the star wars hairy guys that live in the forest.

- Film Genre, why?

[AC] I like drama, I want learn about people.  I am interested in their lives, their faults.

[MF] What, if anything, would you have changed in ‘El Alambrista’ if resources were not a problem? Why?

[AC] I would change certain scenes that I feel just came out cheesy and rushed.  Technically speaking I would of shot it hd 24p.

[MF] If you could change one scene in any film, what would it be and why?

[AC] The scene where Alambrista fights off the coyote, it just came off cheesy. I wished I would of filmed the fight scene with more angles and a lot faster.  This is a lucha libre film and I didn’t hit anyone with a folding chair.

[MF] Any upcoming projects?

[AC] I am looking for money to make one more Alambrista lucha libre film. The script is done and filled with nothing but action action action.

[MF] Where can I go to see/buy your movies?

[AC] Brink.com, Bestbuy.com,Target.com,Netflixs.com Blockbuster.com

[MF] Any tips or hints on making a more effective film?

[AC] I am a shooter so I learned by shooting other people’s projects. You are going to make tons of mistakes just watch my first feature “Alambrista The Fence Jumper”.

If you would like your film to participate in the Microbudget Films Series, email us at ptkruz@jojevis.com. No submissions ignored!

Seeking Distribution: Us Sinners (part 1)

This episode of Seeking Distribution will be a two-parter.  The first will be my review of the movie Us Sinners, the second part will be my attempt at an interview with the film’s director.  Please to enjoy!

Us Sinners is, apparently, a George Snow DV (digital video).  At first I thought that this was a movie made by a sick weirdo, but, as it trudged forward, it became clear that it is just a really crap version of Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer.

The problems that I have with this movie almost exclusively lie in the script.  There is nothing to keep the movie interesting throughout because there is no story.  I discovered while watching this move that without a character to provide  balance, the audience is simply left to watch the misadventures of a completely unlikable character.  It is as if it were written by someone who fast forwarded to all of the “Buffalo Bill” scenes in The Silence of the Lambs.

This is not to say that the movie Henry was about a guy that I would hang out with, but that movie had a character that provided the previously mentioned balance.  Without someone for the audience to relate to, the movie becomes an excuse to watch softcore rape scenes where women have foreign objeects (like used maxi pads) shoved in their mouths while they are molested by a man who turns to show his dirty underwear to the camera.  Twice.

My or anyone’s natural response to watching fictionalized rape or incest is, usually, to cringe.  To include these things in a movie and call it horror is a misconception because of how cheap a scare it is.  Even to the point of it being a scare, it is not exactly utilizing suspense or any other film techniques involved in creating terror to make an audience member tense.  What it is, really, is the equivalent of inserting a clip of a person deffocating on another person to generate a natural and predictable response: shock.  Shock is cheap and morally offensive, good horror is patient and psychologically offensive.

From here, as the movie has been distilled down into  the shock category, it all becomes a mater of taste.  When you are watching a movie, do you generally enjoy a feeling of uncomfortable boredom?  I don’t.

Strangely enough, though, this movie had great audio work, save for the one horrible song played throughout the entire movie.

I did not enjoy myself.

Next week I am going to give George Snow a chance to defend his movie, because I feel like it would be useful  to see what kind of person a movie like this actually comes from.  So until then, kids, always remember:

If you would like your film to be a part of the Microbudget Films series, contact us at ptkruz@jojevis.com. No submissions ignored!

Cat Shit One. Yes please!

What do you get when you cross cute, cuddly, furry bunnies and camels with the War on Terror? The answer: Cat Shit One: The Animated Series. It’s based on a manga called Apocalypse Meow which was published in 1998. I can’t find much more info on the movie/mini series, not even on IMDB. If any of our loyal readers can dig anything up, please feel free to comment.

Microbudget Films: Gunheavy

It’s pronounced DOSS-EE-YAY.

Gunheavy is, visually, the kind of movie that hasn’t been made since the 1990’s.  Watching it brought to mind scifi trash greats like Screamers and the wonderfully gory anime M.D. Geist.  Even the title evokes some sort of mistranslated Japanese movie, but it’s not, it’s just Gunheavy.

It’s useless to discuss the story of Gunheavy, it is incoherent even upon a fourth viewing (however, a story that barely makes sense is better than a predictable story [sometimes]). The real reason to watch this one is the visuals.  It’s pretty obvious that the only reason that this movie was made was to show off their skill in special effects.

They show it all off so well, though.  The CG is sparse, which is excellent, but the little things like the dilapidated structures in the backgrounds of wide shots complete the atmosphere.  Miniature work such as the big black jet ascending into the clouds and the “Orbital Cannon” (seen above) are amazing.  The locations that they chose all look like the ruins of some military-industrial future, and no set or place felt inappropriate for this movie.

Sadly, the sound is awful, the music, sometimes, drowns the dialogue out, and I found myself having to constantly adjust the volume during gunfights.  Seriously, I’m not going to say it again, please refer to every review I have written for this site to see my opinion on poor sound quality.

Despite Gunheavy’s structural pockmarks, it’s hard not to love it for it’s visual ambition.  It may seem hypocritical to excuse a movie for the same sins that I revile in bigger budget movies that sacrifice story for special effects, but there is something special in this movie.  It finds a wonderful comprimise between computer generated and practical special effects that I last saw in (the excellent) Starship Troopers. Don’t miss this one.

I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

Interview with Angelo Lopes, writer/director of Gunheavy.

Angelo Lopes (AL) – Took just under 4 years. We had no idea of what we were doing with certain things so lots of it was trial and error. There were a few long hiatuses where we did nothing, so we probably could of finished it faster. We got some start up funds from a friend who owned restaurants, then the rest we spend out of pocket and incurred debt.

AL – I started shooting with VHS cameras when I was about 16 (1992), but none of that was serious. My first real film was finished in 2003, called Armas.45.  I will continue to make films and try to market them, see where it takes me.

- Type of transportation?

AL – Anything beats walking.

– Character, why?

AL – Solid Snake from Metal Gear Solid. He was around since I was a kid and now he’s Old Snake. Bad ass.

Seeking Distribution: Geek Mythology

Geek Mythology is a film with an unfortunately lame title, enough to make me ignore the movie if I saw it in the store, but I am pleased to say that it is actually a very funny film.

There are a lot of things to love here: the editing is very tight, the  jokes are all very well delivered, and the casting is great.  What was especially surprising was how rediculous the movie would get sometimes, dream sequences of cowboy fetish sex, a crazy black cop whose dialogue appears on-screen sometimes, and a spazzy main character that resembles a greasy Jerry Seinfeld.  Even when the writing falters, the spot-on over the top acting pulls it all together.

Nothing is perfect, however, and this one has it’s share of flaws.  The first noticable problem is the horrendous sound quality, it definitely damages the feel of the film.  Sometimes, such as in the elevator sequence, the sound cracks so much that you can hear the microphone feedback.  It doesn’t hurt to dub over a scene if the sound is bad.  The main plot device, a magical statue that makes this guy sexy, doesn’t work out at all.  It is such a little part of the film that I forgot about it halfway through.

The final greivance I’d like to bring up for this movie is so awful that it deserves it’s own paragraph.  Artificially padding out the run time of a film is a sin, and it should be punishable by death (or maybe an extended time-out).  This film is guilty of the (begin hyperbole) worst montage scene I have ever had to watch.  It recaps the entire film over the course of five minutes and almost destroyed an otherwise good picture. Despite these flaws, though, this film is an ambitious and really funny comedy.

I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

Interview with Phil Hwang, Director of Geek Mythology

Seeking Distribution (SD) – How long did it take you to make ‘Geek Mythology’ and how did you fund the production?

Phil Hwang (PH) – It took about a year to make the movie which I funded myself. It only cost eight thousand dollars.

SD – How long have you been involved with film production and what kind of future do you see for yourself in it?

PH – I’ve been writing screenplays for almost fifteen years and I made a another movie called The Corpse That Wouldn’t Leave in 2000. I have a couple of projects which would require bigger budgets that I would like to get off the ground.

SD – What is your favorite:

- Poem?

PH – Emily Dickinson’s “Hope is That Thing With Feathers.”

- Country?

PH – United States of America

- Historical Figure, why?

PH – Joaquin Murrieta. He was basically a Mexican Robin Hood whose story is very romantic.

SD – If you  could change one scene in any film, which would it be and why?

PH – I’d triple the length of Halle Berry’s lovemaking scene in Monster’s Ball. Who wouldn’t want to see more of her?

SD – Where should we go to see the movie or contact you?

PH – Geek Mythology is available at Netflix and at on-line retailers such as DVD Empire, Best Buy, and Barnes & Noble. In a few months, it should be available in Europe as a VOD item. People can email me at: payperfilm@yahoo.com.

SD – Any tips for those novice filmmakers out there?

PH – The biggest tip I have for a novice filmmaker is to hire or team up with a producer whose has successfully made a film similar to the one he or she is attempting. There are so many mistakes that will make make post production hell or create a situation where you can’t get meaningful distribution. Even hiring a recent film school grad might not be the way to go since they tend to be hardwired into thinking you need a crew of ten with a giant grip truck to get any type of film made. Also it’s great to have a designated bad guy. People have all sorts of requests. It’s nice to be able to turn them down by blaming the evil producer.

If you would like your film to be a part of the Seeking Distribution series, contact us at ptkruz@jojevis.com. No submissions ignored!